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Jimmer Fredette scored 21 in his pro debut on Saturday, and Ricky Rubio has a solid night for the Wolves. Also see: previewing Sunday's action, including Thunder-Mavs on NBA TV.
Look, it's almost awkward when tall gentlemen try to dance. There's no way around the awkward moments, but a big man dance can be the greatest thing for an outside spectator. It's goofy, joyous and, well, just all-around awesome.
So yeah, just hit the jump for Hasheem Thabeet doing something -- it seems like dancing -- in front of a green screen. Trust us on this one.
The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets tipped off their two-game preseason set on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark. It was only a preseason game and therefore it's difficult to read too much into the game, but Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert stole the show.
Shumpert scored 16 points off the bench to help lead the Knicks to a 92-83 victory in his first game as a professional as he hit six of his 11 attempts from the field in 25 minutes of action. It was veteran forward Renaldo Balkman who led the Knicks in scoring, though, with 20 points as Carmelo Anthony contributed 17 before being given a rest after 22 minutes of playing time.
The big story for the Knicks was originally thought to be Tyson Chandler, but the free agent acquisition known for his defense was rather quiet as he scored four points, grabbed four rebounds and contributed three steals and two blocks for good measure. Second-year pro Landry Field also struggled making just two of his 12 shot attempts as the Knicks shot a paltry 40 percent from the field.
As far as the Nets were concerned, Deron Williams returned to the NBA -- after playing in Turkey during the lockout -- looking a little bit rusty. Williams scored nine points on 4-of-12 shooting and his six turnovers equaled his number of assists. Brook Lopez and Anthony Morrow each scored 15 to lead the Nets while rookie MarShon Brooks had 10 points in his debut.
The two teams will meet again on Wednesday, Dec. 21, before the NBA regular season tips off on Christmas Day.
The NBA preseason continues with four more games on Saturday, three of them broadcast by NBA TV.
The latest of those games, tipping off at 10:30 p.m. ET, features Jimmer Fredette's pro debut as the Sacramento Kings visit the Golden State Warriors. Fredette is expected to start at point guard for the Kings, but only because John Salmons is out and coach Paul Westphal wants to experiment with a three-guard line-up, slotting Marcus Thornton at shooting guard and Tyreke Evans at small forward.
The Kings will be without Chuck Hayes, who is working to sort out an abnormality found in a stress echo test. DeMarcus Cousins is also expected to sit while recovering from a sprained ankle suffered this week when the big man stepped on Isaiah Thomas' foot. No word on how many shoe sizes Thomas' foot grew.
The Warriors have an intriguing rookie of their own in Klay Thompson, a wing who figures to spell Golden State's incumbent guards Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. But the Warriors' newcomer most fans will be most eager to watch is coach Mark Jackson, the latest to transition from the booth to the bench. Whether he can instill defense onto a roster that finished No. 26 in the NBA in that category last season will be a storyline to watch.
For more on the Warriors, visit Golden State Of Mind. For more on the Kings, visit Sactown Royalty.
Other games on the NBA TV slate on Saturday:
New York Knicks at New Jersey Nets, 2 p.m. ET: Tyson Chandler will make his Knicks debut as the 'Bockers travel to Newark for the first of a two-game set.
San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. ET: Gregg Popovich says that he's treating the exhibition as just another practice, but seeing the shape Tim Duncan is in will be nice.
The NBA has one other game on the schedule, but it will be available only to local audiences:
Milwaukee Bucks at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET: Ricky Rubio has arrived, everyone. So has Derrick Williams.
NBA Preseason 2011 Scores: Ricky Rubio Picks Up 7 Assists, Jimmer Fredette Scores 21
The second day of preseason NBA games tipped off this evening. Here's a quick look at some of the games that were on the dockett this evening:
Sacramento Kings 96, Golden State Warriors 107: Rookie guard Jimmer Fredette made his debut with the Kings tonight leading the Kings with 21 points, hitting on four of his six three-point attempts. Rookie Klay Thompson also saw some play, scoring 9 points in just 16 minutes.
New York Knicks 92, New Jersey Nets 83: Tyson Chandler made his Knicks debut, putting up just four points and four rebounds in 27 minutes of play. The Knicks won however, led by Renaldo Blakman with 20 points. The Nets hung in with Brook Lopez putting up a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards.
San Antonio Spurs 87, Houston Rockets 101: Rookie forward Kawhi Leonard saw 23 minutes of action in his debut, but was only able to muster up two points and six rebounds. Power forward Luis Scola led the way for the Rockets with 20 points and five rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks 96, Minnesota Timberwolves 117: Ricky Rubio made his NBA debut, scoring just 6 points but also picking up 7 assists with Michael Beasley and Kevin Love both picking up 21 points each. Rookie Derrick Williams also saw a good amount of action, putting up 14 points in his debut.
For more on the NBA Preseason, visit SB Nation NBA.
Dec 18 1:00a by Alfie Crow - 0 comments