Lakers 90, Celtics 89

I think Kobe turned every shamrock in the world red with anger today.

His once-again clutch shooting prevailed with 7.8 seconds left as the Lakers got a solid road win in at TD BankNorth. Kobe’s shot was over a closely guarded Ray Allen, who in my mind did everything he could to contest the shot. Allen had one last shot to win the game, but was slightly off the mark as time expired.

Boston, coming off tough losses against Atlanta and Orlando, had an 11 point lead in the fourth only to get beaten in the end. Rajon Rondo led the attack for the C’s who finished with 21 points and 12 assists in the loss. Paul Pierce added 15, and reserve Toney Allen contributed 14 points off the bench in 25 minutes of play. Off-shooting night for Ray Allen, who only hit 2-10.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum paced the Lakers with 19 points apiece, followed by 11 point performances by Ron Artest and Pau Gasol.

I will now go back to pulling my hair out…

Nuggets 103, Spurs 89

For those of you who were unable to see it, this game was a 2 point game with minutes to spare in the fourth quarter.

Both teams were back and forth, including multiple lead changes the entire game. In the end, however, Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin proved to be too much. Martin, who finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds, shot 12-21 in the field. Billups added 25 points and 11 assists, including a strong drive to the lane to put the game out of reach with time running out.

San Antonio was without Tony Parker, and Denver was yet again missing Carmelo Anthony due to injuries.

Cavaliers 114, Clippers 89

You only had to watch one quarter to know this one was pretty much wrapped up. Some INCRBL’s to note:

INCRBL #1 – Cleveland scored 46 points in the first quarter, a franchise record. The Clippers were down 26 in the first quarter! They would only get the lead down to 11 before Cleveland put the game away.

INCRBL #2 – Another interesting fact about the first quarter – the Cavs made 7 three’s in a row.

INCRBL #3 -  LeBron James had 23 points in the first quarter, which means he was also on pace to drop 92. We haven’t talked about that high of a point total in a long time.

Baron Davis led the charge for the Clippers with 30 points, but it was clear they were hurting without Chris Kaman in the lineup. They have now lost four in a row.

Sixers 83, Nets 79

G – You can breathe easy. It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.

Jarvis Hayes missed a  tying shot with seconds left, and the Philadelphia 76ers got a win on the road against the Nets.  New Jersey “improved” to 4-42 on the season, and the 76ers got back on track after a 3-game slide. New Jersey did enjoy a 10 point lead at one point in this game, but could not help themselves out in the third quarter. Philly extended their lead to 5, and would never give it up the rest of  the game.

Philly had 5 players in double figures, with Andre Iguodala leading the team with 14 points. Iverson and Lou Williams both added 11 points.  Samuel Dalembert notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

For the Nets, Brook Lopez and Jarvis Hayes led the Nets with 18 points apiece, Yi Jianlian added 15. Devin Harris was again out nursing the right wrist injury.

Oh, and if you had any doubt, the Nets mathematically can’t finish over .500 this season.

Magic 91, Detroit 86

Big win for the Magic. Why you ask? Because Orlando now clinches the 2nd seed in the East through January.

Again, why you ask? Because Stan Van Gundy is now your Eastern Conference All-Stars Coach. Cavs coach Mike Brown coached the East last year, and therefore was ineligible to coach it this year. Congrats to Van Gundy on his achievement.

This game was back-and-forth the entire contest. Orlando had a lead as much as 15, but Detroit made it a three point game going into halftime. Detriot then went on a run to take the lead in the third quarter, and from there the lead would change hands several times. Rashard Lewis hit two free throws with 9 seconds left, and excellent defense prevented a tying shot in the remaining seconds.

Dwight Howard was the story, but not in the best way – while his 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks were of all-star caliber, his 8-18 night from he foul line left more questions than answers. Thankfully, the rest of the team only missed one foul shot collectively. JJ Redick led the Magic with 17 points, and Lewis contributed a 15/7 night.

Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko led the Pistons with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

-Duts