Heels in the League (NBA) 01/29/10
(NBA) 01/29/10
It is time to once again check out the North Carolina players in the NBA as we go through the games from yesterday, Friday, January 29, 2010. It is once again a big schedule, with a dozen game on tap, and more than half of them having a touch of Carolina Blue in them, three of them being head to head match ups. With about two weeks from the All Star games there won’t be any Tar Heels playing in that game, but there are plenty of them in this edition of “Heels in the League” (NBA), so let’s get it going as we check out the recap from 01/29/10…
In the first game of the night we find a head to head match up, as well as a divisional battle, as the Cleveland Cavaliers (EC 1st Central) head to Conseco Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers (EC 4th Central) in a game that was witnessed by 18,165 fans. For the visiting squad from The Sixth City it’s the duo of Jawad Williams and Danny Green, who both get some playing time coming off the bench. Williams gets 24 minutes in all in this game, scoring nine points (3 for 4 ~ 3 for 3 ~ 0 for 0) while adding five rebounds, an assist and a TO, while having a pts differential of +9. Green, who only gets 3 minutes, does not score (0 for 1 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 0 for 0) and has a block while having a -1 pts differential. On the other side, for the home squad, we should be seeing Tyler Hansbrough, but yet again he is out for the game due to an ear infection. From what I have heard/read it sounds like the rookie won’t be back for another couple of weeks. In what was not much of a game, Cleveland took down Indiana by 19, with the final score being 94 to 73. With the W the Cavaliers are now 37 and 11 (.771 winning percentage), first in the East, 5.5 games ahead of the next team. The loss drops Indiana to 16 and 31 (.340 winning percentage), tied for the 11th spot in the East, 8 games back of the last playoff spot in the conference.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
CAVS: the blog (TrueHoop Network) by John Krolik
Indy Cornrows (SB Nation) by Tom Lewis
Always Miller Time (FanSided) by Josh Dhani
Slam Dunk Central by Jeff Sack
Second game of the night and second head to head match up, as well as a battle of two first place squads in their division, as the Boston Celtics (EC 1st Atlanti) go down I-95 to take on the Atlanta Hawks (EC 1st Southeast). The game is played at the Philips Arena in front of a crowd of 18,732. For the visiting team from Titletown it’s ex UNC Rasheed Wallace, who gets 26 minutes off the bench. The center scores six points (2 for 8 ~ 1 for 5 ~ 1 for 2) to go with two rebounds, two assists and three turnovers while having a -13 pts differential. On the other side, for the home squad, we have Marvin Williams, who starts for the Hawks and gets 30 minutes in all. For the ex national champion under Roy Williams it’s a four points night (2 for 5 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 0 for 0) to go with six rebounds and turning the ball over while his pts differential was +2. In the end it was Atlanta winning this game, taking down Boston by 9 points, with the final score being 100 to 91. With the win the Hawks are now 30 and 15 (.667 winning percentage), taking over second place in the East, 5.5 games back of the conference leader. With the loss the Celtics drop to 29 and 15 (659 winning percentage), and drop to third in the East, 0.5 games behind the second place team and 6 games behind the conference top squad.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Celtics Hub (TrueHoop Network) by Zach Lowe
Hoopinion (True Hoop Network)
CelticsBlog (SB Nation) by Jeff Clark
Peachtree Hoops (SB Nation) by hawksdawgs
Slam Dunk Central by Jeff Sack
In the third game of this recap we finally find a game that is not a head to head match up, as the Minnesota Timberwolves (WC 5th Northwest) play host to the Los Angeles Clippers (WC 3rd Pacific) in a battle of sub .500 teams from the West. The game was played at the Target Center in front of a crowd of 13,398. For the home team it’s rookie Wayne Ellington, who plays 13 minutes in this one. In that time frame the ex national champ scores four points (2 for 4 ~ 0 for 1 ~ 0 for 0) to go with a steal and has a -5 pts differential in the game. In the end it was Minnesota winning this game by double digits, defeating Los Angeles by the final of 111 to 97. With the victory the TWolves finally get into the double digits wins (leaving just New Jersey as a team with single digits wins), with a record of 10 and 38 (.208 winning percentage), holding the last spot in the West, 16.5 games behind the eight place squad and 26.5 behind the top team in the conference.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Howlin’ T-Wolf (TrueHoop Network) by JSteinmeyer
The fourth game is a battle of sub .500 teams that are also the bottow dwellers for their division. It’s the Washington Wizards (EC 5th Southeast) heading north to take on the New Jersey Nets (EC 5th Atlantic) at the IZOD Center in front of a crowd that numbered 11,384. For the team from the nation’s capital it’s the duo of Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood, who both start and both have bad nights in this one. Jamison plays 25 minutes and scores just nine points (3 for 13 ~ 1 for 5 ~ 2 for 2) to go with five rebounds, two assists, one steal and three TOs. The power forward had a -11 pts differential on the night. Haywood, who gets more minutes than Jamison for the first time in a while with 28 minutes, scores eight points (3 for 4 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 2 for 3) to go along with six rebounds (3 offensive), three blocks, one assist and four TOs while having a -5 pts differential. Even if none of the starters scored in double figures Washington was still able to win the game, defeating New Jersey by a duece, with the final score being 81 to 79. With the win the Wizards are now 15 and 30 (.333 winning percentage), 13th place in the East, 8 games behind the last playoff place and 20.5 behind the conference leader.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Moving on we have a divisional match up between the Denver Nuggets (WC 1st Northwest) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (WC 4th Northwest), a game that was played in front of a crowd of 18,203 at the Ford Center. For the team from the Mile High City it’s rookie Ty Lawson, who comes off the bench and plays 26 minutes. In that time the point guard scores five points (2 for 7 ~ 1 for 3 ~ 0 for 0) to go along with three assists, one rebound a steal and a pair of turnovers. The speedster had a pts differential of -11 in the game. In the end it was not much of a game, as Oklahoma City took this one easily, defeating Denver by 17, with the final score being 101 to 84. With the loss the Nuggets are now 31 and 15 (.674 winning percentage), in second place in the West, 4.5 games behind the conference leader and 1 game ahead of the third place squad.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Denver Stiffs (SB Nation) by Nate Timmons
Slam Dunk Central by Stephen Rhodes
The second to last game of the night is the one that has the Sacramento Kings (WC 4th Pacific) heading to the EnergySolution Arena to face the Utah Jazz (WC 2nd Northwest). The game was played with an attendance of 19,480. For the team from Sac-Town it’s ex UNC big man Sean May, who gets on the court for 14 minutes, coming off the bench. In that time the ex national champion got four points (2 for 5 ~ 0 for 1 ~ 0 for 0) to go along with two rebounds, an assist and a turnover. May had a -5 pts differential in this one. As far as the game went it was Utah beating Sacramento by seven, with the final score being 101 to 94. With the loss the Kings slide to 16 and 29 (.356 winning percentage), 13th in the West, 9 games behind the last playoff squad.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
And we close with another head to head match up, where we find East meets West, as the Charlotte Bobcats head cross country to play the Golden State Warriors. The game was played in front of 17,850 fans at the ORACLE Arena. For the team from back east its speedster Raymond Felton, who gets 31 minutes in the game as a starter. The ex national champ scores 14 points (6 for 10 ~ 1 for 1 ~ 1 for 2) to go with six assists, four rebounds, a steal and three TOs. The point guard had a -2 pts differential in this one. For the home squad we should have seen Brandan Wright, but as we all know by now he is still recovering from a shoulder injury/surgery and we won’t see him for at least six more weeks. As far as the game is concerned, it was Charlotte beating Golden State by 11, with the final being 121 to 110. The W puts the Bobcats over .500 once again, with the record of 23 and 22 (.511 winning percentage), tied for the last playoff spot in the East, 3.5 games ahead of the next squad. With the loss the Warriors drop to 13 and 32 (.289 winning percentage), in second to last place in the West, a dozen game behind the last playoff spot.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Rufus on Fire (SB Nation) by David Arnott
Golden State of Mind (SB Nation) by IQofaWarrior
