Nick Borges 9y

First Cup: Thursday

  • Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: They burned 63 minutes of game clock and more than three hours in real time. They reveled in Marc Gasol’s first 3-pointer this season, however improbable, because it banked in from 30 feet and beat the final buzzer in regulation. They even took a 23-point lead, then gift-wrapped the advantage and handed it back. But finally the Grizzlies did enough, overcame plenty and beat the San Antonio Spurs. Memphis snapped a nine-game losing streak to San Antonio with a 117-116 triple overtime victory Wednesday night in AT&T Center. Forward Zach Randolph scored all six points for the Griz in the third extra session and finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds. Gasol tossed in 26 points and Memphis enjoyed season-highs from Vince Carter (18 points) and Kosta Koufos (16 points) in winning their sixth straight game.

  • Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: Dwight Howard played on Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday’s practice because of soreness in his right knee. He said he was not concerned that he has had to ease his way back after missing 11 games with a strained knee, having been told to expect an ongoing process. “They said the recovery process will be a little slow right now since this is my first couple games back,” Howard said. “I just have to do whatever I can to keep my legs loose and try not to do too much jumping on the days we don’t have games. I’ve got to save it for the games. “I expected there to be some swelling, my first time playing in a game in 11 games. After missing a month of basketball, I expected it to be like that. There’s nothing I can do about it but continue to play.” That does, however, make his availability to play the second half of a back-to-back uncertain with the Rockets facing the Pelicans in Houston on Thursday. “Hopefully, it’s not an ongoing thing,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said

  • Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: For those who haven’t been paying attention to the Hawks through the first 25 games of this NBA season, here are three things you need to know: 1) They’re better than 5-9 (Falcons); 2) They’re better than 79-83 (Braves); 2) They’re better than the Belk Bowl (Georgia). They’re 18-7. They just went on the road and crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-98.Yes, LeBron James played. So did Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The only team missing a starter was the Hawks. They played without their starting point guard, Jeff Teague. That didn’t matter because guard Shelvin Mack came off the bench to score 24 points and went 6-for-6 on three-pointers. Question: Can Mack pass rush, too? Or play center field and hit leadoff? Maybe build a privately funded stadium? The Hawks trailed the Cavaliers by eight points after the first quarter, then outscored them by 37 over the next three. Cleveland could’ve done that without LeBron. ... Championships aren’t awarded in mid-December but coach Mike Budenholzer is maximizing the talent on his roster, which is a nice change of pace for local teams. It’s unfortunate the Hawks are struggling to get on the radar in their own town. Their average (announced) home attendance of 15,345 ranks 25th in the league. Maybe it’s time to start paying attention.

  • Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram: Clippers coach Doc Rivers this week told reporters he’ll be looking “at everything” now that the two-month trading period for the NBA has begun. There’s also a free agent that could draw interest from Rivers — also the team’s president of basketball operations — and that’s guard Ray Allen. Allen, the all-time leader in 3-point baskets with 2,973, is 39. He’s currently not playing after having spent the past two seasons with the Miami Heat after a five-year stint with the Boston Celtics, where he was coached by Rivers. But a variety of reports indicate he might be interested in resuming his career. If Allen were to come to L.A., that seemingly could change things for Clippers’ sixth-man Jamal Crawford, another 3-point-shooting machine who sits 10th all-time with 1,743. Allen, an 18-year veteran, would presumably come off the bench for any team, and that’s where Crawford — a two-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year and also a guard — rules. Not only is Crawford not concerned, he said he would welcome Allen with open arms. ... Even though this is not a trade rumor, per se, Crawford noted that he always seems to be the subject of trade rumors. Over the next two months, there figure to be many about many players.

  • Erik Gundersen of The Columbian: Damian Lillard is shooting 68 percent from less than three feet according to Basketball-Reference. Over the last two seasons, Lillard has never shot better than 53 percent from that distance. Lillard is taking a near identical percentage of his shots around the basket. He's just been much better at it and lots of summer work is paying off. "Going up to the rim and getting hit with pads and stuff like that," Lillard said of the summer workouts to improve his finishing. "Playing against contact. Sitting down in a the chair then just coming out, getting pushed and still trying to come out and finish. It's just paying off." Other techniques such as getting the ball higher on the glass, Lillard says, have helped improve his finishing. Despite Lillard, the Blazers are in the bottom-five in points in the paint.

  • Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: Earlier this year, Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver acknowledged the need and desire for the franchise to play in a new arena with eight years left on the US Airways Center lease. Sarver also shared that sentiment with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently. "I had this conversation with him just the other day," Silver said Wednesday night in Charlotte before the Suns-Hornets game. "I don't think it's imminent but, yes, over time, there's no question that what was once one of the very best buildings in the league is becoming older. "They invested in a renovation there, the prior ownership did. Robert, as he looks out into the next decade, realizes that at some point he's going to need a new building. It's early stages but it's something that the league office can be helpful with. At least we have the experience of many more markets."

  • Jay King of MassLive.com: The latest batch of trade rumors did nothing to shake Rajon Rondo. "It's a way of life since I've been here," he said Wednesday night after notching 13 points and 15 assist as the Boston Celtics toppled the Orlando Magic. ... For his part, Rondo says all the right things. He genuinely seems to exercise patience with Boston's rebuilding process and has held himself accountable all season long. Asked whether he wants to stay with the Celtics, he repeated a desire to remain with the organization. "How many times do you want me to say it?" the four-time All-Star replied, smiling. "We discussed it on media day. My thoughts and opinions as far as the organization hasn't changed. "I'm enjoying life. You can't win them all but these guys are funny. I'm young and I'm doing what I love to do. It's a dream come true. I can't be upset about anything." Not even the trade rumors. ... This is all just part of it. Buckle up. Strap on your helmets. Dust off your shin guards. The two months until the trade deadline should bring plenty more rumors, if Rondo stays around that long.

  • Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Do you think Monta Ellis has any shot at making the All-Star team? Sefko: Can't see it. He's falling in somewhere behind Chris Paul, James Harden, Tony Parker, Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and maybe Mike Conley, Russell Westbrook and Goran Dragic. There are only spots for six guards/wings on the West squad, maybe seven tops. It's just too competitive.

  • Jeff Blair of Sportsnet.ca: This time Kyle Lowry stood by the Toronto Raptors bench as the Brooklyn Nets walked by following the game, shaking hands with every one of them. A post-game interview awaited on court — this time Lowry was the winner. It was like last season’s playoffs had been stood on their head. The Raptors and Nets usually have to fight and claw when they play each other – in the four regular season and seven playoff games between them last season, six games were decided by four points or less, only two by double digits and the aggregate score of those games was 1,070-1,070. But the Raptors won Wednesday night’s game at a canter, 105-89, and there was no repeat of the ending of Game 7 of last year’s first-round series, won 97-96 by the Nets when the enduring image was Lowry lying on the court at the Air Canada Centre, arms crossed over his head after his last-second shot went awry. The Raptors (20-6) have reached 20 wins before the Christmas mark for the first time in club history. They have two more games against sub-.500 teams – the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks – before a six-game road trip that starts in Chicago and hits all points west. The question is: how much was Wednesday’s win a measure of revenge? “For sure,” answered the Raptors’ James Johnson.

  • Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: There was a point in Tuesday’s game at New Orleans when Rudy Gobert and Enes Kanter were yapping at each other while walking off the court for a timeout. Quin Snyder met them at midcourt and had a quick chat, while team captain Gordon Hayward huddled with his two teammates from behind. The Jazz coach wasn’t trying to put out a team fire. Snyder absolutely loved what was going on between the two players, even if it seemed that they were bickering. “That was great. I was so glad to see them. I don’t care if they yell at each other. I like the communication,” Snyder said. “Once you start talking to each other like that, now you’ve got a chance to grow and to stretch. It’s when they don’t say anything that I get concerned.” The incident — if it can even be called that — stemmed from a defensive possession before the timeout was called. Gobert explained that he was simply trying to help Kanter get into the proper position, so he pushed him in the back. Yes. Gobert literally shoved Kanter toward his spot.

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