Powe deserves praise

LAS VEGAS - As so often happens to Leon Powe, his willingness to play hard every second and do the dirty work is often overshadowed by flashier players with bigger names. So, let’s give credit where credit is due. Powe played a big role in keeping Greg Oden from establishing any rhythm in his debut Friday night at Cox Pavilion.

“I look forward to these challenges,” said Powe, who finished the contest with 19 points and 9 rebounds while frustrating Oden. “I don’t back down. You’ve got to keep [Oden] out of the paint. If you let him get too deep, I don’t care who’s guarding him, he’s going to score or get fouled. So, you just try to keep him out of the paint, push him out before he catches it. You need to do your work early, and I had a lot of help from my teammates. I’m just trying to go out there and play hard, play good defense.”