NBA Christmas Day: Naughty and Nice

By Matt MooreDec 26, 2010, 12:00 PM EST

With five games on the slate yesterday, we ran down what happened in Baseline To Baseline and broke down Heat-Lakers. Here’s who left candy in your stocking and who left coal.

Who’s was nice:

Monta Ellis: When Ellis is on, he’s an inferno. And the Blazers yesterday were powerless to stop him. With 39 points, he was en fuego, and for a Blazers team that plays pretty good defense but struggles on offense, that’s th equivalent of a death sentence. If Ellis can take the next step and not only be a leader in points per game but in terms of getting his team to play consistently, the Warriors have the talent to make a second-half run. But for a night at least, they’ll be happy with Ellis’ ability to create his own shot, which is nearly second to none in this league.

Kevin Durant: Well, say hey, KD. Durant had been good this season. He really had. But yesterday may have been the game that gets him back on track to being considered one of the true greats in this league. 44 points, with a barrage of those lift-up jumpers, as well as moves to get him to the line where he was 12-15. 21 points in the 3rd, and it was a whole different ballgame for both teams.

The Knicks Defense: I know. We were shocked, too. The Knicks held the Bulls without a field goal for over eight minutes in the fourth quarter and ran away with a huge win, their second win over the Bulls this season. The Knicks rotated well, cajoled the Bulls into playing their tempo, and stayed consistent with their double-teams, moving Derrick Rose further and further baseline which made his drives harder. Cutting off Carlos Boozer on the pick and roll, and suddenly the Bulls’ offense was a fish out of water. That’s a formula the Knicks could use in the playoffs. Geez, it looks like the Knicks may make the playoffs. How things can change in a year.

LeBron James: Wow. It was one of those games where you remember the total and complete impact James can have on the game. He got away from the drive-and-jump-pass nonsense he’s done all season, and went back to slinging perimeter passes, working out of the pick and roll, and most importantly, pushing the ball in transition. The Heat ran the Lakers out of the building, and James was a huge part of that, making defensive stops, snaring the rebound, and then pushing the fast break. His touch passing with Wade in transition is simply as electrifying as we thought it could be. James had his most MVP-like performance against LA, and was the biggest reason they walked out with a big win.

Who was naughty:

Al Harrington: The Thunder are a good defensive team, and have some length and athleticism to challenge stretch fours. But Harrington was off all day. He finished with 9 points and 6 turnovers, and it was his disappearing act that left the Nuggets without a final chamber left to fire.

Paul Pierce’s 4th Quarter: Pierce was brilliant for three quarters of basketball in Orlando, and looked like the rottweiler clamping its jaws down on the poodle and shaking for all its worth. But then the fourth quarter came, and Orlando started to send doubles at him consistently, including a very active one from Hedo Turkoglu, and Pierce vanished. That fourth quarter is his time, and the Celtics depend on him to produce then, especially when Ray Allen is having a bad day like he was yesterday. Pierce wasn’t having a bad day, he was having a great day, and the Magic just took him out of it. Not a great holiday for the Truth.

Pau Gasol: Someone apparently forgot to tell Gasol that the Heat are weak inside and can’t guard him. Gasol finished with 17 points on 17 shots and was outworked at both ends of the floor by fellow yogurt specialist Chris Bosh. Gasol is the best big man in the game today and simply didn’t effect enough force on either end. He allowed buckets and didn’t create them. with Bryant trying to shoulder the load again, Gasol needed to come through. Instead he faltered, and LA walks out with their second straight blasting on Christmas Day. Bah humbug.

Paul George has to be helped off court after fourth quarter leg injury

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 2:38 AM EDT

Hopefully this is not serious, not something that changes the playoff picture in the West.

The Clippers’ Paul George went down with 4:38 left in the game Tuesday night after a collision with Lu Dort going for a rebound.

Here’s the play where Paul George suffered what appears to be a leg injury. pic.twitter.com/k0JbXyrXvn

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 22, 2023

George had to be helped back to the locker room and struggled to put any weight on his leg.

PG was helped off the floor after an apparent leg injury 🙏 pic.twitter.com/1KQwlgbteg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2023

After the game, Tyronn Lue said George was still being evaluated and had no update on his status. George was seen exiting the arena on the back of a cart with his right leg extended, according to the AP.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾PG

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) March 22, 2023

George had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists before exiting the game. On the season he is playing at an All-NBA level averaging 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game, and the Clippers are 6.8 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court.

The Thunder went on to win 101-100 in a game filled with drama, including a technical foul for Kawhi Leonard, an ejection of Terrence Mann, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 31 points, and Lou Dort locking up Leonard in the final seconds.

Grizzlies Ja Morant: ‘My job now is… to be more responsible’

By Kurt HelinMar 22, 2023, 1:39 AM EDT

While his coach said he anticipates Ja Morant will return to the court Wednesday for the Grizzlies, Morant downplayed expectations and said things are “still in the air.”

Whether the official return is Wednesday or a few days later, Morant is back practicing with teammates and spoke to the media for the first time since his suspension. He once again was apologetic.

“I’m completely sorry for that,” Morant said, via the Associated Press. “So, you know, my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don’t cause any of that no more.”

Morant was suspended eight games by the NBA after flashing a gun in a club and broadcasting it on social media, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called “irresponsible” and “reckless.” Morant used that time to go into counseling at a facility in Florida but added he “never had an alcohol problem.”.

“I went there to counseling to learn how to manage stress,” Morant said. “Cope with stress in a positive way, instead of ways I’ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.”

Morant said that his treatment is an “ongoing process,” adding that he was getting off social media and letting his actions speak for him.

Morant and his associates had incidents before that caught the attention of people around the league — including a run-in with Indiana Pacers security — however, this incident in a Colorado club was the first one that hit him in the wallet. The suspension cost him $668,659 in game pay, plus one of his major sponsors — Powerade — pulled an ad campaign featuring him that would have run heavily during March Madness.

The biggest hit is Morant possibly missing out on an All-NBA guard spot. Morant could make $39 million more over the five-year extension that kicks in next season if he makes one of the three All-NBA teams. However, the guard spot is especially crowded with deserving players this season and this incident and the missed games do not help his cause.

Hart will be free agent this summer seeking new contract, ‘would love for it to be New York’

By Kurt HelinMar 21, 2023, 6:36 PM EDT

Josh Hart‘s play since coming to the Knicks has made him a lot of money.

Already a darling of many front offices, Hart has been a seamless fit in New York, averaging 11.1 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Tom Thibodeau, playing quality defense, and being the kind of plug-and-play wing every team can use. He’s quickly become a fan favorite in New York, but the Knicks will have to pay up to keep him. Hart has a player option for $12.9 million next season that he is widely expected to decline — there’s a lot more money and years available to him on the open market.

Hart told Marc Spears of ESPN’s Andscape he wants to find a home, and he hopes that it is in New York.

“I want bigger things for my wife and myself,” Hart said. “Just find a home somewhere where we are valued and really like living there. And I think that can be New York. I would love for it to be New York and hopefully the organization feels the same way. Coming up, this contract is hopefully my biggest one, one where I’m making sure my family’s fully taken care of. So, I’ve also got to take that into account, too.”

That is the polite way of saying, “I like it here but you’re not getting a discount.”

While Hart will have made a tidy $33 million in his career when this season ends, his next four-year contract will be worth more than double that amount — this is the deal that sets up generational wealth for Hart’s family. This is a business and he has to make the decision best for him, as much as he may love the Knicks.

Expect the Knicks to pay up, especially as long as Thibodeau is around. This is a deal that should come together.

But first, Hart and the Knicks are headed to the playoffs, and Madison Square Garden will be rocking. It’s going to be the kind of experience that makes a guy want to stay with a team.

Hall of Famer, Knicks legend Willis Reed dies at 80

By Kurt HelinMar 21, 2023, 5:08 PM EDT

Willis Reed, the legendary Knicks’ center whose dramatic entrance onto the Madison Square Garden floor minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals sparked the team to its first title, has died at the age of 80.

The National Basketball Retired Players Association announced Reed’s passing. While no cause of death was announced, it was known Reed had been in poor health for some time.

“Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks’ championship teams in the early 1970s. He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports.

“As a league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP and member of the NBA’s 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Teams, Willis was a decorated player who took great pride in his consistency. Following his playing career, Willis mentored the next generation as a coach, team executive and proud HBCU alumnus. We send our deepest condolences to Willis’ wife, Gale, his family, and many friends and fans.”

Reed had an amazing career — highlighted by the two NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVP awards, plus being a seven-time All-Star — but he is best remembered for a legendary 1969-70 season. That year he became the first player to sweep the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals MVP awards.

However, it was him walking out on the court for Game 7 of the Finals in 1970 — after he suffered a thigh injury in Game 5 and had to miss Game 6 of the series, and the Knicks had no answer for the Lakers’ Wilt Chamberlain without him — that became the moment of legend. Reed scored four early points that game, and while he was limited the rest of the way he sparked the team to its first title (Walt Frazier’s 36 points and 19 assists had something to do with the win, too).

Our Captain. pic.twitter.com/2Bg1ro4y37

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 21, 2023

Reed was born in 1942 in Hico, Louisiana, and stayed in the state through college, leading Grambling State to the 1961 NAIA title. Considered an undersized center at 6’9 “, teams quickly learned he played much bigger than that as he went on to win the 1965 Rookie of the Year award.

Reed averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds a season over the course of his career, and he had his No.19 retired by the Knicks. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Who’s was nice:

Who was naughty:

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