And once again it’s time to check out what the former North Carolina basketball players are doing at the next level by doing today’s “Heels in the Pro’s” (NBA). If you are interested in someone who might become a Tar Heel check out my small blog on isportsweb about Troy Williams. As far as yesterday went in the National Basketball Association there was a total of ten games in all, of which four had a touch of carolina blue in them. So, without any more interruptions let’s get going with this edition of “Heels in the Pro’s” (NBA) for 02/06/12…

The first game of the night has the Toronto Raptors {EC ~ Atlantic} (8-18 ~ 5-12 on the road) going to the capital to take on the Washington Wizards {EC ~ Southeast} (5-20 ~ 4-10 at home) in the third of four games between the teams, with the first two games being split. The game, played in front 14,687, was at the Verizon Center. For the team from up north it’s former Tar Heel Ed Davis, who comes off the bench for 16 minutes. In that time the power forward went scoreless (0 for 1 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 0 for 0), getting three rebounds, two steals and a turnover while having a +2 points differential in the game. As far as the game went it was Washington winning the game in OT, beating Toronto by the final of 111 to 108. With the loss the Raptors stay in last place of the division, 10.5 games behind the leader and are four games back of the last playoff spot in the East.

The second game of the night that has a touch of carolina blue is a inter conference match up between Phoenix Suns {WC ~ Pacific} (10-14 ~ 5-8 on the road) and the Atlanta Hawks {EC ~ Southeast} (16-9 ~ 8-4 at home) in the first of two games between the franchises. The game was played at the Philips Arena in front of 11,823. For the home team there are two former UNC players on the roster, the first one is Marvin Williams, who starts and plays for 32 minutes. In that time the seventh year pro scored eight points (3 for 8 ~ 0 for 3 ~ 2 for 2), to go with five rebounds, two assists, a turnover and a pts differential of +4. While Jerry Stackhouse came off the bench for just four minutes, going scoreless (0 for 0 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 0 for 0) and doing nothing much else but having a +7 pts differential. In the end, the game went to Phoenix, defeating Atlanta by 9, with the final score being 99 to 90. With the loss the Hawks slide to 2.5 back of the division leader while being in fifth place for the post season, just one game back of the fourth squad.

The next game is a inter divisional match up as the San Antonio Spurs {WC ~ Southwest} (17-9 ~ 4-8 on the road) takes on the Memphis Grizzlies {WC ~ Southwest} (12-13 ~ 7-4 at home) in the third game of four between them, with the first two going to the Spurs. The game was played in front of 13,527 fans at the FedExForum. In this for the visiting team it’s Danny Green, who comes off the bench and plays for 30 minutes in all. The former Heel guard scores two points (0 for 8 ~ 0 for 3 ~ 2 for 2) to go with four rebounds, four assists, one block and a pair of turnovers while having a 0 for points differential. As far as the game was concerned it was San Antonio winning this one, defeating Memphis 89 to 84. With the W the Spurs keeps first place by 2.5 games while being in second place for the post season, 3 games back of the top spot.

In the last game we have the Houston Rockets {WC ~ Southwest} (14-11 ~ 4-8 on the road) going to the mile high city to take on the Denver Nuggets {WC ~ Northwest} (15-10 ~ 7-5 at home) for the first of four match ups between the squads. The game was played at the Pepsi Center in front of an attendance of 14,501. For the home squad it’s former Tar Heel floor general Ty Lawson, who starts and plays a team high 39 minutes. In that time the third year point guard scores 13 points (5 for 14 ~ 1 for 5 ~ 2 for 3) to go with a game high seven assists, one rebounds, one steal and three TOs while having a -2 pts differential. In the end it was Houston taking this one, beating Denver by the final of 99 to 90. With the loss the Nuggets are now in second place in the division 4.5 behind the leader, while in fourth place for the playoff race, also 4.5 games back of the top spot.

As we all get up and begin to focus on the new year, which will include the last week of the NFL as well as North Carolina taking on Monmouth at the Dean Dome, let’s look back at the last NBA games of 2011 for the former UNC players with the first daily post of 2012 called “Heels in Pros” (NBA) for 12/31/11. In all there were seven games played in the National Basketball Association, a quartet of them has a touch of carolina blue in them. And we can also check what ESPN’s AccuScore did with their prediction of the four games. So, without further ado, let’s get going with this edition of “Heels in the Pros” (NBA) for December 31, 2011…

The first game of the night it’s the Denver Nuggets (WC ~ Northwest) going to the long beach state to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (WC ~ Pacific) in what is the first game of four between the franchises. The game was played at the STAPLES Center in front of a crowd that numbered 18,997. For the visiting squad it’s point guard Ty Lawson, who starts for the Nuggets and gets a total of 31 minutes in all. In that time frame the third year floor general scored nine points (3 for 8 ~ 1 for 3 ~ 2 for 4) to go with eight assists, three rebounds, two steals and four TOs while having a -13 pts differential. As far as the game it was Los Angeles (3-2, 3-1 at home) winning a tight one, defeating Denver (2-2, 1-2 on the road) 92 to 89. With the loss Denver is now 2.5 games behind the division leader.

AccuScore called the game correctly, giving the win to the Lakers, with the final being 103.2 to 93.6, while saying that Lawson would get 15.4 pts and 5.6 assists in this one.

Second game on tap was the one between divisional foes, as the Indiana Pacers (EC ~ Central) and the Detroit Pistons (EC ~ Central) in what is the second of three games, with the first one having gone to the Pacers 91 to 79. The game was played at The Palace of Auburn Hills in front of an attendance of 8,824. For the visiting team we have third year pro Tyler Hansbrough, who comes off the pine for a total of 28 minutes. In that time the power forward scored 16 points (5 for 14 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 6 for 7) to go with five rebounds, three steals, a block and a turnover while having a pts differential of -3. As far as the game went it was Detroit (1-3, 1-1 at home) winning this one, defeating Indiana (3-1, 1-1 on the road) 96 to 88. Even with the loss the Pacers are still atop of their division.

AccuScore was incorrect in this one, as they had the Pacers winning the game 95 to 93.5, while Hansbrough scoring 12 pts and 6.6 boards in the match-up.

In the second to last game of the night we have the Atlanta Hawks (EC ~ Southeast) going to the lone star state to take on the Houston Rockets (WC ~ Southwest) in a inter-conference match-up, which will be the only time the two squad will meet up. The game was played in front of 14,390 fans at the Toyota Center. For the visiting team from the east it’s small forward Marvin Williams, who starts and plays 21 minutes in all. In that time frame the seventh year veteran scores nine points (3 for 7 ~ 1 for 2 ~ 2 for 2) to go with four rebounds a block and a -1 pts differential. On the bench it’s 17th year pro Jerry Stackhouse, but the shooting guard does not see any action in this one (DNP). In the end, it was Houston (2-2, 2-0 at home) beating Atlanta (3-1, 1-1 on the road) by 11 points, with the final score being 95 to 84. With the Hawks’ loss they drop to one game behind the division leader.

AccuScore was once again correct in picking this one, as well as being close with Williams’ stats as they had him for 10.7 points and 5 rebounds in the game.

And finally, in the last game on tap, it’s the Utah Jazz (WC ~ Northwest) going to the lone star state to take on the San Antonio Spurs (WC ~ Southwest) in the first of four game between the teams. The game was played at the AT&T Center in front of 17,769 fans. For the visiting team we have Danny Green coming off the bench for nine minutes of playing time. The third year guard scores four points (2 for 3 ~ 0 for 1 ~ 0 for 0) to go with two boards, two asssits and a +11 points differential. As far as the game went it was San Antonio (3-1, 3-0 at home) defeating Utah (1-3, 0-3 on the road) 104 to 89. With the W the Spurs are now in first place in their division, 1/2 a game ahead of the competition.

AccuScore was right in this one once again giving the win to San Antonio by the final of 105.1 to 96, which was pretty close. One difference is that their score did not cover the spread, while the game’s final did.

Since you can never get enough of basketball, whether it’s by watching the present squad, which is ranked fifth in the AP poll and sixth in the ESPN/USA Today one, who will be in action tomorrow and I will have a preview and recap of the game, or by looking at the former Heels, like I do in my “Heels in the Pros” (NBA) daily posts, I decided to try and do a preview for the games by looking at what the AccuScore (on ESPN) says of the games, which is a computer program that simulates the game over a 10,000 times, which is pretty amazing. So, without any interruptions, here is this edition of “Heels in Pros” (NBA) for December 31, 2011, preview style…

In game one, which has the Denver Nuggets taking on the Los Angeles Lakers, the computer has the home team winning by an average of 103.2 to 93.6, which would be almost double than the five point spread that Vegas has the game at. For floor general Ty Lawson it says that he should have a team high 15.4 points to go with team high 5.6 assists. In all the computer believes that the Lakers have a 81% chances of winning the game and a 49.3% of winning by over 10 points.

If the AccuScore is correct the Nuggets will be 2-2 going into the new year.

The second game is one that has the Indiana Pacers going to the motor city to take on the Detroit Pistons. The computer has the Pacers winning this one by a close margin, 95 to 93.5 with the Vegas spread being -2.5 with the visiting team favorite. For Indy it’s third year pro Tyler Hansbrough, where the forward scores 12 points and has 6.6 rebounds in the game. In all the computer is saying that 52.8% times Indiana will win, while winning big (10 or more points) 26.3%.

If the AccuScore is correct the Pacers will be undefeated at 4-0 going into 2012.

Third game of the night has the Atlanta Hawks going to the lone star state to take on the Houston Rockets in a game that the lines have the home team favorite by 1 point. AccuScore gives us an average final score of 92.9 to 91.7 for the Rockets, while saying that Marvin Williams will score about 10.7 points and have just below 5 boards in this one. The computers have the Rockets winning 57.6% of the times and winning big 14.1%. Interesting enough the comp has the Hawks winning this one big 11.6%, making it feel like the 1 point spread a bit weird.

If the AccuScore is right the Hawks will lose their first game of the season and go into the new year with a 3-1 record.

And finally, last up is the Utah Jazz going to the lone star state to take on San Antonio in a game where the spread is in double digits at 14.5 points. The compute has the score not covering, with the Spurs winning 105.1 to 96. Nothing is said about the former Carolina player on San Antonio’s roster, Danny Green, but it shows that the home squad is going to win 78.8% of the times, winning it big 12.2%.

If the AccuScore is correct the Spurs will head into the new year with a 3-1 record.

As we approach the end of the first week of pro basketball, we can also enjoy that No.5 AP/No. 6 ESPN/USA Today North Carolina is 12-2 after destroying Elon 100 to 62, while their former players are doing well in the NBA. All of this means that it’s time to once again look at the daily post “Heels in the Pros” (NBA) for 12/29/11 in a day where the National Basketball had six games in all, of which half had a touch of carolina blue, one being a head to head match up between squads that have former UNC players on them. So, without further ado, let’s get going with this edition of “Heels in the Pros” (NBA) for December 29, 2011…

The first game of the night is one between teams from the lone star state as the San Antonio Spurs (WC ~ Southwest) headed to the Toyota Center to take on the Houston Rockets (WC ~ Southwest). The divisional game, played in front of 18,267, is the first of four games between the squads from Texas. For the visiting squad it’s former Tar Heel Danny Green, who comes off the bench and plays 12 minutes, which is the most this season for the third year man. In that time frame the former UNC guard scored six points (3 for 7 ~ 0 for 2 ~ 0 for 0) to go with four rebounds and a steal while having a -6 pts differential. As far as the game went it was Houston (1-1, 1-0 at home) beating San Antonio (2-1, 0-1 on the road) by 20 points, with the final being 105 to 85.

The second game of the night is once again a Western Conference match up between the Dallas Mavericks (WC ~ Southwest) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (WC ~ Northwest). The game, first of four, was played in front of a crowd of 18,203 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. For the visiting team there are two former Heels on the squad, with Brendan Haywood getting the nod at the center spot. The eleventh year veteran gets 23 minutes of playing time, where he scores eight points (4 for 7 ~ 0 for 0 ~ 0 for 1) along with five rebounds, a steal, a block and a turnover while having a pts differential of +16. The other Tar Heel, shooting guard Vince Carter, comes off the bench in this one for the Mavs and plays a total of 16 minutes in all. In that time frame the 14th year pro scores eight points (3 for 8 ~ 2 for 3 ~ 0 for 2) to go with three rebounds, a steal and a TO while having a +3 points differential. As far as the game went it was Oklahoma (4-0, 2-0 at home) winning this one at the buzzer, defeating Dallas (0-3, 0-1 on the road) 104 to 102. Not a bad way to go for the Thunder who had their two stars argueing the night before.

In the final game of the night with a touch of carolina blue we have the Denver Nuggets (WC ~ Northwest) taking on the Portland Trail Blazers (WC ~ Northwest) in what was a duel of former UNC floor generals and division foes. The game, first of three, was played at the Rose Garden in front of an attendance of 20,531. For the visiting team it’s third year pro Ty Lawson, who plays 40 minutes, most on his team. For the speedster it’s a 25 points game, once again a team and game high, (10 for 16 ~ 2 for 3 ~ 3 for 4) to go with eight steals, four boards, three assists and a pair of turnovers while having a -10 pts differential. On the other side, Raymond Felton, who played 34 minutes in all. For the seventh year veteran it’s a team high 23 points performance (10 for 16 ~ 1 for 3 ~ 2 for 2) to go along with six assists, five boards and a whooping four TOs while getting a points differential of +7. In the end it was Portland (3-0, 3-0 at home) beating Denver (2-1, 1-1 on the road) 111 to 102.

Clipped from: scores.espn.go.com (share this clip)

Clipped from: scores.espn.go.com (share this clip)

One interesting tidbit, with the season less than one week old there are already six teams two or more games from the top, while eight are still winless. On the other hand only four teams are still undefeated, two of them in the same division. In a shorten season this seems to be a year with lots of interesting twists and turns, with more than sixty games to go for each team you have to believe there will be plenty more drama for all the teams, including where will Dwight Howard ends up.

With Harrison Barnes announcing he was coming back and other things not related to this blog happening my recap for Sunday’s NBA games was overlooked until now. Which means now it’s time to do my “Heels in the Pros” (NBA) for the games from Sunday, April 17, 2011. On that night we had two games with a touch of Carolina Blue, one with a team that has a pair of former Heels on the court and another as the head coach. All of these were game ones for their seven games series. So, without any more distractions/delays, let’s get going with this edition of “Heels in the Pros” (NBA) for 04/17/11…

(On a side note: On another site, CLNS Radio, where I do my podcasts, I put up a poem about Carmelo Anthony and other things about the first weekend of the NBA PO)

The first game of the night is the one that matches up the top seed in the West, the San Antonio Spurs, hosting the eighth seed, the Memphis Grizzlies. The game was played at the AT&T Center in front of a crowd that numbered 18,581. For the home team it was former national champion Danny Green. The guard came in for a very short time in the game and didn’t register anything for the box score. As far as the game was concerned it was the Grizzlies taking this one, upsetting the Spurs by the final of 101 to 98. San Antonio is now 0-1 in this series and has lost home court advantage due to the loss.

NBA
ESPN
Sporting News
CBS

Pounding the Rock (SB Nation)
Air Alamo (FanSided)
Projest Spurs (Bloguin)
Slam Dunk Central

The other game of the night had the #5 seed Denver Nuggets heading to the Oklahoma City Arena to take on the #4 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in front of an attendance of 18,203. For the visiting squad from the mile high city we have the pair of point guards and national champions in Raymond Felton (`05) and Ty Lawson (`09). For Lawson, who starts and gets 34 minutes, scores 10 points (4 for 7 ~ 0 for 1 ~ 2 for 2), to go with five assists, four rebounds (2 offensive), three steals and 2 TOs. Felton, who came off the bench for 33 minutes, scored 12 points (4 for 11 ~ 0 for 4 ~ 4 for 5) and added eight assists, one board, one steal and a pair of turnovers. In the end it was OKC taking this one, defeating Denver by the final of 107 to 103.

NBA
ESPN
Sporting News
CBS

Denver Stiffs (SB Nation)
Nugg Love (FanSided)
Slam Dunk Central

With today being the beginning of the NBA Playoffs I figured it is time to get the Heels in the Pros (NBA) have a come back on The Fifth Corner. Below is the complete listing of the National Basketball Association first round (with times and tv coverage) playoff schedule. Then of course, since this a North Carolina blog after all, I will add all that I can about any former Tar Heel in the eight series. A brief run down shows that five series have at least one UNC player playing in them, one has a couple of floor generals along with a head coach and finally another one has an executive that are all from Chapel Hill. Here is the complete run down of the first round and below the list the former Heels in each of them…

Western Conference

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs (8) Memphis Grizzlies

Game 1 – Sun April 17 Memphis at San Antonio 12:00PM TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 20 Memphis at San Antonio 7:30PM NBA TV
Game 3 – Sat April 23 San Antonio at Memphis 6:30PM ESPN
Game 4 – Mon April 25 San Antonio at Memphis TBD TBD
Game 5 * Wed April 27 Memphis at San Antonio TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri April 29 San Antonio at Memphis TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 1 Memphis at San Antonio TBD TBD

For San Antonio we have Danny Green, who was picked up late in the season by the team and you can follow him on twitter under the nic @DGreen_14. Green played at UNC for four years and won a National Title in 2009 under head coach Roy Williams. On a side note I can not believe that NBA.com still has him in a Cleveland jersey.

(2) L.A. Lakers vs (7) New Orleans Hornets

Game 1 – Sun April 17 New Orleans at L.A. Lakers 12:30PM ABC/R
Game 2 – Wed April 20 New Orleans at L.A. Lakers 7:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 22 L.A. Lakers at New Orleans 8:30PM ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 24 L.A. Lakers at New Orleans 8:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 26 New Orleans at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 28 L.A. Lakers at New Orleans TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat April 30 New Orleans at L.A. Lakers TBD TNT

In this one we have the General Manager of the Lakers, Mitch Kupchak, who played under head coach Dean Smith from 1972 to 1976.

(3) Dallas Mavericks vs (6) Portland Trail Blazers

Game 1 – Sat April 16 Portland at Dallas 8:30PM ESPN
Game 2 – Tue April 19 Portland at Dallas 8:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 21 Dallas at Portland 7:30PM TNT
Game 4 – Sat April 23 Dallas at Portland 2:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Mon April 25 Portland at Dallas TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 28 Dallas at Portland TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat April 30 Portland at Dallas TBD TNT

For the third seed Dallas we have seven footer Brendan Haywood, who played in Chapel Hill from 1997 to 2001 where he recorded the first ever triple double in school’s history. You can check out Haywood’s pro career here.

(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (5) Denver Nuggets

Game 1 – Sun April 17 Denver at Oklahoma City 8:30PM TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 20 Denver at Oklahoma City 7:00PM TNT
Game 3 – Sat April 23 Oklahoma City at Denver 8:00PM ESPN/R
Game 4 – Mon April 25 Oklahoma City at Denver 8:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed April 27 Denver at Oklahoma City TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri April 29 Oklahoma City at Denver TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 1 Denver at Oklahoma City TBD TBD

This one is where have a boatload of former Heels. Two on the court and the head coach. First, George Karl, the coach of the Nuggets, who has been with the team since 2005. Then we have two point guards that are both National Champions, Raymond Felton for the 2005 squad and Ty Lawson for the `09 team. Felton is on his third NBA squad, second this season, having played for the Bobcats and Knicks before coming to Denver. Lawson has always been with the Nuggets and you can follow him on twitter.

Eastern Conference

(1) Chicago Bulls vs (8) Indiana Pacers

Game 1 – Sat April 16 Indiana at Chicago 12:00PM ESPN/ESPN3D
Game 2 – Mon April 18 Indiana at Chicago 8:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 21 Chicago at Indiana 7:00PM NBA TV
Game 4 – Sat April 23 Chicago at Indiana 2:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 26 Indiana at Chicago TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 28 Chicago at Indiana TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat April 30 Indiana at Chicago TBD TNT

In this one we have another National Champ from Chapel Hill, Tyler Hansbrough, who is getting better by the game with his stats and can be followed on twitter under @THANS50

(2) Miami Heat vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers

Game 1 – Sat April 16 Philadelphia at Miami 3:30PM ABC/R
Game 2 – Mon April 18 Philadelphia at Miami 7:00PM TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 21 Miami at Philadelphia 8:00PM TNT
Game 4 – Sun April 24 Miami at Philadelphia 1:00PM ABC
Game 5 * Wed April 27 Philadelphia at Miami TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri April 29 Miami at Philadelphia TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 1 Philadelphia at Miami TBD TBD

None from North Carolina in this one, but if you want to root against someone, Philly has a Duke player to zeron in Miami (just a thought).

(3) Boston Celtics vs (6) New York Knicks

Game 1 – Sun April 17 New York at Boston 7:00PM TNT
Game 2 – Tue April 19 New York at Boston 7:00PM TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 22 Boston at New York 7:00PM ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 24 Boston at New York 3:30PM ABC/R
Game 5 * Tue April 26 New York at Boston TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri April 29 Boston at New York TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 1 New York at Boston TBD TBD

No one from Chapel Hill in this one either and not easy who to go with, as the Knicks have a former player from that school 8.5 miles away from UNC and Boston have someone from UK. (Wishing in a double elimination here, but it’s not possible).

(4) Orlando Magic vs (5) Atlanta Hawks

Game 1 – Sat April 16 Atlanta at Orlando 7:00PM ESPN
Game 2 – Tue April 19 Atlanta at Orlando 7:30PM NBA TV
Game 3 – Fri April 22 Orlando at Atlanta 8:00PM ESPN2/ESPN3D
Game 4 – Sun April 24 Orlando at Atlanta 7:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 26 Atlanta at Orlando TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 28 Orlando at Atlanta TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat April 30 Atlanta at Orlando TBD TNT

Finally, a breath of fresh air as we once again have a Tar Heel in this series. For the Hawks it’s Marvin Williams, a fifth year veteran while being a one and done at UNC after winning a national title.

After a small schedule on Monday, with just three games with none having former Tar Heels in it, it is time to check out the games from yesterday in the National Basketball Association, as seven games were on the slate (one cancelled by the weather) and all but one had a touch of Carolina blue in it. So, without further ado, let’s get right into this edition of “Heels in the League” (NBA) for 01/11/11 and see how our beloved Tar Heels did with their professional teams…

First game of the night has the Indiana Pacers (EC ~ 2nd Central) heading to the city of brotherly love to take on the Philadelphia 76′ers (EC ~ 3rd Atlantic). The game was played at the Wells Fargo Center in front of a crowd that numbered 10,890. For the away squad we have ex national player of the year Tyler Hansbrough, who starts for the Pacers and plays 25 minutes. In that time the power forward scores 12 points (6-11 ~ 0-0 ~ 0-0) to go with nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and three turnovers while registering a -14 pts differential on the night. As far as the game went it was Indiana taking this one by the score of 111 to 103. The win puts the Pacers at 15 and 20 on the season, 13 games behind the conference leader and one ahead of the eighth seed squad.

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

Pacers Beat Sixers in Philly, Win First Road Game Since November 30, 2010 by Jared Wade of 8 Points, 9 Seconds (TrueHoop Network)
Pacers 111, 76ers 103: Everyone’s a Hero in Indiana Road Win by Nathan S. of Indy Cornrows (SB Nation)
Pacers Earn Rare Road Win, Outlast 76ers 111-103 by Stephen Rhodes (Slam Dunk Central)

Box Score — Play-By-Play

The second game of the night has the Minnesota Timberwolves (WC ~ 5th NorthWest) hosting the San Antonio Spurs (WC ~ 1st SouthWest) at the Target Center in front of 11,209 fans. For the home squad we should see shooting guard Wayne Ellington, however, once again the ex national champion under head coach Roy Williams is kept out of the game (DNP – Coach’s Decision). In the end this game went to the Spurs, winning it by double digits, with the final tally being 107 to 96. The loss drops the TWolves to 9 and 30 on the year, 23.5 games behind conference leader San Antonio and 11 games behind eighth seed Portland. (To be noted: Minnesota racked up an amazing five technicals in 10 seconds in this game).

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

Revenge of the Routine by Ben Polk of A Wolf among Wolves (TrueHoop Network)
Clown Patrol by Stop-n-Pop of Canis Hoopus (SB Nation)

Box Score — Play-By-Play

The third match up of the night with a touch of Carolina blue is the one with the Denver Nuggets (WC ~ 3rd NorthWest) hosting the Phoenix Suns (WC ~ 2nd Pacific) in front of 14,874 at the Pepsi Center. For the home squad we have speedster Ty Lawson, who comes off the bench and plays 24 minutes until he fouls out of the game. In that time frame the point guard scores 16 points (4-5 ~ 1-1 ~ 7-8) to go with six rebounds, five assists, a steal and (yikes) four TOs while having a pts differential of +28 in the game. As far as the game went it was Denver winning it by 34 points, 132 to 98, after being down 20 to 32 at the end of the first quarter. The win lifts the Nuggets to a 21 and 16 record on the season, 10.5 games behind the conference leader and two games behind the 8th seed in the West.

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

2010-2011 Game 37: Denver Nuggets 132 Phoenix Suns 98 by Charlie of Roundball Mining Co. (TrueHoop Network)
Nuggets vs. Suns recap: A going away present? by Nate Timmons of Denver Stiffs (SB Nation)

Box Score — Play-By-Play

The second to last game of this post has the New York Knicks (EC ~ 2nd Atlantic) headed to the Rose Garden to take on the Portland Trail Blazers (WC ~ 4th NorthWest) in front of 20,604 fans. For the team from the east coast it’s point guard Raymond Felton, who starts and gets 40 minutes in all. In that time the speedy ex national champ records a double double by scoring 17 points (7-16 ~ 2-5 ~ 1-2) and having 14 assists, while adding three steals and two rebounds and ending the game with a pts differential of +15. And all of this while rolling his ankle. As far as the game is concerned it was New York taking it by double digits, with the final tally being 100 to 86. The win places the Knicks with a 22 and 15 record for the season, seven games back of the conference leader and six games ahead of the seventh seed. (To be noted: The Knicks are 12 and 8 on the road, showing they are just as good when traveling as they are when playing at home).

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

“Might just be the best defensive second half I’ve seen all year!” by Osborn of Posting and Toasting (SB Nation)
Blazers-Knicks Recap: Return of Ronny Juice by Anthony Marino of Buckets over Broadway (FanSided)

Box Score — Play-By-Play

And we end this recap with what has to be one of the worst performances by any team in a long time as the Cleveland Cavaliers (EC ~ 5th Central) headed west to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (WC ~ 1st Pacific). The game was played at the Staples Center in front of 18,997 fans. For the visiting team it was power forward Antawn Jamison, who started for the Cavs and played a total of 31 minutes. In that time frame the ex national player of the year recorded six points (3-10 ~ 0-3 ~ 0-0) to go along with eight rebounds (5 offensive), three assists, two steals and three TOs while having an absurd -46 pts differential. The game was a disaster and the final score might not make it justice as LA won this by the final of 112 to 57 (one bucket from doubling up Cleveland). The loss drops the Cavs to 8 and 30, the worst record in the NBA, 21.5 games from the conference leader and 7.5 games back from the eighth seed in the East.

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

Lakers 112, Cavs 57 (Or, Rock Bottom) by John Krolik of CAVS: the blog (TrueHoop Network)
Lakers Chew Up And Spit Out Cavaliers, 112-57 by Jeff Sack of Slam Dunk Central

Box Score — Play-By-Play

So, as I continue to get back on track with the pre-season for the National Basketball Association let’s look at the match ups from October 6, 2010, where in all there were five games played, with three of them having Tar Heels in it, one of them being a head to head match up between ex national champions, making a total of four Carolina players in this edition of “Heels in the League (NBA)”. While I am at it, just a reminder that I am trying to get a least one blogger from each of the teams that have UNC players on them before the beginning of the season. If you know any of them please leave me a comment at the end of this post. Now, without further ado, let’s get it going with this post about the “Heels in the League (NBA)” for 10/06/10…

In the first game of the night we find the head to head match up as the New York Knicks head to the Bercy Arena (France) to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the team from the Big Apple it is point guard Raymond Felton, a three year player at UNC as well as a national champ, who starts and plays for 29 minutes in this one. In the time frame the floor general scores just four points (1 for 6 ~ 0 for 1 ~ 2 for 2) to go with four rebounds, four assists, a steal, a way too high five turnovers and a pts differential of -4. On the other side, another three year player and national champion in Chapel Hill, shooting guard Wayne Ellington, who came off the bench for 13 minutes. In that time frame, which was a lot less than his first game, the second year player only scored a point (0 for 1 ~ 0 for 1 ~ 1 for 2) to go along with two boards, an assist, a TO and a 0 as far as pts differential was concerned. In the end it was Minnesota winning this one, taking down New York by a half dozen, with the final score being 106 to 100. With the win the TWolves are 2 and 0 in the pre-season, while the Knicks fall to 1 and 1.

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

KnickerBlogger (TrueHoop Network) by Mike Kurylo
Posting & Toasting (SB Nation) by Seth
Canis Hoopus (SB Nation) by Oceanary
Buckets over Broadway (FanSided) by Alex David

Box Score — Play-By-Play

Moving along to game number two it’s the one between the Indiana Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies, played at the FedEx Forum, with a small attendance of 8,618. For the visiting squad from Indy we would see Tyler Hansbrough, a four year man under Roy Williams at Chapel Hill as well as NPOY and national champion, who however did not play in this game. Many reports are saying that the 6’9″ big man from Poplar Bluff, Missouri should be ok for the season after having had an ear infection and vertigo in his rookie season, so this should just be a preventive measure to get him going slowly back into the season. As far as the game was concerned it went down to the wire with Memphis winning by a duece, defeating Indiana 97 to 85.

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

Eight Points, Nine Seconds (TrueHoop Network) by Tim Donahue
Indy Cornrows (SB Nation) by Nathan S.
Always Miller Time (FanSided) by Chad Smith

Box Score — Play-By-Play

And we close out with another Tar Heel that did not see the field, one and done Ed Davis, as his Toronto Raptors played the Phoenix Suns at the General Motor Place in Vancouver. And while the big man from Chapel Hill was not in action (out for about another month with the right knee injury) both teams played under the eyes of 18,123 fans. As far as the game went this one was a landslide for the team from north of the border as Toronto defeated Phoenix by 31 points, with the final being 129 to 78. For the Raptors it’s their first game of the pre-season and if they keep it up they might just be forgetting about the big man a lot sooner than anticipated.

Main Stream Media:
ESPN ~ NBA.com ~ The Sporting News ~ CBS Sports

Blogs:

Raptors Republic (TrueHoop Network) by Sam Holako
Raptors HQ (SB Nation) by Raptors HQ – Franchise

Box Score — Play-By-Play

Ty Lawson

I would say that mistakes like this can cost people their jobs and teams games. Right now Larry Bird needs to make a deal that is going to work and not one that might work, he can not afford the luxury of a mis-fire right now, not with a Top 10 pick on the line. I for one would love to see what Lawson could do as a starter, as well as see if with the arrival of his ex team mates Hansbrough would gain something as well. The 5’11″ point guard scored 8.3 points per game with 3.1 APG and 0.7 SPG playing about 20 minutes per match (in 65 out of 82 games last season). As a starter he should get about 12-14 minutes more and that might just mean the second year player out of Chapel Hill could see his numbers (especially assists and steals) go way up. As usal let me wish all the best to Ty Lawson has he prepares for his sophomore season in the NBA whether it is with the Nuggets or with the Pacers.

Ty Lawson

While Lawson and his Denver Nuggets fell in the first round we can easily say that the freshman point guard had a very good first year in the National Basketball Association. In his first playoff appearance the speedster averaged 7.8 points per game (compared to 8.3 in the regular season), 2.7 APG (3.1) 1.0 SPG (0.7) and 1.3 TOs (1.2) while his playing time was 19.8 MinsPG (20.2). Lawson had two double digit scoring games in the playoffs, but only in his first game in the series with Utah did he get more than five assists (having six in that one compared to 10 the rest of the five games). I have to say that looking back at this season Lawson should become a very good player for the Denver Nuggets as they years go by. He is quick, knows the game and plays with effort and energy every time down the floor. As I looked around today on the internet I found this great YouTube video on another great UNC site, Tar Heel Fan, that shows how the young man’s quickness and effort is going to pay off for the Nuggets in the long run…