(63-19) First Round Wraps Up [4-0]

[Axel The Great]

Kubik, thanks! I think Martin is the talk of the thread, he currently has a streak of four consecutive 30+ point games.

z02, he just can't miss from the third dimension. He's even sinking those deep threes.

January Prediction Game

This month's edition of the prediction game will be shortened. I removed the player of the month predictions, and the predictions for the ppg, rpg, and apg. Since it's been shortened, here are the new point values:

If you guess the points, rebounds, or assists leader (on the Rockets) correct, you get 3 points for each one correct. If you guess all three of them right, then that's three extra points. In predicting the W/L's, the underlined games are "key games", games that are against elite teams, must-win home games, rivalry games, or a combination of some or all of the above. If you guess a key game right, that's 3 points, and one point for guessing the normal games correctly.

For now, I'm giving you a choice: you can either post your predictions here or send them via PM, but once I start posting updates again, they should all be PM'ed from then on. Enough ranting, here's the code, copy/paste it, and post it here or PM it to me:

Code: Select all

[b]Scoring Leader:[/b]
[b]Rebounding Leader:[/b]
[b]Assists Leader:[/b]

@ Portland:
@ Denver:
[u]Portland:[/u]
[u]@ Orlando:[/u]
[u]Utah:[/u]
[u]@ Boston[/u]
[u]Thunder:[/u]
New Orleans:
@ Atlanta:
Milwaukee:
Knicks:
@ Grizzlies:
[u]Magic:[/u]
@ Minnesota:
LA Clippers:
[u]@ Dallas:[/u]
[u]@ San Antonio:[/u]

[b]Overall Record for the Month: [/b] (17 games total)

[Axel The Great]

Chapter 6 - More Corruption

"Whoa, watch it there, buddy," said a random man. Joey Crawford, NBA official, was making his way towards NBA headquarters on a cold and rainy, Sunday afternoon. Crawford had nearly slipped trying to quickly walk over a frozen puddle, and a man behind him had told him to be careful. Crawford looked at him rudely, like a plain, average New Yorker.

The weather, was really ugly. The sky was a dark, soggy gray color, the sides of the roads were so filled with water that they nearly went up the sidewalks, and every now and then, you'd hear the splash of water as a car made its way towards its destination. Not to mention how cold it was; New York had had five inches of snow, and the temperature was around 15 degrees farenheit.

It was the second of January, and Joey Crawford was called forth by NBA Comissioner David Stern. Crawford remembered clearly the night of December the 29th, when he had successfully "helped" the Miami Heat to a road victory in Houston over the hometown Rockets. Crawford was thinking that Stern called him forth to praise him for that.

As he made his way up the elevator, he thought about the extra money Stern was going to pay him for his officiating, and couldn't help but feel proud of himself for what he had done.

He didn't really need to "help" the Heat as much during that game. Both teams attempted 27 free throws, with the Rockets making more, but the point was that the foul calls weren't unbalanced. The Heat were able to tear their way back into the game in the third quarter, but it wasn't until the final ten seconds he had had to abuse his powers.

He clearly saw James Jones hammer Yao Ming, whom he had given a technical to earlier in the game just for the hell of it, but did not call a foul, or a flagrant foul. When Jones caught the rebound, he was quickly intentionally fouled, but again, he didn't call anything. The other referees had looked at him as if he was asleep, but he had merely told them, "The buzzer sounded."

He knocked on Stern's office door. "Come in," he heard the familiar, serious and stern voice of the commissioner. "How are you, Joey? Sit down, please," Stern looked up and greeted Crawford, pointing him to an empty rolling chair. "Listen, I'm glad you were able to force the Rockets to lose last week. You didn't arouse much suspicion, and you didn't make it obvious as well. You continue to be the best official in the league," Stern praised Crawford, smiling at him.

"Thank you, sir," said Crawford clearing his throat. "Now, the money you promised me?" he asked Stern.

"Ah, here it is," Stern pulled out a check from one of his drawers. "Ten thousand dollars, in your hands, and you can have ten thousand more if you do me another small favor," Stern told him. He leaned closer to Crawford, and Crawford did the same.

"I am appointing you an official for the upcoming Rockets-Lakers game on the first of February, that's about a month away. I expect the same result, don't make it look obvious, but make sure the Lakers win. I want that homecourt advantage for them," Stern said in a low whisper.

"You got it, sir," Crawford said, shaking hands with Stern and getting up from his chair. "Good. Remember, don't arouse suspicion, because this could end up in turmoil if word gets out," Stern said, in a serious tone.

Crawford left the office, stroking, and looking at his $10,000 check like a child about to eat a lollipop.

[rise]

Scoring Leader: Martin, 26
Rebounding Leader: Scola, 9
Assists Leader: Brooks, 7

@ Portland: W
@ Denver: W
Portland: W
@ Orlando: L
Utah: L
@ Boston L
Thunder: W
New Orleans: W
@ Atlanta: W
Milwaukee: W
Knicks:W
@ Grizzlies: W
Magic: L
@ Minnesota: W
LA Clippers: W
@ Dallas: L
@ San Antonio: L

Overall Record for the Month: (17 games total) 11-6

[kibaxx7]

You gotta make Stern wrong. Kill the Lakers!

[Axel The Great]

z02, thanks for your prediction! So far, I've got Thierry's, z02's, Houndy's, Stress Fracture's, and Valdis' predictions. Last call for anyone else that'd like to participate. I'm gonna go to sleep, and when I wake up, I'm gonna post the first part of the Week 11 Recap. If you wanna have a shot at all the points on the table, I'd suggest posting or PM'ing me your predictions.

Thierry •, Stern just wants revenue! Someone's gotta bring him down!

[Stress Fracture]

Stern is really a stern guy. Do something!

[Justine.]

Scoring Leader: Martin, 23.2
Rebounding Leader: Scola, 10.2
Assists Leader: Brooks, 7

@ Portland: W
@ Denver: W
Portland: L
@ Orlando: W
Utah: W
@ Boston L
Thunder: W
New Orleans: W
@ Atlanta: L
Milwaukee: W
Knicks: L
@ Grizzlies: L
Magic: W
@ Minnesota: W
LA Clippers: W
@ Dallas: L
@ San Antonio: W

Overall Record for the Month: (17 games total) 11-6

[George7]

Scoring Leader: K-Mart 25.6
Rebounding Leader: Yao Ming 9.8
Assists Leader: Brooks 6,5

@ Portland:W
@ Denver:W
Portland: W
@ Orlando: L
Utah: W
@ Boston L
Thunder: W
New Orleans: W
@ Atlanta: W
Milwaukee: W
Knicks: W
@ Grizzlies: W
Magic: L
@ Minnesota:W
LA Clippers: W
@ Dallas: L
@ San Antonio: W

Overall Record for the Month: (17 games total) 13-4

[Axel The Great]

Stress Fracture - I'm on it!

Justine. and George7 - thanks guys. I'll have everyone know that you didn't have to predict the averages, but I'll give those who did three extra points. OK, so anyone else who wants to predict will only miss out on the first two points, so it's really not much. First part of Week 11 up next.

[Axel The Great]

Part I

[24-8] Houston Rockets 95-102 Portland TrailBlazers [19-14]


A battle of two-guards that are possible shoe-ins for "second best two-guard" in the West.

Ish Smith contributed to the loss with 4 points and 4 assists, and 4 turnovers in the mix. | Aldridge tore up the Rockets' interior D, shooting efficiently as well.

After a poor shooting start for the TrailBlazers, they began to get things back together in the second quarter. In fact, ball movement was the key for them in this game. They scored 42 field goals, and were assisted on 31 of them. "Ball movement is one of the most effective ways to counter a tough, pressuring defense like the Rockets had on the wings," commented Blazers head coach, Nate McMillan. "We were able to find the open man for easy buckets every time, which explained our efficient shooting," said Blazers lead player, Brandon Roy.

Trailing by one at halftime, the Blazers and the Rockets would take part in a fast tempo third quarter, both teams shooting over 50% then. In the fourth quarter, however, the Blazers began to take over. Brandon Roy amassed a career high 12 assists, setting up his teammates for easy buckets. LaMarcus Aldridge really contributed a bunch to the scoring load, scoring a team high 34 points on an efficient 16/28 shooting. The TrailBlazers would close out the game with free throws, calmly sinking four in a row to ice the game.

The Rockets shot only 42% for the game, and a fourth quarter meltdown contributed to that. The Blazers were hot from the second quarter and on, shooting 51% for the game. The Rockets started out the year of 2011 with a loss, despite superstar Kevin Martin's 38 points.

Player of the Game-

Brandon Roy
18 points | 12 assists | 8 rebounds | 2 steals | 8/18 FG

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 38 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 13/25 FG, 3/5 3P
Luis Scola - 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 5/8 FG
Yao Ming - 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Kyle Lowry - 7 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

TrailBlazers:
LaMarcus Aldridge - 35 points, 10 rebounds, 16/28 FG
Nicolas Batum - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 7/11 FG, 4/7 3P
Wesley Matthews - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5/7 FG

26 20 29 20 95
19 26 28 29 102

[24-9] Houston Rockets 97-101 Denver Nuggets [17-15]


K-Mart scored 37 points, but had to chuck up 29 shots to do so. | Yao is continuing to show no signs of injury.

Despite struggling all game, these two were able to come through in the clutch to snag a win.

The first losing streak for the Rockets this season, and it came at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. Both teams shot inefficiently, at 40%. That's a pretty odd stat considering these are the two of the top five scoring teams in the league. "I guess we can all assume that both teams came all out on the defensive end," said Nuggets head coach George Karl.

The reason the score didn't end up in the 80's is not the field goal percentage, but free throws. The Nuggets attempted 32 free throws as a team, converting on 27, while the Rockets made 23 out of their 27 free throws.

Mixed up in the inefficient shooting, were Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, and Kevin Martin. All three players, well-known prolific scorers, shot well below their season average, especially Billups (2/11).

The Rockets gave up a ten-point lead in the third quarter, after starting on a 20-8 run, the Nuggets closed out the quarter on a 14-3 run. The fourth quarter was more of the same, the Rockets set out to an eight-point lead, but later on Chauncey Billups knocked down a huge three-pointer to put the Nuggets up by two. The Nuggets were able to hold on to the lead, and Billups was able to close out the game, calmly burying three out of four free throws in the final minutes of the game.

Player of the Game-

Chauncey Billups
14 points | 13 assists | 6 rebounds | 2 steals | 2/11 FG | 9/10 FT

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 37 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 12/29 FG, 11/12 FT
Yao Ming - 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 8/13 FG
Luis Scola - 14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 7/11 FG
Kyle Lowry - 6 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 2/10 FG

Nuggets:
Carmelo Anthony - 34 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 13/30 FG
Nene - 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 6/9 FG
Arron Afflalo - 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks
J.R. Smith - 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3/7 FG, 2/4 3P

24 27 23 23 97
28 25 22 26 101

[rise]

Dang, near-triple-double from Roy and 35&10 for Aldridge.


Hopefully you[r team] can get over the losses and continue winning!

[Houndy]

2 game losing streak!

[kibaxx7]

2 straight losses but no blowouts, close losses

[Axel The Great]

Dang, near-triple-double from Roy and 35&10 for Aldridge.


Hopefully you[r team] can get over the losses and continue winning!

Played the rest of Week 11, you'll find out soon.

2 game losing streak!

Well aren't you excited?

2 straight losses but no blowouts, close losses

I'd rather not lose by a blowout. Losing a close game usually means you weren't good enough at the end, blowouts mean you just weren't good enough period.

Second part of Week 11 coming soon.

[Axel The Great]

Chapter 7 - Trade Rumors?

The buzzer sounded. Kyle Lowry walked the ball up the court, and handed it to the referee just as the buzzer sounded. We had lost to the Denver Nuggets; a game that we could've won had I shot more efficiently.

"Great game, man. Promise not to shoot that way again?" I shook hands with Chauncey Billups, and we both laughed when he told me that. After shaking hands with some of the other players, I went back to the locker room to get dressed into my street clothes and to get on the team bus for our flight back to Houston.

"Now who's to blame fo' that loss?" I heard someone say from behind me once I was in the tunnel. I turned around, it was Aaron Brooks. He had played in limited minutes, but I didn't see how I was the one to blame for the loss, when he shot inefficiently as well.

"You shot inefficiently, too," I responded. "Baron Davis has better shot selection than you,"

"So what was I supposed to do? Waltz into the paint to have a fatass like Nene jump all over me?" he responded.

"Injuries aren't an excuse to chuck up ill-advised shots, you know," I answered him. "Oh yeah, but how many shots did you chuck? About 30 right?" he responded. I didn't answer back, as we had entered the locker room. I started to get dressed.

"Guys, what's with all this arguing about chucking up shots? The team just had a bad time shooting, everyone. We just need to move on to the next game, you shouldn't be whining about shooting poorly in one game out of the 82 you play in a season," Shane Battier entered the locker room, trying to calm me and Aaron down. We both went silent, and didn't speak a word to each other afterwards.

I was beginning to get real irritated with Brooks. He keeps trying to prove that he's better than me for some reason. Ever since that contract extension drama, he's been bitter about everything. I've tried reasoning with him, trying to be friends with him again, but the asshole just can't accept the fact that he didn't get an extension.

He's gone from yelling insults to my face, ones that I wouldn't be able to repeat without cussing heavily, and he's also tried fighting me. I pushed him against the wall when he spat in my face last week, and he was lucky that Shane was there to stop me. Little guy just needs to calm down, and get his act together before his actions carry him way too far.

I walked outside the Pepsi Center, and was about to turn the corner just when I heard someone say, "So you got a deal worked out, yet, or what?" That voice was so recognizable; I had heard it all game long. There was no mistaking the energetic voice of Carmelo Anthony.

"Melo, you do realize how hard it is to package a superstar to another team, and get good enough players in return?" said a mysterious figure. I backed up against the wall, and looked around the corner to see who Melo was talking to. The lights were blinking in that area, and I couldn't quite see who it was, but I imagined it was someone from the Nuggets' front office.

"You'd best hurry up and find a deal, then. No matter how much money you offer me for a extension, I ain't takin' it. I wanna go home to New York," Melo said. "Well, you see, the Knicks aren't rushing to trade for you, they know you're gonna be acquired by the off-season, so they're in no rush to pull the trigger. Meanwhile, the Rockets have gained interest in you. They want to send Kevin Martin here, and possibly other extra players," the man said.

My heart stopped. "They seriously can't do this to me," I thought to myself. "I'm having arguably the best season of my career here. I can't get traded, I can't."

"Well, whatever the hell you do, just know I'm gonna be playin' fo' the Knicks come next season, if there is a next season. Get a deal done, I want out of here as soon as possible," Melo replied. I heard footsteps coming my way, and my heart started to beat faster and faster with each footstep from the Nuggets superstar.

I looked around to see if there was a place to hide, but it was all open, just parked cars that were meters away from me. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath, "asshole's gonna find me here, and he's gonna do somethin'."

He was coming closer and closer, and I began to sweat, and I started breathing heavily. Anthony came around the corner, and I stayed as quiet as a mime, not making a single sound and holding my heavy breath. He passed by me, humming the tune of "Black and Yellow", without even noticing me, not even a sideways glance to see if there was anybody else around.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, and made my way over to the team bus. Then, I began to think about actually having to play in Denver, and did not like the idea; I was settled in Houston, why should I be traded? As I began to wrap my brain around that idea, I got a phone call from my wife, saying that she missed me...

••••••••

The next day (I had slept at my house in Houston), Coach Adelman gave us the day off. After eating breakfast with my wife, I made my way to Rockets headquarters.

When I entered, I was greeted by the secretary, Adriana. I had always thought she was very pretty, with her long, silky smooth hair and wide and lively light brown eyes. She had had an eye for me ever since I was traded to Houston, but then became disinterested when she found out I was married. "I'm here to see Daryl Morey," I told her. "Sure, go right ahead, he's on the fifth floor in his office" she said, smiling.

As I made my way up the elevator, I got the usual "Mornin', Kevin"'s, and I just smiled at the fact that I just towered over everyone who was in the elevator with me. Once on the fifth floor, I made my way towards Daryl Morey's office. I knocked on his office door.

"Come in," he said. I opened the door, and he greeted me. "Well, look who it is! How are you, Kevin?" Morey asked. "I'm doin' good, just the usual regular season fatigue startin' to kick in a bit," I told him. "Well, I guess Coach Adelman was right in giving you guys the day off. Sit down, please," Morey said, pointing me to a chair.

I noticed there was another desk next to Morey's. I remember he used to have a lot of room in his office, and the addition of that second desk still left quite a bit of room, but I wondered who's desk that was.

"Now what did you come here for?" Morey asked me. "Well, uhh... last night, I, uh, kinda overheard Carmelo Anthony talking to someone, I think from the Nuggets' front office, about the trade rumors and what-not," I answered him. He merely nodded, motioning me to go on.

"Well, that other guy said you were planning to send me to Denver for Melo. Is that true?" I asked.

"Well, yes... but," Morey started to say, until someone interrupted him. "Yes, that's true. It was I who convinced him not to pull the trigger," said a voice from behind me. I turned around, someone was leaning against the door. He looked about 5'8"-5'9" in height, and had a pretty cool mustache, and short hair with a fade, somewhat similar to mine. I was sure I'd met him before. Now I knew who's second desk that was.

"We've met before, sometime near the end of November I think?" he told me. I thought back to that time, and yes, I remembered who he was. "You're name is Axel, right, assistant general manager?" I asked him.

"Yep," he nodded his head. "I told Morey not to go for Melo because he's already stated he wants to play in New York, so he wouldn't sign an extension here. If he didn't sign an extension, we'd be left with an injury-prone big man, a shot-chucking point guard, and a defensive liability in Scola, and no true go-to-guy," he told me.

It made sense. I smiled at him, and nodded in approval of his decision. "Well, thank you, sir. I'm settled here in Houston, and I did not want to have to deal with moving to a different city, especially since I had to do it last season."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that now, then," Morey said. "Now, tell me, Kevin, is there anything you wish to tell me? Anything bothering you at this moment? Anything that concerns you?" Morey asked me.

I thought about Aaron Brooks, and how irritating he had started to become. I wanted to tell Morey to package him to Denver or any other team, to get him away from me. "No," I told him. I couldn't bring myself to tell Morey, and thought I'd just handle Brooks myself.

Morey smiled. "Good," he said. "Now, enjoy your day off before playing tomorrow against Portland," he told me. I got up, shook hands with him, and Axel, and left the headquarters.

"Wow," I thought to myself, "I wish the Kings front office would've asked me a question like that in my time there..."

[Lamrock]

Time to trade for Tragic and a first! Quick question: how do you keep the game score out of the screenshots?

[hova-]

Do that Dragic trade, do it ! Good writing. This is a lil old school dynasty you got in herre, I like

[Axel The Great]

Time to trade for Tragic and a first! Quick question: how do you keep the game score out of the screenshots?

I don't think I want Dragic, though. What AB did to Deron Williams in the next recap is enough to make me want to keep him. And remember, I call all the shots.

As for the score being in the screenshots, I didn't know that could happen. What I do, is I either encounter a worthy replay, or go to the gametrack after the game, save the replay, and then go to 2K reelmaker. Once there, go into snapshot mode, get the camera in position for the screenshot, and then press start, and you'll see an option for uploading. Yes, it's more time consuming, but you don't have to worry about any scores showing up.

Do that Dragic trade, do it ! Good writing. This is a lil old school dynasty you got in herre, I like

Is old school good? I'm glad you like, though.

Second part of Week 11 should be up by tomorrow.

[kibaxx7]

I'd rather not lose by a blowout. Losing a close game usually means you weren't good enough at the end, blowouts mean you just weren't good enough period.

IMO, if I were to lose, I'd rather be murdered It already happened to me almost 10 times, have a healthy cushion and then lose, or a very close game where it was back and forth and lost by only two or three games. Trade Brooks!

[Axel The Great]

Thierry •, well, I guess we have different opinions. When I get blown out, it becomes a curse-fest from me, and seeing as how I have little patience with watching the Rockets get blown out IRL, it's worse when I'm actually playing as them. And I guess you're just another one riding the "Trade Brooks" bandwagon?

Part II

[24-10] Houston Rockets 110-95 Portland TrailBlazers [21-14]


Roy gets his layup to go despite the defensive pressure from Battier. | Bud crushes Wesley Matthews.

After losing to Portland last time, the Rockets knew what to do to penetrate through their defense. This game was no real challenge for the Rockets, as both Yao Ming and Luis Scola dominated the interior, and Kevin Martin continued his streak of 30+ point games. The Rockets won this game in the paint, as they had a season high 70 points compared to 30 by the Blazers.

"It was pretty surprising to see how they dominated our frontcourt that way. I guess we just didn't give much effort on defense," said Brandon Roy, who had a near triple-double last time these teams faced off.

The Rockets continue to dominate at home, as they now move up to 15-1 at home, the best home record in the league.

Player of the Game-

37 points | 3 assists | 3 rebounds | 11/27 FG | 14/15 FT

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Yao Ming - 20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 9/13 FG
Luis Scola - 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 8/10 FG
Kyle Lowry - 9 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 5 TO, 4/7 FG

TrailBlazers:
LaMarcus Aldridge - 28 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 12/20 FG
Brandon Roy - 25 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block, 11/23 FG
Nicolas Batum - 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 6/14 FG
Marcus Camby - 7 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 2/9 FG

30 27 27 26 110
24 22 22 27 95

[25-10] Houston Rockets 100-109 Orlando Magic [23-13]


The story of the game - three-pointers. | Dwight Howard quietly had himself a double-double.

K-Mart continues his string of 30+ point games. | AB knocks down a three with the Magic bench breathing down his neck.

When you talk about letting something go when it was right at your fingertips, you have to talk about this game. The Rockets had complete control all game, and at one point led by 11 points. Poor execution in the second half dismantled the Rockets as they only scored 44 second half points compared to the 56 they had in the first half.

All game long, the Rockets were shutting down the wings, playing lockdown defense, not allowing clean looks. But everytime it looked like the Rockets would pull away, Jason Richardson would knock down a momentum-swinging three to give life to his team. Richardson was 7/15 from the third dimension, contributing to the 12 out of 29 three-pointers made by the entire Magic team.

Down the stretch, Kevin Martin was given the ball with the Rockets up 98-96. He was double-teamed, and tried to pound the ball inside to Yao, but miscalculated the pass, and it sailed towards the baseline and out of bounds. That was the turning point, as the Magic would pour in six straight points afterwards, to make the score 102-98 in their favor. Gilbert Arenas, who struggled to find his rhythm at times in the game, sank 3/4 free throws in the last minute to ice the game for the Magic.

"One turnover completely changed the momentum for us in this game. This was a game we had, it was in our clutches, but we let it slip away like sand," said Kevin Martin after the game. Despite scoring a season-high 43 points, his team still lost, which is leading people to believe that he needs more help in bringing the scoring load. The Rockets are now at .500 on the road, and Martin's streak of 30+ point games reaches six.

Player of the Game-

Jason Richardson
36 points | 4 rebounds | 2 assists | 14/27 FG | 7/15 3P

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Kevin Martin - 43 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 17/30 FG
Luis Scola - 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 7/12 FG
Yao Ming - 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5/8 FG
Kyle Lowry - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2/7 FG

Magic:
Dwight Howard - 26 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal, 10/15 FG, 1/1 3P
Gilbert Arenas - 17 points, 11 assists, 3 steals, 1 rebound, 5/14 3P
Hedo Turkoglu - 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/13 FG

phpBB [video]

Dwight Howard contributes to the three-point shootout from the Magic

27 29 21 23 100
25 26 28 30 109

[25-11] Houston Rockets 110-104 Utah Jazz [23-14]


Shane Battier finishes an alley-oop pass from AB. | Deron Williams shot poorly from the field.

Aaron Brooks made a full recovery from his back spasms, and was inserted back into the starting lineup for this game. He wasn't excellent, shooting a bad 6/19 from the field, but the way he guarded Deron Williams was inspiring. He held the star point guard to 6/21 shooting, a stat that backup guard Kyle Lowry also contributed to.

The Rockets led by 16 at one point, and it looked like the Rockets would cruise to just another easy home victory. However, a surge from Paul Millsap and Raja Bell chipped away at the lead, and near the end of the fourth quarter, the Rockets were clinging to a two-point, 102-100 lead.

Kevin Martin stepped up in a time of desperation such as this, as he scored two consecutive buckets to give the Rockets a 106-100 lead, scoring a season-high 44 points, and his streak of 30+ point games now moves up to seven. Deron Williams was given the ball in the last minute to try and do something for his team, but he forced up bad shots, and converted on none. The Rockets pulled away for good through clutch free throw shooting.

"I wasn't about to let my team give away another game. This time, I held my composure, and made sure we pulled away in crunch time," said Kevin Martin after the game. One has to give credit to the small point guards of the Rockets, especially Aaron Brooks, for slowing down Williams. If he'd been on his game, this game could've easily had a different outcome.

There were some really bad news for the Rockets, however. Midway through the second quarter, Courtney Lee went up for a rebound, and somehow, landed wrong on his feet. He suffered a broken ankle, and is likely to miss two months of action.

On a more positive note, though, Kevin Martin was named the Western Conference Player of the Week, and looking at his stats, one can see why. He averaged 39.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal per game, and also shot 49% from the field, 44% from downtown, and 96% from the charity stripe for the week. For the Eastern Conference, Danny Granger was named player of the week.

Player of the Game-

Kevin Martin
44 points | 5 rebounds | 1 assist | 14/25 FG | 3/5 3P | 13/13 FT

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Aaron Brooks - 16 points, 7 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 6/19 FG
Luis Scola - 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Yao Ming - 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks, 3/5 FG
Jordan Hill - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5/6 FG

Jazz:
Paul Millsap - 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 7/13 FG
Deron Williams - 18 points, 13 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block, 6/21 FG
Raja Bell - 17 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 7/14 FG, 3/7 3P
Al Jefferson - 15 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 7/13 FG
Andrei Kirilenko - 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 4/5 FG

29 26 26 29 110
27 22 20 35 104

[rise]

Ouch, that sucks for Lee, that's happened to me twice irl, not fun at all.

Every game against Orlando is always a three-point shootout. Jason Richardson will stick threes any time. irl, his shots STOPPED falling when he was traded to ORL. lol K-Mart is terrorizing opponents! Keep it up and trade Brooks if he continues to be a dick!

[Houndy]

You know you're team is gonna get killed when Dwight hits a three...

There's a trade Brooks bandwagon? I'm joining

[Stress Fracture]

K-Mart now a blogger in The Houston Chronicle?

Fuck the Blazers. I can't forgive them on what they did on the Yao-Ron-Tracy tandem a few years ago.

[Justine.]

Jason Richardson is a gun! He's automatic!

[Martti.]

How did you feel when Dwight knocked down the three?

At least you got 2 important wins over conference rivals.