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
NEW YORK — I alluded to this in yesterday’s power rankings: Coaches need to set examples, and coaches need to impart upon their players that the worst time to get a technical foul is in the fourth quarter. Mike Brown picked up two of them in rapid succession Saturday night in the fourth quarter of the Lakers-Jazz game, and today he is paying the price. NBA vie president of violence Stu Jackson announced that Brown has been suspended one game without pay and fined
Guys were losing their cool all over the league Saturday night. Coaches, players, winners, losers – it didn’t matter. Things got out of control in Utah, Minnesota and Indiana, and fines and suspensions should be coming. Let’s start in Salt Lake City, where Lakers coach Mike Brown totally lost it in the fourth quarter of a 96-87 loss to the Jazz. LA trailed, 72-68, and Pau Gasol had possession at the top of the circle. Utah guard Earl Watson came from his blind
Somebody in China didn’t handle the paperwork properly, and that means Kenyon Martin will be back in the NBA as soon as next week. Perish the thought of what happens to the poor fellow in China who botched the job. The top teams vying for his services include the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The first overall pick of the 2000 draft, the 11-year veteran spent the past seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
// // Carmelo Anthony returned, and the Knicks finally won a game. Forgive the cynical New York media if it wasn’t that impressed. The Knicks were back home and hosting the Detroit Pistons, who would have trouble winning games if they played in the Big Ten Conference instead of the Central Division. In a season of awful performances, this one may have been the worst. Detroit established season “highs” for points allowed and margin of defeat, which is saying something when you
Remember the old NBA slogan “I love this game!?” (It pre-dates “Where Amazing Happens”). If you are in your early 20s, you may not. But that’s OK. Lots of people in their early 20s seem to believe the world began 10 years ago, and have no recollection of crappy cell phone reception, dial-up Internet or the fax machine. But those who are a bit older certainly remember that ad campaign, and Sunday was one of those days when love for the game
// Fans in the NBA’s two biggest markets can’t be very happy right now. For that matter, neither can David Stern. The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA. They predate instant replay, maximum salaries, team planes, the draft lottery, the 3-pointer, free agency, conferences and leather sneakers. For more than 50 years, they have anchored the league on opposite coasts, guaranteeing interest in the two biggest cities in the country. Both teams basically have unlimited budgets. Both teams
NEW YORK – Back when the NBA released its truncated 66-game schedule on December 6, tonight’s South Beach matchup featuring the New York Knicks and LeBron’s beach bums was supposed to be a clash of the titans. Instead, it’s an NBA version of Jack and the Beanstalk. Exactly one year ago today, the Amar’e Stoudemire-led Knicks beat the Miami Heat in Madison Square Garden. To that point, it was probably Stoudemire’s most proud moment as a Knick. After the win, his team