When DeMarcus Cousins looks across the court Tuesday night, he will not see Kevin Love. That’s because Cousins has finally found a fellow player who controls his emotions worse than he does. Love is sidelined by a suspension, which means Cousins could have a big game when the Sacramento Kings visit the Minnesota Timberwolves in Tuesday’s best NBA game. Both Love and Cousins showed their frustration in recent games. However, it was Cousins who kept his emotions in check, while Love lost
// Who will be snubbed in All-Star reserve voting? Someone from the Sixers? Someone from the Cavs? One of the more productive power forwards in the West? CineSport’s Brian Clark & SheridanHoops.com’s Chris Sheridan discuss that question, along with the significance of Kobe Bryant’s scoring milestone and whether the Oklahoma City Thunder are potential champions.
The Rookie-Sophomore Challenge is no more. The annual wide-open dunkfest pitting first-year players against second-year players will have a different format this year in Orlando, the NBA announced Tuesday. And under the new format, you might see Ricky Rubio throwing lobs to Blake Griffin. The Friday night affair will now be called the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, and each team will have rookies and sophomores. Each team also will have GMs who will pick from a pool of players selected by NBA assistant
Highlight Performance: DeMarcus Cousins, SAC– The behemoth center out of Kentucky, when mentally committed, is simply a beast around the paint. Although he can hit mid-range jumpers, he can rip down boards with the best of em. Against the Hornets, a team without Carl Landry and Jason Smith due to injuries, Cousins had his way, scoring 28 points, grabbing 19 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a steal. This was a monstrous game, but coming off his 21 point-20 rebound effort a few
Greatness up in the air
Kobe Bryant needed 22 points to pass Shaquille O’Neal on the all-time scoring list and got them in the first 21 minutes. He looked like he was on his way to 50, a great way to celebrate his annual trip to his hometown. The Lakers held a 55-30 advantage in rebounds. Andrew Bynum (20 points, 20 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (16 and 11) looked like they were playing against children. And LA held a seven-point lead with less than five minutes to
Paul Pierce and Tony Parker, a pair of Finals MVPs, were named NBA Players of the Week on Monday. Pierce was the Eastern Conference winner, leading the Boston Celtics to a 4-0 week by averaging 22.0 points, 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. Pierce, who won Finals MVP honors in 2008, scored 30 points Friday night as the Celtics rallied for a 91-89 home victory over the New York Knicks. Parker was the Western Conference winner, piloting the San Antonio Spurs to a 4-0
The Oklahoma City Thunder may have revenge on their minds. On Jan. 3, the Thunder took their only home loss of the season, a 103-93 setback to the Portland Trail Blazers. On Monday night, the Thunder visit the Trail Blazers in the NBA’s best game. There are just four teams with one home loss: Chicago (9-1), Oklahoma City (9-1), Portland (11-1) and San Antonio (13-1), which handled Oklahoma City in a 107-96 victory Saturday night. That was the opener of a five-game road