The Indiana Pacers had done what the other 27 NBA teams have not so far this season, that is beating the two finalists last year in the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, all in a period of one month.
The Pacers beat the defending champs Celtics, 95-79 last November 2 and Tuesday night (yesterday morning, Manila time), they scored an epic 118-117 win over the Lakers before a wildly-cheering crowd at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
Staring at a 16-point deficit with ten minutes to go in the payoff period, the Pacers limited the league scoring leader Laker team to only 16 last quarter points as Troy Murphy scored on a buzzer-beater tip-in off a Marquis Daniels missed shot to steal the game. It was the Lakers' first ever road loss this season after winning five straight which likewise snapped its seven game winning streak.
Aside from Murphy, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds, making things happen for the Pacers was Danny Granger, who had a game-high 32 points. On his game-winner, Murphy said, "it looked like it sat on there forever. But I'm happy it finally went down".
The win improved the Pacers' over-all record to 7-10 win-loss slate. After that stunning victory over the LA boys, they immediately travel to Beantown to meet the Celtics in a rematch the following day. And any way you look at it, it's one hell of a back-to-back games for Jim O'Brien's wards.
*****
Sam Mitchell had followed Eddie Jordan and PJ Carlesimo to the showers after the Toronto Raptors fired him a day after the team's embarassing 132-93 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
Mitchell's exit was quite surprising to many considering that he was the NBA coach of the year in 2006-07. With the Raptor's 8-9 win-loss card, Mitchell can not do anything right with all the injuries that the team had endured. His interim replacement is Jay Triano, a seven-year assistant coach of the Raptors. Triano is a Canadian native and together with the legendary Leo Rautins, and former PBA import Jim Zoet, saw action for Canada during the 1978 World Basketball Championships in Manila.
Mitchell's departure just shows that there are no sacred cows in the league. Coaching in the NBA is really a thankless job.
*****
Free agent power forward Antonio McDyess is currently sitting out the mandatory one month period for clearing off waivers. According to reports, he will suit up once again for the Detroit Pistons, the same team which traded him together with Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets last month. McDyess refused to play for the Mile High City outfit which forced the Nuggets to waive him.
This rule needs some serious review from the Commissioner's Office. A player once traded should honor the transaction no matter what. Pro basketball is all business. The period of clearing waivers must be amended. So, why not make it a two-year waiting period for those players who do not honor a trade. This surely makes sense.
The Pacers beat the defending champs Celtics, 95-79 last November 2 and Tuesday night (yesterday morning, Manila time), they scored an epic 118-117 win over the Lakers before a wildly-cheering crowd at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
Staring at a 16-point deficit with ten minutes to go in the payoff period, the Pacers limited the league scoring leader Laker team to only 16 last quarter points as Troy Murphy scored on a buzzer-beater tip-in off a Marquis Daniels missed shot to steal the game. It was the Lakers' first ever road loss this season after winning five straight which likewise snapped its seven game winning streak.
Aside from Murphy, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds, making things happen for the Pacers was Danny Granger, who had a game-high 32 points. On his game-winner, Murphy said, "it looked like it sat on there forever. But I'm happy it finally went down".
The win improved the Pacers' over-all record to 7-10 win-loss slate. After that stunning victory over the LA boys, they immediately travel to Beantown to meet the Celtics in a rematch the following day. And any way you look at it, it's one hell of a back-to-back games for Jim O'Brien's wards.
*****
Sam Mitchell had followed Eddie Jordan and PJ Carlesimo to the showers after the Toronto Raptors fired him a day after the team's embarassing 132-93 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
Mitchell's exit was quite surprising to many considering that he was the NBA coach of the year in 2006-07. With the Raptor's 8-9 win-loss card, Mitchell can not do anything right with all the injuries that the team had endured. His interim replacement is Jay Triano, a seven-year assistant coach of the Raptors. Triano is a Canadian native and together with the legendary Leo Rautins, and former PBA import Jim Zoet, saw action for Canada during the 1978 World Basketball Championships in Manila.
Mitchell's departure just shows that there are no sacred cows in the league. Coaching in the NBA is really a thankless job.
*****
Free agent power forward Antonio McDyess is currently sitting out the mandatory one month period for clearing off waivers. According to reports, he will suit up once again for the Detroit Pistons, the same team which traded him together with Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets last month. McDyess refused to play for the Mile High City outfit which forced the Nuggets to waive him.
This rule needs some serious review from the Commissioner's Office. A player once traded should honor the transaction no matter what. Pro basketball is all business. The period of clearing waivers must be amended. So, why not make it a two-year waiting period for those players who do not honor a trade. This surely makes sense.
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