Utah lost, and Lakers almost lost, but what a come back. OK, FTs helped, but those big shots by Kobe and then Nash, were just too much for the Raptors.
Warriors lost. Well, we beat them. It wasn't pretty, and almost downright ugly, but a win is a win, and what an important win.
Asik was the MVP for the Rockets - 17 rebounds were like nothign for him. and many many more good interior defensive possessions. Thanks to Morey, this guy is absolutely a steal, and worth every single penny of his paycheck. Seeing him running up and down to make an impact around both rims makes you just appreciate hard work.
James Harden had a butt-ugly shooting game. He didn't make a single layup, 3-17, but he still managed to score 20 points, thanks to 11-14 free throws. He did make an impact on the game, for he defended harder than usual, and his 11 assists and 6 rebounds, really showed his effort to make up his poor shooting.
Parsons has been on a hot shooting spree for quite some time. It's almost a crime that both Harden and Lin didn't try to find him more in the 2nd half, especially they were struggling with own shots. He's been doing very well, with his 3 pointer shooting and occasional drives.
Jeremy Lin, his stat line with 15 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists is not bad, or should I say, satisfying. 3-9 shooting is nothing to brag about, but he went to FT line a little bit more than usual. At the defensive end, he worked hard. Curry is a tough cover, and crossed over Lin a few times:) Lin made a few mistakes by overcommitting, and rushing back for those 2 bumping fouls. I felt that Lin was a little bit timid, not as aggressive as I would hope for. Maybe the controversy and noise surrounding last game did affecet him. He passed up a few open shots in the first half. He did provide a spark early in the 3rd quarter, but in the 4th quarter, there were a few consecutive possessions, he hesitated too much with driving and shooting. After 2 consecutive bone-headed plays, he gave up the ball to Harden. There was very little ball movement (not his fault, but the whole team).
Overall, I think Lin played a very average game, for he could certainly do much better. Hopefully he can clear up his mind and be the aggressive himself again.
I am very happy about the win, for it didn't come easy. If it weren't national televised, we might not have been rewarded with that many FTs, and could have lost the game easily. Warriors played poorly, especially in the last quarter.
Good teams win ugly games, and hopefully as we get better, we can win more ugly games:)
