 | This Cactus is No Pixie - 02/20/2008
BY Steve Alexander There is plenty of news on Wednesday morning, so let's get to it, starting with last night's games, when many stars looked rusty after the break. And if you figured out today's headline without the help of Google, you are a true Black Francis fan.
Houston 93, Cleveland 85 - LeBron James had his fifth triple-double and Larry Hughes hit just 5-of-15 shots as the Rockets beat the Cavs. Rafer Alston stayed hot, finishing with 22 points, five boards, six assists and six treys, while Yao Ming and Luis Scola also looked good. Alston is the 19th ranked fantasy player over the past two weeks, and comes in at 94th for the season. Not bad for a guy who had to fight off four other point guards and was in trouble with the law over the summer.
Orlando 103, Detroit 85 - In the strangest game of the night, Dwight Howard had eight points, Jameer Nelson scored 10 in 20 minutes, and Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons, who had their 10-game winning streak snapped, with 16 points. Rashard Lewis had one of his better lines, finishing with 20 points and four threes, and not surprisingly, Hedo Turkoglu struggled. The Magic put six players in double figures, including Keyon Dooling and Keith Bogans, who both got more minutes off the bench than Nelson got as a starter. Stuckey is hot and worth a pickup, but the Pistons just came back out of synch from the break. As for Nelson, I'm mildly concerned, but like so many other things that happened last night, not much from this game made sense.
New York 113, Washington 100 - The big story from this game was the fact Caron Butler didn't play with his hip injury. That makes six straight plus the All-Star Game, and there are no guarantees that he plays on Friday. DeShawn Stevenson is dealing with a knee injury that required an MRI, while Antonio Daniels continues to play through knee and ankle woes. For the Knicks, Quentin and Nate Robinson both played well in the starting lineup, while Fred Jones was useless in his demotion to the bench. If Nate continues to start, he could have a big second half. He was cooled off by teammate Zach Randolph when Z-Bo threw a cup of ! water on him in a near brawl on the Knicks' bench. That's! sweet. Oh, and Eddy Curry, who basically cost the Knicks two lottery picks, played 15 worthless minutes again and has lost all confidence (and trade value). David Lee scored 19 points and looks like a good play right now with Curry down and out. But of course, Curry will probably resurface as soon as we put Lee in our lineups.
Minnesota 104, Philly 88 - Rashad McCants scored 20 after hitting single figures in three straight, Randy Foye started and Al Jefferson had another double-double as the Wolves s! napped their five-game losing streak with a win over Philly. Foye replaced Marko Jaric at shooting guard, and should be locked into the starting lineup the rest of the way. Andre Iguodala scored 17 points and hit just 6-of-16 shots as the Sixers had their five-game winning streak stopped.
San Antonio 85, Charlotte 65 - Tim Duncan, Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor combined to shoot 3-of-30 in another weird game. Duncan still managed 15 boards and five blocks, while Wallace made his return from a foo! t injury. Tony Parker should return Thursday for the Spurs, but like we saw with some Celtics last night, he will likely see limited minutes upon his return so keep him benched.
Utah 119, Golden State 109 - Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur all double-doubled, while Andrei Kirilenko had a great shooting night as the Jazz blitzed the Warriors. Stephen Jacksonn aggravated an ankle injury and could miss tonight, while Baron Davis suffered a foot injury. Davis said it wasn't serious and that he'll play tonight. Andris Biedrins remains buried on the bench, while Chris Webber starts and Al Harrington flourishes.
Denver 124, Boston 118 - Marcus Camby missed a triple-double by one block and even hit a three, Allen Iverson had a big night and Anthony Carter actually played well again. C! arter is on my last nerve, playing well when he's not in lineu! ps and p utting up goose eggs when we play him. Kevin Garnett returned from a nine-game absence last night, sort of. He played just 20 minutes and scored four points. He swears he'll play tonight, but the sad truth is I think Doc Rivers is going to treat him with kid gloves for the next couple weeks. Kendrick Perkins also returned from a shoulder injury, but played less than 10 minutes and scored just two points. Hopefully he is turned loose next time out. Paul Pierce Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo all scored at least 20 poin! ts, while Leon Powe double-doubled. If Garnett and Perkins aren't going to play, Powe will be solid.
Seattle 108, Memphis 101 - Mike Miller left last night's game with back spasms and could be traded by Thursday's deadline. Hakim Warrick was solid again last night, Juan Carlos Navarro scored 16 and Jason Collins somehow had eight points and 10 rebounds. Don't bother picking him up unless he continues to outplay Darko Milicic. Earl Watson scored a season-high 26 points and added nine assists on 11-of-13 shooting and remains one of the hottest point guards you'll never hear about. Delonte West, who is rumored to be going to Denver, started in place of Kevin Durant, who was out with the flu on his own bobblehead night. West could have some value if he's traded, so keep your eye on him. Meanwhile, Chris Wilcox was awful last night, despite starting and getting minutes, but I'm not sure why.
Sacramento 105, Portland 94 - Beno Udrih had a quiet night, but played 39 minutes ! in his start. Hang in there with him. Francisco Garcia scored 23 points and hit five treys in his return from a back injury, while John Salmons failed to score. If Garcia is out there, pick him up until we find out if Ron Artest is staying or going. Jarrett Jack started over Martell Webster last night, but both guys finished with decent lines. I just wish Nate McMillan would make up his mind once and for all on which o! ne is his starter. Brandon Roy hit just 5-of-18 shots while playing through the flu, while Travis Outlaw had 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting.
Lakers 122, Atlanta 93 - This game was a ugly as it gets, with the Lakers up 40-something the entire night. Mike Bibby is day-to-day after suffering a heel injury and scored just five points in 16 minutes of his debut. Marvin Williams was terrible, hitting 2-of-8 shots in 23 minutes, while Acie Law scored 16 in relief of Bibby. Josh Child! ress returned from a knee injury and scored 16, while Zaza Pachulia had 12 points and 12 boards. Keep your eye on him if you need a backup center. Kobe Bryant looked great while playing through his finger injury, while Lamar Odom had 17 points and 15 boards in the ridiculous win.
News and Notes
Jason Kidd - To debut for Dallas tonight.
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