simmytbone
02-12-2015, 07:41 PM
Hey guys,
Last Night, we saw 2 AWESOME GAMES
In the Eastern Conference, we saw a rivalry between 2 teams with 1 thing in common:
NO SUPERSTARS
The Boston Celtics def. the #1 TEAM Atlanta Hawks thanks to Evan Turner's Buzzer-Beater to not only win the game, but to keep their playoff hopes ALIVE and despite their loss, the Hawks still remain #! in the League
Meanwhile....
The Golden State Warriors def. the Minnesota Timberwolves in a VERY CLOSE Game to hang on to 1st place in the Western Conference
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150211_ATL@BOS
Celtics rally, beat Hawks 89-88 on Turner's buzzer-beater
By JIMMY GOLEN | AP Sports Writer
Feb. 12, 2015
BOSTON (AP) Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens wasn't about to put too much importance on his team's comeback victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks.
''For 47 minutes, 59.8 seconds, we were the losing team,'' Stevens said on Wednesday night after Evan Turner's scoop shot with 0.2 seconds left gave the Celtics their only lead and lifted them to an 89-88 victory over the Hawks.
It was just Atlanta's third loss of the calendar year, but all three have come in the last 10 days following a 19-game winning streak that propelled them to the NBA's best record.
''I don't think they played their best game,'' Stevens said. ''They've been on the road for three games; they've had a miraculous couple of months of basketball. They missed some shots late, and we were fortunate.''
Jared Sullinger had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won four of five. Turner had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Al Horford scored 22 points and added 12 rebounds for the Hawks, who still have the most wins in the NBA. They will send an NBA record-tying four players to the All-Star Game in New York; the last team to place four players on the All-Star roster was Boston, in 2011.
This year's Celtics have no All-Stars, and they remain out of playoff position.
''It's been a good first half,'' Hawks forward Paul Millsap said. ''But it's definitely not the way we wanted to end this half, going into the break with a loss against a team that we know we should've won. Especially blowing a lead like that.''
Atlanta scored the first nine points of the game and nursed the lead through most of the next four quarters. The Hawks led by 14 with just over 7 minutes left before Boston scored the next eight points. It was 84-75 when the Celtics ran off seven in a row, including a 3-pointer from Marcus Smart with 2:12 to play that made it a two-point game.
Avery Bradley made a 3-pointer to cut an 86-82 lead to one point, then the teams traded baskets and misses.
Jeff Teague missed a runner with 15 seconds left, and the Celtics called a timeout with 6.4 seconds on the clock. Turner dribbled at the perimeter before cutting into the lane and floating in a seven-footer just before the buzzer.
The Hawks had a chance for a tip-in, but the inbounds pass was knocked harmlessly away by the defense.
TIME OFF
The Hawks seemed to leave early for the break. They led by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter, and by 14 with 7:20 left.
''We were just going through the motions, weren't really playing hard,'' said forward DeMarre Carroll, the only Hawks starter who didn't make the Eastern Conference roster in New York this weekend. ''So that's what happens when you take any NBA team not seriously.''
SHOOTING SLUMP:
The Celtics shot 28.4 percent through three quarters, and 47.4 percent in the fourth. The Hawks were the reverse: 45.2 after three before making just 31.3 percent - 6 of 16, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range - in the fourth.
They also committed six turnovers in the fourth quarter alone.
''I think we lost some of our discipline, some of the things that we emphasize and do every day,'' coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''But I think you always give your opponent credit. There's a reason why we weren't as disciplined and as good as we need to be.''
TIP-INS
Hawks: Kyle Korver, who entered the game shooting .528 from 3-point range, was 1 for 5. ... Horford scored eight points in the first 4:22.
Celtics: The Celtics shot 18.5 percent in the first quarter, including 1 of 11 from 3-point range. They finished with 32.3 percent shooting. ... Kelly Olynyk missed his 11th straight game with an ankle injury. The Canadian said he would not play in the Rising Stars Challenge at the All-Star Game in order to get an extra week of rest.
UP NEXT
Hawks: All-Star break, then vs. Toronto, Feb. 20.
Celtics: All-Star break, then at Sacramento, Feb. 20.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150211_GS@MIN
Reserves help Warriors survive 94-91 over Timberwolves
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI | AP Basketball Writer
Feb. 12, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) After a first 51 games unlike any other in franchise history, the Golden State Warriors need a rest.
That much was clear in their final game before the All-Star break, when they had to grind out their 42nd win of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa led a dominant effort from the Warriors' reserves and Klay Thompson hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch to close out a long road trip with a 94-91 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
Iguodala scored just eight points on 4-for-4 shooting and Barbosa had 10 points, but they spearheaded an energized second unit that picked up the slack for their sluggish starters. Stephen Curry had 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting for Golden State (42-9), which goes into the break with the best record in the NBA.
''Amazing. Amazing record,'' Kerr said of the franchise-best start. ''Really proud of the guys, and I've never seen a group of guys that needed the All-Star break more than this team. We're so out of whack right now. We're tired. We're not making our cuts. We're not getting good shots for each other. The ball has stopped moving and we need a rest, and fortunately we'll get one.''
Kevin Martin scored 21 points and Ricky Rubio had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves (11-42), who rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
The Warriors were playing their fifth game in eight nights and the last of a four-game road trip.
They missed nine of their first 11 3-pointers, but their hard-nosed second unit turned up the energy in the second quarter. Iguodala and Barbosa beat the younger Wolves down the court for easy layups in transition and Marreese Speights and Shaun Livingston helped put the defensive clamps on a Wolves bench squad that struggles to move the ball when Rubio goes to the bench.
Golden State led Minnesota 32-14 in bench points and shot 17 for 30 from the field.
Even with Curry missing eight of his 10 3s, Golden State led 85-71 lead with 7:30 to play.
But Rubio led a charge late. He scored seven points during a 12-0 run that brought them back and Thaddeus Young converted a layup to tie the score at 89 with 1:35 to play.
Thompson, who will start for the injured Kobe Bryant in the All-Star game on Sunday, drilled a 3 on the next possession and Wolves center Nikola Pekovic missed a layup with 7.9 seconds to go that would have put Minnesota in front.
Pekovic had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Thompson finished with 14 points.
''We had a chance, but we've got to learn about these games that we have to be there for 48 minutes,'' Rubio said.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry also had eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. ... F Draymond Green had three points on 1-for-6 shooting and 13 rebounds after being listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
Timberwolves: Coach Flip Saunders reiterated his stance that he doesn't want to trade SG Kevin Martin before the Feb. 19 deadline. Saunders said Martin is too valuable to what the Wolves are doing. ... Newly acquired G Gary Neal was not in attendance while dealing with a personal issue. He will join the team after the All-Star break.
ALL-STAR REUNION
Kerr will be coaching the Western Conference team in New York this weekend.
''I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most, honestly, is coaching Tim Duncan,'' he said. ''That's gonna be hilarious. We were teammates for four years. He's gonna look at me like I'm the ball boy. He's gonna look at me like, `What are you doing here? Why are you even here?'
''I'm sure I'll have some choice words for him too. I may even threaten to play him like 42 minutes just to wear him down. I can't wait to coach Tim. That's gonna be awesome.''
PAYNE ARRIVES
The Timberwolves acquired F Adreian Payne from the Hawks on Tuesday and he was in uniform on Wednesday night. He only played in three games for the Hawks and is looking forward to a greater role with rebuilding Minnesota.
''I want to be a part of something that I can contribute to and be a part of and help build,'' he said. ''With me being here, I'm able to get that.''
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host San Antonio on Feb. 20.
Timberwolves: Host Phoenix on Feb. 20.
credit: cbssports.com
NOTES:
6 teams in the Eastern Conference are fighting for #7 & #8
Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat have both got #7 & #8 with 22-30 while Brooklyn Nets are @ #9 with 21-31 while the Boston Celtics are @ #10 with 20-31 and the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons are @ #11 & #12 with 21-33
Those 6 teams are fighting for #7 & #8 in the Eastern Conference
Meanwhile....
The Battle for the #8 seed in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns who lost Tuesday Night to the Houston Rockets 127-188 are still hangin' in the #8 seed with 29-25 while the Oklahoma City Thunder who def. the #2 Memphis Grizzlies 105-89 are @ #9 with 28-25 and the New Orleans Hornets who lost 3 games in a row @ home to the Chicago Bulls, the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers are @ #10 with a record of 27-26
after the All-Star Break, it's time for those teams to step up
Last Night, we saw 2 AWESOME GAMES
In the Eastern Conference, we saw a rivalry between 2 teams with 1 thing in common:
NO SUPERSTARS
The Boston Celtics def. the #1 TEAM Atlanta Hawks thanks to Evan Turner's Buzzer-Beater to not only win the game, but to keep their playoff hopes ALIVE and despite their loss, the Hawks still remain #! in the League
Meanwhile....
The Golden State Warriors def. the Minnesota Timberwolves in a VERY CLOSE Game to hang on to 1st place in the Western Conference
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150211_ATL@BOS
Celtics rally, beat Hawks 89-88 on Turner's buzzer-beater
By JIMMY GOLEN | AP Sports Writer
Feb. 12, 2015
BOSTON (AP) Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens wasn't about to put too much importance on his team's comeback victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks.
''For 47 minutes, 59.8 seconds, we were the losing team,'' Stevens said on Wednesday night after Evan Turner's scoop shot with 0.2 seconds left gave the Celtics their only lead and lifted them to an 89-88 victory over the Hawks.
It was just Atlanta's third loss of the calendar year, but all three have come in the last 10 days following a 19-game winning streak that propelled them to the NBA's best record.
''I don't think they played their best game,'' Stevens said. ''They've been on the road for three games; they've had a miraculous couple of months of basketball. They missed some shots late, and we were fortunate.''
Jared Sullinger had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Celtics, who have won four of five. Turner had 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Al Horford scored 22 points and added 12 rebounds for the Hawks, who still have the most wins in the NBA. They will send an NBA record-tying four players to the All-Star Game in New York; the last team to place four players on the All-Star roster was Boston, in 2011.
This year's Celtics have no All-Stars, and they remain out of playoff position.
''It's been a good first half,'' Hawks forward Paul Millsap said. ''But it's definitely not the way we wanted to end this half, going into the break with a loss against a team that we know we should've won. Especially blowing a lead like that.''
Atlanta scored the first nine points of the game and nursed the lead through most of the next four quarters. The Hawks led by 14 with just over 7 minutes left before Boston scored the next eight points. It was 84-75 when the Celtics ran off seven in a row, including a 3-pointer from Marcus Smart with 2:12 to play that made it a two-point game.
Avery Bradley made a 3-pointer to cut an 86-82 lead to one point, then the teams traded baskets and misses.
Jeff Teague missed a runner with 15 seconds left, and the Celtics called a timeout with 6.4 seconds on the clock. Turner dribbled at the perimeter before cutting into the lane and floating in a seven-footer just before the buzzer.
The Hawks had a chance for a tip-in, but the inbounds pass was knocked harmlessly away by the defense.
TIME OFF
The Hawks seemed to leave early for the break. They led by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter, and by 14 with 7:20 left.
''We were just going through the motions, weren't really playing hard,'' said forward DeMarre Carroll, the only Hawks starter who didn't make the Eastern Conference roster in New York this weekend. ''So that's what happens when you take any NBA team not seriously.''
SHOOTING SLUMP:
The Celtics shot 28.4 percent through three quarters, and 47.4 percent in the fourth. The Hawks were the reverse: 45.2 after three before making just 31.3 percent - 6 of 16, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range - in the fourth.
They also committed six turnovers in the fourth quarter alone.
''I think we lost some of our discipline, some of the things that we emphasize and do every day,'' coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''But I think you always give your opponent credit. There's a reason why we weren't as disciplined and as good as we need to be.''
TIP-INS
Hawks: Kyle Korver, who entered the game shooting .528 from 3-point range, was 1 for 5. ... Horford scored eight points in the first 4:22.
Celtics: The Celtics shot 18.5 percent in the first quarter, including 1 of 11 from 3-point range. They finished with 32.3 percent shooting. ... Kelly Olynyk missed his 11th straight game with an ankle injury. The Canadian said he would not play in the Rising Stars Challenge at the All-Star Game in order to get an extra week of rest.
UP NEXT
Hawks: All-Star break, then vs. Toronto, Feb. 20.
Celtics: All-Star break, then at Sacramento, Feb. 20.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150211_GS@MIN
Reserves help Warriors survive 94-91 over Timberwolves
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI | AP Basketball Writer
Feb. 12, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) After a first 51 games unlike any other in franchise history, the Golden State Warriors need a rest.
That much was clear in their final game before the All-Star break, when they had to grind out their 42nd win of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa led a dominant effort from the Warriors' reserves and Klay Thompson hit a big 3-pointer down the stretch to close out a long road trip with a 94-91 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
Iguodala scored just eight points on 4-for-4 shooting and Barbosa had 10 points, but they spearheaded an energized second unit that picked up the slack for their sluggish starters. Stephen Curry had 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting for Golden State (42-9), which goes into the break with the best record in the NBA.
''Amazing. Amazing record,'' Kerr said of the franchise-best start. ''Really proud of the guys, and I've never seen a group of guys that needed the All-Star break more than this team. We're so out of whack right now. We're tired. We're not making our cuts. We're not getting good shots for each other. The ball has stopped moving and we need a rest, and fortunately we'll get one.''
Kevin Martin scored 21 points and Ricky Rubio had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves (11-42), who rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
The Warriors were playing their fifth game in eight nights and the last of a four-game road trip.
They missed nine of their first 11 3-pointers, but their hard-nosed second unit turned up the energy in the second quarter. Iguodala and Barbosa beat the younger Wolves down the court for easy layups in transition and Marreese Speights and Shaun Livingston helped put the defensive clamps on a Wolves bench squad that struggles to move the ball when Rubio goes to the bench.
Golden State led Minnesota 32-14 in bench points and shot 17 for 30 from the field.
Even with Curry missing eight of his 10 3s, Golden State led 85-71 lead with 7:30 to play.
But Rubio led a charge late. He scored seven points during a 12-0 run that brought them back and Thaddeus Young converted a layup to tie the score at 89 with 1:35 to play.
Thompson, who will start for the injured Kobe Bryant in the All-Star game on Sunday, drilled a 3 on the next possession and Wolves center Nikola Pekovic missed a layup with 7.9 seconds to go that would have put Minnesota in front.
Pekovic had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Thompson finished with 14 points.
''We had a chance, but we've got to learn about these games that we have to be there for 48 minutes,'' Rubio said.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry also had eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. ... F Draymond Green had three points on 1-for-6 shooting and 13 rebounds after being listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
Timberwolves: Coach Flip Saunders reiterated his stance that he doesn't want to trade SG Kevin Martin before the Feb. 19 deadline. Saunders said Martin is too valuable to what the Wolves are doing. ... Newly acquired G Gary Neal was not in attendance while dealing with a personal issue. He will join the team after the All-Star break.
ALL-STAR REUNION
Kerr will be coaching the Western Conference team in New York this weekend.
''I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most, honestly, is coaching Tim Duncan,'' he said. ''That's gonna be hilarious. We were teammates for four years. He's gonna look at me like I'm the ball boy. He's gonna look at me like, `What are you doing here? Why are you even here?'
''I'm sure I'll have some choice words for him too. I may even threaten to play him like 42 minutes just to wear him down. I can't wait to coach Tim. That's gonna be awesome.''
PAYNE ARRIVES
The Timberwolves acquired F Adreian Payne from the Hawks on Tuesday and he was in uniform on Wednesday night. He only played in three games for the Hawks and is looking forward to a greater role with rebuilding Minnesota.
''I want to be a part of something that I can contribute to and be a part of and help build,'' he said. ''With me being here, I'm able to get that.''
UP NEXT
Warriors: Host San Antonio on Feb. 20.
Timberwolves: Host Phoenix on Feb. 20.
credit: cbssports.com
NOTES:
6 teams in the Eastern Conference are fighting for #7 & #8
Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat have both got #7 & #8 with 22-30 while Brooklyn Nets are @ #9 with 21-31 while the Boston Celtics are @ #10 with 20-31 and the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons are @ #11 & #12 with 21-33
Those 6 teams are fighting for #7 & #8 in the Eastern Conference
Meanwhile....
The Battle for the #8 seed in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns who lost Tuesday Night to the Houston Rockets 127-188 are still hangin' in the #8 seed with 29-25 while the Oklahoma City Thunder who def. the #2 Memphis Grizzlies 105-89 are @ #9 with 28-25 and the New Orleans Hornets who lost 3 games in a row @ home to the Chicago Bulls, the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers are @ #10 with a record of 27-26
after the All-Star Break, it's time for those teams to step up