Remember when Paul Pierce said last year that the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics should not be considered a rivalry?

It is time to lay that statement to bed as the two teams put on a heart stopping classic back and forth game that ended with a Celtics 91-89 win. Paul Pierce continued his excellent play leading all scorers with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kevin Garnett scored 15 and grabbed 8 rebounds with one of those rebounds giving him his 10,000th career defensive board.

The fourth quarter of this game saw the Celtics rally behind Pierce and Ray Allen who had 9 of his 14 in the quarter. Both teams played sloppy down the stretch and tempers flared on multiple calls from the referees. Boston thought they had the game in hand when Pierce nailed a 3 with the shot clock winding down that would have gave the Celtics a 93-89 lead with 14 seconds remaining. Upon further review the call was overturned (rightfully so) and Boston’s lead was reduced to 90-89 giving the Knicks possession.

Landry Fields missed a wide open corner three, Pierce corralled the board and was promptly fouled making one of two pushing the lead to 91-89.

Coach D’Antoni, who has been under heavy fire for the Knicks recent slippage, head scratchingly inserted Steve Novak into the game on the Knicks’ final possession with 4 seconds left to play. Naturally Novak, who hadn’t played a minute in the game up to that point, got the final shot and missed an off balance three fading to his left in the corner sealing the Celtics comeback victory.

Carmelo Anthony lead the Knicks with 26 points, Tyson Chandler double doubled with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and A’mare Stoudemire also chipped in 16 points and 11 rebounds.  Nevertheless it was Novak who attempted the final shot.

If you would have told the Celtics that Novak would be taking the game winning shot for the Knicks, I am sure you would have heard a collective “Please and thank you!”.

The Knicks have now lost 11 of  their last 13 games inexplicably and fall to 8-15 on the season.

Boston limited New York to just 34 points in the second half and improved to 12-10 on the season. Lost in the commotion of this game was the return of Rajon Rondo. The Celtics point guard had missed 8 straight games with a lingering wrist injury but gutted out 34 minutes tonight in his return.

This renewed rivalry will resume on March 4 when the two teams meet again.

Let’s say Woody Allen and Jiminy Glick matched up against Conan O’brien and Richard Kiel in a 2-on-2 pick-up game.  One would expect the taller pair to run away with the victory 9 out of 10 times.  Last night against the Jazz, it wasn’t Glick and Allen but Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry that went against all odds and took over the game despite the presence of Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap.

History in the NBA has shown that size is important when chasing relevancy and of course, a championship.  Take a look at the last 10-15 years and consider the success of Tim Duncan and the Spurs, Hakeem and the Rockets, Shaq and the Lakers.  I hate to take some merit away from a guy like Iverson, but the 2001 finals was a tough gig for him with an aging Mutombo and an underwhelming Todd MacCulloch trying to prevent Shaq from averaging less than 33 per game.  Lastly, the Magic had no business being in the 2009 NBA finals without a guy like Dwight manning the paint.

Dating back to the years when Cookie Monster was my hero and I was filling up my Huggies 5 times per day, the Celtics needed McHale, the Lakers needed Kareem, and the Pistons needed Rodman and Lambieer.    

There’s a reason that the Warriors overpaid for 7-footer, Kwame Brown, and had to sign journeyman, Earl Barron, after Brown tore his pectoral muscle.  There’s a reason why they are giving an undersized Ekpe Udoh so many minutes at center.  They understand the philosophy of a winning team, which encompasses a dominant center.  There’s still a gaping hole at center and I don’t think Biedrins, Udoh, or Barron are the answer, which explains the rumors of Ellis slouching on the trading block over the summer.

Although the ambiguously dynamic duo of Curry and Ellis was successful last night in a win over the surging Jazz, the Warriors will continue to try to squeeze juice out of a raisin at the center position with the trade deadline fast approaching and not much to pick at on the free agent market. 

Woody needs to be paired with Conan and Glick with Kiel just like Jefferson and Milsap needed Earl Watson and Devin Harris last night.   Would the movie Twins have been half as funny if Arnold Schwarzenegger’s long lost twin was Jean-Claude Van Damme and not a butterball like Danny Devito?

I don’t think the Warriors have given up on Ellis and Curry but history speaks much louder than the present situation.  With Harris (hamstrung) and Watson (ankle sprain) sitting out last night’s game, D-League special, Jamaal Tinsley was asked to take the point but doesn’t have the speed anymore to cover Ellis and Curry.

As beat writers and analysts have been screaming this year, ‘The Warriors need to get back to their running game’, they may have the right idea.  The Warriors ran the Jazz out of the gym last night, scoring 71 points in the second half and took good care of the ball with only 8 turnovers. 

The Warriors get the Kings tomorrow, which could produce another high scoring affair that will hopefully be in favor of the Warriors.

No coach will ever claim a moral victory. No player will ever claim a moral victory. Rarely will a fan claim a moral victory for their favorite team. I will not claim a moral victory for any of my favorite teams, no matter what the situation may be.

The Knicks’ loss to the Bulls tonight, however, is a good sign. A very good sign.

Amar’e Stoudemire led all scorers in the 105-102 Chicago win with 34 points on 16 of 27 shooting, and Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 32 on 12 of 26.

Following an eleven point halftime deficit, a great second half surge by the Knicks resulted in a chance to send the game into overtime on their last possession, but a Carmelo Anthony three pointer fell short at the buzzer.

The teams were even in rebounding and turnovers, as both grabbed 37 boards and committed 14 turnovers. This wasn’t the only case of even play; the stats were relatively close across the board, as the Bulls and Knicks treated us to a great game.

So, yes, the Knicks lost a game that they had a great chance to win down the stretch. Nevertheless, they, and we as fans, should be very satisfied with this performance.

Why though?

The Knicks shot nearly 49%, 7% better than their average, while ball movement and offensive flow was significantly better than normal. You can look at their assist to turnover ratio for proof of this, but there is a different stat that I would like to focus on.

Three point shot attempts.

The Knicks shot 16 three pointers, nearly eight less than normal. Keep in mind that two of those threes were on their last two possessions, when they had virtually no other option. When they found themselves down by double digits at the break, they did not panic nor did they play undisciplined, as they have tended to do in those types of situations this year. Instead, they pounded the ball inside, and when they did take jump shots, they were high percentage ones.

Who should gain credit for this? Well, let us not kid ourselves, it is Mike D’antoni. The guy who has been coaching as if he wants to get fired may finally be figuring it out, even if it is just one game.

Not to mention, this is the second straight game where this has been the case; the Knicks took just 18 threes on Tuesday night, making half of them, and shot 60% overall. The Knicks could be realizing that shooting three pointers makes them weaker, not stronger. As I have said multiple times, shooting threes is not always a terrible thing, but the Knicks do not possess any reliable three point shooters; it just is not their game.

Another good sign was the play of Amar’e Stoudemire, whose struggles have been immense this season. Amar’e played like the Amar’e we expect him to be, scoring 34 points on 16 of 27, and grabbing 11 rebounds. It’s just one step, but the Knicks need, absolutely need, Amar’e Stoudemire to play to his full ability in order for them to succeed. If nothing else, tonight should be a confidence booster for the All-Star power forward.

Yes, it’s just one game, but the way the Knicks played tonight combined with their Tuesday night performance against Detroit is very encouraging. Maybe the Knicks are headed in the right direction. Maybe the Knicks could revive their season. Maybe the combination of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Mike D’antoni can work out after all. It’s way too soon to tell, and I certainly am not yet sold, but maybe, just maybe.

Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets looked like more bad news for the Spurs. After the first quarter they were trailing the Rockets 27-16. At halftime they were down 52-39. Instead of succumbing to pressure and falling even more in a hole, the Spurs outscored the Rockets 28-19 in the third quarter and 32-20 in the first, overcoming an 18 point deficit.

Had this game been on the road the outcome might have been a different story. Instead, the Spurs improved to 11-1 at home and Tim Duncan played at an all-star level last night as well, something that was desperately needed by his team. He ended up with 25 points and seven rebounds, much more significant numbers compared to what he had been producing as of late. Duncan led an 11-2 run to cut the 18 point deficit to a more manageable number and had 16 of his 25 points in the third quarter.

Tony Parker was also helpful on the offensive end, providing 24 points for the Spurs. The Spurs ended the game on an 8-0 run, completely different game play than what has happening in the first half. Gary Neal also provided 15 points for the Spurs. The Rockets were hard to stop, however. Led by Kevin Martin’s 29 points, Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee both added 15 points.

The victory was the second in a row for the Spurs. North Carolina coach, Roy Williams was also in attendance watching the game and his former player, Danny Green who now plays for the Spurs. The win was much needed for the Spurs, who can hopefully translate this recent run (with Tim Duncan’s offensive productivity as well) into their next few games as they prepare for Oklahoma City and Philadelphia in the coming days; both young teams with great offense and defense.

Going up against the best home record team in the NBA, the Portland Trailblazer, the Bobcats fell 112-68. Portland holds a 10-1 advantage on their home court. The 44 point loss surpassed Charlotte’s 120-80 loss back in 2011 to Denver for the worst loss in Franchise history, and extended the Bobcats losing streak to 1o.

Former Bobcat Gerald Wallace and teammate LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 23 first quarter points as Portland outscored the Bobcats 35-18 heading into the second quarter. The Trailblazers never let up, their relentless pursuit to get to the basket extended the lead to 98-50 in the fourth quarter.

With key player Gerald Henderson having to leave the game with a hamstring injury, the Bobcats had no chance to cut into the large defect in the second half. Henderson still managed to lead the way for the Bobcats, scoring 16 points in just over 20 minutes of play.

Derrick Brown had another stellar bench performance with 12 points to go along with four rebounds. This is the sixth time in the last seven games that he has scored in double digits off the bench.

Joining Henderson on the injury list are teammates DJ Augustin (big toe) and Corey Maggette (hamstring).

The Bobcats face the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, taking two days off to rest injuries and regroup from this 44 point blowout before taking on Steve Nash at 9pm inside of the U.S. Airways Center.

There was some drama in Rockets practice on Tuesday after their embarrassing loss to Minnesota Monday night. Kyle Lowry was questioning coaching decisions, Kevin McHale was calling out his team’s effort in the game (which did seem nonexistent at some points), and Luis Scola had an answer for everybody, “Shut the …. up and play!”

The Rockets did just that to start their last meeting against the Spurs this season  on Wednesday night. Kevin Martin came out on fire and hit 3-4 threes on his way to 13 first quarter points. The effort was there on the defensive end as well as the Rockets gave up just 39 first half points. This one was definitely a tale of two halves though, as the Rockets saw what was at one point a 19 point lead turn into a an 8 point loss. As much as you’d love to pin the loss on the refs, and there were some TERRIBLE calls this game, the Rockets lack of consistency is what truly did them in. The same group that started the game full of energy on the defensive end seemed sluggish and tired in the second half, and the shots that were falling in the first just wouldn’t fall in the second. Martin had 21 of his game high 29 points in the first half, but in the second half the old veteran duo of Timmy D (25 points) and Tony Parker (24 points) proved too much to handle for these Rockets.

This was a great opportunity for the Rockets to take the season series between these two teams, but instead they let the Spurs come back from a big deficit and the series is tied at 2 games a piece, each team winning their respective home games. The Rockets return home Friday night to face the Suns before going on a 6 game road trip. If the Rockets want to keep pace in the West, this road trip could prove crucial, as the Rockets are only 3-7 on the road this season.

Basketball in Philadelphia is back. Philly fans have been lobbying for some national respect for their 15-6 start to the 2011-2012 season, and their wishes may have been granted with Wednesday night’s thrashing of the Eastern Conference leading Chicago Bulls, 98-82.

As impressive as the 76ers run has been, their only “quality” wins came against a Danny Granger-less Indiana Pacers and an Al Horford-less Atlanta Hawks. While some may continue the trend with tonight’s win being against a Bulls team missing key contributors in Luol Deng and Rip Hamilton, this one should leave a resounding impression across the NBA that the 76ers are for real.

The Bulls came out of the gate looking like the team that is leading the Eastern Conference and in the elite class of the NBA with reigning Most Valuable Player of the NBA Derrick Rose scoring seven of his 15 first-half points in the first quarter. However, it was the 76ers who led after the first frame, mainly due to the play of Andre Iguodala.

Iguodala, often scorned in Philadelphia for his massive, $80 million contract, led the 76ers with 19 points and nine rebounds, including a couple of crowd-pleasing dunks and passes. Iggy got a lot of help from his supporting cast with three of the five 76ers’ double-figure scorers coming off the bench.

Thaddeus Young scored 19 points along with eight boards of his own, and Lou Williams once again added 14 points. With Spencer Hawes and Nik Vucevic still out with injuries, Lavoy Allen continued to impress with a career-high 15 points.

With the number one (Chicago) and number two (Philadelphia) defensive teams in the NBA facing off, mistakes would go a long way in deciding the victor of the matchup and it proved true tonight.

The harassing defense of the 76ers caused the Bulls to turn the ball over 17 times, leading to 29 points. Known as a team that likes to run the court, the 76ers had 21 fast break points to just four for the Bulls. Secondary stat categories like fast break points and points off turnovers are vital for teams like the 76ers who aren’t built to be stat stuffers.

Rose finished with 18 points and C.J. Watson added 20 points off the bench. The Bulls did not feature another scorer over nine points. This is twice the Bulls have experienced 16-point defeats this season with the first coming in Memphis last month. Chicago followed that game with a 23-point beat down against the Phoenix Suns. Philadelphia is hopeful history repeats itself as the Bulls travel to New York to face the Knicks tomorrow night.

The Chicago Bulls had a tough go around on Wednesday night only putting up 82 points and losing by 16 points to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers won by a final score of 98-82 and this was definitely not the best performance of the season for the Bulls on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Bulls turned the ball over 17 times to the 76ers 10 and shot about 4% lower from the floor and an average 68.8% from the free throw line. CJ Watson led the team with 20 points and Derek Rose added 18 points, with no other player in double figures.

The Bulls fall to 18-6 on the year with the loss and that gives them the same amount of losses as the 16 win 76ers. This was a forgettable performance by the Bulls and they will have better nights. This team is too talented not to bounce back and regain form as one of the favorites to be the first seed in the East and make it it the NBA Finals. Rose had a somewhat off night and no other starter did anything worth mentioning but this may be a good thing that they all had off games at once. The role players may have got their bad game out of the system and now get back on track and play solid as a team with everyone contributing and not hurting the team. Derek Rose will go back to being Derek Rose and be the best point guard in the game and lead this Bulls team to a lot more wins this year, and the Bulls defense will step it up and go back to being maybe the best in the league and force more turnovers and rely on their offense to be able to manage to put up just enough points.

The Oklahoma City Thunder  beat the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night for their league-best ninth road win. The most compelling storylines are below.

The More Things Change . . . 

It is impossible to watch a Thunder-Mavericks clash in 2012 without thinking of the bloodbath the two teams endured in the 2011 Western Conference Finals. Tonight’s home team was clearly not last season’s Dallas Mavericks, not with the wispy Ian Mahinmi starting in Tyson Chandler’s place, or Delonte West’s tattooed neck replacing J.J. Barea’s close-cropped dome.

The most obvious difference lay in the shift from The Unguardable Dirk Nowitzki (2011 Playoffs Edition) to Mortal and Guardable Dirk Nowitzki. This version’s knee troubles appear to have slowed him enough that Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka, who Dirk torched last spring, had little trouble staying in front of him.

Jason Terry remained as conscience-free as ever, repeatedly finding openings for the dagger threes and difficult jumpers that buried the Thunder last May, and even bottling up Kevin Durant at the top of the Dallas zone defense.

Durant remains bottle-up-able because while he and Westbrook are brilliant individual performers and work together reasonably well, they don’t pose enough of a passing threat to force defenses to worry about the other three players in blue. That was painfully apparent when Dallas set up in its deceptive matchup zone, which swallows up isolation basketball.

The Half-Empty Glass . . . 

After his worst game of the season on Monday, James Harden appeared still mired in his puzzling funk tonight. When he entered the game with five minutes left in the first quarter, he skulked to the side on offense like the unathletic kid in gym class.

He seemed to recover in the second quarter, attacking the basket to draw fouls and drop in twisting layups. His results were still uneven, as when he took his trademark looping drive at the hoop only to have Delonte West reject the shot, or found himself unable to beat Vince Carter off the dribble, but he was attacking like the Harden who emerged as the Thunder’s best performer in last year’s playoffs. Even on a poor shooting night, his passing gave the Thunder offense an element of movement it otherwise lacks.*

 *Except for the fourth-quarter possession when he numbly held the ball as the 24-second clock expired, resulting in the world’s most avoidable shot clock violation.

. . . and the Half-Full Glass

This blog has tracked Russell Westbrook’s recent growth with an approving eye, but needed a stronger word than “approving” tonight after watching him punish Dallas defenders with a dazzling array of drives. His ball control and touch on difficult layups was breathtaking, and he drove to the basket in efficient straight lines no matter who stood in his way.

He then took a page out of Terry’s book in the deciding moments, pulling up for a game-clinching three-pointer with just under a minute remaining to finally end the Dallas threat.

Serge Ibaka made an equally emphatic statement by swatting nine Dallas shots, erasing some memories of how Nowitzki tormented him nine months ago.

Henderson’s return into the starting lineup was not enough to stop Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night inside the Staples Center.

Bryant jumped out to a dominating start with 18 of his 24 points in the first quarter. With momentum on the Lakers side going into the second quarter, the Bobcats were outscored 30-18, putting the Lakers in front by 24 at the half.

Once again, the Bobcats struggled in the paint getting outscored 44-32 and outrebounded 47-34. The Lakers shot over 50 percent from the field on the night, too just a 35 percent night from the Bobcats. Also, the Lakers led in the 3-point category as well. The Bobcats were just 2-9 from behind the arc, and Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were 12 of 26 on the night.

Although showing Rookie inconsistency, Kemba Walker led the way for the Bobcats with 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He also was held to only one turnover in 35 minutes of play, which is a category he has struggled in at times. In the fifth time in six games for the Bobcats, reserve Derrick Brown scored in double digits. He finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal.

Not only did Kobe Bryant start off on fire, teammate Andrew Bynum finished with the same intensity. He scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds with 2 blocked shots on the night. Bynum’s physical play and heavy stature was far too powerful for the Bobcats in the paint.

The Bobcats return to action against Lamarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trailblazers in another West Coast matchup.