Wednesday Morning Basketball Report
12/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2009
Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs continued his strong play this week. Duncan knocked down the game-winning shot on Saturday against the Pacers as part of his 19-point and 16-rebound night. Last Wednesday at Golden State, Duncan netted 27 points and pulled down 15 boards, while blocking four shots and totaling four assists. He added 13 points in the Spurs' third consecutive win on Monday night against the Lakers.
Duncan stands among the current league leaders in multiple categories, including fourth overall in field goals per 48 minutes with 12.01. He is sixth with 2.13 blocks a game and ninth with an average of 10.5 rebounds per game.
For the New Orleans Hornets, Chris Paul also had an impressive week. He narrowly missed a triple-double after netting 30 points and recording season highs with 19 assists and nine rebounds against Denver in the Hornets' six-point win on Friday. Earlier this week, he had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven helpers in a losing effort at Toronto. Last Wednesday, Paul had his ninth double-double of the year with 16 points and 12 assists in the win over Detroit.
Continuing to permeate multiple NBA lists this season, Paul currently ranks second in the league in assists per 48 minutes (14.8), efficiency ranking (28.17) and assists per turnover (4). He is fourth with a 48 percent three-point percentage and seventh with 200 assists.
Also aiding the Hornets this past week, Darius Songaila combined for a total of 18 points across three games. He grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in the matchup against Detroit last Wednesday. On Sunday, Songaila was 4-of-6 from the floor for eight points against Toronto.
Josh Howard was a consistent contributor for the Dallas Mavericks in his four games. While still coming off the bench after his ankle injury, Howard totaled 14 or more points in three of the Mavs' contests this week, including a 17-point effort last Friday against the Rockets. He also had 14 points in 24 minutes on Sunday against Cleveland and 15 points in 29 minutes last Wednesday at Oklahoma City. Last night, Howard finished with eight points, two rebounds, a block and an assist against the Blazers.
Jeff Teague saw his most action this week in a win over Utah last Friday, when he totaled seven points, two blocks, two assists, two rebounds and a steal in 21 minutes of action. Last Wednesday, Teague had six helpers and four points against Memphis. On Tuesday, Teague had two points, a block and a steal in the Hawks' win over Minnesota.
James Johnson played in two games for the Chicago Bulls this week. In a loss last night to the Knicks, Johnson played 16 minutes, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds. He also recorded a block and a rebound in five minutes against Atlanta earlier in the week.
Check back to WakeForestSports.com next Wednesday for another update on the six former Wake Forest basketball student-athletes now playing professionally in the NBA.
