Summer League: Game #4

Wolves Record: 1-2

Game Time: 7:30 Central Time


PREDICTION:

Wolves 88 - Bucks 86

If I had known Craig Smith was going to play last game, I wouldn't have predicted we were going to lose... or at least, my prediction would have been a much closer game. So yeah, just saying. I don't know if he'll play this game or not? Either way, Ramon Sessons has been awesome for Milwaukee. I think he'll carve us up like Bayless did. I'll predict a win regardless if Smith plays or not.

We get the crappy stream this time with the 1990s camera angle from the 2nd deck, with the crappy scoreboard that doesn't show any type of clock.

So far, Love has had a good showing. Ahearn has been doing well also, with some nice ball handling. The Wolves are playing pretty solid defense for the most part, but they are turning it over a lot as well. Wolves up 6 with 3:06 remaining, Love already has 2 dunks (1 courtesy of Ahearn), as well as 7 boards, once again showing everyone how to correctly clean the glass.

Lots of fouls at both ends of the court. Wow, my guy Pooh just found Brewer up high for an athletic oop. Wolves draw the charge, so far, not much to see from the Bucks. Nice little lay-in from Pops, out muscled the guy in the paint. Nice move from Love to get inside, answering a jumper from the other side.

Nice reverse layup from Storey of the Bucks to end the quarter, Wolves up 19-14, but both teams seems to be lacking some energy, but the Wolves had a solid end of the quarter after early foul trouble. Love has been contributing nicely as expected on both ends of the floor, 2nd about to start.

To start the quarter, Brewer threw in a somewhat desperation end-of-shotclock fadeaway jumper and sunk it. Matt Freiji has been hitting some jumpers for the Bucks, just shook lose from a defender for a nice J. Freiji connects no another turnaround jumper at the baseline for 2 more. Bryce Taylor just rained in a 3, nice. Turnover Bucks on a sloppy pass.

Taylor hits another 3 off on a 2nd possession. Wolves up 9, just stripped the ball for a break, but then immediately turned it over by traveling. Hard to tell on who because of the far and fuzzy camera angle. Scratch that, the Bucks traveled right after stripping it back on the break. Wolves miss a crazy shot, but then some white dude on the Bucks gets absolutely swatted by Pops on a layup attempt, unfortunately Grier had a blocking foul on the play. 2 FT's for the Bucks.

Traveling on the Wolves this time, Bucks answer with a nifty, but jerky/ugly and-1 layup in the paint from Joe Alexander. He misses the FT, then the Wolves get a nice J from Jeter after an ugly looking possession. Joe Alexander misses a J, then Wolves get fouled in the paint. Once again, hard to tell who it is. It's Bryce Taylor.

Our guy Love finally checks back in the game with roughly 5:30 remaining. Joe Alexander looks really nervous out there, definitely lacking confidence. He's passed up a few good looks in a row. Kevin just missed a hook shot in the lane, and then Darius Washington hits an and-1 layup on the break. Wolves up 5, but just turn it over for an easy Bucks layup, once again by Washington. Jeter tried to break the press this time, which he does, but nearly turns it over trying to find an open Brewer spotting up for 3. Wolves get it back, but Chris Richard gets rejected pretty bad in the paint. Bucks start running again and are rewarded with an easy layup, not looking good right now.

Wolves only up 1 with 3:40 left, and Ahearn checks in to try and regain some order. Chris Richard throws it out of bounds on a horrible pass. Freiji splashed in yet another J. Love's not getting many touches, finally does and he scores on a KG-like stepback J. Love slaps it away down low for the possession, Ahearn hacked on a layup but no call, then the Bucks score on the break with an and-1 dunk by Mbah a Moute, putting the Bucks up by 2, 35-33.

Corey manages to break free from 2 guys hounding him for a nice athletic bank lay-in to tie the game. Mbah a Moute gets an offensive tip-in. Chris Richard misses a close baby hook... continuing to play bad. Only 1 minute left in the 2nd. Brewer rushes a J and doesn't connect. Hope he's not getting nervous. Good D on Joe Alexander, and then someone threw an amazing outlet but the camera couldn't follow. Either Ahearn or Neitzel missed an easy layup though I think.

Neither team scores, so the Bucks are now up 37-35 at the break.

Anybody know how to get past this blackout thing I keep getting when I try to stream the game?

From what I gather, I think maybe you guys are too far away to correctly connect to the stream. I've heard a few of you guys talk about not receiving the game, and some who just get crazy lag. I think it may be the fact that I'm here in Sacramento, therefore I get a good connection to the Las Vegas stream. I'll try to keep posting logs of the game as it continues.

Not sure if anyone is following this or plans to read, but I'll keep logging anyway. 2nd half about to start now. Story of the first half? Messy play from both teams and a lack of energy.

Corey opens up the quarter by bricking a 3 after thinking about it for too long. He got it at the end of the shot clock though, so not much he could do. Bucks out-hustle the Wolves for an easy offensive board, but lose it out of bounds on a simple wide open pass. Ahearn getting grabbed just trying to get the ball up top, but at the same time, defensive 3 secs on the Bucks, automatic FT for Ahearn.

Love gets fouled and drain 2 at the stripe. Wolves up by 1 now. Either Neitzel or Ahearn gets massively swatted on a J by Alexander, and the Bucks get 2 at the other end on a break once again. Neitzel returns the favor though and finds himself 2 in the hole. Love got out-hustled for the first time down in the defensive paint, but luckily the Bucks couldn't capitalize.

I'm starting to think that this crappy camera angle is the reason why I think this game is so dull. Hard to tell what's going on and who's who, and then you can't hear anything down on the court.

Neitzel getting founded just trying to get across the half court line, and he earns himself a free foul. I think Pops checked in for Love, I wonder if everything's ok for him. Still 7:00 in the 3rd now, Pops nails a wide open J. Joe Alexander gets fouled somehow and gets 2 at the stripe. Pops goes out of control down in the paint, but was bailed out by a foul on the shot, which definitely wasn't going in even if he wasn't touched. The ball never lies, he misses the 1st FT, but hits the 2nd. Wolves up 1.

Love still hasn't checked in, as Joe misses a J, he's not 1 of 7. Pops tries to slam it down on like 3 guys in the paint, but he gets fouled and the ball hits the back of the iron and flies off, dang, that would've been sweet. The small crowd "aww"s, as do I. He hits both FT's surprisingly. I don't know who's doing it, but someone on the Bucks team is trying to throw Love-like outlets, but it's not working out too well for the most part.

Neitzel scores, but I missed it. Pops stripped it away from Mbah a Moute in the paint, but he gets it back and tosses it in. Brewer misses a lay-in, but scrambles the offensive board right before it goes out in the corner of the court. He finds Pops down low with a nice close pass, and he gets hacked. He misses the first of 2 once again, but nails the 2nd.

Longar Longar just checked in for the 2nd time, which has me wondering why Love isn't playing. Wolves are only up 5, maybe they're saving him for the entire 4th. He's only got 2 fouls. No rebounding at all, the Bucks go on the run and Darius Washington tries to score on the break. Neitzel fouls him in the act, then Longar, Brewer, and Pops all swat it away before it gets any further up.

Bryce Taylor checks in... where are you Love??? Bucks pull within 1 now off the 2 FT's. Lucky roll by Longar on an awkward looking J that bounces the rim about 4 times before going in. Neitzel fouls again on a worthless reach-in, and he's out with 4 fouls. That means my man Pooh is back in. Pops pummels someone down under to stop the easy lay-in. Drains 1 of 2 to make it a 2 point game, Wolves lead.

Corey tries to create off the dribble, and it ends up in a 3-second lane violation on Pops. Some random white dude nails a long jumper to tie the game, Wolves gets a turnover, but Jeter stops the break before it gets too far for a non-shooting foul. 2:30 remaining in the 3rd, timeout on the floor.

Love still nowhere to be found, I think I see him on the bench though. That same white guy for the Bucks, Matt Lojeski, drains another smooth J. Offensive foul on Bryce Taylor, not sure what happened, I think a push-off, but the Wolves are playing like crap without Love out there. Corey misses a layup, and then Longar Longar commits a loose ball foul to give the ball back.

Such a horrible game now, the Bucks turn it over once again. 40 seconds remaining, the ball is flying back and worth off deflections, Corey throws a horrible lob that doesn't help any, then an easy layin on the other end for the Bucks. Jeter drains a long jumper, quarter almost about to end, Washington hits a wide open trey. 20 seconds left, Bucks use up one of their free fouls remaining. Corey losing the ball with some bad dribbling, then shoots like a 30 foot 3-pointer that doesn't come close.

Bucks up 57-52. I hope Love is gonna get back in there.

Here's the link to streaming video....

channelsurfing.net/watch-nba-summer-league-vegas-2.html

I'm following your blog, thank you!

Vincent Grier and Chris Richard check-in, no Love. Some big white guy, I think Fitzgerald, is out there for the Wolves and grabs a board. He then gets it back on the offensive end and nails a long jumper. Lack of perimeter D ends up in a wide open 3, but luckily they missed it.

Pooh splits the D and gets in the paint, hitting a wall there and is called for the charge. No D once again, Washington hits a wide open mid-range J. A missed J goes out of bounds, back tot the Bucks. Simple pick and roll results in a wide open basket for the Bucks once again. A missed 3 for the Wolves, and Bucks get it right back. No rebounding whatsoever for the Wolves, results in a 2nd possession and a shooting foul against the Wolves.

I'm starting to think that the Wolves are just stashing Love away to see what the other guys can do for the rest of the game. I'm crossing my fingers that it's just that, and not an injury or something.

The lead is now up to 8 for the Bucks, as a random guy misses yet another shot for the Wolves and the Bucks get fouled on the other end, non-shooting this time. Now Chris Richard hacks some guy in the paint... *sigh*... I'm beginning to think it's not even worth my time now, if Love isn't out there. Everyone else isn't doing jack. Pops and Corey check-in, the 2 out of control guys who try to do too much.

Pops immediately throws it away on a horrible miscommunication. Wolves down 12 after a crazy turnaround fadeaway jumper by Freiji. The Wolves really can't score at all, missing J after J, and turnover after turnover. They get a strip for once and is immediately fouled to stop any kind of break. Timeout on the floor.



I'm gonna go get something to eat, this isn't worth my time I've decided. Wolves up 12, no momentum, and no one really worth watching anymore. Sorry for ya'll who want to see a log.

My guess: They want to see what happens without Love. See what subtraction does to the team, so they can look at others stepping up.

Also, I'm guessing they are pretty impressed with the young man, and don't want to risk injury, especially as he will be playing vs team USA. Save him, see if Brian Ahearn can earn a spot, or if Brewer starts playing smart.

Thanks for the live blog, I appreciate it.

Rolled his ankle and has a sore Achilles tendon, but it looks like it isn't too bad, fortunately. As reported already on the front page, he won't play tomorrow against the Knicks, and instead will want to rest his foot until Monday where that "select team" will scrimmage against Team USA. From what I can put together, it sounds like some of the staff is confident that he will be able to play on Monday, so it isn't anything serious.

I was seriously worried that it would be a knee issue, but thank god it's not

YoLeo... great live coverage man. I was gone all day and not able to watch the game, so I appreciated them. Another Howl to you. They were well done, insightful, and interesting. Thanks man.


Wolves lost again 67-81. Here's the boxscore:

www.nba.com/summerleague2008/games/boxsc...sp?gameId=1520800046


P.S. Looks like all that shooting Brewer did over the summer (according to our media/front office) really paid off. Or not. He was 4 for 13 againt tonight.