Something 2 Prove (10-2) :: corrupted again :(

[Alejandrov011]

Jianlian
Joel Anthony
Arenas
The Italian Stallion (Bargnani)
Cook
Toronto

[XpLosibo]

beasley
przybilla
wade
bargnani
cook
toronto

[kibaxx7]

It looks like you're off to a solid 4-2 start. As much as I hate the Miami Heat, I have to admit that Dwyane Wade is the shit. I'll be keeping an eye out for this association.

Thanks man... will tonight post the second week... had some work to do yesterday. Off topic, anyone knows how to delete the red ring of the replays?

[kibaxx7]

(1-5)
(5-2)

Vinsanity's 34 points not enough as Heat beat Nets
(SIMULATED GAME)
Preview | Recap | NJN Boxscore | MIA Boxscore
Despite a strong start from 3-point range, things didn't end well for the struggling New Jersey Nets. Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley combined for 56 points, with Wade posting 32 and Beasley 24, and Mario Chalmers added 14 and 11 assists as the Miami Heat beat New Jersey 113-97, handing the Nets their fourth straight loss. Guard Keyon Dooling acknowledged that the Nets' first-quarter performance did more harm than good. "If you start off hot and you've got confidence in the 3-ball, you feel like that's the only thing you can take,'' Dooling said. "That's what happened to us. We started missing and we felt like we were going to get back on track but we never did.'' New Jersey shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, but slumped to 4-for-17 the rest of the way, leaving coach Lawrence Frank upset that his team settled for too many outside looks instead of attacking the rim. "We have to become smarter as a team at driving the ball to the basket,'' Frank said. "We just didn't play very smart, we missed a lot of defensive assignments and they took advantage of it. At halftime, we thought we were in pretty good shape, but they came out and outscored us by 20 points in the third quarter and really set us back.''

Daequan Cook had 11 points and Udonis Haslem another double-double (10-10) as Miami won its fifth straight. Jermaine O'Neal had 9 points and 10 rebounds and Jamario Moon added another 9 points for the Heat. Vince Carter led all scorers with 34 points for the Nets. Sean Williams, Bobby Simmons and Brook Lopez all had 11 points each. Lopez shot 4-for-14, while Carter shot 14-of-33. "Just call it an off night and move on,'' said Carter. Beasley scored 12 points as Miami broke open a close game by outscoring New Jersey 33-11 in the third. "He looked pretty good out there,'' Carter said of Beasley. "He's definitely one of those guys who is always going to have a mismatch every night and they take advantage of it.''

"Mario provides that little extra something that we were missing,'' Wade said of Chalmers, who had 7 of his 11 assists in the fourth quarter. Miami has also benefited from the acquisition of O'Neal, who is averaging 15.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. He has had five double-doubles in Miami's 7 games. "With Mario and Jermaine in the lineup, it gives us a bit of confidence,'' Wade added. "We have guys playing their natural positions, which is a real key for us, and we're flowing.'' Beasley and Haslem were simply too much for New Jersey to handle. "We knew we wanted to go inside,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That was part of our plan. Our plan was to go inside first and see if we could collapse the defense and that should open things up from the perimeter.''

Game Notes :: Miami improved to 2-1 at home and 3-1 on the road. ... The Nets played without point guard Devin Harris, who missed his fourth straight game with a broken wrist. ... Nets forward Yi Jianlian took a shot to the nose in the first quarter and played a bit with cotton packed in his left nostril. ... Wade's mother, Jolinda, sat in a seat along one of the baselines, next to her daughter Tragil. ... This was Carter's third straight 30-point game, all losses. (92-106 vs. Detroit, 100-127 at Indiana and tonight).


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(3-5)
(6-2)

Heat topple Trail Blazers despite Beasley's injury
(PLAYED GAME)
Preview | Recap | POR Boxscore | MIA Boxscore
Dwyane Wade and Jermaine O'Neal have the Miami Heat firing on all cylinders in 2008: Wade made himself present in every category, while O'Neal had his sixth double-double of the campaign to lead the Heat to an 124-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, despite losing Michael Beasley to a broken toe. Wade had (take note): 39 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 1 block, and O'Neal had 25 and 12 rebounds. Winners of their last six, the Heat never trailed in the contest, despite Beasley suffering an injury following a collision with Channing Frye with 5:47 left in the first quarter. He only played 6 minutes. The first quarter was very even, with Miami going into the second with a 2-point lead, but Erik Spoelstra's squad raced to a 41-23 period, leading 75-55 going into the second half. Wade found O'Neal for a basket with 44 seconds left, and with the shot clock running down, dribbled right, then spun back left and - even though he was closely guarded by Brandon Roy - made a 20-footer to close the game.

Daequan Cook and James Jones filled in nicely for the injured Beasley, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively. LaMarcus Aldridge played only 32 minutes for the Blazers but made his way to score 18 points and shoot 8-of-14. Roy flirted with a triple-double with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, but shooting 8-of-23 from the field. "We shot ourselves in the foot tonight with all the turnovers we had, especially early on and then late in the fourth when we were trying to make a comeback,'' Roy said. "Mistakes, mistakes. We coughed it up on really unforced and unnecessary turnovers, and to give a really solid team like Miami, more than 20 points off turnovers, it's tough," lamented coach Nate McMillan.

Game Notes :: South Florida native Steve Blake had 6 points and 4 assists for Portland. ... Greg Oden, the 2007 No. 1 overall pick who missed all of last season, finished with six points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes for Portland. "I got to play a full game, which is good for me, but we lost, which is bad for the team,'' joked Oden. "I feel good.'' ... Portland used four players listed at 6-foot-11 or better in its rotation Wednesday, exploiting a serious size advantage. ... Portland is now 16-5 all-time when visiting Miami.


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Michael Beasley Injury Update

MIAMI. -- The Miami Heat placed Michael Beasley on the injury list today with a broken toe, an injury that could sideline the forward for at least one month. The Heat selected forward Dorell Wright to take Beasley's spot in the rotation. Beasley's injury is a big blow to one of the league's most attractive teams. The 19-year-old Beasley was injured when he collisioned with Portland Trail Blazers forward Channing Frye. Beasley immediately left the game and postgame X-rays revealed a serious injury. Heat manager Pat Riley said further tests indicated that Beasley will be out four to six weeks.

"I had been with Dorell many times, so I know his skill set," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "I've seen him enough to know what to expect about his playing ability. The rest is going to be about how he plays when he gets the opportunity." Beasley, the second overall pick in this year's draft, was averaging 12.8 points and 3.9 rebounds, shooting .456% from the field. Beasley's surgery is due to take place later in the week. "I was hopeful the injury would not be too serious, but X-rays have confirmed the worst," Beasley said today at press conference; the rookie will have the toe wired in the operation, Riley confirmed.

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(4-3)
(7-2)

Heat continue run, beat Wizards
(SIMULATED GAME)
Preview | Recap | WAS Boxscore | MIA Boxscore
Joel Anthony knew he had to start playing better before his team could. Anthony scored 7 of his 9 points in the fourth quarter, as the Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards 93-85 to post a seven-game winning streak. Dwyane Wade led Miami with 36 points. Mario Chalmers had 4 points but 12 assists for the Heat, who are now 7-2 and leading the Eastern Conference. "I was mad at myself,'' Anthony said. "I felt like I was letting my team down in our two losses this season, I'd look at the boxscore and just the way that I felt after the game, I felt like I could have did more and if I could have just did a little bit, we could probably have won those games.'' But the biggest development was the rediscovery of Anthony's offense; the 6-foot-9 center only had 2 points against Portland and was scoreless in 10 minutes against New Jersey. "The game against the Nets, that was probably the lowest that I've been in a long time, just as far as emotionally and just not satisfied with myself at all,'' said Anthony.

"I thought Joel's aggressiveness at the end of the game, it really propelled the team,'' coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I thought his attitude and his approach to the game really gave the team a lot of confidence. I thought we really fed off the way he finished the game.'' Gilbert Arenas scored 26 points along with 8 rebounds and 7 assists for the Wizards, who lost for the second time in three games, falling to 4-3 and last place in the Southeast Division. "Both teams played well,'' Wizards coach Ed Tapscott said. "With the exception of a couple of segments, we looked pretty much stuck in the mud.'' But the Wizards' offensive struggles remain. "That's the question we are all trying to find,'' Caron Butler said. "We had a great effort from everybody but it wasn't enough to win.'' Butler had 12 points in 6-of-13 from the field. The Heat led throughout the entire second half, building a comfortable lead by going 10-of-15 from the field in the third quarter. That included a Wade's bucket from just inside halfcourt to beat the buzzer, sending Miami to the final period ahead, 73-63.

Game Notes :: Washington was missing reserve Oleksiy Pecherov, who suffered back spasms in Washington's 128-104 win over the Utah Jazz. ... A group of Wizards fans started chanting "Fire Ed!'' in the closing minutes of the game, in reference to coach Tapscott; sources say that the Wizards are in talk with former Pistons coach, Flip Saunders. ... Miami played without starting rookie forward Michael Beasley, who missed his first straight game following a broken toe. ... It was only Miami's third win in its last 19 games against divisional opponents, dating to late in the 2006-07 season. ... Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player and No. 1 in WTA ranking, sat courtside and took a picture of the jumbotron when his face was shown on the big screen. ... Wizards new players, T.J. Ford -acquired from Indiana- and Mike Miller -from Minnesota- made their debuts for Washington and scored 7 and 12 points, respectively. ... The Wizards only made 2-of-13 3-pointers in the game; Miami, 10-of-19.


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(8-2)
(1-8)

Heat trio soar past Raptors
(PLAYED GAME)
Preview | Recap | MIA Boxscore | TOR Boxscore
As the rim neared and with two 6-foot-10 players in his path, Dwyane Wade took flight unsure of his next move. So he dunked - left-handed. "I just kind of made that one up,'' he said. But it didn't matter as Wade and the Heat rolled past the Toronto Raptors, 112-98 for their eight win in 10 games. Heat's shooting guard finished with 40 points on 15-of-27 shooting. He added twelve assists, five rebounds, three steals and a few more highlight-package dunks as the Heat improved to 8-2. Wade dunked once lefty (his weaker hand), a few times with his right and rocked a few through the rim with both as his teammates found him with a few alley-oop passes. Wade doesn't necessarily rate his dunks, but he likes delivering them. "It all depends on what part of the game it is, how the flow is going and whether it's a big bucket or not,'' he said. "Sometimes you want to get the momentum going your way. I enjoy them. I do.''

"They look great,'' Raptors coach Jay Triano said of the Heat. "They're the top team in the East right now, their record says that. They have a legitimate shot to get to the playoffs, even with their last year's record. You have to play at a high level when you're playing those teams.'' Wade got plenty of help as Jermaine O'Neal scored 22 points, Udonis Haslem 20 and Mario Chalmers 11 assists for Miami. Chris Bosh scored 23 points, Jason Kapono had 21 and Jose Calderon 14 for Toronto, who won at Detroit after starting 0-3 but lost their last 5 games. Calderon did not score in the second half and was hounded most of the night by Chalmers. "It was a tough night,'' the Spaniard said.

Chalmers joined Michael Beasley in the Heat's injury list, after he suffered a bruised tailbone with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter. Trailing 56-48 going into the second half, Miami whittled Toronto's lead to only 1 when Wade came up with another of those rim-rattling, head-shaking slams. Driving down the lane, Wade got a step on Bosh, rose to the basket and dunked left handed over both Bosh and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, making the pair of 6-foot-10 look like high schoolers. Later, he blasted to the basket, cocked the ball and powered it through with enough force to cause Kapono to duck for cover. "I've been on the opposite side of that,'' said O'Neal, who came to the Heat in a trade from the Raptors. "I hope whoever is underneath doesn't try to be a hero and just gets out the way.''

Game Notes :: The Heat jumped to an 13-4 lead early in the first but the Raptors gained a 34-30 advantage to enter the second quarter. ... Jamario Moon replaced injured Michael Beasley in Miami's starting lineup. ... Calderon has played in 106 consecutive games, dating to March 21, 2007. ... Former Heat Shawn Marion scored 10 points and was 5-of-16 from the field. ... Heat guard Luther Head posted a season-high 9 points. ... The Wade-O'Neal-Haslem trio combined for 82 points and 33 rebounds.


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Mario Chalmers Injury Update

MIAMI. -- The Miami Heat placed Mario Chalmers on the injury list today with a bruised tailbone, and he will be in street clothes for at least a week. The rookie point guard, starting for the Heat, got injured when he suffered a collision with Toronto Raptors' center Patrick O'Bryant. Chalmers continued playing and X-rays made after the game determined it wasn't serious.

Chalmers did not practice today at American Airlines Arena. "It bothered him a little today, but he'll be fine next week," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He takes a couple shots (to his body) every game... but he's fine," Heat general manager Pat Riley added.

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(9-2)
(4-4)

Wade, Heat hold off Washington
(SIMULATED GAME)
Preview | Recap | MIA Boxscore | WAS Boxscore
Joel Anthony and Jamario Moon showed why the Miami Heat wanted them on their side: both were the reason why Miami won 88-84 at Washington for the second time in five days. Moon had two key steals in the last 2 minutes and Anthony had 2 key blocks to win the fourth quarter 29-15. Dwyane Wade scored 34 points and Jermaine O'Neal added 18 for Miami. The Heat shot 50 percent from the field, but O'Neal and Udonis Haslem gave them plenty of second chances with 10 offensive rebounds. "Believe me, Joel's a beast in there,'' Wade said. "He's always throwing his body around, getting his hands on balls, rebounding, kicking it out and giving us so many extra opportunities. And Jamario was definitely huge for us.''

Nick Young led the Wizards scoring 18 points and staying perfect from the field (7-of-7 and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc) and Gilbert Arenas added 16 and 7 assists. The Heat fought back from a 69-59 deficit early in the fourth quarter. Luther Head had consecutive baskets for Miami and Wade found O'Neal for an alley-oop dunk to cut Washington's lead to 72-68 with 7:51 left. Then a Wade jumper with free throw and a Moon lay-up gave the Heat a 73-72 lead with 6:58 left, Miami's first lead of the second half. "For me, I'm just trying to do whatever I can do to help this team win,'' Moon said. "Whether it's rebound, defend, try to play the passing lanes, try to get stops, whatever. Whatever I can do I'll do to help this team win.''

Juan Dixon (11 points) tied it at 77 with 5:41 left, but the Heat took the lead for good when Brendan Haywood was called for goaltending on O'Neal's shot and Wade had a putback with 1:26 left to make it 83-79. Young hit a 3 for Washington with 1:04 seconds left, but Wade answered with a 3 to put the Miami up 86-82 with 34 seconds to go. "The offensive rebounds killed us,'' Wizards coach Ed Tapscott said. "They had six offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and ten in the game, that's hard to overcome regardless of how hard you play.''

Game Notes :: Washington's Andray Blatche was ejected with 17 seconds left after a hard foul on Anthony. He was called for a flagrant and a technical. ... Wade took Mario Chalmers' spot at point guard after the rookie from Kansas got injured in the win over Toronto. Daequan Cook started at shooting guard but scored only 4 points. ... Miami shot 2-of-15 3-pointers, both made by Dwyane Wade. ... Some coincidences: both teams shot 50% from the field, both teams had 5 blocks and both teams had at least 13 turnovers. ... Wizards' bench outscored Heat's, 39-19.



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(1-10)
(10-2)

Wade, O'Neal lead Heat past Raps, win 8th in a row
(SIMULATED GAME)
Preview | Recap | TOR Boxscore | MIA Boxscore
It didn't take long for sophomore Daequan Cook to take a spot in the lineup after Mario Chalmers' injury. Jamario Moon took Michael Beasley's. Cook and Moon, each about 6'6'', combined for 18 points and 11 assists in their second game starting together, as the Heat triumphed over the Toronto Raptors, 83-74, and win their 8th game in a row. Coach Erik Spoelstra began tinkering with the lineup after Beasley was sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a broken toe. Spoelstra decided to start the undersized pair in the win against Washington, after Chalmers' injury. "I kind of figured it was going to happen at some point because we played so well together,'' said Moon, who has played at 2, 3 and 4 so far this season. "Coach was doing it a little bit even before. So with Mario and Michael being out, it wasn't a surprise. I was kind of like, 'OK, let's go, let's make this happen.'''

"Jam's a tough player. He's not going to let anybody back him,'' said Cook. "I'm not going to let anybody back me down. So we just play hard and play with heart. Size doesn't matter.'' Apparently not to the Raptors, who somehow couldn't take advantage of a seemingly big advantage up front. Chris Bosh had 17 points, but made only 5 of 14 shots and fouled out with under a minute left. Shawn Marion posted 16 points in 6-of-15, and Jose Calderon was held to five points on 2-of-6 shooting. Andrea Bargnani added 10 points for Toronto, who shot 38 percent and have lost seven straight games. "We expect to be better than this,'' Bosh said. "We will be better than this. It's a work in progress. About Miami, they deserved to win this ballgame. They outhustled us on a few loose balls and they knocked down timely shots.'' Coach Spoelstra said that "It's fun when you feel like your team's trying hard and accomplishing things.'' Cook added that "You've got to adjust your game. I'm a shooting guard, so even when I'm at the 3, I can use my shooting guard skills. I can penetrate, set up the post and make things happen.''

Game Notes :: Bosh, Bargnani and Marion had at least 2 turnovers each. ... Jason Kapono was 1-of-10 from the field, his worst night of the season, scoring only 2 points. ... Toronto had 12 second chance points. ... Raptors' bench outscored Miami's, 26-13. ... Miami had 22 assists, Toronto 16. ... Both teams were perfect from the charity stripe (Toronto, 12-of-12; Miami, 6-of-6).


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[33_ALLDAY_33]

Whoa great week man! 8 wins in a row is agreat accomplishment. ive gotten as far as 6 lol. keep it up man

[cavs4872]

Amazing week. Keep this up, and you can guarantee yourself the title. You aren't going to simulate any of your Playoff games, right?

[kibaxx7]

Whoa great week man! 8 wins in a row is agreat accomplishment. ive gotten as far as 6 lol. keep it up man

Thanks man A trade is coming very soon, so stay tuned.

Amazing week. Keep this up, and you can guarantee yourself the title. You aren't going to simulate any of your Playoff games, right?

Thanks bro, and no, all playoffs games will be played, but I'm thinking in posting maybe 2 of 3 playoff games at the same time, or it will be too long

[Martti.]

Great week! The Heat are the best, aren't they?

[kibaxx7]

Great week! The Heat are the best, aren't they?

Right now, they are

No one says anything about the injuries? Or about some things in the Game Notes? Or any possible trades? Anyone knows how to delete the red ring of the replays?

[|)e8*]

Nice asscociation, I wonder when you sim games how do you get the pics from it?

[Martti.]

Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player and No. 1 in WTA ranking, sat courtside and took a picture of the jumbotron when his face was shown on the big screen.

[kibaxx7]

Nice asscociation, I wonder when you sim games how do you get the pics from it?

Play the game first two minutes, take pics, quit, sim to the end of the game

Choose the next two games:

vs Indiana
vs Houston
@ Portland
@ Phoenix
@ LA Clippers
@ Golden State

[Martti.]

vs Houston
@ Phoenix

[kibaxx7]

:: Results for Week 2 ::

• Who will have a worst field goal percentage?

New Jersey 97 (Vince Carter 34 pts., 6 rebs., 9 ast.; Brook Lopez 11 pts., 10 rebs.; Yi Jianlian 8 pts., 7 rebs., 4-8 FGs -.500%-)
Miami 113 (Dwyane Wade 34 pts., 7 ast., 4 blocks; Michael Beasley 24 pts., 11-15 FGs -.733%-; Mario Chalmers 14 pts., 11 ast., 4-6 FGs)


Correct option: Yi Jianlian

• Who will have pull down more rebounds?

Portland 90 (Brandon Roy 20 pts., 7 rebs., 7 ast.; LaMarcus Aldridge 18 pts., 6 rebs., 8-14 FGs; Joel Przybilla 2 rebs., 1 ast., 2 blocks)
Miami 124 (Dwyane Wade 39 pts., 6 rebs., 6 ast., 6 steals; Jermaine O'Neal 25 pts., 12 rebs., 3 blocks; Joel Anthony 2 pts., 2 rebs., 1 block)


Correct option: Same rebounds

• Who will post a double-double?

Washington 85 (Gilbert Arenas 26 pts., 8 rebs., 7 ast., 10-15 FGs; Caron Butler 12 pts., 2 rebs., 6-13 FGs; Mike Miller 12 pts., 4 rebs., 5-8 FGs)
Miami 93 (Dwyane Wade 36 pts., 5 ast., 15-28 FGs; Daequan Cook 11 pts., 4-5 FGs; Jermaine O'Neal 10 pts., 6 rebs., 5-12 FGs)


Correct option: None

• Who will score more points?

Miami 112 (Dwyane Wade 40 pts., 5 rebs., 12 ast., 15-27 FGs; Jermaine O'Neal 22 pts., 12 rebs., 10-17 FGs; Udonis Haslem 20 pts., 16 rebs., 6-8 FGs)
Toronto 98 (Chris Bosh 23 pts., 10 rebs., 11-30 FGs; Jason Kapono 21 pts., 8-14 FGs; Andrea Bargnani 9 pts., 5 rebs., 4-7 FGs)


Correct option: Udonis Haslem

• Who will dish less assists?

Miami 88 (Dwyane Wade 34 pts., 8 ast., 14-21 FGs; Jermaine O'Neal 18 pts., 7 rebs., 9-16 FGs; Daequan Cook 4 pts., 4 ast.)
Washington 84 (Nick Young 18 pts., 7-7 FGs; Gilbert Arenas 16 pts., 7 ast.; Caron Butler 4 pts., 3 rebs., 2 ast.)


Correct option: Caron Butler

• Who will lose this game?

Toronto 74 (Chris Bosh 17 pts., 10 rebs., 3 ast., 5-14 FGs; Shawn Marion 16 pts., 8 rebs., 6-15 FGs; Andrea Bargnani 10 pts., 4-9 FGs)
Miami 83 (Dwyane Wade 29 pts., 8 ast., 13-26 FGs; Jermaine O'Neal 16 pts., 8 rebs., 8-13 FGs; Jamario Moon 9 pts., 9 rebs.)


Correct option: Toronto

:: Scores for Week 2 ::

1. Shabron :: 8 points (3 guesses + 50% guesses right)
2. ohvitser12 :: 2 points
   ratrac :: 2 points
   Martti. :: 2 points
   nba_baller :: 2 points
   Alejandrov011 :: 2 points
3. XxCavaliers :: 1 point
   DonDavido :: 1 point
   XpLosibo :: 1 point
   
   What happened guys? Recharge batteries for next week

:: Leaderboard after Week 2 ::

Current points (points before + points today)

1. Martti. :: 18 points (16 + 2)
2. Shabron :: 16 points (8 + 8)
3. nba_baller :: 12 points (10 + 2)
4. XpLosibo :: 11 points (10 + 1)
   DonDavido :: 11 points (10 + 1)
   Alejandrov011 :: 11 points (9 + 2)
   ohvitser12 :: 11 points (9 + 2)
5. XxCavaliers :: 9 points (8 + 1)
6. tee-pane :: 8 points (8 + 0)
7. ratrac :: 3 points (1 + 2)

[Its_asdf]

I have only one qualm about this dynasty. It fucking needs more Dorrel Wright!

[kibaxx7]

Clippers sign Jawad Williams

LOS ANGELES. -- The Los Angeles Clippers have signed forward Jawad Williams to a contract, Clippers general manager Mike Dunleavy, Sr. announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Williams (6-9, 220 pounds) played in the preseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cleveland native and St. Edward H.S. graduate didn't make the Cavaliers’ 2008-09 opening day roster, as he was a training camp invite. He was waived by the Cavaliers this last days. Following his stint with the Cavaliers this season, Williams played in 19 games (18 starts) with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League. He averaged 25.7 points on .454 shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36.5 minutes per game. The rookie forward is eligible to be on the Clippers’ postseason roster, if the qualify, and will wear No. 11. The Clippers roster now stands at 13 players.

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The value of Chauncey Billups

DENVER. -- In an era where there are statistics for virtually everything -- many of them meaningless -- Denver Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups is a player whose value is very difficult to measure empirically. Yes, Denver's point guard has put up some good numbers this season, but so much of what Billups brings to the table will never be found in a boxscore. And it's those very qualities that have helped to transform the Denver Nuggets from a talented but dysfunctional bunch to one that now has a legitimate shot to win a NBA championship. One needs to look no further than Denver's recent opponents to find proof of just how much of an impact he's had. "He's the calm in the storm," Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry explained with a smile. "When you've got a volatile team of guys that have physical and aggressive personalities, he's the calming factor. He's the guy that if the storm brews he's going to come in and say, 'Hey, it's going to be alright.' He's going to make the play they need, the defensive play or big shot. He's done that all season long for them. He's the head of the snake." Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki added that "they play both ends of the floor with Chauncey really setting the tone. He's tough-minded. I think he brought some toughness to this team, mental and physical. They don't ever give up."

When Denver originally pulled the trigger on the trade last November, they had a sense that Billups might help change the culture so much so the front office had dialogue with the Detroit Pistons about him all summer. When the Pistons repeatedly asked for Carmelo Anthony in any deal for Billups, the Nuggets made it clear in no uncertain terms that they weren't moving Melo. Eventually, the Pistons came around and agreed to a swap for Allen Iverson. "We weren't trading Melo," asserted Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien. "It took (Detroit) a few months to understand that. We were going to make this thing work and then we were able to get Chauncey." When he first arrived no one fully understood the enormous impact he would end up having, and it all started with Billups putting the pressure on himself to perform. "When I first arrived there were some expectations that we would be a better team, but you've still got to get on the court and do it," said Billups. "There were a lot of things that I was supposed to have brought to the table, but it wasn't just a given and I had to really bring it to the table. I had to try to lead and try to take charge."

Part of this process included forming a good relationship with his head coach. Over time the two have created almost a perfect synergy. However, that doesn't mean they don't challenge one another. In fact, they often overrule each another in film studies and between the lines. When asked why this works so well, Karl replied: "Because I trust him. I trust him and I think he trusts me. He knows who's anxious or angry about what's going on probably more than I do because they are verbalizing it to him and not to me. In my old age I don't want to be a dictator. I'd rather just be the heart of the party."

Simply put, there is no statistic you can find on NBA.com or anywhere else that can quantify leadership. And truthfully, there's no more important quality that Billups has brought to the table in Denver. "It's a gift to have one of your best players be a great leader and a great daily guy," said Karl. "He's a positive energy guy, a guy who gets through the muck of NBA losing and egos. When he walks into the locker room on a daily basis he just makes it work. As much of a leader as he was in Detroit, I think he has more of a leadership role with this team. It's a younger team, a team that hasn't been to the mountain top like they had been in Detroit. It makes the team run a lot smoother."

"As you know, man, I come to win," Billups asserted. "I try to do the best I can every night for one reason and that's to win. Not for anything else." When he first arrived winning was defined a little bit differently in Denver than what Billups had been accustomed to. That's what seven straight Conference Finals will do to a player. "Being around here all year everybody was putting all the emphasis on the first round, and I shoot higher than that," said Billups. "That's just the first step. When I first got here we were really just trying to make the playoffs. Our whole thing was to try and make the playoffs and make a run. Three weeks after that when we got off to a great start, we reevaluated our goals and said, 'Alright, we want to win the division and get homecourt advantage.' We've constantly revaluated our goals and made them bigger and better all season."

But some sources indicate that Billups could be on his way out of Colorado after the Nuggets apparently placed him in the trading block, with Cleveland offering center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Atlanta willing to go separate ways with Josh Smith. Billups said that if he leaves Denver, it would only be to return to the East. So just how valuable is Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets? Maybe Miami, leader of the Eastern Conference, and looking for a mentor for Mario Chalmers, is in the horizon for Mr. Big Shot?

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After winning gold, Wade still has Something 2 Prove

MIAMI. -- Winning an Olympic gold medal hasn't erased Dwyane Wade's painful memories of a dismal last season with the Miami Heat. Wade may have been one of the United States' best players in Beijing, but he knows it will take more than that to silence the critics back home in Miami after the Heat posted the NBA's worst record last year. "The Olympics just hushed people," Wade said ahead of Saturday's game against Indiana in American Airlines Arena. "It just quieted them down for a little while. It didn't shut anyone up." So, going into this season, 12 games played, 8 games won in a row, and best record in the East, Wade has taken the gold medal off his neck and embraced a new mission.

The Olympics did have an effect on Wade, though, giving the 2006 NBA champion another taste of success after having two seasons ruined by injuries. "It was more important than anyone knows, just for your overall confidence," Wade said. "Once I got there (to Beijing) and started playing against, and with, the best players in the world and succeeding, it makes you understand and know that, OK, I'm back." The Heat's rookie coach, Erik Spoelstra, used the preseason trip to London -- part of the NBA's ongoing efforts to increase its fan base overseas -- as a team-building exercise, throwing in mandatory sightseeing trips in-between practices and games. The trip to Paris included a team photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, while the players were taken straight to the Houses of Parliament for another picture after arriving in England. For a young, inexperienced team that is still trying to find its identity under Spoelstra, Wade expects the trip to pay off. "It builds togetherness," he said. "That can help a lot on the court, where you care for each other more and you want to do more things for each other. We're a better team already than last season. We have a lot of young guys that have good potential. My thing is to help that process speed up faster."

And Miami fans have reason to be optimistic about the performance of Michael Beasley, the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, despite suffering a broken toe against Portland. "He's just one of those natural scorers, where it seems like it takes no effort to do," Wade said. "He's only 19 years old, so once he learns the game and gets a feel for it, he's going to be even better. I'm going to make him better, and he's going to make me better. And that's going to make our team better." Still, most of the weight still rests on Wade's shoulders to make sure the team doesn't spend another year in the basement. "Dwyane is the focal point of their team," said former NBA star Darryl Dawkins, who was helping the league run a clinic for local youth on a temporary court in South London. "By him playing, (it) makes everybody better. He can carry a team, and he will have to carry a team this year." Wade has done it before and knows he can do it again. He also knows how quickly a team can go from one of the worst to one of the best in the league, after watching the Boston Celtics make the transformation last year.

"Once you see that something is done, it makes it easier for you to have the vision that it can be done again. Of course, they did it unbelievably, not only did they have a quick turnaround, they won a championship. I think after the season we had last year, we won 15 games, it's not going to be difficult to have a quick turnaround," Wade said. "My team was 15-67 last year. Of course I'm going to always have fun and enjoy the game, but at the same time you have to play with a chip on your shoulder. And I feel everyone in the locker room should play with a chip on their shoulder, because we have something to prove."

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Pacers acquire Luol Deng

INDIANA. -- The Indiana Pacers announced today a player swap with the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers received from the Bulls, forward Luol Deng, in exchange for forward Mike Dunleavy, Jr.. “We feel we made a pretty significant trade for the franchise that will be good for both teams,” said coach Jim O'Brien. “Trades are always painful because you give up players you like, but in this case, we think it’s a good trade that works for both teams. We feel the players we got will make a significant difference in the franchise.”

The 6-9, 230-pound Dunleavy is starting his seventh season out of Duke. In 4 games with the Pacers this season, he averaged 11.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Dunleavy was originally acquired in a trade from Golden State, in January 2007, along forwards Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod, with forwards Al Harrington and Josh Powell and guards Stephen Jackson and Sarunas Jasikevicius going opposite ways. Deng was in his fifth season with the Bulls and played 6 games this season, averaging 15.7 points, originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the first round (seventh overall) of NBA Draft 2004 and traded to Chicago for a future conditional first-round draft pick, the draft rights to Jackson Vroman (31st overall pick) and cash.

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Law battling depression, says he nearly quit Hawks

ATLANTA. -- Atlanta Hawks guard Acie Law contemplated quitting before leaving the team to seek help for depression and "a mood disorder" he has been battling his entire life. Law said he removed himself from the team to "get my thoughts back together. I felt a feeling of anger and I just wanted to throw it all away and quit the team," he said. The guard candidly discussed his condition following practice today. He said he had been troubled by his behavior toward a high school referee during a scrimmage. Law took out his frustrations on the official, and said the incident was a warning signal for him to seek treatment to combat an illness that has troubled him for years. "I needed help," he said. Law is taking medication and has been attending therapy sessions.

"In a sense, you feel like a weaker man because you have to raise your hand and ask for help," Law said. "But I found out over the last week that it made me a stronger person. I came back focused, and with the help of some medicine and talking with people on a regular basis, I'm back in good spirits. I'm back here 100 percent." He only played 2 games this season: 6 minutes in Atlanta's win at Orlando (November 1, 3 points) and another 6 minutes in a triumph against Philadelphia (November 1, 2 points). Law was selected by the Hawks as the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

Law said his mood problems date to his childhood. He has always been able to find peace in the gym, but he has struggled with relationships away from the floor, and also said his mood swings seem to be most erratic when his life seems to be in order. "When everything is on the upside, I'm feeling the worst," said Law, who thanked his teammates, including Joe Johnson, for their support while he was away. "This is the epitome of a family organization. I want to go to war for these people. I would die for them, I really mean that." Hawks coach Mike Woodson wasn't surprised to hear that Law was open about discussing his condition. "He's a good kid," Woodson said. "He's a trustworthy guy and forthright." Law said he's not concerned about any outside perception about his condition and he's not worried about what others think about him. "Only God is my judge," he said. "All that matters is how I feel about myself."

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Grizzlies announce three team trade

MEMPHIS. -- The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired center Brian Cardinal and forward/center Shelden Williams in a three-team trade with Minnesota and Milwaukee, general manager Chris Wallace announced today. As part of the deal, the Bucks send guard Luke Ridnour to Minnesota, while the Grizzlies trade Darko Milicic (MILL-a-chich) to Milwaukee. “The trade we made today provides us with much needed options in both the short and long-term planning for our franchise,” said Wallace. “We acquired two proven, tough-minded veterans in Brian and Shelden. The trade also provides us with additional opportunities, both now and in the future, to consider adding more pieces to our roster.”

Cardinal (6-8, 240), an eight-year NBA veteran out of Purdue, owns career averages of 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 263 games with Detroit, Washington, Golden State and the Timberwolves. He was acquired on June from Memphis, with the Timberwolves acquiring the draft rights to 6-10 forward Kevin Love, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, and 6-8 guard/forward Mike Miller (last week traded to Washington) in an eight-player trade that sent the draft rights to O.J. Mayo, the third overall draft pick, to the Grizzlies. As part of the deal, the Wolves also acquired center Jason Collins, with Memphis receiving guards Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner, and forward Antoine Walker. Cardinal only lasted 4 months in Minnesota and returned to his previous team.

Williams (6-9, 250), originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, holds career averages of 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 175 career appearances. He was acquired by Sacramento last February in the deal that sent Mike Bibby to the Hawks, and then the Kings traded him to Minnesota, along guard Bobby Brown, in exchange for guard Rashad McCants and center Calvin Booth. He finished his career at Duke University as only the third player in NCAA history, along with David Robinson and Pervis Ellison, to record at least 1,500 points (1,905), 1,000 rebounds (1,262), 350 blocks (422), and 150 steals (161). In 139 career games (128 starts), the two-time national defensive player of the year and Duke's all-time leader in rebounding and blocked shots averaged 13.8 points (57.3 FG%), 9.1 rebounds and 3.13 blocks per game.

Originally drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 14th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Ridnour (6-2, 175) played five seasons in Seattle averaging 8.8 ppg. and 4.9 apg. On August, he was traded in a three-team deal that sent him and Adrian Griffin from Oklahoma City to Milwaukee, Maurice Williams from Milwaukee to Cleveland, Desmond Mason from Milwaukee to Oklahoma City, Damon Jones from Cleveland to Milwaukee, and Joe Smith from Cleveland to Oklahoma City. This season, he averaged 11.1 ppg. and 8.7 apg. with the Bucks. “Our challenge from day one has been to shape our roster in a way that our fans will see a team that is competitive, that plays hard every night and has a chance to win,” said Timberwolves general manager Jim Stack. “We feel that the adquisition of Luke continues to move us toward that goal for this season and beyond.”

Bucks general manager John Hammond said that “This deal allows us the opportunity to pick up a young, big man in Darko. We look forward to his contributions to our ball club and wish Luke all the best in Minnesota.” Milicic (7-0, 250) has played in 96 career NBA regular season games with the Pistons, averaging 1.6 ppg. and 1.2 rpg. in 5.8 minpg. He was originally selected by Detroit during the first round (second overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft. Milicic also played 110 games with the Orlando Magic, averaging 7.8 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. in 22.4 mpg. “This gives us the opportunity to acquire a seven-footer with a high skill level,” said Bucks head coach Scott Skiles. “We feel that he will be a nice complement playing alongside Charlie (Villanueva) and Andrew (Bogut).” On July 13, 2007 he was signed by the Grizzlies, where he averaged 7.2 ppg. and 6.1 rpg. in 2007/08 and 9.7 ppg. and 4.7 rpg. in this 6 games with Memphis.

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Gooden trying to find way with Spurs

SAN ANTONIO. -- Even though his days as a starter seem gone for good, Drew Gooden still believes he can be an important piece of Gregg Popovich's rotation. Two days after Popovich started him against Phoenix, the coach benched him against Portland and then criticized his work ethic afterward. He was back on the practice floor Thursday, still hoping to find a role with the team. "I feel like I was working hard already honestly," Gooden said. "There's nothing I can do. I can't get days back, I can't get practices back. All I can do is try to come out here and play hard here in practice and do extra stuff after practice and get back that way to be in the starting lineup." Gooden was been the Spurs' starting power forward, with Tim Duncan taking the spot at center, since being signed by manager R.J. Buford. Gooden was traded by the Chicago Bulls to Sacramento and was waived by the Kings.

Still, Gooden was surprised when Popovich didn't use him at all in a home loss to New York, even though his size could have been useful against the Knicks' frontline that was punishing the Spurs. "I was kind of caught off guard by it. I went into the last game same way I do every game, with the same approach, preparing myself mentally and getting ready for a game," he said. "I didn't have any kind of warning or nothing. Not playing that game did kind of open my eyes a little bit, but it's the hand I was dealt so I've just got to make the best of it, keep working and we'll see what happens." Popovich said Gooden had a good practice, but added, "It didn't take one day to get out of the rotation, not going to take one day to get in, either."

The Spurs then played against Milwaukee and Gooden played almost half an hour, with 12 points and 9 rebounds, following Duncan's dislocated finger in his right hand. "Like anybody else, you've got to have your breaks, you've got to play hard every day, you've got to come and want it every day and then you hope you're good enough to play," Popovich said. "I think the two weeks that he was out hurt him. Let's just go forward and what have we got, seven months left? Make it eight straight months of good days and something good will happen. Always does."

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Kings acquire Nate Robinson

SACRAMENTO. -- The Sacramento Kings have acquired guard Nate Robinson from the New York Knicks in exchange for forward Cedric Simmons, Kings general manager Geoff Petrie announced today.

Robinson (5-9, 180) was originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns after his junior year as the 21st overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and averaged 14.4 points and 3.3 assists in 89 games for the University of Washington. The Seattle, WA-native earned First Team All-Pac-10 honors his sophomore and junior seasons. “Welcoming Nate to the Kings family is another step in the right direction for this franchise,” coach Reggie Theus said. “Not only does this trade make our team younger and more athletic, but it adds a strong defensive presence to our perimeter. We think he will be a perfect compliment to our existing backcourt. I am sorry to see Cedric leave us, he was one of our toughest frontline players this past season, but this trade is just one step in a large plan to improve this team.”

Simmons (6-9, 235), 21 years old, was selected in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2006 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets and the season after, got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard David Wesley. In 43 games (four starts) during the 2006-07 season, his best so far, he averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game and registered career highs in both points (10) and rebounds (9) versus Denver on Dec. 29, 2006. In his third NBA season out of North Carolina State, he averaged 2.5 points (.524 FGs, .429 FTs) and 1.1 rebounds through 11 contests for the Chicago Bulls and has career averages of 2.4 points (.419 FGs, .386 FTs) and 2.0 rebounds per game through 68 outings. He was acquired by the Kings, along Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni and Ike Diogu in a three-team trade that sent Brad Miller and John Salmons to Chicago and Michael Ruffin to the Portland Trail Blazers. “Cedric is a young, talented player,” said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. “We look forward to participating in his continued development here in New York.”

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Jazz' Okur cleared of drunk driving charge

UTAH. -- Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur was found not guilty today on a drunken-driving charge. A Harris County jury cleared the 30-year-old player of the misdemeanor, court spokesman Fred King said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Okur was arrested in August after he was pulled over by police who said he made an erratic lane change and was driving without his headlights on. The Jazz are 4-8, 4th place in the Northwest Division and a shared 12th place with Dallas and Portland in the Western Conference. Last season, Okur averaged 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in 72 games. In 12 games this season, the Turkish is averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds.

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Sixers trade for Ryan Gomes

PHILADELPHIA. -- Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Billy King announced today that the Sixers acquired forward Ryan Gomes from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard Willie Green. Green (6-3, 201), Detroit Mercy product, was the 41st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and his draft rights were acquired from the Seattle SuperSonics for the rights to Paccelis Morlende, the 50th overall selection, and an undisclosed amount of cash. He averaged a career-best 22.6 points per game during his senior season, a mark that ranked 11th nationally, earning him Horizon League Player of the Year honors and an Honorable Mention All-America selection by The Associated Press. Green averaged 14.3 points per game during his four-year collegiate career, finishing as the fourth leading scorer in Detroit Mercy history with 1,779 points. He connected on 35.2 percent (120-for-341) from three-point range, a mark that ranks sixth in Detroit Mercy history. He averaged 9.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in five seasons with Philadelphia and 10.1 points and 2.3 rebounds this season.

Gomes (6-7, 245), forward from Providence College, finished his collegiate career as the Friars' all-time leading scorer with 2,138 points and fifth in rebounds with 1,028. In 2006-07, Gomes posted averages of 12.1 points (.467 FG%) and 5.6 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game in 73 games (60 starts). and was acquired from the Boston Celtics in the trade that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston. In two seasons with the Celtics, Gomes has appeared in 134 games (93 starts) and has averaged 10.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 27.2 mpg. Gomes, 25, was drafted in the second round (50th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft. In his first games with their new teams, Gomes and Green will play against eachother.

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[kibaxx7]

I have only one qualm about this dynasty. It fucking needs more Dorrel Wright!

I activated him when Beasley got injured, he's just warming up.

[33_ALLDAY_33]

Okur? Drunk Driving? Lol very funny. But great read man nonetheless. Nice bit on Acie Law, too

[Fresh8]

Just caught up on this, I really like the layout and recap. It's very neat man, I am very envious!!!

[XpLosibo]

like the trades, esp. nate to the kings and the deng-granger combo

[|)e8*]

Haha drunk driving. Anyways next two games:
@ Phoenix
@ Golden State

[kibaxx7]

Okur? Drunk Driving? Lol very funny. But great read man nonetheless. Nice bit on Acie Law, too

Haha drunk driving.

Thanks guys. Wanted to put something different and funny

Just caught up on this, I really like the layout and recap. It's very neat man, I am very envious!!!

Thanks bro

like the trades, esp. nate to the kings and the deng-granger combo

Yeah they are interesting, Deng-Granger is a nice 1-2 punch.

Guys I need you to vote for the next two games (33_ALLDAY_33, Sit, XpLosibo)!

[Martti.]

Nice news. Okur DUI, Wade always has something 2 prove Deng for Dunleavy? Simmons for Nate? The weird trades continue..

[kibaxx7]

Deng for Dunleavy? Simmons for Nate? The weird trades continue..

I'd do Deng for Dunleavy playing as Indiana. I think I will decide myself which games I'm gonna play, it's faster. Will post the predictions later today.

[kibaxx7]

Rules
Correct guess: 1 point.
If you guess at least 50% of the events: 5 extra points.
If you guess all the scenarios: 10 extra points.

:: November 22nd, 2008 ::

• Who will have a better free throw percentage?

Luol Deng
Udonis Haslem
Same percentage

:: November 24th, 2008 ::

• Who will have pull down less rebounds?

Luis Scola
Jamaal Magloire
Same rebounds

:: November 26th, 2008 ::

• Who will post a double-double?

Mario Chalmers
Steve Blake
Both
None

:: November 28th, 2008 ::

• Who will score less points?

Dwyane Wade
Steve Nash
Same points

:: November 29th, 2008 ::

• Who will dish more assists?

Chris Quinn
Eric Gordon
Same assists

:: December 1st, 2008 ::

• Who will win this game?

Miami
Golden State