It was another nail-biter for the Celtics, but three times wasn't the charm last night. Here's today's NBA recap.With the game tied at 87, the Mavericks Jason Kidd passed the ball to Dirk Nowitzki who hit a beautiful jumper with Big Baby defending, clinching the game for the Mavericks, despite there being 17 seconds left to play. The Celtics were unable to score in that time frame. The key to the Mavs victory was the fact that they shot 50% from the field while the Celtics shot 41%. Also, the Celtics missed 11 of the last 14 shots taken from the field.
Rajon Rondo put up 15 assists, but missed a wide open three to clinch the game. Now we all know that Rondo isn't a great shooter, but he still should make that shot. A wide-open jumper at the end of the game should be money for any NBA player, and I'm pretty disappointed he didn't make it.
The most alarming stat for me comes from Nate Robinson, who in 9 minutes of play was -11. Ouch. I like Nate, but only if he's winning dunk contests in a Celtics jersey or if the game is already decided. He doesn't play good defense (as evidenced by the -11) and pulls up for jumpers way too early in the shot clock way too much. So far this season he is shooting an atrocious 29% from the field. Robinson should really take notes from Rondo and play the PG position, and not be a "chucker" like one George Costanza ("You chuck!")
Elsewhere in the NBA:
- The Memphis Grizzlies were able to beat the "run and gun" Suns 109-99. Zach Randolph garnered a double double, with 23 points and a whopping 20 rebounds. This is Randolph's third straight double-double. Though Randolph has been (understandably) criticized in the past for being immature, he is showing that he is maturing and that he has the drive to play at the level everybody thought he could. He could be an okay leader for a still-young Grizzlies team if he keeps his act straight through his tenure.
-Despite 32 points from Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets fell to the Chicago Bulls 94-92. Here's my issue with Anthony; he can score with the best of them, there's no question of his scoring ability. But is he a true #1 guy, or would he be better as a side-kick, a la Scottie Pippen, Paul Gasol, etc. I don't know if Anthony has it in him to lead a playoff team, and might need a very good PG to lead him to a title coughChrisPaulinNewYorkcough. This isn't a knock on Chauncey Billups, but the 13 year veteran isn't quite what he used to be.
-Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis combined for 62 points in the GSW victory over the Toronto Raptors. However, Ellis went down with injury with a a minute to play, and team doctors are waiting on a verdict. This could be very bad news for the Warriors if they lose Ellis, who is there main scorer, although Curry took that honor last night. But if Ellis' injury doesn't put him out for a long time, the backcourt of Curry and Ellis combined with David Lee and Andris Biedrins on the boards could be a playoff contender.
- The Raptors might have been closer if their center Andrea Bargnani knew how to rebound, as he only had 1 in the game. Isn't the center supposed to be the main source of rebounds? This team may need another big guy (a void that Bosh left) in order to suffice for Bargnani's pathetic rebound totals.
MVP of the Night: Dirk Nowitzki (25 points, 7 rebounds, game-winning shot)
how bad is JO's Inury
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