THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE! (KOBE IS SIZZLING)
by Bob Acton of
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With just a few weeks remaining in the NFL season, it is timeto start getting caught up on the NBA, as while several thingsremain the same and that would be the Spurs and Pistons winning,other teams are sliding!
San Antonio ended New Jersey's 10-game winning streak on Tuesdaynight, beating the Nets 96-91. The Spurs nearly faded down thestretch, seeing a 16-point lead cut to four in the final minute.
The Pistons beat New Orleans on Tuesday to improve their recordto 27-5. San Antonio stands at 27-8, the league's second-bestmark.
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The Phoenix Suns have been playing a lot of closegames in the past two weeks, including three overtime affairs.After reaching three overtimes for the second time in five games,the Suns hope to settle one in regulation as they host the GoldenState Warriors tonight.
The Suns lost 139-137 Tuesday to the Denver Nuggetsin triple overtime, ending a three-game winning streak. The defeatcame just eight days after Phoenix's 140-133 triple-overtime lossto New York.
The Suns also beat Chicago 107-98 in overtimeon Dec. 31, one game before the defeat to the Knicks. The Suns,the highest-scoring team in the NBA at 104.9 points per game,recorded their highest point total of the season Tuesday, andtheir starters scored 111 points. Raja Bell led Phoenix with 30points, while Shawn Marion added 28 points and 15 rebounds andSteve Nash had 26 points.
Nash fouled out for the first time since 1999-00with 35 seconds left in the game.
Kobe Bryant scored 41 points in the Lakers' 113-103loss Wednesday to the Portland Trail Blazers, ending his stringof games with at least 45 points at four. Bryant was the firstplayer since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to string together thatmany 45-point performances.
Chamberlain, who scored 45 in nine straight games,is the only player with more than four straight. Elgin Bayloralso reached the milestone in December, 1961.
Bryant, who also had a nine-game streak of 40-pointgames from Feb. 6-23, 2003, now has 11 40-point games this seasonand 51 for his career for the Lakers. Among active players with40-plus point games, Bryant trails only Allen Iverson, who has67. Bryant, who has two 50-point games this season and seven inhis career, leads the league in scoring at 34.3 points per game.Iverson, who scored 46 points Wednesday against Utah, ranks secondwith 33.7 points.
James became the first NBA player since OscarRobertson in 1966 to record at least 30 points, seven reboundsand five assists in seven straight games. His seven straight 30-pointgames streak is the longest in the league since Tracy McGradyhad 14 in a row in 2003.
For the second straight night, the Houston Rocketshad six players out with injuries, including stars Tracy McGradyand Yao Ming. McGrady's bad back will be re-evaluated on Fridayand Yao is out at least three more weeks after toe surgery.
The Sacramental Kings have their own mountinginjury issues. They were already missing Bonzi Wells (groin) andShareef Abdur-Rahim (fractured jaw) and played without Brian Skinner,who has the flu. Peja Stojakovic then left Wednesday's game inthe third quarter after re-aggravating a protruding disc in hisback. Adelman hopes he'll be back for Friday's game against theHornets.
Is the glass half full or half empty? Fifteenteams have winning records, while 15 are under .500!
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