Carlos Boozer celebrates his "and one" with a near punch to the referee's groin.

As some of you might know, Carlos Boozer celebrates rather emphatically after "and ones" and this time was no exception, as he nearly connects with Danny Crawford's private region, which, if connected, would have resulted in the most painful player-official incident, since Paul Pierce's accidental punch to Eddie F. Rush's face during the 2010 NBA Finals.

Cav's Rookie, Dion Waiters receives a popcorn surprise in his car.

Via: Dion Waiter's instagram

With just a little over 2 weeks left of regular season NBA basketball, you would think the rookie hazing would have been done by now, but the Cleveland Cavaliers had other ideas for their rookie and unfortunately Dion Waiters and his Escalade was the victim of the latest popcorn prank. Good luck with that dude, there is no way you can clean that up. Maybe Marshon Brooks can help you out.

The San Antonio Spurs talks about the success of their franchise.

Not sure about the no flash thing, with Manu Ginobili being part of your squad and everything, but this is why the Spurs are the funnest. That and because they have Matt Bonner, who as you know is a favorite on this blog. Stop ragging on yourself, dude.

Blog Notice: Lazy Sundays.

Bill Watterson/Via: GOCOMICS

Hey guys, the activity on the blog will be a a bit slower today. Posts will up will be later than usual.

Thanks for sticking around and reading my silliness.

Paul Pierce plays a game of HORSE with a couple of lucky fans.

Man, Paul Pierce even shoots his trick shots in slow motion. Or maybe it isn't slow motion, maybe he is just moving so much faster than us that he seems slow, because it makes perfect sense and it is probably the only way to explain how he makes those ridiculous step backs fall effortlessly.

Metta World Peace was high off anesthetics after knee surgery.

Nothing strange, just Metta World Peace talking about parties and alcohol under the influences of anesthetics after his knee surgery. He looks completely normal to me.

Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson stars in new AT&T commercial.

Old basketball players are mean. Love the segregation between the Lakers and Celtics, though. Nice touch.

Update: There's a new one.

J.J. Barea tried to go between Hasheem Thabeet's legs.

Yep, that's one way to get pass a bigger defender, when you a 5'10" (and I am being generous here) point guard in the NBA.

Shout out to @cjzero for the screen cap, and for his shout out on TV. 

The short man struggle.

Mike Miller finishes an actual alley-oop from Dwyane Wade.

It's funny because he is Mike Miller, and Mike Miller is an old man bothered by back problems, that is brought into Miami to specifically sink a couple of threes in limited minutes, and on his off days spends his day icing everything, while tending to his pet monkey. So yea, this catching and finishing alley oops thing doesn't happen often.

Dwyane Wade's no look pass to LeBron James for the alley-oop finish.

The Miami Heat has done their fair share of damage to the magic of the alley-oops, but this one is absolute insanity. Dwyane Wade threw a perfectly placed, no look pass, over his shoulder to a trailing LeBron James. No wonder he goes by the nickname, W.O.W., it's definitely not for commercial reasons.

Danilo Gallinari gets a warning for the worst flop ever.

With names like Danilo Gallinari, Andrea Bargnani, and Marco Belinelli, Italy is probably not the greatest place to learn defense. They can shoot, though.

J.R. Smith describes his "funny" relationship with Mike Woodson.

J.R. Smith is a notorious chucker, who will shoot over anybody and anything as long as it is the toughest shot possible. And to J.R., no shot is impossible, so you can pretty much guess why he often butts head with his coach, Mike Woodson.

From Steve Popper:

"We have a funny relationship, honestly," Smith said. "It’s crazy. Off the court it’s like father-son. On the court we bump heads sometimes. He (Woodson) cusses me out, I cuss him out and we just go from there. By the end of the timeout we’re on the same page. It’s fun. I love playing for him."

DUH.

Via: SB Nation

Buck's mascot, Bango scares Dwight Howard.

Ugh. Don't you hate it when you have a game to play in a few hours and on your way to the dressing room, a large inflatable deer in a basketball uniform jumps out of no where to scare the living daylights out of you? I know, just the worst. But it could have been worse, as a self-proclaimed expert of NBA mascots, I know for a fact that Clutch the Bear, Houston Rockets mascot would have done way more damage, just not sure who will end up on the least desirable end of it.

Russell Westbrook would wear the Kanye Kilt, if it were slimmer.

Remember when Russell Westbrook said that he isn't scared of wearing anything and doesn't care about what anyone thinks about what he has on? Well, that not all true, there is actually something that he would have to think twice before putting it on.

From GQ:

You have to have a certain swagger about you." Even Westbrook has his limits, of course—Kanye's infamous leather kilt, for instance. Though in his next breath Russ allows that he'd "be open to it if it were a slimmer fit."

Yeaaa, that's not the greatest look for you, Russ. But what would I know, I am the one that thinks everything you wear is hideous, so obviously my opinion isn't worth anything. Seriously though, a slim kilt? Do you plan on walking in those, because that is not going to happen.

Random NBA Photo of the Day: Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are hat bros.

Eric Ray Davidson/GQ Magazine

What Dwyane Wade has on his head is called "the Black Russian," his teammates' words, not mine. And what LeBron has on is... really? Out of all the times, you chose this one, a GQ shot, to not try and cover up your hairline? It's great that you have embraced your hair loss, but that is no way to wear a beanie, and don't even get me started on the rest of the outfit. What happened to just a nice, normal suit? You guys are too old to mess with Russell Westbrook now, give it up, dudes.  

Via: GQ

The Round Up - March 28th, 2013.

Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

Royalty: DeMarcus Cousins went full on Beast mode last night, feasting on the weak souls of the Phoenix Suns, with 34 points (12 of 16), and a helping of 14 rebounds in 30 minutes of play. His tiny teammate, Isiah Thomas cleaned up the leftovers with 23 points on 6 of 10 shooting and 8 assists. There really weren't anything the Suns could have done in this game to slow the Kings down. I mean what you can you do when a team scores 62 points in your paint, compared to the 42 you had in theirs? Defense, anyone? There was a lone bright light for the Suns, Luis Scola did score 25 points (10 of 13) and grabbed 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

Empty Lake: With a chance to pass Wilt Chamberlain for 4th most points in NBA history, Kobe Bryant came up 5 points short, finishing with a game-high 30 points on 6 of 17 shooting in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Dwight Howard added 15 points (6 of 8) and 15 boards. The Bucks starting line up completely outmatched the opposition, combining for 95 of the teams' total 113. LARRY SANDER! led the way with 21 points (8 of 11) and 13 rebounds. While Brandon Jennings chipped in for 20 points (7 of 14) and 7 dimes against his hometown team. This Lakers loss is huge and could potentially comeback to haunt them, as it gives the Utah Jazz a shot to reclaim their 8th spot in the West with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers today.

Update - More bad news for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant has a bone spur in his left foot and is out indefinitely.

More Beards: The beards won't be coming off for another two games, everyone. In the much anticipated .500 beard game, where several members of the Dallas Mavericks were prepared to rid themselves of the facial hair they have grown in their winning drought, the results were negative, with the Mavs falling to two games behind .500 after this 25 point loss to the Indiana Pacers. Dirk Nowitzki did all he could, going off for a team-high 21 points on 10 of 20 shooting and 7 rebounds. With the exception of Vince Carter, who came off the bench for 14 points on 13 shots, no one scored more than 10 points. And to top that off, Dallas, as a team shot a depressing 39 percent from the field. Indiana, on the other hand. did not have that problem, hitting 48 percent of their shots. Paul George had 24 points (10 of 17), 8 boards and 6 assists.

Tyreke Evans spins past the defense for the 360 lay-up.

Great move and all, Tyreke, but Bill Walton stole all your spotlight, when he put you among the greatest minds of the human race, so yea, that makes sense.

The Bearded Dallas Mavericks are bringing a barber to their potential .500 game.

Some of you might be unaware of this, but there is a reason why the Dallas Mavericks, specifically Dirk Nowitzki, O.J. Mayo, Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, and Jae Crowder are sporting a sudden abundance of facial hair and it is not because they have a future cameo on "Game of Thrones." The Mavericks, who got off to a slow start in the season when Dirk had to miss 6 weeks to recover from knee surgery, made a pact in early February to not shave until their record was .500. And with only one win away from reaching their goal, they brought their barber to the American Airlines Center in Dallas for when they take on the Indiana Pacers tonight. If the Mavs walk away with the victory, those beards will come off.

From ESPN Dallas:

Omar the barber is coming to Thursday night's home game against the Indiana Pacers. 

"Man, everyone is going to have their clippers in their locker Thursday and hopefully you guys can watch us shave them off," said Mayo, who said he doesn't know his barber's last name. "The barber will be here. We're going to leave him tickets and give ourselves a chance to shave them off. 

Nowitzki said his wife of less than a year, Jessica, doesn't like the look but has been a good sport about it. Nowitzki's mother recently told him that he looks 45 years old. 

"I don't really want to jinx it, but I'm ready to get this thing off," Nowitzki said. "That's a big outing for us Thursday against a very good, tough team from the Eastern Conference."

If anything, Dirk looks more like a viking, or caveman, whatever you prefer. I am just not too sure if they should go ahead and shave their majestic male manes when it got them this far, the last thing you would want to do is to reverse jinx yourself.

Kevin Durant and Guillermo put their deodorants to test in new Degree commercial.

I don't use under-the-arm antiperspirants because they never feel right, that icky wax texture does not sit well with me. But how do they work? I mean it can't actually stop you from sweating, so what's the point? And what was Kevin doing before Guillermo came, who is he talking to? Something doesn't add up right.

Don't try to steal LeBron James's headband.

The Miami Heat haven't lost a game since February 1st, and for nearly 2 months, the reigning NBA champions dominated the rest of the competition, winning 27 games in a row, setting the second longest streak in league history. But it all ended yesterday, when they visited the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. And as you can imagine, the Heat, who haven't tasted defeat for the last 55 days, didn't take the reminder of how much losing sucked, too.. let's just say, happily. So when a fan reached out to steal LeBron's headband as he walked into the tunnel following the loss, that said person wasn't greeted with the greatest of attitudes. Just a heads up to fans that are lucky enough to go to live games, please don't steal items off the player, if they are not willing to give it to you, you can't have it. You do not want to be that guy, trust me. And you do not especially want to do this against Russell Westbrook, unless you mentally and physically ready to fight him for a towel.

Via: Reddit

I wonder what it was like to get a death stare from LeBron, I can't imagine it to be fun.

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: King's Keith Smart Saves A Child.

Via: @SBNation

Keith Smart was a hero yesterday, not only did his Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors, he also saved a child from what was suppose to be the most traumatic event of that young man's life. Who knows, Keith may have just prevented the kid from a potential phobia of balls, and now because of his cat-like reflexes, blondie over here, will never have to skip gym class and can get pelted by dodge balls like everyone else.

Jimmy Butler finishes the alley-oop on a unsuspecting Chris Bosh.

The Miami Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls last night, which meant their 27 game winning streak (second longest in NBA history) has come to an end, which also means there won't be any Chris Bosh video bombs for awhile (sad tears are coming out of my eyes as I type this). Especially not after what Jimmy Butler did to the unsuspecting Bostrich.

Tom Thibodeau knows his Waka Flocka.

Tom Thibodeau, as we know, is not the most friendliest of NBA coaches, at least not during his games. In fact he is a, how do you put it, a solemn man, yea, that sounds about right. So this is all kinds of weird.

I will say at least today produced career highlight: Thibodeau saying he had heard of rapper Wacka Flocka Flame, who I guess said DRose back
— K.C Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 27, 2013

Direct transcript: "Tom, have you heard of Waka Flocka Flame?" Thibs: "The rapper you're talking about?" I may retire now.
— K.C Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 27, 2013

More transcript: "Tom, Waka Flocka Flame's got a song called 'Hard in Da Paint.' " Thibs: "I'm for that. I like him more now."
— K.C Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 27, 2013

Oh Tom, uhh.. Mr. Thibodeau, if only you heard the first minute of the song, then maybe it will change your mind for the better.

Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade battles each other in new Gatorade commercial.

I love this. But this can't be real, right? You mean, I am suppose to believe Kevin Durant lifts weights and that NBA players actually wear pajamas to bed? This isn't suppose to be a thing, unless your name is Nick Young. Seriously though, this commercial is really great.

Derrick Rose playing one on one in practice.

I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. TEARS ARE COMING OUT OF MY EYES. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. On the other hand, seeing him go by Vlad Rad, Daequan Cook and nameless others is not reassuring enough for me to believe that he is completely ready to come back. The knee looks great though.

Via: CSN Chicago

NBA players love their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

This is no surprise, everyone loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, even the allergic will admit it. And with all things considered, it is probably the best pre-game meal any athlete can have. With a perfect balance of carbs and protein, there is no wrong. I am sure Big Baby would agree with me. Okay, maybe he is not the best example, considering his massive stature, but there is something about PB&J's that makes it magical and if you are still struggling to grasp the idea, perhaps these kids can get through to you. The only thing that I am really worried about is the breath of the players afterwards, it is not going to be pleasant for anyone. A sweaty 200+ pound man with peanut butter breath is not someone you would want to play basketball with. Trust me, I know this.

Random NBA Photo of the Day: Andrew Bynum Home Fitness DVD.

SO, THIS IS A THING. Via: @jaimemaggio

Hahaha, there are so many things wrong with this photo, that I don't even know where to start. Man, at this point, he is better off with a hair tutorial, because what he has growing on his head right now is amazing.

The Round Up - March 26th, 2013.

Danny Bollinger/NBAE/Getty Images

Beard Gang: The Los Angeles Clippers could have won to tie their franchise for most wins in a season, but instead the Dallas Mavericks move to only one game behind the Lakers for the 8th spot in the Western Conference and just one win short of reaching the .500 mark to shave off those glorious beards that should really be kept. I mean why shave it if it has gotten this far. Anyway, Dirk Nowitzki passed Patrick Ewing for the 17th on the NBA all time scoring list with 33 points (12 of 21) and 9 rebounds in the overtime win. The Mavericks bench was huge in this outscoring the Clippers' second unit 40 to 28. With the game down to the wire, the Clippers had only one person to go to, and Chris Paul delivered, scoring the 10 of his total 33 points (on 12 of 15 shooting) in 4th quarter (keep in mind that those 10 points were the Clippers' last 10) to give his team a 2 point lead with 5 seconds remaining. But O.J. Mayo had to step in to make things more fun, hitting a tough left handed lay up to force overtime, where Dirk would take over and lead his team to victory.

O.J. MayNO.

Green Light: In a game where both teams were without their main defensive piece to clog up the middle, Boston without Kevin Garnett and New York without Tyson Chandler, this contest turned into an offensive exhibition, well, at least it was for one team. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith combined for 61 percent of the entire Knicks offense. Melo went off for 29 points on 30 shots and 8 rebounds, while J.R. Smith bombed atomically (I don't think I am using this right) off the bench for 32 points (13 of 24) and 7 boards to become first player in this season to have three 30 point games off the bench. Jeff Green led all Celtics with 19 points on 6 of 14 shooting, 10 rebounds and 6 dimes. Boston have now lost 5 straight, and for the first time since 2003-04', have allowed two New York wins in Boston in the same season. The Knicks, on the other hand, are rolling, winning all 5 of their last 5 games.

The Pack: The Minnesota Timberwolves won their first back to back on the road this season, in the victory over the Detorit Pistons. The Wolves, who have struggled mightily from just about everywhere on the floor, specifically from the behind the three point line, shot 54 percent in the Palace of Auburn Hills. To make things even weirder, Minnesota held the Pistons to rather low 41 percent from the field and with the exception of three players, no one in a Pistons uniforms registered in double figures or even broke 9 points. Nikola Pekovic led the pack with 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 11 boards. Tiny Puerto Rican man, J.J. Barea came off the bench for a game-high 21 points on 11 shots.

Did Ricky just throw a normal pass, wait, what?

Blake Griffin's near game winner and Matt Barnes's airball.

The end of the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks game was controversial to say the least. With only sixth of a second left in the game, Matt Barnes threw an inbounds pass across the entire length of the court to Blake Griffin for a last shot to win the game. And to everyone's surprise, it somehow went in, but was instantly called off by the referee, who tagged Griffin with an offensive foul for pushing of Dirk to make the catch. The angle they provided was not very clear, I don't think Dirk actually pulled a full body flop, but there was contact, just not sure if it was enough to get a call, in a late game situation like this. Anyways, the game headed into overtime and the Clippers were still very much in it, that was until this happened.

Via: SB Nation

Matt Barnes, ladies and gentlemen.

The Round Up - March 25th, 2013.

Alex Brandon/AP Photo

Breakthrough: The Memphis Grizzlies, without their giant cuddly Marc Gasol bear in the middle, witnessed the first player in this season to drop 40+ points on them since Westbrook in the 2011 playoffs. And that player was none other than John Wall, who answered every single critic with a career high 47 points on 13 of 22 shooting, 7 rebounds and 8 assists to power the injury riddled Wizards (missing 6 of their players) to their sixth straight win. Emeka Okafor contirbuted to the effort with 21 points (9 of 15) and 9 boards of his own, to take full advantage of the porous Grizzlies's defense. Mike Conley scored a team-high 23 points on 7 of 14 shooting, and dished out 7 assists for Memphis.

Sting: The Denver Nuggets were just one win short of the most consecutive wins in franchise history (including ABA) and without Ty Lawson again last night, they would fail to complete the feat in the loss to the New Orleans Hornets. Down 21 at half, Denver could not get anything going offensively, shooting 38 percent from the field to comeback from the largest halftime deficit of the season. Danilo Gallinari had 24 points on 5 of 12 shooting (4 of 6 from three). The Hornets got a surprise contribution from 27 year old rookie, Brian Roberts, who stepped in place of the injured Greivis Vazquez (ankle) to deliver a career high 18 assists to go with his 13 points. Ryan Anderson added 23 points on 22 shots off the bench.

Flame Trails: While one streak falls, the other would cease to falter, as the Miami Heat captures their 27th straight win in the 14 point victory over the Orlando Magic. This wasn't much of contest, aside from the 28 points both teams put up in the 1st quarter, the Heat outscored the Magic in every period for the rest of the game. LeBron James had another near triple double, going off for 24 points on 9 of 16 shooting, 9 boards and 11 dimes in the absence of Dwyane Wade. Jameer Nelson of the Magic exploded for a game-high 27 points (9 of 20) and 12 assists in the losing effort. Orlando have now lost 7 straight games.

Gear Shift: On Stephen Curry's bum ankle, the Golden State Warriors held off a late Los Angeles Lakers charge in the W. The Lakers dug themselves into a hole early, allowing a 23 point lead to the Warriors at the half. Against the broken perimeter defense of the Lakers, the back court of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had the time of their life, going for 25 points (9 of 24), 7 boards and 9 assists; and 22 points (8 of 18) respectively. David Lee chipped in with an additional 23 points (9 of 15) and 12 rebounds. But as the Lakers do nowadays, they would make a late push in the second half, scoring 63 points to only lose by a slightly more respectable 6 points. Kobe Bryant had 36 points (11 of 27) and 8 boards, while his fellow draft mate, Steve Nash went for 21 points on 19 shots, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

A Few Notes: The shorthanded Indiana Pacers fought off the undermanned Atlanta Hawks in the win at home on Monday night. The Pacers had a 24 point lead in the opening minutes of the 4th quarter, but would draw a blank in the next 11 minutes, getting outscored 31 to 15, which was still not enough from the Hawks to overcome the deficit that they have put themselves in earlier. Josh Smith led all scorers with 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting, 4 assists and 4 steals.

The Utah Jazz held the Philadelphia 76ers to 39 percent shooting from the field in the win to finally snap their 4 game losing streak. The Jazz haven't had much success since the trade deadline going 4-12 including this win, which puts them only one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the 8th spot. I guess no one wants to go to the playoffs.

Jamal Crawford created the shake and bake out of fear.

Cool, when I was 16 and panicked during a basketball game, I didn't somehow create a crossover move on the fly, but I did turn the ball over, which is just as great.

LeBron James yells at the rim.

Sometimes even the best player in the NBA misses and will blame the external environment like you would do when you were younger, or now, I don't discriminate. You know, the times when you were playing basketball outside and you would blame the sun for being in your eyes, the backboard for not being sturdy enough, the court too slippery, the rim is built too low, or is bent from dudes dunking on it, as an excuse for your poor performance. We have all been there because we suck, so it is really strange to see LeBron James actually do it on national television and yell at the rim like a mad man. I wonder what he had said, can any of you, lip reading experts help me out? Please? All I could tell was that Ray Allen was really weirded out by the whole thing, I don't think he can actually process a missed free throw, at least that was what I got from that disgusted look of his.

Random NBA Photo of the Day: LeBron James Face. [UPDATE]

THIS FREAKING GUY, MAN. Via: @BeckleyMason

GOOD MORNING. Have a good one, you guys. And no, this photo won't be going anywhere. You are going to see it in your head for the rest of the day and probably in your sleep too. Happy nightmares.

Oh and to my friends overseas, I strongly advise you to not sleep tonight, unless you would like to see multiple floating LeBron heads with the exact same expression twirling in your dreams. Sounds pleasant.

Update: NOW WITH VIDEO!

LeBron James yams one on Beno Udrih on the alley-oop finish.

BENO, haven't you learned from the others that have sacrificed their lives to protect you, why did you have to get involved?

Jae Crowder transforms into Brandan Wright.

Ummm, WHAT? When did the Predator learn how to shapeshift? You would have figured they would run out of ideas by the 5th movie, but why not run the franchise to the ground?

Via: Reddit

Kevin Durant tackles the winner of the $20,000 half court shot in OKC.

Not as genuine as LeBron's, but a great moment for the fan nonetheless. I just wished they switched things up on that guy and sent Derek Fisher to tackle him, because we all know how that turned out the first time.

Chris Bosh karate chops his way into another video bomb on LeBron.

These. Just. Keep. Getting. Better. It just sucks that Chris's hand-eye coordination has gotten worse to the point where it affects the performance of his video bombing. Get better, big guy.

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Carlos Boozer is a Jedi.

Via: @cjzero

Have you ever wondered why 6'9", 266 pound, muscle bound Carlos Boozer always settles for a 10 foot turnaround jumper instead of using his giant frame to get inside the paint, despite of the mismatch? Well, that's because he is actually a Jedi warrior and when you are a Jedi, you have this ability called "the force," which allows you to move objects with your mind. While this explains the height of his jump shot and that ridiculous high arc of his, it does not get into why he is one of the most frustrating players to watch in the NBA. You see, Boozer might be one of the rare owners of the force, but he is not at all close to harnessing his powers. So on those nights where he completely loses control, let's just say he is responsible for more than just his own hair loss. Now if only he can get on Kobe's level, then maybe things will get a little better, or not. 

The Round Up - March 24th, 2013.

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

The Young Guns: The Houston Rockets looked like that had everything under control heading into the fourth quarter with the lead, but they were playing against the San Antonio Spurs and you can never count them out for a late run to take the W. Which was exactly what they did except for the winning part. The Spurs down 6 with less than 6 minutes to play, would hold the Rockets scoreless for the next 4 minutes, to go on a 10-0 run to take a 4 point lead with a little more than a minute to go in regulation. But that all ended, when James Harden decided to take matters into his own hands, after hitting a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 1, he would hit the eventual game winning 17 footer for Houston's 3rd straight win. He finished with a game-high 29 points (6 of 16), 9 rebounds and 6 assists. San Antonio had two more chances to steal the win in the remaining 4.5 seconds, except that Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili would both miss in their attempts. In his second game back from a severe ankle sprain, Tony Parker led all Spurs with 23 points (7 of 13) and 7 dimes.

Flaming Engines: Without Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat took on the fearsome Charlotte Bobcats in hopes to extend their winning streak to 26. Those hopes were soon dashed when the Bobcats opened the game up with a 19-8 run, but because they are the Bobcats, of course their lead would not last, as they watch the reigning NBA champions finish the game on a 101-58 run in the 32 point win. LeBron James registered for his 35th double double of the season, making it a career high. He had a near triple double, going off for 32 point on 11 of 14 shooting, 8 rebounds and 10 assists.

Too Close to the Sun: Despite Goran Dragic exploding for 31 points (10 of 19), 9 boards and 12 dimes for the Phoenix Suns, the lack of effort from everyone else was not enough to put away the Joe Johnson-less Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night. Down 12 at halftime, the Suns outscored the Nets 33 to 20 in the third, led by Wesley Johnson, who scored 17 of his total 21 points in the quarter to make this game watchable. But Phoenix would fall just short in the final 12 minutes, in the Brooklyn win. Deron Williams had 20 points (8 of 15), and 11 assists. His center, Brook Lopez added 21 points on 6 of 16 shooting and 5 rebounds.

A Few Notes: Do you know how bad things have gotten for the Minnesota Timberwolves? Even when they hit 50 percent (6 of 12) of their threes as the worst three point shooting team in the league and went 50 percent from the field, they still weren't able to beat the Bulls, getting out rebounded by 20 boards in the Chicago win. Carlos Boozer was among two other Bulls with a double double, getting his 34th of the season, with 19 points (9 of 15) and 12 rebounds. Nate Robinson came off the bench for 22 points (9 of 16) and 10 dimes in the absence of Joakim Noah. Derrick Williams led the Wolves with 28 points on 11 of 18 shooting and 5 rebounds.

The Utah Jazz threw another one away, in the loss to the Dallas Mavericks. A few more of these and they will be officially out of running for the 8th spot that currently belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fantasy Shoutouts: The Atlanta front court of Al Horford and Josh Smith caused all sorts of problems for the Bucks in the Hawks win. Horford had 24 points (10 of 16), 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Josh Smith added 23 points on 9 of 17 shooting and 9 boards. The Hawks ended the game on a 7-0 run in the final 40 seconds to complete the comeback victory.

Kevin Durant went for 24 points (10 of 17) and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook chipped in with 21 points (9 of 18) and 9 dimes in the 20 point win over the Portland Trail Blazers. OKC held Portland to only 41 percent from the field, as the Western Conference Champs shot 52 percent on their home floor.

Reggie Jackson's 40 foot bounce pass for the Russell Westbrook dunk.

No big deal, just a perfectly thrown 40 foot bounce pass in transition through two defenders. But yea, play Derek Fisher over him because of experience.

J.R. Smith doesn't do sportsmanship.

J.R. Smith is at fault, but the Raptors have to take some blame for letting this happen again. They have got to play defense for the entire game, down 24 or not, you have to play until the clock expires. You would think they would learn after the whole Caron Butler incident, but come on, this is the second time something like this has happened to the Raptors, in this season. Where's the respect, guys? What? Is Canada not cool enough for you? (I'm Canadian and I think I am offended.)

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Tony Allen's turnover dance.

Via: @HPbasketball

Tony Allen is a defensive guy and loves it when his team makes the right defensive plays. But fans are not always aware of the little things, so of course, he has to add a little "umphh" after forcing a turnover on the Boston Celtics to get their attention. I think I have found what Tony can do after retirement. The emphasis he puts on that finger point, has given me enough reason to believe that he has a bright future as a traffic cop/ crossing guard. You know, the thing that Chris Tucker did in Rush Hour 3. I don't care what you think, that was a great movie.

The Round Up - March 23rd, 2013.

Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

Point Guard Wars: This game between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers were close for the most part, until Chris Paul decided to go into God mode in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his total 29 points (and 11 assists) in the final two minutes to carry his team over the Nets. His fellow 2005 draft mate, Deron Williams, who was picked ahead of Chris Paul, had 18 points (6 of 16) and 9 assists. Brook Lopez added another 18 points on 9 of 14 shooting. If you were wondering where Blake Griffin was, he was kept inside Reggie Evan's beard the entire time. Reggie completely removed any substantial impact that Blake was capable of, holding him to only 11 points on 11 shots and 7 boards.

What?!

Carnivorous Bears: The Marc Gasol-less Memphis Grizzlies had a 21 point lead on the Boston Celtics, early in the 4th quarter. But then weird things happened and the Celtics second unit erupted for a 21-4 run to cut the the deficit to 4. Unfortunately, for them, that was as close as would get as they drop their 4th straight, all without Kevin Garnett. Boston are now only 1.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and is clinging on to the 7th seed for dear life. Paul Pierce had a team-high 26 points (10 of 17) and 6 rebounds. Meanwhile, Jerryd Bayless of the Grizzlies came off the bench for 30 points on 11 of 20 shooting in the win.

Defense: When the Indiana Pacers play against the Chicago Bulls, things usually get really ugly and last night was not an exception. Both teams shot under 43 percent from the field, with the team shooting the best percentage coming out on top. Luol Deng had 20 points (7 of 14) and 7 rebounds in the Bulls' win. Carlos Boozer added 18 points on 8 of 15 shooting and 10 boards. Indiana got little to no help from their bench, shooting a horrendous 39 percent as the team, with Paul George in the lead with 23 points (9 of 20) and 11 rebounds.

A Few Notes: In the absence of Ty Lawon (heel), the Denver Nuggets were still able to extend their winning streak to 15 in the near escape from the Sacramento Kings. Kenneth Faried led the way with 17 points (7 of 12) and 9 rebounds. His teammates were no slouches either, with everyone scoring at least two points for Denver. King's DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points (10 of 16) and 15 boards in the losing effort.

Fantasy Shoutouts: Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats had a game-high 25 points (10 of 20) and 4 steals, in the one point loss to the Detroit Pistons. It was Charlie Villanueva who hits the game winning lay up with 15 seconds remaining. The Bobcats had two opportunities down the stretch to win it, but Kemba Walker's jumper would fall short and Josh McRobert's put back attempt on an offensive rebound would get blocked by Rodney Stuckey.

Carmelo Anthony went off for 28 points on 9 of 19 shooting and 8 boards in the second of the back to back games against the Toronto Raptors. J.R. Smith came off the bench for 25 points (9 of 16) and 5 rebounds in the 26 point victory over the league's only team in Canada.

Stephen Curry found his shooting stroke again in this win over the Washington Wizards. He had 35 points on  13 of 18 shooting (6 of 10 from three) and 8 dimes. But like everything else in life, all good things would eventually come to an end, as the point guard rolls his ankle in the fourth quarter and never returned. However, it did help the Warriors, that John Wall would later get ejected in the same quarter after going nutzo on Klay Thompson with threats and stuff.

The Round Up - March 22nd, 2013.

Mike Ehrmann/NBAE/Getty Images

Sorry guys, it's been a bad week. I know it's late, but it is better than never.

Torched: To the surprise of no one, the Miami Heat, trailing by 3 at halftime to the Detroit Pistons, would outscore their opponent 52 to 35 in the second half for their 25th straight win. Despite getting a season low 5 points from Chris Bosh, the Heat still won by 14 points on LeBron's career best field goal percentage tying performance. The reigning MVP had 29 points on 12 of 15 shooting, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Greg Monroe of the Pistons led his team with 23 points (10 of 19), 15 boards and 6 dimes, but got virtually no help from his teammates as they shot 41 percent from the field, while the men in white went 56 percent on their home floor.

Free Basketball: Up 3 after a pair of Tony Parker free throws to put the Spurs ahead with only 10 seconds left to play, the Jazz looked like they were going on the road with another loss on their schedule, but Marvin Williams had other ideas, hitting the game tying three to sent the game into overtime. Unfortunately for Utah, their luck would end there, as San Antonio doubles their points scored in overtime for Coach Popovich's 900th win, making him the second coach to ever do so with one team. Tim Duncan also reached historical mark of his own, surpassing Shaq on the all time rebounding list for the 13th most in NBA history. He had 19 points (4 of 13), 16 boards and 5 assists. Tony Parker returning after missing 8 games due to an ankle injury, went for 22 points (8 of 13) and 5 dimes. Mo Williams of the Jazz finished with a game-high 23 points on 9 of 17 shooting and 8 assists in their 8th straight road loss.

Oh Matt, that is definitely not the right way to get on SportsCenter.

Storms: The Oklahoma City Thunder held off a late run by the Orlando Magic to send them off with a 6th straight loss. Arron Affalo left this game in 13 minutes of play after suffering a hamstring injury, and was later confirmed to be out for the rest of the season. In his place, Moe Harkless stepped up for a career night going off for 25 points (11 of 18), and 9 rebounds. But it was no match for the combined efforts of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, as the duo went for 25 points and 8 boards; and 19 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists respectively.

Trios: Josh Smith's 24 points (9 of 21), and 10 rebounds. Al Horford's 15 points (7 of 18), 17 boards and 5 assists. Jeff Teague's 21 (8 of 11), and 7 dimes were not enough to best the Portland Trail Blazer's own trio on Friday night. LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points on 20 shots and 13 boards. Damian Lillard went for 22 on 8 of 16 shooting (4 of 5 from three) and Wesley Matthews added 28 points (10 of 18), hitting 5 of his 7 threes attempted in the Blazers' second win of their east coast road trip.

Don't Call it a Comeback: In the return of Kobe Bryant (ankle) and Pau Gasol (foot), the Los Angeles Lakers would blow a 18 point lead in the second half to make way for a Washington Wizards comeback victory. The Lakers was just sloppy on both ends of the floor, giving the ball away 17 times, leading to 21 Wizards' points. The turning point of this game was the third quarter, where Washington (without two of their starters) outscored the the men in gold 31 to 17. Trevor Ariza was huge off the bench, exploding for 25 points on 7 of 12 shooting from behind the arc. He was left wide open through out the entire game, with Kobe never once making the correct rotation to prevent the shot. John Wall chipped in with 24 points (9 of 19), 6 rebounds and 16 assists. Dwight Howard had 20 points (8 of 9) and 15 rebounds, while Kobe Bryant shot 8 of 18 from the field for 21 points and 11 assists in the loss.

Fantasy Shoutouts: In his second game after draining his knee, Carmelo Anthony looked a lot more like Carmelo Anthony, going for a game-high 37 points on 14 of 31 shooting and 6 boards in the win over the Toronto Raptors. Raptor's Alan Anderson came off the bench for a career high 35 points (11 of 18) and 6 rebounds, but his effort alone was unable slow the Knicks down, as they shot 54 percent in the Air Canada Center. Rudy Gay left this game in 14 minutes play with a back injury.

Highlights

Left on a Island: Paul George catches the Milwaukee Bucks sleeping and yams one on the league leader of blocked shots.

Fancy: The Spanish are really good at adding totally unnecessary theatrics to an easy pass, but we love it.

DeMarcus Cousins boogies through the defense for the monster slam on Anthony Randolph.

What? No technical foul? My condolences to the Randolph family. I am sorry for you loss. He was a brave man, but not a strong man. To be fair, there aren't many people that can withstand a truck of a body like DeMarcus Cousins and survive. It was just unfortunate that it had to be him.

Jeremy Lin takes a wild pass to the head.

Jeremy Lin was just chilling, thinking about Harvard-y things like all Harvard students do and then suddenly Patrick Beverly throws a pass off of the hands of Boobie Gibson, nailing Jeremy right in the head. But not to worry, his bestest bro, Chandler Parsons was there to check up on him, because that is what best bros do. And totally not because they have a thing going on, like the entire internet community believes. To be fair they are not doing themselves any favors in these pictures and .GIFs.

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: John Wall dances on Steve Nash.

Via: @wiz_spurtin

This is what happens when you have a 90 year old guarding the arguably fastest player in the league. Yes, I am very aware that Steve Nash tripped, but still, John Wall hit the mid range shot, which never happens.

Jose Calderon threads the needle to Jonas Jerebko.

Solid bounce pass to go with that beard, Jose.

Anthony Davis's Unibrow talks in new Boost mobile commercial.

OH. MY. GOD. As if it wasn't scary enough, Anthony Davis's unibrow IS ALIVE AND IT CAN TALK. Really weird to see someone embrace something socially unaccepted like the unibrow and make money off of it. What has this world become? What happened to grooming?

Mike Woodson in a very Russell Westbrook-y shirt.

Via: @teamswish

DUDE, you are 54 years old. Not a great idea wearing something from the closet of a 24 year old. I can't even remember the last time when polka dots were a thing in the fashion world. At least not at the size of those dots. The above photo is brought to you by J.R. Smith, because he really values his minutes.

"Kobe Bryant is programmed to score, not pass" says Kobe Bryant.

You know the thing that Kobe does, that thing where he won't pass the ball no matter how many bodies are covering him? Well, apparently he can't help it. It's a problem.

From ESPN LA:

"Kobe will tell you," Jamison said. "He's like, 'Look, you guys as my teammates, yell at me. Let me know that you're open because I'm so programmed,' and this guy has told me this, 'I see nothing but that basket. You could be open, there could be three guys on me, but the only thing I see is that basket so you have to tell me, Look, I was open. Or yell at me mid-play. That doesn't affect me at all and I respect that.' " 

This explains everything. So all those times he shot over double and triple teams, wasn't because he was confident in his shooting ability, he just couldn't see his teammates. Which is totally cool because he is Kobe Bryant and he can make anything go in. But can you tell that to this dude at my local pick up basketball games? That guy is the worst. How many fadeaways and unnecessary windmill layups do you need to brick until you realize that you are just not that good. In fact, you are terrible and no one wants you on their team. I hope you are reading this.

Dwight Howard farts a lot during practice.

Dwight Howard has been known to be a pretty great farter. And according to his former Orlando Magic teammate, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Dwight can apparently control the volume of his farts. So of course this topic of interest was covered in the latest interview with the Laker center on 790 the ticket.

The following is a transcription of the radio interview provided by Sports Radio:

Is it true that you are gassy? 

“(Laughing) Stan (Van Gundy) used to get mad because I would have so much gas. It was like I didn’t have gas at home but I always had it when we had practice and especially when he talked. I used to always let it out.”

Based on personal experiences, farting in practice or during any physical activity is never fun, because if you can't get it out, let's just say it is not the most comfortable situation for anyone. But like most things in life, you will learn as time passes. Eggs and protein shakes might sound like an ideal healthy breakfast for any athletic individuals looking to get their protein fix, but those things will build a larger than expected volume of gas in your body and won't come out smelling too pleasant. So, Dwight, if you do want your problem fixed, just stick with fruits and toast, or you just leave it the way it is, which is totally not a problem. Farts to a certain degree is always fun. And assuming there are actually women reading this blog, the answer is yes, men ARE indeed that gross. Not sorry.

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Javale McGee and Kenneth Faried's warm embrace.

Via: @BeyondTheBuzzer

Awww. Just the two best of bros hugging each after as they watch their Nuggets' teammate, Corey Brewer sink three free throws to put Denver up 1 before their eventual win over the Philadelphia 76ers. How considerate of Javale to check on Kenneth's heart rate with that subtle shift of hands. BROMANCE.

The Round Up - March 21st, 2013.

Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo

I'm back. Sorry for missing a whole night of recap yesterday, wasn't feeling too well.

Rip City: This game was close for about the first 12 minutes and then the Chicago Bulls forgot how to pay defense allowing a 14-0 run in the second quarter to the Portland Trail Blazers, who would build on their lead from then on and never once let their foot off the gas pedal. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with a game-high 28 points (14 of 23) and 8 rebounds, while the rookie, Damian Lillard chipped in for 24 points (9 of 17) and 7 assists in the victory. Taj Gibson of the Bulls returned for first time since spraining his MCL about three weeks ago. He had 14 points on 14 shots and 9 boards off the bench. Joakim Noah went for 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 6 rebounds in 27 minutes, which could possibly the fewest amount of playing time he has had in this whole season, because you know, Coach Thibs is kind of crazy.

Gold Rush: For the first time this week, the Denver Nuggets scored less than 68 points in the paint, going for only 48 against the Philadelphia 76ers last night at the Pepsi Center. In the absence of Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler, Andre Miller stepped into the starting spot to finish with 21 points (9 of 14) and 8 assists. Corey Bewer exploded off the bench for 29 points on 10 of 18 shooting (5 of 6 from three) and 5 steals in win. Down 2 with only 2.7 seconds remaining, Brewer drew a 3 point shooting foul from Damien Wilkins, who scored a season-high 24 points (10-15), for a chance to give Denver the lead, which he does after sinking all three free throws  With only 2 seconds left, Damien Wilkins tried for a game winning 23 footer, but would get blocked by Anthony Randolph to secure the Nugget's 14th straight win. Philly either really wanted this game, and I don't see why they would, or they are really bad at this tanking thing. The thing, where you lose games on purpose to get a good lottery pick in the draft, in hopes repairing the damages from signing Andrew Bynum.

Bottom of the Barrel: When two of the worst teams in the West face off against one anther, things aren't going to be pretty. Especially, if one of those teams have missing a few of their core players. But good news for the Minnesota Timberwolves. After missing most of the season with a torn left meniscus, Chase Budinger returned in uniform for the first time, coming off the bench for 9 points (3 of 7) and 4 rebounds in 18 minutes of play. Unfortunately, he did not make much of an impact from the outside as expected, as the Wolves would go 1 for 19 from beyond the arc. Nikola Pekovic had a team-high 18 points (6 of 12) and 12 boards in their 9 straight loss on the road. King's Isiah Tomas went for 24 points on 8 of 15 shooting and 6 dimes. Tyreke Evans, who has been quietly impressive in this season, added 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Nate Robinson splits the defense for the gravity-defying slam.

Nate Robinson doesn't always dunk now that he is in his 9th season in the NBA, I know, I am surprised too.  But when he does, they are pretty cool, being that he is 5'8" and all.

Blog Notice: Rest Day.

By: Bill Watterson/GOCOMICS

Hey guys, I know the blog content recently has been lacking, and there haven't been any updates today. I haven't been feeling all that great lately and decided to take this day off. I am sorry to those of you that were looking forward for new posts (And I don't know why you would possibly be, but if you do, I love you the most.) I promise I will be back tomorrow with the regular scheduled "programming," and who knows maybe there might be something different.

No, this is not an excuse to watch March Madness, guys. I don't even start watching until the Elite Eight.

Thanks for reading.

Dwyane Wade's guide to playing to defense.

Solid advice, Dwyane Wade. If only you were able to take account of your own words and actually stop a shot, then maybe it would have been a better tutorial.

Chris Paul and Tyreke Evans got their flop on, in the Clipper vs. Kings game.

Chris Paul might be the best point guard in the NBA, but he is also the league's premier flopper. And he is a damn good one too, knowing that DeMarcus Cousins has quite a rep among the officials, he tried his best to get a call on the big fella. Unfortunately or should I say fortunately, it was not called. Good job, good effort.

Chris Paul wasn't the lone flopper either, as Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings snaps his neck for a foul call on Matt Barnes.

Man, I really hope that concussion you gave yourself was worth for 2 free-throws.

Chris Webber does a complete play-by-play of the ice cream couple.

Chris Webber is the best, if he never gets a big time analyst gig, he has a pretty good future in voice acting.

The Round Up - March 19th, 2013.

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

Gold Rush: The Denver Nuggets dominated the paint in the win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, outscoring the Western Conference Champions 72 to 50. It was an unusual night for the Thunder as the third best 3 point shooting team in the NBA go 4 of 25 (16 percent) from beyond the arc. Kevin Durant led the way with 34 points (10 of 23), 7 rebounds and 5 assists. His partner, Russell Westbrook had 25 points on 10 of 21 shooting and 6 dimes in the loss. For Denver, it was Ty Lawson that comes up big again, going off for 25 points on 8 of 13 shooting. The first half of his season might not have been pretty, but he is blooming at the right time for the Nuggets. On his 37th birthday, Andre Miller did not break a knee, he instead came off the bench for 20 points (6 of 11), 7 boards and 9 assists. Fun fact, Denver, including this win, have now won season series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers. Of course this doesn't mean anything in the playoffs, but you never know. They might just be primed for a deep run if they can get home court before the end of the regular season.

Retina Damage: In this display of how not to play basketball, well, at least fun basketball, the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic began the game with a combined 26 field goal percentage and held each other to 19 and 12 points respectively in the first quarter. From then on things would get worst, mostly for the Magic, as they finish with a point total of 73 points on 32 percent shooting and had only two players in double figures. Indiana out-rebounded Orlando by 21 for the 22 point win. Paul George had a game-high 19 points (7 of 14) and 5 boards.

California Love: The Sacramento Kings outscored the Los Angeles Clippers 38 to 18 in the final quarter to comeback for the win at home. Marcus Thornton came off the bench for 25 points on 7 of 14 shooting. DeMarcus Cousins chipped in for 17 points (6 of 10) and 11 rebounds. With this loss, the Clippers drop from the 3rd in the West to fifth, giving way to the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets in the battle for home court advantage. Blake Griffin had 26 points (11 of 14) and 5 boards.

Fear the Deer: Back court duo of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings have picked up their play since the signing of J.J. Redick and the results don't lie. Ever since they acquired the former Duke product, the Milwaukee Bucks have only lost 5 games of their last 13, while they were 26-27 prior to the signing. Monta Ellis did a little bit of everything last night, going for 21 points (8 of 18), 9 boards, 8 dimes, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Brandon Jennings added 24 points on 20 shots and 7 assists in the win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite hitting 13 threes at 50 percent, the Blazers just could get any contribution from other players not named LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews. Matthews led all scorers with 28 points on 10 of 20 shooting (7 of 11 from three). LaMarcus Aldridge (21 points 15 boards) joins David Lee and LeBron James as one of the three players with five straight 20 point, 10 rebound games this year.

Chris Paul spins, goes behind the back, and throws up the half court alley-oop pass to DeAndre Jordan.

I don't know how to feel about alley-oops anymore, is this actually a highlight play? Thanks for breaking the system, Clippers. Believe it or not alley-oops were once the most sacred and rare play in the game of basketball, at least it was, until the point-gawd came into Los Angeles to join forces with two super-humans. I wonder how Jackie Moon and Coffee Black feel about all of this. It's a good thing right?

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Shane Battier Trickery.

Via: @cjzero

Of course Shane Battier would pull off the oldest trick in the book, on an in bounds play, in the final seconds of the game to run out the clock for Miami's 23rd straight win. This is exactly what you want old people on your team to do. You did sign him for that "veteran experience."

The Round Up - March 18th, 2013.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Making History: The Miami Heat came back from a 17 point deficit, against the Boston Celtics for their first win in the TD Garden since 2007. With this victory, Miami would improve to the second longest winning streak in NBA history with 23, only 10 short of tying the all time record. LeBron Jame destroyed everything in his path, going for 37 points on 16 of 29 shooting, 7 boards and 12 assists. As for the Celtics, it was Jeff Green that stepped in for the absent Kevin Garnett (flu) with a career high 43 points (14 of 21) and 7 rebounds. But he would go scoreless in the final minutes, while the reigning MVP, went for 13 points in the 4th, including the dagger to seal the win.

Upset: It's the Charlotte Bobcat, so when ever they win, it is an upset no matter who they were against. The victim last night, were the Washington Wizards. Gerald Henderson led all Cats with a game-high 27 points on 8 of 16 shooting and 8 assists. John Wall of the Wizards went for 25 points (8 of 17), and 5 assists in the losing effort.

Cold Tip: The Denver Nuggets outscored the Chicago Bulls bench 71 to 17 to extend their winning streak to a franchise record 12th straight. Wilson Chandler was huge off the bench for Denver, going off for 35 points (13 of 21), and 9 boards. For the Bulls, it was little Nate Robinson that carried the offensive load, erupting for 34 points (13 of 22) and 7 assists, including the game-tying three pointer to force overtime. In the extra period, with only 16 seconds to spare, it was Andre Iguodala that delivered the knockout three pointer that would eventually win the game for the Nuggets. Chicago did have 7 seconds to make something happen, but a Joakim Noah tip-in off of a Marco Bellinelli miss, which at first glanced looked to be good, was called off later in the review for offensive interference. Here is the play in question. The problem wasn't really about the tip-in but more so about how the referees handled the situation, as Kosta Koufas pulled off the exact same play earlier but was never called. Noah finished with 14 points (7 of 10), 12 boards, 6 assists and 7 blocks in the controversial losing effort.

STRRREEETCHH.

Tick-Tock: Down 4, with only 13 seconds remaining on the clock, Blazers' rookie, Damian Lillard, who had 27 points (10 of 20), 7 boards and 7 dimes, hits a quick three to cut the lead to one. Destined to play the foul game to decide the winner, Thaddeus Young of the Philadelphia 76ers would turn the ball over to give the visiting Portland team, one last shot to win it all in the last 7 seconds. Unfortunately, LaMarcus Aldridge would come up short on the 16 footer for the win, He had 32 points (13 of 28), and 14 rebounds for his 32nd double double of the season. Jrue Holiday led his team with 27 points on 11 of 21 shooting, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to make it really difficult for the league to decide the winner of the Most Improved Player Award.

Notes: Vince Carter scored his 22,000th point in the victory over the Atlanta Hawks, to become the 28th player in NBA history to achieve such a feat.

Fantasy Shoutouts: Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors exploded for 30 points on 10 of 19 shooting (7 of 9 from three) and 11 rebounds in the 21 point win over the New Orleans Hornets. His teammate, David Lee chipped in for 20 points (7 of 9) and 11 boards, as the Warriors go above 50 percent from the field and beyond it.

In the 37 point slaughter of the Detroit Pistons, Deron Williams led the Brooklyn Nets with 31 points on 10 of 18 shooting (4 of 8 from three) and 5 assists to look like his All-Star self again.

Highlights

New Generation: It is a sad day, when your student gets the better of you in your former home. Not a good look.

Style Points: Marc Gasol doesn't need his eyes to throw a perfect lob pass for Tony Allen.