Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks will no longer compete in the dunk contest, according to sources close to the situation. Shumpert missed Monday’s game against the New Jersey Nets due to a knee injury and he’ll rest during the weekend. While he wanted to compete in the dunk contest, getting healthy is his top priority.

Shumpert will likely be replaced by Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz. On Tuesday afternoon, the Utah Jazz’s official website announced that Evans was added to the dunk contest. They also released a video of Evans dunking and encouraging fans to vote for him on Saturday night. However, the video was removed shortly after being uploaded on the website. The NBA didn’t want the news leaking out until an official announcement was made.

A press release will likely be distributed on Wednesday, officially announcing that Evans has replaced Shumpert. Evans will compete with Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets and Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Via (HoopsWorld)

“Cory Alexander.”

That’s not who Popovich meant to say, obviously — Cory Alexander was a bit player for the Spurs a long, long time ago. So long ago that your correspondent went to college with him.

The name he was looking for was Cory Joseph, but you could forgive Popovich his lack of familiarity. He had started All-Star Tony Parker at the point every game this season until Tuesday, when he opted to rest Parker and fellow star Tim Duncan, play his kids and “put some money in the bank” for the rest of the season.

With the Spurs starting Joseph, Richard Jefferson, Kawhi Leonard, DeJuan Blair and Danny Green, Popovich mostly chilled on the sidelines as his Spurs were thrashed by the Portland Trail Blazers 137-97, dropping the Spurs’ record on the season to 23 wins, nine losses and one DNP-Coach’s Decision.

A 41-point Portland explosion in the first quarter — nearly six times their output a night earlier in L.A. against the Lakers — put the Spurs’ JV team out of its misery early, with newly instated started Jamal Crawford hitting four 3-pointers and getting fouled for three shots on a fifth.

Knowing what fate likely awaited, Popovich had some fun with it, slowly dragging us along before the game before revealing that Duncan and Parker wouldn’t play and who his other starters would be.

“What’s our rookie’s name, the guy we drafted? Kawhi? Kawhi Leonard at 3,” he said.

Popovich opted to rest his stars because of the grueling “Rodeo road trip” that San Antonio is undertaking, when a rodeo takes over their home court at AT&T Center for three weeks. They haven’t played at home since Feb. 4 and have traveled to both coasts since. Both Parker and Duncan had played 38 minutes in Utah the night before, after they had played 45 and 41, respectively, in an overtime victory against the Clippers on Saturday.

“[Tim] and Tony need a rest. Everybody’s played a lot of games, and somewhere along the line, everybody gives somebody a rest. I think we’ve reached that point,” Popovich said. “This is whatever it is, third game in four nights, X in whatever nights before that. I don’t know what it is any more, I lost track. But they’ve been going and going and going. If we don’t do it now, I think we’re asking for trouble later.”

Popovich debated just limiting Parker’s minutes before deciding to pull the plug entirely. Already missing Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter against a strong home-court team, this was a good night to mail one in.

“We’ve gone that way before, but really you play or you don’t,” Popovich said. “You do that half-ass thing and they play a few minutes, it never works. They play and you should have rested them and they didn’t really get rest. So we’re just going to hold him out.”

Popovich has long been the league’s most devoted practitioner of this maneuver, selecting certain games to sit out his key players and keep them fresh for later in the season.

It’s a lesson Blazers coach Nate McMillan might want to learn; one night after keeping LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace on the court for 38 and 35 minutes in a hopeless situation against the Lakers, he had Wallace still out there with Portland up by 40 in the fourth quarter. It was their last game before the All-Star break, yes, but the cumulative wear and tear of this season is already taking a toll on Wallace in particular, who is averaging 35.8 minutes and had three straight single-figure outings before Tuesday night.

And it may also have taken a toll on Wes Matthews, who was on the court for no good reason in the fourth quarter when he sprained his left ankle. Fortunately for him, he’ll have eight days to recuperate before Portland plays again.

This is the type of move that’s made easier by Popovich’s ironclad job security. But it’s also an example of the willingness to think outside the box that has made him the dean of the league’s coaches. You don’t often say that about the side that just lost by 40, but the Spurs have always been willing to do things a little differently if it gives him them an advantage down the road.

Via (ESPN Sports)

Understand: Since the CBA went to a best-of-five format for the first round and semis in 2005, never has there been a do-or-die Game 5. Since the CBA went to a best-of-seven format for the finals a year later, only two teams – Bayi and Guangdong, both seeded 2nd, in 2007 and 2011 – have upset the regular season’s best team. Only one series has gone past Game 5 – last year, when Guangdong beat Xinjiang in six. In that same span, only three lower seeds have upset the higher seed.

The CBA is entertaining for many reasons, but the playoffs is definitely not one of them.

Its predictability has affected even the postseason schedule makers: best-of-five first round series take the 1-2-1-1 format in which the lower-seeded team hosts Game 1, based off the reasoning that attendance will be higher if a fan base’s optimism hasn’t been completely dashed by their team being in a 0-2 hole.

This year, though, we’re guaranteed at least this bit of variety: for the first time in three years, there will be at least one new team in the finals. That’s because Xinjiang and Guangdong are on the same side of the bracket, which means if everything goes to plan, they’ll play each other in the semis.

Expect it – and every other series – to go according to plan.

That doesn’t mean that we’re not rolling out the red carpet on this, though. Because in addition to reading a breakdown of every single first-round series here at NiuBBall, you can also check out Andrew Crawford’s roundtable approach to previewing things over at Shark Fin Hoops. Two English-language CBA Plaoff previews? Now that Niu Bi.

And while you’re at it, check out main man, Anthony Tao, and his new site Beijing Cream, which will cover everything and more about China’s capital city. Tao and NiuBBall are xiongdi – in 2010, he wrote great stuff about Stephon Marbury’s first season in China when he was with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons, a piece that not only stood (and still stands) as one of the best ever written about Chinese hoops, but also one that inspired me to start this blog in the first place. We’re honored to have this preview appear on his site, and we’re looking forward to pitching in more CBA coverage throughout the playoffs and beyond.

And now, without further ado…

(Note: all start times subject to change.)

#1 Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers (25-7) vs. #8 Fujian SBS Sturgeons (17-15)

Regular Season Series:
(12/21) Guangdong – 85 @ Fujian – 90
(2/8) Fujian – 116 @ Guangdong – 126

Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1: Tonight 7:30 pm, @ Fujian
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Guangdong
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 7:30 pm, @ Guangdong
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ Fujian (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Guangdong (if necessary)

The question isn’t whether the Southern Tigers will win their fourth straight championship and eight of the last nine – feel free to pause to let that sink in – but how many games they’ll need to do it and who they’ll beat. So there’s absolutely no chance of a first-round upset…

Yet – a big yet, but yet – if there was a team with a fighting chance of achieving the most monumental upset in Chinese basketball history, Fujian would be the pick. Able to trot out three foreigners to Guangdong’s two because of its abysmal record last season (a quirk in the CBA rules), Fujian can compensate for its inferior Chinese roster better than any other team in the playoffs. And those foreigners are good. In his first season in China, Will McDonald has become the hands-down best center in the league, blending the inside-outside game he developed in Spain with solid work on the boards. The tireless Zaid Abbas, the team’s Asian import, led the league in rebounding (14.7 per game) and minutes (42.7). Anthony Roberson rounds out the foreign lineup doing what he’s always done: shooting the air out of the ball, which is good if he’s hot (bad if he’s not).

But the best thing about Fujian’s imports? They actually match up pretty well with their opponents. Guangdong’s center combo of Su Wei and Wang Zheng have no offensive skills to speak of and don’t move well on either end of the floor, which means they’ll likely struggle to guard McDonald, who can stretch the floor. The more athletic yet smaller Dong Hanlin might have to shoulder that burden. The ever-active Abbas will make James Singleton work very hard to get his. And Roberson, who can and sometimes does go completely off, will probably have to garner at least some defensive attention from Aaron Brooks, who will resume his NBA career as soon as the season ends.

As CBA watchers know though, talking about foreigner matchups is usually a moot point when it comes to Guangdong, a team that relies on its Chinese guys to get it done: Wang Shipeng, Zhu Fangyu, Zhou Peng, Chen Jianghua, Dong Hanlin and, yes, even the aforementioned duo of Su Wei and Wang Zheng make up seven of the top eight Chinese players in the series. So long as Brooks doesn’t get caught up trying to match Roberson’s shot total and does what he does best in this league — work out of the pick and roll and get into the lane at will — Guangdong will be more than fine.

*Roberson, who has been battling an injury the last few games, missed practice today and his status is in doubt for tonight’s game.

Prediction: Guangdong in 4

#2 Beijing Shougang Ducks (21-11) vs. #7 Zhejiang Guangsha Lions (18-14)

Regular Season Series:
(12/28) Guangsha – 118 @ Beijing – 112
(2/15) Beijing – 94 @ Guangsha – 114

Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1: Tonight 7:30 pm, @ Guangsha
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Beijing
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 7:30 pm, @ Beijing
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ Guangsha (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Beijing (if necessary)

While Wilson Chandler is back in the U.S. getting a haircut for the first time since August and negotiating a $40 million-plus contract, the team he used to play for, the Guangsha Lions, is trying to figure out how in Mao’s name to replace the singularly most destructive foreigner in the CBA (when he wanted to be) not named Stephanie Smith.

They can contemplate all they want, but the reality is that they won’t find that replacement. Well, technically they have found a replacement, Hangzhou old-hand Rodney White. But let’s be clear: 2007 Rodney White ain’t walking through that door. And even if he was, it probably still wouldn’t be enough. So even though they swept the season series vs. Beijing, they’re about to get paid back in full. It’s a sad thought when you consider that the Lions were in third place in mid-December and looking like somewhat serious title contenders.

If you ignore, for a moment, the Chandler-exodus storyline, Guangsha’s season was interesting in its own rights – and also interesting because it mirrored Beijing’s. The Ducks sprinted out to a 13-0 start, then lost 11 out of the next 19. Yet because of the instability in the teams under them, Beijing was able to hang on to second place.

A lot of that incredible start was due to Stephon Marbury, who has played his butt off every night in a city he now considershome on a team with players far more talented than his teammates in Shanxi and Foshan. He was always meant for the big city, and in a place where he’s comfortable, his rededication to basketball is evident.

Two of his teammates, Zhu Yanxi and Zhai Xiaochuan, are in their first years in the CBA, and both have thrived playing with Marbury. Zhu, a rookie sensation who was picked up from China’s second-tier National Basketball League, is the most Euro China big man you’ll see in this country. That may be an insult in the NBA, but in China it’s a huge compliment. Big under the boards and accurate from deep, Zhu amounts to the Chinese poor man’s version of Ersan Ilyasova. Zhai has no far-fetched NBA comparison, but he is a young, long and bouncy effort guy who does nothing particularly bad.

The Ducks’ longer-term success, i.e. a trip to the finals, will be predicated on whether Chen Lei and Lee Hsueh-lin are healthy. The good news is that they’re both back in the lineup after missing extended time with injuries; the bad news is that they haven’t really gotten an in-game run in a while, especially Lee, who, before coming back in Round 33 against Shanghai – the penultimate round of regular season games – had not played since December 9.

It boils down to this, though: Guangsha is bummed about Chandler, and Beijing is amped on making a finals run. Quack, quack.

Prediction: Beijing in 4

#3 Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons (20-12) vs. #6 Shanghai Dongfang Sharks (18-14)

Regular Season Series:

(12/16) Shanxi – 90 @ Shanghai – 92
(2/3) Shanghai – 108 @ Shanxi – 119

Playoff Series Schedule:

Game 1: Tonight 8 pm, @ Shanghai
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Shanxi
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 7:30 pm, @ Shanxi
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ Shanghai (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Shanxi (if necessary)

As Jim Yardley just expertly shared with the rest of the world in his book, Brave Dragons, what the rest of the CBA has known for quite some time: the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons are a flipping mess of a team.

Run by an owner who can switch from head coach to assistant coach to video coordinator to sports psychologist on a whim – or just hold all those titles at once – the Brave Dragons have gone through coaches, general managers, translators and players of all nationalities at an alarming rate over the years as “Boss Wang” continues his search for people who will give him the instant results he craves. Not surprisingly, as success in basketball usually comes from a gradual building process that nurtures familiarity and chemistry, Shanxi had never made the playoffs since their inception in 2006.

Which is why this year is so special: The Brave Dragons are finally in. How’d they do it? Boss Wang reportedly stopped meddling (as much – he definitely still meddles), and he stopped trying to bring in big-name NBA players who may come with NBA talent but also bring their NBA requirements, which the coal city of Taiyuan is largely incapable of fulfilling.

Wang took the safe bet this summer by bringing in Marcus Williams and Charles Gaines, two players who have played inChina before and have had no problem adjusting to the culture while accumulating monster stats. The two have developed into the best and most dependable foreign duo in the league. Gaines, who’s been putting up huge numbers ever since he played for Xinjiang two years ago, enjoyed another fantastic season, averaging 29.2 points and 13.1 rebounds on 64.1% shooting. Williams, who turned around Zhejiang Chouzhou’s season last year after coming in midseason after the Mike James experiment blew up, hasn’t missed a beat in his second season, averaging 32 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals.

The problem for Shanxi, though: Nobody else can consistently score and nobody defends. Yeah, Lu Xiaoming can get out in transition and probe around for dump-offs and kick-outs, and Duan Jiangpeng has had some big nights on the offensive end, but this team starts and ends with their foreigners.

Shanxi’s obvious reliance on their foreign studs is in stark contrast to Shanghai. Allowing just 89.6 points per game, Shanghai boasts the stingiest defense in the league. First-year head-coach Dan Pannagio, following in the defensive footsteps of China national team coach Bob Donewald Jr. from two years prior, has stressed solid team D while also installing the equal-opportunity triangle offense. The jury’s still out on the effectiveness of the triangle — the Sharks score a league-low 91.1 points a game – partly because they’ve dealt with injuries. Ryan Forehan-Kelly, who played the triangle under Panaggio in the D-League, was enjoying a great season, possibly even a NiuBBall MVP-type season, in his familiar offensive surroundings before rupturing his Achilles in late December.

His replacement, Marcus Landry, and especially Mike Harris, who stepped up with some big games down the stretch, have both helped the team move forward. But several Chinese players do their part here. The Sharks go nine, occasionally 10 deep, led most notably by their two national team players, veteran point guard Liu Wei and the young, ever-improving 7-3 center “Max” Zhang Zhaoxu. Liu Ziqiu is one of the better Chinese perimeter defenders in the league and Meng Lingyuan provides a lefty herky-jerky change of pace off the bench.

Throw in the fact that Shanghai’s very-much-on-the-same-page American coaching staff will have the freedom to make whatever adjustments they deem necessary, while Shanxi’s half-American, half-Chinese staff may or may not depending on how Boss Wang is feeling, and you’ve got the makings of a very intriguing and competitive first-round series. But with two NiuBBall All-CBA first-teamers in Gaines and Williams and an important home-court advantage that will challenge the road-weary Sharks (4-12 on the road this year), we’re giving the nod to the Brave Dragons.

Prediction: Shanxi in 5

#4 Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers (19-13) vs. #5 DongGuan New Century Leopards (19-13)

Regular Season Series:
(12/25) Xinjiang – 90 @ DongGuan – 97
(2/12) DongGuan – 89 @ Xinjiang – 97

Playoff Series Schedule:
Game 1: Tonight 7:30 pm, @ DongGuan
Game 2: Friday (2/24), 7:30 pm, @ Xinjiang
Game 3: Sunday (2/26), 8 pm, @ Xinjiang
Game 4: Wednesday (2/29), 7:30 pm, @ DongGuan (if necessary)
Game 5: Friday (3/2), 7:30 pm, @ Xinjiang (if necessary)

No team has gone through more turmoil, more changes and more disappointment this season than the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. Once drooling over the prospect of having Kenyon Martin, Quincy Douby, Tang Zhengdong and Mengke Bateer all being coached up by the American head coach of the Chinese National Team, Bob Donewald Jr., the team is now devoid of all three of those Americans (Douby broke his wrist in pre-season, Donewald was fired 11 games into the season and Martin left shortly after with 12 games under his belt).

They’re also short the player they replaced Douby with, Australian national team point guard, Patty Mills, who was released controversially mid-season after tearing his hamstring against Guangdong on December 23rd. And now, they’re going to be short the player who they replaced Martin with, Gani Lawal, who is reportedly being replaced by Ike Diogu.

Not coming as a shock, the team is likewise devoid of any real shot at the championship that’s they’ve come up just short of achieving the past three seasons.

They will however, storm through DongGuan. Because even though this has been the most drama any team has ever had to endure in one season, Xinjiang is still a very good team, a much better one than their opponents. Though they haven’t been the force that some people thought they’d be, Bateer and Tang still get it done on the inside and DongGuan’s light frontline will be pushed around without too much effort. On the wings, Xu Guochong is as lights out as ever from three and Xirelijiang is as good a two-way guard this league has. And that’s just domestic players. Tim Pickett has done very well coming into the team on short notice and before being released, Lawal was serviceable as a rugged blue-collar rebounder.

The team’s make-up will change wit Diogu, but even if he starts a big sluggish, Xinjiang will still win this series. Though DongGuan head coach Brian Goorjian for the second year in a row has done a masterful job at the helm, leading his team to a No. 5 seed after starting the year 0-4, they don’t hold any discernable advantage in any key category. Xinjiang is bigger and better than DongGuan’s big man rotation of Shavlik Randolph, Zhang Kai and Sun Tonglin, and should dominate the offensive glass. On the perimeter, nobody American or Chinese can handle Pickett.

The one mystery, maybe the only one of this series, is how Diogu, who’s been sitting at home all winter while professional basketball has been going on all around the world, will play in the face of loads of playoff pressure. This being his first time in China, it’s quite a lot to ask of a player to come into a new country, play in a new league, and suit up for a team who is expecting you to carry them to playoff glory. Lucky for him, he’ll probably be able to gradually find his rhythm this series without it affecting the final result.

Via (NiuBBall)

Guangsha has signed Rodney White as his replacement.

Guangsha opted to bring in White because of his familiarity with the team and with the CBA.

White played for three seasons with the Lions from 2007-10 before playing for Shandong Kingston last year. In his last season for the Lions in 2009-2010,  he averaged 27 points and nine rebounds, leading them to the second round of the playoffs. He also has experience playing with Guangsha’s holdovers from that season, most notably P.J. Ramos, Lin Chih-chieh, and Jin Lipeng, all of whom are core players this season.

That said, White should fit into Chandler’s role better than any other options that were on the market. White had been playing for Anyang KGC in South Korea before getting injured, and arrived Sunday morning in Hangzhou in decent shape. If he can buy into Coach Jim Cleamons game plan, Guangsha will have a puncher’s chance against Beijing in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Wednesday.

In 29 games last season for Shandong, White averaged 22.4 points,8.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals.

Guangsha head coach, Jim Cleamons, who spoke to NiuBBall’s Edward Bothfled, welcomes his addition.

“Rodney is going to do well for us. [Wilson and Rodney] are not the same player, but they have similar characteristics. He’s not going to be the ball handler in the open court that Wilson is. Rodney’s been a successful player in this league for a few years and he has playoff experience.”

As for Chandler’s departure, there is some level of disappointment that he is gone, but most people within the Guangsha organization understand his position. “I’m very happy for him. I think he did what we asked him to do. He came over and played hard. He improved his skills so I think it was a good experience for him,” said Cleamons.

Cleamons himself did not learn that Chandler had been granted his release until the night it happened. Along with the rest of the Lions team, he was unable to say goodbye to Chandler before he left.

Still, his teammates understand Chandler’s situation, “I think they wish him well. If the shoe was on their foot and they had the opportunities that Wilson is going to have, they would wish him well,” added Cleamons, “ From a business perspective, they would understand. The timing could be better. It is what it is.”

Meanwhile, three-time Finals runners-up, Xinjiang Guanghui, is also making a change — again. Yesterday, the team officially announced that they have brought in former NBA lottery pick, Ike Diogu to replace Gani Lawal. It marks the fifth time this season that Xinjiang has brought in a new foreigner this season.

Lawal, who came in mid-season to replace Kenyon Martin, averaged 18.4 points and 12.3 rebounds on 61.2% shooting over 17 games. During that stretch, the team went 11-6 and climbed up the standings from tenth place all the way into fourth.

Though Lawal came in and was more than serviceable, and at times even dominant, especially on the glass, Xinjiang team management felt they needed to add more offense on their front line. With Mengke Bateer and Tang Zhengdong having struggled with their offensive consistency all year, the team felt they needed somebody who provide a a more diverse scoring threat.

Diogu comes into his first stint in China at a high-pressure time when Xinjiang is gearing up for their annual run deep into the playoffs. After not playing any professional basketball during the NBA lockout, Diogu was signed by the San Antonio Spurs on January 3rd, but was released one week later. With management’s notoriously sky high expectations for their import players, the heat will be on Diogu to step in and immediately perform at a high level.

It’s not uncommon for teams to replace foreign players right before the playoffs. Last year, Beijing swapped Joe Crawford out for Orien Greene, and DongGuan replaced the injured Jackon Vroman for Courtney Sims. Beijing’s move to bring in Greene backfired, however, as FIBA elected to extend a two-year suspension that was originally handed down in March 2009.

The 2012 CBA Playoffs start tonight with #4 Xinjiang going on the road to play #5 DongGuan, while #7 Guangsha will host #2 Beijing in Game One of the best-of-five first round.

Via (NiuBBall)

In Spain, Madrid won their first Spanish Cup since Arvydas Sabonis was on the team with a convincing 92-74 victory over FC Barcelona on the Blaugrana home court. Twenty-three was the magic number for Los Blancos, as Madrid took its 23rd such title behind 23 points from tournament MVP Sergio Llull. An extrapolation from the Liga Endesa’s official site goes something like the following.

Real Madrid won the trophy that had eluded the team since 1993, 91-74, and they did so in Barcelona against a side that had enjoyed a 14-2 run against The Whites in this tournament.

Real Madrid, much more comfortable on the floor, wrote the script from start to finish for its biggest day in recent times with a perfect approach: Pablo Laso called for the high tempo that he favors. With tournament MVP Sergio Llull (10 points in seven minutes) starting out hot, Los Blancos led after the first period, 22-17, and finished with nine-point lead at 42-33 after Llull’s three-pointer at the halftime buzzer.

However, as happened in the semifinals, Barça gained an advantage in the third, stringing together a few minutes of magic led by Boniface Ndong and Erazem Lorbek to get as close as 52-51. At that time, Jaycee Carroll (who finished with 22 points) emerged, with six points in a few seconds to ultimately put Real up 65-56 at the end of the quarter. After an 8-0 run by Madrid, the Whites were able to cruise to victory and take the baton from Sabonis, Arlauckas & Co.

A few factoids from the post-game…

• With the cup title, Real Madrid managed to lift the curse stemming from controversy in the team’s 1993 victory in La Coruña. That year, Clifford Luyk was the coach and Arvydas Sabonis was the centerpiece.

• Pablo Laso now has his first title from in front of the bench, but it’s not his first Spanish Cup: The Whites’ coach won the trophy when as a player with Taugrés Vitoria in the ‘95 edition of the tournament in Granada over Amway Zaragoza, 98-80.

• Going into the tournament, Barcelona and Real had each notched 22 wins in Spanish Cup tournaments. With the win, Madrid now leads the all-time table in the category. Since the ACB took over organization of the tournament, Barcelona has taken nine titles, Baskonia six, Madrid five, Zaragoza two and Asefa Estudiantes two.

• Felipe Reyes becomes the first current Real Madrid player with two Spanish Cup titles; Reyes was on Baskonia’s 2000 ‘Cup winning side.

• Perhaps most notable at all for Real Madrid is that the victory gave the team its first official title on any level since 2007, when Los Blancos were crowned ACB champions after defeating – you guessed it – Barcelona.

• Most compelling stat of the tournament, historically speaking: Two Cups in Barcelona, two white titles, i.e. in the only two occasions in which Barça’s home was host to the Spanish Cup, Real has won it.

Beşiktaş Milangaz won its first-ever title on any level with its 78-74 victory over tournament surprise Banvit – and Adam Morrison became associated with his first national title since his days “with” the Los Angeles Lakers.

After a back-and-fourth first quarter when ended knotted up at 18, Banvit looked primed for an upset, outscoring the Eagles, 24-15, to take a seven-point lead into the locker room. Beşiktaş re-found the way in the third, however, behind Morrison and Barış Hersek’s shooting (they finished with nine and 13 points, respectively), a couple of nice contributions from Carlos Arroyo (nine points, eight rebounds, six assists), plus Pops Mensah-Bonsu (11 points, 12 rebounds) controlling the paint in the third won Beşiktaş the lead back after the quarter and were able to hold on for the win.

With an admirably balanced attack which saw seven of its eight players receiving court time score nine of more points – Morrison, Hersek, Arroyo, Mensah-Bonsu, David Hawkins (13 points, four rebounds), Serhat Çetin (14), Erwin Dudley (nine points, nine rebounds) – tournament officials awarded the MVP trophy to Çetin.

Can BiE just rerun an archived story to describe Montepaschi Siena’s Coppa Italia victory on the weekend? Italy’s perpetual Euroleague team made it four-for-four with its 88-71 win over 2010-11 Serie A runners-up Bennet Cantù. Italy-based La Gazzetto della Sport reports the following, as extrapolated by BiE.

Montepaschi Siena won the Coppa Italia by beating Bennet Cantù, 88-71, in the finals for its 12th consecutive Italian trophy since 2008. In Torino, Siena was never at a disadvantage in the game and won with far greater authority that in the previous three finals won against the Cantù. One game does not make history, but the message the league is strong: Siena has no intention of abdicating its crown and would-be suitors must not expect lags in motivation and performance.

With David Andersen having predicted a low-scoring game two days before, the first few minutes of the game seemed to bear him out, although Andersen himself started immediately with two baskets. The Siena defense had one of its better days in forcing both tempo and turnovers from Cantù. One key part of the Montepaschi attack is the variety of new solutions, and this game had Ksistof Lavrinovic pulling the giant Giorgi Shermadini up to seven meters from the basket. Vladimir Micov went in fits and starts as usual, but Maarten Leunen and Shermadini performed well enough in cleaning up that glass that Siena managed only a 21-16 first-quarter lead.

Siena served up some nice perimeter defense in the second, and Cantù was given even more problems, with Andersen and Lavrinovic punishing the contenders three times in a row to give their side an 11-point lead. Doron Perkins kept Bo McCalebb tame, but a lot of mistakes in attack and shooting hurt Cantù, which turned the ball over a whopping 12 times in the first half. And while Anderson was essentially unstoppable in the first half, Siena’s other shooters were a deadly 7-of-10 shooting in quarter two.

Shaun Stonerook turned up the defense in the third and by the 24th minute, Siena had amassed a 53-37 lead, later to become a 73-51 advantage at the end of the quarter in front of a disappointed Cantù crowd.

Andersen took his sixth Italian MVP title for his efforts in the tournament, including a 23-point show in this game. Coach Simon Pianigiani is now 15-0 in finals appearances.

Finally, in a rematch of last season’s Semaine des As finals, Chalon-sur-Saône got revenge on Gravelines Dunkerque, taking its first French Cup title with a 73-66 victory. Former Loyal University swingman Blake Schlib was named MVP for his nice all-around performance of 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals in the final match. BiE can’t help but wonder, however, how the complexion of this tournament might have changed with a certain San Antonio Spur in the mix…

Via (BallinEurope)

Nowitzki tallied 26 points and moved past Robert Parish and into the No. 20 spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring list as the Dallas Mavericks rolled over the Boston Celtics 89-73 before a sellout crowd of 20,364.

With a blocked shot in the first quarter, Nowitzki also joined Cliff Robinson and Rasheed Wallace as the only players in NBA history with at least 1,000 career blocks and 1,000 career 3-pointers.

Kidd, meanwhile, picked up three steals to move past Michael Jordan and into the No. 2 spot on the league’s all-time steals list behind John Stockton.

All of this activity came on a night when the Mavs reached the midway point of this truncated 66-game season with a more than respectable 21-12 record.

Bouncing back from Sunday’s disappointing 104-97 loss at the New York Knicks, the Mavs shot a dismal 40.4 percent from the field. But they held the Celts to 39.2 percent shooting and outrebounded the visitors, 51-44.

Boston played without point guard Rajon Rondo and forward Kevin Garnett (death in the family).

Rondo was suspended Monday by the NBA for two games after he threw the basketball and hit a referee in the chest during Sunday’s game in Detroit.

Those two absences made things kind of easier for the Mavs.

“Defensively we had to step up,” said Jason Terry, who collected 16 points, five rebounds and six assists. “You knew their key guys would be Ray Allen and Paul Pierce tonight.

“I think that would have been their only chance for victory tonight.”

The Mavs led 20-15 after the first period as both teams appeared to be feeling the effects of playing on Sunday and making a long trip to Dallas to prepare for Monday’s nationally televised game.

Dallas never trailed and rode the sharp-shooting Nowitzki all the way to the winner’s circle.

Nowitzki converted 10 of 24 shots, and during one streak in the second period he poured in 10 straight points as the Mavs jumped out to a 37-23 lead.

“I thought coming off of [Sunday] the guys were really up for this,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “Sometimes you can have a letdown when a team’s missing a couple of star players.”

The Mavs host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday before resting for the All-Star break.

As for what they’ve accomplished at the midway point of the season, Carlisle said they were “improving, with a ways to go.

“Some of it, of course, has to do with our health issues. That’s Mother Nature, and we’ve got to deal with that.”

It’s a restless, happy habit. He is waiting for his players to appear. How many practices has he run on the honey-colored floor of this blessed bandbox of a place?

“Oh, gosh, I don’t know,” he says with a wry smile. “Lots, I guess.”

Arritt, 70, is the best basketball coach you’ve never heard of — and that the coaches you have heard of hold in high regard. He numbers Roy Williams, Bob Knight, Bill Self, John Thompson III, Rick Barnes, Tubby Smith, Billy Donovan and many more among his friends.

Monday night Arritt coaches his last home game at Fork Union Military Academy, where he’s piloted the postgraduate program for 42 years, plus four more as an assistant. His career numbers are staggering: 888 wins, 280 losses and more than 400 players sent to college, including more than 200 to Division I and seven to the NBA.

His teams are made up of high school graduates who, for one reason or another, need one more year before college — to get stronger or get noticed, to grow taller or grow up, to improve their grades or their games. His teams play against junior varsity college teams and other post-grad teams. Arritt knows firsthand how it works: He played a postgraduate year at Fork Union in 1959-60.

Both teams traded leads in the first quarter until a 7-point run by the Slammers midway, which prompted Coach Glenn Capacio to call a timeout for the Patriots. Despite a great quarter by Jonathan Fernandez, who scored 12 out of the Patriots total of 18, the Slammers had a comfortable lead going into the second quarter, 29-18.

The Slammers started the second quarter with confidence and extended their lead to 13, but the Patriots closed in thanks to strong games from Anthony Johnson and Warren Ybanez, both of whom contributed 14 out of the teams total of 16 for the quarter

Maintaining the momentun after the halftime break, the Patriots asserted their dominance in the third quarter and took the lead back with over 8 minutes still left to play. The Patriots were unstoppable in this quarter both offensively and defensively, limiting the defending champions to just 13 points while the Patriots managed to put in 30 of their own.

The Slammers manages to cut the Patriots lead down to just 2 points with less than 5 minutes left in the fourth, but a final push by the Patriots in the last three minutes saw them extend their winning run to 6.

APP 81 Johnson 21, Miller 14, Fernandez 12, Vergara 12, Ybanez 8, Ramos 6, Rodriguez 4, Raymundo 2, Wainwright 0, Laure 0, Juntilla 0
CTS 72 Thomas 23, Walker 17, Tolomia 10, Bautista 7, Jantuma 7, Lertmalaiporn 5, Pinitpatcharalert 2, Sangthong 1, Ghogar 0, Apiromvilaichai 0
QS: 18-29, 34-40, 64-53, 81-72

SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN over INDONESIA WARRIORS, 77-61
The Beermen were unstoppable and did not give up the lead the entire game. Doug Thomas led the Beermen with his season-high 23 points. Leo Avenido added 12 points. The Warriors Jonathan Smith and Steven Thomas both recorded double-doubles, Smith with 18 points and 15 rebounds while Thomas had 16 points and 17 rebounds. Those numbers, however, were just not enough to gain the upper hand over SMB.

Coach Bobby Parks was happy with his teams defense tonight as the Beermens defense limited Wuysang to only 10 points.

The Warriors did not get a lot out of their bench in this game. Only Jerick Canada scored for the Warriors off the bench with 6 points while the Beermen managed 27 points from their back-ups.

Coming into the 4th quarter, the Warriors still struggled with their offense as they managed just 9 points. The Beermen extend their winning streak to 3 games, and now have 5 wins and 2 losses.

SMB 77 Thomas 23, Avenido 12, Johnson 8, Avenido 8, Cabatu 7, Mangahas 6, Fernandez 6, Gonzales 5, Rizada 2, Basco 0, Dela Pena 0, Fajardo 0
INW 61 Smith 18, Thomas 16, Wuysang 10, Canada 6, Prihantono 6, Gunawan 5, Legaspi 0, Salangsang 0
QS: 22-11, 38-28, 57-52, 77-61

WESTPORTS MALAYSIA DRAGONS over SINGAPORE SLINGERS, 86-71
The Dragons asserted their dominance straight into the game, quickly pulling away with a 12-point run, led by imports Tiras Wade and Brian Williams. A timeout was called by Coach Neo to try to get the troops back in line, but at this point the Slingers just could not find any solution.

The second quarter was much better for the Slingers and although they were unable to keep Williams or Wade down, Donald Little and Louis Graham worked hard to keep the Slingers in the game, contributing 27 out of the teams 34 points by halftime.

Coming into the second half of the game, the Slingers tried hard to keep the Dragons at bay, but incredible plays from Williams and Wade saw the Dragons increase their lead even further.

The Dragons two international imports were on fire in this game and were virtually unstoppable. Tiras Wade completed the game with 34 points while teammate Brian Williams continued his collection of double-doubles with 30 points and 15 rebounds. For the Slingers, Louis Graham finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds.

WMD 86 Wade 34, Williams 30, Cabahug 7, Pacana 6, Belasco 3, Ng 3, Batumalai 2, Chee 1, Lau 0, Kwaan 0, Loh 0, Kuppusamy 0
SGS 71 Graham 25, Little 19, Dulay 6, Khoo 6, Canta 6, Oh 4, Lim 4, Matialakan 1, Wong 0, Ng 0
QS: 21-7, 47-34, 68-48, 86-71

BANGKOK COBRAS over SAIGON HEAT, 76-61
The Bangkok Cobras raised their intensity on defense and held the Saigon Heat to only 5 field goals in the second half. The Cobras Michael Earl led his team with 19 points. Gentry Lewis contributed with his double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Saigon were motivated early as they jumped to a 12 to 2 lead in the first quarter after a Jonathan Jones three point shot. Jones finished the first half with 21 points and the Heat were leading, 40-36.

Things changed drastically for Saigon after halftime. The Cobras made a few adjustments and they held Saigon to just one field goal in the third quarter. Shooter Ratdech Kruatiwa started the quarter by hitting back-to-back three point shots and Michael Earl added a twinner to give the Cobras their first lead in the game. Cobras pushed the lead to 11 points at the end of the third quarter after a basket from Darunpong Apiromvilaichai.

The Cobras had their biggest lead after Marvin Cruz made a shot with 4:14 left till the final buzzer to stretch the gap, 69-43. Saigons John Smith hit back-to-back three point shots in the last two minutes, but they werent enough to cut their deficit signifcantly.

Bangkok played excellent defense on Jones in the second half. Jones was limited to just 3 points and was able to manage only two shots after his hot start in the first half. Saigon did not get much from their new import Devon Sullivan, who finished with only 5 points and 9 rebounds. Sullivan and Saigon were also struggling from the free throw line managing to complete only 9 out of 24 attempts.

The Cobras also added two new ASEAN imports in Ken Bono and Jai Reyes. Reyes had a decent debut with the Cobras by scoring 13 points off the bench while Bono was scoreless. Reyes could be the spark off the bench that the Cobras need.

BKC 76 Earl 19, Lewis 14, Reyes 13, Cruz 12, Kruatiwa 10, Apiromvilaichai 4, Chaiwat 2, Kongkum 1, Klahan 1, Wanna 0, Bono 0
SGH 61 Jones 24, Javier 15, Smith 11, Trieu 6, Sullivan 5, Nguyen D 0, Capati 0, Ly 0
QS: 17-22, 36-40, 59-48, 76-61

Via (AsiaBasket)

But it is 6 foot 3 Jeremy Lin, an American of Taiwanese descent, holding no Yao-like size advantage over his opponents, who matters the most. Because with his incredible journey from the last person on the Knicks’ bench to becoming basketball’s biggest sensation, he has busted one of the biggest myths in basketball at its highest level: ‘Asians are just not made for the game.’

For a long time, that myth has plagued even the best Asian-origin players in the world, whether they were born in Asia or born in a country outside Asia but were of Asian descent. No matter how hard they tried, there had always been a voice – in their heads or out in the open – telling them that there is a limit to their talents. Telling them that no matter how good they become, they’ll never be good enough for NBA. Telling them that no Asian has ever been a basketball superstar (unless they were gifted with seven and a half feet of body length). Telling them that their genes were just not good enough for the game, that their parents’ chromosomes just didn’t have the athleticism to pass on down to them, that they’re better off becoming doctors or software programmers.

Having been covering hoops in India, I have had the opportunity of following Asian basketball closely over the past few years, and although it is still several steps behind hoops in North America or Europe, it has definitely taken a giant leap forward in the past decade. Asia is a diverse continent, and ballers from its different parts – from China, Iran, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Phillipines, and of course, our desi Indian players – hold the same dreams of hoops excellence that any young basketball player in North America or Europe does. They all want to be Like Mike, to be dominant at the most-respected level of basketball in the world, the NBA. And yet, that same voice whispers into their ears too, reminding them of the harsh stereotypical reality, telling them that NBA basketball is just not in their DNA.

And then comes along Jeremy Lin.

If you live on Planet Earth, you have probably caught a whiff of his story by now. Asian-American kid, goes to Ivy League Harvard, is undrafted in Division II of college basketball but signed by the Golden State Warriors where he only plays about 10 minutes a game for a measly 29 games, continues his struggle in the NBA’s Development League, is cut loose by the Warriors, is signed and cut by the Rockets, is signed by the Knicks in a desperate move to bolster up their weak backcourt, and plays limited minutes hoping to get his shot at a guaranteed contact by the 10th of February. The Knicks were an awful 8-15 when, on February 4th, Lin finally gets that shot, exploding for 25 points off the bench against the Nets. Since then, Lin has become the best player on his team, leading them to an 8-1 record, playing with unmatched passion on the floor, becoming a global sensation for his play, and making NBA history with most points scored in his first NBA starts. Within a matter of weeks, he has not only brought energy to a struggling franchise and their desperate fanbase and become the most exciting player to watch in the league, but also helped make the world believe that Asian-origin players can do what everyone else can do.

Experts have already tried to explain the phenomenon. Some have said that he’s a product of the point-guard friendly D’Antoni offense, some still doubt that he’s got the talent to be a game-changer, while some, unable to understand how he keeps doing it night after night, have turned to spirituality and to what Lin would himself describe as a reason for his success: that it’s a miracle from God.

But all these explanations fail to point out the obvious truth: that Lin is a gifted basketball player who worked harder than everyone else around him and believed in himself. He has a decent size for a basketball player, but beyond that, everything else has come from his persistence and hunger for success. The reason Lin slipped through the cracks of college and NBA scouts wasn’t because of his physical ability or hard work, it was, as his high-school coach suggested, because of his race. And with his success, thankfully, that issue can be put to rest, too.

In a recent USA Today article, author Jeff Zillgitt interviewed Thad Williamson, a University of Richmond professor of leadership studies, who said that, “Lin is changing perceptions of Asian Americans, in ways that both reinforce and deeply challenge existing stereotypes.

“On the one hand, he is the prototypical high-academic-achieving Asian American. But on the other hand he is a baller who has shown he can not only compete with but also excel against the world’s best players.”

Perhaps the strongest factor of Lin’s breakout has been that he hasn’t done it by being a Yao-like giant but by being a small player who plays like other small American players. Indian fans have their own hopes of seeing Indians making it to the NBA, but currently, the top prospects come from beyond seven-feet – whether they are Indian-Canadian brothers Sim (7’4”) and Tanveer (7’2”) Bhullar, or our own Punjabi prodigal son Satnam Singh Bhamara (7”1’). For Asians, it seemed that the easiest way into the league is being so tall that basketball scouts would be foolish to ignore you. But Jeremy Lin has made people believe that it is hard work – and not just height – that can take you to the top.

In America, the term ‘Asian-American’ is limited to East Asians and South-East Asians – those of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese and, like Lin, of Taiwanese descent. Indians, other South Asians – Pakistanis, Nepalis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans – are stereotypically put under the same desi banner. But just as Lin has broken the barrier to encourage Asian-American basketball players, the multitude of South Asians who have the athletic ability, talent, and desire to be the best just need someone to look past their skin colour and give them an opportunity.

At the end of the day though, Lin’s improbable ascent was also made possible because he had a disciplined American sports background, one that helped him become an elite athlete despite the colour of his skin. He was given the right coaching from a young age, followed the correct diet, had the advantage of world-class physiotherapists to help him stay conditioned, and was part of a system that encourages discipline in sports. No country follows this discipline better than the USA, which is why American basketball coaches and physiotherapists are in great demand around the world (including in India). Europe, South America, and some parts of Asia (like China) have also made sports development a high priority in their culture.

Lin’s breakthrough has shattered myths and proved that it is nurture, and not just nature, that makes one a basketball star. To follow his example, the same type of nurture and development has to be provided to other Asian youngsters with potential.

With Lin’s inspiring – or ‘Linspiring story – the first threshold has been crossed. Basketball is not a game of colour or genes but of talent, desire and discipline. No more should you let that voice in your head or the discouraging voice of another person ever tell you that you don’t have NBA basketball in your DNA. If Jeremy Lin can do it, then there’s hope for all of us.

Via (SportsKeeda)

DO’S

• Plan your re-hydration during your training runs.
• For long runs, consider using sports drink to replenish salt and glucose levels.
• Experiment with different sports drinks – taste is unique to individuals.
• Weigh yourself before and after each long run – you should keep your weight loss to less than 2% of your body weight.
• Drink regularly in a race. It is easier for the body to absorb the fluid in small regular amounts.
• Do start re-hydrating early in the race, not when thirst sets in.
• Replace your water loss by 150% in the next 6 hours after a race.

DON’TS

• Undo your efforts in training by leaving your re-hydration to chance – no matter how well trained you are, dehydration will rob you of your performance.
• Drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks during recovery as this promotes fluid loss through the kidneys.
• Experiment with re-hydration drinks during the race – settle your choice during the training runs.
• Drink too much – you should only drink enough to maintain your weight loss to 2%.
• Leave it to your thirst – camels know how much to drink instinctively, we don’t.

Dr Jason Chia Kok Kiong
MBBS (Singapore), MSpMed (Australia), DFD (CAW)
Consultant Sports Physician
Head, Sports Medicine and Surgery Clinic
Tan Tock Seng Hospital