There were plenty of firsts in the NBA on Wednesday night but unfortunately the list didn't include the two firsts that fans were looking forward to most. Of course I'm referring to Allen Iverson's debut with the Pistons and Chauncey Billups' first game back with his hometown Nuggets. Both teams were in action last night but because Billups hadn't completed his physical neither was allowed to suit up.
Bleacher Report
Sunday's action
- Defensive Knicks hand Jazz first loss
- Davis, Clippers get first win vs. Mavs
- Raptors get 30 from Bosh, top Bobcats
- Celtics' D keeps Pistons well in check
- Thunder let unbeaten Hawks off hook
- Nuggets finish strong against Grizzlies
- Martin leads Kings to third win in a row
- Lakers make it look easy vs. Rockets
FOXSports.com analysis
- Rosen: Kings have tough road
- Kahn: Hawks are flying high
- Hill: Who's for real so far?
- Galinsky: NBA power rankings
Photos
- Top shots: Week 2 action
- Celtics celebrate 17th title
Speaking of the Pistons
The Pistons played their first game of the post-Billups era last night in Toronto and handed the Raptors their first loss of the season. Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
Detroit is now 4-0 and should have Allen Iverson in the lineup on Friday night when they play against the Nets in New Jersey.
What about the other guys?
The Nuggets weren't as lucky in Golden State as their trade partners were in Toronto.
Stephen Jackson led the team with 29 points and four of his teammates scored in double figures as the Warriors beat the Nuggets 111-101 in Oakland.
The Carmelo Anthony situation in Denver is something worth keeping tabs on. Anthony expressed frustration when the team traded Marcus Camby to the Clippers for nothing. He admitted that he was caught off-guard because nobody from the front office told him about it ahead of time or explained to him why the team made the trade. Now it seems that the Nuggets didn't include Melo's input in making the decision to trade Iverson either.
Even though Billups is a professional and a terrific teammate, Carmelo has to be thisclose to wanting out of Denver. Unlike his fellow draftmates LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Carmelo can't become a free agent until 2011. If the team misses the playoffs and Carmelo isn't willing to be patient, he just might be the next player on the Nuggets to get traded.
The most popular Halloween costume in Miami: Empty seats
If a team wins a game and there's nobody there to see it does it count in the standings? The Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 106-83 in front of 4,500 empty seats. I've seen more festive atmospheres at funerals. What is it with Miami?
There seems to be a direct correlation in Miami between increase in success and decrease in attendance. The Marlins won two World Series and the stadium was so empty you could hear conversations in the stands on TV.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are 24-48 over their last 72 games and they still get 65,000 people to show up to a game against the Bills in October.
What rivalry?
The Lakers improved to 4-0 with their 106-88 victory over the Clippers last night. It was the Lakers' second win over the Clipper this season. The Clippers led 81-79 before the Lakers went on a 22-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away.
The lone bright spot for the Clippers was sophomore Al Thornton. The 25-year-old from Georgia scored 22 points. He's now averaging close to 17 points and 7 rebounds this season.
Not much Thunder in OKC
The Oklahoma City Thunder are now 1-3 after losing 96-83 to the champion Celtics on Wednesday night. The Thunder have yet to score 100 points in any of their first four games this season.
One last thing
Kobe Bryant seems to think Derek Fisher has a career in politics in his future. Fisher is the president of the NBA Players Association. When Bryant was asked if he ever got into political debates with Fisher he told a local beat writer, "That's the next Barack. Why would I debate him?"
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