simmytbone
11-24-2013, 07:34 PM
Hey guys,
Yesterday, the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trailblazers extended their win to 10 games in a row and they still hold on to the TOP 2 Spots in the Western Conference
Spurs crushes Cleveland Caveliers while the Blazers def. Curry and the Golden State Warriors
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20131123_CLE@SA
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/img24271486_zpscd1d3231.jpg
Spurs crush Cavaliers for 10th straight win
Nov. 23, 2013
SAN ANTONIO -- Every offensive set and defensive plan seemed to work flawlessly Saturday night for the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
San Antonio had a season-high 16 3-pointers, never trailing in rolling past Cleveland 126-96 for its 10th straight victory.
The only time the game didn't go fluidly for the Spurs was when Matt Bonner attempted to hand the ball to Tony Parker after ripping a rebound away from San Antonio's point guard during the second quarter.
Parker put his hands up and shook his head, playfully making Bonner bring the ball upcourt. Bonner took full advantage, calling an isolation play for himself before Parker reclaimed his job at midcourt.
" likes to mess with me once in a while," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, smiling. "Matty will never get a call for [an isolation or] anything ever while I'm here."
San Antonio didn't need to try anything new, anyway, not since everything its usual repertoire went so well.
"Good, old-fashioned behind kicking," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "We got our behinds kicked. We didn't do anything well. The only positive I think that we got out of it is that we got to see how to play the game of basketball the right way."
Danny Green had 17 points, Patty Mills had 15 points and Parker added 12 points. Tiago Splitter and Marco Belinelli each had 10 points for San Antonio (12-1), which matched the best start in franchise history while handing Cleveland (4-10) its worst loss this season.
Andrew Bynum had 16 points, Kyrie Irving added 15 points, Matthew Dellavedova had 14 points and Dion Waiters 11 for Cleveland (4-10). Anthony Bennett, the top overall draft pick, had a season-high nine points.
All of San Antonio's 13 players scored at least six points, giving its starters a needed rest after playing Friday night in Memphis.
The Spurs were 16 for 24 on 3s while remaining undefeated at home.
"We did a great job moving the ball," Bonner said. "We shot the 3 great tonight. We don't really play any individual basketball. We don't care who scores; no one's trying to get their stats. It's about getting the best shot we can."
After Cleveland shot 22 percent from the field in the second quarter, San Antonio began to empty its bench midway through the third.
Following Tyler Zeller's layup with 5:48 left in the second quarter, the Cavaliers did not score again until Bynum's layup with 37.4 seconds remaining. They finished with 11 points in the quarter.
"[Cleveland] is not as bad as it seemed tonight and we're not as good as it seemed," Popovich said. "We just had one of those nights in the positive direction and they had one in the other. They're a young team and we got them on a bad night."
San Antonio took a 35-point lead during Cleveland's offensive drought. Parker had four points and an assist during the run, with his two free throws putting the Spurs up 63-28 with 53.3 seconds left.
Parker finished with seven assists in 15 minutes, but nearly lost one of them to Bonner when the two got entangled going for a rebound.
"We both kind of had the ball," Bonner said. "It's rare when I actually get a rebound. I called an iso for me. I would have dribbled through everybody and dunked it. But unfortunately, Tony came back and got the ball."
San Antonio still managed to score a season-high 65 points in the first half, surpassing its previous high of 57 against Philadelphia with 2:22 remaining in the second quarter.
The Spurs were 5 for 8 on 3-pointers in the first quarter, with Green and Bonner hitting consecutive 3s to give San Antonio its first double-digit lead at 27-17 with two minutes left.
Cleveland was never able to recover from the early run, losing its third straight.
"Just the way we came out, including myself, just the energy, or lack of," Irving said.
"Also, they're a great team. They're coming off I don't know how many wins in a row. Coming into their house, playing against a good San Antonio team, you got to bring it for the full 48 [minutes]. Starting off the game, they got into a good comfortable rhythm and we just couldn't stop them."
The Spurs targeted Bynum defensively early, but with Splitter and not the more prolific Tim Duncan. Splitter hit consecutive baskets against the Cavaliers' big man, including faking left and right before tossing in a hook shot.
Notes: San Antonio matched the 12-1 start of the 2010-2011 season. ... San Antonio F Tim Duncan played in his 1,400th career game, including the playoffs. ... Spurs F Boris Diaw was a late scratch, sitting out with a bruised right rib he suffered against Memphis on Friday night. ... Cavaliers G Jarrett Jack left with an injured neck with 2 minutes left in the third quarter after driving the top of his head into Cory Joseph's hip while trying to create space. ... Parker shared a long hug and cheerful conversation with Brown, a former Spurs assistant who was with the team during the 2003 NBA championship. ... Cavaliers G C.J. Miles (right calf strain) missed his second straight game after playing in the team's first dozen, including three starts.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20131123_POR@GS
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/img24271628_zps625699f2.jpg
[B]Blazers rally past Warriors for 10th straight win
Nov. 24, 2013
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Wes Matthews had a pretty good seat for Portland's 10th straight win.
It just happened to be in the Trail Blazers' locker room.
One of three players ejected in the third quarter following a scuffle with Golden State, Matthews spent the final 15 minutes watching the game on TV with teammate Mo Williams after both players were tossed.
The two players saw yet another dramatic comeback by one of the biggest surprise teams in the Western Conference.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 21 rebounds and the Trail Blazers beat the Warriors 113-101 on Saturday.
"That inspired us," said Matthews of the altercation that resulted in six technical fouls in addition to the ejections.
"We got better from it, we got stronger from it. Mo and I were continuing to cheer. They couldn't hear us, but we were continuing to cheer."
One night after rallying from 21 down to beat the Chicago Bulls 98-95, Portland again had to play from behind, but rode a big fourth quarter from Aldridge to keep the winning streak going.
Aldridge made 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to highlight his sixth double-double this season. Matthews had 23 points while Bay Area native Damian Lillard added 20 points and nine assists for the Blazers.
"We rode LaMarcus in the second half," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "He took it inside, got to the free throw line, made his free throws, offensive rebounds. He did it all and we rode him."
The Blazers, playing the second half of a back to back, appeared to be tiring late in the third quarter when things got chippy between the teams not long after Matthews was whistled for a technical foul when Aldridge was knocked flat on his back.
Moments later, Portland reserve center Joel Freeland and Golden State's Andrew Bogut then got into a shoving match in front of the Warriors bench.
Aldridge joined the fray, which quickly escalated. At one point, Matthews was stopped after charging toward a group of Golden State players, while Warriors reserve Draymond Green had to be restrained by several teammates and coaches.
"Everybody was sticking up for everybody," Stotts said. "The game was kind of going back-and-forth. I don't know if we had a lot going, but I thought it really brought us together."
Referees conferred for several minutes following the dust-up and watched replays on a monitor before issuing six technical fouls and three ejections. Matthews and Williams, along with Green, were all tossed.
Golden State, which led 77-63 at the time, couldn't hold on.
"We did not respond once the altercation took place," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "We gave them life by not doing what we were doing the entire first half. You have to be able to sustain it. We did not and we paid the price because of it."
Portland pulled within 84-81 heading into the fourth then went on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.
Aldridge, who missed six of his first seven shots, scored 15 points over the final 12 minutes while going 11 of 14 from the free throw line.
That was enough to propel the Blazers to their second come-from-behind win in as many nights.
Not even the return of Stephen Curry could prevent Golden State from letting this one get away.
Curry, who had 22 points and 11 assists, returned to the Warriors lineup after missing two games with a concussion. Golden State was still short-handed, however, as Iguodala sat out with a strained left hamstring suffered in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Blazers got off to another cold start before storming back.
Thompson scored 18 points in the first half and Golden State led 59-47 midway through the second quarter while taking advantage of Lillard's slow start.
Lillard, who grew up about 10 minutes from Oracle Arena, missed his first six shots and didn't score until 10:21 remained in the first half.
Aldridge also struggled with his shot early, but had six points over the final three minutes to help trim the Warriors' halftime lead to 54-49.
Curry made back-to-back 3s in the third quarter and Golden State upped its lead to 77-63 before emotions bubbled over.
"They went on a run and we kind of crumbled," said Bogut, who had four points and 12 rebounds. "They got to every loose ball before us. They had more offensive rebounds. They made us look silly, especially in the fourth quarter."
Klay Thompson scored 30 points for Golden State. The Warriors, who played without the injured Andre Iguodala, have lost three straight.
Notes: Portland is tied with San Antonio for the longest active winning streak in the NBA. ... The Warriors are 5-2 at home this season ... Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and professional poker player Phil Hellmuth were among those in attendance at courtside.
[I]credit: cbssports.com
Yesterday, the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trailblazers extended their win to 10 games in a row and they still hold on to the TOP 2 Spots in the Western Conference
Spurs crushes Cleveland Caveliers while the Blazers def. Curry and the Golden State Warriors
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20131123_CLE@SA
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/img24271486_zpscd1d3231.jpg
Spurs crush Cavaliers for 10th straight win
Nov. 23, 2013
SAN ANTONIO -- Every offensive set and defensive plan seemed to work flawlessly Saturday night for the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
San Antonio had a season-high 16 3-pointers, never trailing in rolling past Cleveland 126-96 for its 10th straight victory.
The only time the game didn't go fluidly for the Spurs was when Matt Bonner attempted to hand the ball to Tony Parker after ripping a rebound away from San Antonio's point guard during the second quarter.
Parker put his hands up and shook his head, playfully making Bonner bring the ball upcourt. Bonner took full advantage, calling an isolation play for himself before Parker reclaimed his job at midcourt.
" likes to mess with me once in a while," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, smiling. "Matty will never get a call for [an isolation or] anything ever while I'm here."
San Antonio didn't need to try anything new, anyway, not since everything its usual repertoire went so well.
"Good, old-fashioned behind kicking," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "We got our behinds kicked. We didn't do anything well. The only positive I think that we got out of it is that we got to see how to play the game of basketball the right way."
Danny Green had 17 points, Patty Mills had 15 points and Parker added 12 points. Tiago Splitter and Marco Belinelli each had 10 points for San Antonio (12-1), which matched the best start in franchise history while handing Cleveland (4-10) its worst loss this season.
Andrew Bynum had 16 points, Kyrie Irving added 15 points, Matthew Dellavedova had 14 points and Dion Waiters 11 for Cleveland (4-10). Anthony Bennett, the top overall draft pick, had a season-high nine points.
All of San Antonio's 13 players scored at least six points, giving its starters a needed rest after playing Friday night in Memphis.
The Spurs were 16 for 24 on 3s while remaining undefeated at home.
"We did a great job moving the ball," Bonner said. "We shot the 3 great tonight. We don't really play any individual basketball. We don't care who scores; no one's trying to get their stats. It's about getting the best shot we can."
After Cleveland shot 22 percent from the field in the second quarter, San Antonio began to empty its bench midway through the third.
Following Tyler Zeller's layup with 5:48 left in the second quarter, the Cavaliers did not score again until Bynum's layup with 37.4 seconds remaining. They finished with 11 points in the quarter.
"[Cleveland] is not as bad as it seemed tonight and we're not as good as it seemed," Popovich said. "We just had one of those nights in the positive direction and they had one in the other. They're a young team and we got them on a bad night."
San Antonio took a 35-point lead during Cleveland's offensive drought. Parker had four points and an assist during the run, with his two free throws putting the Spurs up 63-28 with 53.3 seconds left.
Parker finished with seven assists in 15 minutes, but nearly lost one of them to Bonner when the two got entangled going for a rebound.
"We both kind of had the ball," Bonner said. "It's rare when I actually get a rebound. I called an iso for me. I would have dribbled through everybody and dunked it. But unfortunately, Tony came back and got the ball."
San Antonio still managed to score a season-high 65 points in the first half, surpassing its previous high of 57 against Philadelphia with 2:22 remaining in the second quarter.
The Spurs were 5 for 8 on 3-pointers in the first quarter, with Green and Bonner hitting consecutive 3s to give San Antonio its first double-digit lead at 27-17 with two minutes left.
Cleveland was never able to recover from the early run, losing its third straight.
"Just the way we came out, including myself, just the energy, or lack of," Irving said.
"Also, they're a great team. They're coming off I don't know how many wins in a row. Coming into their house, playing against a good San Antonio team, you got to bring it for the full 48 [minutes]. Starting off the game, they got into a good comfortable rhythm and we just couldn't stop them."
The Spurs targeted Bynum defensively early, but with Splitter and not the more prolific Tim Duncan. Splitter hit consecutive baskets against the Cavaliers' big man, including faking left and right before tossing in a hook shot.
Notes: San Antonio matched the 12-1 start of the 2010-2011 season. ... San Antonio F Tim Duncan played in his 1,400th career game, including the playoffs. ... Spurs F Boris Diaw was a late scratch, sitting out with a bruised right rib he suffered against Memphis on Friday night. ... Cavaliers G Jarrett Jack left with an injured neck with 2 minutes left in the third quarter after driving the top of his head into Cory Joseph's hip while trying to create space. ... Parker shared a long hug and cheerful conversation with Brown, a former Spurs assistant who was with the team during the 2003 NBA championship. ... Cavaliers G C.J. Miles (right calf strain) missed his second straight game after playing in the team's first dozen, including three starts.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20131123_POR@GS
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/img24271628_zps625699f2.jpg
[B]Blazers rally past Warriors for 10th straight win
Nov. 24, 2013
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Wes Matthews had a pretty good seat for Portland's 10th straight win.
It just happened to be in the Trail Blazers' locker room.
One of three players ejected in the third quarter following a scuffle with Golden State, Matthews spent the final 15 minutes watching the game on TV with teammate Mo Williams after both players were tossed.
The two players saw yet another dramatic comeback by one of the biggest surprise teams in the Western Conference.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 21 rebounds and the Trail Blazers beat the Warriors 113-101 on Saturday.
"That inspired us," said Matthews of the altercation that resulted in six technical fouls in addition to the ejections.
"We got better from it, we got stronger from it. Mo and I were continuing to cheer. They couldn't hear us, but we were continuing to cheer."
One night after rallying from 21 down to beat the Chicago Bulls 98-95, Portland again had to play from behind, but rode a big fourth quarter from Aldridge to keep the winning streak going.
Aldridge made 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to highlight his sixth double-double this season. Matthews had 23 points while Bay Area native Damian Lillard added 20 points and nine assists for the Blazers.
"We rode LaMarcus in the second half," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "He took it inside, got to the free throw line, made his free throws, offensive rebounds. He did it all and we rode him."
The Blazers, playing the second half of a back to back, appeared to be tiring late in the third quarter when things got chippy between the teams not long after Matthews was whistled for a technical foul when Aldridge was knocked flat on his back.
Moments later, Portland reserve center Joel Freeland and Golden State's Andrew Bogut then got into a shoving match in front of the Warriors bench.
Aldridge joined the fray, which quickly escalated. At one point, Matthews was stopped after charging toward a group of Golden State players, while Warriors reserve Draymond Green had to be restrained by several teammates and coaches.
"Everybody was sticking up for everybody," Stotts said. "The game was kind of going back-and-forth. I don't know if we had a lot going, but I thought it really brought us together."
Referees conferred for several minutes following the dust-up and watched replays on a monitor before issuing six technical fouls and three ejections. Matthews and Williams, along with Green, were all tossed.
Golden State, which led 77-63 at the time, couldn't hold on.
"We did not respond once the altercation took place," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "We gave them life by not doing what we were doing the entire first half. You have to be able to sustain it. We did not and we paid the price because of it."
Portland pulled within 84-81 heading into the fourth then went on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.
Aldridge, who missed six of his first seven shots, scored 15 points over the final 12 minutes while going 11 of 14 from the free throw line.
That was enough to propel the Blazers to their second come-from-behind win in as many nights.
Not even the return of Stephen Curry could prevent Golden State from letting this one get away.
Curry, who had 22 points and 11 assists, returned to the Warriors lineup after missing two games with a concussion. Golden State was still short-handed, however, as Iguodala sat out with a strained left hamstring suffered in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Blazers got off to another cold start before storming back.
Thompson scored 18 points in the first half and Golden State led 59-47 midway through the second quarter while taking advantage of Lillard's slow start.
Lillard, who grew up about 10 minutes from Oracle Arena, missed his first six shots and didn't score until 10:21 remained in the first half.
Aldridge also struggled with his shot early, but had six points over the final three minutes to help trim the Warriors' halftime lead to 54-49.
Curry made back-to-back 3s in the third quarter and Golden State upped its lead to 77-63 before emotions bubbled over.
"They went on a run and we kind of crumbled," said Bogut, who had four points and 12 rebounds. "They got to every loose ball before us. They had more offensive rebounds. They made us look silly, especially in the fourth quarter."
Klay Thompson scored 30 points for Golden State. The Warriors, who played without the injured Andre Iguodala, have lost three straight.
Notes: Portland is tied with San Antonio for the longest active winning streak in the NBA. ... The Warriors are 5-2 at home this season ... Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and professional poker player Phil Hellmuth were among those in attendance at courtside.
[I]credit: cbssports.com