Sports Morning Headlines - Monday, 12/19/11

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Created on Monday, 19 December 2011 05:35

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 May 2013 07:51

Written by MVPTexas Morning Sports Report

Rapid Reaction: Thunder 106, Mavs 92 - The Oklahoma City Thunder outscored the Mavericks, 65-46 in the middle two quarters and led 90-70 after three quarters. With mostly subs running the floor in the fourth, Dallas closed the gap to six a couple of times before falling by 14 in the first of two preseason games against the Thunder.  Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd suited up but did not play. And Jason Terry played just nine minutes. This game was for the Mavs' kids and to get new high-profile additions Vince Carter and Lamar Odom time in the system. The Thunder, meanwhile, went with their usual starting five and were led by Kevin Durant's 21 points on just 4-of-5 shooting. He was 13-of-14 from the free throw line.   READ MORE

Odom seeking some sense of normalcy - Lamar Odom is looking forward to getting his life back to normal with his wife, reality TV star Khloe Kardashian.  After spending the past seven years with the Los Angles Lakers, Odom was shockingly traded to the Dallas Mavericks eight days ago. The fact that the Lakers tried to trade him to the New Orleans Hornets without his knowledge was very upsetting to Odom.  Thus, after that upsetting news, Odom asked the Lakers to trade him to the Mavs. And they granted his wish.  “But now it’s done and over with,’’ Odom said of his trade to the Mavs. “I’m a Dallas Maverick. It’s time to move ahead and put that behind me.   READ MORE

Carlisle glad to see theThunder - At this point in training camp, Rick Carlisle is more than happy to see the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Dallas Mavericks coach view the Thunder as the type of squad his team desperately needs to see at this juncture. The two Western Conference titans will clash at 6:30 tonight at American Airlines Center in the preseason opener for both squads.  “It’s the right team to play at the right time,’’ Carlisle said. “They’re going to tax you in a lot of different ways.   READ MORE

Scola-led Rockets top undermanned Spurs 101-87 in preseason opener - Rockets coach Kevin McHale might have wanted more, but he got all he could have expected.  The Rockets gave him the effort he said must come first. The starters built a 22-point lead on the San Antonio Spurs' junior varsity. And they had more than enough missteps to give him plenty of video to review when they reconvene Monday.  The Rockets lost all but the last two points of that lead, but with Terrence Williams and Goran Dragic leading the reserves in the fourth quarter, they held on for a 101-87 win Saturday night at Toyota Center in their first of two preseason games.   READ MORE

Rockets' starters gel in win over Spurs - The advantage the Rockets hope to exploit in the early stages of the upcoming 66-game, compressed regular season manifested Saturday night in their preseason opener against the Spurs at Toyota Center.  The cohesion of their core, virtually unchanged excluding the loss of center Chuck Hayes, was responsible for a lead comfortable enough that a hodgepodge mix of reserves could not squander. Even with a new coaching staff and a new offense roughly 20-percent installed, the familiarity of old standbys proved sufficient in this dress rehearsal.  The Rockets' starters established control early, and then fortified that sizable advantage before leaving in the third quarter of a 101-87 win.   READ MORE

More on McHale - When he walked in, immediately apparent it was what in him management saw.  Broad-shouldered, towering above the press and his bosses, Kevin McHale immediately made his presence felt.  When he spoke, it was with a charisma and confidence that charmed the room.  The more that is revealed, the more it becomes clear that this was the right move.  Kevin McHale may not be on par with Rick Adelman as a tactician.  He may not even be on par as a coach.  But he’s, moreso than Rick Adelman, what the Houston Rockets need at this moment in time.   READ MORE

Project Spurs: Spurs waive Hood, Thomas - Hood scored one point in three minutes versus the Houston Rockets while Thomas went scoreless in two minutes of action against the Rockets.   READ MORE

“It’s only the preseason,” they say: Houston Rockets 101, San Antonio Spurs 87 - dejuan-blairI know what you want to talk about. Kawhi Leonard didn’t look bad, and he certainly outplayed Richard Jefferson. James Anderson shot terribly (1-9), but that was easy to forgive because he got the shots he wanted and played with relentless confidence. Good marks for Anderson. And then there was the Cory Joseph preseason surprise.  Cory Joseph looked like a basketball player. A real one. NBA style. All positives from tonight’s loss. Those are the things we didn’t know.  This game, on the whole, was about the stuff we already knew.  The Spurs are deep in the backcourt. Parker, Ford, Ginobili, Neal, Anderson, and (perhaps) even Cory Joseph will form a solid rotation. The Spurs are green on the wing, but they have enough talent to compete, especially considering James Anderson and Danny Green can fill minutes behind Jefferson and Leonard. That’s not our biggest problem, anymore. The Spurs front court, on the other hand? That is a problem. It was all messy and sideways and embarrassing tonight, especially the interior defense.   READ MORE

Spurs start preseason with clang - There were no goosebumps Saturday night when Kawhi Leonard pulled on that black No. 2 jersey.  There was no tingle down the spine that often accompanies a dream come true. There were no tears of joy.  To hear the rookie forward tell it, pulling on an NBA uniform for the first time was much like pulling on a tool belt and hard hat.  “I felt like it was finally here,” Leonard said. “It was time to go out and do work.”  As the Spurs and their top draft choice learned in a 101-87 preseason-opening loss to Houston at the Toyota Center, there is still much labor to be done, and — with the shrunken exhibition season now half over — not a lot of time left to do it.   READ MORE

 

 

 

 

Are the Rangers Going to be Able to Stay on Top? - After coming up short in the World Series two years in a row, can the Texas Rangers do it again without making some changes?  Winning the American League once is nice. Winning it a second time is great. Losing the World Series two years in a row—well, it’s just like the Iceman said in Top Gun:  The plaque for the alternates is down in the lady's room.  On the upside, the franchise has proven that it is a quality one that is on the up and up; here to stay so to speak. The question is whether it is going to do enough in order to put the team in a better position to win its first World Series.   READ MORE

Rangers lose two bench players - Infielder Andres Blanco and outfielder Endy Chavez, bench players with the Texas Rangers this past season, have left the organization as free agents.  Chavez agreed to a one-year deal with Baltimore, pending a physical, that includes a base salary of $1.5 million. Blanco signed a minor-league deal with Washington. The Rangers had been interested in re-signing each player.  Chavez revived an injury-interrupted career with the Rangers this past season, hitting .301 with five homers, 27 RBIs and a .749 OPS. His primary position was center field, but Chavez also started on the corners. The Rangers were 41-25 in Chavez' starts.   READ MORE

Help Support the Houston Food Bank, Like Farmstros on Facebook - You can support the Houston Food Bank by Liking Farmstros on Facebook between now and Christmas.  My family has supported the work of The Houston Food Bank since long before Farmstros was created. With the celebration of Christmas just one week away, here is an opportunity for fans of this blog to show support of this organization as well.   READ MORE

Astros trade closer Mark Melancon to Red Sox in exchange for Lowrie, Weiland - Astros closer Mark Melancon was traded to the Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for shortstop Jed Lowrie and right-hander Kyle Weiland.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the story.  This marks the first major trade for Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who was hired a week ago during the Winter Meetings.  In order to clear a spot on the club's 40-man roster, Houston announced that infielder Brian Bixler has been designated for assignment.  The Astros claimed Bixler off waivers from the Nationals last month.   READ MORE

 

 

Houston Texans Loss Comes With a Side of Joy - Watching today’s game in which the Carolina Panthers manhandled the buffoonish Houston Texans was rather painful. It seemed as if T.J. Yates regressed to his college days while the defense took a day off. Apparently Ben Tate did not get the memo that he was a power rusher either as he continually got stuffed in the run game.  Arian Foster was, perhaps, the lone bright light for the Texans. He accumulated 109 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and 58 receiving yards putting him over the 1,000 rushing/600 receiving yards mark for his second year in a row. Still, though, his performance pales in comparison to the real feel-good story of the day at Reliant Stadium.  You see, today was a day in which the Texans honored the memory of Marine SSgt. Scott Wood. SSgt. Wood has a five year old son, was married for eight years, and was about a month away from returning home from Iraq when he was killed in the line of duty. So how does this involve the Texans?  Well, apparently SSgt. Wood was also an avid Texans fan. He loved his Texans so much, in fact, that when he was buried in his dress blue uniform he was wearing an Andre Johnson jersey underneath it. The Marine Corps motto “Semper Fi” means “Always Faithful” and that is what SSgt. Wood was when it came to his Texans.   READ MORE

Jeremy Shockey didn’t like the way Texans stood during anthem - Jeremy Shockey didn't like the way a few Houston Texans players were standing during the national anthem on Sunday and, being Jeremy Shockey, he wasn't shy about sharing his feelings with his opponents.  "I was pretty upset in the way [Texans players] weren't showing respect to America during the national anthem," the Panthers tight end told SportsRadio 610. "There were about 10 players that didn't put their arms across their chest.  "This is America. You should at least respect America."  Shockey later said he told a few of the players about his feeling during the game, yet didn't elaborate on what he said.   READ MORE

Dallas Cowboys Knock Off Tampa Bay, Sit One Win from Division Title – a Fan’s Take - The Dallas Cowboys have always struggled in the month of December. Since Tony Romo took over as starting quarterback, he always had the Cowboys in position to take the division leaving the month of November but fell in December, seemingly every year. With two losses already in December 2011, it looked like Dallas was repeating their misfortunes.  Week 15 offered a glimmer of shining light when Dallas broke their two-game losing streak with a solid win over the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-15.  However, Dallas did not get the win easily. Once again, they threatened to lose it in the second half.  Tony Romo continues to play fantastic ball, finishing with 249 yards and three touchdowns, while also running in the fourth Dallas touchdown of the game. He completed 23 of 30 for a 76-percent completion rate. He also went his third game without an interception, only throwing two over his last seven games.   READ MORE

Jerry and the Cowboys Commit More Blasphemy - Jerry Jones just can’t shut up. We all know that.  [As in, don't talk about the playoffs right now, Jerry. Let this team focus on beating the Eagles]  However, since he is going to open his mouth anyway, perhaps he could show a little bit more appreciation for this team’s legacy.  First, he counters a point made by Jimmy Johnson by citing Joe Gibbs.  Last night, the main leaders of his team participated in a montage featuring a quote about winning.  That quote came from Vince Lombardi.  Cowboys fans older than 30 need immediately to place their foreheads into their hands. Let’s say this in unison…  Jerry, you just don’t cite Joe Gibbs. And in the name of all that is Tom Landry, you don’t quote Vince Lombardi.   READ MORE

Tom Landry Quotes - Information about Tom Landry.  The coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry guided the Cowboys to 20 consecutive seasons during his 29 years with the team. As coach, he guided the Cowboys to 19 playoff appearances, 13 division titles and five Super Bowl appearances. During his career his record was 271-180-6, including winning two Super Bowls. A perennial powerhouse, the winning Cowboys helped restore Dallas' reputation following the assassination of President Kennedy. Landry is the third winningest coach in NFL history behind Don Shula and George Halas.   READ MORE

Stars changing routine in hopes of shaking NHL ``trend'' - There are a few old sayings in the NHL, and one is that the first home game after a long road trip is usually a loss.  In hopes of addressing that issue, the Stars on Monday will hold their morning skate at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco instead of downtown at American Airlines Center.  ``You're on the road and you're in hockey mode, and you get home and your kids are getting you up, and you're in family mode,'' Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. ``It's a transition state, and all of the sudden you have to go back to playing again, and you're not really in that hockey mode. So, for us, we're just going to try to change our routine and probably pre-game skate here tomorrow. We changed our practice routine from what we did when we came back from Detroit and we're just hoping to get mentally back into the game.''  Of course, when the Stars came back from Detroit (ending a four-game road trip last month), they suffered their worst loss of the season _ a 6-0 whipping at the hands of the Florida Panthers.   READ MORE

Stars Amped up For Three-Game Pre-Holiday Homestand - Fresh off a road trip that saw them hit both coasts, win three out of five games and take six of a possible 10 points, the Dallas Stars are now back in the Lone Star State and set to begin a three-game homestand, a run at American Airlines Center that commences on Monday night against Anaheim.  After the Ducks, the Stars will then face Philadelphia on Wednesday and host Nashville two nights later, their first meetings of the year against both the Flyers and Predators.  Following several off days for Christmas, Dallas will return to the ice on Monday at St. Louis before finishing the year with two more home games, including a Dec. 31 date with reigning Stanley Cup champion Boston.   READ MORE







---Staff and Wire Reports contributed to this story