Bleacher Report - Articles by Kieran Hawe

Kobe Bryant: It's Not Over Yet...Plus Other Sports News

Kieran Hawe — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:59:59 -0400

Cincy native Youkilis lifts BoSox in 10 (AP): Kevin Youkilis did everything in his homecoming except r.. http://tinyurl.com/4dhbat #
Bryant says NBA finals ‘ain’t over’ (AP): With the same purpose as one of his in-your-face jumpers, Ko.. http://tinyurl.com/4h2ysx #
Indiana, NCAA hearing ends after 2 days (AP): Kelvin Sampson ended two days of playing public peek-a-b.. http://tinyurl.com/57qxom #
Teenager Logano wins Meijer 300 (AP): Joey Logano became the youngest winner in Nationwide Series hist.. http://tinyurl.com/4ayws9 #
Mussina wins 10th for surging Yankees (AP): Mike Mussina never expected a run like this. Mussina pitch.. http://tinyurl.com/5dxkdy #
Federer’s 55th title ups grass run to 59 (AP): Roger Federer extended his grass-court winning streak b.. http://tinyurl.com/5gdz5r #
Ramirez out of Boston’s lineup again (AP): Manny Ramirez was out of Boston’s lineup for a second strai.. http://tinyurl.com/5mx2l2 #
Minus Ramirez, Red Sox hit 4 HRs in win (AP): Coco Crisp kept Boston’s depleted lineup rolling by driv.. http://tinyurl.com/5lgq88 #
Turks stage miraculous rally to advance (AP): Turkey stunned the Czech Republic with three goals in th.. http://tinyurl.com/5dz6aw #
Rockies’ Cook tops ChiSox for 10th win (AP): Brad Hawpe hit a go-ahead home run, Aaron Cook earned his.. http://tinyurl.com/3je2gu #
Tigers top Dodgers to win sixth straight (AP): Nate Robertson pitched six shutout innings, Marcus Tham.. http://tinyurl.com/4lq6n4 #
Yankees’ Wang hurt in win over Astros (AP): Chien-Ming Wang pitched five scoreless innings before hurt.. http://tinyurl.com/6pvwou #
Indians’ Sabathia defeats Padres’ Maddux (AP): C.C. Sabathia focused on facing San Diego’s batting ord.. http://tinyurl.com/433jbc #
Tigers top Dodgers to win sixth straight (AP): Jim Leyland and Joe Torre made different decisions abou.. http://tinyurl.com/5vfbyl #
Cards C Molina carted off in neck brace (AP): Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was taken off the field .. http://tinyurl.com/64ekpf #
Bad start costs Woods lead, but in hunt (AP): Tiger Woods lost the U.S. Open lead right away Sunday, m.. http://tinyurl.com/6zjfrv #
US wins big in opening Cup qualifier (AP): The United States couldn’t wait to get started in its quali.. http://tinyurl.com/4zn3zz #

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NFL Suspends Chris Henry, Plus More Sports Links

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:59:59 -0400

NFL suspends WR Chris Henry indefinitely (AP): Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has been.. http://tinyurl.com/6xl5yj #
BoSox lose first game in Cincy since ‘75 (AP): Thirty-three years later, the Red Sox still couldn’t wi.. http://tinyurl.com/53nwsp #
Braves’ Jones out after freak injury (AP): Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who leads the m.. http://tinyurl.com/64r7au #
Mets give embattled manager Randolph win (AP): Willie Randolph should be able to rest easy, at least f.. http://tinyurl.com/5xmocl #
ChiSox rally, win ninth straight at home (AP): Juan Uribe tied it with a two-run single and came aroun.. http://tinyurl.com/6kcx68 #
Phils hit 3 straight HRs, rip Cards 20-2 (AP): Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hit consecutiv.. http://tinyurl.com/6geuzw #
Celebratory gunfire over Iraq soccer win (AP): Iraqis danced in the streets or in the backs of pickups.. http://tinyurl.com/5ujsgz #
Nadal tops Roddick on grass in London (AP): French Open champion Rafael Nadal beat four-time champion .. http://tinyurl.com/4yk2ru #
Injury-time goal lifts Spain over Sweden (AP): With a stunning burst in injury time, David Villa put S.. http://tinyurl.com/6ddp8j #
Marquis, Johnson lead Cubs by Blue Jays (AP): Jason Marquis tossed seven-plus innings to record his th.. http://tinyurl.com/5vz5m3 #
Russia ousts defending Euro champ Greece (AP): Greece’s four-year reign as European champion officiall.. http://tinyurl.com/4uo6b9 #
Big Brown jockey says he’s not to blame (AP): Jockey Kent Desormeaux still can’t figure out what went .. http://tinyurl.com/4d8or8 #
After ugly loss, Cards beat Phillies 3-2 (AP): Kyle Lohse pitched a season-high eight innings of four-.. http://tinyurl.com/5fktxf #
Stanford’s 11-run 9th does in FSU at CWS (AP): Brent Milleville’s three-run homer highlighted Stanford.. http://tinyurl.com/45pwnr #

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Victor Martinez To Undergo Surgery, Plus Other Links

Kieran Hawe — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:59:59 -0400

Tribe C Martinez to have elbow surgery (AP): All-Star catcher Victor Martinez will have surgery on his.. http://tinyurl.com/55hkcp #
Source: Hawks offer Woodson extension (AP): Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson has been offered a two-ye.. http://tinyurl.com/5znx6w #
Ovechkin wins Lester B. Pearson Award (AP): Alex Ovechkin kicked off a big night Thursday when the Was.. http://tinyurl.com/5m7no3 #
Stern: NBA refs don’t manipulate games (AP): David Stern came to the defense of his beleaguered refere.. http://tinyurl.com/6pra5b #
Lakers lead by record 21 after 1 quarter (AP): The Los Angeles Lakers led the Boston Celtics 35-14 aft.. http://tinyurl.com/4mjmqn #
3 Bills subpoenaed in hit-and-run case (AP): Rookie receiver James Hardy was one of three Buffalo Bill.. http://tinyurl.com/5krwhf #
Down 24, Celtics top Lakers to go up 3-1 (AP): In their comeback season, the Celtics saved the biggest.. http://tinyurl.com/4xq9ol #
Senators select Hartsburg as new coach (AP): Craig Hartsburg is the new coach of the Ottawa Senators, .. http://tinyurl.com/6dz87w #
Judge bars woman from contacting Jordan (AP): A judge has barred a Pennsylvania woman from contacting .. http://tinyurl.com/4tjmhp #
Marcus Vick arrested for DUI (AP): Former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick has been charged with .. http://tinyurl.com/5kljh2 #
Witness: Tyson put up ‘hit plot’ money (AP): Mike Tyson put up $50,000 for a proposed “hit” on gang me.. http://tinyurl.com/3zmdcg #
Braves’ Smoltz hopes to pitch again (AP): Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz says he still hopes to pi.. http://tinyurl.com/5l6fzj #
Celtics C Perkins uncertain for Game 5 (AP): The Boston Celtics aren’t sure if center Kendrick Perkins.. http://tinyurl.com/6rb2w6 #
NASCAR, teams meet over car complaints (AP): NASCAR is tired of hearing the negative message some of t.. http://tinyurl.com/3ecdaw #
Sportscaster Charlie Jones dies at 77 (AP): Charlie Jones, the deep-voiced sportscaster whose career a.. http://tinyurl.com/66e4vn #
MLB pushes for instant replay by August (AP): Instant replay might be coming to Major League Baseball .. http://tinyurl.com/599xgd #

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Updates for 6/11/2008

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:59:59 -0400

Stern dismisses allegations of rigging (AP): NBA commissioner David Stern dismissed allegations from a... http://tinyurl.com/4ck6es #
Wings, Babcock agree to 3-year contract (AP): Mike Babcock helped bring the Stanley Cup back to Detroit... http://tinyurl.com/5ddz3x #
Bills’ Peters absent for minicamp start (AP): Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters is a no-show at the st... http://tinyurl.com/5gv8k4 #
Equity firm takes over Petty Enterprises (AP): One of NASCAR’s most storied race teams gave up majorit... http://tinyurl.com/54tncb #
NASCAR: Harassment claims not reported (AP): NASCAR chairman Brian France says a former official who’s... http://tinyurl.com/4yjdfw #
Ex-WVU coach Nehlen has triple bypass (AP): Former West Virginia football coach Don Nehlen was recuper... http://tinyurl.com/3gf8es #
Heist nets some Giants Super Bowl rings (AP): Thieves broke into a jewelry company over the weekend an... http://tinyurl.com/4pxkq9 #
New blog entry ‘Heist nets some Giants Super B…’ - http://tinyurl.com/58zqn4 #
New blog entry ‘Ex-WVU coach Nehlen has triple…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6p2pvr #
New blog entry ‘NASCAR: Harassment claims not …’ - http://tinyurl.com/5cwn39 #
New blog entry ‘Bills’ Peters absent for minic…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5lrftj #
New blog entry ‘Wings, Babcock agree to 3-year…’ - http://tinyurl.com/67rqqo #
New blog entry ‘Stern dismisses allegations of…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5eafdr #
New blog entry ‘Sports Blog: Spurs sign former…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5wt6tf #
New blog entry ‘Sports Blog: Celtics beat Heat…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6ywgo5 #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Sports Blog: C…’ - http://tinyurl.com/58lakk #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Sports Blog: S…’ - http://tinyurl.com/57aza2 #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Stern dismisse…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6azsca #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Wings, Babcock…’ - http://tinyurl.com/54rg6q #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Bills’ P…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6j4h8u #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘NASCAR: Harass…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5j6lxy #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Ex-WVU coach N…’ - http://tinyurl.com/56r4mk #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Heist nets som…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5b8y2p #
Boonen barred from Tour for cocaine use (AP): Former world cycling champion Tom Boonen has been barred... http://tinyurl.com/4ljxx8 #
New blog entry ‘Boonen barred from Tour for co…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5gtk86 #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5jas5h #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5mszml #
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New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/62mlej #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6e5vsw #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/55lvmx #
Giants WR Burress refuses to practice (AP): New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress is refusing... http://tinyurl.com/4ncvex #
New blog entry ‘Giants WR Burress refuses to p…’ - http://tinyurl.com/59vmpo #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6ona9c #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6jznzx #
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New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5k2dnl #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Boonen barred …’ - http://tinyurl.com/69kf4u #
Report: Saints sign DE Smith for $70M (AP): Saints defensive star Will Smith signed a new contract tha... http://tinyurl.com/3zvckx #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/5dru63 #
New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6et9yp #
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New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘Giants WR Burr…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6xdftl #
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New blog entry ‘New blog entry ‘New blog entry…’ - http://tinyurl.com/6ona9c #
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Red Sox DH Ortiz becomes US citizen (AP): A Red Sox Nation slugger has found a new nation to call home... http://tinyurl.com/48wj6f #
Agent: C Bentley released by Browns (AP): The agent for LeCharles Bentley says the center has asked fo... http://tinyurl.com/6

2008 MLB Predictions

Kieran Hawe — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:52:02 -0400

The 2008 MLB season is upon us so what better time then to lay out our predictions for this baseball season—which promises to be one for the ages. So, below are our entire predictions for the 2008 MLB season, including final standings, who makes the playoffs and who will be the 2008 MLB World Series champions.

2008 MLB Regular Season Predictions

American League East

Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

American League Central

Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals

American League West

Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Oakland A’s

National League East

New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Florida Marlins

National League Central

Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

2008 MLB Post-season Predictions

American League Wild Card: New York Yankees
National League Wild Card: Atlanta Braves

American League Champion: Detroit Tigers

National League Champion: New York Mets

World Series Champion: Detroit Tigers

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Mavericks-Spurs: Dallas Loses Game, Dirk Nowitzki

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:11:01 -0400

The NBA Western Conference playoff race is getting tight and it wont be getting much easier for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks not only lost to the San Antonio Spurs last night, but their star forward Dirk Nowitzki went down with a leg injury.

In the 3rd quarter of today’s game, the reigning NBA MVP took a nasty tumble and hobbled off the court.

“I fell awkwardly and my left leg got caught underneath of me,” Nowitzki said in a statement after the game. “I am going to get re-evaluated in the morning and I hope to have more information then.”

Even though the official word has yet to be given it appears as though Nowitzki will miss at least 2 weeks.

This would usually be bad news for any team when their star player goes down, but this is even worse news for the Mavericks who are fighting to keep a playoff spot—which currently stands at 7th in the Western Conference.

The Mavericks are usually a playoff shoe-in, but not this year, as they could easily drop out of playoff contention with some losses. The Golden State Warriors (who are in 8th place) are only one game behind the Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets (who are in 9th spot and currently out of the playoffs) are only two games behind.

Oh, and one other interesting note about the Mavericks. Since that blockbuster trade to bring in Jason Kidd, the Mavericks have yet to beat a team with a winning record. That is not a good sign of things to come, especially with Dirk out.

The Spurs on the other hand have seen their fortune reverse after going on a 1-6 run. This win over the Mavericks not only put some distance between the two teams but also might give the Spurs a kick in the butt they needed to make a run.

2008 NBA Playoff Predictions

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:29:44 -0400

So the NBA season slowly is winding down, and the playoff picture is getting a bit more clear as we have only a few more weeks left to play.

Even though the seedings will probably change a bit, two things are very clear—the Eastern Conference has only two teams with a real shot at winning the NBA Championship and the Western Conference will have the best playoff basketball by far.

With that being said, let's take a closer took at each Conference and where they stand.

NBA Eastern Conference

No offense to any team in the Eastern Conference, but, outside of the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and maybe the Orlando Magic, does any team really have a shot against a Western Conference team?

The Eastern Conference will have at least one, maybe two teams make the playoffs with a losing record, and it's not like they are playing in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

Having a losing record when you play teams like the Miami Heat and New York Knicks does not say a lot about your team. Could one of the lower-seeded teams make a run? Sure, anyone can, but, in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, there are the Celtics and Pistons and then everyone else.

In fact, the team I feel has the best chance of winning the NBA Championship is the Celtics, the Pistons are over-rated in a bad conference.

NBA Western Conference

The NBA should do away with the Eastern and Western titles and call these two conferences Division I and Division II.

The talent from top to bottom in the Western Conference is insane. Every single team that will make the NBA Playoffs will have at least 45 wins—the Eastern Conference will be lucky to have three.

In fact, I would say that any Western Conference playoff team, from seed one through eight, have a shot at winning the NBA Championship if they make it that far.

Right now, the seventh seed is the Dallas Mavericks. The Dallas Mavericks! That means, as of today, the Los Angeles Lakers would play the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. That is just a bit different then the Detroit Pistons playing the Philadelphia '76ers don’t you think?

NBA Playoff Predictions

So, here is how I see it going down this year in the NBA Playoffs. In the Eastern Conference, it will be the Celtics vs. the Pistons in the Conference Finals with the Celtics winning in a series that goes the full seven games.

In the Western Conference, I actually see Phoenix winning out, even though I am torn between them and the Lakers. With the NBA Finals being the Suns vs. the Celtics, I see the Suns winning.

So there you have it, I am predicting the Phoenix Suns as the 2007-2008 NBA Champions.

Top Prospect Terrelle Pryor Chooses Ohio State

Kieran Hawe — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:11:56 -0400

Well the wait is finally over for schools trying to recruit Terrelle Pryor. The much sought-after quarterback recruit from Pennsylvania announced today his decision to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

At his news conference Pryor, who is also a basketball star at Jeannette Senior High School near Pittsburgh, unzipped his windbreaker to reveal a Ohio State t-shirt and put on a Buckeyes hat. Michigan and Oregon were both in the running but fell short for various reasons. Pryor never considered nearby Penn State. Pryor will come to Ohio State as a back-up to current starting quarterback, and senior, Todd Boeckman.

Pryor is the only player in Pennsylvania history to both rush and pass for at least 4,000 yards - he also has 2,285 career basketball points. Below are some video highlights of Terrelle Pryor - enjoy and get ready to watch him be one of the top talents in College Football in a couple years.

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NBA: Denver Nuggets score 168 in win over SuperSonics

Kieran Hawe — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:44:15 -0400

168 points. I didn’t believe it when I first saw it or I thought that it was a four overtime game. Nope, the Denver Nuggets scored 168 points last night, in regulation, in beating the Seattle Supersonics 168-116.

The 168 points in regulation is not a NBA record but it is a franchise record. The Nuggets had 8 players who scored in double digits, Carmelo Anthony lead the way with 26 points, Allen Iverson had 24, Kenyon Martin had 23 and Marcus Camby put in a triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

After the game the Nuggets were still in shock at how many points they scored.

“I’ve never been a part of a game like this where we won by so many points and scored so many points,” Marcus Camby said. “This is definitely a game I’m going to keep in my archives.” Kenyon Martin added. “A lot of people are going to think it’s a misprint, a lot of people will think there’s no way they scored that many points. It’s unbelievable. There are no words for it.”

Unfortunately someone had to lose this game and it was the SuperSonics by 52 points. The SuperSonics, who are 16-51 on the season, once again showed that their main weakness is on defense. In this years NBA Draft they will hopefully go after so big talent who can play D.

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2008 NCAA Tournament Selections: Let March Madness Begin

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:16:55 -0400

The 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament selections are set and of course we have teams that are happy and teams that are upset they weren’t selected.

It doesn’t matter anymore because we are ready for some March Madness.

Below is the complete first round for the 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament . Be sure to join our FREE 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament Challenge where the winner takes home $100 - click here to create your free entry.

EAST (Charlotte, N.C.)

Raleigh, N.C.
Friday, March 21
No. 1 North Carolina (32-2) vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s-Coppin State winner
No. 8 Indiana (25-7) vs. No. 9 Arkansas (22-11)

Denver
Thursday, March 20
No. 5 Notre Dame (24-7) vs. No. 12 George Mason (23-10)
No. 4 Washington State (24-8) vs. No. 13 Winthrop (22-11)

Birmingham, Ala.
Friday, March 21
No. 2 Tennessee (29-4) vs. No. 15 American (21-11)
No. 7 Butler (29-3) vs. No. 10 South Alabama (26-6)

No. 3 Louisville (24-8) vs. No. 14 Boise State (25-8)
No. 6 Oklahoma (22-11) vs. No. 11 Saint Joseph’s (21-12)

MIDWEST (Detroit)

Omaha, Neb.
Thursday, March 20
No. 1 Kansas (31-3) vs. No. 16 Portland State (23-9)
No. 8 UNLV (26-7) vs. No. 9 Kent State (28-6)

Tampa, Fla.
Friday, March 21
No. 5 Clemson (24-9) vs. No. 12 Villanova (20-12)
No. 4 Vanderbilt (26-7) vs. No. 13 Siena (22-10)

Raleigh, N.C.
Friday, March 21
No. 2 Georgetown (27-5) vs. No. 15 UMBC (24-8)
No. 7 Gonzaga (25-7) vs. No. 10 Davidson (26-6)

Omaha, Neb.
Thursday, March 20
No. 3 Wisconsin (29-4) vs. No. 14 Cal State Fullerton (24-8)
No. 6 Southern California (21-11) vs. No. 11 Kansas State (20-11)

SOUTH (Houston)

Little Rock, Ark.
Friday, March 21
No. 1 Memphis (33-1) vs. No. 16 Texas Arlington (21-11)
No. 8 Mississippi State (22-10) vs. No. 9 Oregon (18-13)

Denver
Thursday, March 20
No. 5 Michigan State (25-8) vs. No. 12 Temple (21-12)
No. 4 Pitt (26-9) vs. No. 13 Oral Roberts (24-8)

Little Rock, Ark.
Friday, March 21
No. 2 Texas (28-6) vs. No. 15 Austin Peay (24-10)
No. 7 Miami (Fla.) (22-10) vs. No. 10 Saint Mary’s (25-6)

Anaheim, Calif.
Thursday, March 20
No. 3 Stanford (26-7) vs. No. 14 Cornell (22-5)
No. 6 Marquette (24-9) vs. No. 11 Kentucky (18-12)

WEST (Phoenix)

Anaheim, Calif.
Thursday, March 20
No. 1 UCLA (31-3) vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State (17-15)
No. 8 BYU (27-7) vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (24-10)

Tampa, Fla.
Friday, March 21
No. 5 Drake (28-4) vs. No. 12 Western Kentucky (27-6)
No. 4 Connecticut (24-8) vs. No. 13 San Diego (21-13)

Washington, D.C.
Thursday, March 20
No. 2 Duke (27-5) vs. No. 15 Belmont (25-8)
No. 7 West Virginia (24-10) vs. No. 10 Arizona (19-14)

Washington, D.C.
Thursday, March 20
No. 3 Xavier (27-6) vs. No. 14 Georgia (17-16)
No. 6 Purdue (24-8) vs. No. 11 Baylor (21-10)

Soccer Player Armando Ribeiro Gets Hit

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:44:51 -0400

Not sure who this is or even who he plays for, but this video is pretty crazy. Soccer player Armando Ribeiro gets hit by a bottle in the face thrown by a fan in the stands. Armando Ribeiro goes down pretty hard onto the soccer field and at first it looks like a typical soccer dive, however when he rolls over his face is full of blood. The best part of this video is when the fans I guess that threw the bottle get escorted out. Two videos show the bottle throwing incident; each with a different angle.

Botellazo agresion a Armando Betis

Betis - Athletic (Botellazo Armando)

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NFL Trade News: Falcons To Trade DeAngelo Hall to Raiders

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:01:05 -0400

Both the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders are in rebuilding mode, and we all expected them to make some moves leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft.

Today they worked together to what they hope will be their mutual benefit.

The Falcons have agreed to trade cornerback DeAngelo Hall to the Raiders for a second-round pick in the 2008 Draft. The deal will be finalized once the Raiders and Hall agree on contract terms.

Hall, who was the eighth pick overall in the 2004 Draft, will be paired with Nnamdi Asomugha.

The deal would mean that the Raiders would only have one pick in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. They will pick fourth overall unless they trade that pick as well.

Both teams will benefit from this trade, as the Raiders get a top talent and the Falcons get more draft picks.

Anaheim Ducks' Chris Pronger Nets Eight Game Suspension

Kieran Hawe — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:22:43 -0400

Anaheim Ducks captain Chris Pronger was suspended by the NHL for eight games without pay for stomping on Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler’s leg.

The big defenseman will miss the remainder of the Ducks’ regular season and will not be eligible to return until the start the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This is Pronger’s longest suspension; the previous mark was four games. His previous suspension came in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals when he was banned for one game for elbowing Ottawa Senator’s Dean McAmmond in game three of the series.

I have watched the video a few times and personally I don’t see it being that big of a deal. Looking at the video it appears more that he is kicking away after getting his leg tangled up.

Okay, I can imagine a couple games at the most because you can’t do that but eight games when the season is winding down and the Ducks are in a fight for the playoffs? Come on!

See video:

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NBA: Greg Oden Finally Works Out with Portland Trail Blazers

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:34:40 -0400

Greg Oden was the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, unfortunately the team that drafted him, the Portland Trail Blazers, didn’t get to benefit this season from the big guy. Looks like that will all change for next season as Oden practiced with the team for 45 minutes yesterday. Oden sat out his “rookie” season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Oden was not at 100% but went through drills, jumped and dunked - the Trail Blazers are surely ecstatic at this. “It’s nice to see him get to this point, and to do it during the season,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “If he is at this point right now, he should be in good shape come training camp.”

Oden’s teammate Brandon Roy was also pleasantly surprised at Oden’s practice participation and is looking forward to next season. “It almost brought it back to preseason when he was in the gym working out and there was that buzz,” Roy said.? “I mean, this season wasn’t bad, but you can still tell that he’s going to be something special, and that’s exciting. You think about all the players we can have next season, and you know, it’s going to be all right. It’s going to be cool.”

The Trail Blazers might be the surprise team of the 2007 / 2008 NBA season. Not only do they have a winning record (34-31) but they put on a impressive winning streak earlier this season. With a core group of young players adding Oden into the mix is only going to mean good things are to come. My prediction is that next year they are a playoff team and might even shock someone in the first round.

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College Basketball: (Video) March Madness Mascot Fight

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:48:41 -0400

Yes I said it - M.M.M.F.! What does M.M.M.F. stand for? March Madness Mascot Fight of course! In one corner you have the IUPUI Jaguar and in the other corner you have Oral Roberts Eagle. These two school with maybe the worse names in the history of College Basketball played each other to see who got their ticket punched to the NCAA Tournament - Oral Roberts won and will soon be a 16th seed. Go Oral! Oh and on the topic of school names IUPUI stands for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Why cant they just shorten it to IPI or something? Every time I see IUPUI I think of ICUP. Also don’t forget to join our FREE 2008 NCAA Tournament Challenge - winner takes home $100! Anyway - here is the video…

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Weekly NFL Trades and Signings Recap

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:48:12 -0400

There have been a good deal of moves made in the NFL recently, most of them to small to have their own post. Therefore, below is a recap of all of the recent NFL moves.

The Detroit Lions signed safety Kalvin Pearson. Pearson, who played last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joins fellow Buc teammates Brian Kelly, Dwight Smith and Chuck Darby in Detroit.
The Oakland Raiders signed wide receiver Drew Carter to go along with newly signed WR Javon Walker - The Raiders were looking to upgrade their receiving corps after the departure of Jerry Porter.
The Tennessee Titans signed wide receiver Justin McCareins. The Titans have been busy this off-season signing defensive end Jevon Kearse, offensive guard Jake Scott and tight end Alge Crumpler.
The Washington Redskins re-signed defensive tackle Ryan Boschetti, quarterback Todd Collins and running back Rock Cartwright.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free agent linebacker Keyaron Fox.

That is the quick rundown of NFL news and notes for the past few days.

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Miami Heat: Dwayne Wade Out for Season

Kieran Hawe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:43:03 -0400

Well I guess, the Miami Heat are going to have a really good shot at getting the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Heat Coach Pat Riley announced today that Dwayne Wade is going to miss the rest of the NBA season. Wade has had lingering knee issues and will be undergoing treatment and therapy in order to bring it back to 100% in time for the 2008-2009 NBA season.

With the Heat having the worst record in the NBA and no chance at making the playoffs, Wade was hesitant to stop playing but feels it will be better in the long run. Just last week, Wade commented on how he would finish out as much of the season as possible.

“I don’t want to cut my minutes back If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. And whenever that day is, if it comes, I’ll just start preparing for the summer and rehabbing. But the day is not today," Wade said.

Wade will undergo a OssaTron treatment, which is non-surgical and involves a high-tech version of shock therapy. Wade had surgery on his knee and shoulder, last May.

Wade finished the NBA season averaging 24.6 points per game.

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Phoenix Suns: Team Avoids Third Loss in a Row by Beating San Antonio Spurs

Kieran Hawe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:47:07 -0400

I think the entire state of Arizona breathed a collective sigh of relief last night as the Phoenix Suns beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-87.

Yes it was just one game and it doesn’t mean the trade to bring in Shaquille O’Neal is now working. However, if the Suns lost it would have meant they would have lost three in a row for the first time all season and stopping the Spurs and Tim Duncan was the main reason they brought in the Big Cactus.

Shaq showed some bursts of energy and toughness that made most NBA experts think that the trade might work out for the Suns.

Shaq did his thing as usual, he scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, but if you watch the game you will see that his biggest impact was how Duncan did not play his usual game against the Suns.

All night long Duncan was hesitant to stand under the basket and stayed outside for most of the game. Also, having Shaq in the middle meant that the Suns didn’t have to double team Duncan, which freed up the other four Suns on the court to play their man and not worry about rolling off to guard someone else.

However, this was just one game let's see how this works out if they play each other in the NBA playoffs.

Manu Ginobili, with a game-high 22 points, and Tony Parker, who scored 21, led the Spurs.

Tim Duncan put in 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, however Duncan was six of 19 shooting. Duncan was obviously not happy with his performance. “I had two turnovers and two missed lay ups down the stretch, we’re up five with three-something left — a situation where we usually play a lot better than that.”

Steve Nash led the Suns with 19 points and a game-high 14 assists.

Oh, and did you see the Big Cactus flying into the stands?

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Tar Heels-Blue Devils: North Carolina Takes Care of Duke

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:16:12 -0400

The North Carolina Tar Heels went into hostile territory last night and proved that they belong at the top of the polls. The Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils played a great, close game, however the Tar Heels scored the final 10 points of the game to win 76-68. With the win the Tar Heels claimed the regular-season ACC conference title and No. 1 seed for the ACC conference tournament.

The Tar Heels blew an early double-digit lead and switched leads up until the final 5 1/2 minutes when the Tar Heels went on their 10-point run. “Our perimeter guys took it personally tonight,” said guard Danny Green. “We wanted to come out and knock down shots, play smarter, play better and take the crowd out of the game. We kept our poise when they came back.” Tar Heels forward Tyler Hansbrough finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds and guard Wayne Ellington added 16 points as North Carolina improved to 29-2 overall and 14-2 in ACC conference play.

The Blue Devils, who fell to 26-4 and 13-3, were led by Greg Paulus who had a team-high 15 points, 12 of which came in the first half. “I still thought we were doing really good things. We just couldn’t get that thing in the hole there,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We were still making winning plays — plays that could win. Obviously, they didn’t turn out to be winning plays.”

Every-time these two team splay each other it is always a good game, hopefully we will see them play at the end of the ACC Tournament and a #1 seed in the NCAA basketball Tournament on the line.

Georgetown-Louisville: Hoyas Drop Cardinals for Big East Title

Kieran Hawe — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:20:14 -0500

The Louisville Cardinals played tough and kept it close but in the end nothing was going to stop the Georgetown Hoyas from winning their consecutive Big East regular season title.

In what was a relatively low-scoring game where Louisville (24-7) seemed to control the tempo the entire time, Georgetown hit the shots when they counted most, including a late three-pointer by DaJuan Summers, giving the Hoyas a 55-52 win in Washington and a No. 1 ranking in the Big East Tournament.

The Hoyas withstood the pressure defense from Louisville and were led by freshman Austin Freeman who put in 15 points. Hoyas center Roy Hibbert had 12 point, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in his final home game as a Hoya.

The Cardinals played their usual stellar defense—getting a season high 14 steals—but their offense was just as bad as their defense was good. Louisville shot just four of 18 from three-point land and 10 for 19 from the free-throw line.

“It was a grind ‘em basketball game,” Coach Pitino said after the game. “We put ourselves in a situation where we could win. It just takes one blunder for you to lose the game in that situation. It was a great game. There were no easy shots. It was a lot of aggressive play out there by both teams.”

Both the Hoyas and Cardinals will look to make a run in the upcoming Big East Tournament—in order for either team to make it far in the NCAA Tournament, they will need as high of a seed as possible.

The reason? I have watched both teams play all year and they have been very inconsistent, if they face tough teams early on in the tournament, look for both teams to make an early exit.

Minnesota Twins: Liriano Pitches for First Time in 18 Months

Kieran Hawe — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:24:02 -0500

The good news is that Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano pitched his first MLB game in 18 months.

The great news is that he gave up no runs and felt no pain.

Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery back on November 6th, 2006.

“I feel good. I feel strong. No pain, no soreness at all,” Liriano said. “I was a little bit nervous, but after the first hitter that went away.” Liriano went 1 2/3 innings throwing 40 pitches—he allowed two hits, a walk, and had one strikeout.

The Twins need Liriano back at full-strength, especially after losing both Johan Santana and Carlos Silva to other teams. In 2006, Liriano went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 121 innings before his season was cut short with his injury.

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Suns-Pistons: Not So Sunny for Phoenix

Kieran Hawe — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:07:44 -0500

I buy into the argument that it is going to take some time for the Phoenix Suns to gel with Shaquille O’Neal in the mix.

Suns coach Mike D’Antoni has to play around with the lineup and see what works and what doesn’t.

However, so far I give this trade a D as they lost another game last night, at home, to the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons (41-15) basically dominated the entire game and pretty much embarrassed the Suns (38-18) 116-86.

Losing at home to an Eastern Conference team by 30 points is unacceptable. The Pistons also ended the Suns' 11-game winning streak against Eastern Conference.

Rasheed Wallace put up 22 points and eight rebounds, as he was one of six Pistons who had scored in double figures.

Besides Wallace, the Pistons were led by Rip Hamilton who had 18 points, Chauncey Billups had 14 points and 11 assists, and Antonio McDyess had 12 points and 13 rebounds.

"This was a big game for us," Billups said after the game. "You know how we are, man, when we play against other elite teams, we lock in. We lock in big-time. I thought everybody played great today, everybody."

The Suns were led by Amare Stoudemire who scored a game-high 31 points.

Shaq had another disappointing game offensively scoring only seven points but had 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Shaq was also one for eight at the charity stripe.

Suns coach D'Antoni tried to blame the loss on the team being spent.

"Maybe we used all the adrenaline left these last two games. Emotionally, we've been on a high for the last three days and you wake up on Sunday at noon and we're not quite ready to play." Yeah okay Mike, I have watched a lot of Suns games and this team never looked tired or "spent".

Again it is a bit to early to say whether this trade was a complete failure or not.

However, if the Suns lose another game they should hit panic mode as other Western Conference teams are looking better by the week.

Phillies News: Brad Lidge To Have Knee Surgery

Kieran Hawe — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:39:16 -0500

New Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge hurt his knee yesterday during batting practice and will now undergo arthroscopic surgery. Lidge is expected to miss 3-6 weeks.

Lidge, who was traded to the Phillies in the offseason, caught his spike in the mound when he made his first pitch during batting practice.

Lidge injured the same knee he had surgery on back in October.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said that Tom Gordon will close if Lidge is not ready for their opening day game against the Washington Nationals on March 31st.

Lidge was optimistic about his injury and his recovery time.

“Right now, if we had to do this during the season, then obviously you’re missing a big chunk of the season,” Lidge said. “I definitely need a few bullpen sessions, but I feel like my arm is ahead of schedule so after a week I should be able to throw again.”

Suns-Celtics: Shaquille O'Neal and Co. Drop Boston

Kieran Hawe — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:11:17 -0500

The once unbeatable Boston Celtics are looking a bit more vulnerable after their trip through the NBA Western Conference.

The Celtics are now 0-3 on their 5 game road trip after losing last night to the Phoenix Suns 85-77.

The Suns, who got their first win with Shaquille O’Neal, were led by Amare Stoudemire who put in a game high 28 points.

Shaq only had 4 points but controlled the defensive boards grabbing a game high 14 total rebounds.

After the game Shaq continued his humble approach and praised Stoudemire. “Amare Stoudemire is the best big man in the game right now - period, bar none,” O’Neal said. “I didn’t know he was that good. But talking to him and watching him play, he’s the best big man in the game at 25, and I mean that. I’m not just saying that to pump him up.”

Stoudemire probably benefited the most from the Shaq trade as having the big man at center lets Amare move to his natural power forward spot.

Commenting about the position move he said after the game: “It’s helped me a lot, it’s just allowed me to play basketball. I don’t have to battle so much with the big guys and get in foul trouble, things like that. Tonight was a great step for us.”

The Celtics, who never led last night, were led by Kevin Garnett and his 19 points.

The Suns held the Celtics to 30 points in the first half, their lowest total this year.

“This West is no joke,” Garnett said. “I said it before the trip that it’s going to be a test, and that’s what it’s become.”

Houston Rockets: Ten-Game Win Streak

Kieran Hawe — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:59:44 -0500

The Houston Rockets are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now.

Last night, the Rockets beat the Miami Heat 112-100 for their 10th straight victory and their 14th win in 15 games.

Tracy McGrady who scored 23 points and had 10 assists, and Yao Ming who put in 21, both led the Rockets to victory.

The Rockets played without a few familiar faces as they made a couple deals before the NBA deadline yesterday. The Rockets sent Mike James and Bonzi Wells to the New Orleans Hornets for Bob Jackson and Adam Haluska. The Rockets also traded Kirk Snyder to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Gerald Green.

“We lost a couple of guys that were well-liked around here, well-liked in the locker room.” Rafer Alston said. “That’s the business side of basketball, but you’ve got to go out there and play.”

The Miami Heat, who have the NBA’s worst record, were led by Dwyane Wade who scored a game-high 33 points and Shawn Marion who scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Last night was Marion’s fourth game as a Heat since being dealt for Shaquille O’Neal. All night long the Heat showed why they are the worst team in the NBA as they played horrible defense and at times looking completely uninspired.

Coach Pat Riley was watching a different game, I think.

“We got off to a real bad start.” Riley said. “They were really hyped up and really prepared to play. We made a good run but we were constantly climbing up a hill all game.”

Cleveland Cavaliers Gets Desperate To Please Lebron James

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:15:21 -0500

Big news came out just before the NBA trade deadline, not as big as Shaq going to Phoenix, Pau Gasol going to the Lakers, or Jason Kidd to the Mavericks, but it could have major implications in the weak NBA eastern conference.

The trade involved 11 players and three teams, but the Cleveland Cavaliers were the obvious focal point of the trade with Chicago Bulls and Seattle Supersonics.

The Cavaliers got Lebron James help inside and outside with the acquisition of center Ben Wallace, forward Joe Smith from the Bulls, forward Wally “World” Szczerbiak and guard Delonte West from the Supersonics.

To get Lebron his supporting cast the Cavaliers traded guard Larry Hughes, forwards Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons, and guard Shannon Brown to Chicago and forwards Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall to Seattle.

Chicago also gave up a second round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft to the Cavaliers. The Supersonics will get guard Adrian Griffin from the Bulls as part of the deal.

Cleveland G.M. and former Duke Blue Devil, Danny Ferry was able to put this deal together just before the 3 PM. trade deadline. This trade is by far the biggest trade he has been able to pull off and might be a last-ditched effort to keep Lebron in Cleveland and prevent him from jumping in a couple years to the Nets (Jay-Z + Brooklyn + Lebron = awesome).

So what exactly are the Cavaliers getting? Well with Wallace they are getting a defensive force down-low. Wallace has averaged 8.8 rebounds and 1.60 blocks per game—Wallace is not a scoring threat as he is averaging only 5.1 points per game. Some feel that Wallace’s best days are behind him, his recent numbers are below his averages—for most of his career he has averaged double digit rebounds.

Szczerbiak is another role player who can shoot it from behind the arc. Wally is averaging 13.1 points per game and is shooting 42.8 percent from three-point land.

Again, is this enough to push the Cavaliers over the edge and keep Lebron in Cleveland?

I don’t think so, how big of an improvement is Wallace over Drew Gooden? Enough to help them beat the Lakers, Suns or Mavericks? I don’t think so.

To me this was a desperate move to do something, anything, to try and make their star happy.

College Basketball: No. 4 Duke Loses Again, This Time to Miami

Kieran Hawe — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:49:51 -0500

Remember when we were all talking about how when the Duke Blue Devils lost to Wake Forest on

Sunday was going to be a wake up call for what many people thought was the best team in College Basketball. Yeah, that did not happen. Last night down in lovely Coral Gables Florida the unranked Miami Hurricanes beat the Blue Devils 96-95.

The Hurricanes (18-7) beat the Blue Devils (22-3) for the first time in 45 years last night, and at one point in the game scored 15 straight points and led by as many as 20 points in the second half.

But the Blue Devils did get rally late in the game and got most of those points back. Duke once again showed its knack for turning over the ball, this time Duke had a season-high 23 turnovers.

This is Duke’s second loss in four days, not exactly the kind if momentum you want to have at the tail-end of the College Basketball season.

“Our team — there’s something missing this week. We are not the same team these last two ballgames. It’s almost like someone has come in and invaded their bodies,” said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

Miami got help from all over the court from all of their players. Dwayne Collins led Miami with a career high 26 points and seven rebounds. The Blue Devils were led by sophomore Jon Scheyer who scored a game-high 27 points.

So were do the Blue Devils go now?

First Coach K needs to get his players focused and make them forget these two losses, they have some tough games ahead and have the chance to regain that Duke swagger by beating the North Carolina Tar Heels on March 8th—just in time for the tournament.

NFL: Keyshawn Johnson looking to make NFL comeback in 2008

Kieran Hawe — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:41:49 -0500

Look who just wants the d*mn ball again? Current ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson is thinking about returning to the NFL after one year away from the game. Johnson last played for the Carolina Panthers in 2006 and was cut by them at the end of the season.

Johnson has been working out and says that he is ready to make a return (take that T.O.) if any NFL team is willing to sign him.

“I like challenges,” Johnson told Yahoo! Sports. “The challenge of helping to turn a team around, to help get it to the next level, that gets my competitive fires burning. I have the itch, and right now I’m trying to decide how strong that itch is.”

A possible suitor could be the newly revamped Miami Dolphins, Johnson acknowledged he and new head of football operations for the Dolphins, Bill Parcells, have had talks. “Me and Bill talk all the time. We talk about football a lot. We talk about everything, except playing for the Miami Dolphins,” Johnson said to a Florida newspaper.

“He’s helping me go over the pros and cons of coming back versus staying at ESPN. He’s always treated me like a father figure more than anything else. But not once has he said, ‘Come play for me in Miami.’ ”

Johnson, who was the first overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, has three Pro Bowl appearances and has caught 10,571 yards and 64 touchdowns in his career.

NHL: Rangers Make Wrong Kind of History in Loss to Montreal

Kieran Hawe — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:40:09 -0500

Being a die-hard New York Ranger fan I am going to try and keep this post as un-biased as possible. With that being said, the Rangers took a five goal lead last night, then preceded to give up five straight goals, then lost in a shoot-out to the Montreal Canadiens for a final score 6-5.

The comeback by the Habs was the biggest in the team's history.

How do you give up six straight, unanswered goals! Ok, calm down. Breathe...

This is the scoring line for last night's game: Rangers goal by Brandon Dubinsky, Rangers goal by Sean Avery, Rangers goal by Brendan Shanahan, Rangers goal by Brendan Shanahan, Rangers goal by Chris Drury, Canadiens goal by Michael Ryder, Canadiens goal by Michael Ryder, Canadiens goal by Alexei Kovalev, Canadiens goal by Mark Streit, Canadiens shootout goal by Saku Koivu. Did either team have a goalie last night? Or did they both decide to take half of the game off?

In the loss, Rangers Brendan Shanahan scored two goals which gave him 19 straight seasons with at least 20 goals. Only Gordie Howe has more 20 goal seasons in a row with 22.

NBA: Garnett Makes Limited Appearance in Celtics Loss

Kieran Hawe — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:49:44 -0500

Last night saw the return, finally, of Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett to the lineup. Garnett who has been out since January 25th with a strained stomach muscle played only 21 minutes in the Celtics loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets beat the Celtics, in Denver, 124-118—this was the Celtics' first loss to a Western Conference team this season.

The Nuggets were led by Carmelo Anthony who scored a game high 29 points and Allen Iverson who scored 28 points. However, Iverson did not bask in the big win for long, he felt that beat the top team puts added pressure on the Nuggets. “Winning this game puts a lot of pressure on us, because if you can beat a team like this, then you can beat all the other teams,” Iverson said after the game. “We have enough talent to scare some people, but we just have to bring it night in and night out.”

Settle down A.I., you did beat the Celtics but they were not at 100 percent.

The Celtics were led my Paul Pierce who put up 24 points and Rajon Rondo who added 22 points. Garnett finished last nights game with 4 points and 8 rebounds—not typical Garnett numbers but I am sure he was happy with it.

“It was good to get back,” Garnett said after the game. “It felt good.” Celtics coach Doc Rivers was a little harder on the Garnett saying his return was “Not very Good. But you have to expect that when he sits out that long. He was rusty.”

Garnett has averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season.