03/22/2010 - 17:34
Double Digits on the Glass
by Devon Jeffreys

On Saturday night, Tyson Chandler and the Charlotte Bobcats got a look at the glass cleaning skills that make No. 6 a unique NBA talent.

TC pulled down 11 boards, his highest total since December 20th, in 33 minutes on Saturday, but his Charlotte Bobcats couldn't win a big one on the road, falling 77-71 to the Heat.

Two for TC (Getty Images).

Battling against his fellow Southeast Division big men, Tyson pulled down 15 rebounds over the weekend including the 11 against the Heat. But the Bobcats tripped with losses in Atlanta on Friday and Miami on Saturday to fall back down to seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Still there was plenty to be encouraged about in Ty's Saturday night eruption. No. 6 also recorded three blocks on the night, scored four points and swiped two steals, garnering acclaim from David Arnott of Rufus on Fire:

"Tyson Chandler looked more like his old self, scoring only 4 points, but grabbing 11 rebounds and playing his typically strong defense over 33 minutes."

Tyson's production earned him extended playing time as he came off the bench, yet tallied the second half minutes that had been reserved for starter Theo Ratliff.

TC recorded four rebounds in just four minutes in the first quarter and helped the Cats claw back from a 19-13 deficit when he entered with 4:22 left in the frame. By the time the quarter had finished, Ty had pushed Charlotte out on a 8-1 run to take a 21-20 lead.

Tyson also scored all four of his points in his first 5:08 on the floor, sinking two free throws late in the first quarter and registering a rim-rocking dunk off the Stephen Jackson feed early in the second as the Bobcats surged to a 25-22 lead.

No. 6 picked up three more rebounds in the second quarter before taking a breather as Boris Diaw relieved him with 3:33 left in the half and the Cats leading by four. But Miami finished the half on a 12-6 run and even Ty's re-entry late in the half couldn’t stop Miami from taking a two-point lead into the break.

Tyson was silent on the glass in the third, but did theft a Quentin Richardson pass and block a layup attempt by Joel Anthony. He would register two more blocks, both rejections of Michael Beasley, a steal off a bad pass by Dwayne Wade and his final four rebounds in the fourth, but the Bobcats could never pull the game closer than two in the final frame.

The story was a little different on Friday as the Bobcats took the Hawks to overtime before succumbing to a buzzer beater by Joe Johnson. TC finished with four rebounds in just 13 minutes.

NEXT UP
The Bobcats have lost three of their last four since their big win in Orlando last Sunday. To stop their skid, they'll have to win on the road Tuesday night in our nation's capital where they take on the Washington Wizards.

It's the final road game before the Cats return to Charlotte for a five-game homestand that stretches into April. Of their final 13 games, including Tuesday night's contest in Washington, the Bobcats play eight games at home.

Tip-off of Tuesday night's showdown is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be seen on SportSouth.

RELATED STORIES
Miami Heat get ugly win over Charlotte Bobcats, 77-71 (Rufus on Fire, March 20, 2010)
http://www.rufusonfire.com/2010/3/20/1383042/miami-heat-get-ugly-win-over
Bobcats at Heat Play by Play (NBA.com, March 20, 2010)
http://www.nba.com/games/20100320/CHAMIA/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore