NBA three-point contest highlights All-Star Saturday

                                   

     Every NBA All-Star weekend it feels as though the slam dunk competition is the big event and everything else just builds up to it. But this year it's the three-point contest that everybody is talking about and the slam dunk competition feels like an after thought. The reason this is so is because in essence, this event is complied of the top eight three-point shooters in the NBA: Marco Belinelli (38.1%), Stephen Curry (39.9%), James Harden (38.3%), Kyrie Irving (41.4%), Kyle Korver (52.3%), Wesley Matthews (39.8%), J.J. Redick (43.6%), and Klay Thompson (44.0%). (Note: Current season three-point percentages are in parentheses)

     In almost any other year, any of these eight players would be the favorites to win the event. But this year, it's way too close to call. Judging by the statistics, one would say Kyle Korver is the clear front runner, but given that James Harden and Stephen Curry take a lot more pull up threes, the discrepancy there isn't as huge as one might think. Still, given that Kyle Korver is a catch and shoot shooter and this is a catch and shoot event, Kyle Korver has to be the favorite to win this event.

     In case you are not familiar with how three-point contests work, there are five racks of five balls that one has to shoot within 60 seconds. The last ball on each rack is typically called a "money ball" that is multi-colored like an ABA ball. Hitting a shot with the money ball is worth two points, so players really want to make sure they make those shots. Three players will advance to the finals and the best out of those three will be deemed the champion. I'm not entirely certain of the format since it sometimes changes from year to year, but my guess would be that each player gets two rounds and the top three from there will advance.

     If  I had to pick two other finalists to go alongside Kyle Korver,  I would have to go with Marco Belinelli and Klay Thompson. Marco because he's the defending champion and has experience with this event, and Klay because he's a catch and shoot shooter. However, I could see any number of possible outcomes happening, which is why this event has so many people buzzing. There really is no favorite and there really is no dark horse. Each and every participant is an accomplished shooter who knows how to hit open threes. I expect the scoring for this event to be through the roof and the bar raised to another level that we have never seen. It should be pretty wild!

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Rose's Late Basket Lifts Bulls to Rare Win vs Golden State

Derrick Rose had quite a night. He made the game-winning shot with 7 seconds left to defeat Golden State, in OT, 113-111. He scored 30 points and oh, the by way, had a career high of 11 turnovers.  He was very good, and not so good. And, the very good Rose came through at the right time.  His step back jumper on tired legs swished through the net to give the Bulls a 113 - 111 lead in OT.

Golden State had the last shot but they missed and the Bulls walked away winners of a big game.  This win stopped the Warriors 19 home game winning streak. Golden State has only lost (21-2) two games at the their home court this season.  The Warriors are now 14-1 versus Eastern Conference teams, the Bulls being the only team to win in Oakland.

"Anybody can get momentum or anybody can get the feeling you can beat anybody when beat a team like them," said Rose.

He had a 13-30 shooting night, but hung in there and scored key baskets all night. Plus he did a great defensive job on ace Stephen Curry, one of the premiere point guards in the NBA.

Curry had 21 points but shot only 9-23, and 4-10 from three-point land. Klay Thompson had 30 points for Golden State. The Warriors missed all 13 of their 3 point shots in the 2nd half and OT, and this helped the Bulls win.

Chicago missed Jimmy Butler, out with an illness. Golden State did not have starter Andrew Bogut. Pau Gasol scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, one of the double-double leaders in the NBA.  Joakim Noah had a strong game, coming back from an ankle injury with 18 ponts and 15 boards. The bench also played well with Niko Mirotic scoring 12 points, Taj Gibson playing his usual strong game with 10 points, and 9 boards and Aaron Brooks adding 10 points. 

The Bulls avenged an earlier loss on their home court when Golden State, sporting the best record in the league at the time, beat the Bulls.  The Warriors are 36-7, one of the top teams in the league right now.

This win helps Chicago get ready to play the Lakers in Los Angeles later in the week.

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Knicks Pull Off Big Upset In Golden State Over Warriors

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 30^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors

Post Game Recap

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks were able to grind out a tough, hard earned victory Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks finally looked like a team fighting for their playoff lives as they put the effort and energy in to beat a superior team. The Knicks were able to take control of the game in the second quarter, and would not relinquish it throughout the second half. They bended but did not break as the Knicks were able to pull out the victory. With the win, the Knicks are now one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks will look to finish the road trip 3-2 Monday night against the Utah Jazz before heading back home.

Player of the Game: The Bench

The bench has been much maligned for the Knicks recently, but tonight they were the catalysts to get the lead in the second quarter. Pablo Prigioni was inserted into the game and brought a different mentality to the team on both ends of the court. He was extremely aggressive and showed leadership by getting into his teammates when they were not in the correct positions. Prigioni wasn’t alone, as Tim Hardaway Jr. delivered a much needed scoring punch off the bench with 15 points. Iman Shumpert may not have shot the ball well, but he was able to stymie the Warriors explosive backcourt when he was in the game. Shannon Brown even gave the Knicks something without playing much in the game, getting the game sealing steal and knocking down two free throws after a clear path foul was called.

-Positives

EPA/John G. Mabanglo Corbis Out

Amar’e Stoudemire has remained positive no matter how bleak the situation, and tonight he backed up his talk. Stoudemire was a monster on the boards tonight, grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds, six of which were offensive. Stoudemire also delivered some timely baskets, scoring 15 points and knocking down two clutch free throws to give the Knicks a two point lead late in the fourth quarter.

With Carmelo Anthony in foul trouble throughout the first half, the Knicks needed someone to step up and that person was J.R. Smith. Smith poured in 19 points in the first half, carrying the Knicks with Anthony on the sidelines. Smith and Hardaway Jr. combined to score the last 15 points of the first half for the Knicks as they got in transition for easy baskets and knocked down perimeter jump shots.

Raymond Felton is picked apart nightly because of how poor his defense is, but credit needs to be given to him for forcing a turnover on the last possession of the game. Felton forced Stephen Curry to make a tough pass, which was stolen by Brown. Felton denied Curry the ball extremely well the final couple of possessions, and should be lauded for the defensive effort he put in tonight to seal the victory.

The Knicks struggles defensively have been well known, and where they struggle most nights is defending the perimeter. Teams have torched the Knicks from the three-point line, but tonight they defended it rather well. They lost Curry a couple of times, as he went 6-12 from deep but the rest of the Warriors combined for only 4-19. One player the Knicks held in check well was the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson. Thompson struggled with his shot all night, making 3-11 from beyond the arc and 6-18 overall.

EPA/John G. Mabanglo Corbis Out

After allowing 32 points in the first quarter and looking to be well on their way to another blowout loss, the Knicks defense really stepped up. The remaining three quarters the Warriors scored only 52 points. This is a team that averages 103.4 points per game on the season, being held to what they normally would score in a half, the final three quarters of the game tonight.

-Negative

It was announced after the game that Anthony had x-rays on his left hand. There is no particular time announced of when he got hurt, but it something the Knicks cannot afford at this point in the season. The x-rays came back negative, but it is something to definitely keep an eye on for tomorrow as the Knicks will get right back at it against the Jazz.

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Knicks Blown Out For Second Consecutive Night

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 28, 2014

Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

It was another embarrassing loss for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden tonight as the Warriors came in and blew them out by a score of 126-103. The Knicks were out of it virtually from the start, trailing by double-digits from the midway point of the second quarter on and never really getting much closer. They fell behind by as many as 27 points and didn’t get closer than 16 in the second half. It was another uninspired effort for the Knicks who lacked the effort and urgency of a team on the outside looking in of the playoff race. The loss tonight runs the Knicks losing streak to five games and with a 2-11 record to finish February. The Knicks will be back at it again Sunday afternoon in a nationally televised game against the Chicago Bulls at 1 PM ET.

Player of the Game: Tim Hardaway Jr.

After having quite possibly his worst NBA game to date in his return home last night, Hardaway Jr. had a nice bounce back game tonight. He scored 22 points on 6-11 from the field and connected on 4-7 from deep, improving immensely upon his 2-15 and 0-8 from deep last night. It was nice to see Hardaway Jr. still trying out there tonight in a game that was seemingly over before he even stepped on the court. He showed resiliency and supreme confidence by coming out tonight with the same energy and emotion that he has brought in every game this season. His defense may need work but he is a guy the Knicks need to keep around as his offensive game has loads of potential to make him a starter in this league for many years to come.

Match up Of the Game Recap

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

The Knicks never really stood a chance in this match up of Stephen Curry against their backcourt. Curry, who had a season low five points Wednesday against the Bulls, came out and destroyed the Knicks tonight. Without Iman Shumpert starting Curry was able to get going from the start and lit the Knicks up throughout the night. He finished with a triple-double tonight after scoring career high 54-points in his visit last season. This one is much sweeter for Curry and the Warriors though as they left Madison Square Garden with the win in addition to Curry’s stellar night. On the contrary, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni didn’t have much of an impact on the game. In 32 combined minutes the Knicks starting backcourt barely managed to provide stats you would expect from a reserve.

-Positives

Toure’ Murry was given a chance tonight with Mike Woodson deciding to sit Felton and Prigioni for long stretches and it paid off. Murry is in a tough position not receiving constant minutes but tonight he made the most of what was given to him. He provided a spark offensively, scoring eight points and added two rebounds and two assists. He also provided some defense for the Knicks at the point of attack, something Felton and Prigioni didn’t provide. Murry has shown in his limited minutes he should be a part of the rotation because he brings things to the game that Felton and Prigioni do not provide.

The three point shooting for the Knicks tonight was about the only thing that resembled an NBA offense tonight. They were able to take advantage of a Warriors team that was going through the motions at time because of the score, knocking down 10-25 attempts for 40 percent. It was not enough though to keep up with the high scoring Warriors offense.

-Negatives

Frank Franklin II

Outside of the three point shooting the Knicks offense was stuck in neutral all night. With Carmelo Anthony having a lackluster game, shooting 7-26, the Knicks did not have enough firepower to stay with the Warriors. The Knicks shot an unsightly 36-95 (37.9 percent) from the field overall. The Warriors were able to keep Anthony and the Knicks offense off-balance with different looks they gave him throughout the night.

The Knicks once again let their offensive struggles carry over to the defensive end. The Warriors lit the Knicks up throughout the night, especially Curry and his backcourt running mate Klay Thompson. The two combined to shoot 18-36 from the field and 10-21 from the three point line for 52 points. The Knicks also watched Jermaine O’Neal turn the clock back as he terrorized the Knicks in the paint, scoring 15 points with six rebounds and a block in 20 minutes. On the night the Warriors shot 47.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three point line.

Right from the start the Knicks looked disinterested in the game and once they got down they didn’t show any fight to get back into it. The Warriors dominated every facet of the game, outscoring the Knicks in transition, in the paint, at the three point line and from the free throw line. It was a disheartening performance for a team that is on the outside looking in of the playoff picture.

The emotion and struggles are starting to boil over as well it seems as Tyson Chandler was ejected from the game tonight after getting into it with Warriors reserve big man Marreese Speights. Chandler and Speights received double-technicals about halfway through the fourth quarter and Speights responded with multiple scores on Chandler. Chandler then laid an ill-advised foul on Speights and was ejected, embarrassing himself and his team in the process.

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W2W4: Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks; February 28th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 28^th, 2014

Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks

ESPN.go.Com

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to bounce back from an ugly performance against the two-time defending champion Miami Heat Friday night against the Warriors at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are free-falling in the standings and cannot afford any lackluster performances like they have been putting forth recently. Things will not get any easier for the Knicks tonight as the Warriors are looking to avenge some poor play of their own, getting blown out by the Chicago Bulls Wednesday 103-83. Here are some things to look for in the game tonight.

-Player News and Notes

Raymond Felton is expected to take the court once again even after his arrest earlier in the week. Felton did not use the distraction as an excuse for his poor play Thursday night against the Heat but it is hard to blame him if that is on his mind. Shannon Brown and Earl Clark both played last night, with Brown getting into the game early and looking like he will be part of the Knicks rotation going forward. Mike Woodson called Clark a defensive-minded player when he was signed but he did not see the court until garbage time.

For the Warriors, David Lee will be taking the court against his former team. Lee had missed games because of illness recently, but was able to take the court Wednesday against the Bulls and should be good to go tonight against the Knicks.

-Matchup of the Game: Stephen Curry vs. Knicks Backcourt

Curry went off the last time he visited Madison Square Garden, scoring his career high almost a year ago to the day. The Knicks will be hard pressed to slow down Curry on a regular night with how poor their defense has been throughout the season, especially against opposing guards. Tonight Curry will have extra incentive to play well after having his worst game of the season Wednesday. The Knicks are catching Curry at the worst time; they aren’t playing well and he is looking to get back on track. Raymond Felton will probably start the game against Curry, but it would be smart for Woodson to go to the Toure’ Murry, the superior defender or even a longer player such as Shannon Brown if it starts getting too ugly too early.

-Defend the Perimeter

In addition to Curry the Warriors future another outstanding perimeter player in Klay Thompson. The tandem makes up the best shooting backcourt currently in the NBA and is in the argument for best of all-time according to some people. Without Iman Shumpert the Knicks are sorely lacking perimeter defenders capable of slowing down the explosive twosome; it will take a concerted team effort to slow them down tonight. In addition to Felton and Pablo Prigioni, J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. will have their chances to slow them down. No matter how undeserving of the opportunity those players are they will have to do it as Woodson does not have many other options to turn to.

-Will Melo Get Some Help?

Carmelo Anthony has been on a scoring tear for the Knicks recently and they are still losing games. Against the lower tier teams big scoring nights from Anthony could propel the Knicks to victory but not against tougher competition. In his last five games Anthony is averaging 38.8 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting from the field. He has also averaged 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals per game over the same span, doing everything he can to get the Knicks a victory.

For the Knicks to pull the upset tonight at MSG they will need someone to step up next to Anthony. Last night it was Tyson Chandler, but the rest of the team played so poorly offensively that it didn’t matter in the end. Having Smith or Hardaway Jr. knock down some perimeter shots tonight would go a long way in what has the makings to be a track meet. Any positives players like Brown, Clark or Jeremy Tyler, who was surprisingly taken out of the rotation against the Heat, can deliver tonight would help a lot as the Knicks just need something positive to build off of.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Golden State Warriors, February 22nd, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 22^th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Golden State Warriors

The Brooklyn Nets will be facing quite possibly their toughest game of the circus road-trip on Saturday in Golden State against the Warriors. Brooklyn is currently 3.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic Division, and would love to be able to get a big win on Saturday.

barclayscenter.com

- Awaiting a Debut

Only one move was made before Thursdays Trade Deadline for the Nets, as they agreed to trade Reggie Evans and Jason Terry to Sacramento for Marcus Thornton. The trade wasn’t made official until Saturday afternoon, as Terry getting a physical was holding it up. Terry will however not be joining the Kings, as he will be out for the remainder of the regular season with a knee injury, but this will allow Evans and Thornton to both be eligible to play on Saturday. Thornton however is battling a stomach bug so he is listed as a game-time decision for the match-up against the Warriors. Thornton has had a disappointing last two seasons, but has scored over 18 points per game twice in his career, as Brooklyn will hope that he can thrive off their bench.

- Tough Test

Saturday will be no easy task for the Nets, as even though they have defeated the Warriors once, that was the last game of a long road trip for the Warriors. Golden State is currently (33-22), which has them at 7^th in the extremely tough Western Conference. Golden State may have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA led by Stephen Curry, who is leading the team in PPG with 24.4, and APG at 8.9. curry also lit up the Nets in their first meeting this season, as he scored a game-high 34 points. The Nets will be catching a little break, as Center Andrew Bogut is listed as doubtful to play with a shoulder injury that has kept him out of the last six games.

- Healthy Williams?

Going against one of the best and youngest back courts in the league in Curry and Klay Thompson, Brooklyn will need a good game from Deron Williams, who didn’t play in the first meeting. In the victory in Utah, Williams got banged up a bit taking hits to both his head and groin, but going against a quick guard like Curry it will be big test to see just how much the All-Star break helped the ankles of Williams. Against the Jazz Williams scored 19 points, but didn’t shoot particularly well, and for the Nets to get a upset road win, they will need an excellent performance from Williams.

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