Sunday, December 27, 2009

NBA's Christmas Day Special Recap

WHAT A DAY



Monster performances, big upsets and crowds out of control were the order of the day in the NBA on Christmas day.


First of all it was Miami vs New York. The city that never sleeps witnessed one of the best players in the NBA tear up Madison Square Garden on a day they wanted to celebrate with their team. Dwyane Wade was sensational! On 11-21 shooting Wade played the ultimate Grinch. 30 points, 4 steals, 5 assists, 9 rebounds. Nice statline if you ask me. A 93-87 win gave Miami fans something to celebrate on Christmas Day.


Next up a monster Eastern Conference matchup as the Orlando Magic hosted the Boston Celtics. The match was tarnished by the loss of Paul Pierce to an injury which may sideline him upto two weeks. The Magic were odds on favourites for the clash but Rajon Rondo wasn't told that as he ripped up the Magic. Rondo finished with 17 points, 8 assists, 13 rebounds and 8 turnovers. Nearly a quadrouble double. Crazy game by the Celtics point guard who stepped up with Pierce out of the game. First big upset of the night.




Second match of the ABC double header was the Lakers vs Cavaliers blockbuster. It was no blockbuster though. The Cavs dominated throughout the match. Mo Williams had a standout game with 28 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. He alone carried the Cavs to victory. Kobe Bryant didn't have one of his best games shooting 11-32 but had 8 assists and 9 rebounds and was fighting to the death. I thought he was a little hard done by in some of his takes to the rim. He was nailed a couple of times with no calls coming his way! He had every right to be mad at the refs. I thought the Lakers fans went way over the top when they started throwing the fingers out on the court. It's Christmas, a little class maybe L.A. Cavs win 102-87.


Fourth game of the day was Phoenix vs LA Clippers. Not much of a matchup here and the Suns certainly took care of business and gave their starters plenty of rest in the second half. A bit of fun for the bench guys on Christmas day. A well rounded team effort from the Suns saw them demolish the Clips 124-93. Notable performances from Amare Stoudamire with 26 points and 9 rebounds, and Jared Dudley had 18 points on 4-5 threes. Dudley is playing out of his skin this season, he is shooting 50% from the three point line this year averaging 9 points off the bench. He is a key part of the Suns success this season. I always liked this kid from Boston College and I hope he continues to shine at the Suns. A highlight of the match was Grant Hills half court buzzer beater.


The last game of the day was my favourite game. Blazers vs Nuggets in Rip City, or should I say Brandon Roy vs Carmelo Anthony? It was the best delayed Christmas present downunder ever! Roys performance was amazing, especially considering he missed the Spurs match a couple of days before hand with a shoulder injury. There were no signs of that as he took over the match having 25 points in the first half. He finished with 41 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds. The Nuggets had no answer for the much smaller Blazers. Losing Chauncey Billups at half time could have been the reason for their crumble but there is no way that accounts for the losses the Blazers have. It was sad to see some of their best players sitting the pine with injuries, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum, Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. Carmelo's 32 points and 9 rebounds was not enough to get the Nuggets home. Blazers eventual winners 107-96.

Great day of NBA, I hope you all got the chance to witness some of these special performances. Which match was your favourite?




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