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Of the five games on television today, I’ve spent less than two minutes watching any of them. From AP- 
“I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game,” the Orlando Magic coach said.
While I don’t feel sorry for them, I do think there are better ways of using one’s time.
The Magic were playing Boston on Friday, one of five NBA games on Christmas.
The Celtics won that game 86-77.
Van Gundy said he understands the high-priced TV contracts generate money for the league and it would be difficult to stop such games. He said he wishes the league at the very least had fewer games on the holidays.
The people who could put a stop to these games or at least limit them, are the NBA players themselves. They could make it a request when negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement comes up. During Wednesday night’s Florida Panthers game, the topic of why the NHL doesn’t play on Christmas came up. Announcer Billy Lindsay said it was due to the CBA between hockey owners and players.
The Magic play games on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day this season.
I can understand why Van Gundy is grumbling then.
“I think we get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we’re more important than everything else,” Van Gundy said before the game. “But that’s the way it is. There’s nothing more important than the NBA on Christmas Day.”
That’s certainly untrue. There is time with family, going to church, writing blog posts, and paying a visit to the cemetery where your son and parents are buried that are all much more important priorities in life.
Van Gundy’s outspokeness may well earn him a fine. Bostion Coach Doc Rivers didn’t agree with the Orlando Magic coach.
Rivers said it’s tough for players to be away from family, but he realizes the league is not going to stop playing on the holidays. Rivers lives in the Orlando area and was able to wake up Christmas morning in his own bed.
He said he always watched Christmas Day games growing up because the league features the marquee teams.
“As a kid, you wanted to be on [Christmas],” Rivers said. “Then when you get to the league, you don’t want to be on any more. You’re like, ‘No, I changed my mind.’ But it’s going to happen, so why try to fight it? I tend to look at it as a reward.”
As we grow up things that we once longed to do, have instead looked upon as a hassle. It’s part of life.
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ROK Drop linked with NBA Coach Stan Van Gundy wishes there were no NBA games on Christmas
The Trailblazers should open their own hospital ward. From AP-
Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla had surgery Thursday to repair his ruptured right patella tendon.
Przybilla is expected to miss the rest of the season after hurting his leg during Portland’s 85-81 victory at Dallas on Tuesday night. He went up for a rebound and came down awkwardly with 3:12 left in the first quarter.
Przybilla averaged 4.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 30 games.
The Blazers have been beset by so many injuries this season that the NBA granted the team an exemption to carry 16 players on its roster.
Portland also is without center Greg Oden (left knee), forwards Nicolas Batum (shoulder), Travis Outlaw (left foot) and Rudy Fernandez (back), and rookies Patrick Mills (right foot) and Jeff Pendergraph (hip).
Another starter, Brandon Roy, has a strained shoulder.
All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures. From AP-
In a season in which the breaks haven’t gone their way, the Minnesota Timberwolves got a little lucky against the New Jersey Nets.
Al Jefferson scored a season-high 27 points and the Timberwolves got a favorable videotape review in the final minute to defeat the Nets 103-99 on Wednesday night in the battle of the NBA’s two worst teams.
In a game that seesawed in the fourth quarter, the big play was an instant replay with 26 seconds to play and the Wolves clinging to a 99-97 lead.
Minnesota inbounded the ball near halfcourt and the pass went to Corey Brewer. Devin Harris and Courtney Lee double-teammed him and Lee hit the ball out of Brewer’s hands and out of bounds.
The officials originally called it out off Brewer and the Nets called timeout and went to their bench to set up a play.
The officials then went to the scorer’s table and watched videotape replays and it clearly showed the ball went out off Lee, so they overturned the call and awarded the ball to Minnesota.
Timberwolves Coach Kurt Rambis said his team was very fortunate. Indeed they were, without New Jersey to face, the team was likely to have just five wins before Christmas.
New Jersey, who opened the year 0-18, looks like they are trying to equal that mark again this season. After winning 2 of 3, the Nets have lost 8 in a row for a record of 2-27. Does anyone besides me think this team can’t win 10 games this season?
The last time a NBA team overcame a bigger deficit to win was in 1996. From AP-
The buzzer sounded, the 35-point comeback was complete and both the ecstatic Sacramento Kings and the stunned Chicago Bulls had trouble describing what had just happened.
“Wow! All I can say is, ‘Wow!” Tyreke Evans said after dominating down the stretch and leading the Kings to a 102-98 victory Monday night. “We fought to the end. It was amazing.”
Indeed, it was one of the most amazing comebacks in NBA history.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the biggest rally since Utah overcame a 36-point deficit to beat Denver on Nov. 27, 1996.
The loss makes Chicago 2-12 in road games. I’d say that is abysmal but point out many NBA teams are just as bad or worse. For example, Minnesota is 3-12 and Charlotte 1-12 in road games.Scratch that, Chicago blew the lead at home. Which is worse IMHO.
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OTB Sports linked with Keep digging- Indiana beats Phoenix 122-114...
It had nothing to do with what the Guard said in his post. From AP-
Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings has been fined $7,500 for posting a message on his Twitter account after Milwaukee’s 108-101 double overtime win over Portland last weekend.
Jennings was fined for the timing of his post, not the content when he tweeted: “Back to 500. Yess!!! “500″ means where doing good. Way to Play Hard Guys.”
The fine was announced Friday before the Bucks played at Cleveland.
According to the NBA’s social media policy, players cannot tweet during game time, defined as beginning 45 minutes before the game starts and ending after players have finished talking to the media following the game.
Like a pro basketball player will say something intelligent insightful to the press. “You know, we won the game and…..”
The last time New York last won 4 or more games in a row was 2006. From AP-
The New York Knicks were making shot after shot, ready to go down the stretch with the New Orleans Hornets.
Turned out, they didn’t have to. The Hornets pretty much took the last five minutes off.
Al Harrington scored 28 points and the Knicks scored the game’s final 18 points to beat the Hornets 113-96 on Friday night.
“Our defense was horrible,” Paul said. “We’ve had a few games where our defense was good, but not tonight, and it was obvious we couldn’t buy a shot.”
Before the Knicks closing streak, the two teams were only separated by one shot. I’m guessing New Orleans got demoralized after the Knicks ran off 8-10 points and gave up. Pro athletes are human, when life or a sports game isn’t breaking our way, we lose interest.
With the win, the Knicks improved to 8-15. This recent winning streak has probably made Coach Mike D’Antoni’s job a little more secure. But for how long?
Ouch-
Portland center Greg Oden will likely miss the rest of the season after fracturing his left knee cap Saturday night in the Trail Blazers’ victory over the Houston Rockets.
“He’s a strong kid,” said general manager Kevin Pritchard, visibly shaken by the latest injury to befall the 7-foot center. “He’s going to bounce back from this.”
Oden dropped to the floor clutching his left knee and grimacing after colliding with a driving Aaron Brooks midway through the first quarter.
Oden was almost immediately surrounded by trainers and physicians. The crowd at the Rose Garden stood and chanted “Oden! Oden!”
The game was stopped for some 7 minutes. Finally, Oden was gently moved to a stretcher and wheeled from the court. He underwent an MRI shortly thereafter.
The Blazers said Oden will need surgery. A timetable for his return was not immediately set.
Oden was averaging over 11 points a game with 8 assists before his injury. Hopefully Oden will bounce back, but one must be wary in predicting a comeback for the center. He has a history of foot and leg injuries.
Their last regular season win was on April 13 and also against Charlotte. From AP-
The Nets won for the first time this season, ending the worst start in NBA history at 18 losses by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91 on Friday night.
Brook Lopez had 31 points and 14 rebounds, and Courtney Lee scored a career-high 27 points Frin his return to the starting lineup for the Nets in their first game under Kiki Vandeweghe, their general manager who will coach the rest of the season.
The worst record in NBA history is 9-73 set by Philadelphia in 1972-73. I predict New Jersey to do better, but barely.
Will the Nets win a game before 2010 begins? From AP-
The New Jersey Nets were pounded into NBA infamy Wednesday night, falling 117-101 to the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th straight loss to start the season.
The Mavericks made 17 of 19 shots and opened a 27-point lead in a nearly flawless second quarter, burying the Nets early in former New Jersey captain Jason Kidd’s second trip back to his old home.
The Nets passed the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both dropped their first 17 games. New Jersey’s next chance to end the streak comes Friday at home against Charlotte.
The Bobcats aren’t a good team(7-10). There is hope yet for New Jersey.
The team is 0-16 and nearing the end of a 4-game Western Conference road trip. From ESPN-
The winless New Jersey Nets have fired coach Lawrence Frank with immediate effect.
The Nets announced the move Sunday shortly after ESPN.com’s report that Frank would not coach the Nets in Sunday night’s road game against the Los Angeles Lakers, when New Jersey tries to avoid matching the worst start in NBA history.
Nets assistant coach Tom Barrise will coach the game in L.A., but the Nets’ announcement said that Frank’s permanent replacement has not yet been chosen.
Sources with knowledge of New Jersey’s thinking told ESPN.com that the Nets — mired at 0-16 after Friday’s loss in Sacramento — wanted to delay the widely anticipated coaching change until after the team returned from its four-game West Coast trip. Yet it appears that Nets management determined that it had to make the move before facing the Lakers after reports became more widespread that Frank’s dismissal was imminent.
I don’t see what effect the firing of Frank will have on the team as they play Los Angeles. The Lakers will still mop the floor with the Nets.
Frank, who has worked for the Nets for over a decade, became the Nets coach in 2003-04 and had accumulated a record of 225-241. His contract was up at the end of the year. A new coach isn’t going to change New Jersey’s fortunes. In fact, I predict them to get to at 0-18 before the Nets get a win. After Los Angeles comes Dallas for the NBA’s worst team.
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