Points Of Celtics Losing

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"Our mental approach to the game was much, much better to start the game, especially on the defensive end," said Afflalo, who also blocked two shots.

Philly has won three straight in this series.

Crawford, traditionally one of the NBA's top sixth men, averaged 16.1 points for the Hawks over the previous two seasons before signing with the Blazers as a free agent. The guard, who is making his first trip back to the ATL, is scoring at a lesser clip this season (12.0 ppg) and has been struggling recently, netting just 21 points in his last three games.

"Sure it was ugly but we needed a win and we'll take it. We know we can play better and we know we'll have to play better, but we're happy with the win," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said.

Veteran Portland center Marcus Camby is likely to miss a third straight game tonight with a sprained left ankle.

"I think I'm in a different state of mind," Smith said. "I'm playing as hard as I've ever played."

Their last three victories, against admittedly inferior competition in Charlotte, Minnesota and the Raptors, have come despite the fact they've played without Horford, who will be out for the next three to four months because of torn pec suffered last week.

"I think from an effort, energy, intensity and focus standpoint, I thought we were where we need to be," said Detroit coach Lawrence Frank. "If we can get that effort for 36 of 48 (minutes) and we focus on cleaning up our execution, we will get better."

Minnesota has been playing well since an 0-3 start to the season, ripping off five wins over the last 10 games. The difference may not be eye-popping but the play of forward Kevin Love has been. Love has recorded a double-double in each of his first 13 games this season, averaging 25.6 points and 14.3 rebounds in that time.

Love tied Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon for the NBA's longest double-double streak to start a season (1992-93) with 33 points and 11 boards in Monday's 99-86 win versus Sacramento. Luke Ridnour added a season-high 25 points and Wayne Ellington scored 15 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, who snapped a three-game home losing streak and improved to 3-5 in the Twin Cities.

"Once we get everybody healthy ... we're very good," said Love, who is just one 30-point effort short of tying Kevin Garnett's franchise record of four in a row set from March 22-28, 2000. "We can surprise a lot of people. We just want to continue to get better."

comments

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•    Conversely, if I step on a creaky stair or floor board I hear the ditty of #SuperMario losing a life

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•    kris humphries had 18 points and 15 rebounds tonight for the nets . . i see someone is trying to be a kardashian again .

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•    Raptors lose again ...

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•    I've got a chip on my shoulder, i'm on a losing streak. there's a cloud of contempt hanging over me.

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•    I've been on Chris Paul's sack since he scored that triple double against the Raptors in 06 bitchesssss

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•    Kings win, oh that means we go on a 50 game losing streak now

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•    talked with my mom <3 i think she likes that im making an effort to make us closer (:

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•    Team Haircut session = #losing lol oh well ! haha it grows back

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•    So I had 6 points tonight... Next week I'm gonna hit 40. #balluphomie

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