Thunder take a 3-0 lead over the Nuggets ~ My 1st visit to the Pepsi Center

I finally made it to the Pepsi Center for Game 3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder v Denver Knicks game (i.e. just kidding!!!).  Actually, it's the Denver Nuggets.  I couldn't resist making the joke. 

I arrived at the Pepsi Center early and decided just to park close to the arena for $15. As I waited with other NBA fans til about 6:45PM to get into the building for an 8PM start, the smell of buttered popcorn wafted outside.  Yes, I was sold.  I bought popcorn the minute I walked in.  A girl has to eat, right?

Sporting my new Nuggets hat (i.e. less than $20 from the team store) I went to my seat.  Everyone in the arena had a light blue Nuggets rally towel waiting for them on his/her seat.  Nice.  I save those towels and use them as kitchen towels.

As I watched the pre-game shoot around and warm-ups, I watched J.R. Smith and his teammates shoot trick shots.  Smith's final shot was a full court heave towards the basket and it went IN.  Ending on a high note, Smith ran into the tunnel to get ready for the game.  ****  Who knew this would foreshadow the outcome of the evening's game?

As the pregame festivities went on, I was reminded that the cartoon, South Park, is set in Colorado by Cartman on the jumbotron.  Too funny!

Nuggets fans are passionate about their team.  They cheered as the Nuggets battled the Thunder, but there were a good number of Thunder fans present at the game.  It was good to see all the Nuggets old school jerseys and T-shirts with "English" on the back.  ****  I met NBA Legend, Alex English, a couple of years ago during the All-Star break, and he was a nice guy.

Whenever I looked at the scoreboard it always seemed as though Kevin Durant and the Thunder were up about 6-8 points.  Whenever I looked towards the court, it seemed like either Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant was talking to a ref and complaining.  I like Durant and Westbrook, but nobody likes a whiner.  Sorry.  I call it like I see it.  Maybe that's why BOTH Durant and Westbrook were called for technical fouls. 

Regardless, the game was a little chippy and there was a good degree of physicality during the game.  However, physical basketball and a good degree of banging on the court is to be expected ~ especially during the NBA playoffs.

Nuggets fans (i.e. sitting near me in the lower bowl) were convinced the Denver was going to nab Game 3.  Unfortunately, for them, this wasn't the case.  I disagree with the 4 guys in their 20s who were sitting in front of me.  I don't believe that you can blame the Nuggets' defeat on the George Karl's rotation.  I believe that you can attribute the loss to the lack of effectiveness from Al Harrington, Raymond Felton, and anyone else who didn't grab an offensive rebound.

As the Nuggets fought back to close the Thunder lead, the fans at the Pepsi Center were on their feet.  With about 40 seconds left in the game, and the Thunder up about 6-8 points, some Nuggets "unfaithful" started to exit the building.  I find it ironic that the girl behind me (i.e. who looked like she was in her mid-20s) was the one who said, "I don't know why everyone is leaving.  40 seconds is a lot time in the NBA."  THAT is a girl who knows her stuff.

Final thought: The Nuggets fought back and cut the lead to 3 in the final seconds of the game.  The refs should've called the foul against the Thunder, as J.R. Smith took his final 3-point shot in the closing seconds of the game.  A foul is a foul, REGARDLESS of when it occurs during a game.  Nuggets' fans seemed to agree with me, since the "Boos" were very loud and lasted for a few seconds when the game ended.

Smith deserved to shoot 3 free throws.  He was fouled.

The Nuggets had balanced scoring with numerous high scorers with 15 points.  Scott Brooks' Thunder squad is definitely gelling and Serge Ibaka was the player that really stepped up his game for the night.  Durant led the Thunder with 26.  Westbrook contributed 23, and Ibaka added 22. 

Final score 97-94.  The Thunder won.

Great all-around game for the Thunder!  It goes without saying that the Nuggets have their work cut out for them for Game 4, which is tonight at 10:30PM ET.

THE WIRK

Amare's homecoming: Knicks crush the Suns ~ Good time with friends, but not much of a game

I was in Phoenix "yesterday" (i.e. what day is it?!?!) to catch the New York Knicks v Phoenix Suns game at the US Airways Center, and it was a bonus that I was able to see friends.  It was supposed to be a big game on Friday night, since Amare Stoudemire was back in Phoenix taking on his old squad. 

I have friends in the league.  That's no secret.  I also have friends in the media.  Because of my love of the game and the people closest to me, I'm used to coming second, behind basketball when I see them.  Just because I'm used to it, doesn't mean I'm always happy about it.  I do my best to roll with it and be understanding.  I'm used to having to get to the arena early, watching the pregame warm-ups, schmoozing with former players/announcers, shaking hands, waiting for the post-game interviews, and waiting for the players to come out of the locker rooms.  For those of you that get a ticket and bolt to beat traffic or because your team is down by 10, I'll never understand your world ~ and trust me, you'll never understand mine. 

****  If you think you know, you have no idea.  Don't get it twisted.  I'm not one of those NBA groupie girls.  Sure those girls are out there, but I'm not one of them.  The NBA is a fraternity and if you're in the circle of trust, you need to behave in a way that demands respect.  I want to and will be taken seriously.  Question my intentions, and we will have a problem.

As a girl, I have a tremendous appreciation for everything that goes into the 48 minutes of game time.  Friday, before the game, I was left watching the pregame warm-ups and talking to Allan Houston, Eddie Johnson, and Walt Frazier as I waited for my friend to return with a pass for me.  Yeah, that's how it is.  Only problem is that I knew Walt looked familiar but I couldn't place him.  ****  I'm embarrassed for myself.   I should've known better.  The man is in the Hall of Fame for goodness sake!  As he asked me about the blog and about sponsorship etc, I noticed a couple of my other friends across the court and went over to say, "Hi."

On the other side of the court, a great friend of mine introduced me to Mark Jackson.  As I shook his hand, I told Mark about the time I was in the Bahamas and the man working the lounge many years ago, told me that I missed Mark being there by a couple of weeks.  Not a bad story, and I'm sure he appreciated me having something colorful to say for the 5 seconds I spent with him.

As I left the court and went to grab food and catch up with another friend, I noticed there weren't many people at the arena for the start of the game.  The usher said that 8:30PM games were difficult to sell out, but that the fans would come.  The fans did come, but the Suns offense really never showed up.

As I talked with folks before the game, I wasn't the only one expecting little defense and a lot of offense.  I expected a shootout.  I never expected a final score with the Suns losing by 25.  The final score was 121-96.  The Knicks and Amare Stoudemire were victorious in what, turned out to not be much of a ball game.  Both Amare and Raymond Felton dropped 23 points.  For the Suns, Vince Carter dropped 19, and Steve Nash contributed 14.

I had the chance to scan the crowd during the game, and I saw Wesley Person sitting in the stands.  He was in town for the BCS National Championship game, presumably rooting for Auburn University.  I had the chance to catch-up with him after the game and relay a story from our days in Cleveland.  ****  He used to be a Cleveland Cavalier.  It's always fantastic to see a familiar face in an unexpected setting!

After the game, I caught up with an old friend, but made it back to the hotel as soon as I could to get some much needed rest. 

Great friends in a fun city...  I only wish the actual game was more competitive.

THE WIRK

Knicks defeat the Bulls on Christmas Day at The Garden

Today I went to Madison Square Garden for my first New York Knicks home game.  The Knicks were hosting the Chicago Bulls and my seat for the Christmas Day performance was SICK! 

I was sitting about 5-6 rows behind the Chicago Bulls bench.  Don't get me wrong...  When I don't have a horse in the race, I have a tendency to root for the home team.  As a girl who adopted the Knicks as her team (i.e. when Patrick Ewing was drafted), I also had reason to root for the Knicks.

Earlier in the week Charles Oakley was named to Paul Silas' Charlotte Bobcats coaching staff, and I received a free pass to not have to go home to Ohio for Christmas.  Soooooo, of course I took it as a sign to go to New York for the day and watch the Knicks at home.

I decided to take the train, since Amtrak dropped me right off at Madison Square Garden and I didn't want to risk driving in holiday traffic.  The game tipped off at 12 noon and I arrived at The Garden with about 80 minutes to spare before the opening tip.  People were arriving early.  Before 11AM, when they started to let people in the entrance was packed full of people standing shoulder to shoulder.

As I walked in and went to my seat, I started to take in The Garden.  Yeah, the Knicks game was a sellout and you could tell that the Knicks fans were ready to battle.  There were a decent amount of Bulls fans in the stands, but they even seemed to be cheering for the Knicks here and there. 

Another thing that was strange.  The Knicks were wearing green uniforms...  Yeah, I get it.  It was a decision to make the game appear more festive for the holidays (i.e. green for the Knicks, red for the Bulls).  Admittedly, as a "basketball purist" I thought the green was corny.

Today's match-up was a high-flying, physical game and I was excited to see Amare Stoudemire perform with his "new" team.  Amare delivered 20 points, 10 boards, and 6 blocked shots.  For those of you that think Amare doesn't play defense, he did his best to show you what he could do today.  For all of you doubters, that was your Christmas present.

2 of Amare Stoudemire's points

Since I was at the game, I wasn't paying attention to numbers.  I had to check the box score, but here are the details.  Raymond Felton came up big with 20 points and 12 assists.  Danilo Gallinari was not to be ignored, since he hit 75% of his 3 point attempts and finished with 15 points.  Wilson Chandler also dropped 15 points and gathered 10 boards.  The Knicks were balanced and earned the victory.

The Bulls were without Joakim Noah, but Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose came up strong.  Boozer dropped 26 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.  Rose had 25 points and 8 assists.  I took another look at Kyle Korver, and I still think he resembles Carrot Top.

Boozer looking light as a feather

The Knicks ended up winning the game and defeating the Bulls with a final score of 103-95.

I can cross Madison Square Garden off of my list.  By the way, parents please listen.  If you bring your child to a basketball game, please make sure the kid either wants to be there or is old enough to tolerate being there.  I was sitting next to a kid who screamed, "I want to go home!" for most of the 3rd quarter.  This wasn't pleasant for anyone in earshot, and believe me ~ this kid had a set of lungs!

Thanks to Amare Stoudemire's effort, the "Christmas" party at The Garden was also a "block" party!  Enjoy the pictures from the game.

****  Oh and did I mention that David Kahn, President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves was sitting behind me during the game?  Maybe it's something.  Maybe it's nothing.  It is interesting though...

THE WIRK