|
SHOOTING STUDS
|
Paul Pierce, Celtics
109-106 win vs. Bobcats
31 pts, 11-17 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG, 7-8 FT
Jameer Nelson, Magic
121-97 loss at Raptors
31 pts, 12-15 FG, 4-6 3-pt FG, 3-3 FT
Steve Nash, Suns
105-85 win vs. 76ers
24 pts, 11-15 FG
|
|
|
STAT SHEET STUFFER
|
LeBron James didn't quite match the season-high 52 points he put up last time out against the Bucks, but more than made up for it in other facets of the game. LBJ added 11 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and a block to a still-impressive 32 points in Cleveland's 91-84 road win. The triple-dip was James' second of the season.
|
|
|
RICK KAMLA'S FANTASY TAKE
|
"If you're looking for the fantasy beneficiary of the Larry Hughes injury, look no further than Donyell Marshall, who had 17 (points) and nine (boards) off the bench Wednesday. You can have Damon Jones, gimme 'Yell."
|
|
|
LOCKDOWN OF THE NIGHT
|
Allen Iverson is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, but the Suns don't seem to be very impressed. Iverson has averaged just 20 points per game against Phoenix over his 10-year career, his lowest against any team. Wednesday, he scored a season-worst 16 on 7-for-23 shooting in a 105-85 road loss to the Suns.
|
|
|
|
GAME OF THE NIGHT
|
The visiting Bobcats clawed all the way back from a 75-59 third-quarter deficit and headed to the fourth tied with the Celtics at 81. The final stanza was an exciting back-and-forth affair, as the game featured four ties and five lead changes, and neither team led by more than four. Orien Greene put the C's on top with a layup with 57 ticks left, and sank two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to finally seal a 109-106 Boston win.
|
|
|
STORYLINES OF THE NIGHT
|
 1. Changing of the Bobs
In his first game since replacing Bob Weiss as Seattle's head coach, Bob Hill helped the Sonics to a 101-97 victory in Chicago. The win, No. 258 of Hill's career, snapped a short two-game losing streak for Seattle, and dealt the Bulls their eighth loss in a row. Ranked last in the NBA in defense coming in, the Sonics held an opponent under 100 points for just the seventh time in 31 games.
 2. Drowsy in Dallas?
The Mavericks are off to a solid 23-9 start under head coach Avery Johnson, but have struggled (relatively) in the second half of back-to-backs. Including Wednesday's 91-78 road loss to the Wolves, Dallas is 5-4 in the second halves of back-to-back sets, compared to 8-1 in the first halves. But Coach Johnson doesn't accept the fatigue explanation: "If the commissioner changed the schedule and you had to play three or four games in a row, championship teams still find a way to win. So we don't use tired as an excuse. We didn't deserve to win."
 3. Bucks' Bench Blues
Milwaukee got solid production from its starting five on Wednesday, but the bench came up empty in a 91-84 home loss to the Cavs. Four reserves combined to shoot 0-for-9 for zero points in 45 minutes, "led" by Toni Kukoc's 0-for-3 performance. It was the first time the Bucks' bench has been held scoreless since Nov. 27, 1970, Milwaukee's third season of existence. "Our bench has been very good and very productive for us," coach Terry Stotts said. "This is a little bit of an anomaly."
|
|
|
ROOKIE WATCH
|
The most important statistic for point guards isn't points or steals or even assists - it's W's. Chris Paul, the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December, took another step forward in his progression as a star lead guard Wednesday as his Hornets cruised to a comfortable 107-92 home win over the powerful Heat, who were led by Dwyane Wade's triple-double. And Paul's numbers were pretty nice, too: 15 points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals with just one turnover.
|
|
|
COOL/CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
|
For the first three quarters, the Cavaliers struggled on offense without Larry Hughes (out eight weeks with a broken finger) and were down by five heading to the final frame. But LeBron James took over in the fourth, scoring 17 of his game-high 32 points to lead Cleveland to a 91-84 victory, its first in Milwaukee since March 8, 2002, when LeBron was just a high school phenom.
|
|
|
SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
|
After the Pacers closed to within two points early in the second quarter, Earl Boykins scored 12 points during a 15-2 Nuggets run that blew the game open. Denver never relinquished that lead and closed out a 106-86 home win. Boykins finished with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench.
|
|
|
SCOREBOARD: Jan. 4, 2006 |
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE
Dirk beats the halftime buzzer from deep.
"I still carry that in my pocket the way guys criticized me when the Raptors drafted me No. 7. I want to prove my critics as liars."
