Blake Griffin puts on a show at The Palace

AUBURN HILLS -- Sometimes you attend a game just so you can get a first-hand look at a special player on the opposition.

Blake Griffin is one of those players.

Friday night marked Griffin's first trip to the Palace, and it's the only time he'll be in town this season. He didn't need a second game to make a big impression.

Griffin finished the evening with 24 points (11-17 from the floor) and 17 rebounds in the Los Angeles Clippers 109-88 win. 

To put that into perspective, the Detroit Pistons' starting five finished with 29 and 15.

The second-year rookie (Griffin missed all of last season with an injury) also gave ESPN plenty of footage for the highlight reel. There were the seven thunderous dunks, many where you thought he might just shatter the backboard, but his most memorable play was a layup.

Griffin caught the ball along the baseline, and as he almost always does, drove hard to the rim. As he took off from the floor, he did a complete 360-degree spin in the air, drew the foul, and managed to lay it in with a gentle finger roll.

Needless to say, there was an audible sense of awe from the Palace crowd.

The Pistons tried to be physical with Griffin early, knocking him around with a couple hard fouls, including a two-handed Charlie Villanueva shove. But the tactic seemed to motivate far more than intimidate.

Griffin definitely has some weaknesses to his game. He is a poor foul shooter, his mid-range game is still lacking, and he doesn't seem to understand there's a time to slow it down. But it's hard to argue there is a more exciting player in the game right now.

If you only go to one Pistons home game next season, come and see the Clippers at the Palace. Griffin is worth the price of admission.

Todays Tips!

Philadelphia 76ers - L.A. Lakers - Over 195.5 (1.85)


  " Wells Fargo" centarot vo Philadelphia ispolnet do poslednoto mesto i se podobrata Philadelphia definitivno ke bidat golema precka za aktuelniot sampion L.A.Lakers koj vecerva e vo obid da ja zabelezi svojata treta pobeda vo serija na gostinski teren.licno mislam deka e natprevar koj treba da se izbegne pri tipuvanjeto na konecniot ishod,no zatoa granicata od 195.5 poeni mi izgleda dosta zanimlivo i ocekuvam lesno da bide nadminata.
 Philadelphia e vo izvonredna forma ima tri triumfi vo serija,i izgledaat kako seriozna ekipa osobeno na domasen teren.Vo poslednite 5natprevari vo Wells Fargo centarot(so isklucok na natprevarot so N.Orleans koj bese resen po 12min i ostatokot bese samo moznost za igracite od klupata da gi pokazat svoite moznosti),76ersi i poveke od lesno i ubedlivo ja nadminuvaa granicata od 100poeni,a toa pred se dolzi na atraktivnata igra,agresivnata odbrana i golemiot broj na lesni poeni od kontranapadite.Tokmu ovoj stil na igra mislam deka bi pretstavuval edinstven nacin da se izvlece pozitiven rezultat so Lakersi,bidejki ako si dozvolat da vlezat vo "half court game" na denesniot natprevar ke bidat "izedeni" od cvrstata odbrana na gostite.
Angazmanot na Doug Collins za trener na ekipata se pokaza za odlicna investicija bidejki stanuva zbor za eden golem trener izvonreden motivator i covek koj koj sozdava sopstven identitet vo sredinata vo koja raboti.Andre Iguodala se uste e lider na timot megutoa stanuva zbor za eden odlicno izbalansiran tim spoj na nekolku iskusni i mladi kosarkari na koi timskiot uspeh nad se,se javuva kako filozofija na igra.
   Za Lakers nema sto i poveke da se zbori,ednostavno se strasen kolektiv predvodeni od "Zen Majstorot" na klupata,Kobe Brayant najdobriot kosarkar na denesnicata i mozebi najtalentiraniot visok igrac vo ligata,spanecot Gasol...Vo prilog na seto ova da dodame deka Kobe e roden tokmu vo Philadelphia i koga i da gostuval tuka imal izvonreden ucinok, kakov sto treba da ocekuvame i vecerva.


Houston Rockets - Memphis Grizzlies - 1 (1.63)
N.Orleans Hornets - Utah Jazz 1H (+4.5) (1.6)
Oklahoma City Thunder -Sacramento Kings - Over  

(Special Bets)
K.Martin (Houston) - Over 22.5 (1.9)
L.James- Over 24.5 (1.9)


   Madison Square Garden e mestoto kade sto sekoj kosrkar ima posebni motivi za uspesen nastap zasto e svoeviden hram na kosarkata i kulten teren koj pretstavuval mesto za prestiz na mnogumina kosarkarski legendi vo istorijata. Posebni motivi vecerva ke ima i "kralot" L.James bidejki e edinstveniot igrac posle M.Jordan koj uspeal vo dva navrati da ja nadmine granicata od 50 poeni.
Se ocekuva i neprijatna atmosfera za Lebron koj gi izneveri fanovite na New York potpisuvajki 6godisen dogovor so golemiot rival od Miami, megutoa "Kralot"dokaza kako se snaoga vo takva atmosfera na gostuvanjeto vo Cleveland, pa ocekuvam deka istoto ke go povtori i vecerva...

Tip Of The Day!

New Jersey Nets - Washington Wizards - Under 194.5 (1.8)


    Mozebi i natprevar vo koj sigurno nema da se uziva vo ubava kosarka, megutoa granica koja nemoze da se propusti i koja e dosta visoko postavena na moe licno iznenaduvanje.
Kako da ne e dovolno sto se srekavaat dve od najslabite ekipi vo ligata, pa duri natprevarot ke bide osiromasen so otsustvo na nekolku bitni igraci od obata tima: New Jersey - A.Morrow (12.8pts) i Washington- J.Wall (1 pik) na ovogodinesniov draft(16.7pts) , A.Blatche (17.1pts) , J.Jianlian(6.7pts), fakti na koi ako dodademe deka N.Jersey po angazmanot za trener na" maliot general" A.Johnson igra daleku podisciplirana i defanzivno orientirana(i na momenti dosadna) kosarka, a i napagacki oslabeniot Washington se se sveduva na mal broj poeni na vecerasniot natprevar...Poslednite dva natpevari odigrani vo New Jersey pomegu ovie ekipi : 01.03.10. 85:89 , 30.01.10. 79:81 samo go potvrduvaat dosega iznesenoto..

Spurs Vs. Nuggets: Denver Tries For 11th Straight Home Victory, Puts Aside Melo Rumors

      

         Carmelo Anthony has worn just one team's uniform since being drafted third overall in 2003. At least for the time being, the three-time All-Star forward continues to don the powder blue and white of the Denver Nuggets.

With trade rumors continuing to swirl, Anthony and the Nuggets will try ignore the distractions Thursday as they go for their 11th straight victory at Pepsi Center in a matchup with the NBA-best San Antonio Spurs.

Since leading Syracuse to a national championship in his one season on campus, Anthony has been the cornerstone of a Nuggets franchise that has advanced to the postseason seven straight years after missing the playoffs in the eight seasons prior to his arrival.

Saying he wanted to keep his options open, Anthony declined a three-year, $65 million extension with the Nuggets in June. It has since been rumored that the Brooklyn-born free agent-to-be wants to go to either the Knicks or Nets.

While Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri said following Tuesday's 111-94 victory over Orlando that no trades were imminent and Anthony would know if he was getting dealt, rumors continue that Anthony will not be a Nugget when the February trade deadline passes.

Anthony denied a report last week that he had told Denver he would only accept a trade to the Knicks. More speculation surfaced Tuesday after the Nets acquired two more first-round picks in a three-team swap that could be used in a package deal for the Nuggets superstar.

"I've got a game here Thursday night against San Antonio and that's what I'm focused on," Anthony said Tuesday after scoring 35 points with 11 rebounds. "All that other stuff, I'm not even paying attention to right now."

Anthony, whose career scoring average against San Antonio (20.2) is his lowest against any team in the Western Conference, can't afford to get caught up in the rumors given the way the Spurs are playing.

San Antonio (21-3) makes its first of two visits to Denver this season after capping off a 6-0 homestand Wednesday with a 92-90 victory over Milwaukee.

Manu Ginobili hit the game-winning fallaway jumper over Luc Mbah a Moute as time expired.

"It was a tough shot," Ginobili told NBA.com after scoring a team-high 26 points. "He guarded me really well. ... I got lucky. I made the shot. We all celebrated."

The Spurs, who will return home for three games following Thursday's matchup, are 8-1 on the road, falling 90-85 to the Los Angeles Clippers in their last game away from AT&T Center on Dec. 1.

Denver has a league-best 45 home wins since the beginning of 2009-10 and is on the verge of its first 11-game winning streak at home since a 12-0 stretch March 16-April 19, 2005. However, San Antonio went 2-0 when visiting the Nuggets last season, winning by 19 points each time.

The Spurs won the most recent of those meetings 104-85 on April 10 behind Tim Duncan's 18 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony was ejected in the fourth quarter for arguing with officials.

Ty Lawson will likely start at point guard for the Nuggets in place of Chauncey Billups, who missed Tuesday's victory with a wrist injury.

San Antonio hosts Denver next Wednesday.