NBA Double Dribble 2/21/08

Lakers (37-17) – 130                          Suns (37-17) – 124

Shaq is back! He played 29 minutes and had 15 points and 9 rebounds, but the Suns still came up short. The real story in this game was the Lakers Big 3 (Kobe, Gasol, Odom) who scored 92 of the Lakers 130. This game was my first chance to see the new look Suns/Lakers in action, and I have to say that the Lakers were far more impressive. Maybe it’s because the Suns haven’t had Shaq all that long, but LA has clearly emerged as the team to beat in the West.

Cavaliers (30-24) – 106                               Pacers (31-33) – 97

Another triple double for the King (31 – 14 – 12) helped the Cavs pull away from the Pacers in the 4th Quarter. That makes it 2 triple doubles in a row for King James, who now has 16 career. This win is a little bitter sweet however, as Daniel Gibson’s ankle was crunched under an Pacer body. Gibson, who was 5-5 from the 3-point line before the injury, did not return to the game. The Cavs have to make some kind of move at the deadline, or this team may not be near healthy come playoff time.

Magic (34-22) – 110                          Raptors (29-23) – 127

What do you do if you beat the Pistons on the road? Go to Toronto and get smashed by the Raptors. Howard had 37 and 15 and the scoring was balanced for the Magic, but Chris Bosh’s 40 and the Raptors 3-point shooting set them apart.

Mavericks (35-19) – 93                       Hornets (37-15) – 104

Jason Kidd’s debut with the Mavs didn’t go exactly as planned (8 points, 5 assists, 6 turn overs) and the Mavs came up short to a little mentions Hornets team. I wish everyone would stop sleeping on the Hornets. While I do think that the Lakers have established themselves as the team to beat in the West, the Hornets aren’t exactly chopped liver. The Hornets posses the pieces to beat any team in the West in a series.

Pistons (39-15) – 98                            Bucks (20-34) – 103

WAKE UP DETROIT. The Pistons have lost 2 games in a row and appear to have shut it down until playoff time. The All-Star break has a visible impact on this team almost every season. I guess the Pistons shouldn’t be too worried, since they always turn it back on when the need it.

Celtics (41-11) – 117                              Warriors (33-21) – 119

So much for that 16-0 record against the West. The Celtics have lost their first 2 games of their West Coast swing, and it doesn’t get easier with Phoenix next on the list. Baron Davis hit a buzzer beater to stun the Celtics, who got good production out of KG. This road trip tells me a little about the Celtics as a team, but I still want to see them on their last West Coast trip where they play the Spurs, Rockets, Mavs, and Hornets in a 4 game stretch (March 17-22).