Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Spurs win over the Raptors.
San Antonio defeat the Toronto Raptors 131-124 on Monday night. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 36 points in a game without Tony parker and Tim Duncan both with injuries. Chris Bosh had 32 points and nine rebounds for Toronto, but his third 30-point game of the season wasn't enough after another soft defensive game for the Raptors. Richard Jefferson scored half his 24 points in the fourth quarter and George Hill added 22 for the Spurs.
Results:Hats off to Hatton By: Greg Adkins November 9, 2009
SHEFFIELD, England – Raw’s special guest host, boxing great Ricky Hatton, knows how to pack the kind of wallop that brings a crowd to their feet, and the Englishman did just that by overseeing a powerful Raw that even saw World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker make an appearance.
DX def. Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show in a Non-Title Match; WWE Champion John Cena & World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker will team up next week
Two weeks before Survivor Series, Triple H & Shawn Michaels offered WWE Champion John Cena a preview of what awaits him in that trio’s Triple Threat Match. The DX duo faced down Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show, who themselves will combat World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker in their own battle of three.
With The Champ looking on from the announcer’s table, the teams punished one another until The World’s Largest Athlete attempted to seal Michaels’ fate. As HBK fended off an attack from Jericho, Show illegally charged him. When Show attempted to land a knock out punch on Michaels, though, he accidentally connected with his partner, allowing HBK to score the pin.
While the turn of events was unforeseen, the biggest surprise came after the match. The WWE Champion revealed that next week’s Raw will include a Triple Threat Tag Team Match involving three teams: DX, Jeri-Show and … John Cena & The Undertaker! Each of the teams appeared as stunned as the WWE Universe as the World Heavyweight Champion slowly and deliberately walked down the entrance ramp, eyeing his opponents.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper will be Raw’s special guest host next week
When Raw rolls into Madison Square Garden next week, the week’s special guest host will be a man familiar with the energy and history contained within the World’s Most Famous Arena: WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
Ricky Hatton def. Chavo Guerrero
Maybe Chavo Guerrero has been wearing his bandana too tight lately. How else to explain why he would face down Ricky Hatton in a “Boxer vs. Wrestler” Match? As a two-time IBF welterweight champion and former unified light welterweight champion, Hatton bided his time, avoiding Chavo’s clutch and waiting for just the right moment. That moment arrived several minutes into the bout when Hatton escaped from a waist lock and landed a devastating right hook to Chavo’s face to put him down for the count.
Randy Orton def. Mark Henry
A slap at the hand of Kofi Kingston may have been all the incentive Randy Orton needed in his match against Mark Henry. The former WWE Champion battled The World’s Strongest Man in a match that saw both Superstars on the verge of victory. In the end, The Viper struck Henry and pinned him for the three-count.
Never one to swallow his pride easily, Orton ambushed Kingston as he attended to Henry. The Viper returned a slap he’d received earlier, but Kingston quickly returned fire before Orton could dart outside the ring.
Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase confronted Kofi Kingston, MVP & Mark Henry in the VIP Lounge
Montel Vontavious Porter, with Mark Henry at his side, welcomed the captain of their Survivor Series team, Kofi Kingston, to his VIP Lounge. The three toasted Kingston’s fortitude in standing up to Randy Orton over the past several weeks.
Not surprisingly, The Viper took issue. As captain of the opposing Survivor Series team, Orton, with Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase in tow, confronted Kingston and his pals. After The Viper offended the trio, Kingston had heard enough. He slapped Orton across the face and showed that he’s not about to be bullied.
Evan Bourne def. Jack Swagger
It looks like Jack Swagger bit off more than he could chew, which is saying a lot for a guy with a mouth as big as his. Earlier this year, “The All-American American” promised he would remain undefeated for remainder of 2009. Swagger didn’t count on the high-flying determination of his Evan Bourne. The two-time collegiate All-American may have been trying to win over his Survivor Series team captain, The Miz, who watched the bout from ringside, but he only succeeded in losing the match, along with his dignity.
Sheamus def. A local competitor
The English and their Irish neighbors share a complicated history of aggression and brutality dating back centuries. In that sense, Sheamus, a proud Irishman, proved himself a staunch traditionalist. One week after punishing Jamie Noble, The Celtic Warrior stomped into England and destroyed one of their own, a local Sheffield wrestler, but not before bragging to the assembled masses that his brutality had effectively ended Noble’s career. Sheamus has proven so impressive since his Raw debut two weeks ago, in fact, that United States Champion The Miz recruited him for his team during the Survivor Series Traditional Elimination Tag Team Match.
Alicia Fox def. Kelly Kelly
Accompanied to the ring by Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly hoped to make amends for coming up just shy in the Diva Battle Royal last week. To accomplish this, she would face the Diva who won the match and the right to face Divas Champion Melina, Alicia Fox. Unfortunately for Kelly Kelly, Alicia continued her winning ways and will compete for the Butterfly gold next week in Madison Square Garden.
Raw special guest host Ricky Hatton arranged Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show against DX
Will Big Show ever learn? Just as he did when he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr., at WrestleMania XXIV, The World’s Largest Athlete decided to threaten and antagonize a wiry professional boxer. This time, Show targeted Raw’s special guest host, two-time IBF welterweight champion and former unified light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton.
With an impressive 32 knockouts under his belt, Hatton absorbed Show’s threats but wasn’t about to budge. Instead, he prepared to silence Show with one solid punch when Show’s Unified Tag Team Championship partner, Chris Jericho, interrupted. After Hatton announced that Jeri-Show must face DX, Jericho went off on a rant about Hatton, The Queen and the whole of England.
His diatribe took a detour, however, when Triple H & Shawn Michaels emerged to confront their opponents. D-Generation X assured the Unified Tag Team Champions that while they may have gotten the best of DX a week earlier, thanks to a few cheap shots, tonight The Game & HBK were going to squash Jeri-Show like a batch of mushy peas.
Source: wwe.com
DX def. Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show in a Non-Title Match; WWE Champion John Cena & World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker will team up next week
Two weeks before Survivor Series, Triple H & Shawn Michaels offered WWE Champion John Cena a preview of what awaits him in that trio’s Triple Threat Match. The DX duo faced down Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show, who themselves will combat World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker in their own battle of three.
With The Champ looking on from the announcer’s table, the teams punished one another until The World’s Largest Athlete attempted to seal Michaels’ fate. As HBK fended off an attack from Jericho, Show illegally charged him. When Show attempted to land a knock out punch on Michaels, though, he accidentally connected with his partner, allowing HBK to score the pin.
While the turn of events was unforeseen, the biggest surprise came after the match. The WWE Champion revealed that next week’s Raw will include a Triple Threat Tag Team Match involving three teams: DX, Jeri-Show and … John Cena & The Undertaker! Each of the teams appeared as stunned as the WWE Universe as the World Heavyweight Champion slowly and deliberately walked down the entrance ramp, eyeing his opponents.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper will be Raw’s special guest host next week
When Raw rolls into Madison Square Garden next week, the week’s special guest host will be a man familiar with the energy and history contained within the World’s Most Famous Arena: WWE Hall of Famer “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
Ricky Hatton def. Chavo Guerrero
Maybe Chavo Guerrero has been wearing his bandana too tight lately. How else to explain why he would face down Ricky Hatton in a “Boxer vs. Wrestler” Match? As a two-time IBF welterweight champion and former unified light welterweight champion, Hatton bided his time, avoiding Chavo’s clutch and waiting for just the right moment. That moment arrived several minutes into the bout when Hatton escaped from a waist lock and landed a devastating right hook to Chavo’s face to put him down for the count.
Randy Orton def. Mark Henry
A slap at the hand of Kofi Kingston may have been all the incentive Randy Orton needed in his match against Mark Henry. The former WWE Champion battled The World’s Strongest Man in a match that saw both Superstars on the verge of victory. In the end, The Viper struck Henry and pinned him for the three-count.
Never one to swallow his pride easily, Orton ambushed Kingston as he attended to Henry. The Viper returned a slap he’d received earlier, but Kingston quickly returned fire before Orton could dart outside the ring.
Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase confronted Kofi Kingston, MVP & Mark Henry in the VIP Lounge
Montel Vontavious Porter, with Mark Henry at his side, welcomed the captain of their Survivor Series team, Kofi Kingston, to his VIP Lounge. The three toasted Kingston’s fortitude in standing up to Randy Orton over the past several weeks.
Not surprisingly, The Viper took issue. As captain of the opposing Survivor Series team, Orton, with Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase in tow, confronted Kingston and his pals. After The Viper offended the trio, Kingston had heard enough. He slapped Orton across the face and showed that he’s not about to be bullied.
Evan Bourne def. Jack Swagger
It looks like Jack Swagger bit off more than he could chew, which is saying a lot for a guy with a mouth as big as his. Earlier this year, “The All-American American” promised he would remain undefeated for remainder of 2009. Swagger didn’t count on the high-flying determination of his Evan Bourne. The two-time collegiate All-American may have been trying to win over his Survivor Series team captain, The Miz, who watched the bout from ringside, but he only succeeded in losing the match, along with his dignity.
Sheamus def. A local competitor
The English and their Irish neighbors share a complicated history of aggression and brutality dating back centuries. In that sense, Sheamus, a proud Irishman, proved himself a staunch traditionalist. One week after punishing Jamie Noble, The Celtic Warrior stomped into England and destroyed one of their own, a local Sheffield wrestler, but not before bragging to the assembled masses that his brutality had effectively ended Noble’s career. Sheamus has proven so impressive since his Raw debut two weeks ago, in fact, that United States Champion The Miz recruited him for his team during the Survivor Series Traditional Elimination Tag Team Match.
Alicia Fox def. Kelly Kelly
Accompanied to the ring by Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly hoped to make amends for coming up just shy in the Diva Battle Royal last week. To accomplish this, she would face the Diva who won the match and the right to face Divas Champion Melina, Alicia Fox. Unfortunately for Kelly Kelly, Alicia continued her winning ways and will compete for the Butterfly gold next week in Madison Square Garden.
Raw special guest host Ricky Hatton arranged Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show against DX
Will Big Show ever learn? Just as he did when he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr., at WrestleMania XXIV, The World’s Largest Athlete decided to threaten and antagonize a wiry professional boxer. This time, Show targeted Raw’s special guest host, two-time IBF welterweight champion and former unified light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton.
With an impressive 32 knockouts under his belt, Hatton absorbed Show’s threats but wasn’t about to budge. Instead, he prepared to silence Show with one solid punch when Show’s Unified Tag Team Championship partner, Chris Jericho, interrupted. After Hatton announced that Jeri-Show must face DX, Jericho went off on a rant about Hatton, The Queen and the whole of England.
His diatribe took a detour, however, when Triple H & Shawn Michaels emerged to confront their opponents. D-Generation X assured the Unified Tag Team Champions that while they may have gotten the best of DX a week earlier, thanks to a few cheap shots, tonight The Game & HBK were going to squash Jeri-Show like a batch of mushy peas.
Source: wwe.com
Celtics win against Nets
The Boston Celtics concluded a stretch of four games in five nights with an 86-76 road win against the depleted Nets on Saturday night. The win was the Celtics' 10th in a row against the Nets, dating back to 2006.
The C's were led in scoring by Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce, who both scored 16 points. Rondo also contributed with five of Boston's 20 steals on the night. The Celtics outscored the Nets by 12 points in the fourth quarter to pull away late.
Next up, the Celtics get some well-deserved rest before taking on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night in Boston. Game time is set for 7:30 pm.
The C's were led in scoring by Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce, who both scored 16 points. Rondo also contributed with five of Boston's 20 steals on the night. The Celtics outscored the Nets by 12 points in the fourth quarter to pull away late.
Next up, the Celtics get some well-deserved rest before taking on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night in Boston. Game time is set for 7:30 pm.
Tin Duncan and Tony Parker out because of injuries.
Tim Duncan has a swollen left ankle that will keep him on the bench with Tony Parker.
The Spurs announced before Monday's game against Toronto that MRI tests on Duncan revealed no structural damage. Duncan played a season-high 35 minutes and 14 points in a loss at Portland on Friday.
Parker was already out with a left ankle injury of his own. He rolled the ankle in the second quarter against the Trail Blazers and did not return to the game.
Duncan and Parker are expected to be day-to-day following the Raptors game.
The Spurs announced before Monday's game against Toronto that MRI tests on Duncan revealed no structural damage. Duncan played a season-high 35 minutes and 14 points in a loss at Portland on Friday.
Parker was already out with a left ankle injury of his own. He rolled the ankle in the second quarter against the Trail Blazers and did not return to the game.
Duncan and Parker are expected to be day-to-day following the Raptors game.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
WWE Smackdown Altered beast By: Mitch Passero November 6, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – With Survivor Series just three weeks away, an angry Batista continued on his warpath by crushing Matt Hardy, while World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker had ominous words for his Survivor Series Triple Threat opponents, Big Show and Chris Jericho.
Matt Hardy def. Batista by Disqualification
Ever since failing to win the World Title at WWE Bragging Rights, Batista has turned into a raging beast. Last week, Batista attacked Hardy from behind. (WATCH) In the night’s main event, Matt Hardy felt The Animal’s wrath once again. After smashing Hardy into the announce table, Batista drove a TV monitor into his back. The vicious and painful assault earned Batista an immediate disqualification.
Undertaker recalled his ominous legacy
Recalling his first Survivor Series – and looking to the 2009 event – World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker reminded the WWE Universe of the many Superstars he has vanquished over the years. Unimpressed, Unified Tag Team Champion Chris Jericho interrupted The Phenom’s address with his own self-centered views. But, the tag team champion paid a heavy price for his indiscretion – a massive boot to the face. They cross paths once again in the Triple Threat Match with Big Show at Survivor Series. (Preview)
Dolph Ziggler & The Hart Dynasty def. Intercontinental Champion John Morrison & Cryme Tyme
Dolph Ziggler gained a huge boost of confidence by pinning big Shad Gaspard in a Six-Man Tag Team Match pitting Ziggler and The Hart Dynasty against Intercontinental Champion John Morrison and Cryme Tyme. Next week, Ziggler gets another chance to make a name for himself when he faces Morrison in a title match on SmackDown.
Beth Phoenix def. local athlete
Just like last week, Beth Phoenix chalked up a commanding victory over a local athlete. The smart and sexy Diva is looking more powerful than ever, and one has to seriously question the chances of any local competitor who steps in the ring with The Glamazon.
Drew McIntyre def. Jimmy Wang Yang
Before the match between Drew McIntyre and Jimmy Wang Yang even began, McIntyre attacked his opponent from behind, knocking him out of the ring. When the match finally officially started, Yang offered little challenge for the fiery young Superstar who put away the veteran with a devastating Double Underhook DDT.
Rey Mysterio def. Mike Knox
By defeating big Mike Knox with the 619, Rey Mysterio picked up major momentum for his Survivor Series match with Batisa. (Preview) Both Mysterio and Batista talked with Josh Matthews about the growing rift between the two that began at WWE Bragging Rights. (WATCH: Interview with Rey | Interview with Batista)
R-Truth def. CM Punk
The frustration within ex-champion CM Punk continued to grow when The Straightedge Superstar was defeated by R-Truth. Ironically, Punk set himself up for the loss when he demanded referee Scott Armstrong count faster with this three-counts. While Punk continued to make demands of Armstrong, Truth capitalized by throwing Punk to the canvas. With Punk down, Armstrong did what he was asked to do and pounded out a fast three-count giving Truth the win.
Source: WWE.com
Spurs lose to Jazz 113-99
Source: www.nba.com
SALT LAKE CITY (NBA.com exclusive) -- It was just what the Utah Jazz needed.
Following a Rocket meltdown and a disaster in Dallas earlier this week, the Jazz rebounded with a strong wire-to-wire effort in a 113-99 win over longtime nemesis San Antonio on Thursday night.
Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams each scored 27 points to lead the Jazz, who shot 53 percent against what's traditionally one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
Boozer called it a "monumental" win, and although it was only the fifth game of the season, it was much needed.
"We felt like we lost some games we should have won, especially the last two fourth quarters," Boozer said. "We came out tonight and proved that we can beat a team when we have a lead, and hold a lead, and even extend it a little bit. We got to take confidence from this game, especially with how we played on the defensive end."
Utah's previous two losses had Jazz fans feeling nothing but doom and gloom about the 2009-10 season. In their last two defeats, the Rockets outscored Utah by 20 in the second half on Monday, and the Jazz blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead against the Mavericks on Tuesday. The Jazz lost three of their first four -- their worst start in seven seasons.
"We let a game get away the other night and it looked like the end of the season for a lot of people the way they were talking about it," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "I thought our guys would come back and play and I was proud of them for the way they played."
The Jazz got their season back on track, you could say, by playing Spurs basketball. They got deflections and stops on defense, helped each other out defensively, and prevented San Antonio from getting many close-range looks. The Spurs shot just 43 percent, while both Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili finished below 50 percent from the field.
"The biggest thing is we were aggressive on defense," Boozer said. "When we play defense like that where we're helping each other, making the other team take jump shots ... it helped us a lot tonight."
The Jazz were just as dominant on the other end of the floor. The Spurs, who are working seven new players into their system, looked to be slow to react defensively to what Utah was running on offense. San Antonio uncharacteristically couldn't keep Utah away from the basket, as the Jazz scored 64 points in the paint. Utah simply attacked the hoop at every opportunity.
The Jazz scored 113 points against the usually defensive-minded Spurs while making just one 3-pointer.
"I don't think we are a very good defensive team right now, we got a lot of work to do to become a good defensive team and Utah obviously took advantage of that tonight," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "The whole game was about physicality and execution and both areas Utah was far superior than we were. Across the board that's the game."
Utah's blowout victory was an anomaly in the series.
The Jazz had lost four straight and 29 of their last 35 games against the Spurs. They hadn't scored more than 100 against San Antonio in the last 40 regular-season meetings. Utah topped 100 on Thursday when Paul Millsap scored on a layup following a sweet pass from Williams. The basket gave the Jazz a 101-88 lead with 6:15 left in the game.
"It helps our confidence knowing we can beat a good team like the Spurs," Williams said.
It will also help their psyche, especially Boozer's. The Jazz were booed off the court when they lost to the Rockets on Monday. Boozer, who used to be greeted by fans with a positive "Booooz," has instead been the victim of just normal booing inside EnergySolutions Arena.
At least for one night, Boozer got back on the good side of Jazz fans. In addition to his 27 points, he added 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Defense isn't Boozer's forte, but he anchored Utah's defensive effort, helping the team build a wall to the hoop and forcing San Antonio to settle for jumpers.
"I thought he had a terrific game," Sloan said. "He came out and he didn't force things. He wants to do the right thing. I told him you can have all the people like you, dislike you, or whatever the case may be, but you got to be the guy that goes and plays and puts the effort into it and I was happy for him."
SALT LAKE CITY (NBA.com exclusive) -- It was just what the Utah Jazz needed.
Following a Rocket meltdown and a disaster in Dallas earlier this week, the Jazz rebounded with a strong wire-to-wire effort in a 113-99 win over longtime nemesis San Antonio on Thursday night.
Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams each scored 27 points to lead the Jazz, who shot 53 percent against what's traditionally one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
Boozer called it a "monumental" win, and although it was only the fifth game of the season, it was much needed.
"We felt like we lost some games we should have won, especially the last two fourth quarters," Boozer said. "We came out tonight and proved that we can beat a team when we have a lead, and hold a lead, and even extend it a little bit. We got to take confidence from this game, especially with how we played on the defensive end."
Utah's previous two losses had Jazz fans feeling nothing but doom and gloom about the 2009-10 season. In their last two defeats, the Rockets outscored Utah by 20 in the second half on Monday, and the Jazz blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead against the Mavericks on Tuesday. The Jazz lost three of their first four -- their worst start in seven seasons.
"We let a game get away the other night and it looked like the end of the season for a lot of people the way they were talking about it," said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "I thought our guys would come back and play and I was proud of them for the way they played."
The Jazz got their season back on track, you could say, by playing Spurs basketball. They got deflections and stops on defense, helped each other out defensively, and prevented San Antonio from getting many close-range looks. The Spurs shot just 43 percent, while both Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili finished below 50 percent from the field.
"The biggest thing is we were aggressive on defense," Boozer said. "When we play defense like that where we're helping each other, making the other team take jump shots ... it helped us a lot tonight."
The Jazz were just as dominant on the other end of the floor. The Spurs, who are working seven new players into their system, looked to be slow to react defensively to what Utah was running on offense. San Antonio uncharacteristically couldn't keep Utah away from the basket, as the Jazz scored 64 points in the paint. Utah simply attacked the hoop at every opportunity.
The Jazz scored 113 points against the usually defensive-minded Spurs while making just one 3-pointer.
"I don't think we are a very good defensive team right now, we got a lot of work to do to become a good defensive team and Utah obviously took advantage of that tonight," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "The whole game was about physicality and execution and both areas Utah was far superior than we were. Across the board that's the game."
Utah's blowout victory was an anomaly in the series.
The Jazz had lost four straight and 29 of their last 35 games against the Spurs. They hadn't scored more than 100 against San Antonio in the last 40 regular-season meetings. Utah topped 100 on Thursday when Paul Millsap scored on a layup following a sweet pass from Williams. The basket gave the Jazz a 101-88 lead with 6:15 left in the game.
"It helps our confidence knowing we can beat a good team like the Spurs," Williams said.
It will also help their psyche, especially Boozer's. The Jazz were booed off the court when they lost to the Rockets on Monday. Boozer, who used to be greeted by fans with a positive "Booooz," has instead been the victim of just normal booing inside EnergySolutions Arena.
At least for one night, Boozer got back on the good side of Jazz fans. In addition to his 27 points, he added 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Defense isn't Boozer's forte, but he anchored Utah's defensive effort, helping the team build a wall to the hoop and forcing San Antonio to settle for jumpers.
"I thought he had a terrific game," Sloan said. "He came out and he didn't force things. He wants to do the right thing. I told him you can have all the people like you, dislike you, or whatever the case may be, but you got to be the guy that goes and plays and puts the effort into it and I was happy for him."
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