The Round Up - April 4th, 2013.

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Rolling Thunder: In a game that could potentially decide the number one seed of the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder ties the season series on the San Antonio Spurs in the victory on Thursday night. More importantly, the Thunder takes the tiebreaker in the win, which means unless the Spurs finish with a better record, OKC will take the top spot, even if they are tied by the end of the season. The Spurs trailed early in this one, down 11 at the end of the first quarter. But they are the Spurs and like the Spurs, they would fight back, cutting the lead to 8 by half time. Unfortunately, they would only get as close to 3, coming up empty in the fourth quarter in the eventual 12 point loss to the Thunder. San Antonio did miss a couple of guys, Tony Parker, who did play, left after 25 minutes of limping. The reason is unknown, and it is still uncertain if he is available for the next game. Manu Ginobili was out with a strained hamstring, his target return is in the next 3-4 weeks. In their absence, Tim Duncan pulled all the weight with 24 points (9 of 19), 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Kawhi Leonard stepped up for another 24 points, 14 boards and 6 assists. Russell Westbrook shrugged off all of his previous struggles against the Spurs, going off for 27 points on 9 of 21 shooting, 7 rebounds and 7 dimes. Kevin Durant added 25 on 10 of 20, 9 boards and 6 assists, including a late three point dagger that sucked the life out the Spurs' rally. Derek Fisher, the ancient Spurs killer, was huge off the bench hitting 5 of 7 from three for 17 points. There is pretty much nothing you can do if the 10,000 year old on the rival team gets hot from beyond the arc. Better luck next time, Coach Pop and Co.

Stampede: Without Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose, Marco Bellinelli, Richard Hamilton, and Taj Gibson, Coach Tom Thibodeau rode the Chicago Bulls starters to oblivion (like he always does) in the 16 point comeback victory against the Brooklyn Nets. It should be noted that the Bulls won a game where Vlad Rad registered actual minutes, yes, Chicago is that desperate for bodies. Carlos Boozer led the charge with a team-high 29 points on 12 of 22 shooting, and 18 boards. The Nets on the other hand, had all of their players, but only needed two. Deron Williams had 30 points (9 of 16), and 10 assists. While his center, Brook Lopez, went for 28 (10 of 19) and 5 rebounds in the losing effort. Despite of the nice little line, Brook did not end the game well at all, turning the ball over late in the fourth that led to a what would be an eventual Nate Robinson game-winning floater. He, then followed it up by getting blocked by historical figure, Nazr Mohammed on a layup attempt and topped it off with a miss on the potential game winner for the Nets. Rough.

Gold Rush: The Denver Nuggets defeated the Dallas Mavericks on a game winning Andre Iguodala layup, but nothing matters more than the health of Danilo Gallinari, who reportedly suffered a season ending ACL injury late in the first half of this game on a no contact drive against the Dallas Mavericks defense. The Nuggets are now in serious peril once the playoffs start, with Ty Lawson possibly out for the opening week, the chances of a deep playoff run is more than unlikely. If the NBA needs a reason to cut the regular season shorter, this week should be more than enough to convince them so, no one wants to see players get injured before they battle it out in the post season, especially in games without any significance.

Reggie Evans' face .GIF reacts to Thursday's NBA bloopers.

Instead of the regular Random NBA .GIFs thing that I usually do, I have decided, just for fun, to do a special edition of NBA .GIFs with the following Reggie Evans face reacting to, like the title says, different bloopers (in .GIF form of course) that happened on Thursday night.

Warning: Page might take longer than usual to load, please be patient, it's worth it.

Here it is. Glorious, am I right? (Via: SB Nation)

Enough words. I will let the magical moving pictures do the talking.

First up, we have Kirk Hinrich, who appeared to be trying to get a shot off before the shot clock expires, but in reality was throwing a terrible lob pass to Carlos Boozer. Which is hilarious because that will never happen. Ever. (Via: SB Nation)

Here we have Chris Kaman's legs giving up on him on a spin move. Who knew a growing a beard would cause such a massive change in gravitational pull? Good thing I don't have one, and it is totally not because I can't grow one, I just like to remain upright after a spin move. (Via: SB Nation)

Then, we have Kevin Durant passing the ball right into the face of Kendrick Perkins. I would expect a reaction, if Perkins didn't always looked like a ball had him in him the face, ...multiple times, everday. (Via: @BleacherReport)

And last but not least, Reggie Evans reacting to Reggie Evans. (Via: @cjzero)

I love .GIFs.

The Round Up - April 2nd, 2013.

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Solo Melo: Against the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers-less Miami Heat, the New York Knicks or should I say Carmelo Anthony, came up big, late in the second half to outscore the Heat by 20 in the 12 point win. Melo was literally on fire last night, he was engulfed in flames and everything, going off for a career high tying 50 points on 18 of 26 shooting (7 of 10 from three), and really nothing else (2 rebounds, 2 assists), but he had 0 turnovers, making him the only player in 5 years to score 50 without a single one of those silly mishaps. Also if you look at his shot chart, he did not score a single shot in the paint, which is super weird, or amazing.

Via: @nbastats

His teammates added the rest of the 52 of the total 102 points on the board for the Knicks' 9th straight victory, which is the current longest active streak in the league. Miami, on the other hand had quite a surprise of their own, getting a rare contribution from Mike Miller, who went for 18 points (7 of 12) and 8 rebounds after scoring only 2 in the last two months. It should be noted that all of Mike's points were from the first half, meaning that he remembered who he really was at half time and returned to his frail old self late in the game. Chris Bosh led the rest of the team with 23 points (6 of 13) and 6 boards in the end of Miami's 17 game home winning streak.

What year is it? 2008? This should not be happening.

No Shave Tuesdays: On Shaq's jersey retirement night, Kobe and the gang honored the original Superman with a 20 point win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks. In the place of the injured Steve Nash, Kobe played the facilitator role, (a role which Steve Nash never really got to play in this mess of the Lakers' team) and got a triple double out of it, finishing with 23 points (8 of 18), 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Dwight Howard chipped in for a game-high 24 points (7 of 12), and 12 boards. Earl Clark was huge off the bench, blocking a career high 5 shots to go with his 17 points and 12 rebounds. Trailing by 15 at the half, the Dallas Mavericks never looked like they were completely out of it, in fact they were primed to make a comeback in the fourth, but Dirk and Co. just ran out of gas. Dirk had only 11 points on 13 shots, 5 boards and 6 dimes. While Chris Kaman scored a team-high 14 points (7 of 10) in 20 minutes of play. The Mavericks are now 2 wins away from .500, maybe they won't get to shave, ever.

This also shouldn't be happening, because old. God bless those illegal German knees.

Bucket List: He might not be considered as one of the top 10 point guards in the league, but John Wall is sure making a statement for himself, as he goes off for 27 points on 8 of 17 shooting, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and a career high 3 blocks in the Wizard's 8th straight win at home. Their opponents, the Chicago Bulls did not have the greatest of shooting nights, hitting only 39 percent of the shots from the field and an even worse 22 percent from beyond the arc. And things don't get better from there, in addition to the poor shooting, Taj Gibson re-injured his sprained MCL injury that kept him out of 10 games in his 10 minutes of play and Kirk Hinrich would later get ejected on 2 technical fouls at a critical point in the game. Carlos Boozer led all Bulls with 19 points (9 of 18), 12 rebounds and 5 dimes in the losing effort.

The Round Up - March 28th, 2013.

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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.

The Round Up - March 26th, 2013.

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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?

The Round Up - March 18th, 2013.

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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.

The Round Up - March 12th, 2013.

Via: @jose3030

Cold Welcome: In his return to Orlando for the first time as a member of the Lakers, Dwight Howard got more than just boos, creative signs and custom made "Coward" jerseys. Dwight, fueled by the need to make sure his former city misses him, went off for a game-high 39 points (7 of 13), 25 of 39 from the free throw line, 16 boards and zero turnovers. His 39 free throw attempts in this game not only breaks the record of this NBA season, Shaq's Laker record of 32, but also ties his own record for most in a game. The Lakers have now won 9 of their last 11 games since the All-Star break and most of it can be attributed to a healthier looking Dwight, who is slowly returning to form. His former teammate and best friend, Jameer Nelson had 21 on 19 shots and 7 assists in the 9 point Magic loss.

Smoking Gun: Despite going off for a season high 35 points in the first quarter and outscoring their opponents 54 to 36 in the paint, the Milwaukee Bucks would fall to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs, who have now won 4 straight, is getting closer to shaving their beards, with only 3 wins away from the .500 mark. Dirk Nowitzki went for his third double double of the season, hitting 7 of his 13 shots for 19 points and 11 rebounds. Vince Carter was huge off the bench, exploding for 13 of his total 23 points in the 4th to take the W. Monta Ellis had the most Buck points, going for 32 points on 12 of 24 shooting and 9 dimes.

Bottom Up: The worst three point shooting basketball team in the NBA didn't shoot like the worst last night against the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs, who were without Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker. The Minnesota Timberwolves just as injured, pulled through, holding their opponent down to a season low 10 points in the second quarter to completely shift momentum to their favor, giving them a 15 point lead in the half, which they added to finish with a 24 point win. Ricky Rubio led the way with his first career triple double, going for 21 points (9 of 17), 13 boards and 12 assists. The Spurs got a taste of what it was like to be the Timberwolves on that night, shooting a very Minnesota-y 35 percent from the field and 31 from downtown (still higher than the Wolves' season average of 30).

The most adorable triple double you will ever witness.

Spring Cleaning: The Memphis Grizzlies took care of the Portland Trail Blazers on the road for their 5th straight win. The unsung hero of the Grizzlies, Mike Conley finished with 14 points on 12 shots, 15 assists and 4 steals to continue his 53 game streak with at least one steal or more. In his first game back from injury, Zach Randolph chipped in for a solid 19 points and 10 boards. His front court mate, Marc Gasol put in an additional 20 points (8 of 13) and 5 dimes in the win. The rookie of the Blazers, Damian Lillard had his 7 straight game with 20 points or more, with 30 points and 7 assists on the night. LaMarcus Aldridge tried to help with his 28 points and 10 rebounds, but their shallow bench just couldn't offer anything.

A Few Notes: The Charlotte Bobcats clinched their third win in 2013 in the 26 point victory over the Paul Pierce-less Boston Celtics  With this win, they double their total victories from last season (which was 7) in 2 fewer games. They were led by Gerald Henderson who erupted for a career-high 35 points on 11 of 19 shooting.

The Miami Heat extends their 19 game winning streak in the 17 point win over the Atlanta Hawks. Which ties the 2008-09 Boston Celtics for the most consecutive wins by a defending champion. Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 23 points (9 of 18), dished out 6 assists and stole 5 basketballs. While LeBron James suffers his second shooting slump in 21 games (19 of which were 50 FG% or more), going 3 of 11 from the field for 15 points, 7 boards and 7 dimes.

Fantasy Shoutout: John Wall went off for 27 points on 7 of 15 shooting, 7 rebounds and 14 dimes in the loss to the Kyrie Irving-less Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brook Lopez had 26 points (10 of 15), 5 rebounds and all the bragging right in the family after yamming one on his twin brother in the Brooklyn win over the New Orleans Hornets. Deron Williams had an impressive line of his own, going for 21 on 19 shots and 13 assists.

Eric Gordon of the future Pelicans scored a team-high 24 points (8 of 17) and got a cool dunk in their 4th straight loss on the road.

The Round Up - March 6th, 2013.

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Don't Call it a Comeback: The New Orleans Hornets had 67 points in the first half, shot 57 percent from the field and even had a comfortable 25 point lead at one point against the Los Angeles Lakers, but everything fell apart in the 4th quarter. Up 18 heading into the last period, the Hornets did not expect much of a fight from the Lakers. If only they knew how wrong they were. For next 12 minutes, the men in purple held their opponents to only 9 points, while they go off for 33. 18 of which belonged to none other than Kobe Bryant, who once again willed his team to victory with 42 points (14 of 21), 7 boards and 12 assists. The Hornets could not find a bucket at all, going scoreless for the last 6 minutes (0 of 12 from the field). Dwight Howard (20 points and 15 rebounds) came up with a huge block late that led to a Kobe breakaway dunk, to complete a 20 to nothing run by the Lakers to end the game.

The Lakers weren't the only ones that fought back from a huge deficit last night. The Memphis Grizzlies, down 17 points in the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers came back to take the win without their All-Star, Zach Randolph (left ankle sprain). Marc Gasol led the charge with a game high 23 points (10 of 17) and 12 rebounds. Mike Conley added 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting and handed out 6 dimes. Blazers' rookie, Damian Lillard scored a team-high 20 points (8 of 16) in the losing effort.

Green Machine: Kevin Garnett passed Wes Unseld for 10th all-time on the NBA rebounding list with his 10 boards and 18 points (7 of 10) in the victory over the Indiana Pacers. Indiana started off hot with Roy Hibbert going off for 12 points and 7 rebounds in the first quarter, but dude would go scoreless in the rest of the game, as he watches his team shoot a horrendous 36 percent from the field. Boston, who shot a little better at 41 percent, executed a brilliant play in the final seconds to end the game on a 11-0 run.

Intrastate Battle: The Miami Heat fought off a 20 point comeback from the Orlando Magic to extend their winning streak to 16 games. The Big 3 combined for a total of 67 of Heat's 97 points. Dwyane Wade had 24 points (10 of 16) and 6 rebounds. While LeBron James went for 26 points (7 of 14),  including the game winning drive to crush the souls of the Magic. In his second game against Miami in this season, Nikola Vucevic got his second 20 and 20 game, scoring 25 points on 11 of 16 shooting and grabbing 21 boards to test the size deficit theory.

A Few Notes: The Charlotte Bobcats have dropped 8 straight games with the loss to the Brooklyn Nets last night. The Cats had a 10 point lead in the first half, but would come out of the second, empty handed, as the Nets held them to only 9 points in the third. Outscoring them 56 to 25 in the second half. Deron Williams has looked great since the All-Star break. He finished with 20 points (7 of 12) and 9 rebounds.

Klay Thompson knocked down the go ahead three in the remaining 15 seconds to seal the game against the Sacramento Kings. Things weren't exactly pretty, down at the Oracle Arena, as both teams shot under 40 percent from the field in the 87-83 Golden State win.

Dirk Nowitzki went for a perfect 3 of 3 from the field for 7 points in the 4th quarter to get the W for his Dallas Mavericks against the Houston Rockets in the Texas Showdown. The German sniper shot 9 of 16 for 22 points and snagged 5 rebounds in the process. Shawn Marion chipped in another 22 points. The Rockets had two chances to tie/win the game down the stretch, but James Harden failed to connect on both attempts. The Beard ended up with 28 points on 5 of 17 shooting and 9 assists. Chandler Parson helped him out with 23 points, going 5 of 8 from three.

The Cleveland Cavaliers outscored the Utah Jazz in the final quarter, 36 to 25 to defeat their opponents at home. Kyrie Irving put on an one man show late, going off for 11 of his total 20 points (7 of 20) to drag his team to another rare victory. The Jazz desperately needed this game to cushion off the Lakers from their 8th seed. But without Al Jefferson, and much help, Gordon Hayward's 25 points (8 of 17) and 7 assists was not enough. The Jazz have won only one of their last 5 games since the trade deadline. Is this an omen?

Fantasy Shoutouts: These two Atlanta Hawks have been on roll as of late. Jeff Teague had 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting and 11 dimes in the win over the Philadelphia 76ers, while Al Horford added 21 points (10 of 17), 12 boards and 6 assists.

In the point trading convention between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, Raymond Felton led all scorers with 26 points (10 of 15), 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Amare Stoudemire came off the bench for a season-high 22 points (8 of 12) and 9 boards. Jose Calderon of the Pistons, was in a sharing mood. Dishing out 16 assists to go with his 10 points in the loss to the Melo-less (knee) Knicks.

Blake Griffin went off for his third career triple double against Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. The high flying time traveler had 23 points (9 of 14), 11 rebounds and a career high 11 dimes in the win. Jamal Crawford threw more than just a between the legs pass, he got 25 points on 11 of 16 shooting in just 26 minutes of play. The Clippers also dunked a lot.

Highlights

Yawn: ZZZzzzzz.

The Round Up - February 26th, 2013.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Late to the Throne: To everyone's surprise, the Sacramento Kings took the reigning NBA Champions, Miami Heat, to a thrilling double overtime before heading on the road with the inevitable loss. DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with his 26th double-double of the season, grabbing 15 boards and scoring 24 points (10 of 17), 2 of which, forced the first overtime. Marcus Thornton exploded off the bench for 36 points, on 8 of 12 shooting from beyond the arc, and 3 assists. In the second overtime, LeBron James went full super hero mode, going off for 11 of Heat's 17 points in the extended period to finish with a total of 40 points (14 of 23), 8 rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists. Becoming the first player in NBA history since Kareem in 1983 to shoot at least 64 percent (minimum of 200 shots) from the field in a calender month. Dwyane Wade added 39 points on 19 of 28 shooting, 8 rebounds and 7 dimes.

Chippy: Things got a little out of hand down at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana when the Golden State Warriors came to visit. Stephen Curry went off for 23 of his game-high 38 points in the first half. He shot 14 of 20 from the field and missed only 3 of his 10 attempts from the three. Despite the big game from their point guard, the Warriors would come up short in the end due to a lack of production from other players. Indiana's David West had 28 points (12 of 16) and 7 rebounds. Paul George chipped in for 21 points (9 of 17) and 11 boards.

Brawl: Because of course, David Lee, Roy Hibbert and Stephen Curry are the toughest dudes in the league.

Broken Horns: The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped their 11 game losing streak to the Chicago Bulls in the 101-98 win. The Cavs, without Kyrie Trving, depended on Dion Waiters's 25 points (10 of 16) and Shaun Livingston's 15 points (6 of 11). Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng of the Bulls combined for over half of Chicago's points with 53 total, unfortunately no one else but Kirk Hinrich on the team scored in double figures to be of any help.

Slow Motion: Despite not having a single fast break point last night against the New Orleans Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets still left New Orleans Arena with the W. Deron Williams got a game-high 33 points (10 of 21) and 8 assists, while Brook Lopez goes for 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The Hornets didn't do that well in the fast break points column either, scoring only 9 points in transition. Greivis Vazquez had 20 points on 20 shots, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in his team's third loss in four games.

German Monster: Dirk Nowitzski has returned to form as of late, he had 21 points (8 of 16), and 20 rebounds in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks, who shot a horrendous 6 of 21 in the first quarter, turned it up in the remaining periods to finish with a game-low 42 percent from the field. Monta Ellis led the charge with 22 points on an inefficient (as usual) 8 of 17 shooting, 9 assists and 6 steals.

Pain and Sorrow: Please take a moment now and honor the efforts of these teams. I will be thinking about you guys when I break down into tears, watching the last episode of Boy Meets World. The Bobcats put up a valiant effort in the 22 point loss to the LA Clippers. Gerald Henderson and Blake Griffin both led their respective teams with 24 points each. Don't forget about the Sixers, as they fall to the Orlando Magic by 14 points. And the Timberwolves, who were once promising, but has taken a step back with an injury riddled roster in their loss to the Phoenix Suns, the worst team in the west.

Fancy: Ricky Rubio is not he only one that can spice up their passes.

Highlights

Hang Time: Still unfair.

Lob City: The Clippers has removed all the just about every magical aspect about the alley-oop. This was not what the Flint Tropics envisioned when they created the play.

The Round Up - February 13th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

If you wanted to catch replays of the basketball games last night, save yourself the trouble and forget Wednesday even happened. Because basketball did not happen, only a lot of ugly was shown on League Pass.

Retina Damage: The ugliest game of the night goes to the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. The men in green won 71 to 66, making the total score of this game, the lowest of yesterday's schedule. Neither team cracked 40 points by half time and no one was in double figures until the 4th. Chicago and Boston score 13 points and 8 points respectively in the third quarter and every player finished with less than 15 points.

This wasn't the only game. In the 36 point loss to the New Orleans Hornets, the Portland Trail Blazers shot 32 percent from the field and only managed to put up 26 points in the first half. The Blazers would fail to even crack 20 points in any of the quarters. Their 44 points at the end of third, broke the NBA record for the fewest points in the shot clock era.

Flipping the Script: In amidst of the low-scoring games, the Clippers came to the rescue with 46 points in first quarter. LA would finished with 69 points at the break, which is more than Portland's final score and ties the Bulls total. Blake Griffin scored 20 points on 6 of 10 shooting to go with his 11 boards and 5 dimes. The Rockets, without James Harden were no match for the deeper Clippers team, as they finish their road trip with another loss.

Double Trouble: Josh Smith and Al Hordford is one of the most formidable back court combinations of the NBA when they are efficient. J-Smoove got a game-high 30 points (13 of 20), 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Al Horford dropped 26 points (11 of 16), took down 12 rebounds and dished out 5 dimes.

Rookie Watch: Anthony Davis went off 21 points on 10 of 17 shooting and 11 rebounds as he triumphs over his ROY award rival. The brow finally snapped his slump, where he combined for 19 points in the last 4 games.

Two First Names: In the win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Paul George got his first career triple double with 23 points (8 of 17), 12 rebounds and 12 assists. I am sensing a pattern here. If your career is still missing a triple double in your records, just get yourself prepared for the Bobcats. James Harden already got one from them. It is a limited offer, so don't hesitate, act now.

Elite: Still without out Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili, the San Antonio Spurs were still able to sneak one out in Cleveland. Tony Parker took the usual role of the floor general to get 24 points (8 of 14), 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Cleveland's rookie, Dion Waiters led the Cavs with a team-high 20 points (8 of 15), 6 boards and scored what could have been the go ahead basket (on a steal), if he didn't suffer a defensive lapse in the last seconds and left Kawhi Leonard wide open for the game winning corner three.

Raining Day: The Brooklyn Nets lit up the Barclays Center last night, hitting 16 of their 27 three point attempts. Brook Lopez had 23 points and 8 rebounds. Joe Johnson put in 26 points (10 of 19) and 9 assists, While C.J. Watson, in the place of Deron Williams added 25 points, 5 of 7 from the three and 6 assists. Only Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets scored more than 15 points, the tiny man got 26 points (8 of 11), 5 for 5 from three and 9 assists in the loss.

Vinsane: It is kind of hard to believe this actually happened. Vince Carter, in his 19th season in the league, has finally passed Larry Bird on the NBA all time scoring list. The bald headed man finished with 26 points on 9 of 15 shooting, and 5 rebounds in the victory over the Sacramento Kings. DeMarcus Cousins led his team with 23 points (8 of 12), and 13 boards.

Highlights

Miles High: I refuse to believe that Matt Bonner got dunked, it is impossible.

Reverse: Tyson opted to throw it down backwards.

The Round Up - February 11th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Not a great basketball night, if it weren't for Clippers' highlights, I probably wouldn't do this.

This is what Blake Griffin does to you. Via: @TheKnicksWall

Lob City: The Philadelphia 76ers are brutal to watch. Aside from Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, no one has stepped up for this team. The Los Angeles Clippers dominated their opponent at the Wells Fargo Center. Chris Paul had 21 points (9 of 11), 11 assists and 5 steals. Blake Griffin dropped 20 easy ones and grabbed 9 boards. No one on the Sixers scored more than 10 point last night, except for Nick Young, who exploded for 29 points on 10 of 18 shooting and 5 assists.

Aerial Show: You can call this unfair, or you can call it terrible defense.

Claws: The Charlotte Bobcats snapped their 7 game losing in the win over the Boston Celtics to end their 7 game winning streak. So much for Boston being better without Rajon Rondo. Byron Mullens led the Cats with 26 points on 10 of 16 shooting, 4 of 5 from the three, and grabbed 18 boards. Ramon "Clutch" Sessions came off the the bench to add 19 points (6 of 11) and the dagger to ice the game.

Flight and Feathers: Despite Dirk going off for 24 points on 8 of 14 shots, the Atlanta Hawks were able to hold off the Mavericks for the victory. Josh Smith scored a game-high 26 points (10 of 15), went 4 of 5 from the three, which apparently was possible. He also took down 13 rebounds and dished out 6 assists. Al Horford gave an additional 21 points and 10 boards. Jeff Teague sneaked in 20 points and 9 assists.

Steps: What is this thing they call "travelling?" I have never seen such a call blown by the official. Basketball players are not allowed to take more than 2 steps? What a bunch of baloney.

Rookie Watch: If there was an award for a late-blooming rookie of the year, the award would go to Bradley Beal. The Wizards shooting guard got 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting, and 4 rebounds in his team's fourth straight win. Nene chipped in for 21 points (10 of 13) and 13 rebounds. The Milwaukee Bucks were awful, they shot 38 percent from the field. Monta Ellis shot 9 of 21 for 24 points, to go with his 7 rebounds, 8 dimes and 6 steals.

Lopez Bros: For the first time in this season, the Lopez twins both went off for 20+ points on the same night. Brook had 25 points (8 of 19), and 8 rebounds in the loss to the Indiana Pacers. Robin finished with a more efficient 23 points (9 of 13), and 10 rebounds in the New Orleans Hornets' victory over the Detroit Pistons. You can't beat Sideshow Robin.

Depth: Even with the Chicago Bulls out rebounding the Spurs 49 to 26 (17-2 on offensive boards), San Antonio would somehow take out the Bulls without their Big 3 of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. Chicago turned the ball over 19 times to Spurs' 8. Not a thing you would want to see, if you are the Bulls playing against the second unit of the Spurs. Kawhi Leonard had a career high 26 points (11 of 18), and 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nate Robinson led his team on a game-high 20 points (8 of 15) and 7 assists.

Nutmeg'd: Being little has its advantages.

The Round Up - January 31st, 2013.

Stats Rundown + Short Recap

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: This game was over as soon as it started, the Grizzlies had only dressed 9 players, as their new acquired pieces have not arrived in time for the game. Shorthanded, and discombobulated after losing Rudy Gay, Memphis allowed the Thunder to score 32 points in the first quarter. The contest however, would get close in the third. After an intrasquad fight between Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha, Scott Brooks benched his superstar point guard to calm him down. In the absence of Westbrook, Memphis cut a 25 point lead into 10, but that would be as close as they would get. Jerryd Bayless, in the place of Rudy Gay, led the team with 23 points (9 of 17) and 6 assists. Marc Gasol added 16 points and 7 rebounds. For OKC, Kevin Durant had a game-high 27 points on 10 of 16 shooting, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. While Russell got 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

Play Action: Nick Collison has more than one trick in his sleeve.

Palms: It must be nice to have big hands.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors: Dallas never led once in this game, but they did keep it close through out the entire game. Klay Thompson exploded for 27 points (11 of 18), hitting everything in sight early. David Lee was going to get a triple double, but he would fall short of an assists in his 15 points, 20 rebounds and 9 assists effort. So instead he has to settle for his 30th double double of the season, closing in on Zach Randolph for first place. In the 4th quarter, Golden State went scoreless for 4 minutes plus, allowing the Mavs to go on a 13-0 to tie the game up with 3 minutes left. Unfortunately, their charge ended there and the Warriors would hold on for the win. O.J Mayo scored a team-high 25 points on 8 of 13 shooting to go with his 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Shawn Marion chipped in for 18 points and 17 rebounds.

Museum Figurines: Someone must have dug up the fossils of Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson from 300 B.C., revived them and put them in a basketball game. Apparently, they can still dunk.

As expected, having not played basketball for about 2000 years, Vince Carter was a little bit rusty.

Richard Jefferson looked pretty good though.

The Round Up - January 29th, 2013.

Stats Rundown + Short Recaps

Lights Out: In the absence of Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on 69 percent three point shooting, they were 11 of 16 from beyond the arc. Klay Thompson led the way with a career high 32 points (6 of 8 from three) and 7 rebounds. Jarrett Jack added 26 points and 12 assists. Unfortunately for Cleveland, their savior, Kyrie Irving played with a cold and was unable to drag his team to victory.

Buck Wild: Brandon Jennings must have caught the All Star snub disease, because he could not miss tonight. After scoring only 4 points in the first quarter, Jennings went on a 16-0 run by himself in the second, knocking down a three in four straight possessions. He finished with a game-high 30 points (11 of 19), 2 rebounds and 6 assists. In spite of the 27 point loss, the Pistons were able to find a bright light in Andre Drummond. The rookie from UCONN had 18 points and 18 rebounds off the bench, making him the youngest to ever achieve this feat. Maybe Lawrence Frank will finally give him some quality minutes, I mean how can you not, after watching him grab a double double in 11 minutes.

New Formula: So apparently if Kobe passes the basketball, the Lakers will win whether they play defense or not. According to a small sample size of 3 games, which the Lakers have won, when Kobe has 10+ assists, the team is undefeated. Okay, enough of the sarcasm. This is Kobe's first time since 2009 to have 3 straight 10+ assists games. He has combined for 39 assists over this period, which is the most he has had in a 3 game stretch. Just so you know, we now live in a world where Steve Nash grabs more rebounds than Dwight Howard, Dwight Howard scores more points than Kobe and Kobe hands out more dimes than Nash. It's confusing, I know. Eric Gordon had a great game, he got 25 points on 7 of 12 shooting, and 6 of 8 from the three in the Hornets' (Pelicans) 30th loss of the season.

Don't Call it a Comeback: Down 21 points in the third quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers managed to put together a late run to comeback for the victory against the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzski had his best game of the season last night with 26 points (11 of 21), 4 rebounds and 4 assists. However, he would get shown up by the double headed dragon of Portland. LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points (12 of 20), 13 rebounds and two of the most important shots in the game, while J.J Hickson went for 26 points and 15 rebounds. The last 30 seconds of this game is absolutely bonkers. Words can not describe how crazy it was, so it is better if you just watch it below.

The Round Up - January 20th, 2013.

Stats Rundown + Short Recaps

If you were busy watching football yesterday, I would like to let you know that there was actually basketball played on Sunday too.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors: Let's keep this simple, Dwight Howard got ejected from this game early with 2 technical fouls and the Toronto Raptors took advantage. Not a lot going for the Lakers in these past couple of days, besides for Pau Gasol going for 25 points (10 of 15), 5 rebounds and 2 assists in the absence of the other center. Too bad it doesn't change the fact that their defense was just as horrid. They allowed the Raptors to do what ever they wanted and even made Jose Calderon look like the best point guard in the NBA. Jose had a team high 22 points on 9 of 15 shooting and 9 assists in the victory.

If you enjoy watching terrible defense and the Lakers getting burned in every other possession, you might can a kick out of this rare Jose Calderon highlight package.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Orlando Magic: I didn't catch a lot of this game, but from what I did see, both teams were just trading baskets with each other until one of them started missing. Shawn Marion led the Mavericks with a double double, 20 points (10 of 16), 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. On the other side Glen Davis had 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in the loss.

Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons: It was not a good day to be a New England resident yesterday. Following the Patriot's loss, their Boston Celtics get blown out by the Detroit Pistons. To sum this up quickly, the Celtics shot 16 percent in the first quarter and 40 percent for the rest of the game. Rajon Rondo nearly got the a quadruple double with 8 points, 15 assists, 9 rebounds and 9 turnovers. For the Pistons, rookie Andre Drummond dropped 16 points, and grabbed 7 boards in 20 minutes of play. If Lawrence Frank continues to limit his minutes, he should be shot into a volcano. In other news, Boston is back to .500 (20-20).

If Tom Brady gets injured, Bill Belichick has a backup QB prospect in Rajon Rondo.

 

Here's Andre Drummond destroying the defense. He went 5 of 6 from the field, scoring every single one of his points on dunks.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets: This was easily the best game of the night, the Thunder, specifically, Kevin Durant started off slow. For some unknown reason he did not score a single point in the first quarter. But we all know that doesn't last forever. He would finish with 37 points, 20 of which came from free throws, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. While his side kick, Russell Westbrook goes for a career high tying 36 points (10 of 26), 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Despite the Dynamic Duo combining for 73 points, the Denver Nuggets came out with the victory. Corey Brewer came off the bench for 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting, and basically knocking down big shots after big shots to extend the Nuggets lead. Russell Westbrook does hit a three pointer late in this game to force overtime, however the Nuggets would out-execute the Thunder down the stretch, limiting their mistakes to take the W.

The Round Up - January 18th, 2013.

Matt Strasen/AP Photo

Stats Rundown

Kevin Durant is simply unstoppable. The Thunder swing-man scored a career high 52 points (13 of 31), grabbed 9 boards and stole two basketballs. His partner, Russell Westbrook had 31 points (12 of 26), 6 rebounds and 6 dimes against the Dallas Mavericks. This game was supposed to be over by halftime, but the resilient Mavericks came back in the 4th quarter, powered Dirk Nowitzki's 12 points, to outscore the Thunder 33 to 24 in that period to force over time. Down three, with 6 seconds left on the clock, Rick Carlisle drew up a beautiful play for a OJ Mayo basket that led to free basketball. But KD would prove to be too much for Dallas to handle, as he seals the game with a dagger that coincidentally resembled a shot he made in the last postseason.

Vinsanity: This is insane, because Vince Carter, who is approximately 3,000 years old dropped 29 points (10 of 17) on the Thunder and even got a vintage routine dunk on the big man of the opposing team. What a trip down memory lane.

This is exactly why you don't play Kendrick Perkins late in the game.

Rookie Watch: The Washington Wizards are good now guys, seriously. Ever since John Wall returned to the team, they have won the last 3 of their 4 games. The best part is that he makes Bradley Beal even better. The rookie shooting guard had 23 points (8 of 13), 3 rebounds and 4 assists in the victory over the Denver Nuggets at home.

Honorable Mention: To Ty Lawson's 6 assists, 2 steals and 29 points (11 of 16), 23 of which came in the third quarter, where the little man from UNC exploded for 23 points, knocking down all nine of his field goal attempts. Too bad John Wall rejected your game winning field goal attempt.

Time Machine User: Did you know that Tim Duncan has never lost a home game against the Golden State Warriors? The Spurs are 28-0 and Tim Duncan added another win to the total last night with his 24 points (9 of 16), 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks to keep the streak alive.

Fast Pace(r): Paul George of the Indiana Pacers scored 18 of his total 31 points (11 of 19) in the first quarter, to match the exact same amount Houston had in the same period of time. The man with two first names also got 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals and legitimate considerations for a spot in the All Star reserves.

Oh Canada: You can always count on the Toronto Raptors to crumble in the second half. Up 17 points at halftime, the Raptors came out into the third scoring 13 points while allowing the Philadelphia 76ers to an easy 29 points. Jrue Holiday added another strong performance to his All Star campaign, going for a career high tying 33 points on 13 of 23 shots, 5 rebounds, 14 assists and 3 steals in the overtime victory. He scored the team's final 14 points, including 12 in overtime. Where would the Sixers be without him?

FROLO: Your Andrew Bynum hair update. It is okay to be frightened. (Via: @Ez_mo_bee)

Two Horns: With the win against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden, this marks the fifth time in the last 8 games, where both Carlos Boozer (19 and 20) and Joakim Noah (14 and 13) recorded a double double. This game was close from the start to the finish. Despite Rajon Rondo's 30 points on 12 of 21 shots and 7 assists, the Bulls pulled it out in overtime thanks to some late game heroics. In the final seconds of the game, Kirk Hinrich knocked down a jumper to force overtime. Even though Marco Bellinelli almost lost the game for the Bulls with a terrible possession, he redeemed himself by hitting the a tough turn around fade-away for the win. The Bulls are still undefeated on Fridays.

Rondo is shocked. (Via: @CorkGaines)

Highlights

Trick Tricks: Marc Gasol fooled the Kings into believing the basketball disappeared.

Grave Digging: Brook Lopez is just asking for death with transition defense like that. I am glad Josh Smith granted his request.

The Round Up - January 16th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Via: @ESPN

Still questioning LeBron James's superiority compared to the rest of the league? Does his 25 points (11 of 20), 7 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory over the Golden State Warriors change your mind? How about after reading this list of things he accomplished in this game. LeBron becomes the youngest to score 20,000 points in NBA history, at 725 games, he is the 8th fastest to do it. He also becomes the 55th player and the 6th non-guard to dish out 5,000 assists. Add those two up, he is the 12th player to have 20,000 points, 5,000 assists and 5,000 rebounds. That's pretty cool.

This is one of those 20,000 points that I may have spoken of.

You can now return your jaw back into its original position, keeping your mouth open too long can be quite dangerous.

MJ vs. LBJ Career Comparison Chart. (Via: @ESPN_Numbers)

Okay, enough LeBron love, I will never forget you for blocking Derrick Rose in the Eastern Conference Finals and crushing what was the remaining of my soul.

Honorable Mention: To Kyrie Irving, who once again dragged to his team to victory. He had 31 points on 13 of 24 shots, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals against the Portland Trail Blazers. I don't even know how Cleveland pulled it out without making a field goal for 8 minutes at some point of the game. Can you imagine LeBron James teaming up with Kyrie Irving. It is a possibility, but I am scared it might stunt Kyrie's growth.

Career Highs: Alan Anderson of the Toronto Raptors tied his career high of 27 points, shooting 10 of 18 from the field after getting his teeth knocked out of his mouth against Brooklyn yesterday. Jeff Teague went for a career high 28 points (12 of 18), 4 rebounds and 11 assists for the Atlanta Hawks. The ATL victory snaps the Nets' 7 game winning streak.

Early Start: Carlos Boozer and Russell Westbrook both scored 25 points in the first half in their respective games. The difference? Russell got to pack it in early in the blowout win over the Denver Nuggets. He had 32 points on a rare efficient 12 of 20 shooting, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in 28 minutes of play. Boozer had to go to overtime against the Raptors. He finished with a season high 36 points (16 of 24), 12 rebounds and 3 assists. Despite getting outscored by the Toronto Bench, 66 to 18, the Chicago Bulls came out on top, thanks to a game sealing dagger from Luol Deng.

Rookie Watch: If John Wall is hurting Bradley Beal's play, it surely didn't show last night. The rookie shot 6 of 7 from downtown for a career high 26 points to go with his 3 rebounds and 6 assists in the Sleep Train Arena.

Triplets: It was a great effort by the Wizards, but you can't stop the Kings when three of their players drop 21 points on you. John Salmons had some fun, DeMarcus Cousins got 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and Marcus Thornton added 8 boards and 8 dimes. You can blame John Wall for ending Washinton's 3 game winning streak, as he missed 2 crucial free throws with less than 30 seconds left in the game. The mid-range struggle continues.

Time Machine User: Tim Duncan is still alive and schooling dudes. The Big Fundamental had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks in the victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, who could not stop the Spurs from making baskets. They allowed the Spurs to shoot 58 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three. To make things worst, they couldn't score themselves. Not a single field goal from the 6 minute mark of the 3rd quarter to midway through the 4th. That is 11 minutes without a field goal. Note: Zach Randolph left early in this game due to a strained lower back.

Highlights

#KDisNotNice: No, seriously. After the dunk, he got a technical for giving a few words to Keneth Faried.

R.I.P.: Geez J.J. Hickson, you don't have to do Alonzo like that.

The Round Up - January 10th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Instead of the usual lists of stats, I have decided to summarize the three games on last night into digestible bits.

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers: Paul George has continued his impressive play as of late, his 24 points on 10 of 24 shooting might not be the most efficient but he got 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals to take down the Melo-less Knicks. Carmelo was suspended for confronting Kevin Garnett after Monday's loss, he was reportedly at grocery stores burning down boxes of Cheerios. The Pacers held the Knicks to a season low in points in the 81-67 win. Nobody scored for New York except for the dude below. Too bad, he went for 25 on 29 shots.

Via: @cjzero

Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings: Things are not going well for the Sacramento Kings lately. If you haven't heard, their incapable owners, the Maloofs are trying to sell the team to Seattle buyers for approximately 500 million dollars. Nothing is finalized yet, but the deal seems to be done. It sucks for a city with such a dedicated fan base to lose their team for the benefit of another, who also went through a similar situation. Back to the game, in a situation with high stakes, DeMarcus Cousins stepped up for the challenge. The Kentucky product led his team with 29 points (9 of 14), 9 rebounds and 4 assists, in the unfortunate loss. The game did go into overtime, thanks to a huge three from Isiah Thomas.

The bad news was that Cousins was ejected from the game for an inadvertent elbow to Vince Carter. It was definitely undeserving, especially with the game on the line. There is definitely unfair bias towards the big man and I am not so sure what he did to earn it in the first place.

Time Machine User: Despite the elbow to his face, Vince Carter played like he was back in 2001. He came off the bench for 23 points and 5 rebounds to help the Mavs avoid a 11 straight loss in overtime, which would be the highest in NBA history.

Miami Heat vs. Portland Trail Blazer: The Blazers came back in the 4th quarter to beat the Heat 92-90 at the Rose Garden. Miami led through out most of this game, until a psycho Nicholas Batum went on a run of his own. He stole the basketball twice, both ending in points in critical situations to fuel the comeback. The French man went for a game high 28 points on 8 of 15 shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Down 3 with a minute left in the clock, Portland desperately needed someone to be their hero and Wesley Matthews was exactly that. He knocked 2 back to back three pointers to take the lead, and thanks to Mario Chalmers for missing the game winning shot, the Blazers take the win.

This is what Dwyane Wade does now instead of playing defense. Referees are not liking the new him. (Via: @cjzero)

Shout Out: To Chris Bosh's 29 points (13 of 18), 4 assists and 4 blocks.

Sager Suit: Craig has toned it down a little, but he kept the crazy on the tie. (Via: @jose3030)

Indiana Pride: Here's a taste of that great Reggie Miller color commentary. Everything he says makes sense.

Highlights

Freight Train: For you safety, please don't chase after LeBron James in transition. Trust me, the bad outweighs the good.

Unorthodox: J.R. Smith can jump off which ever leg he wants to and dunk the ball with which ever arm he desires because he can.

The Dallas Mavericks created Super Marion Bros.

If only the road to become a NBA Champion was World 1-1 easy.

The Round Up - January 2nd, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Twelve Games. Insane lines. Crazy Performances. All trumped by LeBron James, because he is LeBron. 32 points (11 of 20 shooting), 12 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in the victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Shout Outs: To Carlos Boozer's 31 points and 11 assists. Jameer Nelson's 32 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the Orlando Magic loss to the Chicago Bulls. Joe Johnson's 33 points and 5 rebounds. Paul George's 29 points and 14 rebounds against the lowly Washington Wizards. Stephen Curry's 31 points (25 points in the first half), 8 assists, and 6 rebounds that gave the Los Angeles Clippers their second straight loss. And last, but not least to Jrue Holiday's second career triple double, 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the losing effort to the Phoenix Suns. Whew.

Rookie Watch: Terrence Ross killed his hometown team (Portland Trail Blazers) with his 26 points on 14 shots, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Apparently everyone plays better without Andrea Bargnani.

Time Machine User: Tim Duncan is probably a alien robot, because at age 36, he is still managed to put up 28 points (11 of 20), 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks in the destruction of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Hair-Don'ts: Shawn Marion thought it would be cool to have mustache on the back of his head. Oh, wait, he is just old and losing his hair. Honest mistake. (Via: @TasMelas)

KD is not-so-nice: Kevin Durant was about due for his first ejection from a basketball game.

This loss snaps the Oklahoma City Thunder's 12 game home winning streak in a weird upset.

Beard Streaks: James Harden is on a 25+ points 11 game winning streak after last night's 31 points (11 of 23), and 7 assists.

Extra Sauce: Blake Griffin over sold his act and ended up hurting himself just to get a flagrant foul on Festus Ezeli.

“He’s a great actor,” (Mark) Jackson said of Griffin, according to the San Jose Mercury News. “I’ve seen those Kia commercials.”

Celebration Time: I told you Kent Bazemore is the one to watch, he is about to steal Robert Sacre's crown. Robert is great, but he doesn't cheer on both ends of the floor. (Via: Bleacher Report)

Caution: LeBron James's passes can cut your face. Poor cameraman. Don't just think about the players' safety. (Via: @bubbaprog)

Highlights

Pass it Anywhere: Dwyane Wade is greater reader of distance. It also helps that LeBron James can jump really high.

No Look: Greg "Big Hands" Smith was the recipient of a nifty pass from Jeremy Lin.