Denver Nuggets ledded by Melo beats the Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers continues their losing streak against Nuggest's with a tremendous performance of Carmelo Anderson.

Carmelo Anthony scored 33 points, Arron Afflalo added 23 and the Denver Nuggets avoided any embarrassment by beating Cleveland 117-103 on Friday night, handing the pathetic Cavaliers their team record-tying 19th straight loss.

Still winless in 2011, the Cavs have also dropped 29 of 30 and are now just five losses away from breaking the NBA record of 23 consecutive defeats in one season, an inglorious mark shared by the Vancouver (1995-96) and Denver (1997-98).

"Disappointing," said Scott, who played for the expansion Grizzlies when they lost 23 straight. "We continue to spot teams 20-point leads and then we're fighting up hill all game long. We were on our heels the whole night. But I'm not going to throw my hands up. That's not me."

Melo and the Nuggets showed little compassion for the Cavs, who cut a 23-point deficit down to six in the fourth but couldn't get any closer.

J.J. Hickson had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland, which lost its final 19 games in 1981-82 and its next five the following season to set the mark for the longest losing streak spanning two seasons.

Cleveland's current losing streak is the league's longest since Orlando dropped 19 in a row in 2003.

The Cavs' slide has continued through the incessant Anthony trade rumors, which have quieted in recent weeks but are certain to pick up as the Feb. 24 deadline approaches. Who knows, maybe the Cavs (8-38) will have won their ninth game by then.

Although they've tasted victory just once since Nov. 27, the Cavs never stopped fighting. Down by 22 midway through the third quarter, they reeled off 10 straight points and closed the period with a 12-3 spurt to pull within 93-83.

The burst kept Cleveland's crowd from bolting early, and when Hickson scored with 6:13 left, the Cavs were within 101-95 and Quicken Loans Arena sounded like it did when LeBron James was still around.

But Anthony restored order. After resting to start the quarter, he returned and hit a quick jumper before Ty Lawson blazed down the lane for an easy layup to put the Nuggets ahead 108-99 with 4:22 to go.

The Cavs missed at the other end and Chauncey Billups drained a long 3-pointer to make it 111-99 and kill Cleveland's comeback.

Anthony made 15 free throws — equaling the Cavs' total — and Lawson added 15 points as the Nuggets won their fourth in a row.

Denver has played well amid the swirling rumors about Anthony's future. But what once seemed a distraction is bonding the Nuggets.

"We get tired of being asked that question," coach George Karl said of the Melo-drama. "We have kept it away from the basketball court. There is an energy that is drained from press conferences, going to different cities and being asked the same questions and reading the same stories.

"We had a bad stretch in early January, but we have bounced back. We're starting to play as good as we've played all year."

Anthony said it was strange coming to Cleveland and not facing James, a close friend and Olympic teammate.

"It felt weird coming here and not playing against him," he said. "We had some great matchups here. We always talk about that."

Antawn Jamison had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland, which will likely go 0-for-January with upcoming games at Orlando on Sunday and in Miami on Monday to close the month. The Cavs' next best chance to end their losing streak will be next Wednesday at home against Indiana.

Denver center Nene returned after missing Wednesday's game with a strained right calf, but played only nine minutes. He sat out the second half as a precautionary measure, the team said.

Ramon Sessions had a season-high 13 assists for the Cavs.

As a former Cleveland coach, Karl has sympathy for the Cavs, who haven't won since Dec. 18. He's sure they'll snap out of their funk at some point.

"I feel sorry for them," he said. "But they're going to win again. They're going to have a stretch where they will get their confidence going in a good direction and they'll win some games. It will probably happen on their home court before it happens on the road court." — AP

Latest of Celtics :Perkins Back on Game

Celtics beat the Cavaliers 112-95 at the TD Garden on a night that was highlighted by the return of center Kendrick Perkins. He rejoined the lineup for the first time since sustaining an injury in Game 6 of last year's NBA Finals.

Perkins showed  the home fans knew he had arrived, posting seven points, six rebounds and three assists in only 17 minutes of play. Paul Pierce led the game in scoring with his 24 points despite playing less than 24 minutes of the game.

Mayweather Beats Paquiao on PPV Buys

A list of the top 10 pay-per-views for 2010 was recently released and it is no surprise that Manny Pacquiao’s two fights last year both made it to the list. His fight against Antonio Margarito was in the second spot with 1,150,000 buys and the one against Joshua Clottey sold 700,000, good enough for the eighth spot.

The top seller for 2010 was the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley, which gained 1.4 million buys.

The biggest reason for Mayweather outselling Pacquiao is that Mayweather had a better dance partner in Molsey, who at that time was fresh from a dominant knockout victory over Margarito. Pacquiao, on the other hand, faced a relative unknown in Clottey and a disgraced fighter in Margarito, who, after losing to Mosley, was suspended for a year because his trainer was caught trying to load his gloves.

Another factor was HBO’s 24/7 series. HBO produced the four-part documentary for both Mayweather-Mosley and Pacquiao-Margarito but they didn’t bother to do it for Pacquiao-Clottey. In the Mayweather-Mosley 24/7 series, Mayweather played the villain’s role perfectly. He was portrayed as an egotistical fighter who had wads of cash in his bedroom. A lot of people bought the pay-per-view solely for the chance to see Mayweather get beaten up.

The fact that both Mayweather and Mosley are Americans also affected the PPV buys. Both are native English speakers, so they were able to promote their fight well. Pacquiao takes learning English seriously and he tries his best to promote his fights, but Margarito barely speaks any English.

Pacquiao knows that a fight with Mayweather will sell the most PPVs, but because Mayweather is not interested in fighting him, Pacquiao chose the next best option by fighting Mosley in May.


After those three fights, the list was dominated by the UFC. The top seller for the MMA company was a card that was bannered by a heavyweight championship match between then-champion Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Lesnar also holds the fifth spot with his fight against current champion Cain Velasquez.

Rounding out the top ten are Rampage Jackson versus Rashad Evans (fourth), Georges St. Pierre versus Josh Koscheck (sixth), St. Pierre versus Dan Hardy (seventh), Anderson Silva versus Chael Sonnen (ninth), and Frank Edgar versus B.J. Penn/Randy Couture versus James Toney (10th).

Lesnar, a former WWE superstar, crowned himself PPV king as he also sold a total of 2.1 million PPVs in his two fights. He outsold Pacquiao by 150,000 buys.

Mayweather would have had the chance to be the top seller but he chose not to fight for the rest of the year.

'MAKING HISTORY' SONSONA VS VAZQUEZ ON SOLAR SPORTS

The most anticipated event in February 2010 will be two undefeated fighters meeting for the first time in battle! Unbeaten Wilfredo “WV2” Vazquez, Jr., the proud son of 2-time world champion Wilfredo Vazquez, Sr., plans to make history on Feb. 28 when he fights “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior featherweight title! 

The event, entitled “Making History”, will be held at the Ruben Rodriquez Coliseum in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Vazquez, Jr., the WBO Latino super bantamweight champion, is rated No. 2 by the WBO, while former WBO super flyweight titlist Sonsona is ranked No. 3.

Sonsona, a native of General Santos City, Philippines, quickly endeared himself to fight fans in 2009 with two scintillating performances at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario.

Last September, the baby-faced Sonsona showed his true fighting mettle, dethroning reigning WBO Super Flyweight champion Jose “Carita” Lopez, over twelve grueling, action-packed rounds.

Just three months later, Sonsona followed up his title winning conquest of Lopez, with an equally courageous 12 round split decision draw with challenger Alejandro Hernandez.
Prior to the fight, Sonsona, who had grown two inches in height since defeating Lopez, was forced to relinquish his title on the scale, despite several determined attempts to make the 115 lb. Super Flyweight limit. Notwithstanding the drain of trying to make the weight, Sonsona survived 12 rounds to keep his record unblemished.

There’s no love lost between Vasquez (17-0-1, 14 KOs), the proud son of former world champion Wilfredo Vasquez (56-9-2, 41 KOs – WBA bantamweight champ 1987-88, WNA super bantamweight champ 1992-95), and the fighter being billed in the Philippines as the next big boxing name, 19-year-old Sonsona (14-0-1, 12 KOs). Sonsona, apparently irked by comments by Vasquez that he will knockout him out without any problems, used this as motivation to train harder and ensure he is best prepared to do battle.

Vazquez’s pedigree is unquestioned since his trainer is none other than the legendary, Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. Along with Juan Manuel Lopez and Chris Henry, Vazquez Jr. is expected to continue the great tradition of great boxers from Puerto Rico. So far, he is no doubt in the correct path as he possesses an impressive record of 17 wins and 0 loses with 14 of his wins coming via KO.

In his last fight, Vazquez Jr. put on a superb showing against Genaro Garcia to win the WBO Latino interim title by a seventh-round TKO on Nov. 20, 2009 after scoring a second-round knockout of Mexico’s Cecilio Santos a few months earlier.

If the 25 year old Vasquez, Jr wins, he will be the first son of a Puerto Rican boxing champion to win a world title. If 19 year-old Sonsona triumphs, he will be the youngest Filipino to win two world titles in two different weight divisions.

Find out who will be making history on February 28 at 1PM on SOLARtv, with replays on March 3 at 9am, March 4 @ 10pm and March 6 @ 2pm on Solar Sports! 

Vitali To Defend His Tittle Againts Unbeaten Solis

Vitali Klitschko will defend his WBC heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis in Cologne on March 19, it has been confirmed.

The Cuban exile defeated veteran Ray Austin in an eliminator last month and with few other potential opponents out there for Klitschko, a deal was always likely to be made.

Solis is no stranger to the German public, having fought there nine times as a professional after joining the paid ranks in 2007.

The 30-year-old has a 17-0 record with 12 stoppages, and although he looked sluggish against Austin could be one of the few to ruffle Klitschko's feathers as he approaches his 40th birthday.

"Solis is an experienced, quick and uncomfortable fighter," said Klitschko in a statement. "I will not underestimate him."

Now based in Florida, Solis has been talked up in the American press as one of the few heavyweights to take over the Klitschko brothers' mantle when they retire.

But although he has few 'names' on his CV, Solis gets an early chance to prove them right.

"Vitali has been choosing weak opponents for years. But that is finished now. I will beat him, take his belts and leave Cologne as champion," said Solis

Nonito Wants To Knock Out Montiel

More than his stunning win over Vic Darchinyan four years ago, Nonito Donaire considers his coming 12-round title fight with Mexican Fernando Montiel as the one that will define his boxing career.

“I’m taking on a great champion and I’m going to prove where I stand in boxing," vowed the soft-spoken former world flyweight champion during the formal announcement of his Feb. 19 championship bout with Montiel Monday in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight belts.

Donaire barged into big-time boxing when he dealt the brash and fearsome Vic Darchinyan his first career loss — a stunning fifth round knockout at Bridgeport, USA — to wrest the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight crown.

The 28-year-old Filipino was then a 7-1 underdog to beat Darchinyan in the fight adjudged as the `Knockout and Upset of the Year’.

But in facing Montiel, the tide has been reversed as the Filipino born in Taliban, Bohol is installed a 2-1 favorite owing to his sensational fourth round demolition of former bantamweight titlist Wladimir Sidorenko in Anaheim, California last month.

Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) has now won eight of his last nine fights by way of knockout.

And he vows to add Montiel, 31, to his growing list of victims.

“It will not go 12 rounds. I have power. He has power. I want to win by knockout. He wants to win by knockout," Donaire noted.

Montiel is not a bit perturbed by the growing reputation of Donaire as one of the best bantamweights — and pound-for-pound fighter for that matter — in the sport today.

“This is the kind of fight that motivates me," said the Mexican champion, who is coming off a second-round knockout of Jovanny Soto also in December in his final tune-up before taking on Donaire.

“I am not worried about Nonito being the favorite. You should run to the sports book and bet on me. It is a very important fight for me and a great opportunity to prove that I am one of the best fighters in the world. I expect a tough fight, but I also expect to win."

Just one of four Mexican fighters to win world titles in three different weight divisions after Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs) was also an underdog when he invaded Japan last April to defend his titles against Hozumi Hasegawa.

Trailing on all three scorecards after three rounds, Montiel proceeded to stop Hasegawa in the fourth to grab the WBC version of the 118-pound title.

“We don't worry about odds. We were a 3-to-1 underdog in Japan when Fernando won a world title," noted Fernando Beltran, who co-promotes Montiel, winner of world titles at junior bantamweight and flyweight.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum sees the fight going down as one of the best in boxing’s lower weight division.

Arum even boasted that the fight has the potential to follow the path of the action-packed world junior flyweight title bout between Michael Carbajal and the legendary Humberto Gonzales in 1993 at the Las Vegas Hilton, which Carbajal won with a 7th round knockout after being down in the second and fifth rounds.

“Eighteen years ago, I promoted a fight with two 108-pound world champions which was one of the greatest events I ever promoted," said Arum of that memorable championship match in the early '90s.

“It proved to everyone that dynamite can come in all sizes and packages. Montiel vs. Donaire will feature a match-up between two hard-punching bantamweights that is every bit as explosive as Carbajal-Gonzalez. It's a can't-miss fight, and the fans will be assured of seeing a dynamite event." - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV

Paquiao Best Pick vs Mosley

It didn’t come as a surprise that Manny Pacquiao emerged the heavy favorite to whip Sugar Shane Mosley in their May 7 face-off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A fighter, many believe that is way past his prime, Mosley will turn 40 on September 7 or four months after facing Pacquiao in the ring. He is also coming off two unimpressive bouts against Floyd Mayweather Jr. (unanimous decision loss) and Sergio Mora (draw).

No wonder, odds readily tilted on Pacquiao’s side with still a few days left before 2010 ends.

The 32-year-old Filipino boxing champion has been initially installed a 4-1 pick by sports book within the U.S., with one online bookie even making Pacquiao a -900 odds, as reported by the Examiner.

5Dimes Sportsbook pegged Pacquiao a 7-4 favorite, meaning a $700 bet on the Filipino southpaw would only yield $100, while a $100 bet on Mosley would earn you $450.

In contrast to Mosley, Pacquiao had been impressive in his previous fights, including ones against bigger opponents like Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito in 2010.

The boxing superstar dominated Clottey in their March outing at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas, scoring a unanimous decision in retaining his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt.

Then he brutalized the 5-foot-11 Margarito the full 12 rounds at the same Texas stadium on his way to winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight crown, Pacquiao’s eighth world title belt, in his attempt at the 154-pound division.

But Mosley, who is the only man in history who had beaten the great Oscar De La Hoya twice, is undeterred with his underdog tag. “They think I’m the easier fight, that’s fine with me."

“Pacquiao’s a fighter like me; he comes forward. I promise you, I’ll hit him on the chin. His defense is not that good. The guys who come at me, I knock out," added Mosley.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said promotion for the bout will officially kick off in February behind a three-city press tour.

The Hall of Fame promoter said Pacquiao and Mosley are set to promote the fight in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, where he hopes to get an audience with President Barack Obama through the help of Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, the Las Vegas Senator whom Pacquiao helped in his reelection campaign the last election.

And since Mosley will be coming from San Francisco, Arum said the official press conference of the fight is likely to be held in the same city within the Bay Area.

Manny Pacquiao defeated Antonio Margarito

Manny Pacquiao defeated Antonio Margarito by unanimous decision to win the vacant World Boxing Council super welterweight title Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The bout was at a 150-pound catch weight, but Pacquiao earned the 154-pound title -- giving him a title belt in a record eighth division and improving his record to 52-3-2 (with 38 knockouts). Margarito, who was banned from fighting in several states after being caught using illegal hand wraps after a 2009 bout, saw his record drop to 38-7-0.