Celtics 98, Bucks 89

The Celtics (17-4) come up clutch in the fourth quarter to outlast the Bucks (9-11) 98-89.  With the score tied at 71 going into the fourth, the Celtics were led by Rajon Rondo who scored all eleven of his points in the final period.  He also dished out 13 assists, was one rebound short of a triple-double, and recorded 5 steals.  Kevin Garnett led Boston with 25 points.  Kendrick Perkins had a solid game scoring 15 points on 7-8 shooting.

Perkin’s counterpart, Andrew Bogut, played well dropping 25 points, pulling down 14 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists.  He did have seven turnovers but he did everything he could to try to win this game.  Brandon Jennings scored 17 points but continued to struggle from field shooting 7-19.

JB’s Hustle Hero of the Game: Rajon Rondo. What can’t Rondo do besides shoot the ball.  Even though he struggled offensively throughout the game he was able to contribute in other ways.  Have a guard that can rebound, defend, and get other guys involved is a huge plus, especially if you are looking to win a championship.

Bobcats 107, Nuggets 95

Carmelo Anthony was able to get his for the Denver Nuggets (16-6), but Gerald Wallace’s strong fourth quarter was enough for the Bobcats (9-11) to win at home.  Melo scored 34 points in tonight’s contest, but Gerald Wallace outplayed him at the end.  Wallace led a 20-8 run at the end of the game, which included a technical foul by Anthony late in the game to seal the deal.  Wallace finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds in the win.  Running mate Stephen Jackson also finished with 25 points and 7 rebounds.

JB’s Hustle Hero of the Game: Gerald Wallace. Wallace came up big on both offense and defense tonight.  He cleaned the glass grabbing 11 defense rebounds and 5 offense rebounds in this game.  His game has really picked up since Stephen Jackson joined the club.

Raptors 94, T-Wolves 88

Without Jose Calderon (hip) and despite shooting 32% from the field, the Raptors (10-13) found a way to win against the Timberwolves (3-18).  Jarrett Jack, filling in for Calderon, had 17 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.  Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

The T-Wolves were led by Kevin Love and Johnny Flynn.  Love scored 18 off the bench and pulled down 7 rebounds.  Flynn had 17 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals in the losing effort.  Al Jefferson had an off night shooting 5-16, but he was able to record 11 rebounds.

JB’s Hustle Hero of the Game:  Jarrett Jack. Jack did not shoot particularly well going 3-8, but he made sure he went to the foul line, knocking down eleven of his twelve free throws.  He did a great job stepping up in Calderon’s absence and has been playing well off the bench for the Raptors all season.

Hornets 96, Kings 94

David West, Chris Paul, and Emeka Okafor all posted double-double to prevent the Hornets (9-11) from dropping one at home to the Kings (9-11)  West shot 9-13 finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Paul had 14 points of his own while dishing out 12 assists.  Okafor, in probably his best game as a Hornet yet, scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and stuffed 4 shots.

Rookie Tyreke Evans continued to impress scoring 25 points on ten of seventeen shooting and had 9 assists.  Jason Thompson pitched in with a 20 point 9 rebound effort of his own in the loss.  Andres Nocioni continue to struggled scoring 8 points and has a total of 17 points on 7-23 shooting over his last two games.

JB’s Hustle Hero of the Game. Emeka Okafor. If Okafor can play like this for the Hornets, they will quickly forget Tyson Chandler.  Okafor is a more solid player on offense, but if he can play this way on defense by grabbing rebounds and blocking shots the Hornets may be able to get back over the .500 mark relatively soon.

-JB