Warriors’ Five-Game Home Win Streak Ends

Denver 124, Golden State 120

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 28 (AP) -- Shots were flying, both teams were running and defense appeared to be an afterthought for long stretches of the game.

If that seems to be the type of game a great open-court player like Allen Iverson would prefer, think again. Even Iverson would have liked a few more walk-it-up-the court possessions than there were in Denver's 124-120 victory over Golden State on Friday night.

"No, it's not fun playing them,'' Iverson said. "I don't know why you all think it would be fun. It's fun for the fans, but it's not fun for the guys trying to defend the way they play. They just keep coming at you all game.''

Iverson performed just fine playing at the Warriors' preferred frenetic pace, scoring 39 points, including a late jumper that gave the Nuggets the lead for good. Carmelo Anthony added 30 to help Denver win the fast-paced, offensive showcase everyone expected when two of the NBA's top three scoring teams face off.

"I like to run up and down the court, but they make it outrageous,'' Iverson said. "They might run even too much for me, especially on the defensive end. It has to be fun to play that style, but to defend it isn't too nice.''

Celtics Beat Raptors, Extend Win Streak to Nine

Boston 90, Toronto 77

TORONTO, Dec. 16 (AP) -- With another dominant defensive performance, the Boston Celtics matched their longest winning streak in 14 years.

Paul Pierce scored 18 points, Kevin Garnett had 16 and the Boston Celtics extended their streak to nine games by beating the Toronto Raptors 90-77 on Sunday.

"Our philosophy is that defense is going to win games for us,'' Garnett said. "We're trying to have the defense fuel the offense, and it's been working.''

The Atlantic Division leaders matched their longest winning streak since March 16-31, 1993.

Boston is 20-2. The only other time the franchise opened the season with that record, it won the 1963-64 championship.

The Celtics lead the NBA in opponents' scoring average and scoring differential.

"That's going to be our staple pretty much all year long,'' Pierce said. "We're going to take pride on the defensive end.

"When you get 12 guys committed and on the same page, night in and night out, anything is possible,'' Pierce added. "That's what we have right now.''

James’ Fourth Triple-Double Leads Cavs Past Pacers

Cleveland 111, Indiana 106

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 25 (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers were having a blast laughing at the Indiana Pacers for about 2 1/2 quarters.

The joke almost was on them.

Indiana erased a 14-point deficit in the third quarter before Cleveland rallied behind LeBron James' fourth triple-double of the season to beat the Pacers 111-106 Sunday for their third straight win.

Cleveland's obnoxious behavior and the lapse that followed bothered coach Mike Brown.

"We have to do a better job of respecting the game,'' he said. "Especially when we're up. We've got to continue doing the little things on both ends of the floor that got us the lead.''

James, the league's leading scorer, finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Iverson’s 37 Lead Nuggets Past Cavs

Denver 122, Cleveland 100

DENVER, Nov. 12 (AP) -- Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James were the headliners, but Allen Iverson and J.R. Smith stole the show.

Iverson scored a season-high 37 points and Smith added 29 to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-100 on Monday night.

"They didn't steal my spotlight,'' said Anthony, who had 22 points and nine rebounds. "They did what they were supposed to do. They took advantage of the defense that they threw at us.''

Iverson set the tone early with his sharp shooting. He had 18 points at halftime, when the Nuggets took a 58-43 lead. He came out firing in the second half, scoring 11 points in the first six minutes, including two 3-poiners, to push Denver's lead to 78-51.

"I got into a rhythm in the second half,'' said Iverson, who finished 14-for-20 from the field and added eight assists. "The basket looked like an ocean; I was throwing rocks in. It feels good when you catch a rhythm like that.''

LeBron James led Cleveland with 27 points, but the Nuggets were able to contain the rest of the Cavaliers.

"Even though LeBron had a great game, his great game came from getting fouled,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We took away what we wanted to take away, him making other people better.''

The Cavaliers struggled offensively. They shot 41.9 percent from the field and were 21-for-38 from the foul line.

"I'm not too disappointed,'' James said. "We did a lot of things that we wanted to do differently. We didn't execute offensively or defensively. I think we tried to do some things right.''

Even though his team was playing its fifth game in seven days, Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown said fatigue was not an excuse.

"Denver got off a (four)-game road trip in a short amount of time,'' he said. "It wasn't as if they were sitting here for five days waiting on us.''

LeBron’s Big Second Half Lifts Cavs Over Kings

Cleveland 93, Sacramento 91

SACRAMENTO, Nov. 9 (AP) -- Four years after LeBron James made his NBA debut in Arco Arena, he can perform much greater feats with a whole lot less effort.

Back in 2003, the teenage phenom put in a full night of relentless effort in an outstanding first outing. These days, the King of the Eastern Conference can take most of the night off and still flatten the Sacramento Kings.

James rallied the Cavaliers with eight points on a series of dynamic moves in the final 2:57, and Cleveland hung on for a 93-91 victory Friday night.

James finished with 26 points despite seeming to sit back and watch much of the Cavs' fourth game in six nights. He scored just seven points in the first half, and was passive for much of the second until rising up for his late flurry, capped by a beautiful three-point play with 53 seconds left.

"You've just got to seize the moment,'' James said. "For the first three quarters, I didn't force anything. I like to just take what the offense gives me, and I make plays happen. In the fourth, I was able to get some rebounds and force the issue more, and it turned into good things. The team did a great job feeding off me.''

Nowitzki, Mavericks Golden Against Warriors

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Nov 9 2007 3:09AM

Dallas 120, Golden State 115

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 8 (AP) -- Baron Davis lined up a straightaway 3-point shot to tie it in the waning seconds, and the Golden State crowd rose while the Mavericks' hearts sank.

From Dirk Nowitzki to the peanut vendors, everybody assumed the man who became a Bay Area folk hero with his dynamic playoff performances against Dallas last spring would hit another magical shot to hurt the Mavs.

"We gave Baron a look like that, and it looked like he was going to get it,'' Nowitzki admitted.

But Baron blew it, and the Dallas Mavericks fled Oracle Arena with a 120-115 victory over the winless Golden State Warriors on Thursday night -- and a bit of hollow revenge from their historic playoff defeat in the same arena they finally silenced.

Nowitzki scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, while Jason Terry and Josh Howard both had 24 points as the Mavericks snapped a five-game regular season losing streak against an opponent that always brings out the worst in one of the NBA's best franchises.

Until Davis' 3-point attempt clanged off the front of the rim with 4 seconds to play, the Mavericks were all but expecting a calamity. They lost three games in Oakland last spring in front of frenzied crowds as Davis led the eighth-seeded Warriors to the NBA's first upset of a top-seeded opponent in a seven-game series.

"We're always going to look at how that season ended,'' Nowitzki said. "That won't leave us, but this is a young team, and our team may still have its time.''

With a whole lot less at stake Thursday night, the Mavericks needed strong efforts from every veteran to hang on against an 0-5 Golden State team with 10 players in uniform. No matter the circumstances, the Mavs finally moved their biggest mental block a few inches.

LeBron Just Misses Triple-Double in Win Over Warriors

Cleveland 108, Golden State 104

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 6 (AP) -- The water-saturated stat sheet floated between LeBron James' shins as he soaked his feet in the ice bath. Lifting one swollen eyelid, he could just make out his numbers: 24 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and three big blocked shots.

Yet the most eye-popping parts of James' all-out effort in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night weren't reflected in that soggy box score.

For starters, James took an accidental blow to the face in the first quarter, but barely missed 90 seconds before returning. He barked orders at his teammates with authority, and he demanded a fourth-quarter defensive assignment on Baron Davis.

And when the Warriors triple-teamed him with the game on the line, James got what coach Mike Brown termed "the big hockey assist,'' making the pass that led to the pass that set up the shot that won it for Cleveland.

Allen’s 3-Pointer Help Celtics Tame Raptors in OT

Boston 98, Toronto 95

TORONTO, Nov. 4 (AP) -- Ray Allen made the winning 3-pointer with less than 3 seconds to play, and finished with 33 points in the Boston Celtics' 98-95 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Kevin Garnett scored 10 of his 23 points in overtime and added 13 rebounds, giving him double-doubles in both of his games for Boston this season.

Paul Pierce added 13 points for Boston (2-0), and James Posey had 11. T.J. Ford led Toronto (2-1) with 32 points, and Chris Bosh had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Celtics played without head coach Doc Rivers, who left Toronto early Sunday after his father died in Chicago. Assistant Tom Thibodeau took over for Rivers.

Ford tied it at 95 on a 3-pointer with 4.4 seconds left in overtime, but Allen won it with a 3 from the corner on Boston's final possession.

Allen, who made 11 of 16 shots, passed 17,000 points for his career.

Boston held a 11-point lead after three quarters before Toronto rallied behind Bosh. His basket made it 78-76 with under 1 minute left. Ford tied the game at 78 with a lay-up with 27 seconds left.

Pierce had a chance to win the game in regulation but his jumper from just outside the top of the key went wide, sending the game into overtime.

Allen scored 13 first-quarter points as Boston built a 23-14 lead. The Celtics led 38-31 at the half.

McGrady’s 47 Sparks Rockets Past Jazz

Houston 106, Utah 95

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 1 (AP) -- Tracy McGrady said he didn't hold a grudge against Utah for last season's opening-round loss in the playoffs.

But what he said and how he played were quite different.

McGrady scored 47 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 106-95 Thursday night, earning a little revenge for last season's playoffs, when Houston won the first two games but lost the series.

"It doesn't really mean anything. It's only the second game of the season,'' said McGrady, who was 17-for-27 from the floor.

The Rockets improved to 2-0 under new coach Rick Adelman, who wasn't with Houston for Utah's first-round comeback last spring.

McGrady was, and seemed to take it personally with his 42nd career 40-point game. He also had more help than he did in the postseason, when the Rockets basically counted on he and Yao Ming to beat the Jazz.

Nuggets over Sonics

The Nuggets spoiled rookie Kevin Durant's regular-season debut with a 120-103 win as Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points and Allen Iverson had 25 points, 14 assists and seven steals in the Nuggets' season-opening win in Denver on Wednesday.

Sonics’ Durant Uncertain For Opener With Sprained Ankle

In the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, Gary Washburn writes “the Sonics confirmed Wednesday what was initially thought, that shooting guard Kevin Durant has a sprained left ankle and will not play in the Sonics' final preseason game Friday against Phoenix. Durant is uncertain for the season opener next Wednesday against Denver. An MRI and X-rays taken Wednesday revealed no fracture and Durant will be re-evaluated next week.”

Kobe Suffers Mild Wrist Injury

In the L.A. DAILY NEWS, Elliot Teaford writes “add another name to the roll of the injured. Kobe Bryant injured his right wrist during the Lakers' 21-point exhibition loss to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. He received treatment Wednesday and said he hoped he could play in Friday's exhibition finale against the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas. Bryant has spent much of training camp monitoring tendinitis in his left knee, but his wrist injury is the first serious setback he's suffered this month.”

Celtics defeat Raptors in Rome

Anticipation was definitely worth the wait.

The new-look Celtics got big efforts from newcomers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in Saturday's 89-85 preseason win over the Toronto Raptors at PalaLottomattica.

Garnett and Allen looked good in their Boston debuts, scoring 19 and 10 points, respectively. Garnett also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds. Boston's Paul Pierce led all a game-high 21 points. Guard Eddie House also scored 14 points in the victory.

more on this @www.nba.com/celtics

ODEN; MISS NBA SEASON

Oden Undergoes Microfracture Surgery
An exploratory arthroscopic surgery performed on Greg Oden today revealed cartilage damage to the Portland Trail Blazers rookie’s right knee. Oden is likely to miss the 2007-08 NBA season.

"Greg had an arthroscopy and a micro fracture surgery today," said team physician Dr. Don Roberts, who performed the surgery. "He was found to have articular cartilage damage in his right knee. The area of injury was not large and we were able to treat it with micro fracture, which stimulates the growth of cartilage. There are things about this that are positive for Greg. First of all he is young. The area where the damage was is small and the rest of his knee looked normal. All those are good signs for a complete recovery from micro fracture surgery."

http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/index.html

boxing fanatic: FIREWORKS#links

boxing fanatic: FIREWORKS#links

THE BIG THREE

Celtics would be the most exciting team to watch this 2007-2008 NBA season. Acquiring Kevin Garnet & Ray Allen would make Celtics a tough team, joining Paul Pierce it would the greatest trio of all time. KG would improve their inside offense & defense along with Allen & Pierce,their perimeter shooting would improve. It would be a high scoring team that will bring back their glory in Birds era.

WILL TO WIN

MANNY PACQUIAO vs. MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, October 6, 2007 ♦ Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino ♦ LIVE ON Pay-Per-View

The battle between two of the most celebrated boxers in the featherweight division. Who will prevai?Vote who will win by TKO and what round.

PACQUIAO'S TRAINING CAMP

TIMBERWOLVE'S KILLER CAR

This is the second time that the Minnesota Timberwolves has loss a player by car accident.

Eddie Griffin, a former Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves power forward, has been identified as the man who died when his car struck a moving train in Houston last week.
Griffin, 25, drove his sport utility vehicle through a railroad crossing barrier and into a moving train at about 1:30 a.m. on August 17, officials said.
The vehicle burst into flames on impact, damaging Griffin's body so badly that investigators had to use his dental records to verify his identity Tuesday, a report in the Houston Chronicle stated.
"The entire organization is devastated and saddened by this terrible tragedy," Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said. "Our thoughts go out to Eddie's family and friends during this very difficult time."
The Harris County Medical Examiner's office identified the body.
Griffin faced off-court troubles throughout his National Basketball Association. The No. 7 pick by the New Jersey Nets in the 2001 draft, he was released on March 17 by the Timberwolves after various off-court issues.
"The entire Minnesota Timberwolves organization is deeply saddened by this tragic news," Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said. "Eddie will be missed by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Eddie's loved ones."

boxing fanatic: STUPID DIE HARD FANS!

boxing fanatic: STUPID DIE HARD FANS!

UNCHALLENGE USA TEAM

Its a no sweat challenge for the USA team as they swept the four teams (venezuela, virgin island, canada & brazil) in the group b for the FIBA americas qualifier for the 2008 Beijing olympic. Averanging 50+ points deficit margin is too much for the group a teams to handle in the next round. I think is a no loss road fo r the Beijing olympics.

KEVIN DURANT exciting to watch for

Full Name: Kevin Wayne Durant
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6-9 / 225
Birthdate: September 29, 1988 (Washington, D.C.)
High School: Oak Hill Academy HS (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), then Montrose Christian HS (Suitland, Md.)
College: Texas

Career Highlights: Earned National Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press, NABC, USBWA, CBS/Chevrolet and The Sporting News and was named the winner of the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award, becoming the first-ever freshman in NCAA history to win any of those awards. Earned consensus First Team All-American honors, becoming just the third freshman in NCAA history earn that honor joining Wayman Tisdale (1983) and Chris Jackson (1989). Named Big 12 Freshman and Player of the Year, earned First Team All-Conference honors and was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team. Set single-season school and Big 12 records for points in a season (903), a total that also ranks as the second-most by a freshman in NCAA history. Also set a single-season school record for rebounds in a season (390), a mark that ranks second in Big 12 history and third all-time for a freshman in NCAA history