Music to listen to: San Angeles by Maserati
Boston survives: Some will look at the Celtics needing overtime to beat the Wizards last night as a sign that Boston is in trouble. However, how often is Paul Pierce going to go 2-12 from the floor for the Celtics? It was a mid-week game between a top-tier squad and another team that is struggling and desperate for a win. The Wizards are now 0-3 on the year. John Wall and Nene can’t return soon enough for Washington.
Indiana in trouble: Its been a rough 48 hours for the Pacers’ nation. First, the news is that Danny Granger will be out several months with a knee injury. The hurt was compounded by last night’s 89-86 loss on the road last night in Atlanta. First, the Pacers had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter but Atlanta finished the game on an 18-0 run sealed the game for the Hawks. The Hawks were led by the shooting exploits of Kyle Korver who had two consecutive three-pointers during the run. The Pacers allowed Lance Stephenson to take the offensive lead numerous times during the fourth quarter, something that would never happen with a healthy Granger. The Hawks are now 2-1 on the season and the combo of Korver and Lou Williams is making fans forget about Joe Johnson at half the price.
Denver rounding into form: The Nuggets earned a solid 93-87 win at Houston last night behind Kenneth Faried’s 16 point, 16 rebound effort. Six Denver players scored in double figures led by Ty Lawson’s 21 points. Even JaVale McGee showed activity and focus coming off the bench, chipping in 12 points. When the Nuggets are rolling like this, an NBA Finals appearance is a distinct possibility. James Harden got 15 points for the Rockets but it’s a far cry from his offensive exploits earlier in the season.
Clippers show toughness, bring Lob City back: The Clippers put on a dominating display last night with an emphatic 106-84 win over San Antonio. The Spurs were outscored 35-21 in the third quarter and out of the contest by the fourth quarter when the Clippers started throwing lobs at Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan like they were in Rucker Park. Even Matt Barnes caught one. However, during that same time frame, Chris Paul drove down the lane and San Antonio’s Stephen Jackson decided to send a message with a hard foul on the point guard which led to shoving and general tough posturing you see from NBA players. The rest of the contest was chippy until Los Angeles pulled their starters with a few minutes left in the game. The Clippers have now been involved in numerous chippy games this season with physical teams such as the Spurs and Grizzlies attempted to assert pressure, especially on Paul and Griffin. Both times, Los Angeles didn’t back down and even thrived in the contests.
The other LA team is in trouble: Hyperbole and the Lakers have been linked since Wilt Chamberlin missed his first free throw in Los Angeles. However, five games into the season, the Lakers are in trouble after losing a disappointing 95-86 contest at Utah last night. The Jazz play hard at home and Salt Lake City can be a difficult place at times to play. However, the Lakers shouldn’t look this bad in a loss. Kobe Bryant scored 29 points but received little support. There’s no excuse for Pau Gasol only scoring five points in a contest under any circumstances. Furthermore, the three biggest issues throughout the season for the Lakers, bench scoring, perimeter defense and turnovers, showed last night. The Lakers were outscored in bench points (36-12) and committed more turnovers (18-12). Mo Williams (16 points) and Randy Foye (17 points) had complete control of the contest from the point guard position for the Jazz. The Lakers are hurt by Steve Nash being out but should perform better than this. Los Angeles will still have a solid regular season but the prospects in the postseason have to be questioned.
Other news: There was a Michael Beasley (21 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists) sighting in Charlotte as he paced the Suns to a 117-110 win over the Bobcats…Brooklyn Nets fans are going to learn what Hawks followers have known for years. Joe Johnson (9 points, 4-14 from the floor) is not an elite player. The Nets had no answers in Miami as they lost 103-73…The Hornets scored a franchise-low 62 points in their loss to the 76ers. Not having Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers didn’t help New Orleans’ cause.
The Sports Inquirer 
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