The Christmas season is history by now but today, I got a post-Yuletide gift package from my Godfather and good friend, Quinito “The Dean” Henson. And for a basketball junkie like me, the following gifts are something to treasure in:
1. A 715-pages hardcover book entitled “The Book of Basketball: The NBA According To The Sporting Guy” by ESPN NBA writer Bill Simmons;
2. A November 2009 issue of SLAM Magazine with Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony on the cover;
3. A red Alaska Aces Basketball T-Shirt (he previously gave me a white one about 2 years ago); and
4. A very cute collector’s item of E-Cow doll, the official mascot of the Alaska Aces.
To Ninong Q, my sincerest gratitude and may God Bless you always. You are really one of a kind.
*****
While Milwaukee Bucks early-season rookie sensation Brandon Jennings game continuous to cool off after a scintillating 55-point explosion in a win against the Golden State Warriors last November, another newbie is fast emerging from the west coast, Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings.
Evans scored another game-winner as the Kings scored an upset win over the Denver Nuggets, 102-100 last Saturday night (Sunday morning, Manila time).
The 20-year old, fourth pick over-all in the 2009 draft out of University of Memphis, pumped in 27 big points and with 0.7 left and the score tied at 100 all, executed a difficult jumper off Nuggets defensive whiz Kenyon Martin that helped snapped a five-game losing streak for the Kings.
“Coach (Paul Westphal) gave me the opportunity and that’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to be the guy with the ball in my hands,” said Evans. “I had worked on that move a lot. I stopped in the lane, pump faked, and was fading away. I had a good look at the basket. I thought it was going in.”
*****
While Milwaukee Bucks early-season rookie sensation Brandon Jennings game continuous to cool off after a scintillating 55-point explosion in a win against the Golden State Warriors last November, another newbie is fast emerging from the west coast, Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings.
Evans scored another game-winner as the Kings scored an upset win over the Denver Nuggets, 102-100 last Saturday night (Sunday morning, Manila time).
The 20-year old, fourth pick over-all in the 2009 draft out of University of Memphis, pumped in 27 big points and with 0.7 left and the score tied at 100 all, executed a difficult jumper off Nuggets defensive whiz Kenyon Martin that helped snapped a five-game losing streak for the Kings.
“Coach (Paul Westphal) gave me the opportunity and that’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to be the guy with the ball in my hands,” said Evans. “I had worked on that move a lot. I stopped in the lane, pump faked, and was fading away. I had a good look at the basket. I thought it was going in.”
“It’s very gratifying to finally pull one out like this,” said Spencer Hawes, who also played a vital role in the win as he scored 17 points and likewise made a big 3-pointer in the final canto. “It felt like every game we were in we couldn’t execute down the stretch. Good teams finish in the fourth quarter. That’s what we did tonight.”
Evans’ remarkable performance even drew raves from the opposition. “The kid hit a great shot on a great defender (Martin),” ace Nugget quarterback Chauncey Billups said. “It really shouldn’t have came down to that. But they fought hard and we have to give them credit. There were a lot of reasons that we lost this game.”
It was a sweet victory for coach Westphal and his Kings as they come off from three heartbreaking defeats against the Los Angeles Lakers twice and in their previous outing versus the Warriors wherein they blew an 18-point 3rd quarter lead.
More good news await Sac-Town as injured star Kevin Martin is now awaiting medical clearance for a possible return to action within the next two weeks after seeing action only in the Kings first five games this season. Martin is coming off from a broken wrist injury.
Evans is currently submitting norms of 20.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 5.0 in 32 games so far with Sacramento.
It looks like there will be an interesting ending on the exciting race between Evans and the fast-fading Jennings for the Rookie of the Year (ROY) diadem. Take your pick.
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