The Knicks fought off the Sixers 4th quarter push for the win

Last night I was at the Wells Fargo Center.  I have to say that because I felt like I was in New York.  I heard so many "Melo" chants and was surrounded by a bunch of fans that were wearing New York Knicks jerseys, that at times I felt like I was at Madison Square Garden. 

Knicks fans representing

If you like physical basketball, you should have been at the New York Knicks v Philadelphia 76ers game last night.  I decided at the last minute to go to the game and I don't regret it for one moment.  I have been wanting to go to the Wells Fargo Center for a Sixers home game for some time now, but lacked motivation.  ****  I'd been to the venue before, but not for a game and needed to check it off my list.

As I entered the arena, I took in the sights and noticed that there was an auction going on for Sixers' charities.  Fans could bid on baskets donated by the players and organization.  I saw Elton Brand's favorite things basket and decided to bid.  His basket included an iPad.  After bidding $900, I kept it moving and went to my seat.  ****  The basket sold for $2,000.

I have an interest in the Knicks for various reasons.  I mean, come on.  Instead of spending Christmas with my family, I went to watch the Chicago Bulls play the New York Knicks at The Garden.  However, I had yet to see Carmelo Anthony in a Knicks uniform though and I needed to see the "new look" Knicks for myself.

As I watched the Knicks dominate the Sixers for 3.5 quarters, I was already thinking about the next step of my night.  Suddenly, the Sixers started playing and Andre Igoudala found his game.  Elton Brand was playing solidly as well.  Next thing you knew (i.e. with Chauncey Billups out of the game with a bruised thigh) and Carmelo in foul trouble, the Sixers were cutting the lead.  

The cutest, little Sixers fan
capturing the action



With about 2:40 minutes left in the game (i.e. and Carmelo Anthony in foul trouble), the Sixers took the lead and their fans were off their feet.  The score was 88-87, and the Sixers hadn't led since the score was 13-12.  How do I know?  I re-watched the game on TV.  Yeah.  You heard me.  I re-watched the game on TV.

It's no secret that Doug Collins has been coaching his tail off with the Sixers.  It's also no secret that the Knicks aren't known for their defense.  However, Ronny Turiaf came up with some great defensive plays and played a huge role in the win.  He may not be an offensive weapon (i.e. 0 points, and 1 blocked shot), but he brought it on defense.

Ronny Turiaf's one blocked shot of the game

At the end of the day, the Knicks escaped the 4th quarter surge of the Sixers and won the game. 

In the losing effort, Thaddeus Young had 25, points and Elton contributed 24 points.  Andre Igoudala ended with 15 points, and most of them were later in the game.

The Knicks ready to finish off the Sixers

For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 31 points and 11 boards.  Amare Stoudemire put in work for 18 points.

What a game!  It was well worth the trip to the Wells Fargo Center...  Cross it off the list.

Oh and, I even made it on TV...  See me in the lower left-hand corner?  My cousins recognized me and called me during the game.  Too funny!

THE WIRK

Lakers v Heat and Knicks v Mavericks ~ Should be a great TNT doubleheader

Last Christmas, I went to Madison Square Garden to watch the Chicago Bulls take on the New York Knicks.  After the game, I hopped on the Acela and went to DC as fast as I could.  I wanted to get in front of a TV, as soon as possible, to see the Miami Heat take on the Los Angeles Lakers.  I expected a big game, but what I got was a blow out.  The Heat dominated the Lakers, and I was left disappointed.  All I wanted for "basketball Christmas" were victories for the Knicks and the Lakers, but I was only .500.

Well today isn't Christmas, but TNT is giving us a great doubleheader.  The Knicks and the Lakers are in action tonight. 

Does Bosh intimidate you?

The early game (i.e. 7PM ET) has the Los Angeles Lakers in Miami taking on the Heat.  I'm taking a shot and calling it right now.  I think the Lakers win tonight.  They're on an 8-game win streak, and I think they'll get their 9th win tonight.  As a result, I predict that the Heat will lose, increasing their unenviable streak to 6 losses in a row.  I want the Lakers and Kobe Bryant to avenge the loss on Christmas Day.  Further, I want to see how Chris Bosh tries to prove his value after his absurd statements following Tuesday's loss.  ****  I won $5 when the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Heat, and I'm ready to go double or nothing with my friend. 



The Heat's "2 and a half men" trying to rebound

As for the New York Knicks v Dallas Mavericks game tonight (i.e. 9:30 PM ET), I don't really know who I want to win.  I like Amare Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitzki.  I still need to see the new-look Knicks live now that Carmelo Anthony is on the roster, but I might just hold off and wait for the playoffs.  ****  Wow, it felt good to type "Knicks" and "playoffs" in the same sentence sans sarcasm.  Ultimately, I'm just hoping for a competitive game. 

****  I took the pictures used for this post at the Heat v Wizards game on December 18, 2010.



THE WIRK

NBA All-Star Saturday ~ Practice

If you can’t go to the actual NBA All-Star game, definitely go to NBA All-Star practice. Practice was held Saturday morning at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  ****  This was the first time since the NBA All-Star festivities were held in Cleveland, OH that I went to watch practice.  I have been missing out!

The LA Convention Center hosted the NBA Jam Session.  If you’ve never been to NBA Jam Session, check it out. There are numerous opportunities to interact with players, complete various basketball drills, and celebrate the game of basketball etc. More on that in a later post.

Practice is a ticketed event. I suggest you get there early if you want to take pictures since the tickets designate a section only. It’s general admission within the sections.

The guys are pretty loose during practice and you can see the smiles on their faces. NBA All-Star weekend is a fun time for the fans and the athletes. Unlike in football, where it’s a challenge to get the athletes to play in the Pro Bowl, the NBA shows up and enjoys itself during the All-Star break. 

 Don’t believe me? Check out the smiles on the guys’ faces.

One funny moment during practice occurred when Doc Rivers, coach for the Eastern All-Stars, told Carmelo Anthony to stand in the middle of the court since he didn’t know whether he was playing for the West or the East. ****  Obviously this was before Monday’s trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks and in the middle of the Melo-drama.

At any rate, practice was a good time and the teams performed various shooting drills. Towards the end of the practice Paul Pierce and Ray Allen established a record for 3-pointers by a tandem for the Guinness Book of World Records. Unfortunately for the Celtics duo, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant promptly broke the record to claim it as their own.

After practice there was media availability. The media had a chance to go onto the court to talk to the players. Picture it. I liken it to the media version of “storming the court”.

THE WIRK

Spike lee said Landry Fields isn't on the table

I was at the Nike party last night and I overheard Spike Lee and an ESPN guy talking about the new Knicks offer for Carmelo. "Landry (Fields) is not on the table," was what Spike had to say. Great party! If you missed it, you failed.

I'm typing this at NBA Jam Session on my phone, waiting for practice to start. More posts and pics to follow later.

THE WIRK

Nets walk away from table, where Carmelo never sat ~ Trade drama over "for now"

Now that Mikhail Prokhorov has called off the Nets' pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, I think we can all move on for now.  I debated on whether or not I'd compose a post about it all, and for the sake of being comprehensive here goes...

My prediction: Carmelo Anthony plays out the season in Denver as a Nugget AND then goes to the Knicks... I don't believe the Chicago Bulls talk...  That's my 3 cents based.  ****  Why 3 cents?  It's 3 cents because I'm smarter than the average person, and the average person gives you 2 cents.

So what does this mean?

• I don't believe that Prokhorov is bluffing.  I really believe the New Jersey Nets are out of the mix.
• I don't believe Carmelo wanted to play for the New Jersey Nets anyway.
• I think that if Carmelo isn't moved before the end of the season, he will have even more interest in what happens over the summer with regard to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
• I'd imagine that Denver Nuggets fans will get to see Carmelo play through the end of the season, and therefore the "empty" seats that were noted in last night's game, should fill up
• I think that New York Knicks fans will have to hold their breath and wait to see what Donnie Walsh comes up with regard to an offer for Carmelo.

With regard to Richard "Rip" Hamilton sitting on the bench...  I don't really see a reason for him to play.  I doubt the Detroit Pistons will do anything this year.  Further it appears that coach, John Kuester (i.e. a Tarheel), wants to go another direction (i.e. read: younger).  Personally, I don't like watching solid-NBA vets sit, and I'd want to see Rip and his $11 million run up and down the court.  However, my opinion appears to be the minority.  I guess when you're preparing to rebuild, I guess the veteran presence doesn't matter.  ****  Hmmm, now that I think about it, it sounds a lot like the Washington Redskins' McNabb situation...

****  I took the pictures for this post during the Nuggets v Wizards game, February 2010.

THE WIRK

NBA Sunday morning thoughts on the Knicks, Sixers, and Mavericks

I'm getting a slow start today since I had a holiday party last night.  Here are my NBA thoughts as I start to wake up and hustle.

• The Knicks game to go to wasn't the game on Friday night against the Washington Wizards, so in hindsight I missed nothing.  The game to go to is the one being played right now, since the Knicks are up on the Denver Nuggets.  Further, with all the Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks rumors swirling, I think there's a whole other element of drama associated with this game.
• I should've hopped on the train and went to NYC this morning...
• I also thought about heading to Philly (i.e. I still have never seen the Sixers play at home) to cross off another venue today.  I thought the game might be fun since the New Orleans Hornets and Chris Paul were in town.  Needless to say, I never motivated.
• Looks like I'm missing nothing, since although the Hornets showed up ~ based on the score (i.e they're losing 45-22) they have yet to PLAY.
• The Dallas Mavericks have extended their win streak to 12.  I need to get myself to Dallas.  I took a look at the Mavs schedule though, and it doesn't synch up with mine. 
• Oh and have I not mentioned it yet in this post?  Dirk Nowitzki is growing on me, now that he cut his hair!  LOL.

With the holidays, my work, and play schedule I don't think I slow down until the week of Christmas.  If you're following this blog, you'll see what I'm talking about as the days unfold. 

I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do and where I want to be, but New York and Dallas are very high on my list!


THE WIRK

***  Update, I'm back from a a movie and just checked the scores.  Wow.  The Knicks beat the Nuggets to extend their win streak to 8 games.  Amare dropped 30 in the victory, to extend his streak to 8 games with 30 points or more...  Forget the Miami Heat.  I'd rather hear about the Knicks or the Mavericks...  Those 2 teams are "legitimately" on fire, since they're defeating quality teams.

NBA Media Day was yesterday and Training Camp has begun

Yesterday was the "start" of the NBA Season with NBA training camp opening up and Media Day!  For those of you that don't know, media is a busy day for those involved in the NBA.  It's like the first day of school for your favorite NBA athletes.  They get their hair cut, some wax their backs (i.e. I swear), and make sure they're camera ready when they have their pictures taken, talk to the press,  and answer questions about the offseason and what they expect for the upcoming season(s).

I was busy yesterday, so I didn't catch (i.e. see/hear) any of the action, but I'm sure that seeing Carmelo Anthony in his jersey served as some (i.e. perhaps temporary) consolation to Denver Nuggets fans.  Further, I can't imagine how different media day was for Cleveland Cavaliers reporters compared to the previous 7, now that LeBron has, "taken his talents to South Beach". 

Keeps your eyes open, because cities that aren't used to an NBA presence during the year often host the teams during training camp.  I know that some franchises have left their "homes" in order to focus on the upcoming season (i.e. the Phoenix Suns are in San Diego, the Minnesota Timber Wolves are in Mankato, the Miami Heat are at Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, etc.).  Years, ago I was in Hawaii and saw several men in purple and gold.  Sure enough, I was in the pool that afternoon and noticed Brian Shaw sitting in a chair.  Yes, boys and girls.  The Los Angeles Lakers held their training camp in Honolulu that year and could be found around the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss walking the beach in Hawaii

Forget preseason, I'm looking forward to the first NBA game of the season!  For those of you still relishing in last year's NBA Championship, here's a DVD so you can re-live those moments :-P


THE WIRK

Nuggets in town to play the Mystics ~ Wait, that's not right?! Oh wait, it's the Wizards...

Hold onto your seats ladies and gentlemen, because tonight the Nuggets (36-18) play the Wizards (something little -something big)...  It's gonna be a real barn burner! And if you believe that, then maybe I can interest you in giving me some seed money so I can head to AC or Vegas and quadruple it...  Really?!?!  You're a little bit interested?!?!  Comment me with your email information, and I'll hit you with my paypal address.

The Nuggets are coming off of an overtime victory last night at the Q.  After the game, Carmelo Anthony "tweeted" that the game was an "instant classic".  I don't agree, but he played in it, so he's biased.  He finished with 40 points, 7 boards, and the game-winner.  He played 48 minutes, and the total game time was 53, since it went into OT...  My guess is that tonight he's going to be tired, since the game finished late (well after 1AM) and he played so many minutes. 

Anyway, back to tonight...  Not only are the Nuggets playing the Wizards tonight ~ they're set to play the NEWLY, GUTTED Wizards tonight...  What does that mean?  That means that the Nuggets could probably sit Melo, Chauncey, and KMart and probably still win.  I'm really hoping that that's not the case though because I'm headed to the arena for a multitude of reasons, and I want to see the "REAL" Nuggets on the court.

During NBA All-Star weekend, I saw George Karl a number of times.  Based on his press conference, George has known about his treatable throat cancer since December, but it seems he just notified his team on Tuesday.  Whether, treatable or not ~ cancer is cancer and that has to be scary.  My seats are near the Nuggets bench and I'll do my best to resist the urge to stare at George's throat...  BUT I know me ~ even though, it's not like I'm going to be able to see anything, I'm going to keep looking.  I am praying for his recovery.  It has to be tough, but at least its "treatable".

The Nuggets are the 2nd biggest threat in the West.  The Lakers are without a doubt the 1st.  At this point in the season, the Nuggets are 5 games back...  During NBA All-Star weekend, I was talking to one of the Nuggets and he stressed that his job was to focus on the remaininng 29 games (i.e. 28 now, since they just played last night).  I found that interesting ~ the fact that he knew exactly how many games were left in the season.  Ask me how many more days I have this year, and I'll laugh in your face.  Then again, I'm not an athlete nearing the end of the REGULAR season...  Will the Nuggets catch the Lakers?  I'm going to say, "No".  BUT I do think, that in the West, they can defnitely give the Lakers a run for their money, especially if Kobe continues to sit out.

It's true that people rise to the level of their competition.  Although unlikely, there's still a chance that the Nuggets could come out of the West and play for the NBA Championship.  Yes, I said it ~ and Yes, it CAN happen.  It's possible.  The Cavs were the favorite to come out of the East last year, and we all know what happened in that mess.  The Magic took the Cavs out of the mix.  If you said you "called it", then you're probably the same liar that says that you knew "all along" that Bruce Willis' character was dead in the movie, "The Sixth Sense" ~ I'm not buying it.  The most likely scenario is that a Nuggets surge will push the Lakers to perform even better 

The sad fact about tonight's game is that the Nuggets know that the Wizards are not even in their own league.  This game tonight should be a yawner...  I recommend that the Wizards adopt the WNBA's pricing model for the remaining games this season.  In addition to scouting the Nuggets and indulging in the nachos that have been promisd to me, I'm hoping Melo (i.e. since he is as close to home as he's going to get) still has some gas left in the tank for a great show tonight.

And yes, of course, I'm curious to see if Zydrunas is going to be on the bench or even if he's in the building.  I go where history is happening and if he's going to be on that Wizards bench, I'm not going to miss it for the world. 

“Right now I’m a Wizard,” he said. “I think eventually they’ll let me go, but that’s just my guess. They haven’t told me anything yet. First I’ve got to go to Washington, and hopefully after a couple of days they’ll let me go home.” <--- Zydrunas' quote...


THE WIRK

Friday before the Super Bowl ~ Vegas, NFL Commish Party/Lockout, Caps, and Go Colts!!!

Today,  I wasn't able to get out since I was jockeying con calls and working.  HOWEVER, I was able to watch a little bit of TV, check some schedules, and gather my thoughts before trekking out to Laudy for the NFL Commish party.

My predictions for the night:
Winners: I liked the Hawks, Pacers, and Nuggets.  I liked the Nuggets even after I heard that Kobe was playing and Carmelo Anthony was out.  It was a hunch ~ but it was dead ON.  Did you see that Nuggets v Lakers game?!  If not, you missed a good one.  Chaucey was shooting the lights out of the arena and left with a career high of 37 points.  I need to get to Denver when they're all healthy and see them play, in person, for myself...
Loser: I also liked the Hornets, even though CP3 wasn't playing, since I read that AI was out also.  No idea what happened with that game, since I was up to my eyes in football stuff, but according to the ESPN crawl, the Philly bench "stepped up"...  Yeah, well you're just as shocked as I am... Who cares ~ you can't predict them all, and that's what you get when you pick a lame game to guess about.

So, what's the verdict?!?  Well, I'm not 100% psychic, but I'm 75% psychic...  I would've gone 3/4...  Can you tell that I'm jonesing for a trip to Vegas?!?! I looked at flights to Atlantis last night and the RT fare was a hair under $200.  I always carry my pasport with me (i.e. since you "never know") and almost bought the ticket to head out there tomorrow, but I held off.  Sure enough when I looked for the same flights on the way to Laudy, they flights were sold out.  Oh well.  It wasn't that serious for me to head out there for THE DAY. 

I wish I had enough time to head to Vegas before the Super Bowl.  I love the Venetian Sportsbook.  Ask anyone who knows me, has spent any amount of time with me in Vegas, or is looking for me when I'm in Vegas and they'll tell you where I am and they'd be willing to bet on it.  I'm a creature of habit.  I like familiarity.  I know the guys there in that book, and they have served me well throughout the years.  I'm superstitious (i.e. just a little),and I study that board (with all the games listed) ridiculously well.  As a gambler, I believe in the streak.  I believe in momentum, and I have a firm grip on the psychology of sports.  I've seen what it's like for athletes to travel, to wake up for film, and to have to go to the arena early for treatment/shoot around.  I've seen how quickly or slowly some bounce back from injury,  I know that back spasms is a fake diagnosis, when listed as an injury, and I also have a clue as to who's a headcase and who has brains.  OK - so maybe I don't KNOW, but I'm VERY confident in my hunches. 

When in the book and in preparation for my trips to Vegas I watch plenty of games, look up the trends, and crunch/examine the numbers just as much, if not more than the investors that watch the companies in their stock portfolios.  I get a little obsessive compulsive.  Instead of buying and selling Coca Cola, I decide whether I want to pick up teams that are improving and try to time it right, as to when to jump off of another team's bandwagon...  My brother looks at health care com[anies/technology etc. for work, and he always tells me he hates gambling.  BULLSHIT.  He's a gambler ~ he does the exact same thing I do.  He just chooses health care related companies, and I'd rather watch sports.  Ever get tickets to go watch Pepsi , Boeing, or Wendy's do anything!?!  Yeah, I didn't think so.

Anyway... Enough about that.

So today was Roger Goodell's State of the NFL press conference and his Super Bowl party...  I missed the press conference.  I told you I was working...  Anyway, the gist of it is this.  I firmly believe there will be an NFL Lockout next season in 2011, and I'm not in the minority.  Why?!?  Because everyone wants to get paid and $8 billion in gross revenue is plenty of money to fight over.  (Shoot, I'll lock you out of my car for $20...  I can't even fathom what I'd do if I had to fight for a cut of $8 billion...  But I digress... ) Another reason I think a lockout will happen, is because I've seen it happen in basketball.  I've seen what happens when the bluff is called.  I remember when my ex had to go workout with the college kids at Cleveland State or the Cleveland Indians, since the Cavs facility was off-liimts.

I mentioned the strong possibility of no football in 2011 to my brother at the Commish's party.  "There going to strike?!?" was his reply.  No, Grasshopper ~ let me school you and any other person with incorrect ideas about this issue.  The players aren't going to strike.  The owners will lock them out ~ hence, LOCKOUT.  Just like in basketball...  Don't believe me?  Here.

According to Wikipedia ~ A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.

As a fan, a lockout would be terrible.  I've seen the movie "The Replacements".  It was good, but that's a movie.  I was having drinks with my friends yesterday and my friend MW had me laughing.  He pointed to his 3 friends and said, "They're going to put us in uniforms, give us helmets, and call us the Dallas Cowboys!"  How can you not laugh at the thought?!?!

We also talked about the Pro Bowl and the movement of the game to the week before the Super Bowl.  Consensus at the table and the ratings showed me that this was a good move.  Although, I'm not sure that anyone of us actually watched the game.  Sure, fan attendance was better ~ duh, has anyone compared airfare price differences between a trip to Honolulu v. a trip to Miami?!?!  The argument is that people need something to fill the void preceding the Super Bowl.  Yeah ~ but does anyone even know who won the game?!?!  I think it was the NFC...  Dammit ~ just checked it, and I was wrong ~ the AFC won.

Oh well, if you would've asked me to put in order the musical performances at the Grammy's I could've done that quicker.  I actualy ended up DVR'g the Grammy's and waching 2 crappy ACC basketball games that Sunday ~ but let me tell you, that if I had to do it all over again, I still wouldn't want to watch the Pro Bowl.  I've never been to the event, but any event that the PROFESSIONAL athletes are given the PRIVILEGE to play ~ and the athletes bow out ~ well, why should I watch?!?!  The player himself doesn't want to play...  What is that even about?!?!?  If anyone honored me enough to pick me to represent whomever/whatever in the internet shopping and text message olympics I'd be there with bells on.  I just don't understand it. Some people want to play, some people don't.  It all boils down to this ~ if you're not psyched about your own gig/product, how am I supposed to be psyched about your gig/product?!!

One last thng, and I realize that this is selfish ~ I met my last fiance during the NBA Lockout so who's to say an NFL Lockout would be so bad?!?!  Just saying...  Haha :-P

Anyway...  Enough about that.

The Caps have won 13 in a row.  The record in hockey is 17...  I say the Caps go for at least 18!  Let's go Caps!!!

I can't think of anything else right now.  So that's all I have for now.  Time to light a candle and pray for Dwight Freeney's ankle.  GO COLTS!!!

Wait...  Speaking of the Colts check out the pics from the NFL Commish party today.  I'm a Colts fan so I'm partial to the Unitas pics...  Incidentally, Unitas was Lithuanian..  Hahaha:-P

Tickets to the party looked like credentials...

The Pointer Sisters ~ Jump was the last song they sung.

The Vince Lombardi trophy

Unitas' helmet

Unitas' game jersey from the Super Bowl

THE WIRK