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13 |
March 1, 2006
Golden State's Jason Richardson almost sat out Wednesday's game against the Magic because of a sprained ankle. After torching Orlando for 25 points in the Warriors 98-94 victory, Orlando probably wishes he did. Richardson dropped in 16 points in the fourth quarter, including 11 in the final two minutes. For his efforts, Richardson earned 13 Nestlé Crunch points.
Richardson heated up late:
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11 |
March 2, 2006
Flip Murray -- acquired last week in a trade with the Sonics -- is already coming through in big spots for his new team, scoring seven points in the final minute of the fourth quarter Thursday against the Bulls. After Cleveland let a 25-point lead disappear, Murray put his squad back on top with a layup at the 1:03 mark and banked another layin just 50 seconds later to pull them within one. After Chicago regained a two-point edge, LeBron James found Murray in the right corner, where he buried a trey to give the Cavs a 92-91 win that halted a five-game skid. For his heroics, Murray notched 11 Nestlé Crunch points.
Murray flips home the win:
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11 |
March 3, 2006
In a battle between two of the best shooters in the NBA, Seattle's Ray Allen made more baskets, while Detroit's Richard Hamilton knocked down more important ones. Hamilton drained three crucial jumpers in the final 55 seconds as the Pistons squeaked past the Sonics, 98-96, on Friday. Rip's first basket in the final minute put Detroit up two. With the Pistons trailing by a point, he made a trey with 28 seconds left. The guard saved his best shot for last, draining the game winner with 0.2 left to play. For his efforts, Hamilton earned 11 Nestlé Crunch points.
Hamilton nails a trio of jumpers:
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10 |
March 4, 2006
With Dwyane Wade sidelined with a wrist injury and Shaquille O'Neal having fouled out, the Miami Heat needed someone to elevate their play down the stretch as they battled back against Atlanta. Derek Anderson answered the call, helping Miami rally for a 95-93 win over the visiting Hawks on Saturday. His fadeaway jumper with 33.9 seconds left pulled the Heat into a 93-93 tie. As the game entered the final seconds, Anderson corralled a loose ball following Udonis Haslem's missed shot and fed a wide-open Alonzo Mourning for the game-winning dunk with 1.8 ticks remaining. Anderson racked up 10 total Nestlé Crunch points.
Anderson comes up with two big plays:
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10 |
March 5, 2006
Defending MVP Steve Nash did a little bit of everything down the stretch to help the Suns wrap up a 115-107 victory at Dallas on Sunday. The former Maverick delivered a reverse layup around Dirk Nowitzki with 1:15 to play, pushing Phoenix's lead to 109-104. He set up Shawn Marion's layup with 43 ticks remaining for a 111-107 advantage and then iced the game in the closing seconds. He grabbed a rebound of Nowitzki's miss, was fouled immediately and connected on two free throws with 11 seconds to go. The point guard finished the game with 25 points, 11 assists and a fitting 10 Nestlé Crunch points as his late efforts secured the 10th straight victory for the Suns.
Nash diversifies as Suns hold on:
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16 |
March 6, 2006
Shaquille O'Neal turned 34 on Monday and he had plenty to celebrate by the time the game was over. With Dwyane Wade sidelined for the second straight game (wrist), the Heat looked for Shaq often down the stretch and he delivered 14 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, helping Miami rally to force overtime against the Bobcats. O'Neal kept rolling in the extra session, scoring all eight Miami points en route to a 106-105 victory in Charlotte. Shaq tied the game three times in OT before putting the Heat on top for good on a jam with 42 seconds to play. O'Neal, who also grabbed 12 boards, notched 16 Nestlé Crunch points on his big night.
Shaq blows out candles on win:
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12 |
March 7, 2006
Dallas, at 46-13, hosted 19-40 Portland on Tuesday. It sounded like a mismatch on paper, yet the Mavericks found themselves locked in a struggle with the Trail Blazers all night. Enter ace in the hole Jerry Stackhouse. Stack scored 15 in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer from the left corner with 41 seconds left that finally gave Dallas some breathing room at 86-81. He sealed the Mavs' 93-87 victory by hitting 5-of-6 from the line en route to earning 12 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Jerry Stacks the deck from the arc:
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12 |
March 8, 2006
It's a cliché to say that the Sixers couldn't handle The Truth on Wednesday, but it's also a fact - Paul Pierce would not be denied down the stretch. After hitting a buzzer beater the night before to beat the Wizards, Pierce entered the world of clutch again as he hit a 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter to bring the Celtics within two, 99-97. Less than a minute later, with 27 ticks left, he hit another trifecta to give Boston the lead for good, 100-99. He sealed the C's 104-101 victory by grabbing a defensive rebound on Philly's ensuing possession and later hitting two free throws in earning 12 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
P.P. is a PTPer:
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10 |
March 9, 2006
The Denver Nuggets wanted to get their seven-game road trip off to a good start Thursday in Philadelphia. Thanks largely to some late-game heroics from Carmelo Anthony, they did. Denver opened the fourth quarter down seven, but scored 13 straight points, with 'Melo contributing five, to take an 85-79 lead. The Sixers erased a five-point deficit to forge a 93-93 tie with 2:07 remaining, but Anthony put Denver ahead to stay when he drove the lane for a reverse layup with 18.9 seconds left. After teammates DerMarr Johnson and Marcus Camby blocked potential game-tying shots, Anthony grabbed a loose ball and sealed the Nuggets' 97-93 victory by sinking a pair of free throws with four seconds to play. For his efforts, Carmelo earned 10 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
'Melo to the rescue:
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8 |
March 10, 2006
Smush Parker made sure the Lakers ended their recent struggles against the Spurs. Losers of seven straight in this series coming in, L.A. used a big second-quarter push to build a double-digit lead and held off a late San Antonio run to hang on for the win. Smush was the better Parker on the court, outplaying Spurs' All-Star Tony with 18 points and a nice assist on a lob to Kwame Brown to extend the lead to a dozen with 1:47 left. Then with just over a minute on the clock, Parker picked off a pass for his third steal and was fouled, hitting two free throws for his final points in a 100-92 win. Smush notched eight Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Smush seals the deal:
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13 |
March 11, 2006
Hedo Turkoglu and the Magic just came off their most lopsided victory this year against Cleveland, and wanted to keep things rolling against the visting Warriors. After Golden State battled back to slice a 19-point deficit to four with 1:29 left to play, Turkoglu took matters into his own hands. With 1:09 remaining, Turkoglu took a pass from Jameer Nelson and drained a clutch three-pointer. He followed that by corraling a rebound and firing an outlet pass the length of court to Keyon Dooling for a breakaway dunk. After a Golden State miss, Turkoglu grabbed another board with 28.6 seconds left and upon being fouled, calmly sank two from the charity stripe for a 103-92 win. Turkoglu totaled a game-high 21 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, a season-high eight assists and 13 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Turk goes to work :
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12 |
March 12, 2006
With the Mavericks making a late run on the Kings, Sacramento turned to Kenny Thomas and the seven-year veteran delivered. Thomas picked up the assist on a Brad Miller bucket for a 79-74 lead with 1:39 to go and then scored more points in the final minute than he had in the game's first 47. Thomas kept giving Sacramento a cushion, pushing the lead to 81-77 on a jumper with 56 seconds to play and to 83-80 on another jumper with just 29 ticks remaining. He then sealed the game with a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining for a five-point lead and the Kings held on for an 85-80 win. He finished the night with 10 points, six boards and 12 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Thomas heats up late:
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9 |
March 13, 2006
This late in the season, every win is that much bigger when you're battling for a playoff spot. Milwaukee, currently No. 8 in the East, struggled in the fourth quarter Monday vs. Atlanta, but got some key plays from veteran Joe Smith to notch an 88-87 home win. After the Hawks came back from 17 down late in the third to pull ahead as Crunch Time began, Smith's jumper with 1:26 left put the Bucks up for good. He added two free throws with 46.5 seconds left and grabbed the rebound off the Hawks' last-second shot. Smith earned nine Nestlé Crunch Time points in all.
Mr. Smith goes to town for Milwaukee:
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9 |
March 14, 2006
Currently, just two games separate fifth through eighth in the East. In the thick of playoff positioning, the sixth-place Wizards knew they needed a road win against a Charlotte team beset all season by injuries. Gilbert Arenas helped Washington nail down that victory. His driving layup with 1:41 left also drew a foul, and the free throw gave the Wizards a five-point lead. The Bobcats answered, but Arenas added another layup with 54.7 seconds to go, paving the way to a 119-114 triumph. Arenas tallied nine Nestlé Crunch Time points for his efforts.
Arenas outraces the 'Cats:
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15 |
March 15, 2006
Nate Robinson hadn't played much since being crowned Slam Dunk champion over All-Star Weekend, but got his chance Wednesday and made the most of it. With Stephon Marbury on the bench for the entire fourth period and both overtimes, perhaps due to his ongoing feud with head coach Larry Brown, the 5-9 rookie scored all 18 of his points after the end of the third quarter as the Knicks grabbed a 121-117 home win over the Hawks. Nate scored eight points and assisted on three big New York jams in the extra sessions. His elbow jumper with 1:31 left in OT No. 2 pulled the Knicks into a tie and his free throw 21 ticks later put them ahead to stay. Robinson tallied 15 Nestlé Crunch Time points in all.
Nate pops off the pine to save the Knicks:
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8 |
March 16, 2006
Ray Allen has the reputation for having one of the sweetest looking shooting strokes in the league and the Seattle gunner put that form to use late in the Sonics' 102-98 home win over the Sixers on Thursday. The former 3-Point Shootout Champion nailed a trifecta with 55 seconds left to augment the Sonics lead from two to five, giving his squad a 97-92 edge. The man with two first names hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to ice the victory and scored 12 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Allen tallied eight Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Ray Allen is silky smooth:
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11 |
March 17, 2006
The Pistons had the best record in the NBA, while the Knicks were tied for the fewest wins. Seemed like a mismatch in Detroit's favor, right? Wrong. Jamal Crawford made sure the home fans had something to cheer about. Crawford scored 15 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a basket with 35 seconds left to tie the score and the game-winning jumper with 2.2 ticks remaining, as the Knicks rallied for a 105-103 victory. Crawford notched 11 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Crawford delivers in the Big Apple:
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7 |
March 18, 2006
Clinging to a two-point lead in the final moments of their game against the Bobcats, the Pistons needed someone to step up and make a big play. Tayshaun Prince decided it was his turn to take care of business. Prince nailed a running jump shot as he was fouled with 4.9 seconds left to play and made the ensuing free throw to help Detroit wrap up a 108-103 victory on Saturday night. For his efforts, Prince earned seven Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Prince seals the deal:
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14 |
March 19, 2006
Minnesota, in the midst of a seven-game skid, needed a breakout game from its big wolf. And Kevin Garnett delivered, scoring a season-high 37 points, including nine in Crunch Time, to seal a 95-89 Timberwolves win over the Kings. Garnett's double-pump jumper near the free-throw line made it 88-81 Wolves with 38.3 seconds to go. He also hit 7-of-8 free throws and grabbed two rebounds, good for 14 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
KG punches the Wolves' ticket:
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9 |
March 20, 2006
If you can believe it, 40-point games are almost becoming run of the mill for Kobe Bryant -- Monday's 43-pointer in Boston marked the 20th time the Lakers stud has reached the plateau this season. But 16 of those points came in the fourth quarter, and six of them in Nestlé Crunch Time. Bryant's rebound and driving layup with 1:20 to go gave Los Angeles a seven-point lead. The Celtics answered, but Kobe made 4-of-6 free throws in the final 49.6 seconds to wrap up a 105-97 victory. Bryant picked up nine Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Kobe drives for a big deuce:
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12 |
March 21, 2006
As the home stretch approaches, the Spurs are wrestling with their in-state rival Mavericks for the No. 1 seed in the West, and Tony Parker is going to be a big part of that struggle. The first-time All-Star poured in 13 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs held off the visiting Warriors, 107-96. Parker's bucket with 1:31 left pushed San Antonio's lead to nine, and after a Derek Fisher layup, Parker connected again with 1:05 remaining to again extend the bulge. He sank all five of his free-throw attempts down the stretch and racked up 12 Nestlé Crunch Time points in all.
Parker closes out the Warriors:
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17 |
March 22, 2006
With his play down the stretch in Cleveland's 120-118 overtime win over visiting Charlotte on Wednesday, LeBron James answered those who have criticized his late-game performances with a resounding "Take That!" King James found a wide-open Flip Murray for the game-tying 3-pointer with four-tenths of a second left in regulation, forcing the extra period and completing his fifth triple-double of the season. LeBron compiled eight points and two assists in overtime before hitting the first game-winning shot of his brief but illustrious career. James' jumper from the top of the key with less than a second to play sealed the win and gave him 17 Nestlé Crunch Time points in all.
LeBron elevates his game down the stretch:
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13 |
March 23, 2006
Jason Richardson wasn't about to let 51 points from Dirk Nowitzki get in the way of a Warriors win Thursday in Dallas. In a back-and-forth final period, Richardson hit his first big shot with 1:09 to play, cutting a four-point deficit in half. But the Mavs built their lead back to six with 35 seconds remaining and looked to ice it from the line. J-Rich, however, had other plans. After pulling within a pair, he grabbed the rebound off a missed free throw, drove the length of the court and drilled a spinning, off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave Golden State a 122-121 victory in Dallas. The dramatic trey was his fifth of the night. He scored 40 points in the game and finished with 13 Nestlé Crunch Time points.
J-Rich does it with a circus three:
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12 |
March 24, 2006
Cleveland inched closer to its first playoff berth since 1998 thanks to a big fourth quarter from LeBron James. The Cavaliers superstar scored 19 of his 36 points in the final 12 minutes, including seven in Nestlé Crunch Time that iced a 94-82 home win over Boston. A long fadeaway put the Cavs up 85-77 with 1:44 to go; he added a layup off a weave through the lane, followed by a steal and one last trey in the final minute, all good for 12 Crunch Time points.
LeBron caps off a big fourth:
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7 |
March 25, 2006
Bonzi Wells was one of the main reasons that the Kings were able to shake off Andrei Kirilenko's 10 blocks in Saturday's 91-89 win in Utah. Wells hit 9-of-16 shots for 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds and snatched five steals. His biggest bucket came with 1:37 remaining as he took a pass from Mike Bibby in the right corner and broke an 85-all tie with a trey. Sacramento never again trailed and Bonzi received seven Crunch Time points for his efforts.
Wells nails the go-ahead trey:
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13 |
March 26, 2006
Between the recent late-game heroics supplied by LeBron James and Flip Murray, Cleveland fans may forget that other members of the Cavs are capable of similar clutch performances. On Sunday, Zydrunas Ilgauskas came up big in the fourth quarter and overtime to help lift his squad to a 104-102 victory in Houston. Ilgauskas went to work late in final frame, hitting a turnaround jumper with 53.9 seconds left to put Cleveland up one. After the Rockets took the lead once again, James sent it to OT with a three-point play. Ilgauskas then broke a 93-93 tie with another jumper early in overtime. The Cavs held on from there, with Big Z sealing the game with a dunk at the 10-second mark, giving him 21 points for the game. He finished with 13 Nestlé Crunch Time points, as well.
Big Z comes up big for Cleveland:
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9 |
March 27, 2006
After helping the Heat rally from an 11-point halftime deficit with 11 third-quarter points, Shaquille O'Neal started slow in the fourth, but the Diesel saved enough gas for one last spurt. O'Neal was held scoreless for the first 10:03 of the final period before scoring five the rest of the way in Monday's 96-91 victory over the visiting Pacers. Shaq knocked down two free throws with 1:57 to go for a 92-85 lead and finished off an alley-oop from Dwyane Wade for a 94-87 edge with 1:23 to go. He was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound with 50.8 ticks remaining and went 1-of-2 from the line to push the cushion to 95-88. He finished 11-of-14 from the stripe en route to 23 points and he also tallied nine Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Diesel saves some gas for crunch time:
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9 |
March 28, 2006
Ray Allen hitting a game-winning shot is becoming commonplace. The Seattle sharpshooter was responsible for the biggest shot of the contest for the second straight game, lifting the Sonics to a thrilling 98-97 victory Tuesday at Memphis. Allen let go an off-balance jumper from the left side with three seconds left in regulation and his team down by one. The ball banked onto the rim and rattled around before finally dropping in with three-tenths of a second to play, leaving the Grizzlies little chance to respond. That wasn't Allen's only big shot of the night. He also drilled a 3-pointer with 41.7 seconds left and the shot clock about to hit zero, drawing Seattle within one. The man with two first names beat San Antonio two nights earlier with a late trey. Allen finished with nine Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Allen plays the role of hero for the Sonics:
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March 29, 2006
With his team trying to catch Sacramento for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Rasual Butler stepped up late and helped the Hornets to an important 86-85 victory at Golden State on Wednesday.
Butler made three 3-pointers in the final 4 1/2 minutes, including one with 1:27 remaining that extended New Orleans/Oklahoma City's lead to 86-81. The Hornets wouldn't score again, but Butler made that a non-issue by blocking Jason Richardson's potential game-winning shot in the low post with 4.9 ticks left. For his efforts, Butler earned eight Nestlé Crunch Time points.
Butler did it for the Hornets:
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March 30, 2006
The Suns' five-game road trip was off to a less-than-stellar start after Phoenix dropped the first two by a combined 60 points, five shy of the franchise record for back-to-back losses. But Shawn Marion and Co. kicked it back into gear and spoiled Indiana's night with a wire-to-wire 114-104 victory on Thursday. Marion scored 29 points on a red-hot 13-of-18 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. He started the Suns' show with 11 first-quarter points and lowered the curtain with eight more in the final frame, including a jumper that put the finishing touches on an impressive effort. The Matrix notched six Nestlé Crunch Time points, as well.
The Matrix leads the Suns:
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March 31, 2006
With the Pistons facing a seemingly insurmountable 18-point deficit in the third quarter of Friday's matchup with the Bucks, things looked bleak for the NBA's winningest team. But Detroit rallied back behind 16 second-half points from Tayshaun Prince and some clutch shooting from Chauncey Billups. The Pistons took their first lead of the game at the 7:33 mark of the fourth quarter only to watch a 9-0 spurt put Milwaukee back on top. After Detroit retook the advantage, Billups grabbed a rebound off a Michael Redd miss and drilled a three on the other end to put his team up four with 1:37 to play. Prince's jumper with 26 seconds left locked up Detroit's 58th win of the season, a 112-105 triumph at home. Mr. Big Shot and Prince finished with 10 Nestlé Crunch Time Points apiece.
Billups and Prince hit a pair of big shots:
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