Posted in Basketball at 8:57 am by Nicole
It was a great game on Friday evening - and, chalk it up to preseason, Mike D’Antoni resting Steve Nash through the fourth quarter even though the crowd cheered “We Want Nash!” for much of the last quarter of the game, or just good Pacific Northwest basketball vibes in a town that hasn’t seen an NBA game since the Grizzlies left for Memphis…but in a very decently played game, the Sonics prevailed, 121-108.
Sonics close preseason with win (NBA.com - Sonics website)
While the crowd at GM Place enjoyed the Suns-Sonics game, the Rockets were visiting San Antonio and came away with a 99-92 loss.
Rockets close preseason with setback to Spurs (NBA.com - Rockets website)
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10.26.07
Posted in Basketball at 6:58 pm by Nicole
Attendance at GM Place tonight. For an NBA preseason game.
Yes, Steve Nash can sell tickets in Canada. As well as everywhere else the NBA plays. But what a treat to see him here in Vancouver.
P.S. Great game - much more competitive than I anticipated. 39-37 Phoenix with 4:34 to go in the first half.
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Posted in Basketball at 6:20 pm by Nicole
The Sonics are the home team tonight in name only. Steve Nash received a standing ovation from the GM Place crowd when he was announced, and a foursome of Canadian guys who have a “100 things we want to do before we die” list (evidently one of them was singing “O Canada” for a pro sports contest) announced “Steve-Frickin’-Nash is here!” to the cheers of the crowd before leading them in the national anthem. For a preseason game, this is lovely - and the game (right now 13-12 Suns with 6:17 to play in the first quarter) is pretty great too.
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Posted in Basketball at 4:48 pm by Nicole
It’s always a treat to see international players in the NBA play in their home countries. We saw Yao in China with the Chinese national team during the 2006 exhibition game with the U.S. ahead of the world championships - and he didn’t even play, but still sold the place out and addressed the crowd aftewards. Tonight at GM Place in Vancouver, a reported sellout crowd of 18,630 will watch hometown hero Steve Nash (he was raised in nearby Victoria) lead the Phoenix Suns against the Seattle SuperSonics. Not sure it will be much of a game - Kevin Durant is injured, and the Sonics without him (and realistically, probably with him as well) are just not at the same level as the powerhouse teams in the Western Conference - but it will be a treat to see how the Canadian fans treat Nash’s homecoming.
City’s love of Nash keeps welcome mat out for NBA (Vancouver Sun)
And for diehard Steve Nash fans, here’s a preview of the New York Times’ “Play” Magazine article on Nash, to be published on Sunday. The article includes news of Nash’s trip to China in September where he and Yao Ming organized a charity game, and a great photo of the two of them together in China.
Not to get too mystical about it (New York Times - Play Magazine)
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10.24.07
Posted in Basketball at 8:54 am by Nicole
For all news of the Rockets not involving the outstanding Houston Chronicle, Sports Illustrated has compiled everything Rockets on one site. It’s preseason week as the NBA gets ready to launch the regular season next Tuesday; the CSB heads to Vancouver, BC tomorrow in anticipation of watching Steve Nash play in Canada on Friday night as the Suns take on the Sonics at GM Place. I hope the Sonics can put it together this year and have a respectable season despite the noise around the possible move to OKC - Kevin Durant is a wonderful talent and looked great against the Rockets last Saturday night, totally unfazed by sharing the floor with the likes of Yao and T-Mac. Added highlight for the Rockets, by the way: SI is predicting Luis Scola will win rookie of the year.
Sports Illustrated Houston Rockets page
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10.23.07
Posted in Basketball at 1:10 pm by Nicole
Leave it to me to not discover all of the great resources brought to NBA China Games fans by the NBA itself until three days after the tournament is over. Suffice it to say, it was a raging success. For all things China Games, check out the NBA’s China Games site.
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10.20.07
Posted in Basketball at 10:28 am by Nicole
The Rockets are practicing at KeyArena as we type over here at the CSB - they made it to Seattle yesterday afternoon, while I took a later set of flights and was greeted in the late evening by rain and cold. Houston 90, Seattle 45 (that’s temperatures yesterday in the respective cities, not necessarily the score I predict for tonight’s game!).
At game time, watch the action (well, at least the box scores) live on USA Today’s website, found here.
In other basketball/China-related news:
NBA sees no conflict of interest with Chinese casinos (USA Today)
Memphis and Calipari go to hoop in China (New York Times)
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10.19.07
Posted in Basketball at 6:28 am by Nicole
Well, at least the starters. We saw Dirk Nowitzki, last year’s regular-season MVP, for a few minutes last night, but not during the game on the court. Avery Johnson sat out just about all of his top players - and even T-Mac played just under ten minutes on the night - as the Rockets sped past the stripped-down Mavs, 104-90. Yao Ming had a wonderful night, though, with 19 points and 5 rebounds in twenty minutes of play, shooting 8-for-11 from the field in a few places we haven’t seen him so much in the past (jumper just inside the three-point line, anyone?). After the game, Rockets small forward Shane Battier noted that Yao’s shooting ability on the threes is as world-class as anyone’s - it’s just that with all that height, Coach Rick Adelman probably won’t be encouraging him to camp out on the perimeter anytime soon.
It’s off to Seattle today for the Rockets, where the CSB will catch up with them once again, this time against 2007 #2 draft pick Kevin Durant.
Rockets outgun undermanned Mavericks 104-90 (Houston Chronicle)
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10.18.07
Posted in Basketball at 12:21 pm by Nicole
Lots and lots of news out of the NBA China Games. Last night, ESPN broadcasted the Cavaliers-Magic game from Shanghai; Orlando faced off against a team of Chinese All-Stars from the CBA tonight (China time) in Macau.
The NBA in China: Opening a super market (Washington Post)
Magic defeat China All-Stars 116-92 (AP, via Sports Illustrated)
Magic beat Cavs in Shanghai (AP, via the Washington Post)
Report from Shanghai (TrueHoop blog report via ESPN)
NBA China Games to reach 209 countries (Press release from NBA.com)
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