The 5-0 Knickerbockers had to step it up in the fourth quarter against the stubborn Magic. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 25 points and 8 boards, Raymond Felton added 21 with 5 assists, and J.R. Smith stayed hot with 21 off the bench. Orlando might be getting Jameer Nelson (groin) back soon; that will allow E’Twaun Moore (12 PTS, 8 AST) to become an effective sixth man. J.J. Redick (18) was their top scorer and rookie Moe Harkless had a nice night, with 10 PTS, 7 REB and 4 BLK.
Other November 13 Games
SAS @ LAL: The point guards were Tony Parker (19 PTS, 7 AST) and Darius Morris (1 point in 20:46) if you are looking for a reason the 3-5 Lakers lost again. Dwight Howard had 13 PTS, 15 REB and 3 BLK, but turned it over six times, while Tiago Splitter (9 PTS, 9 REB) started at C for the Spurs and undersized Boris Diaw played less than 15 minutes. The loss wasn’t Kobe Bryant’s fault (28 PTS, 8 AST) but until Steve Nash (leg) returns, L.A. is basically playing a man short with any of their PG options.
TOR @ IND: With the news that Kyle Lowry (ankle) is getting a second opinion from a New York doctor, Jose Calderon was already a hot pickup. Then he triple-doubled — 13 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST — to lead an unlikely road upset. The Raptors were exhausted from a triple-OT loss the night before, yet the Pacers were content with a pedestrian pace and George Hill (18 PTS) was their only player to impress. Roy Hibbert (6 PTS) can’t make a bucket; he’s shooting a woeful 37.8% for the season. Buy low.
That Pacers Raptors game resembled a hockey game with the referees putting away their whistles in the second half. Tyler Hansbrough, especially, noticed it and effectively ‘gooned’ it up by playing extremely physical without drawing any fouls. It was ugly to watch and near embarrassing for the league. I think it helps explain the low score.
It was not the first the time where I felt the referees decided (to use another hockey phrase) “to let the players decide the outcome”. And, one of the early statistical themes of the season is the league wide drop in the free throw rate. From a fantasy point of view, I see that a couple of high rate FT players are struggling so far this year not only getting to the line but also correspondingly shooting very low FG%. Off the top of my head – Danilo Gallinari, Rodney Stuckey, Ersan Ilyasova.
Anyone else noticing the same thing? Is this something worth exploring?
Jeff