HERO OF THE WEEK
It seems that the chances of reaching the playoffs of “Seattle” remained purely theoretical. It seems that their leader Ray Allen was lost for a long time. But Rashard Lewis does not give up. If not for “Denver”, which took revenge on Sunday for an insulting home defeat last Tuesday, the “supersonic” outsiders would have achieved one hundred percent result in four matches. Fortunately, Lewis, seized the leadership burden, did everything for this. 29 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4 three-point hits on average per match - such is his statistics for the week.
LEGIONARY OF THE WEEK
Let's consider him a hero too. Not because his “Charlotte” won two matches out of three, and Walter Herrmann scored 19.3 points, adding good performance in other statistical categories. The Argentine striker, at the age of 27, decided to try on the status of an NBA rookie, deserves great respect for another reason. He experienced in life something that the enemy would not want. At one time, a mother, two younger sisters and a bride died in a car accident near Walter. A year later, my father died of a heart attack. Another would have broken, but the solid nature of the Aryan ancestors brought Herrmann the title of Olympic champion, champion of Spain and an invitation to the NBA. In “Charlotte” he was initially assigned the role of a deep reservist, but now Walter looks much more preferable than the advertised youth Adam Morrison and has already got a place in the start of the club from North Carolina. And the paparazzi have long noticed an Argentinean with supermodel Fabio. Keep it up! And a big RESPECT.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
“Toronto” - the only club that completed the reporting period without defeat, and, by the way, the only one that offended “Charlotte”. Values for the achievement of the Canadian team are added by the fact that it was achieved without the participation of a pair of “big” Europeans who know how to hit from afar - Jorge Garbajosa and Andrea Bargnani. And if the Italian is determined to play in the playoffs, then Garbajosa will be able to help the “Raptors” only in the next season.
CONFUSES OF THE WEEK
In the match with “Washington”, “Toronto” had 4 seconds to play a three-pointer backlog. The “sorcerer” Michael Ruffin easily intercepted a long pass from behind the front, immediately firing the ball under the ceiling - so that the match expired. Either the Wizards striker cautioned, or he didn’t calculate his strength, but the traitor-ball managed to be in the hands of Morris Peterson, who, without hesitating with a working left, sent him into the ring. Overtime - and the defeat of “Washington”.
I remember Ruffin in the 2002/2003 season, taking a break from the NBA and leaving for the Spanish “Lerida”, managed to upset the Ural Great with the brilliant game in European cups. With such mistakes, now even in Tolyatti they will not call him ...
TOPICS OF THE WEEK
So many interesting things happened in seven days that you can make a whole hit parade.
1. “Phoenix” and “Dallas” crossed again, and again - for the second time in a month, the league leader turned out to be a bit. This time big.
2. In a fight between the best teams of the East, “Chicago” first dealt with “Detroit”, but then offensively lost in overtime to “Cleveland”. At the same time, Cavs did not lose a chance to get around: LeBron James and Co. on Sunday managed to lose to the outsider of the Boston conference.
3. Dwayne Wade started training.
4. Dallas is ready to sign a contract with Kevin Willis. A veteran who has not played almost two seasons for 44 years. In training in "New York" appeared Allan Houston. He also has not played since 2005 and seems to have ended his career due to injuries ...
5. For “New York” played Randolph Morris. The uniqueness of the situation is that the guy signed a two-year contract with the “Knicks” five days after his “Kentucky” flew out of the NCAA playoffs. It seems that no one has managed to play for students and professionals during the season yet. Morris did it, because in 2005 he put forward a draft candidate, but did not hire an agent and was not selected. Randolph returned to university and, having served 14 disqualification matches for contacts with agents, was given the right to re-enter the university championship. Only in the NBA for the second time it is impossible to put up a draft, because the player received the status of a free agent - which is what “New York” took advantage of.
6. Jordan Farmar was the first player in history to play in the NBDL and NBA Farm Leagues for the Lakers for one day (April 1).
7. Former NBA star Michael Ray Richardson, who quietly trained “Albany” in the KBA, was disqualified by the league for anti-Semitic comments. Of course, Richardson always ran into scandals, and he ended his professional career when NBA commissioner David Stern expelled him from the association after the third incident with drug use. But this time it turned out unfairly. Michael Ray merely said that Jewish lawyers work for him, who, by virtue of their nationality, have great power in society. Where are the insults ?! It is curious that after being expelled from the strongest league in the world, Richardson immediately left to play in ... Israel, for Hapoel (Ramat Gan).
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I have no doubt that Michael Ray is not anti-Semite. I know for sure. He has several children - Jews. His ex-wife was Jewish. Maybe he was misunderstood, but the punishment does not reflect Michael Ray Richardson’s feelings for Jews," David Stern , Jew, NBA Commissioner, in an interview with ESPN.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
April 1, 2007. Boston - Cleveland. LeBron James paused to heal microtrauma, leaving his friends the right to deal with outsiders, and himself - to make fun of friends. Only it turned out not funny - the “gentlemen” lost.
Chasing the week
In the middle of the third quarter of the match with “Seattle” on Tuesday, “Minnesota” calmly controlled the course of the meeting, increasing the advantage to 25 points. It turned out that calm was only an illusion. The 17-minute segment, “Sonic” won with a score of 51:18, and ended the meeting with a jerk of 25: 2 ! “And so the whole year,” Randy Wittman, coach of the “wolves,” sadly stated. “We look good only for three periods ... We don’t respect either the game or the rivals. And it hits us all the time.”
FIGURES OF THE WEEK
Last Thursday and Friday were days of wasted effort. 43 points and 17 rebounds by Zach Randolph did not bring Portland victory over Memphis, 43 points by Stephen Marbury against New York over Dallas, and 53 points by Kobe Bryant over Lakers over Houston. Perhaps these were the best individual performances of the week.
MOMENTS OF THE WEEK
Yes, Ben Wallace is not an attacking player. But if he starts throwing, then sometimes he gives out something fantastic. Like this hit in a match against friends from Detroit.
WAITING FOR THE WEEK
Taking a day's pause for the finals of the “March Madness”, the NBA will begin the shock ending of the championship - a couple of weeks are left before the playoffs. On Wednesday, the fight for leadership in the East will continue - Chicago will drop into Detroit. The next day, “Cleveland” expects a test of champions, and the life of LeBron could complicate Dee-Wade. On Sunday, King James will check the “Pistons”, and in general the schedule from competitors is completely crammed with teams from the eastern eight. In the West, everything is somehow simpler. The interesting thing is tomorrow's Los Angeles derby.
What, curiously, is Scotty Pippen doing now?
Nikolai TSYNKEVICH