NBA FanHouse

Nate Robinson Shoots at Wrong Basket, Mike D'Antoni Is Not Amused

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:35:00 EST

Just after the first quarter buzzer sounded at the Meadowlands, Nate Robinson of the Knicks turned and fired a three-pointer at the basket of the New Jersey Nets. The shot went in, and, being as the period had already ended, the basket was waved off by the official.

No harm done, right? Uh, wrong. Mike D'Antoni was furious at Robinson for even trying such a stunt, especially with it coming so closely after the buzzer.

(UPDATE: Apparently, D'Antoni holds a grudge: he kept Robinson on the bench for the rest of the game.)

Knicks! Nets! NBA action at its finest. Video of the shot and the exchange, after the jump.

Knicks 98, Nets 91: Recap | Box Score | Full NBA Scoreboard

[via Jose3030]

Nate Robinson Shoots at Wrong Basket, Mike D'Antoni Is Not Amused originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Josh Smith Beats the Rockets

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hawks, Rockets, NBA Videos

Josh Smith would probably be the first to tell you that he didn't have a great game on Friday against the Rockets. But he was there at the end when it mattered most, and hit the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left to power the Hawks to their 11th win, tops in the league at this early point in the NBA season.

Smith finished with a pretty solid line of nine points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and three assists, but was limited by foul trouble to just 24 minutes of action. In fact, he had played just 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, before being inserted with 34 seconds remaining, and his team clinging to a five-point lead.

After the exceptionally gritty Rockets came from 10 points down with under two minutes remaining to tie it at 103 with five seconds left, Smith was there to clean up Mike Bibby's missed jumper for the win. Video after the jump.

For a team that's often praised for its hard work and mastery of the fundamentals, not boxing out the most athletic player on the court with the game on the line seems like a pretty big thing to forget about. You can't fault Chuck Hayes for coming over to contest Bibby's shot, but once the shot went up, you can absolutely fault him for not putting a body on someone to prevent that game-winning offensive rebound.

Josh Smith Beats the Rockets originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order

Rob Peterson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers, Nuggets, NBA Fans, NBA Videos

Some people never learn. D.J. Mbenga may be one of them.

Now, D.J. is a good guy and he makes a decent living as the backup center for world champion Los Angeles Lakers, but there's a reason he's a backup center. Besides a talent deficiency, Mbenga is not quick and therefore slow to rotate on help defense and recover on pick-and-rolls.

This often puts him in an awkward position, that position being Mbenga on a poster on his keister.

Such was the case again Friday when Nuggets rookie Ty Lawson went medieval on Mbenga.

(The pair of pliers and the blowtorch after the jump.)

Mbenga, Blake Griffin's foil in our first Stinkface Chronicles, now not only has the dubious distinction of being our first two-time dunk victim -- and the only one to be dunked on by rookies, who usually serve as the dunked upon -- but also he is the first to suffer from a relatively new affliction: triple-broadcast stinkface.

That's right, there are three YouTube-worthy clips of the barely 6-foot Lawson sticking that one-foot of difference between him and the 7-foot Mbenga right where the sun don't shine. To be fair, we need to call out Josh Powell as well, as he was also slow to check Lawson as he slalomed through the Lakers' defense.

But it was Mbenga with the foul and his taking the impromptu courtside seat that makes him the object of our breakdown.

Clip No. 1 -- ESPN

This was the broadcast most of the country saw as the Nuggets exacted a little early season revenge on the Lakers for last year's Western Conference final beat down with a 28-point win. But it was Lawson's late-game Stinkface that most people remember.

And for good reason, because Lawson did three amazing things in one play.

First, the drive. The Nuggets were already up 102-79 with less than 1:40 to go in the contest when Lawson used a soft pick on the left wing, crossed-over Mbenga and then drove his way to Stinkface immortality. Lawson had a step on Mbenga, who trailed the rookie into the lane.

At the nine-second mark of the video, the second amazing thing happened. Taking two steps after his dribble, Lawson launches himself from between the broken circle and the restricted area (LeBron James take-off territory) with Mbenga on his left. Ain't no stoppin' Lawson now, but Mbenga gallantly tries, fails.

And of course, the third amazing thing was the finish itself. Mbenga, using his longer frame, tries to come across Lawson's body to thwart the dunk attempt. Lawson, however, is too far gone and far too determined to let any mban get in his way. You know the rest: Mbenga gets a piece of Lawson, but not the ball and they tumble together to the court.

The whole sequence lasts for 14 seconds, but ESPN replayed it three times in the next 90 seconds and at the 27-second mark, a replay occurs in conjunction with one shown on the video board at the Pepsi Center. Listen to the crowd. It may be the best aural reaction to a dunk this season.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

It sounds as if they've witnessed a Dumpster punch: something so wrong that they feel slightly guilty about taking pleasure at it having been perpetrated in their presence.

Then again, that's at the heart of a Stinkface philosophy: it's so right that someone was so wronged.

Of course, the Nuggets bench loved that a rookie delivered the goods other than the Krispy Kremes for a change. Kenyon Martin was as happy as if his mom dunked on Mark Cuban, Denver coach George Karl has a bemused look on his face and at the 1:15 mark, ESPN shows Carmelo Anthony making a classic stinkface. What's that smell? Nasty greatness, that's what that is.

Clip No. 2 -- Altitude

Altitude, the Nuggets' local broadcaster, also had the game. In the above clip (if you can make it through the first 13 seconds of Nuggets-fluff), analyst Scott Hastings screams: "Look at the bench. Look at the Nuggets' bench!"

Yes, look because Chauncey Billups can't bear to. Mr. Big Shot is so moved by Lawson's larceny of Mbenga's manhood, he has to cover his face with a towel. Chauncey's never dunked like that, and he has every right to live vicariously through his understudy.

Angle No. 1 v2.0 - NBA.com HD

And lest you think we're being too harsh with Mbenga, take it up with his teammates. Roll any of the three clips again and watch the fourth Laker on the bench. Please.

I don't know who it is (Ron-Ron? Mr. Kardashian?), but said Laker does the smelling salt-reaction (quick jerk of the head), turns away (Because he can't stand the sight of a teammate getting housed like that? Because he's laughing too hard?) and then leans across another Laker to grab Kobe Bryant's arm (Hold me!).

Hold me, indeed.

Dwyane Wade on Anderson Varejao

There are many things to appreciate about this one: Wade himself, that it's Varejao getting the brunt of it (I like Varejao, but it is fun to see him get legitimately run over instead of him flopping to the floor), that Varejao tries to block it, but doesn't come close, the normally sedate American Airlines Arena crowd popping up out of their seats as one and Marv Albert's call (which is instantly zero-summed by Reggie Miller's "analysis" -- Kodak moments are supposed to be good memories, not posterizations, Reg...) to name a few.

But the two best things happen quickly after Wade and Varejao hit the deck. Wade's dunk is so powerful, Varejao doubles over as if he's been socked in the gut. Look at how the Cav lands, jackknifed against the stanchion. He's lucky he didn't end up in Biscayne Bay.

Also, at the end, Wade "A.I.-ed" Andy. Remember when Allen Iverson (when he was good, and relevant) stepped over Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals? Wade does it to Varejao, but without the disdainful look and foot stomp.

That's OK. The dunk was enough of a statement.

Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Trevor Ariza Gets His Ring

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets, NBA Videos

Trevor Ariza was a fan favorite during his days in Los Angeles, and an integral part of the Lakers squad that won a championship just a few months ago. So it's no surprise that when he returned on Sunday as a member of the Houston Rockets, fans greeted him with a long standing ovation, while his former teammates Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher presented him with the ring that he earned as a key member of that title-winning team.

Video of the brief but heart-felt ceremony, after the jump.

Trevor Ariza Gets His Ring originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Artest Plays Keep-Away With Trevor Ariza's Shoe

Tom Ziller — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets, NBA Videos

The Rockets strode into Staples Center ready for a gunfight. But emerging capo Trevor Ariza wasn't exactly ready for a game of keep-away. In this video, Ariza loses a sneaker during an early defensive possession. Sworn enemy Ron Artest notices and tosses Ariza's shoe out-of-bounds. And, of course, Artest capitalizes on his gambit the next time down. (Before you curse out Ron-Ron, know that he got his comeuppance: Rockets 101, Lakers 91.)

Ron Artest Plays Keep-Away With Trevor Ariza's Shoe originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dwyane Wade Sends the Nets to 0-10

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:04:00 EST

Filed under: Heat, Nets, NBA Videos

The Nets have had a string of injuries take away their chance to be at all relevant the first part of this season, and in fact, they were winless through nine games heading into Miami to face Dwyane Wade and the Heat on Saturday. They appeared to have a chance to get their first win of the season, though, thanks to a sluggish effort from a Miami team that was missing Jermaine O'Neal from the start, and Mario Chalmers after five minutes due to injury.

New Jersey led by three with 30 seconds remaining, before Quentin Richardson accidentally banked in a three-pointer to tie the game at 78. The Nets got the lead back, thanks to a tip-in from Brook Lopez with just under four seconds remaining.

But unfortunately for the Nets, Dwyane Wade plays for the Heat. And even though he hadn't made a shot the entire second half, he drained a three with 0.1 left on the game clock to make sure that New Jersey stayed winless.

Video after the jump(er).

Dwyane Wade Sends the Nets to 0-10 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Dwyane Wade Breaks Varejao's Face

Will Brinson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, NBA Videos

Cleveland and Miami squared off Thursday night, and while the story leading up to the game was the unfathomably awesome possibility of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James playing on the same team, the story (at least microcosmically) coming out of the game is the following dunk that Wade threw down on Anderson "Flopsy" Varejao.

It is, as the Hoop Docs put it, "posterization."

(And quickly, I'd just like to say that while I feel supremely sorry for the good people of Cleveland and their sports sorrows, I'm willing to sacrifice their mental well-being if it means Bron and Wade getting to play together. I can't help it -- I'm greedy like that.)

Dwyane Wade Breaks Varejao's Face originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Stinkface Chronicles: Back-to-Back

Rob Peterson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Bobcats, Nets, Pistons, NBA Videos

It's rare that we have back-to-back Stinkface. As a matter of fact, yesterday's Stinkface and today's are the first time we've gone back-to-back.

That's fine by us. NBA teams go back-to-back an average of 20 times a season. Far be it from us to complain about it.

Also, we have an excellent reason for our quick turnaround: Detroit's Will Bynum.

Video after the (two-footed) jump.

Young Mr. Bynum, who is generously listed at 6-foot-0 (in three-inch heels, maybe), blew up all over Charlotte's Tyson Chandler at The Palace last night. And when we say blew up, we mean it.

Thanks to Need4Sheed.com for coining a phrase that perfectly fit Bynum's nasty flush: By-num-ite!

(Can someone get J.J. Walker out of mothballs? Wouldn't you love to hear him drop a "By-num-ite!" on the video board in Detroit? Of course you would.)

It all starts with Bynum handling the rock on the left wing and a simple cut to the top of the key by Ben Gordon. Bynum, who was probably supposed to work the ball to Gordon or to Charlie Villanueva, who was to come off Gordon's screen and probably plant himself on the low block.

Only, the play didn't develop because Bynum, who works his dribble at the 28-foot mark, quickly crossed-over Charlotte's Gerald Wallace. With no one in the post, Bynum was cleared for take off.

With that head of steam, and one of the game's better weak-side help defenders in Chandler coming at him, Bynum shows three things crucial for stinkface-age: aggression, athleticism and an absence of fear. Bynum plants his two feet, takes off from the left block and flies. As Bynum starts his ascent, Chandler, he of 767 career blocks, knows he's not going to get this one and draws his hand away for the fear of getting snapped off at the wrist. Bynum then throws down so hard, not only does he let out a little "Ooooh-uh" as he flushes it through, it sounds as if the rim mic explodes. I hope a sound-tech in the truck didn't have that amped too loud. He'll probably need to have his hearing checked. That, and veteran Pistons announcer George Blaha going bat-guano crazy just adds to the festivities.

Of course, a Stinkface wouldn't be complete if we didn't guage the reaction of the bench, which in this case, merits discussion. Moments after Bynum lands, the Pistons bench nearly runs onto the court en masse in search of a group hug. Then, at the 13-second mark, check out the guy with the lanyard behind rookies DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye. Pause it. Now, THAT'S stinkface.

Perhaps the video's most priceless moment comes at 1:30 when Bynum captures his low-Earth orbit on the video screen above. You deserve to smile big, Will. You were epic.

As for the night's other Stinkface dunk, we give you Andre Iguodala for the second Stinkface Chronicles appearance in a row -- and for the second time on the Nets in less than a week -- this time with only two comments. One, Nets coach Lawrence Frank is not pleased. As soon as Iggy throws it down, he pops off the bench and asks for a sub. He's seen this YouTube before. And two, yes, Mr. Ian Eagle, Iguodala is a highlight machine.

Stinkface Chronicles: Back-to-Back originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Stinkface Chronicles: Iggy Popped

Rob Peterson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Grizzlies, Kings, Nets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, NBA Videos

Rookies. What do they know?

Not much except that, with the per diem paid over the table in NBA instead of under it in college, they need to get the donuts before practice, carry their teammates' bags and stay out of the way of the veterans.

Oh, about that last part? The Nets' Terrence Williams, rookie out of Louisville, may need to work on it a bit.

Video after the jump.

You see, poor Mr. Williams (and to be fair, two teammates) had the misfortune of trying to check the Sixers' Andre Iguodala on a fast break last Friday. And unlike the indignities of fetching fried pastry weathered by rookies off the court, Williams' suffered his inaugural association humiliation on it.

Iguodala, the man who delivered the blow to Williams' self-esteem, unleashed a dunk so furious that Iggy's teammates were moved to hold each other.

Let's look at the dunk itself. Like many of today's bruising, well-built forwards in the NBA, Iguodala tucked the ball in the crook of his elbow as if he were going to plunge into a Lincoln Financial Field end zone instead of emasculating T-Will by sweeping the leg on Williams' Y-chromosome.

But Iggy's tuck served two purposes: one, going one-on-three as he did, Iguodala had to protect the rock, and two, it allowed him to cup it so, as the late, great Chick Hearn once said -- and Sixers announcers Marc Zumoff alluded to -- "rock the baby to sleep." Then again, if anyone rocks their baby like this, I'm calling Child Protective Services, because it's clearly abusive.

Veterans Bobby Simmons, who has never played much defense in his career, and Courtney Lee, who probably had Dwight Howard come down hard on him in practice last season in Orlando more than a couple of times, backed away once they saw Iguodala tuck it. They know you don't pass from that position. But Williams challenged, and the rookie paid the price. Moments after Iguodala sent the Wachovia Center crowd into a frenzy, he nearly sent Williams into the courtside patrons.

Williams will learn. In the meantime, he can always tell his grandkids about the day he gave a piggy back ride to Iggy.

As for the Sixers bench, the dunk was cause for celebration. Because it was early in the game, most of the Philly subs had their warmups on and you can't really tell who's who from the camera angle. But you can see one Sixer get up, run down the length of the bench and embrace a teammate. Very touching.

Yet, the most interesting reaction may be from an assistant coach, who may or may not be Mike O'Koren. Check the video at the four-second mark. Just as Iguodala takes off, the coach two seats to the right of the first Sixer in his warmups, pops up as if his chair were wired for an electric shock. Decorum dictates, however, and he catches himself before he stands up.

Whether the coach was anticipating something great or whether he was just caught in Iguodala's backdraft can be debated. But when a seen-it-all coach does this and gets caught up in a slam, you got stinkface.

Speaking of which, Rudy Gay, who has perpetrated a few nasty slams in his time, got his on Tuesday night as he fought the Outlaw, but the Outlaw won.

Travis Outlaw, my goodness, you're a bad man. First off, the rebound was one of those man-among-boys reach-back-and-snatch-it-right-out-of-your-grille boards. But to follow up with a windmill off of both feet and in Gay's mug, well, sir, I must stand an applaud as the fans wearing jerseys with your number did at the end of the clip. Well done, and yes, as the announcer noticed, "And look at Rudy Gay. He's stunned!"

As were we all.

And finally, our FanHouse man in Northern California, Tom Ziller, threw this one our way, a sweet, sweet inbounds pass from Donte Greene to Jason Thompson. We'll let him explain.

"Nothing great from either bench (GSW was looking morose at that point). But watch Donte when JT actually throws it down. He mimics it, like he was actually executing the dunk off his pass. It's like a talent-show dad doing the choreography from the audience."

Agreed, Greene's reaction was priceless. But there was a slight bench reaction, not, however, from the Warriors players but Golden State coach Don Nelson. He looks perturbed, miffed and altogether bothered. He smacks his hands, shakes his head and thinks, "Paul Mokeski would have never let that happen. I need to go home to Hawai'i."

Nellie only has himself to blame. The Warriors are a mess of his own making and his stinkface may become permanent.

Stinkface Chronicles: Iggy Popped originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Brad Miller Can't Beat the Buzzer

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Nuggets, NBA Last Night, NBA Videos

Great game in Chicago last night, where the Nuggets and the Bulls went down to the final ticks of the clock to decide the outcome. And if you were rooting for the home team, you likely found the ending to be more than a little bit controversial.

With the Nuggets up by one, and 0.3 seconds showing on the game clock, the Bulls inbounded to Brad Miller, who caught it, quickly turned, and appeared to beat the buzzer as the ball left his hand and went through the basket. But after going to the instant replay, the officials ruled the ball was still in his hands as time expired.

To the video!

The action starts at the 1:39 mark:

Incredible shot by Miller there, but after watching the replay over and over again, the ball did appear to still be on his fingertips when the red light behind the backboard came on. The officials got it right.

And just for the record -- because I heard more than one broadcaster make this mistake while discussing the play afterwards -- 0.3 seconds is enough time for there to be a catch-and-shoot, according to the NBA rule book:

"The game clock must show :00.3 or more in order for a player to secure possession of the ball on a rebound or throw-in to attempt a field goal. Instant replay shall be utilized if the basket is successful on this type of play and the clock runs to 0:00.

"The only type of field goal which may be scored if the game clock is at :00.2 or :00.1 is a "tip-in" or "high lob." "

So ideally, as fans, we don't want games to end with referees huddled around a video monitor for several minutes, because it takes the air out of the building after what was undeniably an electric atmosphere, once Miller's shot appeared to be good at first glance. But we do want the game to be decided fairly. And according to the rules that have been put into place by the league, in this case, it was.

Brad Miller Can't Beat the Buzzer originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Talking With Rookie Stephen Curry

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Warriors, NBA Videos, Interviews

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Warriors' rookie Stephen Curry is just starting in the NBA -- and at least for now, it seems like more fans know his name than his face. In this FanHouse video, we talk to Stephen about making it to the NBA, what he'd be if he weren't a professional basketball player and what's it like to have teammates who once played against his dad.

Check out the video after the jump.

Talking With Rookie Stephen Curry originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos, Interviews

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

When it come to high-profile professional athletes, Ron Artest is one of a kind. He's setting the bar in the way stars reach out to interact with their fans, and it's very refreshing.

In this FanHouse video, we were on hand as Ron-Ron was dishing out milkshakes to fans, who absolutely enjoyed every moment around the Lakers star.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs

Brett Pollakoff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, NBA Last Night, NBA Referees, NBA Videos

The Bulls went into Cleveland on Thursday and pulled out a hard-fought win over the Cavaliers. It was a low-scoring, defensive struggle, as neither team shot the ball very well, so it's not surprising that the game came down to the final play.

LeBron James drove to the basket with three seconds left and his team trailing by one, and was met by two defenders when he got there -- Luol Deng, who was guarding him from the play's outset, and Joakim Noah, who came over to help at the last second. James appeared to jump into Noah, and there was definitely contact. But somewhat incredibly, the refs swallowed their whistles, and the Bulls won the game.

Was it the right call? Read on and judge for yourself.

The action starts at the 2:25 mark:

It's not that I necessarily think that a foul should have been called there, and in fact, I'm of the opinion that the refs should let the players decide the game whenever possible, and only intervene in the closing seconds if the call is an obvious one.

But watching this as it happened, I think anyone who's seen LeBron drive like that and get contact on the final possession was stunned to see the officials not blow the whistle. LeBron, like most of the game's biggest stars, will historically get that call 98 times out of 100, even if it's a questionable one.

Mike Brown's discussion of the no-call seemed to back up the officials, although he believed that Noah might have been still on the move when the contact was made.

"I still don't understand that rule," Brown said. "I thought [LeBron] drove the ball, and Noah came across the paint, and as he came across the paint he jumped. I understand the rule of verticality as if you're in the spot, and you jump straight up and somebody runs into you, then it's a no-call.

"But I've got to find out if you're going across the lane and you meet somebody on the other side ... I don't know."

Fortunately in this case, the refs did know, and appeared to make the correct call. It will be interesting to see if the early-season trend of the officials favoring the rules over the game's stars will continue as the season goes on.

No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Mike Miller Is Tougher Than He Looks

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST

Filed under: Wizards, NBA Injuries, NBA Videos

Mike Miller may not look all that manly to most these days, given his unfortunate choice of hair styles. But after the way he competed in Wednesday night's close loss to the Miami Heat, there's certainly no questioning his toughness.

Miller came out of the game early in the third with an injured left shoulder, and headed to the locker room for some treatment. It was considered a mild sprain at the time, and since it was his non-shooting shoulder, he re-entered the game late in the period.

Miller played through until early in the fourth, when he hit the deck on a drive to the basket, and landed on the already injured shoulder. The man was in visible agony, but as you'll see in the following video, he managed to stay in the game long enough to make the highlights.

After picking himself up off the deck and hitting the free throw, Miller had to stay in the game, because it was Miami's possession. But even after the Heat's turn on offense, the Wizards didn't call a timeout to get Miller out of the game. So, with his one good arm, he catches a pass on the wing, dribbles to the top of the arc, and zips a one-handed pass into the hands of Andray Blatche for an easy two points.

The action begins at the 52-second mark:

That would have been a great play if Miller was a hundred percent; it's an amazing play given the circumstances. The Heat called a timeout immediately after the play, and Miller was done for the night.

In case you're wondering just how painful a shoulder injury like this might be, consider the tears and infamous wheelchair we saw when Dwyane Wade's popped out back in 2007. And after this one, Flip Saunders told the media that Miller would miss the next seven-to-ten days with the injury.

Mike Miller Is Tougher Than He Looks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Rob Peterson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, NBA Videos

Looking back at the first week of the 2009-10 NBA season, someone missed a golden opportunity for a Halloween costume.

Wouldn't it have been great if two Lakers fans had gone as Shannon Brown and Josh Powell with the fan who was Brown holding onto a rim (a Nerf rim would have been fine) and sitting on Powell's shoulders?

"Whatever do you mean, Professor Stinkface?"

You know what I mean. Video after the jump.

Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if two guys walked into a party like that? Their faces would probably mirror the collective look on everyone's faces at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 when Brown yanked down a dunk so ferocious, so nasty we had wished Doug Collins had been announcing just so he could go all 2000 on us.

Just look at what Brown does in this video. He's at the top of the square when he lands on top of Powell's noggin. While Brown's ups are impressive, what's even more so is his timing. Remember, he's doing this off a long, missed 3-pointer. To measure the shot, the carom and then his steps? Incredible.

The four-letter network also was kind enough to do everything we would have done had we had the DVR running -- pause, slow mo, pause. The only thing they didn't do was rewind, and with the Mavericks up 12 at the time, they should have. No one would have complained. Except maybe Phil Mushnick.

Melo on Millsap

Poor Paul Millsap, he of the large contract and one more year of apprenticeship under Carlos Boozer. If riding the pine behind Boozer wasn't bad enough, Millsap suffered greviously when Carmelo Anthony unleashed all the fury of West Baltimore on his head.

Thanks to his own ill-advised and errant pass, Millsap was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as Melo monster mashed in his mug.

'House's Brett Pollakoff covered this one quite well the night it happened and judging by the tweets, even Melo's peers couldn't help but ooh and ahh. I'll let it lay. You click the link and get your stink on.

Manu v. Bat

We've posted mulitple times on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili taking down the bat on Halloween night. And what the heck, we'll do it again because for the first time in NBA history we have "bat stinkface."

Don't believe me? As FanHouse NBA poobah Matt Watson pointed out, check out Kevin Martin's reaction at about 35 seconds. That's an epic flinch right there. It's tough to blame Martin, though. The bat was headed right for him and Manu saved him from multiple rabies shots. I think a thank you note or at least an iTunes gift card should be in the offing, don't you?

And finally...

A quick shout out to Alexe (or as he's known on YouTube as spankissimo) for not only responding to the first Stinkface post, but for being inspired enough by it to create this video, which went viral big time last week when multiple basketball blogs linked to it.

Congrats, Alexe. We look forward to more.

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Blake Griffin Talks About His Injury

Elie Seckbach — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, NBA Videos

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Blake Griffin, the first overall draft pick, is staying strong after suffering a knee injury during a preseason game. In this FanHouse exclusive, he gives he gives us an update on his injury.

We also talk boxing with Griffin's teammates, as Marcus Camby, Rasual Butler and DeAndre Jordan make their picks in the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight.

Check out the video after the jump.

Blake Griffin Talks About His Injury originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response

Will Brinson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili had a recent encounter with a bat at a recent Spurs game, the video of which has since been broadcast on almost every blog you can find. And in commenting sections on these sites across the world, people joked about how PETA would respond.

And now they have -- and it is exactly what you would expect from them.

From PETA.org:

Here's our take on it: To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one-with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.

Now, ordinarily, I wouldn't leave a hyperlink in a blockquote ... except PETA decided to link to their "Michael Vick" blog tag while describing one of the two things that Manu could be for "bludgeoning" the bat.

I normally have some ill-will-filled feelings towards PETA, because I tend to think they rely too much on publicity stunts and less on "actually helping animals."

But this time, they've really crossed the line; not only do they fail to realize that some fan (and not, you know, Manu) brought the bat in the arena, but they decided to compare what amounts to Ginobili's self-defense to Vick torturing dogs.

And that folks, is just a bunch of guano.

PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Hornets, NBA Last Night, NBA Videos

Chris Paul is the best point guard in the game today, and Rajon Rondo isn't too far behind at the position, probably in most people's top five. But besides being great at what they do, these guys have something else in common: they play the game with a noticeable chip on their shoulder.

So it shouldn't come as any surprise that when the two went head-to-head in Boston on Sunday, things got a little heated during the game, and words were exchanged on the court after the final buzzer had sounded.

As the Celtics' announcers said, it looked like in the aerial view that Rondo was the instigator there, but then again, Paul was in the Celtics' bench area, and it's not exactly customary after a road loss to head over there to shake hands after a game.

Afterwards, Paul got in a sarcastic shot at Rondo, before quickly throwing some praise his way to soften the blow of the wisecrack.

"Rondo is a lucky guy, to play with guys like Pierce, (Ray) Allen and (Kevin) Garnett," Paul, who scored 22 points with eight assists, said with a sly smile.

Asked if that was meant as a slight toward Rondo, the two-time All-Star said, "No, no. He is a great point guard and he's a champion. It's my hope to achieve that."

I can't ever remember instructions from a team's PR guy to the media making it into a game recap, but this quote from a member of the Celtics' media relations staff -- since it was hilarious -- did exactly that.

"Rajon has requested you not ask anything about Chris Paul now, tomorrow, or any other time,'' Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

Most people that aren't fans of either one of these teams are probably laughing at this mini-incident this morning, because Paul and Rondo are the same guy. They're both great players, but they play the game in a way that makes you hate them when your team is on the court playing against them.

On Sunday, each found out what it was like to play against themselves, and they weren't at all happy with what they saw.

Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu

Tom Herrera — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST

Filed under: Kings, Spurs, NBA Videos

Manu Ginobili is many things: versatile guard, lover of alfajores, and now you can add "bat swatter" to his growing list of roles. As the Spurs and Kings played on Halloween night, someone had the bright idea to release a live bat at the AT&T Center. The bat tried to dive into Kevin Martin on a breakaway layup, and later delayed the game by flying low around the court before fluttering by Ginobili.

Bad move, bat. (Update: PETA Responds, Comparing Manu to Michael Vick. Seriously.)

An alert Ginobili tracked it and smacked the bat out of mid-air, then handed it off to arena staff as the crowd roared in applause. After getting a spray of hand sanitizer, the game proceeded as normal. Earlier in the game, the Spurs Coyote tried to corral the bat with a net, but all they really needed was Manu.

After the Spurs' victory, Ginobili had this to say: "I didn't think it was a big deal. Then the whole arena started chanting my name."

Added Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich: "He's never ceased to amaze me the years he's been here. ... He just did it again."

As Ball Don't Lie noted, this isn't the first time a flying creature stopped an NBA game. "Spirit," the Atlanta Hawks' real-life mascot, delayed a Hawks-Heat playoff game when it swooped down and perched on top of the backboard. One can only assume a hawk-bat hybrid straight out of Star Wars lore will be next to interrupt.

Curiously enough, Brett Pollakoff tried to snag some video of the Manu vs. bat showdown from the League Pass broadband DVR feature only to be denied by censorship. Hopefully no fines will be levied in the aftermath.

Update: On his Twitter page, Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee provided this one-of-a-kind official Spurs injury report for the fallen bat.

Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit

Elie Seckbach — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:53:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers, Suns, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Halloween is one of those holiday that everyone loves ... including NBA players.

In this FanHouse exclusive, we catch up with NBA stars Amar'e Stoudemire, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Ron Artest, Kyrylo Fesenko, Channing Frye, Craig Smith, Goran Dragic and Lou Amundson.

Find out who is most likely to be Hugh Hefner, Magic Don Juan, a lumberjack, Frankenstein and an Army vet.

Check out the video after the jump.

NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA FanHouse

Nate Robinson Shoots at Wrong Basket, Mike D'Antoni Is Not Amused

Josh Smith Beats the Rockets

Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order

Trevor Ariza Gets His Ring

Ron Artest Plays Keep-Away With Trevor Ariza's Shoe

Dwyane Wade Sends the Nets to 0-10

Dwyane Wade Breaks Varejao's Face

Stinkface Chronicles: Back-to-Back

Stinkface Chronicles: Iggy Popped

Brad Miller Can't Beat the Buzzer

Talking With Rookie Stephen Curry

Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans

No Call for LeBron, No Win for Cavs

Mike Miller Is Tougher Than He Looks

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Blake Griffin Talks About His Injury

PETA Likens Manu Ginobili Bat Incident to Michael Vick in Response

Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words

Bats Everywhere Quiver in Fear of Manu

A Spooky Sports Halloween

NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit