This could be the week that our Sheridan Hoops Freeroll becomes a phenomenon. Over 700 people have entered that one-day fantasy contest already, and it doesn’t close until 7:00 EST, so we could have nearly a thousand entries by then. It’s a simple game, though it isn’t easy. Pick an 8-man team without exceeding the $100,000 Salary Cap and you could win $100 cash, or one of the 14 other cash prizes for finishing in the top 15. If you like the idea of free money for having fun, click and join. No credit card or deposit is required, and no strings are attached. I’ll share my picks in the DraftStreet Diary later this morning. First, we take a quick Spin around the ‘real’ NBA to see what’s up in the world of fantasy.
January 24 Game Recaps
TOR @ ORL: Showing no signs of fatigue from losing to Miami in OT the previous night, the Raptors beat Orlando for the fourth time this season. Amir Johnson (21 PTS, 10 REB, 3 BLK) was very good as the starting C, and DeMar DeRozan (22 PTS,7 AST, 4 REB) hit a difficult fadeway jumper at the buzzer for the win. Kyle Lowry (3 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB) was on the bench at crunch time, while rookie Terrence Ross (10 PTS) played the final 17 minutes of a close game. Lowry owners can only hope Jose Calderon is traded soon. Since making J.J. Redick (14 PTS, 3 AST) a starter, the Magic bench has become thin; E’Twaun Moore (11 PTS, 3 REB) was the only reserve to play significant minutes. Nikola Vucevic (19 PTS, 14 REB, 3 BLK) and Jameer Nelson (14 PTS, 11 AST, 7 REB) had nice individual lines in the losing cause.
NYK @ BOS: At one point early in the third quarter, Carmelo Anthony was 4-for-16 and it looked like the Celtics were in his head. Then Melo turned it on to finish with 28 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL and a hard-earned W. His nemesis Kevin Garnett (8 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK) was solid, Rajon Rondo had a triple-double (23 PTS, 11 AST, 10 REB, 3 STL) and Paul Pierce (22 PTS, 6 REB) contributed, but Boston got very little production from anyone else. The Knicks’ backcourt of Jason Kidd (12 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL) and Iman Shumpert (10 PTS, 5 REB) is about to get deeper, with Raymond Felton (hand) expected to return as soon as tomorrow. J.R. Smith had a rough shooting night (3-16, 9 PTS, 6 REB) but Amare Stoudemire (15 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK in just 20:28) looks a little better every game.