simmytbone
02-27-2016, 02:35 PM
Hey guys,
Last Night in an Eastern Conference Showdown, 3 Teams in the Central Division suffered losses
The Cleveland Cavaliers lose @ the last second to the Raptors in Toronto while the Chicago Bulls suffered a road loss to the Hawks in Atlanta and in Indiana, the Pacers lose @ home to the Charlotte Hornets
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20160226_CLE@TOR
Lowry scores career-high 43 as Raptors beat Cavaliers, 99-97
By PAUL ATTFIELD
Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2016
TORONTO (AP) Kyle Lowry had a big smile after capping off a career night by hitting the clinching basket in the closing seconds.
Lowry finished with a career-best 43 points to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 99-97 Friday night.
''My first game winner in my illustrious 10-year career,'' he said, noting that he was at Villanova that last time he'd done that.
Terrence Ross added 15 for Toronto, which won its 10th straight at home to tie a franchise record previously set between March 24 and Nov. 4, 2002.
LeBron James, who scored 25, had a chance to win the game with a late 3-pointer, but his shot missed the rim completely as time expired.
Kevin Love added 20 for the Cavaliers, who had their lead over Atlantic Division-leading Toronto in the East cut to two games, and conceded the playoff seeding tie-breaker to Toronto, with the Raptors clinching the season series 2-1.
Lowry played down his individual effort though, which bettered the 41 he put up against Golden State on Dec. 5.
''The bigger deal is that we won the game, that's all that matters,'' he said. ''I think we grew tonight but we've got the team to get better. Now we've put our efforts into Detroit and worry about Detroit.''
Lowry's 15-for-20 performance also helped make up for an ineffective night from the team's top scorer, DeMar DeRozan, who was suffering from flu-like symptoms and was held to a season-low six points.
Dwane Casey had insisted all day that this top-two matchup was just another game, and not a possible playoff preview, and he refused to change his tune following the victory.
''Again, it is just one game,'' he said. ''If we come back and stub our toe on Sunday (against the Pistons)what does it mean? Nothing, zero, it is one of 82.''
In the Cleveland dressing room, Love disagreed about the importance of the game.
''Anybody who says it wasn't is lying to you,'' he said when asked if it was a big game, particularly with the playoff tiebreaker on the line. ''We knew coming in it was going to be a hostile environment away from home, they're a very good team and had won nine in a row before tonight so we knew they were going to be tough to beat and it was no different.''
Despite leading for almost the entire game, Cleveland faltered down the stretch, allowing Toronto to tie the game with 3:03 left courtesy of a 9-0 run over 90 seconds. For James, it was the kind of performance the team has to learn from.
''It's mental mistake after mental mistake and those hurt more than anything when you can play better mentally,'' he said. ''People get so caught up in the physical side of the game, we lack mental (strength) right now and we've got to continue to get better with it.''
THROWING THOMAS
Former NFL MVP and Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas was at the game, zipping signed footballs into the crowd with the kind of compact spirals that almost made you forget the Buffalo Bills great was a running back and not a quarterback.
BENCH MARK
The Raptors' reserves combined to outscore the Cavaliers' backups 37-23, highlighted by 15 from Ross and another 11 from Bismack Biyombo.
MILESTONE MAN
DeRozan appeared in his 500th game with Toronto on Friday, becoming the fourth Raptors player to reach the milestone - joining Morris Peterson, Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh. He received a video tribute and a standing ovation when the milestone was announced in the first quarter.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Mo Williams (left knee) sat out the game. ... Cleveland is 43 of 86 from 3-point range against the Raptors this season, well above its season average of 10.1 made 3s per game. When asked if he looked for a certain number of 3s, coach Tyronn Lue said, ''Not a number just open 3s. We don't want to force shots and take really quick shots contested, but when we get our chance to get our shot and take our shot we want to take it.''
Raptors: With his two 3-pointers, Lowry tied Andrea Bargnani (579) for second on the franchise's all-time list, and now trails only Peterson (801). ... Valanciunas left game in third quarter after being elbowed in the ribs by James and headed to the dressing room for a rib/diaphragm exam. He returned to the bench later in the quarter and was back on the floor in the fourth. ... Toronto has now won 26 consecutive games when holding opponents to fewer than 100 points, the second-longest streak in team history, and one shy of tying the franchise record.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: @ Washington Wizards on Sunday.
Raptors: @ Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20160226_CHI@ATL
Teague, Horford help push Hawks past depleted Bulls 103-88
Feb. 26, 2016
ATLANTA (AP) Kyle Korver hardly cared that Atlanta beat a Chicago Bulls team missing Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose.
Korver just wanted the Hawks to finally get a win.
''We didn't shoot the ball particularly well,'' he said. ''We weren't super crisp, but I thought our focus, especially on defense, was really great.''
Jeff Teague scored 19 points, Al Horford added 18 and Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak with a 103-88 victory over the short-handed Bulls on Friday night.
Paul Millsap had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who ended a four-game home skid - their longest since April 2007.
Chicago, which had won three straight, struggled with Butler, Rose and Nikola Mirotic sidelined by injuries. A sore right hamstring kept Rose out for the second straight game.
Doug McDermott finished with 20 points and Paul Gasol had 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls.
Gasol's jumper cut the deficit to eight in the last minute of the third quarter, but the Bulls couldn't get any closer.
''We've got to hold down the fort 'til everybody comes back,'' forward Taj Gibson said. ''But we've got a shot.''
Horford dunked on Teague's alley-oop pass and followed with a 3-pointer to make it 95-80 with 3:20 remaining.
The Hawks are 1-3 on a five-game homestand. Miami beat Atlanta without stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and Milwaukee ended a six-game road losing streak by knocking off the Hawks in double overtime.
Atlanta also was outmatched by NBA champion Golden State on Monday despite taking a brief lead early in the fourth quarter.
''It hasn't gone the way we wanted,'' Horford said. ''Being able to come out here tonight and get a win is big for us.''
Butler, an All-Star, has been out since Feb. 5 with a sprained left knee. Mirotic is recovering from appendicitis, and Joakim Noah, Chicago's second-leading rebounder, is sidelined with a sore shoulder.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was upset with his team allowing 27 points off 21 turnovers.
''That's all we've talked about for the last two days is taking care of the basketball,'' Hoiberg said. ''You don't give yourself a chance to win when you have careless turnovers like that.''
The Hawks hit just one of their first 18 attempts from beyond the arc before Tim Hardaway Jr. made it 51-42 in the last minute of the second. They finished 7 for 34 as Kent Bazemore and Korver combined to go 2 for 14.
Bazemore scored 17 points.
ROSE STAYS CAUTIOUS
Hoiberg met with Rose before Wednesday's win over Washington to discuss his injury.
''He talked about the pain that he had,'' Hoiberg said. ''He talked about not being able to play his game, being cautious out there.''
The Bulls don't want Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP, pushing himself after operations on both knees. Hoiberg didn't have an immediate timetable for Rose's return.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago has lost five straight on the road. ... In the 109-105 win over Washington, the Bulls had seven players score in double figures. Only three finished in double figures Friday. Gibson had 11 points. ... Hoiberg said Mirotic is still ''a couple of weeks away'' from returning.
Hawks: Atlanta, which led the Eastern Conference with 60 regular-season wins last season, moved into fifth place, a half-game ahead of Indiana. ... The Hawks avoided their first five-game home losing streak since December 2006. ... Atlanta has won five of six against Chicago. ... G Kirk Hinrich, acquired last week from Chicago in a three-team trade, entered with the Hawks up 17 late in the fourth. He missed his only shot, airballing a 3 from in front of the Bulls' bench. ... Atlanta led by six at halftime.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Portland Trailblazers on Saturday.
Hawks: Host Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
and finally....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20160226_CHA@IND
Walker hits game-winner to lead Hornets past Pacers, 96-95
By JEFF SKIRVIN
Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2016
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The surging Charlotte Hornets know exactly where to go with the ball when the game is on the line.
Kemba Walker scored 22 points and hit the game-winning shot with 2.4 seconds left to lead the Hornets over the Indiana Pacers 96-95 on Friday night.
Monta Ellis gave Indiana the lead with a layup over Walker with 16.2 seconds to go. Walker then split two defenders above the 3-point line to get to the rim on Charlotte's ensuing possession and sank a left-handed scoop shot over Paul George.
''Everyone was counting on me,'' Walker said. ''My teammates, they wanted me to have the basketball.''
The Pacers had a chance at the buzzer, but George's shot from the top of the key missed. George finished with 32 points.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel said he would have liked to see George attack the rim on the final play.
''I want to see him go to the basket in those situations, but he's got to make a basketball play,'' Vogel said. ''He's got to read and feel his man and he thought he could get the step-back.''
George said he intended to maneuver into the paint but lost his footing.
''I slipped, which screwed up my momentum going to the basket, but I thought I got a good enough look,'' George said. ''Had I not slipped I would have taken it to the basket.''
Marvin Williams scored 26 points - 15 in the third quarter - and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won eight of 10. They are tied with Chicago for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, and both teams are 1 1/2 games ahead of Detroit for the final playoff spot.
Charlotte won for the second time this month at Indiana after dropping 12 straight on the Pacers' home court.
Trailing most of the game, the Pacers clawed back into it and finally took the lead with 5 1/2 minutes left. Walker, who also had 10 assists, scored nine points in the final 5:08 to help fend off the late Indiana charge.
Walker is second in the Eastern Conference in scoring since Christmas at 23.8 points per game.
''He wants the ball, there's no question about that,'' Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. ''He wants to take the big shot. Make or miss, he has courage.''
Rookie center Myles Turner scored 15 for Indiana. Ellis finished with 14, and George Hill added 10 points and seven assists.
Indiana native Cody Zeller finished with 14 points and five rebounds for Charlotte.
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte also won at Indiana on Feb. 10. ... The Hornets entered averaging 10.3 3-pointers per game and hit 11 shots from behind the arc.
Pacers: George has scored 30 or more 18 times this season. ... The Pacers fell to 18-10 at home. ... Turner is averaging 14.3 points per game since being inserted into the starting lineup 13 games ago. ... Rodney Stuckey played for the first time since Jan. 13 after sitting out with a bone bruise. He had four points and five rebounds. ... The Pacers are 7-8 in games decided by three points or fewer.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host Portland on Sunday.
Hornets: @ Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
credit: cbssports.com
LeBron, D-Rose, Paul George, Better Luck Next Time Guys
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/nba_g_lebron-rose-george01jr_576x324_zpsfoybqxuv.jpg
Legendary Chicago Bull Michael Jordan happy that his Charlotte Hornets are keeping their playoff hopes ALIVE
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/balldontstop34_zpsesrzshws.jpg
Toronto Raptors looking to be on the verge of clinching the #1 Seed in the Eastern Conference
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/a5t6pbshrlwmaw2zjzra_zps0k8hvisq.jpg
Chicago Bulls putting their playoff hopes in Serious JEOPARDY
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/bulls-logo_zpsb0vopno9.jpg
Last Night in an Eastern Conference Showdown, 3 Teams in the Central Division suffered losses
The Cleveland Cavaliers lose @ the last second to the Raptors in Toronto while the Chicago Bulls suffered a road loss to the Hawks in Atlanta and in Indiana, the Pacers lose @ home to the Charlotte Hornets
Here are the stories:
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20160226_CLE@TOR
Lowry scores career-high 43 as Raptors beat Cavaliers, 99-97
By PAUL ATTFIELD
Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2016
TORONTO (AP) Kyle Lowry had a big smile after capping off a career night by hitting the clinching basket in the closing seconds.
Lowry finished with a career-best 43 points to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 99-97 Friday night.
''My first game winner in my illustrious 10-year career,'' he said, noting that he was at Villanova that last time he'd done that.
Terrence Ross added 15 for Toronto, which won its 10th straight at home to tie a franchise record previously set between March 24 and Nov. 4, 2002.
LeBron James, who scored 25, had a chance to win the game with a late 3-pointer, but his shot missed the rim completely as time expired.
Kevin Love added 20 for the Cavaliers, who had their lead over Atlantic Division-leading Toronto in the East cut to two games, and conceded the playoff seeding tie-breaker to Toronto, with the Raptors clinching the season series 2-1.
Lowry played down his individual effort though, which bettered the 41 he put up against Golden State on Dec. 5.
''The bigger deal is that we won the game, that's all that matters,'' he said. ''I think we grew tonight but we've got the team to get better. Now we've put our efforts into Detroit and worry about Detroit.''
Lowry's 15-for-20 performance also helped make up for an ineffective night from the team's top scorer, DeMar DeRozan, who was suffering from flu-like symptoms and was held to a season-low six points.
Dwane Casey had insisted all day that this top-two matchup was just another game, and not a possible playoff preview, and he refused to change his tune following the victory.
''Again, it is just one game,'' he said. ''If we come back and stub our toe on Sunday (against the Pistons)what does it mean? Nothing, zero, it is one of 82.''
In the Cleveland dressing room, Love disagreed about the importance of the game.
''Anybody who says it wasn't is lying to you,'' he said when asked if it was a big game, particularly with the playoff tiebreaker on the line. ''We knew coming in it was going to be a hostile environment away from home, they're a very good team and had won nine in a row before tonight so we knew they were going to be tough to beat and it was no different.''
Despite leading for almost the entire game, Cleveland faltered down the stretch, allowing Toronto to tie the game with 3:03 left courtesy of a 9-0 run over 90 seconds. For James, it was the kind of performance the team has to learn from.
''It's mental mistake after mental mistake and those hurt more than anything when you can play better mentally,'' he said. ''People get so caught up in the physical side of the game, we lack mental (strength) right now and we've got to continue to get better with it.''
THROWING THOMAS
Former NFL MVP and Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas was at the game, zipping signed footballs into the crowd with the kind of compact spirals that almost made you forget the Buffalo Bills great was a running back and not a quarterback.
BENCH MARK
The Raptors' reserves combined to outscore the Cavaliers' backups 37-23, highlighted by 15 from Ross and another 11 from Bismack Biyombo.
MILESTONE MAN
DeRozan appeared in his 500th game with Toronto on Friday, becoming the fourth Raptors player to reach the milestone - joining Morris Peterson, Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh. He received a video tribute and a standing ovation when the milestone was announced in the first quarter.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Mo Williams (left knee) sat out the game. ... Cleveland is 43 of 86 from 3-point range against the Raptors this season, well above its season average of 10.1 made 3s per game. When asked if he looked for a certain number of 3s, coach Tyronn Lue said, ''Not a number just open 3s. We don't want to force shots and take really quick shots contested, but when we get our chance to get our shot and take our shot we want to take it.''
Raptors: With his two 3-pointers, Lowry tied Andrea Bargnani (579) for second on the franchise's all-time list, and now trails only Peterson (801). ... Valanciunas left game in third quarter after being elbowed in the ribs by James and headed to the dressing room for a rib/diaphragm exam. He returned to the bench later in the quarter and was back on the floor in the fourth. ... Toronto has now won 26 consecutive games when holding opponents to fewer than 100 points, the second-longest streak in team history, and one shy of tying the franchise record.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: @ Washington Wizards on Sunday.
Raptors: @ Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Meanwhile....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20160226_CHI@ATL
Teague, Horford help push Hawks past depleted Bulls 103-88
Feb. 26, 2016
ATLANTA (AP) Kyle Korver hardly cared that Atlanta beat a Chicago Bulls team missing Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose.
Korver just wanted the Hawks to finally get a win.
''We didn't shoot the ball particularly well,'' he said. ''We weren't super crisp, but I thought our focus, especially on defense, was really great.''
Jeff Teague scored 19 points, Al Horford added 18 and Atlanta snapped a three-game losing streak with a 103-88 victory over the short-handed Bulls on Friday night.
Paul Millsap had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who ended a four-game home skid - their longest since April 2007.
Chicago, which had won three straight, struggled with Butler, Rose and Nikola Mirotic sidelined by injuries. A sore right hamstring kept Rose out for the second straight game.
Doug McDermott finished with 20 points and Paul Gasol had 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls.
Gasol's jumper cut the deficit to eight in the last minute of the third quarter, but the Bulls couldn't get any closer.
''We've got to hold down the fort 'til everybody comes back,'' forward Taj Gibson said. ''But we've got a shot.''
Horford dunked on Teague's alley-oop pass and followed with a 3-pointer to make it 95-80 with 3:20 remaining.
The Hawks are 1-3 on a five-game homestand. Miami beat Atlanta without stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and Milwaukee ended a six-game road losing streak by knocking off the Hawks in double overtime.
Atlanta also was outmatched by NBA champion Golden State on Monday despite taking a brief lead early in the fourth quarter.
''It hasn't gone the way we wanted,'' Horford said. ''Being able to come out here tonight and get a win is big for us.''
Butler, an All-Star, has been out since Feb. 5 with a sprained left knee. Mirotic is recovering from appendicitis, and Joakim Noah, Chicago's second-leading rebounder, is sidelined with a sore shoulder.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was upset with his team allowing 27 points off 21 turnovers.
''That's all we've talked about for the last two days is taking care of the basketball,'' Hoiberg said. ''You don't give yourself a chance to win when you have careless turnovers like that.''
The Hawks hit just one of their first 18 attempts from beyond the arc before Tim Hardaway Jr. made it 51-42 in the last minute of the second. They finished 7 for 34 as Kent Bazemore and Korver combined to go 2 for 14.
Bazemore scored 17 points.
ROSE STAYS CAUTIOUS
Hoiberg met with Rose before Wednesday's win over Washington to discuss his injury.
''He talked about the pain that he had,'' Hoiberg said. ''He talked about not being able to play his game, being cautious out there.''
The Bulls don't want Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP, pushing himself after operations on both knees. Hoiberg didn't have an immediate timetable for Rose's return.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago has lost five straight on the road. ... In the 109-105 win over Washington, the Bulls had seven players score in double figures. Only three finished in double figures Friday. Gibson had 11 points. ... Hoiberg said Mirotic is still ''a couple of weeks away'' from returning.
Hawks: Atlanta, which led the Eastern Conference with 60 regular-season wins last season, moved into fifth place, a half-game ahead of Indiana. ... The Hawks avoided their first five-game home losing streak since December 2006. ... Atlanta has won five of six against Chicago. ... G Kirk Hinrich, acquired last week from Chicago in a three-team trade, entered with the Hawks up 17 late in the fourth. He missed his only shot, airballing a 3 from in front of the Bulls' bench. ... Atlanta led by six at halftime.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Portland Trailblazers on Saturday.
Hawks: Host Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
and finally....
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20160226_CHA@IND
Walker hits game-winner to lead Hornets past Pacers, 96-95
By JEFF SKIRVIN
Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2016
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The surging Charlotte Hornets know exactly where to go with the ball when the game is on the line.
Kemba Walker scored 22 points and hit the game-winning shot with 2.4 seconds left to lead the Hornets over the Indiana Pacers 96-95 on Friday night.
Monta Ellis gave Indiana the lead with a layup over Walker with 16.2 seconds to go. Walker then split two defenders above the 3-point line to get to the rim on Charlotte's ensuing possession and sank a left-handed scoop shot over Paul George.
''Everyone was counting on me,'' Walker said. ''My teammates, they wanted me to have the basketball.''
The Pacers had a chance at the buzzer, but George's shot from the top of the key missed. George finished with 32 points.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel said he would have liked to see George attack the rim on the final play.
''I want to see him go to the basket in those situations, but he's got to make a basketball play,'' Vogel said. ''He's got to read and feel his man and he thought he could get the step-back.''
George said he intended to maneuver into the paint but lost his footing.
''I slipped, which screwed up my momentum going to the basket, but I thought I got a good enough look,'' George said. ''Had I not slipped I would have taken it to the basket.''
Marvin Williams scored 26 points - 15 in the third quarter - and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won eight of 10. They are tied with Chicago for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, and both teams are 1 1/2 games ahead of Detroit for the final playoff spot.
Charlotte won for the second time this month at Indiana after dropping 12 straight on the Pacers' home court.
Trailing most of the game, the Pacers clawed back into it and finally took the lead with 5 1/2 minutes left. Walker, who also had 10 assists, scored nine points in the final 5:08 to help fend off the late Indiana charge.
Walker is second in the Eastern Conference in scoring since Christmas at 23.8 points per game.
''He wants the ball, there's no question about that,'' Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. ''He wants to take the big shot. Make or miss, he has courage.''
Rookie center Myles Turner scored 15 for Indiana. Ellis finished with 14, and George Hill added 10 points and seven assists.
Indiana native Cody Zeller finished with 14 points and five rebounds for Charlotte.
TIP-INS
Hornets: Charlotte also won at Indiana on Feb. 10. ... The Hornets entered averaging 10.3 3-pointers per game and hit 11 shots from behind the arc.
Pacers: George has scored 30 or more 18 times this season. ... The Pacers fell to 18-10 at home. ... Turner is averaging 14.3 points per game since being inserted into the starting lineup 13 games ago. ... Rodney Stuckey played for the first time since Jan. 13 after sitting out with a bone bruise. He had four points and five rebounds. ... The Pacers are 7-8 in games decided by three points or fewer.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Host Portland on Sunday.
Hornets: @ Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
credit: cbssports.com
LeBron, D-Rose, Paul George, Better Luck Next Time Guys
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/nba_g_lebron-rose-george01jr_576x324_zpsfoybqxuv.jpg
Legendary Chicago Bull Michael Jordan happy that his Charlotte Hornets are keeping their playoff hopes ALIVE
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/balldontstop34_zpsesrzshws.jpg
Toronto Raptors looking to be on the verge of clinching the #1 Seed in the Eastern Conference
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/a5t6pbshrlwmaw2zjzra_zps0k8hvisq.jpg
Chicago Bulls putting their playoff hopes in Serious JEOPARDY
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb296/tnawrestlingfan/tnaimpactwrestlingfan/bulls-logo_zpsb0vopno9.jpg