Sportacular
Tuesday night saw two record-breaking performances - one good and one bad - in the NBA. The highest scoring output of the season was made, while a certain team from New Jersey continued to add to the franchise record for most losses in a single season. The Spurs appeared rejuvenated for Playoff time, while Lebron James and Kobe Bryant had an intriguing statistical showdown despite having played in different games. All this and more in today's rundown of NBA action:
Charlotte Bobcats 94, Indiana Pacers 99
The Charlotte Bobcats 6-game winning streak was snapped as they lost to the Indiana Pacers, 99-94. Charlotte had been playing well, coming off a huge win at Orlando, but faltered against Indiana, which had previously lost 14 of their last 17 games. The Pacers’ Troy Murphy scored 16 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. Danny Granger had 26 points, although he shot 9 of 25 from the field, and added 8 rebounds, as the two forwards led the Pacers in the upset over the Bobcats. Stephen Jackson scored 20 points for the Bobcats, with Jackson adding 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Boris Diaw also had 20 points, adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists, but had a costly turnover in the final minute, throwing the ball to Indiana’s Murphy with 20 seconds to play and wasting a 7-0 run that had gotten them within three. Indiana made two free throws for the final margin. Charlotte All-Star forward Gerard Wallace missed his second straight game due to a sprained ankle.
San Antonio Spurs 88, Miami Heat 76
Don’t look now, but the San Antonio Spurs are surging once again. The Spurs became winners of eight of their last nine games with a rout over the Miami Heat, 88-76. The Spurs had already built a 25-point lead, and still led by 17 to begin the fourth period, before the Heat went rang off 11 straight points to cut the lead to 6. Manu Ginobili wouldn’t let this game escape their grasp, however, stemming the bleeding with a huge trey, and jumpstarting a 14-4 run to tip the balance decisively in the Spurs’ favor. Ginobili finished with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Richard Jefferson had 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Tim Duncan added 12 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio, which has won four straight games. Miami, which was coming off a three-game win streak, was led by Dwyane Wade’s 28 points and 5 assists.
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