2012 PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals Roundup: December 27-28, 2012 AND The Top Stories of 2012

San Mig Coffee survived Game 5 against the Elasto-Painters, while the Tropang Texters found a way to neutralize the Aces. Both series will end in 2013.

Feel free to read the nicely-written game recaps by Rey Joble further down in this post. For now, however, let’s look back at the year that was and the biggest news bits from PBA.

Powerade and Rain or Shine -- Rise of theUnderdogs: In the 2010-2011 season, the Coca-Cola/Powerade Tigers and the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters combined for a total of just 25 wins out of 71 games. Not a lot of people were expecting them to burst through the 2011-2012 season as title contenders, but that’s exactly what they were able to do.

Bolstered by the entry of several impressive rookies, Marcio Lassiter and JV Casio of Powerade and Paul Lee of ROS, both teams advanced deep into the 2011-2012 Philippine Cup Playoffs by eliminating higher-seeded opponents. They then faced off in the semifinals, which went all the way to seven games. The Tigers, led by the sniping of veteran Gary David, won the rubber match, 107-98, to barge into the Finals opposite the powerhouse Talk N Text squad. The Tigers eventually lost to the deeper Texters, but their emergence did not go unnoticed. The Tigers were to be a feared team all throughout the rest of the season.

Gary David caught fire throughout the whole 2011-2012
season of the PBA.

In contrast, the Painters’ semifinal exit seemed to light a fire in them that burned brightly and culminated in their glory-filled 2012 Governors’ Cup run. Coach Yeng Guiao’s crew, backstopped by Best Import winner Jamelle Cornley, won all but one game in the eliminations before advancing outright to the Championship round with a 10-4 slate after the semis.

Facing the Painters were the B-Meg Llamados, and it was a Championship series to remember. ROS went up 3-1 after beating B-Meg, 94-89, in Game Four, but the Llamados surged in the next two matches to force a Game Seven. Cornely led the Painters in this deciding encounter with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Jeff Chan emerged as the Finals MVP.

The leaders of Powerade and ROS – Gary David, Gabe Norwood, and Jeff Chan – were eventually assimilated into the revamped Smart-Gilas roster that won the 2012 Jones Cup. Strangely enough, the Tigers eventually blew up their roster (see below) by trading away Marcio Lassiter, JV Casio, and Sean Anthony, but the Painters remained solid moving into the new PBA season.

B-Meg and Denzel Bowles: Denzel Bowles wasn’t the most well-known import in the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup, but when the dust settled after Game Seven of the Finals against TNT, Bowles became a household name. Some were even clamoring for him to be naturalized as a potential replacement for the aging Marcus Douthit.

This was all warranted, of course, as Bowles bowled over (puns are fun!) the fans with his grit and undying effort. He was one of the youngest imports in that conference and yet he played with such poise. The former James Madison University Duke Dog hit two pressure-packed free throws at the end of regulation to send Game Seven to overtime, where he poured in 11 points to seal the Llamados’ stirring comeback.

Ever the emotional young buck, Bowles had this to say after clinching the title, “I’ve never been in this situation before, but these shots were the biggest shots of my career. I’m glad that I got an opportunity to win a championship. I know my mom is crying now, because this victory is a breakthrough for my family.”

Retiring #7: A true legend will always command the respect of the people around him, no matter the gap in status or generation. That was manifested in the jersey number retirement ceremony honoring former Senator and Ginebra icon Robet Jaworski last July 8. From that point on, no other player will be allowed to wear #7 – a sign of respect for the achievements put forth by Jaworski in his storied career.

During the ceremony, it was crystal clear how Jawo was still capable of putting everyone under his spell. As my colleague, Josiah Albelda of Rebound Magazine and Rappler.com, observed, “a male fan shouted ‘I love you’ while Jawo was taking the stage, and he fired back with his own ‘I love you, too.’” Needless to say, the fans erupted in cheer and laughter.

Only the Living Legend, Robert Jaworski, can get away with something like that.

Mark Caguioa is MVP: In some ways, we can consider Caguioa the successor to Jawo’s Ginebra kingship. Like Jawo, Caguioa is a supremely gifted baller, and, though he is nowhere near Jawo’s level in terms of charisma, he still has a big enough personality to keep the Ginebra fans loyal.

Nicknamed “The Spark,” Caguioa has had a colorful career studded with awards and citations, including being recognized as the 2001 Rookie-of-the-Year, but the one thing that has always escaped him is being named Most Valuable Player.

Until 2012, when he was named the PBA's 2011-2012 Season MVP.

Though his team never made it past the semifinals of any conference last season, Caguioa put up great numbers, norming 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 41 games for Ginebra. He joined fellow MVP hopefuls Gary David, James Yap, Arwind Santos, and Ranidel De Ocampo in the PBA’s Mythical First Team.

*Trades and More Trades: Several blockbuster deals made heads turn in the middle of 2012:

- January 27, 2012: B-MEG received Gin Kings forward JC Intal and a 2012 2nd round pick from Barako Bull. Ginebra got Llamados forward Kerby Raymundo and Energy rookie Dylan Ababou. Barako Bull ended up with Gin Kings veteran Ronald Tubid and rookie Reil Cervantes, as well as a second round draft pick in 2014 from Ginebra.

- April 20, 2012: In a surprising move, the Powerade Tigers sent Celino Cruz and Marcio Lassiter to Petron while they received 2011 Rookie of the Year Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Rey Guevarra, and Lordy Tugade. This was the first peculiar step in Powerade blowing up its core.

- August 31, 2012: Alaska, Barako Bull, Barangay Ginebra, new team Global Port, and Petron Blaze were involved in a five-team trade that sent LA Tenorio to Ginebra, JV Casio and Dondon Hontiveros to Alaska, Willie Miller to Global Port, Hans Thiele and Wesley Gonzales to Petron Blaze, and Enrico Villanueva to Barako Bull. With Casio and Lassiter out of Powerade, along with Doug Kramer, Sean Anthony, and coach Bo Perasol, the Tigers, now renamed the Global Port Batang Pier, were to start the new season composed mostly of new personnel.

*information adapted from the PBA’s Wikipedia pages.

Power rookies -- Fajardo, Abueva, and Hodge: A 6’10 behemoth from Cebu, a beastly triple-double machine from the NCAA, and an athletic combo forward from the NLEX Road Warriors – these were the three juiciest picks that made PBA observers really excited during the 2012 PBA Draft.

When August 19’s draft ended, June Mar Fajardo of the Asean Basketball League’s San Miguel Beermen became the top overall pick and went to Petron. Calvin Abueva of the San Sebastian Stags, a do-it-all monster nicknamed “The Beast,” went to the Alaska Aces as the #2 pick. Cliff Hodge, the high-flying former NLEX Road Warrior and Sinag-Pilipinas stalwart, was drafted 4^th overall after Petron surprisingly chose Alex Mallari at #3.

Hodge started the season as the most productive rookie, until Abueva finally donned the Alaska jersey and HE took over the #1 rookie spot. Fajardo’s performance has been inconsistent, and he was hobbled by injury, but the consensus is he could be the next great big man in the PBA.

Japeth to the NBA D-League: Japeth Aguilar, a former #1 pick in the PBA, was selected by the Sta. Cruz Warriors in the seventh round of the 2012 NBA D-League Draft. This caused quite a stir among local hoop nuts, since it was the first time a Filipino was ever chosen in the D-League. Most people became hopeful and supportive of Japeth, but there were a few who expressed doubts about his skills and whether he was turning his back on the PBA or National Team duties for the sake of the NBA dream.

In the end, Japeth fell short of cracking the final roster of the Warriors, though they did make him a practice player. Just recently, he was named by Gilas coach Chot Reyes as one of the members of the team that would be sent to Dubai and Hong Kong for the national team’s preparatory tournaments, but Japeth instead chose to take his chances and face the possibility of playing in Europe.

PBA grows and grows: At the formal launch of the PBA’s 38^th season, Commissioner Chito Salud said, “We had quite a year behind us. We are looking forward, and we are optimistic to sustain the gains we had in the previous season.”

What gains? Take a look:

- The league grossed Php 114 million in gate receipts alone.

- The attendance figures for the PBA games went up significantly, culminating in the more than 21,000 people who watched Game 7 of the PBA Governors’ Cup.

- The league seems to have more parity, with four teams vying in the three different Conference Finals – Powerade, Rain or Shine, B-Meg, and Talk N Text. Eight of the ten clubs were able to see semifinals action in at least one conference, and all teams except the Shopinas.com Clickers/Air 21 Express were able to advance past a conference’s elimination round at least once.

All these bits of information reveal one thing: the PBA’s glory days are back!

This is the second in a series of posts chronicling the “Top Stories of 2012.” The NBA’s top stories may be found here, while those for FIBA and local amateur ball will follow soon!

Game Recaps:

SAN MIG COFFEE MIXERS  over RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS, 79-67

San Mig Coffee’s campaign in the Philippine Cup wouldn’t be ending in 2012.

With their backs against the wall, the Mixers grinded out a 79-67 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their last game of the calendar year Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to stay alive in their best-of-seven Philippine Cup series.

“The New Year’s celebration is the farthest thing from our minds right now,” said San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone.

The win cut down San Mig Coffee’s series deficit, 3-2, and the Mixers did it despite missing James Yap for most of the game due to foul trouble.

The San Mig Coffee superstar was limited to just two points after playing just 23 minutes. He picked up his fourth and fifth fouls in quick succession with still more than nine minutes left in the third quarter, and did not check in until the 5:32 mark of the fourth quarter, when San Mig was already up, 71-62.

The rest of the Mixers stepped up with their main man out of commission. Joe Devance top-scored with 20 points, while Marc Pingris posted 18 points and 10 rebounds. Peter June Simon and Mark Barroca took care of the perimeter game for San Mig Coffee in Yap’s absence, scoring 16 and 11 points, respectively.

“They really dug deep, they played heavy, heavy minutes,” said Cone.

Pingris, Simon, and Barroca each played at least 41 minutes, with Devance logging 37.

Without its top offensive weapon, San Mig Coffee turned to defense, limiting Rain or Shine to just 32.9 percent shooting from the field. Only one Elasto Painter, Larry Rodriguez, scored in double figures with 14 points.

Rain or Shine’s top guns were silent from the field, with Paul Lee shooting 3-of-12 and Jeff Chan, 1-of-8.

Cone said San Mig Coffee’s only focus would be winning Game Six, which is set on Thursday, January 3, at the same venue.

“They beat us twice in a row. And we believe we can beat them twice in a row,” he said.

SMC 79 – Devance 20, Pingris 18, Simon 16, Barroca 11, Reavis 6, Villanueva 3, Gonzales 3, Yap 2, Intal 0.

ROS 67 – Rodriguez 14, Cruz 9, Lee 8, Ibanes 8, Matias 7, Norwood 5, Belga 4, Quinahan 4, Tang 3, Chan 3, Tiu 2, Arana 0.

QS: 17-15, 31-29, 52-50, 79-67

Marc Pingris stepped up big time when James Yap
was sidelined with foul trouble.

Larry Rodriguez, James Yap, and Gabe Norwood will
all meet again in Game 6.

TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS  over ALASKA ACES, 99-95

Talk ‘N Text used an explosive second quarter before holding steady in crunch time to defeat Alaska, 99-95, in Game Five of their Philippine Cup semifinals series Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tropang Texters moved one game away from making their third straight appearance in the Philippine Cup finals, posting a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The two-time defending champions broke loose in the second quarter, scoring 35 points to turn a tight game into a 55-43 spread at the half. Ranidel De Ocampo, Larry Fonacier, and Jimmy Alapag combined for 25 points over that stretch.

But Alaska stayed within striking distance for most of the second half, cutting the deficit to eight points, 79-71, at the end of the third quarter on a three-pointer by Dondon Hontiveros.

The Aces made their final move late, cutting the lead to just three points, 98-95, after a 7-1 run capped by a putback by Gabby Espinas.

“They have a lot of fight, they don’t give up,” said Talk ‘N Text coach Norman Black.

Alaska rebounded a Ranidel De Ocampo miss in the ensuing play, but Calvin Abueva committed a crucial turnover with eight seconds left.

Jayson Castro then hit one of two free throws to push the lead to two possessions, 99-95, and Talk ‘N Text held on for a stop in Alaska’s final play.

Ryan Reyes had 15 points to lead the balanced Talk ‘N Text attack that saw nine players score at least eight points.

Abueva led Alaska with 19 points and 11 rebounds, but the Tropang Texters hounded Alaska’s top gun JVee Casio to just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.

Talk ‘N Text has a chance to clinch the series in Game Six set Friday, January 4, at Cuneta Astrodome. Black said his team is looking forward to the long holiday break between games.

“We have the older team, so I think it might help us more,” said Black.

TNT 99 – Reyes 15, De Ocampo 13, Fonacier 12, Dillinger 11, Alapag 11, Williams 10, Carey 10, Castro 9, Peek 8, Raymundo 0, Aban 0.

ALA 95 – Abueva 19, Baguio 14, Espinas 13, Baracael 12, Jazul 11, Thoss 10, Casio 8, Hontiveros 6, Belasco 2, Reyes 0, Dela Cruz 0.

QS: 20-20, 55-43, 79-71, 99-95

Calvin Abueva slipped up in Game 5, but he and the Aces
are sure to come back strong in Game 6.

Ryan Reyes led the way as the Texters move just
a win away from a Finals spot.

Source: Unless otherwise specified, game recaps were compressed and compiled from InterAKTV. (Writing credit to Rey Joble.)

Images: All images are from InterAKTV. (Photo credit to Nuki Sabio, Pranz Kaeno Billones, and Paul Ryan Tan) 

http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-pba-philippine-cup-semifinals_30.html

Derrick Rose back in Practice as He Continues Rehab

The 6'3 all star point guard is now doing shooting drills and walking through "dummy" offensive sets but according to a person familiar with the proceedings, he’s also dunking the basketball occasionally, going full speed when it’s called for and participating in staples of Bulls practices, such as defensive slides and closeout drills.

Denzel Bowles unclear because of His Knee Injury

Merun na kaming intial offers sa kanila eh, ang hinihintay na lamang naming yung medical profile niya at yung clearance from China,” said Pardo who is aware of Bowles’ strained knee suffered in China.

Bowles injured his knee during an aborted stint with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the Chinese Basketball Association, but reports from the US said he has since fully recovered.

“Nasa US na si Denzel eh dun nagpagamot. Kaya we want his medical report. Aside from that he still has a contract in China, kaya sabi ko I need a clearance (from the CBA),” mentioned Pardo.

Pardo also revealed that San Mig coach Tim Cone has a long list of import prospects which they can revisit if Bowles cannot submit the two required documents.

“Si Bowles talaga ang priority namin. Pero dahil sa US nag-aaral ang anak ni coach Tim, he keeps track of certain imports. May updated list si coach, lagi kasi siya sa US," said Pardo.

The ever-accommodating San Miguel official also told Spin.ph that they want to seal a deal with Bowles by this week or at least in the first few days of January.

“If we come to terms with Bowles, we want him here second week of January”, he added.

Action of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup will kick off on February 8.

TAULAVA, Just wants that ABL TITLE.

AS big as he is, Asi Taulava’s words are bigger heading to his debut season in the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

“Our mission is the ABL championship…and nothing less,” the new star acquisition of the San Miguel Beermen declared to Spin.ph.

The 6-foot-9 veteran center has been one of the major pieces brought in by the Beermen during the offseason after an inaugural campaign where the Philippine side fell a win short of a championship following their heartbreaking loss at home to the Indonesia Warriors in the decisive Game Three of the Finals last year.

And Taulava will have no less than fellow former PBA MVP Eric Menk for partner in what could be one of the most imposing frontcourt tandems in local basketball.

“Eric and I are here, and that should serve as a warning to other teams, especially Indonesia,” warned Taulava.

Reigning league MVP Leo Avenido leads the backcourt cast of San Miguel along with Fil-Am Chris Banchero and together make up the roster of the team along with former PBA cagers Paolo Hubalde, Axel Doruelo, RJ Rizada, and Bacon Austria.

Completing the lineup made up mostly of PBA players are Hans Thiele, Val Acuña, Mike Burstcher, and JR Cawaling.

Gabe Freeman, also a former PBA Best Import, and Brian Williams will reinforce the team now being handled by new coach Leo Austria. Williams will be arriving Monday in time for the team’s return to practice on January 2.

Aside from the Beermen and the Warriors, other teams competing in the fourth season of the ABL are the Chang Thailand Slammers, Westport Malaysia Dragons, Saigon Heat, and Singapore Slingers.

Pioneer member and inaugural season champions Air Asia Philippine Patriots have already pulled out of the league following the decision of team owner Mikee Romero to join the PBA.

ANTAWN JAMISON unhappy with Lakers

Pau Gasol has grumbled about getting more touches, Kobe Bryant exploded at a practice, Dwight Howard had words with Bryant and Steve Nash at different games, and Coach Mike D'Antoni had a confrontation with a Times reporter. So why not add Antawn Jamison to the column of agitated Lakers? Jamison had seen just about everything in his NBA career but "not this," he said in a quiet moment Friday night after sitting out a fifth consecutive game via the dreaded DNP-Coach's Decision. "Fifteen years," the Lakers forward told The Times, recapping his career. "My only thing is let me know why. I don't think you go from starting and 30-something minutes to not in the rotation whatsoever. And not explaining to me what exactly happened, that's the toughest thing. There's nothing you can do but be positive and support your teammates. The only reason I came here was they said I was going to play and to win a championship

Winning Streak on December

Only 16 times in NBAHistory has a team won 17 games in a row. with the Clippers won today they are now one of those team (17x)

Los Angeles Lakers own the most with their 33 straight games in the 1971–72 season.

will the Clippers still continue their winning?

The NBA: Rounding Up the Top Stories of 2012

2012 was a banner year for the NBA. After the tumultuous and lockout-impaired year of 2011, 2012 was a breath of fresh air. More than that, actually – 2012 was a venerable shot of adrenaline. It pumped up fans all over the world after the grave uncertainties in the second half of 2011. And although the consensus most-hated team of all time won the title (see below), the truncated, 66-game, 2011-2012 season still went down as one of the most electrifying. There are other news pieces, however, that are also worth a second look, which is exactly what we’ll do right now.

Linsanity: After Jeremy Lin scored a combined 89 points in his first three career starts for the New York Knicks early in 2012, then teammate Steve Novak had this to say: “After the first game, it was, ‘wow, he played great.’ After the second game, it was ‘wow, he’s really stepping up.’ After the third game, he started making believers out of everyone. After this game … I know it’s early, but he keeps getting better every game. It’s real. I’m saying in the next game, he might score 50. I feel like I’m a part of history.”

And that statement sums up the craze that overwhelmed pretty much the whole basketballworld when Jeremy Lin, out of nowhere (literally and figuratively), just dropped a bomb and shocked everyone with his strong play. Because Lin represented the myriad of Cinderella hopefuls in the sporting world, because he was from Harvard, because he was of Asian decent, because he hit a game-winner against Toronto, because he unloaded a ton of points on the Lakers, and because of a plethora of other unexpected things, he became a phenomenon. Not just in sports, mind you. One doesn’t go on the cover of Time magazine by being just a good sports story after all. He eventually got a heckuva contract from the Rockets, and now he has taken the Linsanity to the very heart of Texas.

Jeremy Lin's meteoric rise to stardom was definitely
one of the top stories of 2012.
(image from Time.com/Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

  

Derrick Rose tears his ACL: Derrick Rose was supposed to follow-up his MVP season (2010-2011) with another season to remember. He was supposed to lord it over the league and lead the resurgent Bulls to a plateau they haven’t reached since the Jordan years. Instead, Rose slogged through the 2011-2012 season with injury after injury, all culminating in that unfortunate moment in Game 1 of the Playoffs against the eighth-seeded Sixers. Rose jumped, passed the ball to Carlos Boozer on the wing, fell awkwardly, and never returned. He tore his ACL. The MVP was down for the count.

One of his Sixer foes, Evan Turner, had these kind words to say, "I definitely hope he keeps his spirits up. You never want to see that happen, especially to someone who represents the league so well."

More than the fact that a superstar tore his ACL, this was deeply grave because of the fact it was Rose. He was the purported antithesis to the mercenary-like player movements of 2010 and 2011. He represented the homegrown hero who just might rise to the very top and take his entire hometown with him. The big thought bubble now, of course, is how well he can recover from such a debilitating injury, if at all.

LBJ gets his ring: Finally. After what seemed like an eternity. After all the catcalls about him not being “clutch enough.” After all the wining, all the broken promises, all the petulant premature celebrating, LeBron James got his. His ring. So did Chris Bosh. So did Mike Miller. So did Shane Battier. So did a host of others. But this was all about James anyway. It always is. And always will be.

That’s not to say that Miami’s journey wasn’t worthy of applause. On the contrary, looking at it from another angle reveals a team that had to go through a lot of adversity to rise and become champs. For Miami die-hards and LBJ fanboys, this was a validation of the choices the team and its players made as far back as 2010. Their perceived sacrifices finally bore fruit. Congratulations to them, especially to Fil-American head coach Erik Spoelstra, who brought the Larry O’Brien trophy to Manila for, at least as far as I know, the first time ever.

The Nets move to Brooklyn: Rap superstar and Brooklyn native Jay-Z made it official – the NBA’s newest old team would be called the Brooklyn Nets. Their colors would be basic in the most basic way – black and white. Their stadium, the Barclays Center, with its rustic (or rusty?) exterior, but divine interior, would be an homage to, a symbol for, the very heart and soul of Brooklyn. New York had two NBA teams now, and the Nets, armed with the star power of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, were not to be swept under the rug. They were no longer the “other” team. They were gunning to be THE team from the Big Apple.

Nash and Howard join the Lakers: That Steve Nash, the two-time MVP, the guy who once played behind Jason Kidd in Phoenix only to become, arguably, even better than Kidd (till Kidd got his title), the proverbial “good guy,” would go to Los Angeles in a bid to chase a championship was still barely forgivable. He’s Steve Nash. He’s just too nice. And he’s friggin’ thirty eight years old.

Dwight Howard, however, was a completely different story. Here’s a guy who didn’t want to do a LeBron. Here’s a guy who trumpeted to the high heavens about loyalty. Here’s a guy who, let’s admit it people, had a hand in Stan Van Gundy leaving Orlando and still had the gall to wrap his big arms around SVG’s shoulder during a presscon. Here’s a guy who made known how, in the event he would indeed be traded, he wanted to play only for Brooklyn and with Deron Williams. Here’s a guy who took us all for a ride worthy of Magic Mountain only for him to end up in purple and gold.

So, apparently, he DID want to do a LeBron, only he didn’t want to be hated as much as LBJ was. Well, here's some news for you Dwight – you are hated. Some corners of Florida hate you more deeply than the degree with which some people in Ohio (okay, everyone in Ohio) still hate LeBron. And you’re, what, all of 27?

The most glamorous super team of them all? Uh, well,
once we take out Metta World Peace of course.
(image by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

What is with these kids today? They know they can’t win “on their own,” so they join up with other kids to form super teams. When Barkley joined Drexler and Hakeem in Houston, their mean age was about 33. When KG and Allen joined Pierce in 2007, their mean age was about 31. When LeBron and Bosh joined Wade in 2010, their mean age was about 27. Now we have Melo and Amar’e in NYC. We have Dwight with Nash, Gasol, and Kobe (okay all three of them aren’t exactly spring chickens anymore). We could’ve had CP3 as a Laker, too, if not for David Stern’s intervention. Welcome to the era where glossy victory trumps heroic pride. This is why Jordan will always be the best, at least for me. He didn’t join up with superstars. He made the guys around him superstars (you know – Pippen, Rodman, Grant, and, of course, Bill Wennington). Yes, Jordan, despite his flaws, over any of those kids.

Gee, I was rambling back there. Now for regular programming…

OKC drops James Harden: I still think that this was a bad move. This is despite Kevin Martin becoming a great fit for the Thunder’s offense. This is despite OKC continuing to be one of the best in the west. This is despite my sentimental favorites, the Rockets, benefitting from Harden’s elevated play. Harden was on the cusp of greatness – a greatness that would’ve been enough to push Oklahoma City past even the mighty machine of Miami. Instead, they cut him loose. Yes, there were financial considerations to be made, but this was James Harden. Keep him with KD, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Perkins then get rid of the rest. Take in 7 guys from the D-League for all I care and this would still be a true title contender. If ever the Thunder fail to make a return trip to the Finals this season, then they can look back at this move as the first building block of their doom.

Coach today, fired tomorrow: Let’s look at three coaches here. First we have Mike Brown. This is a guy who couldn’t steer a LeBron-powered Cleveland to a title. This is a guy who surprised everyone when he, and not Brian Shaw, was named the Lakers’ head coach last season. Of course, they crashed and burned. This season, he managed to land Dwight and Nash, and lost “only” Andrew Bynum. Still he couldn’t make things work. Bye bye Brown. He was replaced by the second coach we’ll look at – Mike D’Antoni.

D’Antoni coached a different NBA team earlier in 2012. He and the Knicks were already reeling when Melo went down with an injury, and they would’ve been buried in the doldrums had Linsanity not happened. The Knicks were still far from title-worthy, of course, which is why D’Antoni got the boot. Now the reject from Manhattan is the guy tasked to bring order to Los Angeles. Oh, Irony, how unabashedly cruel you are.

The last coach we’ll talk about is the guy who was the Coach of the Month this past November. Now he’s out of a job. He’s Avery Johnson. He’s the poster boy for how fast the winds of change move in the NBA. Some say it was Johnson’s fault anyway – that he failed to establish a good relationship with Deron and that he didn’t maximize the Nets’ available talent (shout out to MarShon Brooks!). I say Mikhail Prokhorov was just too damn impatient and impulsive.

*This is the first of a series of “Top Stories of 2012” posts. I’ll do three more, one each for International ball, PBA ball, and local amateur ball.

Game Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):

Atlanta 109, Indiana 100

Lou Williams and Zaza Pachulia each recorded a double-double to lead the Atlanta Hawks past the Indiana Pacers, 109-100, at Philips Arena. Williams finished with 21 points and a career-high 12 assists, while Pachulia had 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks, who have won 11 straight home games against the Pacers. Al Horford added 20 points and Kyle Korver connected on four 3-pointers en route to 16 points in the victory. David West poured in a game-high 29 points for Indiana, which had its season- high four-game win streak snapped.

New Orleans 98, Charlotte 95

Eric Gordon provided the Hornets with the spark they needed, pouring in 24 points in 25 minutes in his return to the court as New Orleans rallied for a 98-95 victory over the reeling Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Gordon, who had sat out this season's first 29 games while recovering from right knee surgery, added seven assists and helped the Hornets overcome a deficit that was as much as 21 points late in the first half. Twelve of his points came in the fourth quarter, during which New Orleans used a 22-7 run to take the lead for good. The Hornets outscored Charlotte by a 58-38 margin in the second half to deal the lowly Bobcats their 18th consecutive defeat. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist paced the Bobcats with 22 points, but only four came after halftime. Charlotte made just 14-of-39 field goal attempts over the final two quarters after shooting a scorching 62.5 percent in the first half.

Toronto 123, Orlando 88

DeMar DeRozan poured in 21 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 123-88 dismantling of the Orlando Magic on Saturday. Ed Davis added 18 points and Jose Calderon had 15 points and 10 assists for the Raptors, who have won seven of their last eight. Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross chipped in with 16 point apiece in the triumph. Andrew Nicholson had a career- high 22 points and seven rebounds and Arron Afflalo added 14 points and six assists for the Magic, who were without Jameer Nelson because of a sore hip.

Brooklyn 103, Cleveland 100

Brook Lopez poured in 35 points on 13-of-20 shooting and ripped down 11 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets held on for a 103-100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at Barclays Center. Deron Williams netted 15 points to go with seven assists, while Joe Johnson added 15 points for the Nets, who improved to 2-0 under interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo. Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace each pulled down 10 rebounds to go with seven points in the victory. C.J. Miles dropped 33 points and made 8- of-10 from three-point range, while Tristan Thompson added a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavs, who have lost two straight. Kyrie Irving netted 13 points and handed out seven assists, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Chicago 87, Washington 77

Marco Belinelli paced Chicago with 17 points off the bench as the Bulls downed the Washington Wizards, 87-77, at the United Center. Carlos Boozer added a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Luol Deng contributed 11 points and Kirk Hinrich poured in 10 for the Bulls, who snapped a two-game slide. Richard Hamilton returned from a 12-game absence because of a torn plantar fascia in his left foot and recorded nine points in the victory. Bradley Beal netted 14 points and Emeka Okafor finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds for Washington, which lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

Oklahoma City 124, Houston 94

Russell Westbrook scored 28 points and Kevin Durant tallied 26 as the Oklahoma City Thunder delivered their highest scoring output of the season in a 124-94 thrashing of the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Westbrook added eight assists and eight rebounds, while Kevin Martin racked up 19 points off the bench to help the Thunder top their previous scoring high. That also came against the Rockets, a 120-98 rout in Oklahoma City on Nov. 28 that marked the first meeting between the teams since the preseason trade that sent star guard James Harden to Houston. Harden finished with 25 points against his former club, but shot just 6-of-17 from the field. Marcus Morris notched a career-high 24 points and Toney Douglas scored 17 for Houston, which was dealt a second straight loss following a season-best five- game win streak.

Memphis 81, Denver 72

Rudy Gay had 19 points in his return to the lineup, lifting the Memphis Grizzlies over the Denver Nuggets, 81-72, on Saturday. Gay, who also pulled down six rebounds, missed Wednesday's game against Philadelphia due to personal reasons. Zach Randolph added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who improved to 13-3 at home this season. JaVale McGee, Corey Brewer and Andre Iguodala had 12 points apiece for the Nuggets, who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Kenneth Faried tallied 11 points.

Minnesota 111, Phoenix 107

Nikola Pekovic led six Minnesota players in double figures with 28 points, as the Timberwolves edged the Phoenix Suns, 111-107, on Saturday. Kevin Love had 23 points and 18 rebounds and Andrei Kirilenko chipped in with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Timberwolves, who put the brakes on a two-game skid. Luis Scola poured in a game-high 33 points and 10 rebounds, Shannon Brown had 21 points and Goran Dragic added 16 points and 12 assists for the Suns, who fell to 2-13 on the road this season.

Milwaukee 104, Miami 85

Brandon Jennings netted a team-high 25 points to go with seven assists and four steals, as the Milwaukee Bucks used a huge fourth quarter to top the Miami Heat, 104-85, on Saturday at the Bradley Center. Luc Mbah a Moute connected on 8-of-15 from the field for 19 points to go with seven rebounds, while Mike Dunleavy added 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who have won three of their last four. Dwyane Wade returned to action after serving a 1-game suspension for striking Bobcats guard Ramon Sessions and dropped 24 points with six rebounds, while LeBron James netted a game-high 26 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds, but it wasn't enough for the Heat, who have lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

Portland 89, Philadelphia 85

Nicolas Batum filled the stat sheet with 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers held off the Philadelphia 76ers, 89-85, at the Rose Garden. Damian Lillard followed with 20 points, while J.J. Hickson contributed a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds for Portland, which won for the seventh time in nine games. Jrue Holiday scored a game-high 29 points to go along with nine assists, but also recorded seven of the Sixers' 13 turnovers. Thaddeus Young poured in 17 points, while Nick Young and Spencer Hawes each scored 10 in Philadelphia's eighth loss in its last nine road games.

Golden State 101, Boston 83

Stephen Curry poured in a game-high 22 points to go with nine assists on Saturday, as the Golden State Warriors handled the Boston Celtics, 101-83, at Oracle Arena. David Lee followed with 20 points and Harrison Barnes added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors, who have won three straight. The Celtics were without starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed the contest because of a bruised right thigh and hip. Rondo's replacement, Courtney Lee, finished with a team-high 18 points, while Jason Terry and Paul Pierce chipped in 13 points apiece for Boston, which has lost two straight and six of its last eight.


http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-nba-rounding-up-top-stories-of-2012.html 

Dwyane Wade kicks Ramon Sessions in the balls - Heat @ Bobcats 12/26/12

Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas Mavericks -- Knee 100 percent; legs still not there

Tim MacMahon [ Source: ESPN ] - December 28, 2012

Dirk Nowitzki's scoped right knee feels "100 percent." The rest of his legs, however, have a long way to go to get back in game shape.
The Dallas Mavericks' star forward anticipated that would be the case before his surprise season debut in Sunday's loss to the Spurs. The conditioning concerns were confirmed during his 20-minute outing, when he had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.
"My wind actually felt fine for the first game back after two months," Nowitzki told reporters after Thursday morning's shootaround in Oklahoma City. "But my legs were a little heavy. There was just a little pep missing. I can't really move around or get up out there. So I think we're going to monitor my minutes until I start feeling better and moving better out there. But for the first time in two months, it actually was decent.
"Up and down running, I was fine the last couple weeks, but the showing on defense, the pushback, the jumping, the rebounding, I'm still having a little trouble with. Not kneewise, but just the muscles are not firing that quick as they should."
Nowitzki will continue to come off the bench because that's the easiest way to manage his minutes.
The reality is that the Mavs need Nowitzki to be a heavy-minutes player to have any reasonable chance of making a playoff push. However, they aren't going to put him at risk with a heavy workload before he's ready to handle it.
"I couldn't have done that in San Antonio," Nowitzki said. "For that, I probably would have practiced two more weeks. But we just don't have that time.
"If I really wait until I'm in game shape to play 41 minutes, I probably would have sat out another two weeks. We don't really have that time. And I don't want to sit out more. We're struggling now as it is. The sooner I can work my way back out there and play with the guys, the better. But it's going to take me a few more games to move well and be comfortable out there.
"Here's the thing. I think my knee is 100 percent, and it feels good. But the game shape is not quite there. That's something we're going to keep working on. The knee was great last game. Just my legs were heavy. Like having cement blocks on my feet. And felt a step slow to everything. No lift. It'll come from game to game and get better."

Source: http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/8784029/dirk-nowitzki-dallas-mavericks-knee-100-percent-legs-not-there

Avery Johnson fired by Brooklyn Nets after starting 14-14

Mike Mazzeo [ Source: ESPN ] - December 28, 2012

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Avery Johnson never saw it coming.
But just 24 days after he was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for November, Johnson was fired by the Brooklyn Nets. Assistant P.J. Carlisemo was named interim head coach, and will retain the rest of Johnson's staff.
A search for a new head coach will begin immediately.
"I just got a sense, as I told Avery this morning, that he just wasn't reaching them anymore," general manager Billy King said at a news conference Thursday afternoon, adding that ownership had final say in the decision.
"The Nets' ownership would like to express thanks to Avery for his efforts and to wish him every success in the future," principal owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement.
The Nets (14-14) won 11 of their first 15 games en route to their best start in franchise history, but have gone just 3-10 in December, which prompted Brooklyn's brass to make a change. They currently sit in eighth place in the East playoff standings.
"You never think when you're a .500 team and then you're going into two more home games at home that something like this would happen," Johnson, who was in the final year of a three-year, $12 million contract, said at the news conference. "But this is ownership's decision, and this is what we sign up for. This is part of our business. Fair or unfair, it doesn't matter. But again, it's time for a new voice, and hopefully they'll get back on track."
One NBA coaching source told ESPN.com that the Nets will start a broad search for Johnson's replacement, which will include a call to gauge Phil Jackson's interest. Jackson was bypassed by the Lakers in November after Mike Brown was fired five games into the season.
A list of the top available coaching names includes Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Stan Van Gundy, Nate McMillan, Mike Dunleavy, Brown, and ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy and Flip Saunders.
The prospect of a Sloan reunion with point guard Deron Williams seems highly unlikely, however, after the coach's abrupt resignation in Utah in February 2010, two weeks before the Jazz decided to deal Williams to the Nets. But the coaching source did not rule out the possibility that Brooklyn will also reach out to Southern Methodist University's Larry Brown about a possible NBA return given Brown's close association with King.
A source told ESPNLos Angeles that the Nets have not yet placed an "official" call to gauge Jackson's interest. If they do, Jackson would entertain the idea in much the same way he did when the Lakers called him and he spent the weekend analyzing the Lakers roster and visualizing how he would turn it into a championship team.
King told reporters that he wants Carlisemo to coach "like he's going to coach the team for the next 10 years," but added that the Nets will "evaluate things as we go."
The Nets' season took a turn for the worse when center Brook Lopez, who was playing the best basketball of his career, missed seven games because of a sprained right foot. The Nets went 2-5 in his absence and have gone just 2-5 since his return. They have not beaten a team with a winning record since Nov. 28.
During their 11-4 November, the Nets allowed just 90.4 points per game. But in December, they've regressed and are allowing 98.9 points per contest.
Ten days ago, Williams, who is having the worst season of his career shooting a career-low 39.8 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from 3-point range -- criticized Johnson's isolation-heavy offensive system, saying he felt uncomfortable. But both King and Johnson said blaming Williams for the coach's dismissal was "unfair." King added that the players were never consulted, and the GM supported ownership's decision.
"To pinpoint this all on Deron is not fair. He was not the deciding factor in this decision," King said. "It was something in talking with ownership we didn't like the direction we were going."
"I thought from Day 1 (Deron and I) had a really good relationship," Johnson said. "I don't think it's fair for anybody to hang this on Deron. He's one player. We have 15 players, and it's up to the coach to really maximize the team. But at the end of the day, ownership, they're the ones that own the team. We just went through a bad stretch, a bad spell, we couldn't make a shot. But I always thought we were gonna get it turned around, knowing full well that we weren't necessarily finished with (assembling) this roster."
The Nets spent $330 million in the offseason to upgrade their roster as they moved into their first season at the $1 billion Barclays Center, but have certainly not lived up to lofty expectations. Prokhorov said before the start of the 2012-13 campaign that a successful season would be defined by a possible trip to the Eastern Conference finals. The Nets are currently in the third year of Prokhorov's five-year championship plan.
"That's our goal (a title)," King said. "We started off good, but now we've stumbled, so we've got to get back on track to try and reach that goal."
Johnson was named coach of the Nets on June 15, 2010. In two-plus seasons with the Nets, Johnson compiled a record of 60-116. Johnson arrived in New Jersey with a 194-70 record, a .735 winning percentage that was the highest in NBA history, but had little chance of success in his first two seasons while the Nets focused all their planning on the move to Brooklyn.
"I thought especially under the circumstances that I took this job -- knowing that the first two years we were gonna get beat up pretty bad -- then I thought the third year I'll have the whole third year and the fourth year to maybe really try to put together a championship team, but that didn't happen," Johnson said.
Johnson said it was difficult to coach the Nets without an extension.
"I think any coach, and I got a lot of guys that have called today, you gotta have in this business, you gotta have the power in terms of the ability to coach and the respect. It would help if you do have a contract that the players respect. That's the nature of our business," Johnson said. "And when you don't have that, then, sometimes when things tend to go sideways, you just don't have the full support. And if you don't have the full support of ownership in a lot of different areas, then for the most part it's just not gonna work."
Backup center Andray Blatche was among the first of the Nets players to react to the news, posting on Twitter: "Thanx coach Avery for everything."
Johnson's son, Avery Jr., voiced his displeasure over his father's dismissal with tweets of his own.
"The expectations were way to high for this team. We didn't even have a losing record... Didn't even give my dad a full season. #OUTRAGE" he tweeted. "I'm sorry are best players couldn't make open shots. Yeah that's my dads fault totally..."
King said he expects Williams (bruised right wrist) and power forward Kris Humphries (strained abdominal muscle) to play on Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats in Carlesimo's Nets' head coaching debut. Humphries had recently fallen out of favor with Johnson and wasn't going to be part of the regular rotation. Johnson also was criticized for playing veterans Jerry Stackhouse and Keith Bogans ahead of Rookie of the Year runner-up MarShon Brooks, who he constantly chided for not playing enough defense. Johnson continued to change up the rotation, but it never stabilized.
Carlesimo has previous NBA head coaching experience in Portland, Golden State and Seattle/Oklahoma City. He owns a career coaching record of 204-296 in the regular season and 3-9 in the playoffs.
ESPN.com senior writer Marc Stein, ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.

Source: http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8783854/avery-johnson-fired-brooklyn-nets-starting-14-14

Raymond Felton of New York Knicks expects to be out 4-6 weeks

[ Source: ESPN ] - December 28, 2012
New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton said Wednesday night that he expects to miss four to six weeks with a fractured finger, but he stressed the injury won't end his season.
"This is not a season-ending injury," Felton told reporters in Phoenix, according to Newsday. "It's something that will last four to six weeks at the most."
Felton broke his right pinkie finger in the third quarter of the Knicks' loss to the Lakers on Christmas Day when he and Steve Nash dived for a loose ball.
X-rays on Felton's right fifth finger revealed the fracture. Felton won't be accompanying the team to Sacramento for their Friday night game against the Kings. He's flying back to New York City on Thursday to see a doctor to determine if surgery is required.
"I may need surgery," Felton told reporters, according to the New York Post. "I got to do what's best for my hand so I can get back and help this team."
Wednesday's game against the Suns was Felton's first missed game of the season. Jason Kidd started in Felton's absence and scored 23 points with eight assists and six rebounds in 31 minutes. The 39-year-old veteran made 5 of his 8 3-point attempts.
The Knicks improved to 21-8 with their 99-97 victory at Phoenix.
"We just have to go back and assess it and see where we are and go from there, but again, like I said, injuries occur," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "Key guys get banged up here and there, and we have enough guys on our team that guys just got to step up and play until guys get back. That's how it's got to be."
Felton, 28, is averaging 15.8 points (second on the team) and leads the Knicks with 6.3 assists per game.
Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Jared Zwerling was used in this report.

Source: http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8783318/raymond-felton-new-york-knicks-expects-4-6-weeks

Mike Dunlap of Charlotte Bobcats patient amid 16-game skidMike Dunlap of Charlotte Bobcats patient amid 16-game skid

Associated Press [ Source: ESPN ] - December 28, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It would be easy for Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap to tear up the blueprint amid a 16-game losing streak and come up with an entirely new plan.
But Charlotte's first-year coach has no plans for any such radical paper shredding.
Instead he's preaching patience.
When Dunlap looks at his team's struggles since opening the season 7-5 he recalls the growing pains Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder endured a few years ago before becoming Western Conference champions.
"Durant and Westbrook took a pounding in those first two years," Dunlap said. "My point is I look around the league and see how those seeds were born, what those guys did and how did that culture take off? Well it didn't take off right away, so I remind myself and my staff of that. It's incumbent on us to stay the course."
So Dunlap will stick with playing youngsters like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kemba Walker, Byron Mullens and Jeffery Taylor. They will make mistakes. They will learn on the job.
Dunlap will also continue to stress things like pressuring the ball, help defense, pushing the ball up the floor, getting to the basket and drawing fouls as staples of the foundation he hopes to build.
Sure, the 16-game skid isn't fun.
The Bobcats know all too well about lengthy losing streaks.
They lost their final 23 games of last season to finish 7-59 under former coach Paul Silas. They added Ramon Sessions, Ben Gordon and Brendan Haywood during the offseason, bringing some veteran experience to an otherwise young team.
After an offseason where Dunlap stressed conditioning during marathon three- and four-hour practices, the Bobcats came out of the gates winning seven of their first 12 games matching last season's win total.
But things have gone downhill ever since a 45-point shellacking at the hands of the Thunder on Nov. 26.
It was a game the Bobcats said going in would be a great measuring stick for how far they'd come. But reality threw them for a loop and Dunlap's gang has struggled to get back on ever since.
Sixteen games. Sixteen losses.
They've lost them in a variety of ways, once blowing a 17-point lead with less than six minutes to play. They've been blown out of a few games, but for the most part have remained competitive.
The one consistent during the stretch is the lack of defense. The Bobcats have allowed 109 points per game during the losing streak.
"That's not good, is it?" Dunlap said, pointing out the obvious.
Dunlap said the problem revolves around a lack of ball pressure and poor rotation.
"In the NBA you have to cover guys that are getting beat off the dribble," Dunlap said. "The only way you can do that is to leave your man and that is a hard habit to break at this level because you're depending on the trust factor. If you lose games there is an undermining of 'Should I leave my man or not?' There are question marks in the eyes."
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said things aren't as dire as they might seem in Charlotte.
In fact, he sees plenty of promise in what Dunlap, president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho are building with the Bobcats.
He said it's only a matter of time before the Bobcats are turning close losses into wins.
"It's always tough when you're going through a year like they are," Spoelstra said. "But they are getting great experience for the young players. Their players are as good as anybody's in the league -- they just don't have as much experience. But they can hurt you on any given night. The thing is they compete and play hard. You notice that on film."
On Tuesday night, the Bobcats hung with the defending champion Heat for three-and-a-half quarters. Charlotte trailed by two points with 7:16 left in the game before Miami went on a run and pulled away for a 105-92 victory.
Of Charlotte's 21 losses, 12 are by 10 points or less. That's a far cry from last year's team which wasn't even competitive, losing more than one-third of their games by 20 points or more.
Dunlap said he sees "promise amid the adversity."
Still, Walker doesn't take much satisfaction the Bobcats are more competitive.
"Losing is losing," said Walker, the team's leading scorer. "Hopefully we can stop it soon. But it's no different at all from last year. We lost last year and we're losing this year and it's not a good feeling at all."
Walker realizes the Bobcats don't have a roster with a ton of proven NBA experience, but he refuses to use that as an excuse.
"We have young guys, but at the same time it's the NBA," Walker said. "So we have to find a way to win. That's what we're going to try to do -- find a way."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8784268/mike-dunlap-charlotte-bobcats-patient-amid-16-game-skid