Show me the money
… except Carmelo Anthony didn’t go into agreement to play alongside Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum with expectations of cash. Just expectations of self.
That his year of hard work would pay off and some team, any one of 30, would give him a chance. He was prepared to walk away, too, if that never materialized. Portland signed him back in November on a non-guaranteed deal much like the Los Angeles Lakers did with Dwight Howard.
(Just to understand the ‘non-guaranteed’ part of the deal, as an example, Howard was earning $14,490 for every day he is on the roster).
‘Melo’s start looked a little shaky, but by the fourth game with the Blazers, you could tell he was back to form, minus the ego and need for touches.
That humility and work ethic combined brought about a contract guarantee of $2.15 million for Anthony. The Blazers had another 32 days, but put all their chips on a guy who is showing flashes of the old Carmelo Anthony we got to know, and fall in love with, in Denver.
Vs. NOP | 10 points | 4 rebounds | Shot 28.6 percent |
Vs. MIL | 18 points | 7 rebounds | Shot 40.0 percent |
Vs. CLE | 11 points | 2 rebounds | Shot 33.3 percent |
Vs. CHI | 25 points | 8 rebounds | Shot 50.0 percent |
Vs. OKC | 19 points | 4 rebounds | Shot 81.8 percent |
Vs. CHI | 23 points | 11 rebounds | Shot 50.0 percent |
Vs. LAC | 9 points | 6 rebounds | Shot 22.2 percent |
Vs. SAC | 20 points | 5 rebounds | Shot 50.0 percent |
AVERAGES | 16.9 points | 5.9 rebounds | 44.8 percent |
Congratulations to Carmelo Anthony and the Portland Blazers. Now it’s time to get into the playoff picture and be the team they were in 2018-19 … with just a little bit more.
Philadelphia 76ers 113
Washington Wizards 119
McDonald’s doesn’t even make this many turnovers to start a morning shift on a wintry, cold day. But 15 was the number that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons combined for last night in the nation’s capital (the Sixers had 21 total) as the Sixers turned over what should have been an easy win to the Washington Wizards.
SIXERS (15-7) | WIZARDS (7-13) |
#VFL Tobias Harris 33 points – seven rebounds – three assists – one block | Rui Hachimura 27 points – seven rebounds – two steals |
Joel Embiid 26 points – 21 rebounds – one assist – one block | Bradley Beal 26 points – 10 rebounds – four assists |
Ben Simmons 17 points – five rebounds – 10 assists – three steals | Davis Bertans 25 points – one rebound – one steal |
NEXT UP
Wizards at Heat – Tonight
Cavaliers at Sixers – Saturday
********************
Denver Nuggets 129
New York Knicks 92
Eight players scored in double figures for the Denver Nuggets, who scored 30+ in each quarter last night to cruise past the New York Knicks, who rang up 18 in the second and 17 in the fourth to lose by 37 points at home in Madison Square Garden last night.
NUGGETS (14-5) | KNICKS (4-18) |
Will Barton 17 points – two rebounds – two assists – one steal | Mitchell Robinson 17 points – seven rebounds – one assist – two steals – one block |
Jerami Grant 16 points – three rebounds – one assist | Bobby Portis 10 points – four rebounds – one block |
Monte Morris 15 points – three rebounds – six assists – three steals – one block | Marcus Morris 10 points – two rebounds – two assists – one block |
NEXT UP
Nuggets at Celtics – Tonight
Pacers at Knicks – Saturday
********************
Houston Rockets 119
Toronto Raptors 109
The return of Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka are going to take some reassimilation, and mean nothing to a hungry Houston Rockets team who felt robbed of a win against the San Antonio Spurs on a made-missed slam dunk by James Harden. Houston jumped out to a decent first quarter lead and kept the pressure on the escape the North with a much-needed win last night.
ROCKETS (14-7) | RAPTORS (15-6) |
Ben McLemore 28 points – two rebounds – three assists – one steal | Pascal Siakam 24 points – nine rebounds – two assists – two steals – one block |
James Harden 23 points – seven rebounds – three assists – five steals – one block | Fred VanVleet 20 points – six rebounds – five assists – three steals – one block |
Russell Westbrook 19 points – 13 rebounds – 11 assists – two steals | Kyle Lowry 19 points – five rebounds – eight assists – one steal |
NEXT UP
Suns at Rockets – Saturday
Raptors at Sixers – Sunday
********************
Phoenix Suns 139
New Orleans Pelicans 132 (OT)
The Phoenix Suns led by 20 points early in the fourth quarter, 105-85. Never count your chickens before they hatch. The New Orleans Pelicans fought back with a valiant 34-18 fourth quarter surge that tied the game at 125-125 at the end of regulation, before falling 14-7 in the extra period.
SUNS (10-11) | PELICANS (6-16) |
Devin Booker 44 points – eight rebounds – nine assists – two steals | J.J. Redick 26 points – four rebounds – two assists – one steal |
Frank Kaminsky 20 points – six rebounds – one assist – two steals | Jrue Holiday 23 points – seven rebounds – six assists – five steals – one block |
Cam Johnson 18 points – six rebounds – one assist – one steal – one block | Brandon Ingram 21 points – six rebounds – four assists (fouled out) |
NEXT UP
Suns at Rockets – Saturday
Pelicans at Mavericks – Saturday
********************
FRIDAY’S LINEUP / MY PICK ‘EMS
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Ohio
Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons – 7 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Detroit
Brooklyn Nets at Charlotte Hornets – 7 p.m. EST – YES
Denver Nuggets at Boston Celtics – 8 p.m. EST – ESPN
Golden State Warriors at Chicago Bulls – 8 p.m. EST – NBC Sports Chicago
Washington Wizards at Miami Heat – 8 p.m. EST – NBC Sports Washington
Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 p.m. EST – FSN
Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks – 8:30 p.m. EST – FSN Prime Ticket
Sacramento Kings at San Antonio Spurs – 8:30 p.m. EST – NBC Sports California
Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trailblazers – 10:30 p.m. EST – ESPN
********************
The Rundown w/T-Money is a daily column “all things NBA” that will run through the entirety of the season, and the playoffs through the NBA Finals
Tracy Graven is a Senior Analyst for BackSportsPage.com.
He has written the NBA for the last two decades and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage.
He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City.
He currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife and five children.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
Related
Featured Articles
-
Features
/ 15 hours ago2024 Round Table: MLB Season Predictions
With the MLB season starting today, the Back Sports Page staff make their predictions...
-
Features
/ 21 hours agoTigers 2024 Spring Training Preview
Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera has retired. How will the team fair without him in...
-
Features
/ 2 days agoJordan Montgomery Joins the Diamondbacks on a Surprising Deal
Jordan Montgomery and the Diamondbacks have come to an agreement for a one-year contract...
-
Features
/ 2 days agoA Special Weekend For Hendrick Motorsports at COTA
There are three things that Texas loves the most. Barbeque, Football, and Racing. This...
By Jacob Barker