Seattle Suuuuuuupersonics

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290224025
A few things from the Sonics vs. Lakers.
1. Derek Fisher was the only Laker to play who didn't get an assist. Even Josh Powell got one!
2. Check the +/- for Thabo Sefalosha and Kyle Weaver, the two Sonics who were charged with guarding Kobe. Pac-10>Europa!
3. Kevin Durant is right behind LeBron, D Wade, Kobe, Duncan, Dwight Howard, and Chris Paul for best in the NBA already. I said it.

Monday in a Box

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290209015

The Rockets make me sad. How can one help but be disappointed. All those weapons. The final piece of toughness in Ron-Ron. Now of course anything could happen, but all signs point to another first round playoff loss, assuming that is that they stay in the race. What is wrong with T-mac? Is he done? Is his body giving him the finger? I sure hope not, I just want me some healthy Mac.

Those are such awful +/- stats for the starters, and that's in limited minutes due to failure to not suck(except for Scola). I'm always impressed by Carl Landry. Dude just knows how to play the game. 10-11 from the line and 16 points, 7 rebs with 4 offensive all in just 24 minutes. Brooks pouredin 23 on 7-14 FG adn 5-10 from deep.

Hello Milwaukee. No Michael Redd, No Bogut. Time for a sess(pronouced sesh). Many have brought it up, but how was it that Luke Ridnour was starting in front of Sessions. Yes Ridnour was once a team USA invitee(yeah, really), but just in general was not athletic enough to get it done. We'll see what happens but so far, so filthy. 26 pts on 8-12 FG and 10-12 from the line +33 overall. Also he thre in 7 ast, 4 rebs, 4 stl, a block and 4 to's. Great shooting by the rest of the team.

Bron on Xylo:Live from MSG

Hey all, lets take a look at some boxes

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290204016

A few gems here. First, how often do you see someone take 9 shots and make none? Bassy Telfair didn't even get to the line to escape that 0 in the pts column. Impressive. Then there is +10 for Rashad McCants. Hopefully having the only + on the team will help comfort the sting from losing the UGLY sister.

On the other side Washington grown Marvin Williams had a good game learning to use his big body to get to the stripe.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290204009

Check out Shaq-ovic. 17 and 12 (8-9FG). Its probably not fair since he could eat pretty much every one of their big(?) men for brunch(yes... brunch).

Captain Jack had his first trip-doub of his career so congrats on that. When Monta gets his jumper back they are gonna get up into the 130's on the regular.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290204006

From the P-town-Dallas game one line pops out.

James Singleton, PF

0

0-0

0-0

0-0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

-6

0

That 0 minutes, 1 turnover, -6.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290204018

The Big Game. I have plenty to say about Lebron and not all of it good as the last two times these teams played the cavs won by 18 and 36. It sure was fun(sorta) to watch Lebron pile up the numbers. Historic. Horrifying. Not as good as it should have been? Lebron missed his last 8 jumpers. If a few more dropped and he got 62 11 and 10. Think of the possibilities. Still anytime Lebron can steal Kobe's spotlight I'm happy. Get ready for the Cavs-Lakers showdown in Cleveland on Sunday.

Anyway

• Lebron: 52 11 asts 10 rebs
• Wally World: 40 min +18(combined first pumps and high fives in first quarter?), doesn't matter what the rest of the stats(which were good)were. Those are some quality minutes for the high fiving native New Yorker.
• Al (the ninja turtle) Harrington was killin' everyone shooting 16-24 FG for 39 points.(Btw, I didn't find that picture before I wrote the ninja turtle thing, I've just always thought that. When I went to look for a pic of him google images told me someone else feels the same way....tight.)
• Shout out to Nate-Nate for a solid game
• Galinari +/- watch...+7...best on the team.

High Five!

Wow!!! Ballin!!!

These are a little late, but I still wanted to share...

Hate to see anyone go down. Especially when they are on my(first place) fantasy team! Of course Chris Paul going down is the story of the game against the Blazers, but lets take a look at some in-game box scores. Here is CP3's line from the first quarter:

Min(12:00) FG( 1-6) 3Pt(0-1) FT(0-0) +/-(+8) Off(1) Reb(2) Ast(9) TO(0) Stl(2) BS(0) BA(0) PF(0) Pts(2)

OK. So. Wow. He had 9 assists in 12 minutes...with no turnovers! Obviously, its not realistic to expect him to continue on that pace, but over 40 minutes that's 30 assists. This has only been done once by none other than Scottie Skiles in 1990. There is no doubt that Paul will get there before he stops lacin' em up. Also, notice the two steals from the league leader. As our friends over at dontjinkesme pointed out, the Hornets were up 17 when CP3 went down only to lose the game...ouch.

Kobe drops 61 then 2,000

I don't have complete stats, but as much as I hate to show Mamba any love... he was at one point during the game, drippin, soaking, steaming(like dog poo on a frosty morning) wet. That doesn't really make sense you say....how could he be saoking and steaming? Well his jumper was WET aaaaand, he was blazin' like Lil' Wayne during a Cypress Hill concert(or vice versa).

kobe 11-14 3-4 27 points

And that was mid 2nd quarter. Those are just beautiful numbers. 80% from the floor and that's not even taking into account free throws.

Then later that night, chillin' with the homies, he decided he needed to offset his lack of passing the rock(3 assists), by dropping a big enough tip for the waitress(via Slam) to pick up a rock of her own(bling bling). Pass the ball Mr. Low-top.

Kobe Does New York; Danilo Does The League

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290202018
News Flash: Kobe Bryant, in the Mecca of Basketball, The Legendary M.S.G., puts up... zero rebounds! I love this guy! His first O-fer of the season, incidentally, on the heels of a one board night against Memphis. On the actually impressive end of the spectrum, he went 20 for 20 from the charity stripe. He's already a quarter of the way to the late FT streak of Jose Calderon, in only one night.

This gem of a box score has two nuggets that excite me more than Kobe's night, though:

1. This will blow your mind, and the impressiveness of my detective work will get me hired by Ball Don't Lie. First, we have Net +- League Leaders. No surprise here. LeBron at #1 with +24.2, Chris Paul at #2 with +22.5, then a precipitous dropoff to the rest of the NBA's elite, with Ray Allen coming in 3rd with 17. Now, take a gander at THIS (scroll down to the bottom, find "Net points per 100 possessions, which is the same stat referenced above): Danilo Gallinari has an absurd +26.6, and is only not listed on the league leaders because injuries have given him a late start to the season! That's right folks; Danilo Gallinari is more important to the Knicks than any other player is to his team, including LeBron and Chris Paul. Incredible. I was sent off on this hunt by noticing that Gallinari was +10 when the rest of his team was in the minus, and recalling similar lines over the past couple weeks.

2. Sun Yue, aka The Monkey King (which is seriously his preferred nickname), puts down a stunning +- of -8 in only 2 minutes of action. Good on ya, Sun!

And finally a little bonus for you. Against the Bobcats, the Jazz started two guys named Ronnie! This is hilarious to me. And as great as it is, it pales in comparison--is practically invisible--to the Kings preseason roster which saw them playing THREE men named Bobby!!! If those two facts aren't funny to you, you might as well never come back to this blog.