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Beau Knows is a blog that's all about sports- Michigan State football, college basketball, the NFL, the NBA,
and everything in between. Analysis, ingsight and opinion from the world of sports await. Enjoy!


--Beau

Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Wednesday Night Across the NBA

Even though it's only December, a number of games throughout the league last night had the feel of playoff competition. In particular, the Knicks and Celtics played one of the more thrilling games of the year, as Paul Pierce hit a go-ahead two-pointer with .4 of a second left to push Boston past New York, 118-116.

Both teams showed the ability to push the ball up and down the floor in combining for 234 points, and New York got another stellar game from Amare Stoudemire, who topped 30 points for the ninth straight game-that's the longest streak of that nature since LeBron James hit that mark in 10 consecutive contests. Despite the loss, New York has won 13 of 15 games, and their resurgence has been impressive so far. In fact, they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, and recently posted their longest win streak since April of 2001. They may have lost last night, but if they get solid contributions from Stoudemire and players like Danilo Galinari, (who scored 20 points in 43 minutes), they can stay within 5 games of Boston the rest of the way, and if they do that, they'll be in position to secure a high playoff seed.

On the other hand, their opponent, the Celtics, have now ripped off 11 straight wins, and as long as veterans like Pierce hit clutch shots, they can keep that streak going. In the NBA, sometimes luck can go a long way, and in two late-game situations, Boston came out on the proper end, with both the game-winning jumper and then Stoudemire's late shot that failed to beat the buzzer.  Those two teams don't meet again until March 21st, and until that time, the Knicks need to keep pace with Boston in the Atlantic.

Also in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls extended another significant win streak, and upped their total to seven consecutive victories, this time behind an impressive double-double from Carlos Boozer. Chicago has thrust themselves into that playoff discussion as well, yet they face stiff competition from the Heat, who knocked off the Cavs for the second time this season. LeBron James' ex-team got double-figures from five starters, and still, King James got the best of them.  After a rought start, Miami has proved many doubters wrong, and I'd even go so far as to say they could take down the Celtics when they're at their best.

Switching over to the Western Conference, the Lakers knocked off the Indiana Pacers by 15 thanks to 31 points from Kobe Bryant. Even at 32, the star guard continues to fill it up night after night, and in particular in the past five games- he's scored at least 24 in each of those contests. A prime Lakers' rival, the Hornets, snapped a three-game losing streak behind 22 points from Chris Paul. The former Wake Forest star's 9.8 assist-per-game average is a big part of why the Hornets are five games above .500.

For more from the NBA, college basketball, and the world of sports, remember....that Beau Knows.

--Beau

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Celtics-Nuggets and Heat-Jazz

Out of all the games across the NBA last night, two caught my eye in particular, and both involved East Coast teams. Going into last night's contests, the Celtics and Heat had put together 12 consecutive wins in a row. After wins by both, that total is now up to 14, and an interesting battle has started to shape up in the Eastern Conference.

But, Boston still sits atop the East Coast, and it's not hard to see why. At several points throughout the game last night, the Celts had four 20,000-plus point scorers on the floor, with Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce all playing significant minutes together. That kind of experience and skill is hard to beat. In this one, Pierce led the way, with 20 of his 26 points coming in the first half. The rest of the season, Boston's depth will be tough to match, and on a night when Glen Davis played for the first time since Sunday and Rajon Rondo scored a mere four points, the Celtics still outscored Denver by 30 from inside the paint. At one point, they led by as much as 41. The absence of Carmelo Anthony was clearly a big factor in this result, but I'll match up the Celtics against the Western Conference anytime with the way they're rolling right now.

Going into last night's showdown with the Jazz, Miami had delivered each of its five straight victories by an average of 17.2 points, and they won this one by double-digits as well, knocking off the Jazz 111-98. Through that stretch of wins, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade have played with much more chemistry, and they certainly played on the same page last night. The duo combined for 61 points on 21-of-34 shooting, and keyed a 15-5 fourth-quarter run which ultimately resulted in a win. I think efforts like those could propel the Heat to more long winning streaks, and possibly great postseason achievements. When on top of their game, Miami should be able to play with anyone, especially considering their talent level. That includes the Celtics, and when it comes to that rivalry, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of it.

--Beau

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Maui Invitational, Spartan Football, and The NBA

Over the years, the Maui Invitational has become known for many things: great scenery, a terrific atmosphere and excellent pre-season basketball, among others. However, Michigan State most certainly didn't expect competition from Chaminade to go along with their visit to the exotic locale, and that's certainly what they got last night. In scraping out a narrow 82-74 win over the Division II Silverswords, the Spartans advanced to face Conneticut, in the meantime getting a crystal-clear picture of what might happen if they overlook an opponent in similar fashion.

In playing to a halftime draw, Michigan State clearly struggled to get going. Nowhere were these issues more evident than on defense, where the Spartans were torched by 5'6" guard Steven Bennett, who scored 13 of Chaminade's 39 first-half points. Even after the break, Michigan State was unable to pull away, and at one point found themselves down by eight to the host, before going on an 11-0 run to take control of the contest.

Despite an underwhelming effort on the boards,(where the Spartans were outrebounded by three overall), MSU won thanks to stellar senior leadership. Although across the board they have much room for improvement, Coach Izzo should be encouraged with the play of senior point guard Kalin Lucas, who netted a career-high 28 points in carrying State. He'll be a huge part of the Spartans' success against UConn and throughout the season, but Izzo's players will need to first shore up their free-throw shooting (73.7% from behind the line), and ballhandling (13 giveaways versus 13 assists). With a short turnaround, the Spartans should come to play with their weak areas in mind, and I feel they'll get better against the Huskies.

Flying back across the country though, to this very campus, the Spartan football team finds themselves on the brink of at least a share of the Big Ten title, with an intriguing opponent before them. Penn State is 7-4 overall, with conference setbacks to Iowa and Ohio State, and a 20-point loss to an equally competitive and perplexing Illinois team (who surrendered 65 points to U-M and lost to 2-9 Minnesota in consecutive weeks). However, Michigan State has lost eight times in Happy Valley since the inception of the Land Grant Trophy, and recent trips haven't been so kind to the Spartans. In their last visit, they lost 49-18, in a game
that also had Big Ten title implications.
Nearly every current impact player remembers full well the agony of that outcome.That experience should  provide tremendous motivation in itself, and with even more at stake, MSU should be ready for a four-quarter fistfight from the opening bell.

Looking around the world of professional basketball, certain teams are most definitely beginning to rise above the rest. Specifically, the Boston Celtics looked dominant in builiding a 26-point first-quarter cushion
over the eight-win Hawks last night, and at 10-4, they lead the race for the Eastern Conference's best record. If the Celtics continue to get double-figure scoring from four of their five starters (as they did in beating Atlanta by 23), they'll definitely be tough to stop. Outside of Boston though,the San Antonio Spurs sit atop the Western Conference, thanks to an 11-game winning streak in which they topped the century mark eight times. Although it's early in the season, the rate at which they've been winning games is impressive, and they'll certainly be at the forefront of the Western Conference playoff race in the coming months.

But, whether it be MSU basketball, Spartan football, or the world of professional sports, speculation and predictions are one thing. The results show themselves from baseline-to-baseline, and in between the stripes, every single day. That's what we as sports fans look forward to, and that's why they play the games.

--Beau

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Spartan Basketball and the NBA

Every single year, the opening of basketball season is perhaps one of the most exciting events on this campus, and on Friday, tip-off will finally be here, as the Spartans open play against Eastern Michigan. Both players and coaches have set their sights towards Houston and next spring's Final Four, and considering what we've seen in the Spartans' two exhibition games, anything else than at least a return trip to the group of four would be an extreme disappointment in my mind.

While too much shouldn't be read into MSU's decisive pre-season wins over Saginaw Valley State and Nebraska-Omaha, basketball is still basketball, and clearly this Spartan team can play it at a high level, as they demonstrated in routing UNO 102-72 last night. In particular, we saw double-digit efforts from 5 Spartans, including a 25-point effort by Kalin Lucas, whose intense off-season rehabilitation appears to be paying dividends. On top of that, Korie Lucious contributed six assists in his first live-game action this season, and Durrell Summers demonstrated outstanding athletic ability (as we've come to expect from him) in converting both a spinning lay-up and a high-flying alley-oop.  In fact, at one point he and Draymond Green accounted for all 11 Spartan points on an early, game-changing run. Among others in Green-and-White to top 10 points: Keith Appling with 15, and Draymond Green with 16. Looking at other key figures, MSU rebounded well (a 52-32 edge over the Mavericks), and also pulled down 20 offensive boards.
For Friday's game against Eastern Michigan, I expect we'll see a fast start by the Spartans, and beneficial in-game experience for their young stable of contributors,  including Keith Appling and Adreian Payne.  Although the Eagles do return 11 letterwinners from a squad that finished two games above .500 last year, Coach Izzo will have his team geared against a season-opening upset, and to top that, I feel EMU simply doesn't have enough talent to hang with the Spartans in the Breslin Center.

Transitioning to the world of professional basketball (where we might see some of this year's Spartans in the future), the Lakers and Hornets have ripped off a combined 13 consecutive wins to open the season. In particular, New Orleans knocked off 3 teams in this past week which finished last year .500 or better, and did it all behind Chris Paul, who averaged 17 points in that stretch. The race between those teams in the West will be intriguing to watch as the season plays out, as they won't meet head-to-head until December 29. But, in the immediate future for the Hornets: a four-game roadtrip scheduled to tip off on the 21st, in which they visit both Utah and Portland. Examining the Eastern Conference, both Boston and Atlanta have opened the season 6-2; those teams aren't scheduled to meet until December 16th, but 'til then, the three-way battle for East supremacy between those 2 squads and the Orlando Magic should be fascinating to follow.

Check back here later this week for a breakdown of this weekend's "College Gameday" spotlight contest, Ohio State verus Penn State,as the Spartans have a bye.

--Beau

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The NBA and Michigan State-Minnesota

One of the best things about the NBA is not only the astounding skill and ability of the athletes that play across the country, but also the number of storylines that converge on any given night.  Even this early in the season, in games that might not matter much to some fans, we already get the chance to see top-notch contests and eye-popping stats. For example: tonight features 2 of the best players in the game tipping off at the same time, yet playing vastly different opponents and bringing extremely unique storylines to the court.

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant will both open up their fourth regular-season contest apiece tonight at 10:30, and both of them air nationwide. Durant has already hit 30 points twice this young season, and Bryant has dropped an average of 23.8 per game-if both continue to play deep into the season at their current pace, an MVP discussion might heat up.  Looking at the Lakers' schedule, its' safe to say they could rip off 5 more wins before a November 14 showdown with fellow Western Conference nemesis Phoenix. But, these 2 stars aren't the only ones making headlines.

One can't possibly bring up this year's NBA without mentioning Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. The fourth-year vet is averaging an absurd 16.8 assists per game, and with 67 dimes in his first four contests, now holds the all-time record for most assists in the season's first four games. What's more, he has a good chance to further improve his average when the Celts tip off against the Bucks tonight.

However, despite so many impressive storylines in professional basketball,it's nice to maintain a local sports perspective as well, and to that end, I'll offer my thoughts on Michigan State's upcoming opponent, the visiting Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers have dropped eight straight after a narrow season-opening victory over Middle Tennessee State, and have surrendered more than 30 points in six of those losses.Additionally, this defense ranks 105th in the country in terms of points allowed. While WR's Da'Jon McKnight and MarQueis Gray have done their part in combining for 13 touchdowns on the offensive end, its clear that their efforts haven't been enough to pull the Gophers out of this slump, nor have they allowed them to outscore anyone.

Following last week's sickening defeat, it seems that a home date with Minnesota is just what MSU needs to get back on track. But, they'll need to establish balance in terms of both their ground and aerial attacks, and start out quickly to quell any lingering unease after the Iowa City debacle. Most importantly, the Spartans need to play as if their season depends on this game, because in all reality, it truly does. If every week is the league championship game, then MSU has already backed itself into a one-loss hole. This week, they need to dig themselves out.

--Beau

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The NBA and Michigan State-Iowa

It seems that every year, when the calendar reaches late October, everything comes together for sports fans like myself. The NBA regular season, the MLB World Series, the NHL, and college and professional football are all in full swing, and the viewing possibilities are endless. LeBron James, fresh off of his newest Nike commercial, and fellow Heat newcomer Chris Bosh highlight Miami's trip into the Garden, and Kobe Bryant and the Lakers take on the newly-returned Yao Ming later tonight--I like the Lakers to win that one.

While Kevin Durant seems to be the consensus pre-season pick for MVP, Dwayne Wade gets my vote, as I believe he'll be the driving force behind the Heat's attack. His point production will undoubtedly diminish compared to last season's 26.2 average, but his role as a catalyst for their offense shouldn't be undersold.

Looking ahead to Saturday's showdown in Iowa City, Mark Dantonio recalled both the 2008 and 2009 contests with the Hawkeyes at his Tuesday press conference, and stated that Michigan State has a great deal of respect for them-as they should. He went on to say that the Hawkeyes front four is perhaps the toughest the Spartans have faced this season, and that with Iowa, the core of the team starts with their defense. To be sure, the black-and-gold's starting eleven have yielded an average of only 15.7 points per game-this places them just outside the NCAA's top 10. On offense, O'Brien Award semifinalist Ricky Stanzi has delivered 16 touchdown passes, and his favorite target, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, has half of those scores-that could be a potentially troublesome combination for the Spartans.

Keep checking back here for specific position battle breakdowns and more from the world of sports later this week.

--Beau