simmytbone
04-11-2015, 03:58 AM
Hey guys,
and now, the latest on the Southwestern Division in the Western Conference
2 Close Calls as the Southwestern Division def. the Northwestern Division
The Mavericks go to Denver and def. the Nuggets in DOUBLE OVERTIME, while the Grizzlies go on the road to Utah and def. the Jazz in another Close Call
Meanwhile....
In a Division Rival Match-Up, the Spurs def. fellow Texas Team the Rockets with a Tim Duncan BLOCK on James Harden in H-Town
and the Pelicans def. the Suns in New Orleans to stay in the hunt for #8
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_DAL@DEN
Felton lifts Mavs to 144-143 win over Nuggets in 2 OTs
By PAT GRAHAM | AP Sports Writer
April 11, 2015
DENVER (AP) Between a sprained right ankle and a suspension, this has been a trying season for Raymond Felton.
But when the Dallas Mavericks needed a basket, Felton delivered. And when they needed a crucial stop, he came through again.
Felton hit a layup with 1.5 seconds remaining in double overtime, then blocked a last-second shot to help Dallas beat the Denver Nuggets 144-143 on Friday night after the Mavericks squandered a 23-point lead.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle couldn't think of a more fitting person to come through in the clutch.
''The guy has been through an epic year of challenges,'' Carlisle said. ''Our whole team couldn't be happier for him.''
Felton has dealt with an ankle sprain that caused him to miss 26 games, and also sat out the first four contests after his guilty plea in a New York gun case.
In the second overtime, with the other starters on the bench, Felton stepped up his game. He drove past Randy Foye and banked in a shot high off the glass. He then got a piece of Kenneth Faried's jumper at the buzzer, causing the ball to wind up short.
''It worked out in my favor,'' said Felton, who played for Denver in 2010-11.
Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 47 points, including eight in the first overtime and nine in the second. He was 15 for 23, including seven 3-pointers. He also was 10 of 10 from the free throw line.
''Could've been more fun if we had won,'' Gallinari said. ''The way we came back, it was impressive.
''It was a great game. I hope the fans enjoyed it.''
Denver had a chance to win in regulation, but Faried's jumper rolled off the rim. Dallas had a shot to claim victory at the end of the first overtime, only to have Monta Ellis' long shot clang off the iron.
Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and Richard Jefferson added a season-high 24.
Carlisle pulled most of his starters for the second overtime, relying on a fresher unit. The strategy worked.
''It's most interesting meaningless game I've ever seen,'' Carlisle said. ''But it wasn't really meaningless. There were a lot of good things that happened out there tonight.''
The Mavericks rested guard Rajon Rondo with the team locked into the seventh seed. They're still uncertain who they will face in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Ty Lawson had 19 points and a career-high 18 assists for the Nuggets (29-50), who lost 50 games in a season for first time since 2002-03. Interim coach Melvin Hunt fell to 9-11 since stepping in after the firing of Brian Shaw last month.
Denver led by as many as four points in the first overtime, only to have Dallas tie it on a layup by Ellis.
Dallas appeared headed toward a rout early in this game, leading by as many as 23 points in the first half. Denver climbed back with a 37-20 third quarter.
The Nuggets took their first lead on a dunk by Faried with 2:45 remaining in regulation. They increased it to 119-115 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Wilson Chandler and Lawson.
But the Mavericks tied the game at 121 with 29.5 left on Jefferson's layup.
Tyson Chandler wasn't too pleased with Jusuf Nurkic late in the second quarter, glaring at the Nuggets rookie after he pushed Chandler from behind on a dunk. The officials assessed Nurkic a flagrant-1 foul.
Carlisle said he plans on closely monitoring the minutes of his players. Still, he wants them to head into the postseason with an edge, so with Denver charging late, he couldn't afford to rest his regulars.
''We have to do some things better defensively, but we have time to prepare,'' Carlisle said.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Chandler Parsons (right knee) missed a third straight game. ... Carlisle earned his 336th win as Mavericks coach. He can tie Don Nelson for most victories (339) in team history should they win out. ... The Mavs' 144 points is the most by any NBA team this season.
Nuggets: Former Nuggets coach George Karl returns Sunday in charge of Sacramento. ''I can't wait to be able to sit down and chat with him prior to the game,'' said Hunt, who was an assistant under Karl. ''He'll have some insightful nuggets to throw out there for us. It's always good to see him.'' ... Denver was without Jameer Nelson (strained right hip flexor) and Darrell Arthur (strained calf). It lost Erick Green in the second quarter when he hurt his left shoulder. ... This was the first double-overtime game at home since Dec. 20, 2007, the team said.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: at Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Nuggets: host Sacramento on Sunday.
Then....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_MEM@UTA
Gasol scores 22 as Grizzlies beat Jazz 89-88
By KAREEM COPELAND | AP Sports Writer
April 11, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Memphis Grizzlies were in position for a big road win, and then they were looking at overtime. They were relieved when it was all over.
Marc Gasol had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and the Grizzlies held on for a dramatic 89-88 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night that strengthened their playoff positioning.
Memphis used a 16-4 run to carry a three-point lead into the final moments. Utah's Gordon Hayward had a look at a potential tying 3 from the left corner, but Gasol blocked it out of bounds.
Then the whistle blew with .01 seconds remaining.
Hayward was sent to the line for three free throws and the chance to force overtime. He buried the first two and missed the last one.
''It's good to get out of here,'' Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. ''''I thought we just walked around for two and half quarters and then we got like, `Oh my gosh, we could lose tonight.'''
The Grizzlies put together a strong closing charge, but had to wait out those anxious moments at the end. Gasol said the block was clean.
''These last four for us are important,'' Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said. ''We are getting (playoff ready). We just have got to keep playing and focus on ourselves and focus on playing better.''
Memphis (54-26) moved a game ahead of Houston in the race to win the Southwest Division and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Rockets (53-27) lost 104-103 to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
Beno Udrih started for the injured Mike Conley and had 20 points for Memphis on 9-for-13 shooting. Randolph added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
''It was a big learning experience for us,'' Jazz forward Derrick Favors said. ''Hopefully next year we can be in the same position - in the playoffs.
''I think we're past that stage now (of moral victories).''
Hayward scored 27 points for Utah, and Rodney Hood continued his hot streak with 18. Rudy Gobert had his 22nd double-double of the season with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.
''Of course there's pressure,'' Hayward said. ''It's to tie the game, send it to overtime. I just missed it.
''You take away the experience of it. This is a playoff team and they know how to win games. It teaches us a lesson for sure.''
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Conley (foot sprain) and Tony Allen (hamstring strain) did not play. ... The Grizzlies were tied at halftime despite shooting 52.6 percent from the field and having three fewer turnovers. ... The teams split the four-game series.
Jazz: Reserves Bryce Cotton, Jack Cooley, Elijah Millsap and Jeremy Evans all saw early action throughout the first half. Cotton scored a career-high 11 points. ... Trey Burke did not play due to a sore back.
CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH
The Jazz have been compared to the Grizzlies due to their sizable frontcourt with a pair of traditional bigs and an overall defensive mindset. Jazz coach Quin Snyder doesn't mind the comparison, but knows his team has a long way to go to earn the comparison.
''I really respect what they've done ... and the toughness that their team has,'' Snyder said. ''There's a maturity that they have, obviously. Age-wise, we're a lot of years behind them. ... But the way that they've developed as a team, with an identity, first a defensive identity, a toughness.
''We're not exactly the same, but I think some of the size that we have - I'd like to see us evolve into them. That would be pretty good.''
QUOTABLE
''The game was about the last five minutes,'' Snyder said. ''Our transition defense, loose balls and offensive re bounds. We just gave them extra possessions. It was that simple.''
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Jazz: At Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_SA@HOU
Duncan leads Spurs to 104-103 win over Rockets
By KRISTIE RIEKEN | AP Sports Writer
April 11, 2015
HOUSTON (AP) The San Antonio Spurs hacked Josh Smith for most of the second half against the Houston Rockets on Friday night to keep the ball out of James Harden's hands.
Coach Gregg Popovich's strategy worked. The Spurs held Harden to 16 points and got their 10th straight victory, 104-103, and a leg up in the playoff standings.
Tim Duncan had 29 points and blocked Harden's layup with 2.9 seconds left to secure the victory.
San Antonio jumped into the third spot in the Western Conference and Houston dropped from third to sixth.
Popovich was pleased with the way his Hack-A-Smith routine changed the game.
''Absolutely, I'd trade it any day rather than have James Harden with the basketball,'' Popovich said. ''That's kind of scary.''
The Spurs had a four-point lead when Harden made a layup for his first points of the half with less than 90 seconds remaining.
Duncan missed a layup before Harden made a 3-pointer with 28.9 seconds left to get Houston to 104-103. Tony Parker turned it over to give Houston one last shot.
But Duncan blocked Harden's shot and grabbed the rebound to secure the victory.
''It was a good opportunity for me to get redemption at the end,'' Duncan said, noting his missed layup that would have put it away earlier.
Harden summed up the play simply.
''Got to finish,'' he said. ''I've just got to finish.''
The close game ended a streak of nine straight wins by at least 12 points, which had tied an NBA record.
Harden, who entered the game leading the NBA in scoring, was kept well below his 27.6 average, with San Antonio intentionally fouling Smith 12 times in the second half. Smith went 12 of 26 from the line and led the Rockets with 20 points.
''It was a good strategy,'' Smith said. ''I stepped to the line confident, but I wasn't able to make the majority of my free throws.''
The Spurs won the season series 3-1.
Dwight Howard added 12 points with 14 rebounds for the Rockets.
The Spurs continued to intentionally foul Smith in the fourth after he went 3 of 10 from the line on five intentional fouls in the third quarter. But Smith, who entered the game shooting 52 percent from the foul line, got better when they started it again in the fourth, making five of his first six. A turnover by the Spurs gave Houston a fast break after that and Smith finished it with an emphatic one-handed dunk to tie it at 92.
That didn't deter San Antonio from fouling Smith more, doing it on Houston's next four possessions. Smith made just two of his next eight free throws while the Spurs added six points to give them a 98-94 lead.
Boris Diaw accidentally fouled Smith after that and he made both free throws to start at 4-0 run for the Rockets that tied it again.
Aron Baynes scored all of San Antonio's points in a 5-1 run that pushed the lead to 85-76. Houston scored the next seven points, powered by a 3 by Trevor Ariza, to get within 2.
Houston was up by 3 when the Spurs scored eight straight points to end the third and give them a 80-75 lead. Patty Mills made two 3-pointers to cap that run, with the first one giving San Antonio its first lead of the game.
The Spurs tied it at 64-all with about four minutes left in the third, but Manu Ginobili turned it over the next time down the court and Ariza hit a 3 on the other end to put Houston on top 67-64.
The Spurs fouled Smith on Houston's next two possessions and he made just one of four free throws. Mills made a 3-pointer after that, but another 3 by Ariza gave Houston a 71-68 lead.
A dunk by Duncan cut it to 1 and Smith missed three of four free throws again as they intentionally fouled him two more times.
Duncan made another basket and San Antonio fouled Smith on purpose once again and he made one of two to leave the Rockets up 73-72.
Smith went to the bench after that and a basket by Corey Brewer made it 75-72 before San Antonio's run to end the third.
The Rockets had a 48-46 lead at halftime.
The Rockets jumped out to a 12-0 behind eight points from Ariza. The Spurs used a 9-3 run at the end of the first quarter to cut the lead to 30-23 entering the second.
TIP-INS
Spurs: F Tiago Splitter missed his fourth straight game with tightness in his right calf. ... Leonard finished with 18 points.
Rockets: F Donatas Motiejunas is out of the season after back surgery. The 7-foot Motiejunas last played on March 25 and had minimally invasive spine surgery called a lumbar microdiscectomy. ... Houston made 32 of a season-high 53 free throws. ... Ariza had 19 points.
QUOTABLE
Duncan on how much attention he pays to the ever-changing playoff standings: ''I try to figure out where we are, where we could be and it gives me a headache, so I just stop looking.''
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Phoenix on Sunday.
Rockets: Host New Orleans on Sunday.
and finally....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_PHO@NO
Davis scores 19 to help Pelicans beat Suns 90-75
By BRADLEY HANDWERGER | Associated Press
April 11, 2015
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Despite missing Anthony Davis for nearly half the game, the New Orleans Pelicans still pulled out a key win to keep pace in the playoff race.
Davis had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Pelicans to a 90-75 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Davis got tangled near the basket with the Suns' Earl Barron, whose elbow struck the New Orleans forward below the chin in the second quarter. Davis was hunched over with his hands clasping his throat before slowly walked off the court and into the home locker room.
''I was concerned when he didn't come back,'' Pelicans coach Monty Williams said after the game. ''The play happened so fast. I saw him walk off the floor and I didn't know if he got hit there or right in the Adam's apple.''
Davis returned in the fourth to a rousing ovation and had six points and five rebounds in the final 11 minutes.
Eric Gordon scored 15 points, Tyreke Evans had 14, and Dante Cunningham and Norris Cole each added 12 to help the Pelicans keep pace with Oklahoma City for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Omer Asik had a season-high 18 rebounds.
New Orleans led 27-21 when Davis left the game and took a six-point lead into halftime. The Pelicans extended it to 10 by the end of the third quarter and spent the final 10 1/2 minutes playing with a double-digit advantage.
That helped Davis, sitting in the training room, from rushing back before he was ready to play again.
''I was watching the game in the back and we were in control the entire game,'' Davis wrote on a Pelicans official's cell phone after the game because he couldn't talk. ''I was having trouble swallowing. The doctors made sure I was OK and it was no hesitation to go back and play.''
Eric Bledsoe led Phoenix with 19 points. The Suns lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
''There were a lot of loose rebounds and loose balls that they got,'' Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. ''I know several of them that if we could of just got those, we'd be off to the races and then maybe we could cut the gap.''
New Orleans limited Phoenix to 35 percent shooting and outrebounded the Suns 56-43. Phoenix had only 13 second-chance points as the Pelicans came up with 41 defensive rebounds.
---
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix was shooting 34 percent from 3-point range before Friday night. Against the Pelicans, though, the Suns were just 7 of 25 (28 percent) from beyond the arc.
Pelicans: New Orleans had 29 assists and improved to 25-4 when having at least 24 this season.
HOLIDAY RETURNS
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday returned for the first time since injuring his right leg on Jan. 12, entering with 1:05 to play in the first quarter. He missed 41 games, a period in which New Orleans went 24-17 and worked its way into the Western Conference playoff chase. He finished with two points and five assists in 15-plus minutes.
UP NEXT
Suns: At San Antonio on Sunday
Pelicans: At Houston on Sunday
credit: cbssports.com
and now, in the Southwestern Division
Grizzlies are in 1st place in their division with 54-25, the Spurs move up to 2nd place with 54-26 while the Rockets fall to 3rd place with 53-26, plus the Mavericks are in 4th place with 48-31 and the Pelicans are in last place with 43-36 and in the Western Conference, the Grizzlies hold on the the #2 seed while the Spurs move up to the #3 seed, the Rockets fall to the #6 seed and the Mavericks hold on to the #7 seed
and if the Playoffs started this weekend, the Grizzlies would host the Mavericks and the Spurs would host the Rockets just like the days of Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson who are both 2x NBA World Champions
and on a very special note:
The Thunder def. the Kings 116-103 to stay in the hunt for the #8 Seed and to win the right to face the #1 seeded Golden State Warriors and they will face the Pacers in Indiana on Sunday
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_SAC@OKC
The Grizzles and Mavericks will invade the Staples Center in L.A. this weekend
The Grizzlies will face the Clippers on Saturday as they try to fight for the #2 seed while the Mavericks face the Lakers on Sunday
Anthony Davis of the Pelicans and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder fighting for the #8 seed and the right to face the Warriors
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/RussellWestbrookOklahomaCityThundervlVS6toERl1Fl_zpsljgabj1t.jpg
David Robinson & Hakeem Olaujwon; 2x NBA World Champions and Duel of Legends in the Southwestern Division and in the State of Texas
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/robinson_vs_olajuwon_cb_zpshhltnnpp.jpg
and now, the latest on the Southwestern Division in the Western Conference
2 Close Calls as the Southwestern Division def. the Northwestern Division
The Mavericks go to Denver and def. the Nuggets in DOUBLE OVERTIME, while the Grizzlies go on the road to Utah and def. the Jazz in another Close Call
Meanwhile....
In a Division Rival Match-Up, the Spurs def. fellow Texas Team the Rockets with a Tim Duncan BLOCK on James Harden in H-Town
and the Pelicans def. the Suns in New Orleans to stay in the hunt for #8
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_DAL@DEN
Felton lifts Mavs to 144-143 win over Nuggets in 2 OTs
By PAT GRAHAM | AP Sports Writer
April 11, 2015
DENVER (AP) Between a sprained right ankle and a suspension, this has been a trying season for Raymond Felton.
But when the Dallas Mavericks needed a basket, Felton delivered. And when they needed a crucial stop, he came through again.
Felton hit a layup with 1.5 seconds remaining in double overtime, then blocked a last-second shot to help Dallas beat the Denver Nuggets 144-143 on Friday night after the Mavericks squandered a 23-point lead.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle couldn't think of a more fitting person to come through in the clutch.
''The guy has been through an epic year of challenges,'' Carlisle said. ''Our whole team couldn't be happier for him.''
Felton has dealt with an ankle sprain that caused him to miss 26 games, and also sat out the first four contests after his guilty plea in a New York gun case.
In the second overtime, with the other starters on the bench, Felton stepped up his game. He drove past Randy Foye and banked in a shot high off the glass. He then got a piece of Kenneth Faried's jumper at the buzzer, causing the ball to wind up short.
''It worked out in my favor,'' said Felton, who played for Denver in 2010-11.
Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 47 points, including eight in the first overtime and nine in the second. He was 15 for 23, including seven 3-pointers. He also was 10 of 10 from the free throw line.
''Could've been more fun if we had won,'' Gallinari said. ''The way we came back, it was impressive.
''It was a great game. I hope the fans enjoyed it.''
Denver had a chance to win in regulation, but Faried's jumper rolled off the rim. Dallas had a shot to claim victory at the end of the first overtime, only to have Monta Ellis' long shot clang off the iron.
Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and Richard Jefferson added a season-high 24.
Carlisle pulled most of his starters for the second overtime, relying on a fresher unit. The strategy worked.
''It's most interesting meaningless game I've ever seen,'' Carlisle said. ''But it wasn't really meaningless. There were a lot of good things that happened out there tonight.''
The Mavericks rested guard Rajon Rondo with the team locked into the seventh seed. They're still uncertain who they will face in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Ty Lawson had 19 points and a career-high 18 assists for the Nuggets (29-50), who lost 50 games in a season for first time since 2002-03. Interim coach Melvin Hunt fell to 9-11 since stepping in after the firing of Brian Shaw last month.
Denver led by as many as four points in the first overtime, only to have Dallas tie it on a layup by Ellis.
Dallas appeared headed toward a rout early in this game, leading by as many as 23 points in the first half. Denver climbed back with a 37-20 third quarter.
The Nuggets took their first lead on a dunk by Faried with 2:45 remaining in regulation. They increased it to 119-115 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Wilson Chandler and Lawson.
But the Mavericks tied the game at 121 with 29.5 left on Jefferson's layup.
Tyson Chandler wasn't too pleased with Jusuf Nurkic late in the second quarter, glaring at the Nuggets rookie after he pushed Chandler from behind on a dunk. The officials assessed Nurkic a flagrant-1 foul.
Carlisle said he plans on closely monitoring the minutes of his players. Still, he wants them to head into the postseason with an edge, so with Denver charging late, he couldn't afford to rest his regulars.
''We have to do some things better defensively, but we have time to prepare,'' Carlisle said.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Chandler Parsons (right knee) missed a third straight game. ... Carlisle earned his 336th win as Mavericks coach. He can tie Don Nelson for most victories (339) in team history should they win out. ... The Mavs' 144 points is the most by any NBA team this season.
Nuggets: Former Nuggets coach George Karl returns Sunday in charge of Sacramento. ''I can't wait to be able to sit down and chat with him prior to the game,'' said Hunt, who was an assistant under Karl. ''He'll have some insightful nuggets to throw out there for us. It's always good to see him.'' ... Denver was without Jameer Nelson (strained right hip flexor) and Darrell Arthur (strained calf). It lost Erick Green in the second quarter when he hurt his left shoulder. ... This was the first double-overtime game at home since Dec. 20, 2007, the team said.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: at Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Nuggets: host Sacramento on Sunday.
Then....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_MEM@UTA
Gasol scores 22 as Grizzlies beat Jazz 89-88
By KAREEM COPELAND | AP Sports Writer
April 11, 2015
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Memphis Grizzlies were in position for a big road win, and then they were looking at overtime. They were relieved when it was all over.
Marc Gasol had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and the Grizzlies held on for a dramatic 89-88 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night that strengthened their playoff positioning.
Memphis used a 16-4 run to carry a three-point lead into the final moments. Utah's Gordon Hayward had a look at a potential tying 3 from the left corner, but Gasol blocked it out of bounds.
Then the whistle blew with .01 seconds remaining.
Hayward was sent to the line for three free throws and the chance to force overtime. He buried the first two and missed the last one.
''It's good to get out of here,'' Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. ''''I thought we just walked around for two and half quarters and then we got like, `Oh my gosh, we could lose tonight.'''
The Grizzlies put together a strong closing charge, but had to wait out those anxious moments at the end. Gasol said the block was clean.
''These last four for us are important,'' Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said. ''We are getting (playoff ready). We just have got to keep playing and focus on ourselves and focus on playing better.''
Memphis (54-26) moved a game ahead of Houston in the race to win the Southwest Division and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Rockets (53-27) lost 104-103 to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
Beno Udrih started for the injured Mike Conley and had 20 points for Memphis on 9-for-13 shooting. Randolph added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
''It was a big learning experience for us,'' Jazz forward Derrick Favors said. ''Hopefully next year we can be in the same position - in the playoffs.
''I think we're past that stage now (of moral victories).''
Hayward scored 27 points for Utah, and Rodney Hood continued his hot streak with 18. Rudy Gobert had his 22nd double-double of the season with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.
''Of course there's pressure,'' Hayward said. ''It's to tie the game, send it to overtime. I just missed it.
''You take away the experience of it. This is a playoff team and they know how to win games. It teaches us a lesson for sure.''
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Conley (foot sprain) and Tony Allen (hamstring strain) did not play. ... The Grizzlies were tied at halftime despite shooting 52.6 percent from the field and having three fewer turnovers. ... The teams split the four-game series.
Jazz: Reserves Bryce Cotton, Jack Cooley, Elijah Millsap and Jeremy Evans all saw early action throughout the first half. Cotton scored a career-high 11 points. ... Trey Burke did not play due to a sore back.
CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH
The Jazz have been compared to the Grizzlies due to their sizable frontcourt with a pair of traditional bigs and an overall defensive mindset. Jazz coach Quin Snyder doesn't mind the comparison, but knows his team has a long way to go to earn the comparison.
''I really respect what they've done ... and the toughness that their team has,'' Snyder said. ''There's a maturity that they have, obviously. Age-wise, we're a lot of years behind them. ... But the way that they've developed as a team, with an identity, first a defensive identity, a toughness.
''We're not exactly the same, but I think some of the size that we have - I'd like to see us evolve into them. That would be pretty good.''
QUOTABLE
''The game was about the last five minutes,'' Snyder said. ''Our transition defense, loose balls and offensive re bounds. We just gave them extra possessions. It was that simple.''
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: At Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Jazz: At Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_SA@HOU
Duncan leads Spurs to 104-103 win over Rockets
By KRISTIE RIEKEN | AP Sports Writer
April 11, 2015
HOUSTON (AP) The San Antonio Spurs hacked Josh Smith for most of the second half against the Houston Rockets on Friday night to keep the ball out of James Harden's hands.
Coach Gregg Popovich's strategy worked. The Spurs held Harden to 16 points and got their 10th straight victory, 104-103, and a leg up in the playoff standings.
Tim Duncan had 29 points and blocked Harden's layup with 2.9 seconds left to secure the victory.
San Antonio jumped into the third spot in the Western Conference and Houston dropped from third to sixth.
Popovich was pleased with the way his Hack-A-Smith routine changed the game.
''Absolutely, I'd trade it any day rather than have James Harden with the basketball,'' Popovich said. ''That's kind of scary.''
The Spurs had a four-point lead when Harden made a layup for his first points of the half with less than 90 seconds remaining.
Duncan missed a layup before Harden made a 3-pointer with 28.9 seconds left to get Houston to 104-103. Tony Parker turned it over to give Houston one last shot.
But Duncan blocked Harden's shot and grabbed the rebound to secure the victory.
''It was a good opportunity for me to get redemption at the end,'' Duncan said, noting his missed layup that would have put it away earlier.
Harden summed up the play simply.
''Got to finish,'' he said. ''I've just got to finish.''
The close game ended a streak of nine straight wins by at least 12 points, which had tied an NBA record.
Harden, who entered the game leading the NBA in scoring, was kept well below his 27.6 average, with San Antonio intentionally fouling Smith 12 times in the second half. Smith went 12 of 26 from the line and led the Rockets with 20 points.
''It was a good strategy,'' Smith said. ''I stepped to the line confident, but I wasn't able to make the majority of my free throws.''
The Spurs won the season series 3-1.
Dwight Howard added 12 points with 14 rebounds for the Rockets.
The Spurs continued to intentionally foul Smith in the fourth after he went 3 of 10 from the line on five intentional fouls in the third quarter. But Smith, who entered the game shooting 52 percent from the foul line, got better when they started it again in the fourth, making five of his first six. A turnover by the Spurs gave Houston a fast break after that and Smith finished it with an emphatic one-handed dunk to tie it at 92.
That didn't deter San Antonio from fouling Smith more, doing it on Houston's next four possessions. Smith made just two of his next eight free throws while the Spurs added six points to give them a 98-94 lead.
Boris Diaw accidentally fouled Smith after that and he made both free throws to start at 4-0 run for the Rockets that tied it again.
Aron Baynes scored all of San Antonio's points in a 5-1 run that pushed the lead to 85-76. Houston scored the next seven points, powered by a 3 by Trevor Ariza, to get within 2.
Houston was up by 3 when the Spurs scored eight straight points to end the third and give them a 80-75 lead. Patty Mills made two 3-pointers to cap that run, with the first one giving San Antonio its first lead of the game.
The Spurs tied it at 64-all with about four minutes left in the third, but Manu Ginobili turned it over the next time down the court and Ariza hit a 3 on the other end to put Houston on top 67-64.
The Spurs fouled Smith on Houston's next two possessions and he made just one of four free throws. Mills made a 3-pointer after that, but another 3 by Ariza gave Houston a 71-68 lead.
A dunk by Duncan cut it to 1 and Smith missed three of four free throws again as they intentionally fouled him two more times.
Duncan made another basket and San Antonio fouled Smith on purpose once again and he made one of two to leave the Rockets up 73-72.
Smith went to the bench after that and a basket by Corey Brewer made it 75-72 before San Antonio's run to end the third.
The Rockets had a 48-46 lead at halftime.
The Rockets jumped out to a 12-0 behind eight points from Ariza. The Spurs used a 9-3 run at the end of the first quarter to cut the lead to 30-23 entering the second.
TIP-INS
Spurs: F Tiago Splitter missed his fourth straight game with tightness in his right calf. ... Leonard finished with 18 points.
Rockets: F Donatas Motiejunas is out of the season after back surgery. The 7-foot Motiejunas last played on March 25 and had minimally invasive spine surgery called a lumbar microdiscectomy. ... Houston made 32 of a season-high 53 free throws. ... Ariza had 19 points.
QUOTABLE
Duncan on how much attention he pays to the ever-changing playoff standings: ''I try to figure out where we are, where we could be and it gives me a headache, so I just stop looking.''
UP NEXT
Spurs: Host Phoenix on Sunday.
Rockets: Host New Orleans on Sunday.
and finally....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_PHO@NO
Davis scores 19 to help Pelicans beat Suns 90-75
By BRADLEY HANDWERGER | Associated Press
April 11, 2015
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Despite missing Anthony Davis for nearly half the game, the New Orleans Pelicans still pulled out a key win to keep pace in the playoff race.
Davis had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Pelicans to a 90-75 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Davis got tangled near the basket with the Suns' Earl Barron, whose elbow struck the New Orleans forward below the chin in the second quarter. Davis was hunched over with his hands clasping his throat before slowly walked off the court and into the home locker room.
''I was concerned when he didn't come back,'' Pelicans coach Monty Williams said after the game. ''The play happened so fast. I saw him walk off the floor and I didn't know if he got hit there or right in the Adam's apple.''
Davis returned in the fourth to a rousing ovation and had six points and five rebounds in the final 11 minutes.
Eric Gordon scored 15 points, Tyreke Evans had 14, and Dante Cunningham and Norris Cole each added 12 to help the Pelicans keep pace with Oklahoma City for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Omer Asik had a season-high 18 rebounds.
New Orleans led 27-21 when Davis left the game and took a six-point lead into halftime. The Pelicans extended it to 10 by the end of the third quarter and spent the final 10 1/2 minutes playing with a double-digit advantage.
That helped Davis, sitting in the training room, from rushing back before he was ready to play again.
''I was watching the game in the back and we were in control the entire game,'' Davis wrote on a Pelicans official's cell phone after the game because he couldn't talk. ''I was having trouble swallowing. The doctors made sure I was OK and it was no hesitation to go back and play.''
Eric Bledsoe led Phoenix with 19 points. The Suns lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
''There were a lot of loose rebounds and loose balls that they got,'' Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. ''I know several of them that if we could of just got those, we'd be off to the races and then maybe we could cut the gap.''
New Orleans limited Phoenix to 35 percent shooting and outrebounded the Suns 56-43. Phoenix had only 13 second-chance points as the Pelicans came up with 41 defensive rebounds.
---
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix was shooting 34 percent from 3-point range before Friday night. Against the Pelicans, though, the Suns were just 7 of 25 (28 percent) from beyond the arc.
Pelicans: New Orleans had 29 assists and improved to 25-4 when having at least 24 this season.
HOLIDAY RETURNS
Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday returned for the first time since injuring his right leg on Jan. 12, entering with 1:05 to play in the first quarter. He missed 41 games, a period in which New Orleans went 24-17 and worked its way into the Western Conference playoff chase. He finished with two points and five assists in 15-plus minutes.
UP NEXT
Suns: At San Antonio on Sunday
Pelicans: At Houston on Sunday
credit: cbssports.com
and now, in the Southwestern Division
Grizzlies are in 1st place in their division with 54-25, the Spurs move up to 2nd place with 54-26 while the Rockets fall to 3rd place with 53-26, plus the Mavericks are in 4th place with 48-31 and the Pelicans are in last place with 43-36 and in the Western Conference, the Grizzlies hold on the the #2 seed while the Spurs move up to the #3 seed, the Rockets fall to the #6 seed and the Mavericks hold on to the #7 seed
and if the Playoffs started this weekend, the Grizzlies would host the Mavericks and the Spurs would host the Rockets just like the days of Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson who are both 2x NBA World Champions
and on a very special note:
The Thunder def. the Kings 116-103 to stay in the hunt for the #8 Seed and to win the right to face the #1 seeded Golden State Warriors and they will face the Pacers in Indiana on Sunday
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150410_SAC@OKC
The Grizzles and Mavericks will invade the Staples Center in L.A. this weekend
The Grizzlies will face the Clippers on Saturday as they try to fight for the #2 seed while the Mavericks face the Lakers on Sunday
Anthony Davis of the Pelicans and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder fighting for the #8 seed and the right to face the Warriors
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/RussellWestbrookOklahomaCityThundervlVS6toERl1Fl_zpsljgabj1t.jpg
David Robinson & Hakeem Olaujwon; 2x NBA World Champions and Duel of Legends in the Southwestern Division and in the State of Texas
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/robinson_vs_olajuwon_cb_zpshhltnnpp.jpg