It was another great experience for the spectators in Houston and all the fans watching a home. The 2013 All Star game has now come to an end and left the best memories behind. The Western All Stars shined during the game, with Durant and Chris Paul leading the way to a 138-143 win. The Oklahoma Thunder forward became the first player in history to score 30 points or more in three consecutive NBA All-Star games and Chris Paul, with 20 points and 15 assists won the MVP award. It was another great success for the superstar Clipper who is having one of the best seasons in his career and has put his name a strong candidate for the regular season MVP award.
The weekend started greatly with rising stars challenge when we saw a game that had nothing to be jealous of the All Star game. The fans had the chance to enjoy some great moments with devastating dunks and great performances from the future NBA stars. Terrence Ross won the Slam Dunk contest with some acrobatic moves and Kyrie Irving was named this year’s 3-point Champion.
For once again, this All-Star game it was a time for celebrations, having fun and enjoying basketball. It was also the time to see weird things happen, like Howard making threes and LeBron getting rejected twice by Kobe Bryant. We also saw some great dunks and alley hoops, most times uncontested because after all, it’s the All Star game. For the Eastern All-Stars, Carmelo Anthony finished with 26 points and Dwyane Wade with 21. LeBron had 19 but shot just 7-18 from the field, after shooting an almost unreal over 60% for his last 6 games before the game.
As usual, a ton of celebrities added more shine to the game. Chris Tucker, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris and Jay-Z together with his wife and singer Beyoncé were amongst the spectators. Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo and John Legend all performed during the game to make the atmosphere even more enjoying for all the people watching. After the game’s first quarter former Houston star and 7 footer 6 center Yao Ming was honored.
The All Star break always gives a chance for relaxation and fun for the players and coaching staff. However, with the second half of the season started, the teams now will have to regroup and focus on their goals, because things tend to get tougher and more serious as we approach the playoffs.
Chris Michaels I live in Los Angeles, CA and work as an Chief Wisdom Officer
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Eric Bledsoe to participate in Dunk Contest during the All Star weekend
Los Angeles will have another representative during the All Star weekend. Eric Bledsoe will travel alongside with his teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest. The league has officially announced the names of the participants for the 2013 Slam Dunk Contest and the young guard from Kentucky will try to impress the crowd with his dunking skills and his athletic abilities.
The other contestants will be Gerald Green from the Golden State Warriors, Terrence Ross from the Toronto Raptors, James White from the New York Knicks, Jeremy Evans from the Utah Jazz and Kenneth Faried from the Denver Nuggets. From a first glimpse at the names on the table one could say that it should be a really spectacular and powerful contest. We’ve seen some great in-game slams from all of these players during this season.
Regarding Bledsoe, apart from winning his NBA All-Rookie Second Team back in 2011, it will be his first chance to win an individual title and also a chance to feel some of the pace of the NBA All Star game. He surely deserves to be there and in fact he has been one of the most enjoying players to watch this season, not only because of his dunks, but also because of the continuing improvement of his game. Many have stated that Bledsoe is a young star rising and the truth is that during Chris Paul’s absence he’s playing like one. Entering the Slam Dunk Contest will be a great experience for him and despite the great opponents he’ll face, let’s all that he brings home a trophy.
Bledsoe is the shortest amongst all the 6 competitors and this might actually be an advantage because both judges and the crowd really like it when short players can lift and deliver amazing dunks, equal or even better than the taller ones. What Bledsoe lacks in height he certainly gains in athleticism and jumping ability and he has all the potential to win it all.
By Chris Cabrera
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Kobe will record his 15th straight All Star appearance, all as a starter, while in the meantime he leads the votes overall for the third time in his career. This is well deserved by him despite for the Lakers being just 11th in the West. The 34-year veteran superstar is leading the league in scoring with 30 PPG and also is also shooting a career high 48% from the field this season.
Also at guard Chris Paul will make his appearance as a starter for the 4th time in his career, his sixth time generally as an all-star. Paul has been the leader of his team this season and has managed to change the whole picture of the Clippers together with Blake Griffin and the rest of the crew. He is averaging 17PPG and also almost 10 assists and he has provided some huge games for his team, lifting LA over tough opponents. His presence and his basketball IQ is what makes him so special, as he has the unique ability to make every teammate look better, a skill that only a few players in the entire NBA history possessed. Paul had a tough competition this season with Russel Westbrook for the starting point guard role, but managed to finish ahead from the Thunder’s star at votes.
At center we find Dwight Howard, his seventh straight All-Star appearance and his sixth as a starter. Although his team has not had a rather successful season till now, the monster center is putting huge numbers almost every game in rebounds and field goal percentage. He is averaging almost 18 points per game, 13 rebounds (first in the league) and 2.5 blocks. Even with some ups and downs in his performance, Howard is still considered to be one of the most, not to say the most complete players down the block and his starter role is well deserved.
Blake Griffin will also start for his 2nd time in an All-Star game, his third appearance overall. He is averaging 18 points on a 53% shooting from the field and also 8 rebounds per game. His has provided some huge games this season for the Clippers and also boosted the team’s 17-game winning streak that broke the franchise record. Apart from all the numbers and the stats, Griffin might be one of the strongest and most enjoying players to watch in the entire league, with all the dunks and alley-hoops his putting down.
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Chris Paul is currently leading the race to the 2013 season MVP title and it’s no surprise. It’s not only about the stats and the scores he provides. It’s bigger. It’s about the impact he had and continues to have in the Clippers organization. It’s about him providing solutions each night and playing like an on-court coach, making his teammates better. Team success comes through individual effort and each member of the Clippers team knows that well. This great performance and the winning record our team has, exposes Paul’s impact even further. Let’s take a look at what he has achieved up to now this season.
Number wise, the five-time all-star point guard has had an excellent season, averaging almost 17 PPG, 9.7 assists and 2.6 steals. In fact he ranks first in the league in steals and trails only Rajon Rondo in assists. He is the only player in the entire league to average at least 15 points, nine assists and two steals per game. His numbers went up during the historic 17-game winning streak of LA, but even after that he continued to deliver huge games. In fact he dished a season-high 16 assist during last week’s win against the Mavs.
But believe me his value goes well beyond just numbers and stats. Some things in basketball can’t be counted by numbers, but those who watch and know about fundamentals, can understand the difference between a good player and a great player. Paul is surely one great player. The way he sets up his team, making plays for his teammates and easing up things for the rest of his team is a unique charisma that only a few players in the entire NBA possess. His Basketball IQ and his awareness on offense and on D is what complete the picture of a true superstar and team leader. Most of his teammates express their admiration to Paul’s performance and presence on the court. Some even compare him to Jason Kidd during his legendary days.
One thing is for certain. The LA Clippers are not the joke they used to be, even after the acquisition of Blake Griffin. Our entire organization has done a terrific job and our team has all the potential to drive us to the NBA finals and even perhaps celebrate our first Championship. Things might go even better and Chris Paul is the one who can lead us all the way to the top. He well deserves the MVP award, judging from his up to now performance and impact to our team.
As the basketball season winds down, the excitement heats up as another NBA Playoff season kicks off for a battle to win the national championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers may undoubtedly be one of the greatest franchises in the history of professional sports. The Lakers have made an astounding 47 playoff appearances, captured the division title 27 times, made 25 NBA Finals appearances and won the NBA championship 11 times throughout their LA Staples Center history.
The team won its first championship in 1972 thanks to the remarkable play of Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and Jerry West. The Lakers would later enjoy their most impressive run during the 1980s, when they ascended to dynasty status by capturing the NBA championship in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.
After a period of rebuilding, the Lakers would return as a top contender with the pairing of All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to capture five championships in the 2000s. The team capped off their 50th season in Los Angeles with yet another championship win in 2010, laying the groundwork for several more decades of playoff success.
Of course, some of the greatest contributors to the team’s postseason success are the stellar coaches and players who have made their mark in the history of NBA lore. Coaching greats Pat Riley, Bill Sharman and Phil Jackson have led Laker squads to several championship wins, and legends such as Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have sported the yellow and purple in many a playoff game.
The 2012 NBA Playoffs are scheduled to start on April 28th, 2012 with the last possible 2012 NBA Finals date scheduled for June 26th, 2012. They seeding rewards the teams that have the best record. There are some caveats; however, as a divisional winner is guaranteed to be seeded no worse than #4. The other tiebreakers that are used to determine the seeding for the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
There were six coaching changes made prior to the start of the 2011-12 NBA season. Of note is the LA Laker’s coach, Phil Jackson, heading into retirement again after failing to make the NBA finals in his final season.
Just like past years, the 2012 NBA Playoffs will feature 8 teams in each conference. Divisional winners earn automatic playoff spots and the five teams with the best records after the division champs earn the right to play in the post season. The teams are seeded based on record and matched up according to seed. For example, the #1 seed in each conference will play the #8 seed from that same conference. Each round of the playoffs consists of a best of 7 series with a total of four rounds in the tournament culminating with the 2012 NBA Championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers are overall favorite to win the 2012 NBA Championship, beside Miami Heat. These two teams are on a collision course towards meeting in the Finals which will definitely not disappoint.
Now you can order your tickets to see the NBA Playoffs live in 2012 by visiting www.BarrysTickets.com today!
Kobe Bryant got the scoring record, Kevin Durant the MVP, and the West got the win – barely.
Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant scored 36 points to lead the Western Conference All-Stars to a 152-149 victory against the Eastern Conference All-Stars in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, earning MVP honors in the process. The game proved to be about as dramatic as one without any lead-changes can be, as the East rallied from a deficit that reached as many as 20 points in the final period to draw to within one point twice in the final two minutes, only to come up short. LeBron James had 36 points, six rebounds, and seven assists for the East, while Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade posted a 24-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double.
James and Deron Williams helped lead the East’s comeback effort as each hit a pair of three-pointers in the final period. Williams ignited the Amway Center crowd by stealing a Durant inbounds pass under the basket and laying the ball in to bring the East to within a point. After forcing a LA Lakers Kobe Bryant miss, the East had a chance to claim its first lead of the game on a fast break, but Wade lost the ball out of bounds on what should have been an easy layup attempt.
And, in a twist that’ll be debated throughout the media in the days ahead, James turned the ball over with two seconds left and his team trailing by two points. Williams’ go-ahead three-point try missed the mark, but New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony made an impressive back-tap to keep the ball alive for the East. James recovered the ball, but fumbled it away before the East could call timeout or get anything going. It was the 19th turnover of the night for the host conference, which was one of the factors that contributed to its defeat: the West scored 30 points off the East’s turnovers.
The game got off to a horrid start, with the East somehow managing to shoot 43.3 percent in the first period of an All-Star Game. The silliness progressed from there, as one might expect, given the low-intensity, low-stakes nature of the event. The West’s 88 first-half points set a new record for All-Star scoring in a half, which is as good an indicator of the quality of play through the first 24 minutes as any.
But in the third quarter, the game turned and all the players on both sides seemed to wake up. James hit three three-pointers in the first three minutes after halftime, helping the East cut the West’s lead from 21 to 12. Wade’s hard foul of a driving Bryant at the 8:48 mark–it drew blood! in an All-Star Game!–signaled the East meant business, and would not be content to let the West continue to pile up the points. Bryant declined to address the media after the game due to a headache he suffered on that foul.
Durant had plenty of help in leading the West to its second consecutive victory. Bryant scored 27, though he shot just 4-of-11 after the first period, while Russell Westbrook scored 21 points in 28 minutes off the bench, giving the East fits with his speed and leaping ability. Kevin Love scored eight of his quiet 17 points in the fourth quarter to help the West hold off the East.
Conclusion:
In all, the players rewarded the City of Orlando with an All-Star Game for the ages, despite the low-energy first half. Several records fell: Bryant passed Michael Jordan on the career All-Star scoring list; the East made 14 three-pointers; the teams combined for 301 points; Wade tallied the third triple-double in All-Star history; and Durant and James nearly broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for single-game All-Star scoring (42 points).
NBA All-Star game is the biggest event of All-Star Weekend, but as we all know, some of the best competitions and sneaker surprises happen on NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
On the docket was the Haier Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Footlocker 3-Point Shooting Contest, and the crowd favorite Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.
The night seemed to evaporate rather quickly, as is the weekend, and it will be back to business much too soon for most of us here in Orlando for the festivities.
Here are the results from the four events:
1. Haier Shooting Stars Winner: Team New York
With a time of 37.3 seconds in the final round Team New York Knicks defeated Team Houston’s (Chandler Parsons, Kenny Smith & Sophia Young) time of 47.6 seconds. The competition is far from the best of the evening but it does provide some interest watching players hoist up half court shots to closeout their attempt. It also incorporates a female from the WNBA on each team which brings that league a tad bit more attention. Team New York had the two fastest times of the night and Houston said the trio had practiced “a little bit”.
2. Taco Bell Skills Challenge Winner: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
Parker won the skills challenge with a time of 32.8 seconds in the final round defeating Rajon Rondo (34.6 seconds) and defending champion, Deron Williams (41.4 seconds). Rondo probably could have gotten the W if his bounce passes didn’t continue to rattle in and out. It took him 4 attempts to complete that challenge and was inevitably his downfall. Parker has competed in the competition twice previously and was at ease coming in he said the following afterwards.
3. Foot Locker 3-Point Contest Winner: Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Love squeaked into the finals and then pulled an upset win over Kevin Durant and defending champion James Jones. Love survived 2 overtimes or shootouts to take home the title with 17 points in the final shootout.
Love certainly wasn’t the favorite as “Bigs” don’t usually do well in the competition. James Jones had the competition high 22 in the first round and certainly looked like he was primed to repeat. He just got cold and was unable to keep up with Love and Durant.
4. Sprite Slam Dunk Contest Winner: Jeremy Evans, Utah Jazz
Evans might be the happiest player at All-Star weekend capturing 29% of the (reported) 3 million votes for the contest. (I would really like to see that tally) Just being given the opportunity to attend the event would have been enough for the humble forward but winning it might just make a difference in his play the rest of the season. He is that appreciative.
Remember he was a last minute replacement for Iman Shumpert.
Unfortunately his win is mired in the dubious distinction that the event field was more boring than vanilla.
Paul George had two of the better dunks of the evening but lamented that the competition does indeed lack star power. The dunk contest needs the league’s “faces” he said, mentioning (Miami Heat) LeBron, (Chicago Bulls) Rose, even Westbrook by name.
Evans did have the most original dunk of the night and it probably carried him to the win. He jumped over a seated Gordon Hayward then caught and dunked two balls thrown in the air by Hayward.
Unfortunately, the humility of Evans was not enough to save the lackluster evening. The NBA will have to look at ways of keeping the format fresh and potentially getting bigger names to commit to the event in the future.
Friday night the NBA hosted a number of events, none more interesting than the 2012 Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (5 p.m. | ESPN) and BBVA Rising Stars Challenge (7 p.m. | TNT).
Back in my day All-Star Friday night would be a place where they’d just talk to the All-Stars on camera, live, and get Karl Malone mad. The Celebrity Game and “Rookie” game have both gone through a number of changes over the years. This year in the Celebrity game they augmented the rosters with some former NBA-All Stars (passed their prime), and one WNBA notable (Tamika Catchings). The coaches for the two teams (somehow separated into “East” and “West”) were Orlando Magic Dwight Howard and Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant respectively. I really had no idea who the celebrities in the celebrity game were except for the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Kevin Hart.
There were even more changes in the Rookie game. This year they put all the rookies and sophomores into a pool, and had Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley alternate picks to fill out the two teams. The rosters used to only be 8 players strong, but because Jeremy Lin is a huge story right now, they increased the roster size to 10 players. In the older format it was very rare for the rookie team to beat the sophomore team. This way seems a bit more interesting though; you know, provided that the people making the picks actually know what they are doing. Ex Los Angeles Lakers Shaq’s first two picks, LA Clippers Blake Griffin and Jeremy Lin, both hardly played at all during the game. On the other hand, Chuck’s first two picks dominated when they were in the game. Early on DeMarcus Cousins was dunking on everybody, and his first pick Kyrie Irving won the MVP of the game (He went 8-8 from downtown). Also the two teams had every uneven coaching. Shaq’s team was coached by an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls and Steve Kerr (TNT). The Chicago Bulls assistant was coaching in a game where no one played defense, so he was wasted; and Kerr was a GM but never a coach. On Charles’ team the two coaches were Maurice Cheeks (Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach), and Mike Fratello (TNT). Mo Cheeks and The Czar were both NBA head coaches — and Mike was totally into the game actually coaching.
I’m having difficulty finding an actual Box Score of the game, but Gordon Hayward finished the game with 14 points, a pair of blocks, and countless nice passes. His outside shot was still missing; however he got to do a little bit of everything and he looked like he was having fun. I was particularly impressed with his defensive rebounds — which he snagged due to his length and athleticism, I would like to see more of that for the Jazz. Derrick Favors also added 14 points, in 14 minutes according to John Hollinger. He made pretty much all of his shots, including all of his free throws — and he was the only guy out there on Chuck’s team who failed to convert his thinking into “Exhibition Game Mode”. In a way, he was the analog to Shaq’s team’s dour blue collar bigman Greg Monroe. They both played back to the basket, had some dunks, but many more of their finishes were fundamentally sound. And they both played post defense, instead of just letting people dunk it. Monroe, of course, stole the game and the highlight of the game when — in super-duper garbage time, actually disrupted a potential John Wall Jam, and turned it into a full court assist with seconds left on the clock.
Both of our guys played well off the bench, and seem to be enjoying themselves. Hopefully they can get more playing time together in the second half of the season. I think the last time I watched the rookie game was when Andrei Kirilenko was a sophomore, and he was the only guy playing defense for his team. Nice to know that few things have changed for the mentality of our players.
NBA All-Star Weekend 2012 officially kicks off Friday in Orlando. Here’s a schedule of all the top-tier All-Star Weekend events.
Usually known as the Rookie/Sophomore Game, the 2012 edition of the Rising Stars Challenge is different because TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley selected the rosters from a pool of the top first- and second-year players. Reigning Rookie of the Year winner Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin headline Team Shaq. Top overall draft choice Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers and versatile big-man DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings anchor Team Chuck.
All-Star Saturday Night opens with the Haier Shooting Stars, which pits the defending champion Team Atlanta against Team Orlando, Team New York, and Team Texas.
The next event is the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, in which six of the league’s top point guards battle to complete an obstacle course that tests their dribbling, passing, and shooting ability. Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors, the defending champion, will take on Irving, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, John Wall of the Washington Wizards, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets.
The Foot Locker Three-Point Contest follows the Skills Challenge in which Magic forward Ryan Anderson will challenge the defending champion James Jones of the Miami Heat. Other competitors include Mario Chalmers of the Miami Heat, Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City, Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Anthony Morrow of the New Jersey Nets. Durant replaces Atlanta Hawks swingman Joe Johnson, who will sit out the contest due to injury.
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest concludes All-Star Saturday Night. This year’s dunk showdown features four players who have never before competed; it’s all fresh faces. In addition, the dunk contest will debut a new, one-round format in which each competitor has the opportunity to execute three dunks. The field is Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets, Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz, Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, and Derrick Williams of Minnesota. Evans replaces Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert, who had to bow out of the competition due to injury.
The main event of the weekend finally tips Sunday evening. Magic center Dwight Howard, the leading vote-getter among all players, will start for the East, while Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will tie a record for consecutive All-Star appearances with 14.
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