The Rockets dropped a second straight game to the Nuggets, this one in dramatic fashion, to fall out of the West’s NBA playoff bracket. The Jazz and Suns pounced on the misfortune.For all of Monday’s NBA box scores, check out SI.com’s NBA scoreboard.
Thunder Vs. Clippers: L.A. Dominates Second Half, Clinches Playoff Berth
PresswireWell, at least once more after that one -- only much, much worse. Westbrook began the game on a tear, scoring Oklahoma City’s first seven points and nine in the first quarter. Durant had a huge first half, scoring 19. With their stars rolling the Thunder held a nine-point lead at the intermission.
In the second half, Durant and Westbrook scored a total of .... wait for it ... five points. They were 1-13 from the field, and made it to the free throw line just four times (and truth be told, those trips were a bit dubious -- the refs may have started feeling sorry for Durant). Westbrook was as invisible as he has been all season. After his nine first-quarter points, he did not score again. It was his lowest point total in 2012, since the third game of the season. More tellingly, while he averages 6.4 free throws per game, 10th most in the NBA this season, he did not make it to the line even once.
Read Article >Mavericks Vs. Jazz: Utah Outlasts Dallas In Triple Overtime
PresswireFinally, after 63 minutes of basketball, we got some closure. While the Mavericks started to falter, Harris, Jefferson, and Millsap all made big shots to put Utah ahead for good. All told, all five Utah starters scored 15 or more points, with Jefferson’s monstrous 28-point, 26-rebound game leading the way. Nowitzki had 40 for the Mavericks and Terry contributed 27 off the bench, but the valiant effort just wasn’t enough.
Visit SLC Dunk for more on the Jazz and Mavs Moneyball for more Dallas coverage.
Read Article >Nuggets Vs. Rockets: Houston, We Have A Heartbreaker
April 16, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Goran Dragic (3) reacts to a made shot against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at the Toyota Center. The Nuggets won 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE In any case, McHale’s decision bothered Rockets fans as well. Here’s what Patrick Harrel of SB Nation’s Rockets blog, The Dream Shake, had to say about the frontcourt rotation down the stretch:
The Patterson-Scola backcourt conceded a few easy finishes to Lawson and Harrington in the final minutes, and the Nuggets shot 56.3 percent as a team in the final period to close out their big win. Parson and Scola both kept the Rockets within striking distance, but each missed on a chance to tie the game in the last 10 seconds. The energetic Houston crowd held on until the final moments, but it was not rewarded for its enthusiasm or loyalty. Take a look at the current state of Western Conference playoff bracket to see why the loss hurts Houston so much:
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