I had a feeling that Richard Hamilton was due. Though still limited to 20 minutes, Rip scored 20 points, had 5 assists and 4 rebounds to make up for the absence of Derrick Rose (ankle) as he and Luol Deng (19 PTS, 10 REB) led the Bulls to a tough win. Carmelo Anthony had 29 for the Knicks, with Tyson Chandler (10 PTS, 15 REB, 3 BLK) playing well, but the point guard spot remains a problem. Baron Davis (8
When Jeremy Lin sat out a playoff-implication game against Milwaukee due to a sore left knee on Monday, the absence was expected. When he sat out again two days later against Orlando, there was cause for concern. As teammates said, Lin is not the type of player to sit out games unless it was something serious. After avoiding the media prior to the game against the Hawks on Friday, it became clear something was amiss. Then suddenly, at least for now, the sensation
Mike Woodson returns to Atlanta – the team he coached for six seasons and guided to three playoff appearances – for the first time as the head coach of the New York Knicks, who face the Hawks in Friday’s best NBA game. Woodson will have to face his former team shorthanded as Jeremy Lin (sore knee), Amar’e Stoudemire (bulging disk) and Jared Jeffries (right knee inflammation) have all been ruled out. Though the absence of the big men was expected, Lin’s sudden
Things have officially gone wild in the Wild Wild West. Over the past five seasons, at least one team with a winning record has failed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference as the competition has always been fierce and close until the final day of the season. It may never have been this close, however. Currently, 1 1/2 games separate the fourth seed and the ninth seed. Two teams — the Clippers and the Mavericks — are tied for the fourth seed
The Suns are now 10-4 since the All-Star Break. They are second best to only the Chicago Bull, who are 12-2. The Suns have won four straight against the Pacers. Danny Granger scored 28 points. Steve Nash had 12 points and 17 assists. Dwight Howard had his 40th double-double of the season. Kyrie Irving celebrated his 20th birthday. The Magic are one of only two teams that have six players averaging double figures in scoring. Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 11 rebounds. New York had 22 turnovers
Dwight Howard posted his 39th double-double, scoring 28 points along with 16 rebounds. The Sixers are now 6-12 since beginning the season with a 20-9 start. The Bulls are now 11-4 without Derrick Rose this season. Josh Smith had 32 points and 17 rebounds tonight. According to ESPN Stats & Information, this is his second 30-15 game of the season, and only Kevin Love has produced 30-15 more than once this season. Nene Hilario had 22 points and 10 rebounds in his Wizards debut. Stephen
// The trade deadline is just a couple days away, and with all of he hullabaloo over Dwight Howard and whether he will stay in or leave Orlando, there are a couple other players — Jamal Crawford of Portland and Josh Smith of Atlanta chief among them — who might have a greater likelihood of being traded. Also, the Los Angeles Lakers are still expected to be active. But does their thinking change now that they are atop the Pacific Division? They
Unless you caught the second-game of the day-night doubleheader at the Staples Center, you might not be aware that a second masked man is playing there, a masked man named Chris Paul whose Los Angeles Clippers just dropped into second place in the Pacific Division. Yes, Paul, Blake Griffin and Lob City are no longer perched atop Tinseltown. First place in the division is now back in the hands of Kobe Bryant, the guy who called the game-clinching play in the huddle Sunday