Sports World: 03/03/10

Watch Golden State Warriors vs Orlando Magic Live Streaming

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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7:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

A significant part of Jameer Nelson’s job is to distribute the ball. The Orlando Magic have been smart to make sure it gets back to him on occasion. Nelson and the Magic look to continue their success at home and take advantage of a matchup with the undermanned Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Orlando returns home following a 126-105 win at Philadelphia on Monday night. The Magic matched their highest point total of the season - set first in a win at Golden State on Dec. 5 - even though star center Dwight Howard was limited to 14 points and three rebounds.

Instead, it was Nelson who led the way, posting 22 points and 10 assists while going 8 for 11 from the field. The point guard appears to be settling down after sitting out a month early this season due to knee surgery. He also missed the second half of last season because of a shoulder injury. Nelson, scoring 12.4 points per contest this season, is averaging 17.6 over his last five games. He’s averaging 27.0 points and shooting 69.2 percent from 3-point range in his last two games versus the Warriors.

Watch Philadelphia 76ers vs Atlanta Hawks Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Philadelphia 76ers needed a spark when they signed Allen Iverson in December. Now, with the 10-time All-Star’s second stint with the team over, the Sixers will have to find another way to add some life to their disappointing season. A day after announcing Iverson will not return to the team this season, Philadelphia visits the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. After getting waived by Memphis in November, Iverson signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the 76ers on Dec. 2, bringing back the first overall pick in 1996 to the team he played for until getting traded to Denver in 2006.

Iverson, though, appeared in just 25 games for the 76ers before leaving the team last month to be with his family as they deal with an undisclosed illness of his 4-year-old daughter. The four-time scoring champion, who is 17th all-time with 24,368 points, averaged 13.9 points and 4.1 assists for Philadelphia, which is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

Watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs New Jersey Nets Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be heavily favored to complete a season sweep of the lowly New Jersey Nets. That doesn’t mean that the first three wins in the series this season have come easily, though. James and the Cavaliers make their final visit to the Izod Center on Wednesday night when they try to extend the Nets’ franchise-record home skid to 10 games. Cleveland owns the best record in the league and New Jersey the worst, with the Nets more focused on their move to the Prudential Center in Newark next season with the hopes that rapper and part-owner Jay-Z can lure his good friend James to the franchise in the summer.

The Cavaliers may not have the rap mogul at their disposal, but they clearly have a better team surrounding James than what the Nets have to offer. Cleveland has won four straight and 17 of 20 as it tries to hold off the Lakers for the NBA’s best record. James sat out the fourth quarter after scoring 22 points in Monday’s 124-93 rout of New York as Cleveland shot 65.7 percent and led by as many as 49 points.

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7:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Boston Celtics opened the season with a decisive drubbing of the visiting Charlotte Bobcats, but on the whole in 2009-10, their home court has not provided a big advantage. That was especially true in their last game at TD Garden. The Celtics have already bounced back from an embarrassing home loss to the NBA’s worst team, but they’ll try to avoid a third straight defeat in Boston as they face the Bobcats on Wednesday.

The Celtics are 5-7 in their last 12 games at TD Garden, with only one of the victories against an opponent with a winning record. Leading scorer Paul Pierce returned to the lineup Tuesday night after missing three games with a thumb injury, and the Celtics improved to 21-10 on the road with a 105-100 win at Detroit. Pierce wasn’t a major factor statistically, totaling nine points, but a newer Celtic provided the biggest boost. Playing his fourth game since Boston acquired him from the New York Knicks, Nate Robinson had 14 points.

Watch Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The New York Knicks’ defense can’t seem to slow teams down. The Detroit Pistons, though, have been extremely effective at slowing down all by themselves.Following two more terrible defensive games, the Knicks look to bounce back against the offensively challenged Pistons on Wednesday night in a matchup pitting two of the league’s worst teams. Having lost 10 of its last 11, New York continues to be hurt by an inability to play tough defense. The Knicks have allowed an average of 105.0 points this season - 111.6 over their last 18 games.

New York has given up 244 points over its last two contests, losing both following a 118-116 overtime win over Washington on Friday night. Detroit is one of the few offenses New York has been able to contain. The Knicks are 2-1 against the Pistons this season, holding them to 90.7 points per game and 40.5 percent shooting. Detroit is ranked 29th in the league in scoring, averaging 92.6 points. Only league-worst New Jersey has a lower average. The talent level the Knicks will now face is a far cry from what they had to contend with Monday night, when they lost 124-93 to Cleveland.

Watch Washington Wizards vs Milwaukee Bucks Live Streaming

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8:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Milwaukee Bucks have made big strides over the last two weeks and look like a legitimate playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. Another loss to the Washington Wizards, though, would be a big step back. The Bucks try to avoid a third straight defeat to the Wizards when the teams meet at the Bradley Center on Wednesday. Milwaukee, which has not made the playoffs since 2006, is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference - one game behind fifth-place Toronto. The Bucks have surged in the standings by going 12-4 in their last 16, with Sunday’s 106-102 loss at Atlanta snapping a six-game win streak.

The Bucks held opponents to 86.0 points per game during the winning streak. However, they allowed the Hawks to go on a 9-0 run in overtime after Milwaukee took a 97-92 lead with 3:52 remaining in the extra period. John Salmons had another impressive game for Milwaukee, finishing with a season-high 32 points. Salmons has averaged 20.1 points since joining the Bucks in a trade with Chicago, where he averaged 12.7 points.

Watch Memphis Grizzlies vs New Orleans Hornets Live Streaming

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8:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The struggling New Orleans Hornets are sliding down the Western Conference standings. A loss to the Memphis Grizzlies will only further that descent. The Hornets look for their 10th straight home win over the Grizzlies, who are trying to set a franchise record with their fifth consecutive victory on the road. Coupled with Portland’s 103-93 win at Memphis on Monday, New Orleans fell four games behind the Trail Blazers for the eighth and final playoff spot with its 106-92 loss to San Antonio.

After scoring a season-high 35 points in a 108-100 loss at Dallas on Sunday, rookie point guard Darren Collison was held to 10 on Monday as New Orleans’ three-game home winning streak was snapped. Collison has made it tough for opponents since taking over for Chris Paul, who is not expected to return from arthroscopic knee surgery until at least the middle of this month. Collison was named Western Conference rookie of the month for February and is averaging 20.5 points and 9.4 assists in the last 15 games without Paul. The first start in this stretch was at Memphis on Jan. 30, when Collison scored 17 points with a season-high 18 assists as New Orleans overcame a 21-point third-quarter deficit to win 109-102 in overtime and snap the Grizzlies’ franchise-record 11-game home winning streak.

Watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks Live Streaming

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8:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Dallas Mavericks stumbled in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ last visit to the American Airlines Center. New faces on the Mavericks’ roster, along with the team’s much-improved play, could lead to a different outcome Wednesday night. Dallas looks to win nine straight for the first time in three seasons when it hosts a Timberwolves team that is missing one of its best players. The Mavericks fell 117-108 to the Timberwolves on Feb. 5, snapping their 13-game winning streak against Minnesota.

The Mavericks, though, have followed that slump with their longest win streak since a nine-game run from March 16-30, 2007. The run has been sparked by the acquisition of Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood from Washington on Feb. 13, as Dallas has taken a 4 1/2-game lead over San Antonio for the Southwest Division lead. Butler, who missed two games last week due to a bad reaction to medication, is averaging 16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds with the Mavs. With Erick Dampier out following surgery last month to close a dislocation on his right middle finger, Haywood has more than picked up the slack, averaging 10.8 points and 10.0 rebounds with his new team.

Watch Sacramento Kings vs Houston Rockets Live Streaming

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8:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

After some initial struggles, Kevin Martin appears to have found his place in the Houston Rockets’ offense in time for his first game against the team that traded him two weeks ago. One of the headliners in a blockbuster deal at February’s trade deadline, Martin looks to continue his surge for the Rockets on Wednesday night when he faces the Sacramento Kings for the first time. Houston acquired Martin from Sacramento on Feb. 18 in a three-team trade that sent Tracy McGrady from the Rockets to New York. Martin averaged 15.3 points and shot 31.0 percent from the field in his first three games with Houston, all losses.

Martin had 28 points while going 9 for 16 from the field overall and 5 for 8 from 3-point range in a 116-92 home win over Toronto on Monday night. The Kings know all about what Martin can do. They drafted the unheralded player out of Western Carolina with the 26th pick in 2004, and though they made the playoffs only twice in his five full seasons with the team, he led them in scoring three times and emerged as one of the most dangerous perimeter shooters in the NBA.

Watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets Live Streaming

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9:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

After coming up empty in a pair of road games, the Denver Nuggets are probably looking forward to staying at home for a few days. Awaiting them in their return, however, will be one of the NBA’s hottest teams. The Nuggets will try to avoid matching their longest losing streak of the season Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of 12 of 14. During a two-game trip to face the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix, Denver suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since dropping three straight from Dec. 25-28.

The Nuggets built a nine-point lead after one quarter but couldn’t recover after getting outscored 33-11 over the next 12 minutes, recording their lowest point total for any quarter this season. Star forward Carmelo Anthony missed 14 of 21 shots overall and finished with 17 points for his lowest output since Dec. 27. Winning the opener of their three-game homestand would probably make Karl very happy considering how his team performed in its previous meeting with the Thunder on Jan. 29.

Watch Indiana Pacers vs Portland Trail Blazers Live Streaming

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10:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Portland Trail Blazers are enjoying their best scoring stretch in 12 years. A matchup with the Indiana Pacers doesn’t figure to slow them down. Coming off a successful road trip, the Blazers face the struggling Pacers and their porous defense Wednesday night. Portland has scored more than 100 points in five straight games for the first time since a six-game run from Feb. 4-17, 1998.

That was the only defeat Portland suffered during a five-game trip, averaging 105.4 points. Now the Blazers look to earn their second consecutive season series sweep of the Pacers. Portland beat Indiana 102-91 on Dec. 9, its third straight win in the series after losing the previous nine. That game is one of 40 in which the Pacers have allowed at least 100 points this season. Indiana ranks 24th in the league in scoring defense, surrendering 104.3 points a contest. The Pacers have been even worse on the road, giving up an average of 107.3 points, and they had one of their worst performances of the season in losing 122-99 to the Los Angles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Watch Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Clippers Live Streaming

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10:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Phoenix Suns are well-known for their up-tempo, high-scoring offense, but coach Alvin Gentry can see a definite improvement with his team’s defensive effort. The Suns look to sweep the season series against the Los Angeles Clippers for the second straight year Wednesday night when the teams meet at Staples Center. Phoenix leads the league with 109.2 points per game but is among the NBA’s worst, giving up an average of 106.0. The Suns, though, are holding teams to 97.4 points and 44.3 percent shooting while winning seven of nine.

Phoenix will look to win its eighth straight, and fourth in a row this season, against the Clippers, who are scoring a conference-low 95.9 points per game.Los Angeles has won four straight at home but those victories have come by an average of 6.0 points. Leading the visiting Jazz by 17 points with less than seven minutes remaining Monday, the Clippers hung on for a 108-104 victory to avoid a third consecutive loss.

Watch Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres Live Streaming

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7:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

Ryan Miller got a hero’s welcome in an opponent’s arena after his MVP performance for the United States at the Olympics, and he’ll likely get a similar reaction from his home fans in Buffalo. He won’t expect a round of applause from Alex Ovechkin. After Miller allowed the gold medal-winning goal to Canada’s Sidney Crosby at the end of an otherwise brilliant tournament, the Sabres goalie is expected to return to NHL action Wednesday with a challenging task against Ovechkin and the explosive, NHL-leading Washington Capitals.

Miller went 5-1 with a 1.35 goals-against average in Vancouver, earning tournament MVP honors even after Crosby beat him in overtime Sunday to give Canada a 3-2 victory. When the Sabres played at Pittsburgh in Crosby’s home rink Tuesday, Miller got the night off but received an even bigger ovation than the Penguins star in pregame introductions. After Patrick Lalime filled in during Buffalo’s 3-2 loss, Miller will likely be back in the crease Wednesday.

Watch Vancouver Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

While leading Team Canada to a gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock looked smart after benching all-time NHL wins leader Martin Brodeur. Given his faith in Roberto Luongo’s abilities, Babcock probably won’t be thrilled to be going against the Vancouver Canucks netminder on Wednesday. Luongo will likely make his first appearance since winning gold for Canada as the Canucks continue their record string of road games by facing the strengthening Red Wings.

Vancouver’s workhorse goalie finished with a 1.76 goals-against average and five wins in five starts in his home arena at the Olympics - none bigger than the 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the gold-medal game Sunday. One of those was Babcock, who replaced the struggling Brodeur with Luongo after the Canadians’ 5-3 loss to the U.S. in the preliminary round. While Babcock has tasted similar glory in the NHL, leading the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 2008, Luongo is still looking for his first trip to a conference finals. The Canucks could be contenders for such a spot this season.

Watch Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers Live Streaming

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7:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Philadelphia Flyers entered the Olympic break as one of the NHL’s hottest teams. The Florida Panthers were one of the coldest. Despite two weeks off, little appears to have changed. The Flyers will try for a season-high sixth straight win Wednesday night against the Panthers, losers of seven in a row. In its first game following NHL’s Vancouver Games hiatus, Philadelphia didn’t miss a beat. The Flyers blew out Tampa Bay 7-2 in Tuesday night’s resumption of a four-game road trip. The Flyers broke open a tie game with five unanswered goals in the third period, including two from Simon Gagne.

The Flyers last won six in a row Nov. 15-26, 2008. Jeff Carter has six goals during the current streak. Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux and Mike Richards have added six points apiece. Richards, a gold medal winner with Canada along with Flyers teammate Chris Pronger, had a goal and three assists in Tuesday’s victory.

Watch Edmonton Oilers vs Chicago Blackhawks Live Streaming

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8:30 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Chicago Blackhawks headed into the Olympic break as one of the NHL’s best teams, but questions remained about who would emerge as the team’s top goaltender. Provided Chicago doesn’t acquire any help before Wednesday’s trade deadline, a home game against the woeful Edmonton Oilers might help Antti Niemi or Cristobal Huet get back on track as the Blackhawks try to sweep a season series from the Oilers for the first time since 1994-95. Chicago entered the Vancouver Games riding a four-game win streak, and with a 16-point cushion over Nashville in its drive to win a division title for the first time in 17 years. The Blackhawks returned from the break in underwhelming fashion Tuesday night, falling 5-3 at the New York Islanders.

Making his fifth straight start, Niemi was pulled after giving up back-to-back goals in a 25-second span early in the second period. Huet entered for the first time since Feb. 5, then allowed another two goals before the intermission. Huet, who signed a four-year contract worth $22.5 million before the 2008-09 season, has been linked in trade rumors with Toronto and Florida.

Watch Colorado Avalanche vs Anaheim Ducks Live Streaming

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10:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

The Anaheim Ducks hope a two-week hiatus for the Olympics didn’t hamper any of their momentum. Returning to the ice against the Colorado Avalanche could help them pick up where they left off. The Ducks look for their seventh win in nine games Wednesday night as they try to continue their dominance of the Avalanche. Anaheim is last in the Pacific Division, but is only three points behind the final playoff position in the Western Conference after winning six of eight as part of a 14-6-0 stretch heading into the Olympic break.

Seven Ducks also enjoyed success in Vancouver, earning the most medals of any NHL team. Captain Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry helped Canada win gold with Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win over the United States, which had Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney. Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu won bronze with Finland, while only Jonas Hiller failed to win a medal. Hiller, who will likely be in net Wednesday, was superb for Switzerland, going 2-2-1 with a 2.47 goals-against average.

Watch Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames Live Streaming

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10:00 pm EST Wed Mar 3, 2010

Under new coach Brent Sutter, the Calgary Flames hoped to make a deep run in the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 2003-04. They certainly didn’t think just reaching the postseason would become an issue. Calgary hopes to jump into playoff position Wednesday night when it hosts the Minnesota Wild in the teams’ first game following the Olympic break. After being eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the fourth straight season, the Flames hired Sutter to replace Mike Keenan on June 23.

Calgary looked like one of the league’s elite teams with a 25-12-5 record through Jan. 5, but dropped 11 of its next 12. That skid fueled the trade of star defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who went to Toronto on Jan. 31 in a seven-player deal that brought forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White to Calgary. The Flames continued to reshape their team two days later, trading center Olli Jokinen and left wing Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers for forwards Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik. With their roster overhauled, the Flames went 3-3-0 in six games prior to the break before sending captain Jarome Iginla, goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff and Hagman to the Olympics.

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