Tuesday Night Tip-Dunk: Election Day

On November 4th, 2008, there were more important things happening in America than NBA Basketball, but throughout elections, and rough economic times, we have always fallen back on sports to keep us sane.  Most sports fans did not watch the NBA Tuesday night, but that doesn't mean they don't care. For those of you who were glued to the map of red-and-blue states, here's what you missed...


Phoenix Suns 114 at New Jersey Nets 86

Since joining forces in the first-grade, this was the inaugural head-to-head matchup of the Lopez Twins.  Brook and Robin Lopez's mother, Deborah Ledford, was on the edge of her seat, and for the first time had to fill out both sides of her coveted scorebook.  Brook got a majority of the attention at Stanford because he was the team's go-to scorer, but each has their strengths, and weaknesses.

The Nets brought Brook off the bench first, and his twin Robin of the Suns, who didn't play November 1st against the Blazers, was soon to follow.  Fittingly the twins were matched up.  They seemed tentative, attempting to avoid embarrassment, but Brook soon took charge and blocked his little bro.  Minutes later Brook came help-side for an outright stuff on Amare Stoudemire.

The viewers were then lucky to get an interview with Momma Ledford, who was wearing a Suns hat and Nets shirt.  "It's really, really tough," the retired teacher said frantically and described the game as “more serious than a driveway battle."

Ledford was happy when Robin subbed out in the second quarter, until Shaquille O'Neal welcomed Brook to the NBA with a trademark shouldering, followed by a dunk from The Diesel. 

The twins finished with four combine points on 10 shot attempts, and Brook committed four turnovers.  Hopefully the next time these two meet their rivalry will escalate to the level of Brent and Jon Barry.

The Suns cruised to an easy victory against the Nets, who are seriously lacking firepower.  Devin Harris finished 2-for-9 from the field with seven assists.  In my estimation, he will never evolve into the All-Star point guard that many Nets fans believe they received in return for Jason Kidd.

Harris' numbers saw no significant increase after the trade last season, he is an average shooter, and doesn't do anything impressive.  He was best suited for a team like Dallas, where he is surrounded with scorers, and can blend into the flow of the game.

If Shaq remains healthy, and can log 25-30 minutes per game, the Suns will have their best chance of winning a championship since their Charles Barkley days.


Dallas Mavericks 98 at San Antonio Spurs 81

The Spurs defeated the Mavs in three of four meetings last year, but Jason Kidd has had almost a year to gel, and Head Coach Rick Carlisle was a big-time offseason-upgrade from the overrated Avery Johnson.  The Mavericks seemed to roll-over Monday night against the Cavs, suggesting they were gearing up for this much anticipated matchup with the rival Spurs.   

The Spurs are clearly hurting without Manu Ginobili.  Michael Finley is too old to be an effective starter in big games, and Brent Barry is sorely missed.  First-year Spur, Roger Mason, played 30 minutes off the bench, scoring 11 points and shooting 2-for-4 from behind the arc. 

Although Fabricio Oberto and Ginobili should be fully healthy by the playoffs, the Spurs are quickly falling behind the Lakers, Rockets, Mavericks, Suns and Nuggets in the West.  Unless Gregg Popovich is willing to add another young scoring guard, their dynasty might be over.

As usual, Jason Kidd flirted with a triple-double, racking up nine points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.  The selfless Kidd is the perfect fit for the Mavs system, as he gets his teammates the ball in-motion, making it easier for them to score.

The old adage around Kidd is that he cannot shoot.  Some teams, such as the Spurs, take this too literally and left the future Hall of Fame point guard wide-open all game.  Kidd was 3-for-6 on threes, and will continue to knock down these open looks if teams refuse to guard him. 


Boston Celtics 103 at Houston Rockets 99

This is the first time "The-Boston-Three-Party" has faced a Rockets lineup that included both Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.  The Rockets are no longer a two man show however, the addition of Ron Artest has made H-Town the home of the NBA's new hottest trio.

The Artest on Paul Pierce matchup is the one I am most intrigued by, because they are two of the best two-way wings in the NBA.  Pierce's scoring ability has overshadowed his defense over the years, while Artest has elevated his game from a scrappy-post-up-wing, to a legitimate scoring option.  This game marked the 18th meeting between the two, and there is a good possibility it is one we will see in the NBA Finals. 

Artest started the game off strong, confidently shooting threes, and playing the active-style defense fans are used to seeing.  This was a long back-and-fourth battle between the two teams, and Artest’s intensity was soon matched by the Celtics.  He finished 3-for-16 from the field, for 15 points, and grabbed seven rebounds.  Although his offense has improved over the years, Artest is best when he lets the game come to him, and doesn't force his shot attempts.

Pierce didn't shoot well either, 5-for-15, but played 44 minutes and was the Celtics floor-leader for most of the game.  He grabbed nine boards, and was always ready to knock down a clutch jumper at the right time, even in the face of Artest.

There was nothing special about Tuesday’s games.  They were early season matchups that accounted for a little more than one percent of the season.  What's special is what happened in booths all across the nation.  America has a new leader, and I am happy our new leader happens to be a basketball fan.