Fifty

Fifty could refer to the age of New Jersey Nets PG Jason Kidd's knees, one of which has undergone microfracture surgery. Or, it could refer to the number of triple-doubles Kidd has had in his career, the latest of which has come at the expense of the Philadelphia 76ers, whom the Nets beat, 93-88.

That he can still put up numbers like that despite his physical limitations is amazing. It's clear that Kidd is still a force to be reckoned with on the hard court. Just ask Willie Green.

AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.

KD: Still Scorin', Still Losin'

The Seattle Supersonics lost their third straight game, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers, 115-101.

I love Kevin Durant's game, but all his stats won't mean squat if his team––and, make no mistake about it, the Sonics are his team––doesn't get into the win column.

AP Photo/Gus Ruelas

The Big Green Machine Downs Agent Zero

Washington Wizards star guard Gilbert Arenas says the Boston Celtics' new Big Three are OLD. His game plan, should he face them, is to run them into the ground, so that by the fourth quarter all-stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen run out of gas.

There are some things, however, that Arenas fails to consider. One, this group is a motivated bunch; individually, they've had distinguished NBA careers, but none has a championship ring. Two, all three are used to carrying their teams, and, consequently, are used to logging heavy minutes. Knowing this, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen are all well-conditioned, disciplined players who can play 35-40 minutes if need be. Three, having these three stars has invigorated the Celtics' other players; they KNOW they have a chance to do something special. So, following the three stars' example, they're going to play their hearts out because they know they have a crack at the championship.

Gilbert Arenas has his own assessment of the Celtics, and he's entitled to it; he also has the right to make bold predictions, and to say that his team is going to Boston to whip the Celtics.

But the Big Three also have rights; and one of those is to prove Arenas wrong.

And so they did.

The Boston Celtics took their home opener against the Washington Wizards, beating them 103-83 in a blowout win that has sent an strong message to the rest of the NBA: we're for real.

The Celtics did it, of course, by riding their three superstars; but they also did it by playing excellent team defense and by sharing the basketball, finding and making the open jumpers resulting from the attention given to KG et al. Second year point guard Rajon Rondo was steady, hitting his outside shots as well as using his speed to get into the lane to shoot uncontested layups; Brian Scalabrine was nailed threes when they counted; even center Kendrick Perkins had a decent game.

Garnett, as usual, was a beast; he scored 20 points, pulled down 20 boards, and was everywhere on defense. He was deflecting passes, bothering shots, and blocking them as well––one of them off a Gilbert Arenas layup, one which he sent back to Arenas with emphasis. Pierce scored the most of the Big Three, burning the Wizrds' defense even when he was the only Celtics superstar left on the floor. And Ray Allen had a quiet 17 points, most on smooth jumpers and silky drives to the basket.

It's just one game into the season, but if the Celtics play every game like this one, they're a lock to go to the Finals.

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Winslow Townson

Deja Vu: Suns Burn the Sonics in the Fourth

How many Seattle games were televised last year? I don't know. But I'm certain I never saw two live Sonics games two days in a row. But with rookie phenom Kevin Durant in the lineup, the Sonics have suddenly become primetime TV material. With fellow rookie Greg Oden out for the year, the focus will be on KD, who, one game into the season, has been crowned the NBA's Rookie of the Year. Will he earn it? This game should be an indicator.

Phoenix Suns vs. Seattle Supersonics

First Half

• Phoenix has a small lineup. They don't have anyone over seven feet on the court, but they're used to that.
• Run, run, run. Let's see if the Sonics, true to their name, can catch up.
• Breakaway dunk and layup for KD. He looks more comfortable today. More relaxed. Guess he's settled down.
• This is going to be another high-scoring game; no D.
• Grant Hill looks good; Chris Wilcox also, who scores on an alley-oop pass from from Earl Watson.
• Amare for three? They say he's been working on this shot. He needs more work.
• Chris Wilcox is really getting the ball! He's tenacious on the boards.
• Zone against the Suns? They shoot too well for that.
• Jeff Green travels; rookie error.
• Alley-oop to Green from Luke! WOW! Wilcox almost gets a dunk from a pick-and-roll with Ridnour. Bad luck. Why isn't Ridnour starting?
• KD for three! What a sweet, sweet stroke! Sonics up by three! Chalk up another assist for Ridnour. This kid really sees the floor well. Ridnour another assist! Nick Collison scores this time.
• A thought; two white point guards playing against each other, and the assists are amazing.
• Collison schools Marion! Marion!! Sweet spin for a dunk.
• KD gambles for a steal, and Marion gets a dunk. On the other end, Nash gets a charging call against KD. The rook still needs a lot to learn.
• Another steal for the Sonics; KD gets a jump shot on the break KD fails to get the rebound; fails to box out Skinner, who scores on a follow-up dunk. Tsk.
• KD again! Step back jumper that is so, so pretty. KD can score the hell outta the ball. Then on the way back, he loses the ball! Sheesh. Still. When this guy has adjusted to the NBA game, he is going to be a beast to guard. He's confident with the ball, can create his own shot, and can shoot from ANYWHERE. Damn.
• Wilcox vs. Skinner. Battle of the "sweat" guys.
• KD already has 18 points at the half; as many points as he had in his first game.
• Damien Wilkins sinks a half-court heave; it goes in, so the Sonics end the half up by three.

Second Half

• Hill on a breakaway layup. Nifty pass from Nash. Thing of beauty.
• Amare is just not playing well. He's playing with fouls and has gotten his shot either blocked or bothered by the Sonics' bigs.
• KD with a two-handed flush!
• Classic Hill. He schools KD with a crossover and layup down the center of the lane. KD has to work on his D. Lateral movement needs work.
• Hill burns Scerbiak; then on the next play, Sonics lose ball; I call an alley-oop from Nash to Marion, and Nash makes me look like Nostradamus.
• Wilcox is saving the Sonics. How many offensive rebounds does he have? I bet he has more than all the Suns combined. (A thought; is it a contract year for Wilcox?)
• Marcus Banks has practiced the three. He's shooting it well.
• Suns taking control in the fourth. Scerbiak is a liability on defense. Yeah, he can shoot. But he moves in slow mo.
• Durant shoots a two and a three. They've put Marion on him. Offensive foul on KD, just like in Denver yesterday.
• Suns up by ten. Game over.
• Suns win, 106-99.
  

Postscript

This game was basically a repeat of yestyerday's, with the Sonics melting down in the fourth quarter. This is expected, of course, from such a young team. They deserve credit for sticking close to the Suns, who are one of the top five teams in the L.

The Suns, though, also deserve credit for keeping the score close. They were sloppy today, and they should've blown the Sonics out. Instead, Amare had a lousy start, Nash was careless in the first half, and their defense was terrible. Marion played uninspiring ball, Diaw was tentative, and only Grant Hill played better than expected.

Good teams, however, always find a way to pull out the win. Nash, Stoudemire, and Marion all delivered in the last quarter, when the Sonics' offense suddenly sputtered. Nash had 12 assists in a what I'd consider a bad game for him. If that's how many he gets on a bad night, how many does he get when the Suns are rolling?

The Sonics, on the other hand, are a team with a future. Their bigs play hard, and play surprisingly well. Their board work is commendable, as is their defense. I'm not too thrilled about the rotation, though. I think Delonte West deserves more minutes than Wally Scerbiak, since the latter can't guard anybody. Ridnour also should be given more burn. Watson is solid, but doesn't see the floor as well. He had three assists in eight minutes. If Ridnour played as long as Nash, he'd have finished the game with 12.

KD continues to show why he's the number two pick. He played better today, but his six turnovers show how he has to learn how to play more under control. His shot selection is better now, but he got two offensive fouls today, similar to the ones that were drawn on him yesterday. He should learn to drive hard, stop on a dime, and just launch that floater that served him well in college. He also has to do something when he doesn't have the ball. Often he just stands around the three-point line waiting for a pass. He should move, try to get rebounds, cut. And he has to pick it up on D. His wingspan'll bother anyone, if he uses it well.

Here's hoping that the Sonics get their act together, soon. "Almost winning" is good, but losing takes its toll on everyone. They have to learn from their mistakes and win. Soon.

Photo courtesy of AP Photo

Liveblogging Kevin Durant's First Game

The NBA tipped off yesterday, with three games I couldn't watch because I was making up for lack of sleep; which is too bad, since I missed a great game between the Lakers and the Rockets, another classic Kobe performance, one where he almost single-handedly won the game for the seriously outmatched Lakers.

Anyway, enough blogging over spilled milk. Thanks to the wonders of cable TV, I am now watching the Denver Nuggets and Seattle Supersonics try to outscore each other. (No defense in this game, really.) More importantly, this is the beginning of something BIG: the career of Kevin Durant.

Some observations:

• Allen Iverson is not as good a defender as I thought. His man, Seattle PG Delonte West, has been getting past him with some good upfakes; a couple of minutes before, Earl Watson––who is not exactly the Flash––blew past Iverson and almost made a layup. Is AI really slowing down, or is he depending on Marcus Camby to cover his ass on D?
• Or course, just as I finish writing this paragraph, AI comes from behind West to steal a pass from Earl Watson. Ha ha.
• AI is not all that bad. He has 12 assists at the end of three quarters. TWELVE!
• Seattle rookie Kevin Durant looks comfortable on the court. He has missed a lot of easy shots––had he made all of them he'd have more than 30 points at the half––but he's dribbling the ball with confidence and has made some nifty passes, one of which was a drop pass to a trailing Chris Wilcox on a four-on-three break that ended with a highlight-reel dunk for Wilcox. Most of KD's shots were too strong, an indicator of excitement, or adrenaline really flooding his system. I mean, this is it. He's worked all his life to get to the NBA, and he's THERE; who wouldn't be excited?
• The Sonics are sharing the ball. I haven't seen a selfish play from them yet.
• Durant hasn't been stifled by good defense; he has just been terribly unlucky. In one sequence, he gets free for a layup, which with his length, should be a gimme shot; he missed. In the next sequence, he curls off a pick to make a short jumper.
  
• Denver up by ten with eight minutes to go. They've gone to their bench. Seattle is a good, young team which is well-coached; but they clearly need more veterans. Earl Watson is ok, especially in the point guard spot, but it would be great if they could get someone who could take KD under his wing and help settle the kid down.
• You know you're old when you see the kid of a player you used to watch when you were younger now playing. Damien Wilkins is the splitting image of his dad, Gerald Wilkins; if the former played with a flat-top instead of bald, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
• Durant hits a three. Smooth, pure stroke. Some things you just can't teach.
• Everyone needs an Eduardo Najera; someone who plays all-out, all the time. Unlike other "all heart" guys, however, Najera has skills. He has a high basketball IQ, hits threes (!), and has solid defense.
  
• Kleiza can really shoot. When he lets fly, you expect it to go in. How many threes does this guy have? Four? Five?
• Iverson statline with three minutes to go: 20 points, 14 assists, six steals. Memo to the LA Lakers: that's what happens when you surround a GREAT player with DECENT. So stop scrimping and PAY for talent to surround Kobe Bryant.
• It's officially a blowout now.
• Anthony and Iverson trump Durant; Nuggets win, 120-103.
  

Postscript

The Denver Nuggets, according to coach George Karl, expect to win at least 55 games. Their star player, Carmelo Anthony, thinks they can win 60. I think Karl's prognosis is more accuratet. Offensively, they're loaded. The Nuggets' defense, on the other hand, is another thing entirely. They have a tendency to depend on Marcus Camby, who is an excellent help defender, rather than focusing on stopping their man. Iverson and Anthony are good "risk" defenders––meaning they're good for the occassional steal––but they can't stop their men. Had Durant played more under control, he would've outscored Anthony. If the Nuggets hope to get deep in the playoffs, they'll have to find the "D" in Denver.

The Sonics, on the other hand, look like they have a future. They have a formidable backcourt, with Watson, West, and Durant (and PG Luke Ridnour, who didn't play). Durant can only get better, and if they play like they did against the Nuggets, they should win more games than people think. They'll probably just miss the playoffs by a hair; if they were in the Eastern Conference, they'd have a good chance of making it.

As for Kevin Durant, this guy will be a superstar. He's long, he's fast, he's skilled. His shooting stroke is a thing of beauty. He handles the ball and shoots like a guard, is as tall as a forward, and is as long as a center. Once he gets settled in, he's going to score 25 or more point, easy. I don't have to watch the other rookies play; KD is the Rookie of the Year. Book it.

Photo courtesy of MSNBC

Live Blogging the Golden State Warriors vs. the Utah Jazz

• The Warriors play like a team out of NBA Live; at least that's how I play when I play NBA Live––I look for open shooters, and prefer taking three-point shots. When these go in, you can really blow your opponents out; when they don't, you better play great defense or YOU'RE going to be blown out. Good thing the Warriors play a crazy, frenetic defense.
• Golden States' fans are crazy. And loud. They DO believe, and consequently, the Warriors believe in themselves, hence the many threes––they believe they're going to make all of them.
• Utah's Carlos Boozer is a monster. He's rebounding like crazy, playing great D, and keeping the game close by making those point-blank shots. He has a good post game, with a jump hook and up-an-under moves that make for high-percentage shots. He leads the game in points, and probably leads the game in field goal percentage.
• Baron Davis ends the third quarter with a three, and Monta Ellis steals the Jazz inbound after; the crowd goes wild.
• I have a feeling Derek Fisher is going to make some clutch shots in this series, just as he did with the Lakers. He is just so cool. 126 playoff games and three championship rings will do that to you.
• I know the Warriors have the green light to shoot threes, but Al Harrington is just taking too many threes! He's cold, and should just pass the ball to someone with the hot hand. Or maybe take it to the hole, for a change.
• Digression: Those new San Miguel Pale Pilsen ads, which features close-ups of cold bottles of SMB? They confidently state (in Filipino) that after watching the ad you're going to want a nice, cold bottle of SMB. They work.
• Okur hits a three. It was just a matter of time.
• What did I just say? Fisher hits a long two!
• And he hits another one! CLUTCH.
• Kirilenko to Boozer alley-oop! AK47 knows how to pass, man.
  
• The Golden State fans are great. Their team is down by ten with a minute and a half to go and they are not leaving. I'd play my heart out for those people, too.
• This game is done. Utah's up by nine with a minute to go, and Reggie Miller is not playing for the Warriors.
• Okur fouled hard while going for a dunk. He he. When you're up by that much (eleven with 36 seconds to go), just dribble the ball, man. This ain't NBA Live.
• 115-101. Game. Set. Match.
  

Live Blogging the Phoenix Suns at San Antonio

First Quarter

• Tim Duncan sits with two fouls, obviously part of the Suns' game plan.
• When watching the Suns play, never take your eyes off the TV, or you will miss something. Everything happens so damn fast.
• Steve Nash looks like an over-caffeinated point guard on speed. I know that's redundant, but it's accurate; the guy is a blur on the hardcourt.

Second Quarter

• Duncan can take anyone down on the post. ANYONE. The guy isn't fast, can't jump that high, but his footwork is incredible. Kevin McHale, reincarnated. (As a player, not a GM)
  
• Score is quite low for a Phoenix game. Spurs playing the way they want to play.
• The Suns look like an ordinary team without Nash. A good, ordinary team, but an ordinary team nonetheless.
• Big follow by Duncan on a Finley miss! Two-handed slam while trailing Finley on a slow break.
• Nash blows by Duncan, uses his body to protect ball; if you're short, and want to play with the big boys, watch Nash play. (An aside; GOD, how great would it be for Kevin Garnett to play with someone like Nash? He would be a better partner than Amare, since KG has much more range, and a better jump shot. Nash-KG on a screen and roll would be friggin' unstoppable!)
• Amare powers his way to the basket for a slam.
• A few seconds later, Marion stuffs one on the break, off a pass by Nash. You gotta type fast when live-blogging the Suns.
• Duncan, on the low post, scores AGAIN. Can anyone stop him down there?
• Amare fouls Duncan on the post; ball should've gone in, so the Suns are lucky in that Timmy has to earn his points from the stripe.
  
• Suns incredibly lucky that Duncan is missing shots close to the basket. He's missed something like three, four easy ones. (Easy for him, that is.)
• Nash to Thomas is not Stockton to Malone, but it works. Kurt Thomas so surprised to find himself open it takes him a second to realize that he should take the shot.

Third Quarter

• Duncan scores on the low block. Again.
• Marion blocks a potential Duncan stuff! Talk about HOPS!! (Marion is truly one of the best help defenders in the league.)
  
• Duncan. Duncan. Duncan. The double-team came too late.
• Marion has got a butt-ugly release, but it doesn't keep him from filling the bucket.
• All the Suns have their shorts the regulation NBA length––above the knee. No hip-hop shorts a la Iverson. I wonder if it's an agreement among all of them, to allow them to run without being held back by baggy shorts.
• Three straight offensive fouls. Refs whistle-happy here.
• Nash drives to the basket and makes it. The guy has got serious game.
• The Suns haven't been playing their usual brand of ball, but they're only down by two, which is scary. What happens when they get it going? Will the Spurs be able to keep up? On the other hand, the Spurs are playing disciplined, patient ball, and if there's a team that can keep the Suns from heating up, it's the Spurs.
• Parker one of the league's best finishers. Wasn't always like that. I remember how erratic his play was when he was starting, which was why the Spurs pursued Jason Kidd back in 2002.
• Marion called for his fourth foul. Crap.
  
• Even Parker's jump shot has improved.
• Nash to Barbosa on a back-door cut. Thing of beauty. Too bad Barbosa misses it. He makes free throws, however.
• Duncan blocks Barbosa, starts break, Spurs score. Spurs come back, Finley hits three, Spurs lead by ten. Wow. Quick turn of events.
  
• Quarter ends with Spurs in control and up by 14.
  

Fourth Quarter

• Nash begins quarter on his back. Same can be said for the Suns at this point.
• Diaw is screwing up. Duncan on bench, but Suns not making any headway into the lead.
• Duncan makes the pretty pass to Parker, who's in the paint, makes the lay-up, and is fouled. Critical play, as it puts Spurs up by 12.
• Barbosa flubs a fastbreak lay-up against TD. Damn.
• This game is a disappointment, from the Suns' perspective. They didn't shoot the threes, didn't run well. Sheesh.
• Duncan blocks an Amare dunk!! Holy crap, that was GREAT D! Demoralizing!
• Finally, a fast break dunk. That was what I woke up for.
• Suns making a run. Down by eight with less than three minutes to go. Just a few more stops! Suns within six now!
• They foul Duncan! And the Suns now down by four!
• Duncan blocks Barbosa AGAIN! FIVE blocks for TD!
• Amare loses the ball below the basket, Suns down by five. That's the game.
• Parker sinks the jump shot, unguarded. Spurs up by seven, 30-plus secs to go. Game over.