Game of the week: Cavaliers at Nuggets
Team USA teammates LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony will face each other in a late (8:30 p.m. MST) game televised by ESPN on Friday night. LeBron and the Cavs have been hot of late and the Nuggets have had some struggles, but Denver will try to do a reversal.
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A team that is better at home than on the road is nothing surprising, as 25 of the NBA's 30 teams have a better record while playing in their own arenas. But the New Orleans Hornets have set themselves apart by being among the league's most dominant teams at home and among its worst on the road.
A stout 12-3 at New Orleans Arena before Saturday night's game, the Hornets had an .800 home winning percentage, fifth highest in the NBA behind the Lakers, the Nuggets, the Magic and the Cavaliers. But on the road the Hornets are 2-13, a split that pushes their record below .500 and puts them in last place in the Southwest Division.
One glaring difference is how often the Hornets get to the foul line. On the road they average 17.3 free-throw attempts, but at home the number jumps to 23.1. The net change is 5 points a game at home that they are not getting on the road. The team's best players, Chris Paul and David West, are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the home/away difference, with Paul's average free-throw attempts increasing to 5.2 at home from 3.7 and West's to 3.9 from 2.9.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, their stronger play at home has not been much of a boon to attendance. They are 23rd in the league with an average crowd of 14,751, a drop-off from last season's average of 16,968. …
Nate Robinson yelled and screamed and punched the air and celebrated like crazy after hitting a three-pointer that gave him 10 points in overtime and 40 overall in his return to the court Friday night.
Mike D'Antoni didn't mind. He may have even smiled a little.
Robinson, in one of the greatest escapes from a coach's doghouse in NBA history, finished with 41 points — including 25 in the fourth quarter and OT — as the Knicks overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to shock the Hawks, 112-108. The 5-foot-9 guard hadn't seen action for 14 straight games and hadn't played since Dec. 1. …
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Knicks turned down a Nets offer of Rafer Alston and Tony Battie for Robinson and Darko Milicic. …Now that it's clear that Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets are splitting up, the big question is where the scoring machine will end up in a trade.
It will be interesting to see if he lands on a team that wants him for his basketball playing ability or if he's just a pawn that someone accepts for his hefty expiring contract. — Compiled from staff, wire and Internet sources
NBA Rankings
1. Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe just keeps knocking down game winners in final seconds.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: Simply the hottest team in league right now with 7 straight victories.
3. Orlando Magic: Vince Carter has added another scoring punch for already strong team.
4. Boston Celtics: Glossy record took a hit during trip through the Western Conference.
5. Dallas Mavericks: If the season were to end today they'd be the No. 2 seed in the West.
6. Phoenix Suns: Closed out 2009 with consecutive wins over Lakers and Celtics.
7. Atlanta Hawks: Started '10 on bad note with OT loss to Knicks on Friday night.
8. San Antonio Spurs: Starting to play like the championship caliber club everyone expected.
9. Houston Rockets: Their marriage with T-Mac is beyond repair, but they're better without him.
10. Denver Nuggets: Rough week means Denver's vulnerable atop the Northwest standings.