I love stories like this, it really shows that hard work pays off. Gerald Green is well regarded throughout the league for his jumping ability. With that said, he has always had difficulty keeping a job in the NBA. He has been on several teams in his NBA career and even had a stint in the D-League for some time. This year with the injury of Eric Bledsoe , Gerald has been able to start for Phoenix and he has had some stellar performances. I’m not saying this guy has All-Star status written all over him by any means, but he is capable of staying in the league and last night showed it. Dropping 41 and getting a win versus a team with Kevin Durant and Russ Westbrook is impressive and you have to give credit where it is due. And how could you not route for this guy with all that emotion he shows.
Allen Iverson standing at 6 feet nothing had one of the most influential impacts on the game and I am glad to have witnessed his career starting in 1996. I was always a fan of his from his Georgetown days but had no idea he would be that great in the NBA at his size. With a hall of fame worthy career the Philadelphia 76ers honored the great by retiring his jersey this past Saturday during halftime. If there was anything you can say about this man is that he played his heart out every game and that is something you can respect as the fan of the game.
Is it me or the Bobcats have a knack for giving up 60 point games? Well after giving up 62 to Carmelo, Lebron went off last night tallying his career high of 61. We all know the game is all about scoring and as a fan I enjoy seeing performances like this just as the next. The Heat ended up winning this game 124-107. James made 22 of 33 field goals including 8 treys. After the special performance James has steeped right back into the MVP race with Kevin Durant and maybe even surpassed him. His performance overshadowed Al Jefferson who finished with 38 points and 19 rebounds in a losing effort.
If there is anything I admire and have the up-most respect for is community service. On Wednesday, January 29th the Brooklyn Nets along with forward Andray Blatche visited the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in Brooklyn to promote a heart and health awareness event that I had the opportunity to attend and cover. The Boys and Girls club is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to enabling young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The Madison branch was founded in 1884 and provided after school and summer activities for children in New York’s most disadvantaged communities. With these activities the club attempts to embark on three principles which include Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship , and adoption of a Healthy lifestyle. The club partnered with the Brooklyn Nets Assist program in a joint effort to provide an experience worth remembering as Nets forward Andray Blatche attended. Similar to the Boys and Girls club the Nets Assist program was created to support four significant pillars which are education, athletics, health and awareness, and community development. They also have other organizations affiliated that sponsor and support the movement of youth development.
When I initially entered the building I could tell their was an anticipation and excitement from the kids as they were running wildly with joy. Being involved in the Boys and Girls club as a child myself I related to the kids having a place to attend after school that provided a positive atmosphere. The kids were separated by age group and they anxiously waited for the workshop to begin. The intentions of the event was to promote health so they were required to complete stations such as blood pressure, height and weight. As they completed these stations the biggest treat was the chance to meet and play some hoops with an NBA player and receive autographs. Blatche who stated he grew up in the Boys and Girls club was very involved with the kids as he interacted, joked and laughed with them. The overall event was a success and their was a great vibe from the kids, faculty and staff.
The Knicks have won back to back games for the first time in a long time. But the story of this week was superstar Carmelo Anthony and his record-breaking performance at the Garden. Anthony scored a career high 62 points and broke the record of Kobe Bryant’s 61 game at the Garden. The Knicks beat the Bobcats 125-96 stopping a five game losing streak. Everybody knew Melo would have a great night as he got off to a hot start, finishing the first half with a half court buzzer beater. After three-quarters Anthony had 56 and it was just a matter of time. The atmosphere there at the Garden was suspenseful as everybody anticipated the record-breaking night. Even when the record was finally broke and he sat for the rest of the 4th you could hear “WE WANT MELO” chants. Even other players around the league wanted to see him play more. Lebron tweeted he wanted to see Melo drop at least 70. Carmelo’s final stats included 23/35 with 13 rebounds and zero turnovers. The Knicks have three games left of their home stand playing the Celtics, Cavaliers, and lastly the Heat. It will be interesting to see how Carmelo finishes the remaining games after dropping 62, he finished with 35 tonight against the Lakers.
Defending champions? who cares. It definitely appeared like the Knicks or Nets didn’t for that matter. This week the defending champs on their road trip traveled to the Mecca and following night visited Brooklyn. A much-anticipated match-up because the New York teams since the new year surprisingly are winning games after such a horrible start. For Knick fans beating the Heat shouldn’t be a surprise as they have won their last 4 of 5 against them. Thursday night the team was led by scoring machine Carmelo Anthony who finished with 29 points. The team executed great ball movement and because of it Felton had 13 points and 14 assists. The former tar heel was everything the team needed him to be controlling the game and running the offense often penetrating the lane and forcing the defense to rotate. Second leading scorer Bargnani had 19 points as he had an incredible first quarter. When he is aggressive and knocking down his mid-range jumpers he spreads the floor making it difficult for opposing defenses to crowd the paint. Miami’s featured MVP Lebron James went for 32 including some great highlight plays but it just wasn’t enough. Chris Bosh the 3rd component of the big three didn’t show up as he finished with 6 points on 3 of 10 shooting. The Heat didn’t have starters Mario Chalmers or Shane Battier, while the Knicks didn’t have Tyson Chandler and JR Smith received a DNPCD. This game was very exciting and entertaining as each teams delivered blows throughout the game. The Knicks really started to separate from the Heat in the 4th as they scored 7 straight to open the quarter. With a 102-92 victory the Knicks travel to Philly today to keep the 3 game win streak alive.
King James scores the lay-up on The Truth late in the 4th quarter last night. That’s right the nickname jerseys were on full display last night in Brooklyn as the Nets beat the Heat 104-95 in Double OT . Lebron’s first time fouling out since 2008, that stat line is ridiculous but also very believable. And you could argue be the reason the Nets handled the Heat in the 2nd Overtime as Lebron watched from the sideline. From tip, you could tell this would be an interesting night in Brooklyn . All the attention initially was focused on Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson or “JJ” last night as he was on fire. And by on fire I mean he scored 22 of his 32 points in the first quarter. The Nets maintained the lead all the way into the 4th quarter when an angry Lebron and Miami team made one last push at it overcoming a 14 point deficit. James finished with 36 points and 7 rebounds as Wade sat out this game. Bosh had 10 points and for consecutive nights wasn’t really a factor. With great games from Joe, Pierce, and Shaun Livingston the Nets found a way to remain undefeated in 2014 as they battle the Raptors tonight in Toronto.
While the Knicks were crumbling at home last night, their crosstown rivals were handling business in Brooklyn. The Nets played a struggling Sixer team and blew them out by 30. The story of the night was Joe Johnson who finished the game with 37 but literally took over in the 3rd quarter. He ended up canning 10 3 pointers in total, while getting fouled on one of them. The Nets have won 4 of their last 5 games and have been playing good basketball. The even better news is they have been doing it without all-star center Brook Lopez. Deron Williams after returning from injury has led the charge as he is more aggressive but also managing to get his other teammates shots. You can only imagine the team will be better once Lopez returns. Besides the return of DWill, another change that was made but hardly gets talked about was bringing Paul Pierce off the bench. I think this was the best move Jason Kidd has made as a coach thus far. Bringing Pierce off the bench gives the other guys opportunity to score like Joe and Deron. It also gives them depth past the starting five which had been an issue in the beginning of the season. The Nets after last night are now 9-15 and third in the Atlantic Division. Their next game will be home at the Barclays as the Wizards look to sweep the NY teams on their road trip.
Being down 1 with a foul to give, the Knicks fail to do so as Bradley Beal gets an uncontested layup to win the game for Washington. Martel Webster a lethal 3 point shooter led the Wizards in scoring with 30 points but it was Beal who scored the last seven to give Washington the edge in the end. Beno Udrih who was defending Beal on the last possession gave the two guard a lane to the basket where he was expecting help but it was never there. To make matters worse the Knicks didn’t use a timeout to advance the ball to half-court and draw up a play. Instead the ball is in-bounded to Carmelo Anthony who gingerly walks the ball up the court with 6 seconds left, eventually launching a one-legged three pointer that hits all glass. As a fan and critic of the sport I have never seen such a bizarre ending to a game. After the game, Coach Woodson took full responsibility for not calling the timeout to at least try to get a better shot. The miscommunication on defense can also be pointed in his direction as well because the play occurred after a timeout. Woodson’s coaching or lack there of have been a hot topic with the NY media. And for some, his time as a Head Coach of the Knicks is narrowing by the day.
The Knicks after the loss last night are now (7-17) and fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Luckily for them, the majority of the Eastern Conference is struggling. The Boston Celtics lead the Atlantic Division with a (12-14) record when this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for them. To add insult the Knicks are constantly struggling with injuries. As of today, Pablo Prigioni broke his toe and will miss two weeks. Kenyon Martin is also expected to miss two weeks with an abdominal strain. Amare’s surgically repaired knee started to swell up and his time-table of return is to be determined. On a more positive note Tyson Chandler is expected to be back for the next game Wednesday and the Knicks desperately need his intensity especially on the defensive side. To also help the Knicks have called Chris Smith (younger brother of J.R.) to help with the point guard duty. Let’s just say it will be interesting to see how the next few weeks play out for the New York Knicks.
I want to salute John Wall….scoring 30 on 3 consecutive nights…..kid is finally developing into the PG everyone thought he would be…..I hope he continues his good play
The Sports Guru 