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Monday, March 12, 2001
Rim: Those amazing Rockets go for a record
ESPN.com
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FROM THE BASELINE
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I'm the Man!
(Line o' the day)
Duncan? Robinson? Nope, it was Derek Anderson that led the Spurs to a win in Portland with this line. |
D. Anderson |
| MIN |
FG |
3s |
REB |
PTS |
| 37 |
9-16 | 5-7 |
6 | 29 |
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Shoulda stayed in bed
(Stinker o' the day)
His team won, so we should leave him alone, but before he was thrown out he wasn't hitting. |
Porter |
| MIN |
FG |
REB |
AST |
PTS |
| 25 |
1-9 | 4 |
3 | 2 |
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Ouch, my knee! (Injury update)
Grant Hill proclaims that he's nearly healed from the ankle woes that allowed him to play a mere four games this season. Maybe he'll even be 100 percent by November! ... Meanwhile, another Olympian, Antonio McDyess, may not play again on Friday due to a partially dislocated kneecap. Point guard Nick Van Exel is out with knee woes.
Number on our mind
This is how many losses the Cavaliers have in the last 38 games. So much for that overachieving start. |
31 |
What are you thinking?
"I was rejected so badly in Seattle that I don't know how to feel wanted." Bucks coach George Karl on why he hasn't signed his new extension to stay in Milwaukee. George, sign the deal. Forget about Seattle. And while we're at it, the Bucks' Ervin Johnson starts a locker rook brawl after a win?
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Johnson |
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They said it
"I think we're out of the (playoff) picture. I don't think Phoenix is going to slide. I don't think Minnesota will slide. It's going to be tough to make up six games with those two teams."
-- Nick Van Exel is really upbeat these days on the Nuggets' playoff hopes.
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Van Exel |
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Fri., March 9
We like the Rockets, we really do. In the past few weeks users have written in to tell us we have Houston too low in our Power Rankings, complaining that we're dogging them, things like that. That's not true. Houston's having a great season.
However, what we have been pointing out is that the Rockets, in acquiring a 34-28 record which has them three games behind the Suns for the eighth and final West playoff berth, have done it by loading up on the East. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but what happens when Stevie Franchise and co. have to face the West -- where they are 13-24 -- for two weeks straight. Yes, the Rockets would be a playoff entry in the East, but not a lock. Currently their record places them No. 6, but only a half game ahead of Orlando and one game up on Toronto. So after this weekend Houston could have only as good a record to earn the No. 8 seed. Is that so different than the No. 9 West seed.
But back to liking this team: We do. Francis is a star, a sure-fire All-Star for the next decade. Cuttino Mobley is a solid guard, Maurice Taylor has shown signs recently and someday we think Kelvin Cato will contribute consistently.
Anyway, back to the East thing. The Rockets' 104-98 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday improved their record against Central Division foes to 14-0 this season, and the Rockets can become the second team in NBA history to sweep a division with triumphs over Indiana on Tuesday and Atlanta on April 7.
The only other team to sweep a division in a season was the 1982-83 Los Angeles Lakers, who went 12-0 against the Central Division. The Rockets also have a 21-4 record against Eastern Conference teams, the best by a Western Conference team this season. They have already secured the best such mark in club history; the 1993-94 and 1994-95 Rockets both went 20-8 against the East.
On the subject of the Rockets, they tied a franchise record by coming back from 23 points down in their triumph over Atlanta on Wednesday. Houston previously accomplished the feat in January 1977, beating Portland in overtime.
Said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, "I remember I made the shot in that game that put us in overtime."
Just some thoughts
Who doesn't love The Mayor?
Fred Hoiberg of the Bulls set a club record by recording career-high in assists on back-to-back nights, as he recorded 12 in a 81-72 victory over New York on Friday and 13 in a 126-122 double-overtime loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.
Hoiberg also became the fifth player in NBA history to record a combined 25 or more assists without a turnover in back-to-back games. The list:
Kevin Johnson, Phoenix, 27, 1995-96
Jason Kidd, Phoenix, 27, 1997-98
John Stockton, Utah, 26, 1985-86
John Lucas, Houston, 26, 1985-86
Fred Hoiberg, Chicago, 25, 2000-01
Reggie Miller, with 20,921 career points, is 21 away from overtaking Walt Bellamy (20,941 points) and moving into 21st place on the NBA all-time scoring list. That is if he can stop throwing gum at the officials and stay on the court.
You may have missed it on Wednesday, but what the Kings did to the Suns was very noteworthy. Over the final 24 minutes, the Suns scored a franchise-record low 25 points, getting only nine points from their starters. Phoenix shot less than 30 percent in the second half, and were out-rebounded by 21!! The Kings erased a 28-point halftime deficit, the largest comeback in the NBA this season. The Kings outrebounded the Suns by 21 and outscored the Suns by 39 -- in Phoenix -- in the second half.
For those of you who have written in about Wednesday's Rim and the topic of top draft picks to perform a triple double. We were discussing only the first picks in a draft. Not Steve Francis. Not Antoine Walker.
Previous Rims:
Wednesday
Monday
E-mail us!
What's on your mind? As usual, we always want to read what you're thinking about the NBA or Rim. If you want future e-mails in this spot to be yours, then click here. Keep it concise and clean please.
Hey guys, I just want to know what's with all this rippin' you're doing to Kenyon Martin. I know you look at stats to back up your explanation that Martin is having a subpar rookie season for a No. 1 pick, but he's had to deal with a lot. He's playing for a bad team (Nets) and was still recovering from a broken leg in the beginning of the season.
Jon Jamgochian
North Arlington, NJ
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