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January 31, 2004
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Boston 98 Indiana 99
GameFlow BoxScore
A good run for the Pacers at the start of the game was followed by good runs by the Celtics in the next two quarters. Both teams traded runs in the 4th quarter, with the last one going to the Celtics leaving the Pacers with a 1-point lead at the 1:07 mark. After each team hit a 3-pointer, that's the way it ended. Ron Artest and Al Harrington were best for Indiana. Paul Pierce had a good game for Boston in a losing cause. Jermaine O'Neal only played 13 minutes.
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Chicago 84 Portland 86
GameFlow BoxScore
A 23-9 run go the bulls a 15-point lead in the 2nd quarter. Then the Blazers proceeded to gradually eat away at that lead, tied the game up, and ran away with it in overtime. Rasheed Wallace and Zach Randolph both with good games for Portland.
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Denver 107 Dallas 102
GameFlow BoxScore
Down by 20 early in the 3rd quarter, the Nuggets 20-7 run to finish the game completed their comeback and got them a win. In the 3rd they got 16 from Andre Miller and had a 12-2 run to narrow the game. Then they got 12 from Rodney White in the 4th to help complete to job. Carmelo Anthony also scored 15 those two quarter as part of a good performance. The Mavs got 20 in the 2nd from Michael Finley scored 20 in the 2nd.
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LA Clippers 115 Orlando 106
GameFlow BoxScore
The Magic did their best to stay in the game, but the Clips lead most of the way and held on for the 9-point win. Real good game by Marko Jaric, and the usual steady game from Elton Brand.
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Memphis 78 Detroit 80
GameFlow BoxScore
The Pistons gradually built their lead to 12 by the middle of the 4th quarter. Then a late game run, usually their speciality, almost spoiled it for them. An 11-0 run by the Grizz tied the game with just 53 seconds left. The only points scored after that were two free throws by Chauncey Billups, with less than a second left, to win it for the Pistons.
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Miami 94 New Orleans 70
GameFlow BoxScore
Leading comfortably most of the game, the Head didn't take any chances in the 4th quarter when the Hornets 13-3 run narrowed the game to seven. They promptly went on a 22-1 run to leave no doubt. Eddie Jones and Udonis Haslem were best for Miami.
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Milwaukee 83 Atlanta 93
GameFlow BoxScore
The Hawks got off the a fast start and lead by as much as 21 before the half. The Bucks 13-0 run at the start of the 4th quarter got them within four of the lead. But the Hawks had one more run in them to protect the lead. A 21 and 10 game by Shareef Abdur-Rahim lead Atlanta.
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New Jersey 88 Houston 77
GameFlow BoxScore
Having been down by 12 in the first half, the Nets used two big runs in the second to turn the tables on the Rockets. Very good game by Kenyon Martin.
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Phoenix 105 New York 110
GameFlow BoxScore
The Suns kept trying to build a lead only to have the Knicks chip away at it. Finally, in the 4th quarter, the 7-0 run by the Suns protected their lead as the Knicks had no response. Real good games for New York by Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn.
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Sacramento 89 Seattle 82
GameFlow BoxScore
The first 1½ quarters were all Kings. The next 1½ quarters saw the saw the Sonics fight back. In the 4th quarter they took a 1-point lead after a 10-0 run, only to have the Kings win it with a 8-1 run at the end of the game. Brad Miller had 28 points and 17 rebounds for Sacramento to help spoil a real good performance by Antonio Daniels for Seattle.
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Utah 81 San Antonio 85
GameFlow BoxScore
The last two runs were by the Jazz, but they weren't quite enough to lift them out of a 10 point deficit. Tim Duncan scored 33 and grabbed 14 rebounds.
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January 30, 2004
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Minnesota 97 LA Lakers 84
GameFlow BoxScore
Apparently the Lakers are snakebit with injuries this season. Now Kobe cuts his finger. I'm afraid of what will happen next. But injuries are part of the game, and the game must go on. So tonight the Lakers faced Minnesota, this time with two missing pieces. Shaq had a good game and got help from Kareem Rush and others. But it wasn't enough against the big three.
The first half looked very promising with the Lakers controlling the pace. Gary Payton had a good first quarter, Shaq had the second, and they lead by as much as 15. The only damper on things was that half court shot at the buzzer by Lattrell Sprewell. Oh well, lucky shot. That happens. No problem, right?
Turns out it was a problem because Sprewell lived up to his name by going on a spree well. That shot propelled him to a 19-point 3rd quarter on 8 of 11 shooting. His offense and the TWolves change to a zone befuddled the Lakers, and they saw their lead slip away.
It wasn't jut him though. Kevin Garnett scored 12 in the first two periods, Sprewell 26 in the next two, and then Sam Cassell had 21 in the final two. And they rode Sam in the 4th quarter on a 17-7 run that pretty much finished the Lakers. The three of them combined for 82 of their 96 points.
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Chicago 81 Golden State 101
GameFlow BoxScore
A thurough domination by the Warriors over the Bulls. Good contributions from several for Golden State, includeing Eric Dampier and Jason Richardson.
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Cleveland 95 Milwaukee 101
GameFlow BoxScore
After losing their 12-point lead to the Cavs by the eary 4th quarter, the Bucks kept this one from slipping away with and 8-0 run in the mid-4th quarter. Michael Redd lead them in scoring and T.J. Ford had a good game. Calos Boozer and LeBron James lead the Cavs.
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Detroit 90 Toronto 89
GameFlow BoxScore
A strong 1st quarter for the Raptors was followed by a sustaind comeback by the Pistons. The Raptors responded just in time to force overtime. The extra period two free throws by Rip Hamilton to give Detroit the 1-point win. Vince Carter had a real good game in a losing cause.
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LA Clippers 88 Miami 97
GameFlow BoxScore
The Clippers had a lot of fight in them for three quarters, but they had no response to the Heat's 4th quarter 20-10 run. Lamar Odmon had 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who bested the Clips despite Elton Brands 23 points and 15 rebounds.
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New Orleans 82 Philadelphia 85
GameFlow BoxScore
This was really a back and forth game. Things looked to be going the Hornets way with their strong runs in the second half. The the Sixers pulled off a 10-1 run at the end to steal it from them. Allen Iverson had a very good overall game.
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New York 92 Boston 74
GameFlow BoxScore
The Knicks ended the 2nd quarter with a flourish and just kept going in the second half. The Celtics response was a classic case of too little, too late. Keith Van Horn scored 14 and Shandon Anderson 10 in New Yorks big 3rd quarter.
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Phoenix 100 Washington 105
GameFlow BoxScore
An impressive example of a comeback and lead building by the Suns in the middle part of the game. Unfortunately for them the game lasted another 12 minutes. And the Wizards dominated the 4th quarter with a 26-6 run to take the game. Washington got solid games from Kwame Brown, Larry Hughes, and Brendan Haywood. Hughes scored 13 of his 23 in the 4th.
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Utah 85 Memphis 79
GameFlow BoxScore
Even though it was still fairly close at times, this game was really decided by the Jazz' dominating 2nd quarter. Raja Bell came off the bench to score 15 in that period for Utah,, while Andrei Kirilenko had a good overall game.
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January 29, 2004
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New Jersey 89 Orlando 79
GameFlow BoxScore
A 22-11 run in the 2nd quarter sent the Nets on their way to a comfortable win over the Magic. Jason Kidd had 14 in the 2nd as part of a an almost triple double.
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Portland 93 Atlanta 85
GameFlow BoxScore
Their effort seemed to be lagging in the 2nd quarter. Then the Blazers came out on fire in the 3rd. A 23-8 run and 55% shooting for the period changed a 5-point deficit to a 9 pont lead. The Hawks responded in the 4th and reduced the margin to 2. That only woke the Blazers up again and their 19-9 run protected their lead. Good game by Zach Randolph, and Rasheed Wallace scored 15 of his 20 in the second half.
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Sacramento 96 San Antonio 91
GameFlow BoxScore
After a fast start by the Spurs, the Kings dominated play the rest of the first half. The second half was more contentious as the Spurs cut into their lead seveal times. But they never got it back and the Kings held on for the close win. Bobby Jackson scored 12 in the 4th quarter, and Vlade Divac had a good overall game. Time Duncan had 35 and 18, but just not quite enough help tonight.
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January 28, 2004
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Seattle 82 LA Lakers 96
GameFlow BoxScore
Shaquille O'Neal and Rick Fox were welcomed back tonight, but neither played an integral part in the game. Shaq did provide an inside presence that had been missed, but only played 17 minutes of the 1st and 3rd quarters. Fox seemed happy to be back out on the court where he could bang into people. He picked up 4 fouls in just 8 minutes of play. Kobe scored 14 in his second game back. And Gary Payton had a good overall game.
But none of them were in for the crucial part. No, that was for the bench to take care of tonight.
The Lakers looked a little unfamiliar with each other at the start of this game. The Sonics took advantage of their confusion with 16-3 run right after the tip. But the Lakers found their composure and used runs of 13-2 and 18-5 to get an 11-point lead in the 2nd quarter.
Things stayed that way until the 3rd when the Sonics had their second good run, this time 17-6, to tie the game. Gary Payton kept the Lakers in the game with 11 points in the quarter.
The 4th started with the Sonics taking a brief 1-point lead. Then a group of bench players, who had been holding the fort while the others were out, used good defense to ignite a 19-2 run and get a 16-point lead. Derek Fisher scored 7 with 3 assists and 4 steals in the quarter. Luke Walton had 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in his only 12 minutes of the game.
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Chicago 99 Denver 115
GameFlow BoxScore
The Nuggets got the lead with a big run in the 1st quarter and never let go of it. Denver's Marcus Camby had 12 points and 24 rebounds. Jamal Crawford had good game in a losing cause.
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Dallas 88 Utah 91
GameFlow BoxScore
After dominating most of the first half, the Jazz had the tables turned on them in the second half. They watched as the Mavs turned their 13-point lead turn into an 8-point deficit by the mid-4th quarter. Then the Jazz woke up and went on their only run of the half to reclaim the lead and the win. Andre Kirilenko was best for Utah, and had 12 of his 23 points in the 4th quarter.
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Detroit 106 Boston 103
GameFlow BoxScore
The points took the lead just as the first half ended, and kept going in the 3rd with a 19-7 run to start the quarter. The Celtics closed the gap and then took the lead back with an 11-2 run in the 4th quarter. That didn't last long though, as the Pistons pulled off yet another late game run to get the win. Ben Wallace with 14 and 15, while Paul Pierce had a good game for Boston.
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Philadelphia 84 Toronto 94
GameFlow BoxScore
An easy win for the Raptors as the Sixers managed only three small runs the whole game. Good game by Donyell Marshall who had 12 points in the 1st quarter.
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Phoenix 79 Indiana 101
GameFlow BoxScore
The Pacers took the lead early and just kept pouring it on. Their 25-4 run in the 3rd quarter sealed the Suns fate. Indiana got good contributions from several players.
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Portland 88 Memphis 76
GameFlow BoxScore
This was a tight game until the 4th quarter when the Blazers went on a 16-2 run. Zach Randolph had a very good game for three quarters, but didn't play the 4th. Rasheed Wallace led them then with 8 of his 16 points and 5 of his 10 rebounds.
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Sacramento 99 Houston 94
GameFlow BoxScore
The Rockets lead most of the way, and by 5 after three quarters. But the 4th quarter is when the Kings came to life with two runs to take the lead for good. Jackson, Bibby, Miller, and Stojakovic, all contributed to the comeback.
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Miami 93 Cleveland 94
GameFlow BoxScore
A big 1st quarter for the Cavs was followed by two quarters of domination by the Heat. The Cavs were up to the task, however, and went on a 22-7 run to get the lead back. But that wasn't the end of it. The Heat's 5-0 run gave them a 1-point lead with just 35 seconds left. It took Dajuan Wagner's basket at 0:07 to win it for the Cavs. Big game for Zadrunas Ilgauskas with 30 points and 11 rebounds. LeBron James also played well with 27 points.
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Milwaukee 100 New Orleans 101
GameFlow BoxScore
The graph of this one makes me dizzy. That's what you get when both teams share the biggest lead of just 7 points. There were plenty of runs to go around, and as expected the last one won it for the Hornets. Good games by Jamaal Magloire and Baron Davis for New Orleans helped to spoil a really good game by Milwaukee's Michael Redd.
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Minnesota 90 Golden State 97
GameFlow BoxScore
Two big runs in the middle periods brought the TWolves back from 11 down to take the lead. But their effort was in vain as the Warriors controlled the 4th quarter and won by 7. Eric Dampier had the big game for Golden State with 21 points and 19 rebounds. Kevin Garnet had a triple double that went for naught.
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Orlando 104 Washington 100
GameFlow BoxScore
The Magic took the lead late in the 1st quarter and never reliquished it. Throught the 2nd and into the 3rd, they built the lead to 18. The Wizards responded several times, but not enough. Very good game by Tracy McGrady, and the Magic got good help off the bench from Drew Gooden and Rod Strickland.
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January 27, 2004
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Chicago 92 LA Clippers 102
GameFlow BoxScore
While the Clippers had the lead most of the way, the Bulls kept hanging around not too far back. That ended with the Clips 20-6 run in the 3rd. Corey Maggette scored 9 in that period and had the good overall game. As did Elton Brand.
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Dallas 106 Seattle 108
GameFlow BoxScore
The graph even looks like a seesaw. The Sonics must have thought they finally had the game in control with their 4th quarter 20-7 run. Then the Mavs ended the game 5-0, which included Antoine Walker's 21-foot jumper to win the game. Dirk Nowitzki score 43 for Dallas, while Rashard Lewis and Antonio had good games for Seattle in a heartbreaker.
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New Jersey 94 Philadelphia 76
GameFlow BoxScore
A fast start by the Nets holds up tonight. They cruised to the easy win after starting the game with a 26-6 run. Jason Kidd had the big 1st quarter, and Richard Jefrerson and Kenyon Martin were solid contributors.
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Phoenix 89 Atlanta 85
GameFlow BoxScore
The Suns used a big run in the 3rd quarter to turn the game in their favor, but it wasn't enough. They had to do it again as the Hawks wouldn't give up. The Suns 18-10 run in the 4th gave them a 7-point lead with 1:27 to go. That let them survive the final response from the Hawks. Joe Johnson and Shawn marion lead Phoenix, while Theo Ratliff had a pretty good game for Atlanta.
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San Antonio 77 New York 67
GameFlow BoxScore
These two weren't burning up the nets tonight. More like they were dowsing them with water. They shot a combined 37% and the game ended with what looks like a 3rd quarter score. It seemed as if neither one reall wanted to win it. The Spurs ended the confusion with a 20-8 run in the 4th. Tim Duncan was the best one on the court by far tonight; even with 6 turnovers.
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January 26, 2004
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Houston 81 Miami 95
GameFlow BoxScore
The Heat broke away from Rockets in the 3rd quarter with a 20-8 run. Unfortuantely for Houston, they went stone cold in the 2nd half shooting just 24% in the 3rd and 32% in the 4th. Lamar Odom had 20 and 15, and Eddie Jones scored 27.
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LA Clippers 93 Utah 98
GameFlow BoxScore
A fast start for the Clippers didn't last. The Jazz' big run in the 2nd quarter gave them the lead for good, and they kept going in the 2nd half. The Clippers managed on final charge at them, but it wasn't enough. Greg Ostertag and Carlos Arroyo had good games for Utah.
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Minnesota 97 Denver 95
GameFlow BoxScore
There were a lot of squeakers tonight and this one was no exception. Down by 4 with 2:00 to play, the TWolves finish the game 7-1 for the 2-point win. As usual, Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell lead the way for Minnesota. Andre Miller had a tripple-double for Denver.
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Orlando 98 Cleveland 99
GameFlow BoxScore
In the 4th quarter in Cleveland, Carlos Boozer scored 8 and grabbed 6 rebounds and Dajuan Wagner scored 13 as the Cavs edged the Magic by 1. For Orlando, Tracy McGrady scored 34 in the first half, but only 2 in the 2nd due to injury.
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Portland 94 Washington 83
GameFlow BoxScore
A big 2nd quarter gave the Blazers a 15-point half-time lead. But after cruising through the 3rd, they suddenly found themselves in a fight in the 4th quarter after the Wizards' 15-4 run narrowed the lead to 2. Derek Anderson came in and scored 7 as the Blazers went 11-1 to protect their lead. Very good game Juan Dixon in a losing cuse.
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San Antonio 92 Milwaukee 93
GameFlow BoxScore
The Spurs went on a 21-9 run in the 4th to grab a 1-point lead, only to lose by 1 on Michael Redd's layup with 21 seconds left.
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January 25, 2004
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Atlanta 91 Detroit 82
GameFlow BoxScore
The Hawks had a good 1st quarter, a so-so 2nd, and then a good 3rd. They just cruised in the 4th. The Pistons mustered up some late runs, but they weren't enough today. Jason lead the was for Atlanta, while Ben Wallace had a good line for Detroit.
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Boston 91 New Jersey 110
GameFlow BoxScore
Three quick runs in the 2nd quarter broke the game open for the Nets. The Celtics responded too little too late. Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson both had good games for New Jersey, and they got a big contribution from Lucious Harris in the 2nd quarter.
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Denver 88 Memphis 106
GameFlow BoxScore
The Nuggets did alright in the first half. But the Grizz must have made some adjustments at the half because they came out of the locker room straight into a 23-9 run. They shot 68% in the 3rd quarter and 72% in the 4th. Pau Gasol was the best of seven players in double fingures for Memphis.
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Houston 99 Orlando 87
GameFlow BoxScore
A close game became a rout when the Rockets went on a 22-12 run to start the 4th quarter. Maurice Taytor scored 12 of his 20 in that period and Yao Ming had a great overall game.
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Phoenix 95 Minnesota 99
GameFlow BoxScore
The last of 11 ties in this game was at 4:22 of the 4th quarter. At that point the TWolves went on a 15-8 run to win it. Sam Cassell scored 14 of his 32 in the last period while Kevin Garnett also had a very good game. Shawn Marion played very well in vain for Phoenix.
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Sacramento 99 Dallas 108
GameFlow BoxScore
These two taded runs the whole game. The 4th quarter kind of tells the whole story. The Mavs started it with a 11-2 spurt to get a 10-point lead. Then the Kings tie it again with a going 17-7. Lucky Mavs had the last turn and their 9-0 run won it. Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash were best for Dallas.
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Toronto 89 Chicago 96
GameFlow BoxScore
Close games seemed to be the rule today. This one wasn't decided until the Bulls 9-1 run in the middle of the 4th quarter. Antonio Davis and Jamal Crawford each scored nine in that period.
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January 24, 2004
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LA Lakers 93 Utah 86
GameFlow BoxScore
I think we will look back at this part of the season as the time when Slava and Kareem got the playing time they needed to develope their games and become the players we all hoped they would be. Even though they welcomed back Kobe, Horace, and Fox tonight, it was nice to see the younger guys step up. Certainly the presence of Kobe helped them, but they used what they had learned during his abscence to their advantage.
With his injured shoulder still bothering him, Kobe scored 8 in the 1st quarter as the Lakers started kind of slowly. It was in the 2nd that they Lakers got going like I had not seen in a while. And they kept going in the 3rd until they had a 19-point lead. Slava scored 16 in those two quarters.
But the Jazz didn't give up and they used the last half of the 3rd to chop the lead to 7 points. To start the 4th quarter the Lakers lineup of Grant, Rush, Russell, Fisher, and Walton went on a 10-2 run that stabalized the Lakers' lead. Towards the end, the Jazz came at them again and close the lead to 3. Gary Payton's 3-pointer with 13 seconds left was the game winner.
Slava was player of the game, and although his stats don't stand out Kareem Rush was playing with confidence and hitting shots when his team needed him to. Gary really got hot after a slow first half. And, of course, Kobe didn't look that bad either after being out for what seemed like an eternity.
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Golden State 105 Portland 87
GameFlow BoxScore
After a fast start by the Warriors, the Blazers fought back and made it a close game. But in the 4th quarter the Warriors seemed to remember what they did right in the 1st and ran away from the Blazers. Very good game by Jason Richardson.
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Indiana 96 Washington 107
GameFlow BoxScore
Although their lead was never more than 12, a 9-0 run in the 2nd quarter gave the Wizards the lead for good. The Pacers only managed two runs after that. Kwame Brown was the star for Washington.
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LA Clippers 97 Seattle 102
GameFlow BoxScore
The Clippers were in this game into the 3rd quarter. But in just 1:47 of that period the Sonics put up an 11-0 run to take the lead for good. Ray Allend score 41 in 40 minutes of play, and another solid game by Elton Brand.
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Miami 85 New York 77
GameFlow BoxScore
One of those close, back and forth games that was decided by the last run. And that was Miami's 10-1 in the latter 4th quarter. Eddie Jones scored 8 of his 26 in that period, and Lamar Odom also had a good game.
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New Orleans 98 San Antonio 96
GameFlow BoxScore
The Spurs had an 18-point lead twice in this game. But after getting there the 2nd time they seemed to fall asleep and the Hornets crept up and stole it from them. Darrell Armstrong's 3-pointer with 1 second left on the clock was the game winner. It was fitting as he scored 12 in the final quarter and 25 of his 35 in the second half.
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Philadelphia 87 Cleveland 95
GameFlow BoxScore
The Cavs had a very strong first half, building a 16-point lead. And it held up against two good runs by the Sixers. Another good game by Carlos Boozer. Glenn Robinson and Allen Iverson had good games for Philly, but it wasn't enough tonight.
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January 23, 2004
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Dallas 106 Chicago 93
A fast start for the Bulls did not last. Towards the end of the 1s quarter the Mavs started a series of runs that gave them control. The Bulls only managed on serious charge at them the rest of the game, and they never got the lead back. Dirk Nowitzki was best for Dallas, while a good game by Bulls rookie Kirk Hinrich went to waste.
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Denver 91 New Orleans 97
While these two traded runs for most of the game, the Hornets got the better of it and gradually built a 10-point lead by the early 4th quarter. Then, after watching the Nuggets go on a 18-9 run an close to within 1 point, they woke back up just in time and closed the game out 5-0 to preserve the win. Good game by Jamaal Magloire and Robert Traylor was very effective off the bench.
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Detroit 79 Minnesota 80
A close game that the TWolves lead most of the way. In the latter part of the game, however, the Pistons made runs to grad the lead for short periods. The game became very close for the whole 4th quarter and it took Latrell Sprewell's layup with 57 seconds left to decide it. Big game by Kevin Garnett.
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Houston 78 Indiana 74
This was a really close game that came down to two runs at the end. One by the Pacers to take the lead and then one by the Rockets to get it back for good. Yao Ming and Jermaine O'Neal had good games for their respecive clubs, but O'Neal was the only one in double figures for Indiana.
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New Jersey 64 Miami 85
Having trailed most of the game, the Nets were only down 8 going into the 4th quarter. But then the completely rolled over as the Heat went on a 25-8 run to extend their lead to 23. Lamar Odom grabbed 18 rebounds for Miami.
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New York 96 Atlanta 94
Another close, back and forth game that was decided by Knicks 11-4 run near the end of the 4th quarter to get a 5-point lead. Enough to protect against a last second 3 pointer by Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
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Orlando 98 Philadelphia 93
Even though the Magic's big 2nd quarter gave them a 10-point lead at the half, the Sixers kept fighting back and came within 2 points late in the 4th. But that's as close as they got as the Magic sealed the win with a 7-2 run. Very big game by Tracy McGrady with nice help from Gordan Giricek off the bench.
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Sacramento 95 Memphis 109
This game was fairly close for 1½ quarters. Then the Grizzlies' 26-10 run to finish the 2nd changed the complexion of the game for good. The Kings didn't have enough to climb out of the 26-point hole they found themselves in. Very good games by Jason Williams, Pau Gasol, and Mike Miller for Memphis.
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San Antonio 86 Phoenix 84
Down 13 early in the 2nd quarter, the Suns stayed within striking distance of the Spurs. Then their big 4th quarter gave them a 4-point lead with just 1:24 remaining. But the comeback was for naught as the Spurs went on a 6-0 run to finish the game. Tony Parker's jumper with 3 seconds left actually gave them the win. Both Tim Duncan and Rasho Nesterovic with good games for San Antonio.
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Toronto 86 Milwaukee 98
The Bucks very slowly built up a lead as the Raptors kept fighting back. Milwaukee's 22-13 run in the 4th quarter finally ended the contest. Best for the Bucks were Joe Smith and Toni Kukoc off the bench.
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Utah 82 LA Clippers 93
The Clippers' 14-1 run in the 1st quarter gave them a lead they would neve lose. The Jazz got it close at times, but the Clips opened the 4th with a 7-0 run that ended all doubt. Quentin Richardson with a very big game.
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Washington 89 Boston 100
Down by as much as 25 points in the 3rd quarter, the Wiz put in their bench and went on a 24-6 run to get within 4 of the lead. But that's where the comback ended as the Celtics protected their lead from that point on.
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January 22, 2004
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LA Lakers 87 Dallas 106
The positives. Devean George breaking out of a scoring slump with 24 points. Slava Medvedenko and Kareem Rush scoring 18 apiece. A 14-2 run in the 3rd quarter that tied the game. After embarassing themselves at the free trhow line the past few games, they shot 83% tonight.
If you want negatives, well there were lots of those. Bad interior defense, bad shooting, bad rebounding, etc. But with a squad as beat up as this one is, some of that is not too surprising. You have to look for the silver lining and wait for the rescue party.
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Golden State 87 Seattle 103
Not much of a struggle for the Sonics tonight. A 15-point lead after one quarter and they just cruised from there. Brent Barry and Jerome James standout for Seattle.
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Sacramento 95 Cleveland 89
The Cavs probably thought they had something good going when they went from 10 points down to 6 points up by the mid-2nd quarter. The Kings didn't go away, though, and the game became a tug-of-war as the two sides traded runs. The Cavs made one last attempt to get the lead back with a 7-0 spurt late in the 4th to get within 2. But that was as close as they got. Peja Stojakovic with a very good game for Sacramento.
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January 21, 2004
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LA Lakers 82 Memphis 88
The Lakers looked like they were taking control of this game in the first half. But scoring only 36 points in the second half won't get it done. Shooting 35% as a team, the only Lakers to shoot 40% or better were Gary Payton, Brian Cook, and Bryon Russell.
Things went downhill right at the start of the 3rd quarter. The Lakers lack of offense wouldn't let them put up runs like they had in the previous two quarters, while the Grizz had no such problems shooting 57% in the 3rd and 50% in the 4th. Pau Gasol, Jason Williams, and Mike Miller all had good games for Memphis.
The one thing the Lakers did right tonight was grab 53 rebounds, 15 of those offensive. But good rebounding doesn't help if you can't put the ball in the hole.
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Chicago 87 Atlanta 97
The Bulls battled back from a 10-point deficit late in the 3rd quarter to take a 1-point lead at the 3:34 mark in the 4th, only to see the Hawks finish the game with an 11-0 run. Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 10 of his 22 in the 4th, while Stephen Jackson had a very good overall game.
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Golden State 102 LA Clippers 106
Having trailed most of the game, the Clippers made a 4th quarter comeback that included a 12-0 run that gave them the lead and the win. Good effort by Elton Brand.
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Minnesota 108 Toronto 97
A fast start to the 3rd quarter gave the TWolves a 14-point lead. After the Raptors chipped away at it and gained a tie in the mid-4th, the TWolves exploded again to win the game going away. Huge performance by Sam Cassell. Not bad games for Kevin Garnett and Lattrell Sprewell either.
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New Jersey 76 San Antonio 99
A close first half was followed by a Spurs onslaught in the second. Only 39 points for the Nets in the final two quarters while the Spurs made two big runs out of them. Rasho Nesterovic scored 14 of his 16 points in that half, and Tim Duncan also had a very good game.
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New York 71 Houston 86
The Knicks had a nice 11-0 run in the 1st quarter, then saw the Rockets run away from them. Maurice Taylor scored 13 in a big second quarter for Houston, and Yao Ming had an outstanding game for them.
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Orlando 102 Milwaukee 113
The Bucks 22-9 run in the 4th quarter was the decider in this game. It gave them enough of a lead to withstand one final charge by the Magic. Michael scored 14 in the 3rd and 18 in the 4th as part of his 40-point effort.
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Philadelphia 92 New Orleans 86
A huge 3rd quarter run by the Sixers changed the lead for good. Glenn Robinson scored 12 in that quarter. Big effort by Darrell Armstrong goes to waste for the Hornets.
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Phoenix 92 Denver 97
The last run, 16-6 by the Nuggets, was the turning point. Marcus Camby was huge in the 4th quarter, and Earl Boykins scored 10 of his 13 then.
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January 20, 2004
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Boston 86 Miami 84
The Celtics had big runs at the end of each half in this game. Their 16-5 run at the end of the 4th brought them back from 10 points down for the 1-point win. Mike James hit one of two free throws with 8 seconds left to get the Celtics to 86, and the Heat's missed a desperation three pointer with less than a second left. Paul Peirce was good for Boston, as Udonis Haslem was for Miami.
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Denver 96 Utah 75
The Nuggets got off the a good start and had a 14-point lead at the half. They kept the pressure on in the second half as the Jazz had no answer for them tonight.
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Detroit 69 Indiana 81
A fast start for the Pacers lead them to a wire-to-wire win. They had to fight off the Pistons a few times, but made sure there was no big run in the 4th quarter. Huge production by Jermaine O'Neal for Indiana. Detroit scores only 69 on 39% shooting.
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New Jersey 93 Dallas 106
The Mavs built a 13-point lead at the half, mainly on a good 2nd quarter. The nets went on several small runs in the second half, but the lead was never less than 7.
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Portland 97 Sacramento 97
The Blazers lead most of the way in this game, and by as much as 12. But the Kings wouldn't give up. Their quick 8-0 run late in the 4th quarter got them close, and Brad Miller's three point jumper with 2 seconds left sent the game into overtime. Then it was the Blazers turn to reassert themselves with a 10-3 run in the extra period. Very good games by Rasheed Wallace and Derek Anderson for Portland. Big effort by Miller goes to waste.
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Seattle 94 Cleveland 99
Carlos Boozer, who had a great game, scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the fourth quarter as the Cavs edged out the Sonics by 5. Seattle had built a 13-point lead in the second quarter, but Cleveland steadily chipped away at it until the end.
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January 19, 2004
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Phoenix 88 LA Lakers 85
After a bit of a slow start, the Lakers got things going and looked in pretty good shape with a 5-point lead at halftime. The momentum changer was the Suns 16-2 run in the 3rd quarter. The Lakers kept fighting, but it was always uphill after that.
They gained a tie five times in the 4th, but never got the lead. The Suns outshot them in the period 61% to 47% which seemed to make the difference. Despite scoring 11 of his 13 in the final frame, Derek Fisher missed two long 3-point attempts to tie the game one more time and force overtime.
Another problem tonight, and for the second game in a row, was hitting only 14 of 23 freethrows. Just making four of those 9 misses would have helped a lot.
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Chicago 83 Washington 93
A big second half comeback by the Wizards was culminated by an 18-2 run to finish the game. Etan Thomas and Juan Dixon gave them a big lift off the bench.
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Houston 83 Memphis 88
The Rockets fought back from an 11-point deficit to take the lead in the 3rd quarter. But, like they had in each quarter before, the Grizz went on a good run. This time the Rockets had no answer. Memphis was lead by Pau Gasol and Mike Miller off the bench.
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Indiana 100 Atlanta 97
Through the middle periods of this game the Pacers made a gradual comeback from 13 down to take an 3-point lead. A tight 4th quarter was punctuated by the Hawks 6-0 run to tie the game with 2 minutes left. But the Pacers managed to regain the lead and hung on for the win. Indiana was lead by Jermaine O'Neal.
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Milwaukee 99 Orlando 106
Even though the Magic had a 15-point lead at halftime, they had to survie a couple of good runs by the Bucks in the second half to get away with the narrow win. Tracy McGrady and Juwan Howard were best for Orlando.
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New Orleans 90 Minnesota 97
Just 7-points was the biggest lead in this game, so the TWolves 9-0 run at the end was enough for the win. Kevin Garnett once again with very big numbers.
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Sacramento 125 LA Clippers 100
The Clippers were in this game for about the first 8 minutes. It was all Kings after that. Peja Stojakovic had a really good game.
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San Antonio 77 Detroit 85
In a really close game, the Pistons once again use a late game run to get a win. This time they went on a 12-0 tear in the last 2:21 of the game. Chauncy Billups entered at the 3:29 mark of the 4th quarter and score 13 points in that stretch.
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Seattle 90 Philadelphia 81
The Sixers grabbed a 19-point lead early by the 2nd quarter almost unopposed. They then watched as the Sconics made the slow climb out of their hole and take the lead for good with a 14-2 run to start the 4th. Ray Allen, Jerome James, and Brent Barry all were good for Seattle.
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Toronto 79 New York 90
Stephan Marbury scored 24 of his 28 in the second half as the Knicks took the lead and held of two good runs by the Raptors to get the win.
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Utah 85 Golden State 101
Although close at times, the Warriors lead almost all the was in this game. Very big game by Eric Dampier.
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January 18, 2004
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Miami 80 Denver 88
Although the Heat made some runs in the second half, it was the 1st quarter when the Nuggets doubled the score on them that sealed their fate tonight. Nene Hilario scored 10 of his 17 in the 1st, while Carmelo Anthony had a very nice game with 31 points and 7 rebounds.
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Portland 92 Phoenix 96
A close seesaw game in which both teams held the maximum 8-point lead. It was the Suns that saved the best for last. Their 16-7 run in the 4th quarter gave them the win. Huge game by Shawn Marion.
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San Antonio 109 Boston 92
The flow line just gently drifted off in the Spurs direction. Their better offensive production apparently fueld by much better shooting. Tonight, surprisingly, they were lead by Tony Parker and Rasho Nesterovic and not Tim Duncan.
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January 17, 2004
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LA Clippers 89 LA Lakers 91
The Lakers looked pretty woefull in the 1st quarter. The Clippers had a good run behind Elton Brands 14 points and lead by 13 goin into the 2nd. But as we all know, rarely does a team play great for all 48 minutes of the game. So there was no reason to give up after one bad stretch. We can be glad that's the way the Lakers thought.
Mid-way through the 2nd they finally got it going with and 11-0 run, fueled mostly by defense. The Clippers had 6 turnovers in the period. Then the Lakers came out hot to start the 3rd with a 10-1 run. The Clippers didn't just give up either, and the Lakers needed to the period 7-0 to get a 6-point lead.
The 4th quarter saw the Clippers make another run. Two late three pointers by Marko Jaric helped narrow an 11-point Lakers lead down to two. But the Lakers prevented them from scoring in the final 19 seconds.
The Lakers got good contributions from the whole team tonight. Gary Payton had a complete game tonight with 15 points, 15 assists, and 6 rebounds. Slava returned to his offensive ways with 20 points to go with his 10 rebounds. Jamal Sampson had probably the best NBA game of his career with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher and Bryon Russell were key in the 4th quarter. And while Kareem Rush didn't have big numbers tonight, he still showed a lot of poise and hit some shots when the team needed him to.
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Dallas 108 Portland 104
Down by 9 at the half, the Mavs outscored the Blazers by 13 the rest of the way for the narrow win. They dominated the 3rd quarter behind a 24-11 run that almost spanned the period. Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley were best for Dallas. Very good game off the bench by Ruben Patterson was spoiled.
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Detroit 99 Milwaukee 94
It seems to me the Pistons have the late game rally thing down. Once again, after the Bucks made a run at them in the 3rd quarter and then briefly took the lead in the 4th, the Pistons use a 15-7 run the regain the lead for good. Good game by Chauncy Billups, who scored 9 in the final period.
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Indiana 90 New Jersey 84
The Nets had the advantage most of the game at home tonight, and lead by 11 after 3 quarters. But the 4th quarter was another story. The whole period was basically one big Pacer run as they outscored the Nets 27-10. Jemaine O'neal with a Solid game.
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Memphis 91 Philadelphia 87
The Grizz went 13-3 to finish the game out and get the win in a very tight contest. A real team effort by Memphis with good games by Wright, Gasol, Posey, and Battier. Big game by Allen Iverson not enough tonight.
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Minnesota 76 Houston 95
Never a doubt here. This game was all Rockets from the first tip. Yao Ming had a real good game, and was one of six in double figures for Houston.
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New York 101 Chicago 96
The Bulls 19-8 run in the 3rd quarter lead them to a 7-point lead after 3 periods. Then the Knicks out did them with a 25-7 run in the 4th that was enough to hold off one more run from the Bulls. Keith Van Horn was best for the Knicks tonight.
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Orlando 90 New Orleans 91
the Hornets managed to stay in the game by slowly chipping away at the lead any time the Magic tried to pull away. But going into the 4th quarter they were down 9 and there wasn't enough time for that. So they managed 15-5 run to start the period - their first and only run of the game - and held on for the 1-point win. Big game by Tracy McGrady went for naught.
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Cleveland 102 Utah 96
The Cavs woke up and outscored the Jazz by 14 in the 4th quarter to tie the game. And they finished the overtime 5-0, all on freethrows, in the final 18 seconds. Huge game by Carlos Boozer for Cleveland.
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Seattle 84 Washington 99
The Wizards used two big runs in the second half to take control of this game. Larry Hughes scored 17 of his 27 in the last two quarters.
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Toronto 70 Atlanta 75
These two went back and forth. The Hawks had to slug it out in the 4th quarter with the Raptors for the narrow win.
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January 16, 2004
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LA Lakers 83 Sacramento 103
If we could just remove that 17-0 run by the Kings early in the 3rd period, the flow line evens out and things don't look so bad. But I guess it was too tall an order to ask of this squad to keep the win streak going up in Sacramento.
The main problem looks to be that the Lakers couldn't get any runs of their own going until 4th, and it was too late then. Although Slava's streak of good offensive games came to an end, he did grab 9 rebounds, had 4 assists (a lot for Slava), and 2 steals. Payton shot better and got 16. But the star for the Lakers, with his best performance so far, was Kareem Rush. He had that 'never say die' attitude and score 16 of his 30 in the 4th. Maybe this will be a confidence booster for him.
On the other side, Divac, Bibby, Stojakovic, and Jackson, all had good games.
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Boston 118 Orlando 124
This one was all over the place as these two took turns making runs. The Magic made a late comeback with their 12-3 run, but then let the Celtics finish the 4th quarter 5-2, tying it up. In the overtime, the Magic found their running legs again and their 8-0 streak was the differnce.
Tracy McGrady had big numbers, but Drew Gooden also had a very good game, particularly late in the game.
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Dallas 91 Denver 88
A very close game with the two teams trading runs. The Mavs 11-4 run in the 4th quarter gave them an 8-point lead, and the Nuggets subsequent 6-0 run wasn't enough.
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Golden State 93 Phoenix 104
The Suns built up a good lead by halftime and had little trouble holding on to it the rest of the way. Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson had very nice games for Phoenix, while Speedy Claxton had a pretty good one for Golden State.
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Miami 87 LA Clippers 85
A heart breaking loss for the Clippers as they were in it the whole way, tied it at 7:13 of the 4th quarter, but came up just 2 points short in the end. Elton Brand with a good game in the losing cause.
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San Antonio 79 Indiana 89
The Pacers had a fast start only to see the Spurs respond with two runs of their own and take a 7-point halftime lead. In the second half, the Pacers two 8-0 runs to the Spurs none was the difference. Jermaine O'Neal had a great game, and Reggie Miller was pretty good too.
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Seattle 88 New York 108
Seven runs by the Knicks was more than the Sonics could handle tonight. Keith Van Horn and Dikembe Mutombo with very good numbers.
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Washington 77 Detroit 98
That 29-8 run in the 2nd quarter broke the game open for the Pistons. The held the Wiz to 15 on 29% shooting in that period.
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January 15, 2004
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Chicago 93 Memphis 108
The Grizz got control of this game at the end of the first half and kept it all through the second. James Posey came up real big scoring 16 in the 4th quarter. Memphis also got good a game from Jason Williams.
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Cleveland 102 Golden State 119
The Warriors 21-7 run in the 4th quarter gave them a 21-point lead with just 1½ to go, and made their coach so confident that he pulled all five of the players on the court. Cliff Robinson with a very big performance.
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Miami 85 Utah 97
A fairly close game most of the way, the Jazz took control with a 14-4 run to start the 4th quarter. Andrei Kirilenko with huge production.
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New Jersey 83 Milwaukee 86
A back and forth game that the Bucks eked out, even though the Nets got in the last good run. The Bucks seemed to take control with a 14-4 run early in the 4th quarter, but the Nets responded going 9-0 to tie the game with just under five minutes to go. A couple of freethrows with 4 seconds left sealed up the win for Milwaukee. Toni Kukoc with 10 in the final period.
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Phoenix 105 Portland 96
An almost wire-to-wire victory for the Suns as they survived a 12-4 run by the Blazers in the 4th quarter. Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion lead Phoenix.
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Toronto 78 New Orleans 74
A 10-point lead at the half didn't last for the Raptors, and they ended up trading baskets with the Hornets in the 4th quarter. That lead to overtime in which Toronto got the last two hoops and the win.
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January 14, 2004
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Denver 71 LA Lakers 97
A week ago tonight, the Lakers were treated badly in Denver. Tonight, they returned the favor with an even greater rout of the Nuggets.
Whether it was Slava swishing baskets from the outside or GP driving to the hoop, the Lakers were unstoppable. A complete turn around from that last game. And this was without Kobe, in addition to Shaq and Karl! I think the injuries have forced them to really come together as a team and the younger guys have gotten an opportunity to show what they can do. These can only be good things when those other three guys come back.
The Lakers 1st quarter run of 26-12 was all they really needed. With Slava's 10 points and 4 rebounds and Horace Grant's 7 rebounds, they dominated the period and set the tone for the game. Their 40-28 edge in rebounding is another polar opposite of that meeting.
Gary Payton and Slava Medvedenko were the most productive Lakers tonight. I'm very happy to see Slava continue to play well in Karl's absence.
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Atlanta 78 Indiana 85
Even though it was a close game, the Hawks had been mostly quiet until their 14-2 run in the 4th quarter. They had been down by 11 in the 3rd, but now were up by five.
But the Pacers did what they had been doing most of the game and produced a couple for runs to take back the lead and get the win. Very good games by Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest.
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Minnesota 100 San Antonio 93
A pair of 15-2 runs by each team were part of a first half that resulted in a 4-point lead for the Spurs. In the second half, the Spurs had four small runs, but the TWolves had two big runs in each quarter that made the difference. Particularly their 15-3 run to in the 4th quarter.
Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell were joined by Latrell Sprewell in leading the way for Minnesota. Tim Duncan had an absolutely monster game that went for naught.
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Orlando 110 New York 120
The Knicks controlled this game most of the way, though they did have recover from the Magic's 14-0 run in the 3rd quarter. Order was quickly restored with a few runs and they got the 15-point win. Marbury, Thomas, Houston, and Van Horn all had good games for New York.
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Philadelphia 122 Dallas 125
The Mavs had steadily built up a 14-point lead going into the 4th quarter. That's when the Sixers finally got going with a 25-10 run to get back in the game. A couple of small runs by each team followed and they were tied.
Two overtimes later, the Mavs eked out the win. Dirk Nowitzki was the driving force in the extra periods. Michael Finley also had a good game, as did Glenn Robinson for Philly.
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Toronto 91 Detroit 95
The Raptors built a mountain in the first half, and the Pistons tore it down in the second. Mehmet Okur steps up with a huge performance, and a very good game by Rip Hamilton. Good game by Donyell Marshall in defeat.
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Washington 103 New Jersey 115
A big push by the Nets in the third quarter broke open this game against the Wiz. Rogers, Jefferson, Kidd, and Kittles all good for New Jersey.
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Houston 95 Boston 80
A close game for the first 6 minutes, then a steady building of the lead by the Rockets. Yao Ming and Steve Franics with big games.
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January 13, 2004
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San Antonio 77 Atlanta 86
The Hawks had no opposition in getting a 21-point lead early in the 2nd quarter. The Spurs finally got going in the 2nd half and narrowed the lead to just 2 with 2:23 left in the game. Not to be denied, the Hawks finished the game 11-4 for the win. Shareef Abdur-Rahim with the huge game for Atlanta.
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Minnesota 94 New Orleans 89
The Hornets had control of this game most of the way. That is until the TWolves 21-10 run in the 4th quarter, in which they got their first lead of the game with just 44 seconds left and hung on for the win. Once again Minnesota is lead by Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell.
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Houston 93 Washington 80
A fast start by Houston was followed by a couple of big runs for Washington. The result was just a 2-point difference at halftime. In the second half, the Rockets had three runs to just one for the Wiz and won confortably. Good performances by Yao Ming and Kelvin Cato.
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Denver 105 Phoenix 92
Amare Stoudemire returned to action for the Suns. After a slow first half, he scored all 28 of his points in the second. In spite of his heroics the Nuggets 20-4 run in the 3rd quarter gave them a 29-point lead. That gave them enough cushion to survive the Stoudemire lead push by Phoenix. Marcus Camby had 14 points and 17 rebounds for Denver.
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Golden State 80 Utah 97
The Jazz had to fight off a few charges by the Warriors, but lead all the way for the win.
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Cleveland 104 Seattle 96
The Sonics just wouldn't go away. That is until the Cav's 19-5 run in the 4th quarter that put the game away. LeBron James and Zadrunas Ilgauskas with the big games for Cleveland.
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Boston 103 Milwaukee 111
A decent start by the Celtics was followed by the slow progression of the lead over to the Bucks. The Cletics finally got another run going in the 4th quarter, but it was too little too late. Michael Redd, Toni Kukoc, and Eric Strickland had good games for Milwaukee.
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Miami 86 Sacramento 90
Before the Heat could get their engine started, the Kings had an 18-point lead early in the 3rd quarter. But once the heat got going, they went on two big runs to tie the game with 4 minutes left. They got edged out the rest of the way, though, and Sacramento won by 4. Several with good games for the Kings. Lamar Odom's best game was in vain for Miami.
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Portland 80 LA Clippers 79
Another game, another overtime for the Clippers. Only this time they got the win with a 7-0 run in the OT. Corey Maggette was best among the Clippers starters, who all had decent games. Eddie House was also good off the bench.
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Detroit 105 Chicago 89
The Pistons had the lead almost the whole game, and added one of their late runs for good measure when the Bulls made a charge at them in the 4th quarter. Good performance by Rip Hamilton for Detroit.
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January 12, 2004
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Cleveland 79 LA Lakers 89
With Kobe gone early and GP's shot not there, it was time for some of the other guys to pick up the slack. And they did. Not a pretty game, but impressive nonetheless. It's inspiring that they didn't give up and found a way to rise to the occasion, in spite of all that's happened to them lately. Even against Cleveland.
The Lakers completed a 9-0 run to end the 1st quarter. That's when Kobe got hurt. To their credit, they kept going in the 2nd; moslty on their own, and with a one-armed Kobe for a while. The game progressed in a seesaw fashion, and it didn't look good after the Cav's 23-8 run in the 3rd. They were only down five, going into the 4th, but where was the offence going to come from?
Brian Cook, not having played since the 1st quarter, played 11 minutes in the final period and scored 11 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. The Lakers started the quarter with a long 21-7 run. When the Cav's came back at them, Cook re-entered the game after a short rest, and they went 8-2 to solidify their lead and get the win.
Also, Devean George quietly had a very solid game with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in 30 minutes of play. And Kareem Rush played a good 3rd quarter subbing for Kobe.
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Dallas 127 New York 121
The Knicks 6-0 run in the last 10 seconds of regulation sent the game into overtime. This culminated their comeback from 20 points down in the mid-3rd quarter. But, after all that, The Mavs' pulled out a 6-0 run of their own in OT that won the game.
Several good performances for Dallas. Wasted effort in his best game yet as a Knick by Stephon Marbury.
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Philadelphia 87 Orlando 82
The Sixers 11-0 3rd quarter run gave them the lead for good, even though the got a scare from the Magic late in the game. Best for Philly were Kenny Thomas and Samuel Dalembert. Good performances by Tracy McGrady and Keith Bogans in a losing cause.
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Memphis 100 Golden State 100
In a very close game that seemed to be going the Warriors way, the Grizz went on an 11-2 run to tie the game at the 2:33 mark of the 4th quarter. And that effort payed off as Memphis came away with the 2-point win after two tight fought overtime periods. Mike Miller and others contributed to the win. Eric Dampier's huge effort goes for naught.
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January 11, 2004
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Portland 72 Toronto 83
The Raptors seized control of this game in the late 1st quarter and early 2nd. It was smooth sailing from there. Vince Carter lead the way for Toronto.
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Boston 97 Houston 93
The Celtics barely held on to a 13-point lead at the mid-2nd quarter mark to beat the Rockets. They survived the rest of the game even though Houston produced three runs to none for them. Paul Pierce, Walter McCarty, and Jiri Welsch were all good for Boston.
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Memphis 108 LA Clippers 107
Marco Jaric's basket with 3 seconds left in the 4th quarter culminated a 12-2 run by the Clippers that tied the game. Unfortunately the Clippers came up on the short end of the OT in which both teams traded baskets until the Grizz got the 1-point win. Very good game off the bench by Stromile Swift for Memphis, and very solid game for Jaric besides his big shot.
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Dallas 102 Detroit 115
Tied up at the half, the Pistons quickly took control of this game in the second half with a 17-6 run to start the 3rd quarter. The Mavs didn't respond until it was too late. Detroit was lead by Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace.
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Denver 106 Sacramento 117
The Kings gradually recovered from an early deficit and built a 12-point lead in the 3rd quarter. They then survived one final push from the Nuggets and hung on for the win. Peja Stojakovic and Bobby Jackson with the best performances for Sacramento.
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January 10, 2004
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Philadelphia 87 Washington 94
The Wiz' 19-4 run in the 3rd quarter solidified their lead, and the held on for the 7-point win. Larry Hughes with the Huge game.
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Miami 77 Minnesota 83
This very close game was decided by the lone run of the second half, a mere 6-0 spurt by the TWolves. No surprise here with Kevin Garnett being the star of the game.
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Indiana 88 San Antonio 89
Hedo Turkoglu entered the game with just 3 seconds left in the 4th quarter and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer that tied the game up for the Spurs. Then it took a short jumper from Tim Duncan to give them the win in overtime.
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Seattle 92 Golden State 89
The Warriors 4th quarter run moved them from 9 down with 7 minutes left to 4 up with 40 seconds to go. All this only see the Sonics outscore them 5-1 to force overtime. The Sonics went out to a 5-point lead in OT, only to see the Warriors finish the last 2 minutes of the game 7-0 to get the win. Ray Allen and Jason Richardson were players of the game for their respective clubs.
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Milwaukee 88 New York 94
A 26-14 start for New York gave them a comfortable lead for most of the game. But they had to fight off the Bucks second half charge to get the win. Very good performance by Kurt Thomas.
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New Orleans 84 Chicago 89
A couple of runs gave the Bulls a 22-point lead in the first half. They cruised through the 3rd quarter, but barely survived the Hornets' 24-6 run in the 4th.
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January 9, 2004
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Atlanta 67 LA Lakers 113
"That's what it's all about"
Stu Lantz said that in response to Kobe Bryant's assist to Slava Medvedenko to end the first half. It was a play that not only exemplified how those two had dominated the play so far, but also good teamwork. Kobe could have taken an easy jumper but saw Slava under the hoop for the even easier layup.
All the Lakers seemed determined to come out and get a win. I know, I know. It's only the poor Atlanta Hawks. But at least the Lakers came out determined and actually showed some activity on defense, and that created offense. Maybe they finally get. I hope so, and hope they continue to play both ends of the court.
No one came out more determined than Slava. He had a career game with 26 points, 11 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 0 turnovers. His strong 1st quarter seemed to take the Hawks completely by surprise and took Shareef Abdur-Rahim out of his game. That ended all hope for Atlanta. They scored just 67 points on 40% shooting. I'd like to think it was all the Lakers D, but there's probably more to it than that.
The Lakers got good support in all areas tonight, the starters and the bench. Oh, and Kobe had a nice game too with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 turnover.
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Washington 92 Orlando 103
A very fast start for the Magic allows them to cruise to the win. Tracy McGrady lead the way for Orlando.
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LA Clippers 78 Toronto 68
A hot start in the 3rd quarter allowed the Clippers to take control of a close game up to that point. Chris Wilcox had a very nice game, as did Elton Brand.
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San Antonio 94 New Orleans 84
The Hornets fought back from the Spurs 20-6 1st quarter run to take a brief lead in the 2nd. Then the Spurs just rand off another 20-6 run to take the lead for good. Seven players in double figures for San Antonio.
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Cleveland 82 Boston 107
After a brief back and forth, this game was all Celtics. Huge production from Paul Pierce.
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Portland 87 Chicago 78
All the back and forth in this game was ended by the Blazers 21-8 4th quarter run. Dale Davis and Derek Anderson were very good off the bench.
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Utah 96 Denver 106
I guess going 24-10 from the tipoff constitutes a pretty good start. The Nuggets used that and cruised wire to wire for the win. There were a lot of good performances for Denver, but Marcus Camby stood out with 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 blocks, 5 steals, and 0 turnovers.
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Sacramento 113 Phoenix 93
The Suns fought for the lead in the early 2nd quarter, but the Kings responded with a big run to end the half and kept going in the second. Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and Bobby Jackson were all key for Sacramento.
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New Jersey 81 Philadelphia 97
Glenn Robinson scored 24 of his 26 points in the first half as the Sixers jumped on the Nets early and never looked back.
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Indiana 92 Dallas 80
The Pacers took the lead for good with a 23-6 run in the 3rd quarter. Good games by several players for Indiana.
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Miami 94 Milwaukee 103
A close 1st quarter was followed by the Bucks 26-6 run in the 2nd. And that's all they needed. Big game for Toni Kukoc off the bench.
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Memphis 116 Seattle 122
The Grizz looked to be a good shape after their early 31-10 run gave them a 17-point lead. But the Sonics slowly chipped it down to 5 at halftime, and kept going in the 2nd half until they got the lead. They had to fight off the Grizz in the 4th and hung on for the 6-point win. Rashard Lewis, Brent Barry, Jerome James, and Vitaly Potapenko all were good for Seattle.
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January 8, 2004
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Houston 111 New York 79
The Rockets got started early with a 21-0 run and never looked back. The Knicks rarely made a dent in their lead. A complete game by Steve Francis, and Yao Ming with good production in limited minutes.
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Portland 75 Minnesota 96
This time the home team got off to the quick start. Otherwise a very similar looking game. Huge game by Kevin Garnett.
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January 7, 2004
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LA Lakers 91 Denver 113
It seems unsettlingly appropriate that the graph shows a flat, unmoving line in the 4th quarter. No runs and only 16 points for both teams. Denver didn't need any more points having a 22-point lead after 3 quarters. But the Lakers, apparently having spent all their energy in their last run of the 3rd, couldn't move the lead off that margin for any significant amount of time.
The Lakers once again gave up outside shots, but the big problem tonight was their interior defense, or the lack thereof. There were many good games to go around for the Nuggets tonight - Carmelo Anthony, Nene Hilario, Anthony Miller, Earl Boykins - all courtesy of the Lakers.
I guess I was expecting too much of Grant, Slava, Cook, and Sampson. Kobe and GP had good games, but you need more than just guards to win in the NBA. The Lakers need Shaq and Karl back in the worst way.
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Chicago 95 Miami 102
A rare case where the last run did not win the game. The Heat had held a steady lead for most of the second half when an 8-2 run by the Bulls narrowed it down to two with just 25 seconds left to play. Miami finished the game 5-2 from there to protect their lead and get the narrow victory. Lamar Odom was player of the game by far, while the Bulls got a surprisingly strong performace from Ronald Dupree off the bench.
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Cleveland 69 Toronto 75
With the largest lead being only 7, it was fitting that the last run in this seesaw battle would win the game. The Raptors 6-0 run gave them a 6-point lead with just 21 seconds left, and that's what they won by. Must have been an exciting game, but the fact that both teams combined scored just 144 points on 36% puts a damper on my enthusiasm. Lonny Baxter had a good game off the bench for Toronto.
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Golden State 99 Dallas 105
At least seven lead changes in this seesaw battle. The Mavs 8-2 run in the 4th quarter was the deciding event.
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Houston 66 Detroit 85
A 14-1 run in the 2nd quarter started the Pistons off on their rout of the Rockets. Again, it didn't hurt that the Rockets scored just 63 on 32% shooting.
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LA Clippers 80 Philadelphia 100
The Clippers got to within one point of Philly at the half, but the Sixers stated the 2nd half with a 21-5 run and just kept going.
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Orlando 93 Boston 101
A wire-to-wire win for the Celtics, and against an opponent tha actually scored more than 90 points. The Magic made some serious charges at them in the last three quarters, but the Celtics rarely let the lead slip belown 10. Chris Mihm and Mike James with nice games for Boston.
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Phoenix 87 Milwaukee 95
Phoenix fought for the lead a couple of times, but couldn't hold it. The Bucks 12-0 run in the 4th ended the contest. Desomond Mason had 11 in that final quarter, and Michael Redd had a solid game for Milwaukee.
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Sacramento 93 Seattle 104
After a good 1st quarter by the Kings, the Sonics' 28-9 run in the 2nd gave them the lead for good. Seattle got good games from Ray Allen and Antonio Daniels.
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Washington 87 New Orleans 97
The Hornets had solid runs in each quarter that the Wiz couldn't answer. Baron Davis and Darrell Armstrong lead the way for New Orleans.
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January 6, 2004
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LA Lakers 90 Minnesota 106
In the last three quarters, the Lakers were only beat by one point. The problem was the 15-2 TWolves run at the end of the 1st quarter. The Lakers never recoverd from that. At least they scored 90 on 40% shooting, which is better than a lot of teams these days.
But the Lakers problem has never been offense. I don't care if they run the triangle or not. If they don't play defense, they aren't going to win. As has been the norm lately, they weren't up to the task tonight. We can only hope for more effort in this area, even with the diminished roster.
Very good games for the big three of Minnesota; Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell, and Sam Cassell. Bright notes for the Lakers were good production off the bench by Kareem Rush and Brian Cook.
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New York 96 Cleveland 107
A very good game by Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Carlos Boozer, and the rest of the Cavs, spoiled the debut of Stephan Marbury and Penny Hardaway for the Knicks. Their 23-3 run in the 2nd quarter gave them a lead they would never look back from.
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Orlando 107 Indiana 114
They would have to fight the Magic off a couple of times. But for all intents and purposes, the Pacers won this game with their 23-10 1st quarter run. Jermaine O'Neal scored 10 of his 25 in that period, and had a very solid game.
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LA Clippers 75 New Jersey 92
In the type of performance that is becomming quite common this season, the Clippers scored just 73 points on 36% shooting. After the mid-point of the 1st quarter, they were never in this game. Jason Kidd with the huge game.
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Washington 72 San Antonio 94
From the middle of the 1st quarter until the early 3rd, the flow line goes in an almost perfect slant in the Spurs favor. And San Antonio cruised to the easy win from there. I feel it necessary to point out that the Wizards scored 72 on 33% shooting.
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Atlanta 89 Sacramento 105
The Kings built a 24-point lead without opposition by the mid-2nd quarter. Though the Hawks finally started resisting, it wasn't nearly enough after that. Brad Miller lead the way for Sacramento.
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January 5, 2004
There was an epidemic of bad shooting tonight.
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Dallas 94 Utah 108
The Jazz broke open this tight game with runs in the mid-3rd and early 4th quarters. Their 24-point lead was enough to withstand a game ending run by the Mavs. Andrei Kirilenko and DeShawn Stevenson lead the way for Utah.
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Detroit 78 Boston 68
After building a 14-point lead with a series of runs, the Pistons found themselves tied with 8 minutes left in the game. That's when they pulled off another late game run to get the win. It helped that the Celtics scored only 65 on 30% shooting. Detroit got a strong game from Ben Wallace, and help from Elden Campbell off the bench.
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Golden State 65 Houston 83
The Rockets took the lead from the Warriors in the middle of the 1st quarter and slowly built on it the rest of the game. The Warriors score just 65 on 33% shooting. The best performance for Houston was by Maurice Taylor off the bench.
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Indiana 87 Miami 65
A fairly even first half was followed by the second dominated by the Pacers. The Heat socre only 24 in the second half, 65 for the game, and shoot just 33%. Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest starred for Indiana.
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Milwaukee 88 Philadelphia 76
The Sixers put up a fight in the second half, but this game was really already over at half-time. Desmond Mason scored 17 of his 24 in the 2nd quarter as the Bucks built an 18-point lead.
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Phoenix 82 Chicago 87
Even thought the Suns, playing with a reduced roster, never had the lead after starting the game 2-0 they did their best to make the Bulls earn the win. Jerome Williams lead the way for Chicago, while Leandro Barbosa had a nice game for Phoenix.
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Portland 108 Seattle 119
After scoring 87 points in three quarters, the Blazers scored only 21 in the final period and overtime to lose by 11. The Sonics dominated the 4th quarter with a 30-10 run that forced the tie, and then went on a 10-0 run in OT to secure the victory. Huge game by Ray Allen.
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San Antonio 98 Denver 74
Even though the Nuggets have been playing better than expected this year, they still ocassionally throw out a clunker. Like they did tonight socring only 76 on 38% shooting. The Spurs had very little trouble with them after the 1st quarter. Tim Duncan rebounding from a subpar performance in his last game.
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January 4, 2004
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LA Lakers 98 LA Clippers 101
A questionable over and back call, a missed foul on Fisher's layup, and a goaltend not called on GP's. These are some of the things that added up to doom the Lakers tonight. You could also go back to the sequence when the Lakers had four shots in one trip down the court. At least two fouls could have been called, but none were.
Kobe, trying to pick up the slack for both Shaq and Karl, had an incredible game. He had 17 in the 1st quarter, and 14 in the 3rd. Payton, Slava, and Grant did what they could to help, but they came up a little short. Maybe it would have been enough if some of the calls mentioned above had turned out different, but I would hope the Lakers wouldn't have so much trouble with the Clippers even with some pieces missing. If you want another culprit, you can turn to rebounding where the Lakers got beat 52-42.
On a postive note, Brian Cook had a very good showing and should continue to get more palying time. Particularly with the roster in the state it's in.
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Phoenix 73 Toronto 83
The Raptors 17-4 run in 4th quarter settled this one as Jalen Rose scored half of 16 points. His fellow former Bull Donyell Marshall had a really good game.
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New Jersey 95 New York 85
Another close game decided in the 4th quarter. The Nets used a 17-2 run to break a tie and get the win. Jason Kidd scored 19 of his 35 in the final period.
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Milwaukee 100 Washington 94
In yet another close game, the Bucks used the last run of the game to establish a short lead and then hung on for the win through a very even 4th quarter. Michael Redd with the good game, as was Desmond Mason off the bench.
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Seattle 99 Sacramento 130
A different game tonight. The Kings put on a constant advance and didn't let up until they had a 36-point lead late in the 3rd quarter. Miller, Stojakovic, and Jackson all with good games.
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January 3, 2004
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Atlanta 84 Denver 76
A close game that was in doubt until the Hawks' 13-2 run in the 4th quarter. It gave them a 10-point lead, the biggest of the game, and they hung on for the win from there. It also helped that the Nuggets only scored 8 points on 19% shooting in that final period.
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Boston 88 Chicago 77
The Bulls had to be feeling good after their 20-2 2nd quarter run gave them a 15-point lead. But that was their last run of the game and the Celtics used two good runs in the 2nd half to turn the tables on them. Not one for either team to be too proud of as both teams shot under 40%.
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Golden State 93 Detroit 99
It looked like the Pistons had used one of their pattened 4th quarter runs to get a win when they reeled off a 13-1 stretch to get a 14-point lead early in the 4th quarter. Then the Warriors pulled out a big 15-0 run of their own. That's when the real Piston rally began as they went 7-0 in the last minute of the game to win by six. Jason Richardson had the performance of the game in a losing cause.
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Minnesota 112 Dallas 119
The Mavs blew open a close game with a 17-1 run in the 4th quarter that gave them a 21-point lead. Then they had to survive a final charge from the TWolves to win by only seven. Very good games by Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki overshadow like performances from Sam Cassell and especially Kevin Garnett.
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New Orleans 84 Indiana 91
Though they tried up until the end, the Hornets never overcame a 29-10 1st quarter onslaught by the Pacers. Jermaine O'Neal was the Star of the game.
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Orlando 103 Memphis 112
The Grizz dominated the early going in this game and held onto the lead the rest of the way. A very strong showing by Tracy McGrady was overshadowed by several good performances for Memphis.
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Philadelphia 83 San Antonio 77
The Sixers hung with the Spurs most of the way, then used a 10-0 run in the 4th quarter to get the win. Derrick Coleman with the good game for Philly.
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Sacramento 116 LA Clippers 109
The Clippers just wouldn't go away. The Kings needed a 13-2 run at the end of the game to get the lead and the win. Mike Bibby lead the was for Sacramento.
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Utah 63 Houston 84
The Jazz had trouble shooting most of the game, as their 7 on 15% shooting in the 4th shows. They only had two small runs for the game and that wasn't enough against the Rockets tonight. Yao Ming had a good game for Houston.
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January 2, 2004
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LA Lakers 109 Seattle 111
Not that the Lakers couldn't win there without Shaq, but his departure due to injury after just 14 minutes of play seemed to cramp the Lakers style. They managed a 9-0 run after he returned to play his final 2 minutes in the 2nd quarter. Then he left for good and things went down hill.
And this was after Kobe played only 2 minutes of the 1st quarter due to foul trouble. He came back in the 2nd to score 7, along with 7 from Slava and 6 from Fish, and the Lakers were only down 1 at the half.
The Sonics came out in the 3rd and shot 4 of 7 from three point range and went on a 17-8 run. After the Lakers got the lead for a brief moment early in the 4th. Then the Sonics ran again -- this time 12-2 -- to take a 9-point lead.
Things were looking up as the 4th went on. The Lakers started getting stops and hitting threes of their own. But fortune did not smile on them at the end, even with Kobe's 18 points in the quarter.
Very good all around game for Kobe. Ray Allen had the hot hand for Seattle.
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Atlanta 75 Minnesota 93
The TWolves steadily built a 19-point lead by the mid-3rd quarter before the Hawks managed their one and only run. Another good game by Kevin Garnett.
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Chicago 104 New York 99
Lots of runs back-and-forth in this fairly close game. The Bulls were down 10 in the 3rd quarter, but ensuing runs of 15-3 and 16-7 gave them the lead and just enough of a cushion to survive the final push from the Knicks. Jamal Crawford was best for Chicago and Dikembe Mutombo had a good game for New York.
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Cleveland 82 New Jersey 97
Two big second half runs by the Nets turned a very close game into a rout. Three players in the twenties for New Jersey, though Kidd had the best game.
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Denver 106 Portland 96
The used a 23-8 run in the 4th quarter to reclaim the lead and get the win. Voshon Lenard and Marcus Camby lead Denver.
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Golden State 79 Washington 97
These two teams fought tooth and nail for 2½ quarters. Then magic happened for the Wizards in the form of 17-2 and 19-6 runs that gave them an easy win. The Wiz got very good productions off the bench from Jarvis Hayes and Etan Thomas.
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Indiana 103 Boston 90
The Celtics had a big lead early. Then the Pacers used three runs -- particularly a 26-8 4th quarter rally - to turn the tables on them and win by 12. Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, and Al Harrington all with very good games for Indiana.
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New Orleans 86 Toronto 74
The Hornet's starts got them a 10-point lead after playing the whole first quarter. And when they stated changing up the lineup in the 2nd, the lead just continued to grow. They had a 28-point lead in the 3rd before the Raptors got their first run off, which was way too late.
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Orlando 101 Miami 112
After second half runs of 17-2 and 18-4, the Magic and reduced a 23-point lead by the Heat to just one point. The Heat then mustered up one final 9-0 run to secure the win and avoid embarassment. Very big game by Eddie Jones for Miami.
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Phoenix 81 Detroit 93
It looks as though the 8-0 run by the Pistons that started the second half was the death knell for both teams. Even though the lead was never more than 10 after that, the flow goes flat line as though the life went out of both teams.
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Utah 88 Memphis 100
It was actually a little 6-0 run before the end of the first half that gave the Grizz the lead for good. Their 13-2 4th quarter run put the finishing touch on the win. Good games by Lornzen Wright and Earl Watson for Memphis. A very nice game by Carlos Arroyo is wasted by the Jazz.
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Dallas 101 Milwaukee 109
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