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SHOOTING STUDS
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Tony Parker, Spurs
101-94 win at Heat
38 pts, 13-18 FG, 2-2 3-pt FG, 10-13 FT
Bobby Simmons, Bucks
118-102 win at Hawks
25 pts, 8-10 FG, 2-3 3-pt FG, 7-8 FT
Chris Webber, 76ers
89-86 OT win vs. Grizzlies
29 pts, 11-19 FG
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STAT SHEET STUFFER
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It takes a huge performance to overshadow a 17-point, 14-rebound, six-block night, but a huge performance is exactly what Dwight Howard put together Friday. Howard ripped a career-high 21 rebounds to go with 19 points, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots. His dominance inside not only bested Eddie Griffin's line, which highlighted the Timberwolves' win over the Pacers, but helped Orlando halt an eight-game road losing streak.
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RICK KAMLA'S FANTASY TAKE
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Shawn Marion's 22 points and 16 rebounds gave him 30 double-doubles on the season. He also swatted five shots against the Lakers on Friday. If this guy isn't a lock for the All-Star game, I don't know who is.
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D-LEAGUE STAR OF THE NIGHT
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Andre Emmett topped all D-Leaguers on Friday with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He did it on the defensive end, as well, grabbing eight rebounds and collecting four steals. His efforts were not enough, however, as the Austin Toros were handed a 99-83 loss by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds.
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GAME OF THE NIGHT
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It's old news by now, but here it is one more time: the Rockets are borderline unstoppable with Tracy McGrady in the lineup. On Friday, T-Mac returned to the court after missing five more games (of course, Houston lost all five, falling to 0-13 without its superstar) and made his presence known. With the Rockets down by two in the fourth quarter in Chicago, McGrady missed a jumper, grabbed his own rebound and buried a shot from the baseline to send the game to overtime. In the extra frame, McGrady hit another jumper with 15 ticks remaining to give Houston a two-point lead, which it would give up on a Darius Songaila dunk with 6.6 seconds left to force yet another bonus period. However, T-Mac would not be denied. With 42.8 seconds on the clock, he nailed a 3-ball to give the Rockets the lead for good and secure the dramatic 109-108 victory over the Bulls.
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QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
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"They've got a lot of players but three that they really rely on, especially on the offensive end, and those guys had big nights tonight."
-- Hornets head coach Byron Scott, on Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, who combined for 77 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists in the Wizards'
110-99 win over New Orleans/Oklahoma City on Friday.
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STORYLINES OF THE NIGHT
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 1. No Baron, No Problem
After Baron Davis nearly became the first Warrior to notch back-to-back triple-doubles since Wilt the Stilt in 1964, he sat out Friday's game against LeBron James' Cavaliers, serving a one-game suspension for hitting the Sonics' Luke Ridnour in the chest Monday. Without its leader, Golden State kicked up its effort on both ends of the court en route to a 99-79 rout at home. Derek Fisher - one of five Warriors to net double figures - stepped into the starting lineup and tallied 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds, making Davis' absence easier to bear. Golden State also locked down LeBron, holding the NBA's third-leading scorer to a season-low 14 points.
 2. First Place is a Mile High
Entering play Friday, the Nuggets led the Jazz by just a half game in the Northwest Division. But the 30-point waxing Denver layed on Utah made the gap between the two seem a mile wide. The Nuggets never trailed in the game and led by as many as 35 points. Carmelo Anthony continued to play like a man on a mission, scoring 23 of his game-high 31 points in the first half as Denver built a 21-point advantage they would only expand in the second half. The defeat left Utah coach Jerry Sloan exasperated. "It was one of the most disappointing games I've ever been involved in for a game you would think would have some significance," he said afterward. "They just waxed us. We couldn't execute anything right from the beginning."
 3. A Pair of Sixes
Six was the number of the night in Phoenix, as the Suns won their sixth straight home game and, in the process, took down the Lakers for the sixth consecutive time. During the run against L.A., which began with last season's four-game series sweep and continued with Friday's 106-93 victory, Phoenix has won by nearly 12 points per contest. Kobe Bryant followed his 51-point effort with 37 more, but received little support from his teammates. Of course, Kobe doesn't help when his 33 shot attempts equal the total taken by the next three Lakers combined. Shawn Marion led the Suns for the fifth game in a row with 22 points and 16 rebounds, while Steve Nash added 17 points and 12 assists.
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ROOKIE WATCH
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Regardless of who wins this season's Rookie of the Year Award (and it's safe to say Chris Paul will be taking home that trophy), one would be hard-pressed to find a bigger draft-day steal than former Arizona Wildcat Salim Stoudamire. The No. 31 pick scored 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and nailed a season-high five triples on Friday. Unfortunately, the Hawks lost to the Bucks, 118-102.
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COOL/CLUTCH PERFORMANCE
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Samuel Dalembert defended his home court with a vengeance Friday. The Philadelphia big man swatted six shots, including a pair of Pau Gasol attempts in the last three minutes of overtime to preserve the Sixers' 89-86 win over the Grizzlies. After Philly - the NBA's second worst defensive team - had lost five of seven playing less than spectacular D, Dalembert's performance was just what coach Mo Cheeks ordered.
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SIXTH MAN OF THE NIGHT
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The Suns continue to find ways to win without Amaré Stoudemire, and Eddie House has been a big reason why. On Friday, the sixth-year guard came off the bench and scored 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from downtown, in just 24 minutes, as Phoenix defeated Los Angeles, 106-93. House is the only player in the league to rank in the top 20 in scoring per 48 minutes and average less than 20 minutes per game.
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SCOREBOARD: Jan. 20, 2006 |
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE
Al Harrington feeds Josh Smith with the nifty alley-oop:
