Heels in the League (NBA) 02/20/10
(NBA) 02/20/10
As I try to get my daily post about the North Carolina players in the NBA done a bit earlier today we are going to check out the games from yesterday, Saturday, February 20, 2010. In all there were seven games in the National Basketball Association, of those four had a touch of Carolina Blue, one of them a head to head match up. Definitely not as big of a recap as the previous one that had nine games in all, but still one that will have plenty of action when it comes to players from Chapel Hill. So, without further ado, let’s get going with this edition of “Heels in the League” (NBA) for the games from 02/20/10…
The first game of the day is a West/East match up that has the Dallas Mavericks (WC 1st SW) playing host to the Miami Heat (EC 3rd SE). The game was played at the American Airlines Center in front of 20,328 fans. This is the second game (of two) between these squads with Dallas having won the first game. In this one the Mavs have ex Heel Brendan Haywood (53 Games: 32.8 MinsPG ~ 9.8 PPG ~ 10.2 RPG ~ 2.1 BPG), who starts and gets 39 minutes and his first double double as a member of his new team. The center scored 11 points (5 for 10 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 1 for 2) to go with 11 rebounds (5 offensive), four assists, one block and a TO while having a +6 pts differential. In the end it was a pretty close game, with Dallas beating Miami by six, as the final score was 97 to 91. With the W the Mavs are now 35 and 21 overall (.625 winning percentage), 17 and 9 at home (.653 winning percentage) and in fourth place in the West, 7.0 games from the conference leader and 1.5 games ahead of the fifth squad.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Mavs Moneyball (SB Nation) by zdgmans
The Smoking Cuban (FanSided) by Jay Maguire
Slam Dunk Central by Stephen Rhodes
The next game of the night is another East/West match up with the Indiana Pacers (EC 5th Central) heading to the lone star state to take on the Houston Rockets (WC 4th SW). The game is played in front of a crowd of 16,550 fans at the Toyota Center. This is the first time (of two) that these franchises have played this season. For the visiting squad we should see rookie Tyler Hansbrough, but as we all know the Pacers’ lottery pick is still out due to an inner ear infection that has kept him off the court for well over a month now. From what I have read/heard there is still no time table on when the power forward from Poplar Bluff, MO. will be back on the court. As far as this game was concerned it was a high scoring affair where Indiana outlasted Houston, beating them by 10, with the final score being 125 to 115. With the victory the Pacers are now 19 and 36 on the season (.345 winning percentage), 7 and 21 on the road (.250 winning percentage) and second to last in the East, 8.5 games behind the last playoff team.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Indy Cornrows (SB Nation) by spstevenson
Always Miller Time (FanSided) by Josh Dhani
The third game is also the only head to head match up between the last team in and the first team out of the Eastern playoff race. It’s the Charlotte Bobcats (EC 4th SE) and the Milwaukee Bucks (EC 3rd Central), in what is their third (of four) match ups, with squad having split the first two. The game was played at the Bradley Center in front of a crowd that numbered 17,174. For the team from the Tar Heel State we have speedster Raymond Felton (53 Games: 32.6 MinsPG ~ 12.3 PPG ~ 5.1 APG ~ 1.6 SPG), who starts for the Bobcats and gets 31 minutes in this one. IN that time frame the point guard scores 10 points (3 for 10 ~ 2 for 3 ~ 2 for 2) to go with four assists, two boards and a pair of TOs while having a pts differential of -8. On the other side, for the Bucks, it’s veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse (15 Games: 19.8 MinsPG ~ 6.8 PPG ~ 1.9 APG ~ 2.5 RPG), who comes off the bench and plays for 18 minutes. The shooting guard scores six points (2 for 6 ~ 2 for 3 ~ 0 for 0) to go along with three rebounds, an assist and a turnover while having a -4 pts differential. In the end it was Milwaukee pulling this one out by 5, beating Charlotte by the final of 93 to 88. With the W the Bucks are now 26-28 overall (.481 winning percentage), 17-9 at home (.653 winning percentage) and are ninth in the East, just 1.0 game back of the last playoff spot. With the loss the Bobcats slide to 27-27 on the the season (.500 winning percentage), 7-20 on the road (.259 winning percentage) and are eighth in the East, just 1.0 games in front of the ninth place team.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Queen City Hoops (TrueHoop Network) by Brett
Bucksketball (TrueHoop) by Jeremy
Rufus on Fire (SB Nation) by David Arnott
Brew Hoop (SB Nation) by Alex Boeder
And we close off this post with the game between the Sacramento Kings (WC 4th Pacific) and the Los Angeles Clippers (WC 3rd Pacific), which is the first (of four) match ups that these divisional foes will have in the `09-`10 season. The game was played at the STAPLES Center in front of 17,903 fans. For the visiting team from River City it’s ex UNC big man Sean May (18 Games: 9.3 MinsPG ~ 3.2 PPG ~ 2.1 RPG ~ 0.2 BPG), who just played a pair of minutes in this one, scoring a single point (0 for 1 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 1 for 2) to go with a rebound and an assist while having a +6 pts differential. In the end it was Los Angeles taking this low scoring affair, as they defeated Sacramento by 10 points, with the final tally being 99 to 89. With the loss the Kings are now 18-37 overall (.327 winning percentage), 5-24 on the road (.172 winning percentage) and holding the 13th spot in the West, 13.0 games behind the last playoff squad.
Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports
Blogs:
Sactown Royalty (SB Nation) by Ziller
Shortlink:
