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February 29, 2004
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LA Lakers 100 New Jersey 83
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Lakers Make Big Leap
Finally! A complete game on offense and defense, and against a good team. Everything was clicking today. What else can you say. Keep playing defense guys!
1st Quarter: The Lakers start the game with a 15-5 run. It was even after that and they lead by 9 after 1. GP scored 10, while Kobe had 6, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Nets only shot 33% in the period.
2nd Quarter: A 19-7 run by Lakers dominated the period. Horace stepped up with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. And the Nets shoot poorly again; only 29%. The Lakers were active on defense, and kept it up. But the Nets got a little lift, finishing the quarter 7-2.
3rd Quarter: After an even start, the Lakers again dominate the period with a 22-6 run. Scoring is balanced among several players. The Nets shoot better, but don't get off enough shots and score only 16. Lakers lead by 24.
4th Quarter: Garbage time. Shaq played for a little bit, but all the other starters rested completely. Consequently, the Nets have their best quarter. But it was too little too late.
Not a flashy numbers game by Kobe, but he did have 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals. He was much more active on defense. Shaq scored 19 and grabbed 13 rebounds. Brian Cook had a quick 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting. And GP and Horace contributed as noted above.
The most important thing was the defense. As shown today, Shaq and Kobe don't have to put up huge numbers every game if the team plays defense. It makes everyting easier.
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Boston 91 Toronto 82
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Detroit 100 LA Clippers 88
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Miami 104 Milwaukee 108
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Minnesota 74 Philadelphia 81
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New York 96 Denver 107
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Phoenix 94 Sacramento 108
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Seattle 97 Houston 80
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February 28, 2004
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LA Lakers 122 Washington 110
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The Kids Are Alright
Comming off a very disappointing loss at home, the Lakers needed to make a statement on the road today. And with they help of the younger players on the team, they did just that. Of course Shaq and Kobe did their thing. Kobe was outstanding with a triple double (25 pts, 14 rebounds, 10 ast). And even though Shaq had only 2 rebounds, he had 4 blocks and shot 13 of 17 for 29 points.
But, as I've said before, those two need help. And they got a lot of help from Slava, Rush, Walton, and to a lesser degree from Cook. He showed that he's learning to get good position on defense and took yet another charge in a good imitation of Fish.
1st Quarter: This was the Kobe and Slava show. For a change, Slava only committed one foul and got his shot going early for 10 points. He had a few break aways that showed how dangerous his speed and size can be. Kobe scored 11 and was hitting the glass for 6 rebounds. But again defense was the problem as both teams shot 50% and the Lakers only lead by 2 after one quarter.
2nd Quarter: The Lakers controlled this period with a 20-5 run. But the Wiz stayed close with a couple of 6-0 runs and held the lead below double digits at the half. Shaq and Fish scored 6 each.
3rd Quarter: They started the quarter with a small run and then went flat. This is when they should have put the game away, but instead repeated their usual pattern. The Wiz got 11 from Stackhouse and 15 from Arenas as they went on a 17-5 run. Even with a three at the buzzer by Kobe, the Lakers lead was down to 5 going into the 4th. Shaq with 9, and 6 each from Kobe and GP.
4th Quarter: They traded baskets at the start. Then, after Shaq and Luke re-entered the game, the Lakers went on a 20-4 run to finally put the game away. The lineup of Kobe, Shaq, GP, Rush, and Walton, put up a big +15. Rush had 10 points and a surprising 2 blocks. Luke was 2 of 2 for 5 points and 2 big assists. And Shaq added 9 more. And just as important, they held the Wiz to only 35% shooting.
Not a great defensive game, particularly against this team. But a step forward in putting teams away. They still need to play better defense, and against better teams.
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Denver 92 San Antonio 117
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Golden State 81 Chicago 87
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Miami 86 New Jersey 92
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New Orleans 92 Memphis 97
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Orlando 104 Atlanta 99
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Philadelphia 74 Indiana 81
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Portland 91 Dallas 111
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February 26, 2004
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Sacramento 103 LA Lakers 101
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After last night's game, I was hoping to see the Lakers come out and play some good defense tonight. They had won five in a row, but were fortunate in that they hadn't been play defense consistently at the level they would need in the playoffs. I thought this game would be a good time to get started. I was disappointed. I expected more, especially against a depleted Kings squad.
Watching Stojakovic rain down three point shots, I was reminded of something Chick used to say in similar situations. "The Lakers might want to think about guarding that guy!" It seems like they are so concerned about the offensive end that they think the defense will take care of itself. They got away with it last night, but it didn't work tonight.
Another great effort by Kobe goes to waste this time.
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Chicago 87 Washington 95
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San Antonio 91 Dallas 115
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February 25, 2004
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LA Lakers 112 Denver 111
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With 3 seconds left on the clock, Kareem Rush calmly hit a three point jumper that gave the Lakers their first lead since the first quarter, and the win. The coach decided to leave Rush and Luke Walton in for the whole fourth quarter and it paid off. Kareem scored 8, including 2 of 2 for three. And Walton had 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a big layup near the end. Yeah, the kids really came through tonight.
It's almost surprising they protected their lead for the last three seconds. Defense was not their strong suit tonight. The Nuggets were scoring at will from inside and out. Saving the best for last, the Lakers finally forced some turnovers that created their 11-0 run in the mid-4th quarter. The Nuggets responded and the Lakers had to finish the game 8-0 to get the win; a three by Kobe, Luke's layup, and Kareem's three. The lineup of Shaq, Kobe, GP, Rush, and Luke, generated a big +11.
Kobe had another spectacular game. Shaq was not himself tonight, but did nit 6 of 9 free throws. GP got going late with 8 points in the 4th. And Slava found his shooting touch htting 5 of 8, scoring 10 points in just 14 minutes. But this game belongs to Kareem and Luke. They got the opportunity, and made the most of it.
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Cleveland 84 Houston 90
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Detroit 107 Chicago 88
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Golden State 99 Memphis 92
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LA Clippers 93 New Orleans 99
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Milwaukee 106 Boston 104
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New Jersey 68 Minnesota 81
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New York 95 Phoenix 113
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Washington 76 Toronto 74
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February 22, 2004
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LA Lakers 104 Phoenix 92
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The Duo came through again. And even more important, they got some help again. Shaq had a decent game, though slightly subpar for him. But Kobe more than made up for it. He took the lead 40 points, while GP added 20 and Rick Fox did a lot of helping with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Add to all that some timely shooting by Kareem Rush and Bryon Russell, good team defense, and you get a good road win.
Although it wasn't as dominating a win as Friday night's, it was away against a seemingly more capable Phoenix Sun team. They didn't let this one go easily. The Lakers starters put up a +13 right after the tip, but found themselves down by one at the half.
It took an 18-8 run in the 3rd quarter to give the Lakers the lead for good. A couple more small runs were needed in the fourth to protect that lead.
Kobe scored 12 in the 1st quarter, and 16 in the 4th. He, Shaq, and GP combined for all 28 Lakers points in the 3rd. To show how important the three of them were at the important part of the game, here's the sequence of scoring during that run in the 3rd:
06:00 Shaquille O'Neal made Free Throw 1 of 2.
06:00 Shaquille O'Neal made Free Throw 2 of 2.
05:37 Shaquille O'Neal made Slam Dunk. Assisted by Gary Payton.
05:01 Gary Payton made Two Point Shot.
04:24 Gary Payton made Two Point Shot.
03:18 Shaquille O'Neal made Free Throw 2 of 2.
02:47 Shaquille O'Neal made Dunk. Assisted by Rick Fox.
02:15 Shaquille O'Neal made Two Point Shot.
01:34 Gary Payton made 23 ft Three Point Jumper. Assisted by Kobe Bryant.
00:38 Kobe Bryant made Two Point Shot.
Two stats jump out form this game. The Lakers had 8 less turnovers, and made 12 of their 13 free throws. Kobe was 8 of 8. A great improvement over recent games.
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Atlanta 121 Houston 123
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Boston 87 Seattle 108
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Cleveland 92 New York 86
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Milwaukee 113 Washington 85
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Orlando 87 Detroit 86
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Sacramento 96 Toronto 81
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San Antonio 94 Minnesota 92
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Utah 80 Indiana 94
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February 21, 2004
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Boston 84 Portland 105
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A 22-0 start lead to a wire-to-wire win for the Blazers. Zach Randolph scored 15 of his 27 in the 1st quarter.
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Denver 81 Miami 97
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The Heat took control of this game with a 21-6 run in the 3rd quarter, and piled on the points in the 4th. Lamar Odom and Dwyane Wade combined for 20 points and 10 rebounds in the 3rd. Also a good game for Miami by Udonis Haslem off the bench.
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Houston 88 Dallas 97
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After a slow start, the Mavs recoverd in the 2nd quarter. Then, in the 3rd, used a 27-12 run to take the lead for good. Dirk Nowitzki and Antoine Walker were best for Dallas.
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LA Clippers 105 Milwaukee 103
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A 10-0 run near the end won the game for the Clippers. Bobby Simmons scored 10 in the 4th quarter, while Elton Brand had another really big game.
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Memphis 105 Chicago 98
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The Grizz built a big enough lead to survive two big pushes from the Bulls in the second half. James Posey had 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals for Memphhis. Kirk Hinrich scored 25 with 9 assists for Chicago.
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New Orleans 84 New Jersey 97
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After a Hornets run to start the 3rd quarter that tied the game, the Nets took off to a 16-point lead. Big game by Kenyon Martin, and near tripple double by Jason Kidd. Jamal Mashburn's good game was for naught.
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Seattle 92 Golden State 94
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A late 12-2 run by the Warriors gave them the win. Nick Van Excel made only 2 of 4 free throw attempts in the last 4 seconds, but they were enough to preserve the win for Golden State.
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February 20, 2004
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Philadelphia 88 LA Lakers 116
GameFlow BoxScore
The Lakers looked to be running away with this one early. But after getting a 17-point lead early in the 2nd quarter, Philly responded and closed the gap to 8 at the half. This pattern seemed all to familiar. And it wouldn't have been surprising if it became a close game to the end.
That didn't happen tonight. The Lakers denied the Sixers any runs in the final two quarters and just kept increasing the lead. And while the Duo came up real big again, they got some good help tonight from Gary Payton, Rick Fox, and Kareem Rush. Although he only shot 1 of 6, Derek Fisher also helped with 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and one steal.
All in all, this was the kind of performance I expect out of this team. And hope to see more of.
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Atlanta 92 Miami 125
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Denver 98 Orlando 102
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Indiana 96 Washington 87
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Minnesota 88 Detroit 87
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New Jersey 91 Toronto 72
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Phoenix 92 Memphis 97
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Portland 94 Golden State 93
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Sacramento 91 Chicago 83
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San Antonio 87 Cleveland 89
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Utah 92 New York 78
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February 19, 2004
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Boston 100 LA Clippers 102
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The Clippers were in control of the game since the end of the 1st quarter, and had a 16-point lead at the 6:35 mark of the 4th quarter. Then they watched the Celtics go on a 20-6 run and shrink their lead to 2 with 46 seconds left. Fotunately, to avoid embarrassment, the Clips scored the final three points of the game to get the win.
Elton Brand socred 39 points, grabbled 11 rebounds, had 6 blocks, and 5 steals. Why wasn't this guy an All Star?
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Philadelphia 112 Seattle 101
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A 12-2 run by the Sonics narrowed the lead to 2. After that, the Sixers kept all the runs to themselves and never gave up the lead. Allen Iverson had 40 points and 11 assists.
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Sacramento 75 Minnesota 92
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One weak moment for the TimberWolves in the 3rd quarter when they let the lead slip to 2. Other than that, it was complete domination by Minnnesota over Sacramento. They held the Kings to just 75 points of 34% shooting. Kevin Garnett with 22 points and 23 rebounds.
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February 18, 2004
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LA Lakers 100 Golden State 99
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The Duo saved the day. In another too close for comfort game, against an opponent they shouldn't have so much trouble with, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for 66 of the Lakers 100 points. Shaq scored 12 in the 1st and 4th quarters, while Kobe had 9 in the 2nd and a big 18 in the the 3rd. Add to that Kobe's 6 rebounds and 8 assists, and Shaq's 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks, and you see how the Lakers totally relied on them tonight. I got the feeling Chick would have said "It's a good thing they brought those two guys along!"
With their production, you can see the offense was humming along. The problem, as it often has been, was on the defensive end. Every time the Lakers tried to build a lead, the Warriors responded. That was the case in the 4th quarter when their 10-4 run reduced the Lakers lead to just 1. It came down to a block by Shaq just before the buzzer to preserve the win. Another win that shouldn't have been so difficult.
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Atlanta 92 New Jersey 98
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Dallas 114 Cleveland 98
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LA Clippers 86 Portland 101
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Milwaukee 98 Detroit 102
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San Antonio 86 Toronto 82
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Utah 77 Orlando 90
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Washington 98 New Orleans 120
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February 17, 2004
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Portland 86 LA Lakers 89
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A total of 16 turnovers and 47% free throw shooting doesn't make for a pretty game. It seemed like the Blazers made the Lakers pay for every one of the turnovers, while they had some sloppy moments of their own. At least they kind of have an excuse with all the new players they have. As for the Lakers, like Stu said, let's give them the benefit of the doubt and blame it on the All Star break.
The Lakers tried to pull away in the 2nd quarter, but their fumblitis caused them to lose most of their lead. After a slow start in the 3rd, they finally held on to the ball and played some defense. The result was a 20-6 run and a 10-point lead.
That didn't last, however, as the Blazers start off hot again in the 4th quarter and had a 3-point lead with 3:47 left to play. It was a quick little 5-0 run, courtesy of Gary Payton, that got the lead back for the Lakers. And this time they held on to it. Just. One of several acrobatic shots by Kobe, and 1 of 3 free throws, helped protet the lead.
Player of the game clearly goes to Kobe, who had 31 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals.
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Boston 111 Sacramento 127
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Long night for the Celtics in Sacramento. Eleven runs by the Kings was more than they could deal with.
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Dallas 92 Memphis 109
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The Grizzlies ran away from the the Mavs with a huge run that spanned the 3rd and 4th quarters.
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Detroit 88 New York 92
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The Knicks squeak out a win with an 8-0 run near the end. Stephon Marbury scored 10 of his 28 in the 4th quarter.
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New Orleans 89 Indiana 75
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The Hornets had little trouble with the Pacers tonight. They just kept building on their lead each quarter.
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Orlando 104 Milwaukee 127
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The Bucks cruised to a big win in another seeming mismatch with the Magic.
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Philadelphia 85 Denver 106
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The Nuggets dominated the second half to win big over the Sixers. Carmelo Anthony's big game countered Allen Iverson's, and he got a lot more help too.
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Phoenix 95 Minnesota 110
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The Suns fought hard in the 3rd quarter, but had nothing left for the 4th. Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell lead the TWolves as usual.
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Toronto 73 Chicago 75
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A big second half comeback by the Raptors came up just 2 points short. Donyell Marshall had 24 rebounds in a losing cuase.
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Utah 85 Miami 97
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After leading by 20 points in the 2nd quarter, the Heat needed a quick run at the end of the 4th to protect their lead.
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Washington 81 Houston 107
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And another no contest as the Rockets pounded the Wizards.
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February 15, 2004
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Eastern Conf 132 Western Conf 136
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Everyone played well, except Iverson, in a closer than usual All Star Game. The biggest lead was just nine points.
Good game for Kobe, while Shaq had really big numbers. Take a look at the BoxScore. Shaq is clearly the MVP. Not bad for a guy comming off the bench.
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February 11, 2004
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LA Lakers 87 Houston 102
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My wish that the Lakers would repeat their good team performance of last night did not come to pass. What I saw instead was very disappointing. None of the help defense that is so important in winning. It's not a problem with the offense. I don't care if they run it through Shaq or Kobe. If they don't defend, they won't win.
The game was very tight for 2½ quarters; only one +6 run for each team in the first half. But after the midpoint of the 3rd quarter, the flood gates opened. The Rockets went on a series of runs that the Lakers had no answer for. Cutino Mobley and Steve Francis combined for 18 points in the 3rd, while Yao Ming scored 15 in the 4th.
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LA Clippers 102 Memphis 110
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Miami 111 Orlando 98
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Minnesota 77 Utah 66
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New Jersey 105 Cleveland 85
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New York 98 New Orleans 106
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Phoenix 76 Golden State 89
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Sacramento 96 Detroit 94
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Washington 88 Philadelphia 113
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February 10, 2004
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LA Lakers 98 Miami 83
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Well it wasn't the Big 4 we expect to see. Shaq had his usual good game with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Gary Payton had a complete game with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Those two are expected to have those kind of numbers. The other half of the Big 4 was the surprise. Two guys who've had trouble making a shot lately, Derek Fisher (18 points, 5 assists, 4 steals) and Devean George (17 points, 10 rebounds), substituted for Kobe and Karl tonight.
Shortly after the tip, the Heat went on a 17-3 run. Down by 14 at the 5:40 mark of the 1st quarter, the Lakers regained their composure and finished the quarter 10-0 with the help of some guys off the bench. The run kept going into the 2nd quarter and amounted to a 33-11 advantage for the Lakers. This resulted in their 8-point halftime lead.
The 3rd was fairly even with only a small run by the Heat. Shaq scored 9 and Devean 6 in the period, and they still lead by 7 going into the 4th.
After starting off the final period even like the 3rd, another small run by the Heat reduced the lead to only 1 with 7:20 to play. The Lakers took a timeout, made some lineup changes, and proceeded to finish the game with a 20-6 run. During this run they got 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 big steal from Shaq, and got another 8 points from Derek Fisher.
It was a very good team win. Here's hoping they can keep it up.
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Detroit 78 New Jersey 89
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Golden State 106 Seattle 97
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Indiana 103 Chicago 84
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LA Clippers 84 Minnesota 96
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New York 90 Dallas 105
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Sacramento 124 Milwaukee 117
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Toronto 101 Phoenix 94
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Utah 86 Portland 81
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February 6, 2004
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Atlanta 100 Boston 96
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At the end of the 2nd quarter, the Hawks 16-0 run gave them breathing room for a the intermission. Soon enough, the Celtics 17-2 run in the 3rd returned the contest to a very close one. The Hawks were down by one with 17 seconds remaining, and ended with their three consecutive free throws for the win. Atlanta got a very good contribution from Dion Glover off the bench, and Paul Pierce played well for Boston.
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Chicago 80 Houston 82
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The Bulls made a big comeback in the 4th quarter with their 21-5 run, only to see the Rockets get the lead back and keep it with a mere 7-2 run. Solid effort by Yao Ming for Houston.
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Cleveland 92 Minnesota 103
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This close one wasn't decided until the 4th quarter when the Twolves dominated the period with an extended run. Kevin Garnett's game stands out with 35 points and 12 rebounds.
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Denver 87 Golden State 96
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A 23-6 run started the game off nicely for the Warriors. And though they had to fight off the Nuggets later, they lead the whole way for the win. Eric Dampier had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Denver.
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Detroit 81 New Orleans 92
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Their 16-4 run in the 1st quarter was all the Hornets really needed as the Pistons had no big late game rally in them tonight. They got 22 points and 10 rebounds from Jamal Mashburn.
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Indiana 83 Toronto 77
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The fifth lead change of the 1st quarter was the last of the game. The Raptors didn't give up and got very close at times. Their 1-0 run in the 4th got the lead down to 2. But the Pacers had one more run in them to protect it for good. Big game by Jermaine O'Neal, while Donyell Marshall's effort didn't quite get the same support.
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LA Clippers 100 Washington 112
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After a big run by the Wizards to start the game, the Clippers made a steady comeback to tie the game in the 3rd quarter. But the never had the lead as the Wizards proceeded build the lead back in the 4th. Jerry Stackhouse lead the way for Washington.
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Milwaukee 85 Memphis 105
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The bucks had the lead very briefly in the 1st minute of the game, and then never saw it again. The Grizz had three big runs that increased the lead each time. Pau Gasol was player of the game for Memphis, who also got good support from Lornzen Wright and James Posey.
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Orlando 99 New Jersey 120
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This was a real tight game for the 1st quarter. That all ended in the 2nd as the Nets started a series of runs that resulted in a 33-point lead in the 4th. Jason Kidd with 18 points and 13 assists, and Kenyon Martin had 18 points and 15 rebounds.
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Portland 87 Utah 73
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A big run by the Blazers in the 3rd quarter gave them the lead for good. Zach Randolph had 19 points and 14 rebounds.
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San Antonio 102 Sacramento 94
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The Spurs 20-8 4th quarter run gave them an 18-point lead. The Kings responded with a run of their own, but only got as close as 5 points. Very big game by Tim Duncan.
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Seattle 103 Phoenix 97
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After a 13-1 run got them within 1 point of the lead, the Suns tied the game up with 18 seconds to go. Having lead by 15 points earlier in the same quarter, the Sonics avoided embarassment with Rashard Lewis' layup at 0:02. Radmanovic, Lewis, and Allen all made good contributions for Seattle, while those by Marion and Barbosa went to waste for Phoenix.
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February 5, 2004
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LA Lakers 73 Philadelphia 96
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A 10-point 1st quarter on 20% shooting did the Lakers in. No excuse really. An effort like that takes the whole team, comming together to, to ... well, to play that bad.
But if you did want to point a finger, which I don't normally like to do, you could point it in the direction of Gary Payton. No matter how wrong he thought the officials were, this is a prime example of a time he needed to put a sock in it. I admire Gary's passion and intensity, but he let his teammates down tonight. You would think a veteran like him would know, with his team as banged up as it is, that he should just shut up and stay in the game. A performance like the one he gave last night would have been very welcome tonight.
Particularly because Shaq wasn't very Superman-like tonight. Only 17-points and 3-16 on free throws. There is bad free throw shooting, and then there's 3-16. What else can you say. He looks like he's shot putting them, not shooting.
Slava had a decent game, but foul trouble limited his effectiveness early again, when they really needed him. Devean George had a rare good game in his 20 minutes off the bench. And So was Luke Walton. But they did most of their work when the game was already lost.
For the Sixers, Allen Iverson and Glen Robinson seemed to score at will as the Lakers defense was almost non-existent.
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San Antonio 96 Seattle 90
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Even though it wasn't very big at times, the Spurs kept the lead almost the entire game. Their 14-point half time went down to as little as two points, but the Spurs did just enough to protect that lead and get the win. Tim Duncan had 23 points and 14 rebounds for San Antonio.
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February 4, 2004
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LA Lakers 111 Cleveland 106
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In an attempt to either see how healty he is, or to prove to everyone that he is, Shaquille O'Neal played 32 minutes of this game before his first rest. After taking 4 minutes of rest, he played the entire 4th quarter and all but the last 12 seconds of overtime. I'd have to say he passed the test and proved a point to the league with 37 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks.
The game went back and forth and stayed close for the first half. The Lakers would have hoped for more tha a 5-point lead after shooting 58% and 61% in the first two quarters. Gary Payton scored 12 in the 1st quarter, Shaq 10 in the 2nd.
The 3rd quarter saw the Cavs get their offense going, lead by Eric Williams 12 points. After they built a 12-point lead, the Lakers countered with a 7-1 run to finish the period.
The 4th was very steady until the Lakers had another 7-1 run near the end that lead to a tie. Fotunately, they took care of business in the extra period by starting it with a 6-0 run. Shaq and Maruice Carter each score 5 in the overtime.
Of course, Shaq's game was huge. If he was Superman, then Gary was Superboy tonight with 30 big points. Also a good game by Horace Grant.
For Cleveland, another good performance by Carlos Boozer and LeBron James. Although James airballed a shot at the end of regulation that would have won it for the Cavs.
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LA Clippers 95 Boston 86
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The maximun 9-point lead in this game wasn't reached until the Clippers 18-5 run in the 4th quarter. Big games by Elton Brand and Quentin Richardson who scored 14 in that final period.
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Orlando 90 Toronto 110
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After the 1st quarter, there was no drama in this game as the Raptors ran and hid from the Magic. A very good game by Donyell Marshall.
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Miami 88 New Jersey 99
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Although the Heat had several runs in them, it was never enough to prevent the Nets from keeping the lead the from the 2nd quarter on. A good game by Kenyon Martin for New Jersey, and another wasted effort by Lamar Odom for Miami.
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Portland 101 Phoenix 97
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A 9-0 run by the Suns reduced what had been a big lead for the Blazers down to 3. But the Blazers held on to what was left of their once large lead for the win.
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Memphis 103 Washington 101
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The Grizz started the 4th quarter with a bang in the form of a 24-2 run. The Wizards reponded with a run of their own to tie it up at the 1:24 mark. Not wanting to waste that big run, the Grizz outscored the Wizards 6-4 from that point to win the game. James Posey, who scored 13 in the final period, with a big 31-point effort for Memphis.
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Minnesota 89 Atlanta 97
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A close game, marked by a lot of small runs, ended with a big 21-6 run by the Hawks. Jason Terry scored 12 in the final period, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim was best for Atlanta with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
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Dallas 113 New Orleans 104
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This close game wasn't decided until the Mavs' 7-1 run in the 4th quarter, the last run of the game. Dirk Nowitzki lead Dallas scoring 10 of his 28 in the last period.
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Milwaukee 89 Houston 103
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A 3rd quarter run of 17-8 broke up this game for the Rockets. Good game for Steve Francis, and also Maurice Taylor off the bench.
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Chicago 95 Utah 79
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The Bulls had a series of unopposed runs that lead to a 25-point lead in the 3rd quarter. The Jazz never mounted and serious challenge. Eddie Curry had 23 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago.
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February 3, 2004
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Cleveland 85 Detroit 82
GameFlow BoxScore
These two traded runs the whole game and it became tight in the 4th quarter. The Pistons 6-0 run gave them a 1-point lead a the the 2:48 mark, but the Cavs outscored them 6-2 the rest of the way to get the win. Carlos Boozer was player of the game with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
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Golden State 93 Dallas 107
GameFlow BoxScore
The Mav's 25-11 run in the 2nd quarter gave them the lead for good. The Warriors only made one run at them in the second half, and the Mavs quickly responded to that. Dallas got good games from Steve Nash, Michael Finley, Antawn Jamison, and Josh Howard.
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Indiana 90 New York 97
GameFlow BoxScore
No more than seven points separated these two the whole game. The Knicks lead by just one at 1:01 of the 4th quarter, and finished the game 6-0 from that point on. Good games for Stephon Marbury, Keith Van Horn, and especially Kurt Thomas who scored 11 of his 19 in the 4th quarter.
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Orlando 100 Minnesota 113
GameFlow BoxScore
The TWolves 13-1 run gave them a good lead going into the 4th quarter, then their 16-6 run put the game away. The big three (Sprewell,Garnett,Cassell) came up big tonight for Minnesota. Orlando got a good game form Tracy McGrady, but not from anyone else.
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Seattle 101 Sacramento 117
GameFlow BoxScore
This was a close game until two big runs by the Kings in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Very good game by Brad Miller, who scored 14 in the 3rd and had 15 rebounds for the game.
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Toronto 93 Philadelphia 80
GameFlow BoxScore
The Sixers had a good run to build a 10-point lead in the 1st quarter. But the Raptors had taken it away by the middle of the 2nd, and kept it the rest of the game. Their 10-0 run to start the 4th quarter put an end to any doubts. Good game by Donyell Marshall, and Vince Carter scored 15 of his 33 in the 4th. Allen Iverson did his best for Philly, but got little help.
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February 2, 2004
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LA Lakers 72 Indiana 85
GameFlow BoxScore
What can you say about this one? Karl's hurt, Kobe's hurt, Shaq was barred from showing up. But there's no excuse for the rest of the guys not showing up. I know they were out manned, even against a Pacer team without Jermaine O'Neal. But this squad should still be able to score more than just 26 points on 38% shooting in the first half.
The Pacers built a 22-point lead before the Lakers seemingly lifted a finger to do anything about it. They did show some signs of life in the second half and got the lead down to 9, but no closer. And to add injury to insult, Kareem Rush is now among the many injured for the Lakers.
The bright notes in this one were the play of Rick Fox and Luke Walton. Rick showing he is getting back in shape and ready to contribute, and Luke that he wasn't hurt that bad in yesterday's game after all. We can only hope this team heals up in time for the playoffs.
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Chicago 97 Seattle 109
GameFlow BoxScore
The Bulls fought back from a 14-point deficit in the 1st quarter. But once the Sonics started the 3rd quarter with a 15-4 run, the Bulls didn't have enough to comeback again. Seattle got Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, and Vladimir Radmanovic. And Luke Ridnour scored 12 in the 4th to help the Sonics protect their lead.
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Detroit 102 Miami 100
GameFlow BoxScore
A 9-1 run by the Heat took the lead away from the Pistons that they had kept most of the game. Then, without their usual late game run, the Pistons slowly came back. First tying the game up, they squeaking it out in overtime on Richard Hamilton's jump shot with 14 seconds left. Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom were best for Detroit and Miami respectively.
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Golden State 101 Memphis 106
GameFlow BoxScore
Talk about taking turns. A big run by the Warriors in the 3rd quarter dug them out of a hole and into a 9-point lead. Then the Grizz respond immediately with a run that spanned into the 4th to give them their own 9-pont lead. The Warriors had one more small run that left 5 points short. No standout for Memphis, while Eric Dampier had 15 points, 15 rebound, and 5 blocks for Golden State.
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Houston 79 Phoenix 99
GameFlow BoxScore
After a trade of big runs in the first half left the Suns with just a 5-pont lead, they made all the big runs in the second half and rebuilt their 23-point lead. Good game by Shawn Marion for Phoenix.
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LA Clippers 101 Atlanta 95
GameFlow BoxScore
One of those real close back and forth kind of games. The Clippers had the lead most of the time, but not by much. They need that 12-3 run in the 4th quarter to protect it, because the Hawks had one more run in them that then came up short. Just another day at the office for Elton Brand. The Clipps also got good help from Chris Wilcox in the 4th.
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New Jersey 91 New Orleans 70
GameFlow BoxScore
It was their 13-0 run in the middle of the 3rd quarter that started the Nets off to a big lead. It had been a close game up until that point. After that, the Nets just kept going and the Hornets had no more answers. Jason Kidd and Kerry Kittles were effective for New Jersey. A very good game by Jamaal Magloire went to waste.
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Portland 97 Denver 116
GameFlow BoxScore
The only good quarter for the Blazers was the 2nd, when they reduced a 15-point deficit to only 2. But the Nuggets owned both the 3rd and 4th quarters and build their lead back again. Zach Randolph had a good game for Portland, while both Carmelo Anthony and Nene Hilario came up big for Denver.
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San Antonio 83 Utah 65
GameFlow BoxScore
A 13-4 run in the 1st quarter was all it took to give the Spurs the lead for good. Huge game by Tim Duncan.
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February 1, 2004
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LA Lakers 84 Toronto 83
GameFlow BoxScore
This game looked like a lot of others this season. The Lakers take control in the middle, then let the opponent creep back in to make it close at the end. Today it came down the Lakers needing one defensive stop, something they had had trouble doing the whole fourth quarter. They credited Shaq with a steal, but it was Gary Payton [The Glove] that forced the turnover to preserve the Lakers 1-point win.
It started with Shaq dominating early. He scored 16 in the 1st quarter with Toronto trying to guard him with Donyell Marshall and Chris Bosh. But Slava got in foul trouble again, and so did about all of the SFs trying to guard Vince Carter. The result was the rest of the team didn't contribute much and the quarter ended in a tie.
The second quarter was a different story as they got good contributions from Payton, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher, and Luke Walton. Runs of 20-7 and 5-0 put the Lakers up 16. Shaq returned to join the party, and for a while there it was the Shaq and Luke Show as the two of them played very well together.
The Raptors, however, put a stop to the Lakers offense in the 3rd. They started the quarter with a 12-5 run and held the Lakers to just 17 in the period. The Lakers still lead by 10 going into the final period, so there wasn't too much concern.
But the Raptors kept going in the 4th. They controlled the whole quarter and outscored the Lakers 22-13. The Lakers did just enough for the win. Shaq had a huge game, but his teammates were lacking today. Chris Bosh, Donyell Marshall, and Vince Carter all played well for Toronto. Their effort came up just 1 point short today.
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Cleveland 104 Washington 100
GameFlow BoxScore
Carlos Boozer and LeBron James are becomming a good one-two punch for the Cavs. They lead their team on 25-6 run that gave the cavs the lead for good in the 3rd quarter. The Wizards finally responded with a 12-2 run near the end of the game, but came up just short.
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Philadelphia 101 Minnesota 106
GameFlow BoxScore
The Timberwolves made some adjustments at half time at home today. After watching the Sixers take off in the mid-1st quarter and build an 18-point lead, they controlled the second half with two good runs and didn't allow any more to Philly. Keving Garnett scored 12 in the 3rd while Sam Cassell had a big 4th, and the TWolves complete the comeback to get a 5-point win.
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