Gardner: This week in the NBA
TOP BUCKS PLAYER
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only Bucks player to appear in two games last week – the NBA All-Star Game and Milwaukee’s 109-95 defeat against Utah on Friday night. The Greek Freak led the East all-stars with 30 points in their 192-182 loss to the West in New Orleans. “Games like that are tailor-made for a guy like him,” teammate Greg Monroe said. “He probably had the most exciting plays in the game.” Antetokounmpo contributed 33 points, 12 rebounds and five steals and sank 11 of 15 free throws against the Jazz.
BUCKS LOOK AHEAD
The Bucks play four home games in a busy week featuring five games in seven nights. They host Phoenix in a Sunday matinee and travel to Cleveland for a Monday night meeting with the Cavaliers, a game televised nationally by TNT. Then it’s back home to face Denver on Wednesday, followed by a back-to-back set against the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors on Friday and Saturday.
BUCKS QUOTE
Antetokounmpo, on his rise from the Greek second division to an NBA all-star starter: “This story and this journey are incredible. A lot of people helped me. My family was right there for me. Going forward, I’m going to work hard and more good things are going to come along the way. Sometimes I look back and I cannot be mad. I cannot be mad at anything.”
TOP NBA PLAYER
Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio heard all the trade rumors that had him going to New York in a swap for Derrick Rose. But Minnesota opted to keep Rubio at the trade deadline and he responded with 13 points and 14 assists in the Timberwolves’ 97-84 home-court victory over Dallas on Friday. "Ricky is a big part of our team, not even just from a skill and leader standpoint. But just morale," Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns said. "Seeing him in the locker room picks us up."
TOP NBA TEAM
Toronto team president Masai Ujiri engineered two deadline deals that may help the Raptors come out of their recent funk. Ujiri acquired P.J. Tucker from Phoenix and Serge Ibaka from Orlando, and they made an instant impact in the Raptors’ 107-97 victory over Boston on Friday night. Ibaka had 15 points and seven rebounds in a starting role, while Tucker provided a boost with nine points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench. DeMar DeRozan scored a career-high 43 points and the Raptors won without all-star guard Kyle Lowry, out with a wrist injury.
NBA QUOTE
Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas, on the flagrant-1 foul committed against him by Toronto’s DeMarre Carroll on Friday night: "Yeah, that's not a basketball play by any means. Guys who aren't factors in games do that.”
NBA RANKINGS (through Friday’s games)
Top 10: 1. Golden State, 2. San Antonio, 3. Cleveland, 4. Houston, 5. Boston, 6. Utah, 7. Washington, 8. Toronto, 9. Los Angeles Clippers, 10. Memphis.
Middle 10: 11. Oklahoma City, 12. Atlanta, 13. Indiana, 14. Chicago, 15. Detroit, 16. Miami, 17. Denver, 18. Milwaukee, 19. Philadelphia, 20. Sacramento.
Bottom 10: 21. New Orleans, 22. Portland, 23. Minnesota, 24. Dallas, 25. New York Knicks, 26. Charlotte, 27. Orlando, 28. Los Angeles Lakers, 29. Phoenix, 30. Brooklyn.
ONE MAN'S OPINION
Putting DeMarcus Cousins next to Anthony Davis in the New Orleans Pelicans’ lineup is a big gamble.
The Sacramento Kings decided they didn’t want to pay Cousins big money and traded him to the Pelicans, who are trying to become relevant in the tough Western Conference.
The new Twin Towers could work, but it will take big efforts on the part of both big men. Fire and Ice, they couldn’t be more different in their personalities.
Davis already is revered in New Orleans, evident from the hometown crowd’s excitement when he scored an NBA-record 52 points in the All-Star Game last Sunday.
Can Cousins fit in and adjust to sharing the lead role? Will the Pelicans be able to find the complementary pieces to make it work?
Cousins is eligible for a five-year contract extension this summer but could take a shorter extension to maximize his future earnings or could play out the final year of his contract next season. So it remains to be seen if this will be a long-term relationship between Boogie and the Pelicans.