Tag: Minnesota

Rose’s late heroics leads Tuesday’s S&Ds

Reigning MVP Derrick Rose prepared for his game against the Spurs by rescuing Chicago to a tougher-than-expected victory over struggling New Orleans.

Rose hit the go-ahead jumper with 19.4 seconds left, blocked a potential tying shot and added to clinching free throws to lead the Bulls’ 99-95 victory over the Hornets.

It capped a 32-point performance for Rose, rescuing the struggling Bulls after they had allowed the Hornets to score 13 straight to take a late four-point lead.

“We definitely held it together. Other teams I guess would have folded,” Rose told the Associated Press. “We played toward the end I think the best defense we played throughout the whole game. We rebounded the ball, made great plays on the ball. … We gave ourselves a chance.”

Providing the key shot in game-winning situations befits an All-Star player like Rose.

Rose relishes taking the game-turning shots.

“I always think about my legacy here, taking those shots,” he said. “I want to be where I want to be at the end of my career.”

And on Wednesday night, Rose Studs Duds effort helped the Bulls pulls within percentage points of Miami for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

STUDS

Chicago G Derrick Rose: Hit the final four points of the game, sandwiched around a blocked shot in the Bulls’ victory over New Orleans. Rose finished with 32 points, nine assists, three steals, two blocked shots and was a team-best plus-16.

New Jersey C Brook Lopez: Erupted for 38 points, six rebounds and was plus-5 in the Nets’ upset victory at Dallas.

Minnesota F Derrick Williams: Came off the bench to score 27 points in 27 minutes, including 13 points in the fourth quarter, and was plus-xxx in the Timberwolves’ victory at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Milwaukee F Mike Dunleavy: Sliced through Washington for a team-high 28 points on only 17 shots off the bench in the Bucks’ triumph.

Sacramento C DeMarcus Cousins: Muscled for 22 points, 18 rebounds and was plus-3 in the Kings’ victory over Utah.

Chicago C Joakim Noah: Went for 15 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots and was plus-11 in the Bulls’ victory over New Orleans.

DUDS

Toronto G Jerryd Bayless: Went for four points on 2-for-6 shooting, had five turnovers and was minus-2 in the Raptors’ loss at Houston.

Boston F Paul Pierce: Clanked through a 4-for-11 shooting night with six turnovers and was minus-11 in the Celtics’ victory over Cleveland.

Boston G Rajon Rondo: Was shut out on 0-for-6 shooting with five turnovers in the Celtics’ triumph over Cleveland.

Golden State G Monta Ellis: Went 7 of 19 from the field with five turnovers and was minus-23 in the Warriors’ loss at Indiana.

Dallas G Jason Terry: Hit only 4 of 14 from the field with four turnovers and was minus-1 in the Mavericks’ loss to New Jersey.

Los Angeles Clippers F Caron Butler: Went 1 for 10 from the field in the Clippers’ loss to Minnesota.

Buck Harvey: Ginobili nails it — playoff timing

They were in New Orleans in 2008, in the second round of the playoffs, and Manu Ginobili was stretching his sore ankle in the locker room with an elastic resistance band.

Everyone was calm, relaxed — until the band snapped, catching Ginobili’s shooting hand.

A nail had been ripped off at the base, and both pain and ingenuity followed. A Spurs staffer sped to a New Orleans beauty salon, bought an acrylic nail and glued Ginobili back together again.

But he’s never been whole in the playoffs since. And that’s why, when the Spurs look for a black-and-silver lining today, they point to this:

Ginobili has finally learned when to get hurt, hasn’t he?

This is based on the belief that those left behind can win a few games before he returns. Tony Parker is capable of playing as he did in 2009, when Ginobili missed the end of the season, and there’s potential with Gary Neal, James Anderson and Kawhi Leonard.

And if the Spurs aren’t good enough to remain competitive without Ginobili: That suggests they weren’t going to advance in the playoffs with him, anyway.

At home now, able to hold only one of his twins at a time, Ginobili likely wonders what he’s done to deserve this. The last time he was healthy throughout the playoffs was 2007, which is also the last time the Spurs won a title. From then until now, he’s been afflicted from toes to nose.

The ankle that was bothering him in 2008 eventually cracked in Beijing. That was followed by a stress fracture in the other foot the next season. A broken nose against Dallas in the 2010 playoffs required yet another creative bandage. And a bent elbow last spring came in the final, meaningless game of a remarkable 61-win regular season.

Some of it can be attributed to his style of play. But some of it is as inexplicable as the accident in New Orleans. The latest is a combination.

Ginobili reached in Monday night for a steal, as he’s done a thousand times before. Only this time, the contact was so violent, he not only broke a bone in his left hand, he also tore the skin in the crease between his ring finger and his pinkie. The wound was severe enough to require a half-dozen stitches.

The fracture of the fifth metacarpal that resulted is a common one. Some call it “boxer’s fracture,” but that’s an inaccurate term. Boxers don’t break this bone. Bar fighters do, as does the guy who slams his fist into an arena wall in a rage.

Gregg Popovich might have been so tempted Monday night.

The fifth metacarpal isn’t much different than the fourth that Parker broke in 2010, except the fifth is more flexible and requires better stability. Parker didn’t have surgery and missed 16 games; Ginobili, if he needs a procedure, might miss twice as many games in a crunched season.

But Parker was hurt in early March. That, and what followed, gives the Spurs some hope now.

Ginobili surged without Parker then, when some in the franchise were wondering if he had it in him anymore. When the Spurs’ remodeled lineup won, there were coaches who thought they had found a better way to play.

For the first time, Parker’s future with the franchise was in doubt. But the playoffs adjusted that thinking, while also saying something about how broken metacarpals can heal. Parker came up with 16 points and eight assists off the bench in Game 2 in Dallas, keying the first-round upset.

Ginobili will have ample time to make a similar recovery. Given that, what Parker asked Monday night in Minnesota should be turned around.

“Why now?” Parker said in frustration, when the answer should be clear.

Why now?

Ginobili, going by standards set long ago in New Orleans, might be luckier this time.

bharvey@express-news.net

Could ‘secret talks’ still lead to Xmas games?

The NBA’s labor front has been relatively quiet over the last several days, with little lockout talk from either side.

Other than the players folding their suit in Northern California to aim for a Minnesota magistrate court, where they hope aagainst the NBA.

But other than that, there’s been no talk whatsoever. The silence has been frightening to those who fear the entire 2011-12 season could be wiped out but the lockout.

But maybe David Stern and Billy Hunter just want you to worry about the perceived lack of progress.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets today thatthrough the Thanksgiving holidays with hopes of starting the season on Christmas. That date traditionally is the largest single day in the regular season for television ratings and sponsor awareness. Both the league and the union reportedly are facing tremendous pressure to keep games on that date.

But considering that Stern has always said the league would need at least a month from the end of the lockout to the start of the season, even that might be pushing it.

It’s looking more likely that we won’t have NBA games at least until 2012 — if they ever materialize for the upcoming season.