Martti. wrote:That was a BS call, an awesome block by Yi.
Monthly Recap: December 2011
Part One: New Zealand Panthers Monthly RecapDecember Results - 9W 5L
December 1st @ Atlanta Hawks
Win 101-99
Outstanding Players:
Atlanta: Joe Johnson - 23 points, 6 assists; Josh Smith - 21 points, 6 rebounds; Marvin Williams - 21 points, 4 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 29 points, 9 assists; Yi Jianlian - 24 points, 9 rebounds; Omer Asik - 6 points, 17 rebounds, 7 blocks (career high reb, blk)
December 3rd vs Dallas Mavericks
Loss 91-92
Outstanding Players:
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki - 22 points; Caron Butler - 22 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 32 points; Eric Maynor - 5 points, 10 assists
December 5th @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Loss 89-91
Outstanding Players:
Oklahoma City: Richard Hamilton - 25 points, 4 assists; Kendrick Perkins - 16 points, 16 rebounds; Kevin Durant - 17 points, 6 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 27 points, 5 assists; Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 9 rebounds; Eric Maynor - 17 points
December 6th @ Portland Trailblazers
Win 88-87
Outstanding Players:
Portland: Gerald Wallace - 18 points, 12 rebounds; Brandon Roy - 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists; Wesley Matthews - 15 points
New Zealand: Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 6 rebounds; Omer Asik - 16 rebounds, 4 assists; Eric Maynor - 14 points, 7 assists
December 8th @ Phoenix Suns
Win 98-96
Outstanding Players:
Phoenix: Jared Dudley - 17 points, 7 rebounds; Aaron Brooks - 17 points, 4 assists; Steve Nash - 16 points, 8 assists
New Zealand: Yi Jianlian - 17 points, 18 rebounds; Allen Iverson - 32 points, 5 assists; Omer Asik - 13 rebounds, 4 blocks
December 11th @ Sacramento Kings
Win 102-91
Outstanding Players:
Sacramento: DeMarcus Cousins - 20 points, 17 rebounds (career high); Zach Randolph - 21 points, 6 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 34 points, 7 assists, 5 steals; Yi Jianlian - 18 points
December 13th vs Utah Jazz
Loss 83-95
Outstanding Players:
Utah: Devin Harris - 22 points, 9 assists; Al Jefferson - 18 points, 5 rebounds; Paul Millsap - 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 27 points, 5 assists; Yi Jianlian - 23 points, 7 rebounds; Eric Maynor - 11 points, 10 assists
December 15th vs Charlotte Bobcats
Win 128-101
Outstanding Players:
Charlotte: DJ Augustin - 26 points, 7 assists; Marcus Thornton - 22 points; Tyrus Thomas - 8 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 29 points, 8 assists; Omer Asik - 12 points, 15 rebounds (career high pts); Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 8 rebounds; Harrison Barnes - 19 points (career high)
December 17th @ Dallas Mavericks
Win 114-87
Outstanding Players:
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki - 16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals; Rudy Fernandez - 23 points; Jason Terry 19 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 32 points, 7 assists; Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
December 18th @ San Antonio Spurs
Loss 94-102 Game Recap
December 21st vs New York Knicks
Loss 87-113
Outstanding Players:
New York: Carmelo Anthony - 29 points, 8 rebounds; Chauncey Billups - 23 points, 9 assists; Amare Stoudemire - 14 points, 9 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 26 points, 7 assists; Yi Jianlian - 14 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Harrison Barnes - 15 points
December 26th @ Indiana Pacers
Win 103-87
Outstanding Players:
Indiana: Darren Collison - 22 points, 10 assists, 3 steals; Paul George - 23 points; Danny Granger - 20 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 30 points, 6 assists; Yi Jianlian - 22 points, 8 rebounds; Enes Kanter - 8 points, 9 rebounds (career high)
December 27th vs Toronto Raptors
Win 90-83
Outstanding Players:
Toronto: Leandro Barbosa - 21 points; Michael Conley - 14 points, 8 assists; Ed Davis - 6 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 30 points, 7 assists; Yi Jianlian - 26 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Omer Asik - 5 points, 12 rebounds, 7 blocks (career high)
December 29th @ Los Angeles Clippers
Win 100-94 Game Recap
Monthly Recap: December 2011
Part Four: Race to the MVP
The consistently good play from Derrick Rose has the Bulls with the best record in the league
Race to the MVP: Rose's intangibles land him in the top spot in MVP (and Title) Race
By Adrian Nelson, NBA.com
Posted Dec 31 2011 10:57AM
Although it's nice to have a clear cut winner (there will be less debate and less work to do), it does tend to get a little boring here at The Race. So it's only to our utter most happiness that this year's race is again, that of an competitive and exciting one.
Another month has gone by in this 2011-12 NBA season, and true to the slogan, this is truly where amazing happens.
The biggest story of the month, of course, is the Atlanta Hawk's sudden resurgence as of late, winning their last 13 straight games after a disappointing start to the season that made many to believe it's time for the Hawks to break it all up and rebuild. Contrary to the fact, following a players only meeting held by Joe Johnson, the Hawks are back to playing winning basketball. Soaring up (no pun intended) the standings from being a sub .500 team to a respectable record of 21-14, sixth in the East and still have streak alive. It'll be interesting to see just how long this can go for.
Other big news around the association would have to be the four team trade that saw Steve Nash finally being dealt out of Phoenix, only to land in...New Zealand? The Panthers perhaps too quickly gave up on the 6-11 project that they drafted with the 20th overall pick - Enes Kanter, in exchange for the 38 year old two time MVP. Nash will team up with another former MVP in Allen Iverson, who's somehow been able to turn back the clock and regained some of his MVP form.
However, it's not all good news in Kiwi-land as Yi Jianlian, who started the season spectacularly, has hit a wall of some sort and his production has fallen considerably as of late. The Panthers also recently lost starting point guard Eric Maynor, who was having a breakout year thus far, for the season. Which is a factor in them bringing in Steve Nash.
As they've only played one game together so far, it remains to be seen how things will work out. Nash is no longer the MVP caliber player, or perhaps even an All-Star caliber player, but his veteran skills and crafty-ness at the point guard position should still be able to help the Panthers.
The deal also saw the addition of Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Jared Dudley and Eddy Curry to the Dallas Mavericks, a move that could perhaps give Dallas that shot to contend this season. Dirk is completely healthy again and has responded to his critics with his MVP-caliber play again, his numbers are slowly climbing back up to his usual standards and more importantly, the Mavericks are starting to win again.
Not at all lost in all this excitement, however, would be the usual powerhouses. Wade, Lebron, and the Miami Heat didn't do anything outrageous or had another media worthy slump, but they did hand the Lakers a 2 point defeat on Christmas day and had a 5 game win streak near the end of the month. Kobe and the Lakers, on the other hand, struggled to get wins in the month, as they end the month having lost 4 of their last 5 games.
All of this has lead to our believe that Chicago's very own Derrick Rose, who has been producing day-in, day-out for the league-best Bulls; should surely be situated at the very top spot in this edition of The Race.
Aside from scoring at a ridiculous rate and efficiency level (28.2 ppg on 55% shooting), Rose has also gotten his teammates involved (9.2 assist per game) and the Bulls just seem nearly impossible to stop. They won 10 of their 13 games in the month of December and seemed like nothing could go wrong. With the level of focus that everyone in that Chicago locker-room is having, one might think it's game 7 of the NBA Finals, every single night; and without Rose to fuel that drive, they would certainly not be that engaged.
This is the kind of stuff a leader of a championship caliber team does. He works hard, he plays hard, and he leads by example. Jordan did it in the 90s, Derrick Rose is doing it now in the 2010s.
It's exactly the reason why the Bulls, alongside the Heat and the Lakers, are considered to be title favorites this season.
Martti. wrote:Kyrie for ROY, not Rubio. And Wade for MVP.
Martti. wrote:Team chemistry at 13%? At least you're winning.
Martti. wrote:Also, you can get rid of those green triangles in Excel quite easily, just drag from the [24] (Bulls wins) and select all. A little window should appear on the top left corner of the selection and click ignore error.
hova- wrote:Really great effort on these updates. The Hawks are sick ... 13 in a row, damn. Finally Yi is regressing, was hoping for that because I can't stand his soft game (okay, he's exactly like my man Dirk, but hey, Dirk is Dirk)
Apart from that, Iverson is really turning back the hands of time. Thinking of R. Kelly now. Great updates
Block Party in Portland as Panthers top Blazers
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game
Omer Asik Had Himself A Game Last Night
Portland, OR– Omer Asik and the Panthers decided to kick off the New Year by throwing a party during last night's game.
It was a block party, and the Blazers were invited.
Led by Asik's career high 9 blocks, the visiting New Zealand Panthers dominated the Blazers on the defensive end, holding them to 27 first half points, had a plus 10 rebounding edge, and blocked 18 of Portland's shots, holding the Blazers to just 32% shooting from the field.
The 7 foot center out of Turkey also grabbed 12 rebounds, and was just one block shy of completing a double double with the block-rebound combination, only seven players in NBA history has accomplished that feat.
Asik wasn't alone either, as the whole team stepped up and played well as a whole. Yi was named Player of the Game following a 19 point, 13 rebound performance. Allen Iverson added 25 on just 14 shots, while the bench mob added 26.
The Blazers were led by Brandon Roy, who finished the game with a respectable 20 point, 7 rebound, 8 assist performance. However, the rest of the team looked relatively out of sync thanks to the Panthers' D.
Five players were in double figure scoring for Portland, but none aside from Roy really stood out or made an impact on the game. In fact, most of Portland's points came during garbage time in the fourth quarter.
"They played well and gave us pressure," said Roy, "I think the guys just got a bit intimidated by the shot blockers and we kinda laid back as a whole"
Sure enough, the Blazers mostly resorted to long jumpers that more often than not missed the mark.
"We've got to be more aggresive." said LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 14 and 10.
With this win, the Panthers now improve their record to 21-12, on pace to finish much better than their inaugural campaign last season, when they went 30-52 and missed the playoffs.Game Highlights
Player of the Game Highlights
Block of the Night: Omer Asik
Nightly Notable: Omer Asik
SuperHueyNewton wrote:Shoot I know I am
Lamrock wrote:Good shit. Get AI-YI that title!
Iverson signs extension, drops 50 on Cavaliers
Jan 17th, 2012 11:32 PM EST
Allen Iverson and the New Zealand Panthers have agreed upon a 2 year, $20 million contract extension with a third year player
option attached worth just over $11 million, the team announced earlier today.
This "marks" the completion of Allen's comeback to the NBA following a leaguewide fallout after disastrous seasons following the trade
that sent him from Denver to Detroit.
Perhaps to celebrate the occasion and to thank the organization for giving him the chance and recognition, Iverson dropped a franchise
record-tying 50 points on the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers following the announcement of the contract extension. The Panthers won the
game 135-91, setting a franchise record for points scored in a game.
"I'm just really glad that this organization gave me a chance when nobody would," Iverson said, "I'm gonna continue to play my heart
out every game and hopefully win a championship here before I'm done with my career"
Playing in his 16th NBA season, the 6 foot guard out of Georgetown is currently averaging a league 4th best 27.4 points, alongside 5.3
assists and 1.5 steals per game through 41 games. Led by Iverson, the Panthers are currently atop the Southwest division standings
and hold the second overall seed in the Western Conference.
George7 wrote:Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!
Valor wrote:George7 wrote:Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!
Cheers George7! It's been a while hey? Yeah I had some time off as well before finally wrapping things up with my Bulls Asso, thanks for the support!
George7 wrote:Valor wrote:George7 wrote:Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!
Cheers George7! It's been a while hey? Yeah I had some time off as well before finally wrapping things up with my Bulls Asso, thanks for the support!
Yeah,it's been a while indeed. Can't wait for 2k13 or Live 13 and finally start my next story! The last one ,because of the school exams didn't end that well. (though if I find the savegame I may do a little resurection )
harriskh wrote:D-Rose for MVP! great association man.
Magic Acquires Glen Davis for Brandon Bass
Jan 19th, 2012 07:17 PM EST
The Orlando Magic have acquired forward Glen Davis from the Boston Celtics in exchange for
Brandon Bass. The team announced earlier today.
Also in the deal alongside Davis is Luke Harangody, while the Magic sends Kevin Seraphin alongside Bass
to Boston.
Despite being relatively solid at with a record of 23-17, the Dwight-saga still continues and this move
is yet another one that Otis Smith hopes will please Howard enough to sign an extension to stay in Orlando.
Davis is a long time friend of Howard.
For the Celtics, this is a great deal as they have just had about enough with Davis' erratic play, from the
childish antics off the court to the wild shot selections on the court. This trade now gains them a tough
interior presence in Brandon Bass, who will anchor the paint when Garnett takes a breather.
"I never could understand why they wouldn't play Brandon," said Dutt, agent of Brandon Bass, "I never could
figure it out. One of the reasons I had Brandon go there (to Orlando) and Brandon wanted to go there was,
at the time, that they would give Rashard Lewis a chance to play his natural position (of small forward)
and Brandon would play the 4."Rip Hamilton traded to Minnesota for Wesley Johnson
Jan 31st, 2012 10:21 PM EST
There's an old saying that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, their Hamilton experiment has failed to produce a fruitful outcome, so
they're gonna fix it.
The Thunder have announced earlier today that they have sent offseason acquisiton Richard Hamilton to
the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the sophomore swingman Wesley Johnson. Also included in
the deal were Nick Collison and Marcus Morris from the Thunder and Kosta Koufos for the Timberwolves.
Despite averaging just over 12 points off the bench for OKC, the 3 time allstar guard never fit quite in
with the Thunder offense, shooting a career low .367 from the field while the Thunder as a whole are
sitting at 9th place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-23, 1 1/2 games behind the 8th
seeded Hornets.
The addition of Johnson enables them to add another athletic, young prospect back on the squad, Johnson's
long arms and quick feet makes him a potential potent defensive stopper.
On the oher hand, it is reported that Hamilton will look to negotiate a buyout with the Timberwolves in
the hopes of landing with a title contender, but he is still owed more than $24 million over two years so
things might get difficult. Minnesota currently boasts a record of 19-28 and are 12th in the Conference.
Monthly Recap: January 2012
Part One: New Zealand Panthers Monthly RecapJanuary Results – 10W 7L
January 1st @ Portland Trailblazers
Win 93-84 Game Recap
January 2nd @ Los Angeles Lakers
Win 93-91
Outstanding Players:
LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant – 34 points, 7 rebounds; JJ Barea – 11 points, 14 assists; Andrew Bynum – 11 points, 12 rebounds
New Zealand: Steve Nash – 20 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists; Allen Iverson – 30 points, 7 rebounds; Yi Jianlian – 12 points, 12 rebounds
January 4th vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Loss 94-102
Outstanding Players:
Minnesota: Michael Beasley – 20 points, 11 rebounds; Wesley Johnson – 20 points; Kevin Love – 15 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals (career high stl)
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 37 points, 6 assists, 4 steals; Yi Janlian – 18 points, 12 rebounds
January 7th vs Portland Trailblazers
Win 110-108
Outstanding Players:
Portland: Raymond Felton – 29 points, 9 assists; LaMarcus Aldridge – 27 points, 6 rebounds; Brandon Roy – 20 points
New Zealand: Steve Nash – 22 points, 6 rebounds, 14 assists; Allen Iverson – 34 points; Harrison Barnes – 21 points, 5 rebounds
January 8th @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Loss 98-105
Outstanding Players:
Minnesota: Ricky Rubio – 18 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists; Michael Beasley – 23 points, 12 rebounds; Kevin Love – 16 points, 10 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 36 points, 8 assists; Yi Jianlian – 23 points, 12 rebounds; Omer Asik – 12 rebounds, 4 blocks
January 10th @ Charlotte Bobcats
Loss 101-106
Outstanding Players:
Charlotte: Marcus Thornton – 33 points, 6 steals; Tayshaun Prince – 23 points, 6 rebounds; Tyrus Thomas – 12 points, 13 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 30 points, 6 assists; Yi Jianlian - 25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks; Steve Nash – 19 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists
January 12th @ Detroit Pistons
Win 95-90
Outstanding Players:
Detroit: Charlie Villanueva – 20 points, 8 rebounds; Kemba Walker – 19 points, 7 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 34points; Yi Jianlian – 23 points, 10 rebounds; Steve Nash – 11 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists
January 15th vs New Orleans Hornets
Win 105-102
Outstanding Players:
New Orleans: Chris Paul – 31 points, 7 assists; Emeka Okafor – 15 points, 12 rebounds; Trevor Ariza – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 31 points; Yi Jianlian – 20 points, 8 rebounds; Omer Asik – 9 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals
January 17th vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Win 135-91
Outstanding Players:
Cleveland: Kyrie Irving – 16 points, 10 assists; Baron Davis – 19 points, 7 asissts
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 50 points, 7 assists; Steve Nash – 13 points, 13 assists; Kirk Penny – 14 points
January 19th @ Houston Rockets
Win 84-77
Outstanding Players:
Houston: Kevin Martin – 16 points; Kyle Lowry – 16 points; Yao Ming – 7 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 27 points; Steve Nash – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists; Yi Jianlian - 17 points, 12 rebounds
January 21st vs Dallas Mavericks
Loss 102-106
Outstanding Players:
Dallas: Vince Carter – 35 points; Jason Kidd – 20 points, 11 assists; Dirk Nowitzki – 16 points, 8 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 37 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists; Yi Jianlian – 13 points, 15 rebounds
January 22nd @ Chicago Bulls
Loss 105-108
Outstanding Players:
Chicago: Derrick Rose – 30 points, 7 assists (GW); Rodney Stuckey – 21 points; Carlos Boozer – 16 points, 14 rebounds; Luol Deng – 20 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 32 points, 5 assists; Yi Jianlian – 22 points, 10 rebounds; Harrison Barnes – 16 points
January 24th @ Toronto Raptors
Win 99-90
Outstanding Players:
Toronto: Andrea Bargnani – 19 points, 11 rebounds; Demar DeRozan – 17 points, 7 rebounds; Mike Conley – 17 points, 7 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 30 points, 8 assists; Yi Jianlian – 20 points, 12 rebounds
January 26th @ New York Knicks
Loss 92-100
Outstanding Players:
New York: Chauncey Billups – 30 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists; Landry Fields – 23 points; Carmelo Anthony – 19 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 24 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists; Harrison Barnes – 21 points; Yi Jianlian – 11 points, 16 rebounds
January 28th @ Philadelphia 76ers
Loss 97-131
Outstanding Players:
Philadelphia: Andre Iguodala – 28 points, 8 rebounds; Elton Brand – 15 points, 8 rebounds; Jrue Holiday – 14 points, 10 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 28 points, 5 assists; Harrison Barnes – 19 points; Steve Nash – 10 points, 7 assists
January 29th vs Orlando Magic
Win 104-103[b]
[b]Outstanding Players:
Orlando: Dwight Howard – 16 points, 14 rebounds; Jason Richardson – 23 points, 6 rebounds; Hedo Turkoglu – 18 points; Jameer Nelson – 15 points, 13 assists
New Zealand: Steve Nash – 13 points, 17 assists; Yi Jianlian – 25 points, 13 rebounds; Allen Iverson – 26 points, 7 assists; Harrison Barnes – 21 points
January 31st vs Washington Wizards
Win 121-113
Outstanding Players:
Washington: Nick Young – 27 points; Andray Blatche – 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals; John Wall – 20 points, 8 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 32 points; Harrison Barnes – 23 points, 6 rebounds (career high pts); Steve Nash – 15 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists
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