NBA Playoffs Day 3 Round Up - April 23rd, 2013.

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Los Angeles Clippers 93 - Memphis Grizzles 91

They left 14 seconds on clock. The game was tied at 91 a piece. Memphis just executed the perfect pick and roll for the Marc Gasol bucket. One mistake. They left way too much time on the clock. As the buzzer sounds and players take the court for the final possession, there was a familiar feeling in the air. Chris Paul weaves past the defense to shed his initial defender. No use. He stuck to him like bee protecting his hive. One hesitation. Two hesitation. Nothing. Tony Allen had him where he wanted. Except he did not account for his immobilized help. Left with the smallest amount of space imaginable, Chris took the final drive. The ball hits glass and gently falls into the basket. The backboard lights up. The crowd explode in to cheers. The game was over. The point god stood on the side without a single sweat on his face. The Los Angeles Clippers have won. The heads of the Grizzlies lowers in disappointment. They will head home down 2 games, with the opportunity to return favor.

Game notes: Blake Griffin set the tone early, scoring 13 of his total 21 points (9-18) in the first quarter. Using pure athleticism to run circles around Zach Randolph. Blake also finished with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

Even though it felt like the Clippers had control for the most part of this game, Memphis was always in winning distance. They were down 12 with 9 minutes in the 4th quarter, and still fought back to make things interesting down the stretch.

Chris Paul was the only Clipper to score in the last 7 minutes, scoring 8 of the team's final 10.

Mike Conley Jr. was absolutely brilliant in this game. He had a playoff career high 28 points on 9 of 18 shooting, and 9 assists. He's great for the Memphis team, but I can't help to imagine how much better he could be, on a team that is capable of running. He is devastating in transition.

The Memphis defense in the final play was all sorts of wrong. Tony Allen should have forced Chris to the left. And there is no reason to not help off of Matt Barnes in the case that Tony does need help. Also Lionel Hollins benched Z-Bo in the final 5 minutes after getting his fifth foul. Darell Arthur was great for those 2 minutes, but it wasn't particularly a wise move.

Chicago Bulls 90 - Brooklyn Nets 82

After an embarrassing blow out loss on Saturday night, the Chicago Bulls regrouped in typical Tom Thibodeau Chicago Bulls fashion in the second game to even up the series. The game itself wasn't pretty but the stifling Chicago defense that held the Brooklyn Nets to 35 percent shooting, was something to behold. The Brooklyn backcourt comprised of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson were completely rendered useless, combining for 25 points on 27 shots, which is kind of amazing when consider the fact that Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson were responsible for the two for the majority of the game. Brook Lopez did the most of the damage for the Nets, going for 21 points (7 of 14) and 5 rebounds. It should also be noted that Nazr Mohammed from Cretaceous Period, played actual minutes and was productive in all 18 with 8 points on 4 of 5 shooting, so there's that. The return of Joakim Noah was huge in this one, registering a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards. I am very aware that he was present in the first game, but the 13 minutes of limping in that loss wasn't exactly his best game. Noah's defensive presence was especially felt in the second half, including the 11 point third quarter allowed to the Nets and a number of incredible hustle plays down the stretch that sealed the win.

Nets' Third Quarter Shot Chart Via: CBS Eye On Basketball

The Round Up - April 9th, 2013.

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Oranges: The Washington Wizards have not won against the New York Knicks in the Madison Square Garden since 2006 and things didn't change last night, when Carmelo Anthony lit them up for 36 points (21 in the 3rd) on 13 of 21 shooting, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to extend their winning streak to 13. The Knicks could not miss a thing, shooting a ridiculous 56 percent from beyond the arc for a franchise record tying 20 three pointers to earn their first Atlantic Division title since 1994. John Wall of the Wizards had 33 points on 11 of 19 shooting in the 21 point loss.

Don't Call it a Comeback: Down 20 at the start of the 4th quarter, the Indiana Pacers, fueled by a late ejection of their coach, Frank Vogel, outscored the Cleveland Cavaliers 35 to 10 in the miraculous come back win at home. George Hill led the way with a team high 27 points on 9 of 15 shooting, 4 assists and 4 steals. Jeff Pendergraph didn't do much offensively, but he came off the bench with the biggest defensive play of the night, drawing a charge on a late Kyrie Irving drive in the final 16 seconds to help seal it for the Pacers. Kyrie finished with 29 points (10 of 20) and 7 assists in the beautifully executed tank job.

Cold Blooded: Kobe Bryant willed the Lakers to another seemingly impossible win for the Lakers, going off for 23 of his total 30 points (6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals) in the 4th quarter against the New Orleans Hornets. Pau Gasol was huge in this one, abusing rookie, Anthony Davis for 22 points (9 of 15), and 11 boards down in the block.

A Few Notes: LeBron James and the Dwyane Wade-less, Chris Bosh-less Miami Heat rolled past their potential first round match up of the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks for a franchise record tying 61 wins. Fun fact, the Heat are 6-0 when LeBron plays without the other two superstars, so they are obviously useless. The reigning MVP finished with 28 points (11 of 16), 7 boards and 7 dimes, while Brandon Jennings led his team with 30 points on 10 of 16 shooting and 4 assists, as the only Buck in double figures.

The Golden State Warriors clinched playoff berth for the second time in 19 years in the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Klay Thompson was absolutely unstoppable, exploding for 25 points in the first half on 9 of 11 shooting, before cooling down with a total of 30 points (10 of 19) and 5 steals. Stephen Curry wasn't shy either, hitting 9 of 21 from the field for 24 points and 10 assists. Minnesota kept it close for the most part, but getting outscored by 15 in the second half, when you never had a lead in this game, makes it really hard to comeback.

Before the weirdest ending in the history of NBA basketball happened, Phoenix Suns' Luis Scola had 28 points (12 of 20) and 8 rebounds against his former team. James Harden, on the other hand, had 30 points on 8 of 20 shooting, 6 boards and 6 assists until that weird thing happened, and he somehow ended up with 33 on 9 of 21.

Fantasy Shoutouts: Rebounding machine, Reggie Evans of the Brooklyn Nets, who displays strong resemblance to actual ogres, grabbed 24 rebounds, 3 short of tying the Nets' franchise record of 27, to go with his 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting. His teammate, Brook Lopez added 29 points (13 of 22) and 11 boards in the victory over the 38 percent shooting Philadelphia 76ers.

Chicago Bulls' sophomore, Jimmy Butler had a career night, going off for a career high 28 points on 10 of 12 shooting and 7 rebounds in one of those rare Toronto Raptors' close wins.

Highlights:

Boom: Russell Westbrook is more athletic than you.

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.

The Round Up - April 3rd, 2013.

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There is only 2 weeks left in the regular season and as some of you might know, NBA basketball at this time is not the prettiest and last night was a good example of that. But I am still here and will recap them anyway.

Clipped Wings: After going off for 50 points on Tuesday night, Carmelo Anthony came up with a sub-par 40 points (17 of 27) and 5 rebounds performance against the Atlanta Hawks. J.R. Smith came off the bench for 19 points on 8 of 15 shooting to help push the Knicks to their 10th straight win, making it the longest streak in franchise history in 19 years. For the Hawks, it was Kyle Korver that took on all of the offensive responsibilities, going for 25 points (9 of 14), 6 of 10 from beyond the arc and 6 boards, while the rest of his teammates made little to zero impact in the 13 point loss.

Green All Over: In honor of Paul Pierce's first newborn, Prince Paul Pierce (no, seriously that is his name) who came out of his mother's womb with a chariot and everything on Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics celebrated Pierce's first day of fatherhood with a win over the visiting Detroit Pistons. Jeff Green led all scorers with 34 points on 13 of 19 shooting and 6 rebounds. Paul Pierce showed no signs of fatigue, adding 17 points and 5 rebounds in 33 minutes of play. Despite getting outscored by 30 points in the paint, the Celtics held their own from the perimeter, hitting 51 percent of their shots from the field, where as the Jose Calderon-less Pistons went for 37 percent. Greg Monroe had a team-high 24 points (11 of 22) and 17 rebounds in the losing effort. With this win, the Celtics have clinched playoff berth, but whether they be the 7th or 8th seed depends on the next couple of games.

In the Wild: The Minnesota Timberwolves' 3 point shooting is an actual thing now, they are still the worst in the league from long distance but they were hitting everything against the unfortunate Milwaukee Bucks, who just happened to be on the end of the rare shooting outbreaks from the Wolves. Ricky Rubio was as magnificent as his beautiful Spanish hair, doing a little bit of everything with 19 points (7 of 12), 5 of 6 from three, 12 assists and 8 steals in the victory. Nikola Pekovic ate the Milwaukee front court alive, eating his way to 27 points (11 of 14), and 8 boards. The other Euro player from the Bucks was pretty good too, Ersan Ilyasova scored a game-high 29 points on 12 of 21 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Jet Fueled: In the meeting of old friends, the Houston Rockets took gentle care of the Sacramento Kings, defeating them in every single quarter on the night of the Sacramento-Seattle meeting with Mr. David Stern. In their return to the line up after missing games due to injury and illness, James Harden and Chandler Parsons combined for 50 points (21 for Harden, 29 for Parsons) for the Rockets. The Kings' did not have the greatest time shooting the ball, going 34 for 87, 39 percent from the field in their 3rd straight loss at home.

A Few Notes: Still without Ty Lawson, the Denver Nuggets managed to clean off the Utah Jazz in the 17 point win on the road to make way for the Lakers for the 8th spot in the West. The Nuggets got help from just about everybody, with 7 players in double figures.

On an off night for the Philadelphia 76ers or specifically Jrue Holiday, the Charlotte Bobcats with some late game heroics from Gerald Henderson took advantage in their 18th win of the season. Jrue Holdiay was absolutely horrid, going for only 5 points on 2 of 24 shooting. 2 of 24 shooting, sorry I had to repeat it to make sure you knew what I was talking about. Gerald Henderson was the lone bright light in this game, he scored 4 critical points of his total 24 (10 of 18) late in this game to seal it for Charlotte.

Fantasy Shoutouts: The rookie all the way from Lithuania, Jonas Valaciunas went off for a career high 24 points on 4 of 7 shooting, and 16 of 18 from the charity stripe. He also nabbed 10 rebounds in the win over the Washington Wizards, which puts an end to their playoff contention.

Marson Brooks, in his second year also went off for his career high, going off for 27 points (12 of 16) and 7 dimes in the 18 point victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a perfect 10 for 10 to start, so for Christ's sake, PJ, give the young man more minutes.

The Round Up - March 24th, 2013.

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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.

The Round Up - March 23rd, 2013.

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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 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 11th, 2013.

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Top Dogs: In the battle for the best record in the west, the San Antonio Spurs trumps the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second time this season. After being down 10 in the first quarter, the Spurs would surge back to outscore the Thunder 83 to 61 in the rest of the game. In the absence of Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter stepped up for 21 points (9 of 11) and 10 boards. Danny Green added 16 points and 5 assists, including the corner three to ice the game. OKC made 19 costly turnovers that led to 25 of their opponents points to remove this game from their reach early. Kevin Durant led his team with 26 points (7 of 13), 6 rebounds and 5 dimes, while Russell Westbrook went for one of "those nights," shooting 11 of 27 for 25 points, to go with his 6 boards and 6 assists.

MoTownPhilly: On the night, where Deron Williams scores his 10,000th point, his team would fall to the Philadelphia 76ers due to a lack of bench help. Deron Williams is looking more like his former All-Star self in the month of March, going off  for 27 points on 10 of 19 shooting, 6 boards and 13 assists. His back court mate, Joe Johnson got 20 points (8 of 11) and 6 dimes. Spencer Hawes, the unlikely hero of the Sixers, surprised everyone with 24 points (10 of 15), 10 rebounds, 7 assists and a really thick beard that hides his entire neck. Philly had one of their best shooting nights of the season, hitting over 52 percent of their shots from the field and beyond it.

Playoff Race: With the win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, the Utah Jazz reinserts themselves into the eighth spot, once again booting the Lakers off the playoff picture. In his fourth game back from a thumb injury, Mo Williams scored a game-high 20 points and dished out 6 assists. Bad news for the Pistons, who were already without Andre Drummond (back), they will lose Brandon Knight to a sprained ankle, as the sophomore's season woes continue.

Chilled: The Denver Nuggets dominated the Phoenix Suns inside for their 9th straight victory. The Nuggets led by Kosta Koufos 22 points (10 of 11) and 10 boards, went off for 74 points in the painted area, exactly 42 more than their opponents. Ty Lawson chipped in for 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting and 6 assists. The Suns remain horrible and will have a lot of work to do in the summer, if they want to move on from this embarrassment of a season.

Cookin': The injury depleted and ancient New York Knicks had no answer for the Golden State Warriors last night, as their opponent outscored them in every quarter, while shooting 55 percent from downtown. Melo, who returned for the first time since his knee injury, looked horrible, going for 14 points on 15 shots. Without Amare in the lineup due to another knee surgery, the New York bench came up rather empty. Stephen Curry followed his 54 points against the Knicks in February, with only 26 points (9 of 18), 6 of 10 from three and 6 rebounds. David Lee held down the front court with 21 points, 10 boards and 8 assists to hold the Knicks to their lowest scoring game since 2007.

This picture by @JADubin5 summed up the night perfectly:

The Round Up - March 9th, 2013.

Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

Wild Rush: In Monta Ellis's return to Oakland, it was Brandon Jennings that exploded for 31 points (10 of 16), 6 of 11 from beyond the arc and 10 assists in the win over the Golden State Warriors. Monta Ellis wasn't too bad himself, going for 26 points (10 of 19), 5 boards and 5 dimes against his former teammates. The shooting woes of the Warriors continued on Saturday night, as their leading man, Stephen Curry shot 7 of 18 for 16 points and 10 assists. Carl Landry added a more efficient 7 of 10 shooting for his 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Seed Fights: It wasn't pretty, but the Phoenix Suns held on to defeat the Houston Rockets to help their rivals, the Lakers, to get a step closer to clinch playoff berth. Jared Dudley left the bench to put up 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting and 7 assists. Goran Dragic chipped for another 18 points (6 of 13). Following his 3 of 17 shooting night on Friday, James Harden went 11 of 17 from the field for 38 points, 8 assists and a sightly 8 turnovers. The Rockets will have a chance to get their revenge as they take on the Suns in Houston for a rematch tonight.

I have to post this again!

A Few Notes: The Utah Jazz without Paul Millsap, had Al Jefferson back for his first game since his injury, but nothing went their way against the New York Knicks last night. Utah shot an abysmal 39 percent from the field, with no one in the starting line up in double figures. The Knicks, still without Melo, got their scoring punch from J.R. Smith, who went off for 24 points (10 of 18) and 6 rebounds, while his fellow bench mate, Steve Novak shoot 5 of 10 from three for 20 points in the win.

The Memphis Grizzlies have won their 12 of their last 13 games with this victory over the New Orleans Hornets. Mike Conley led the charge with 22 points on 8 of 15 shooting, and 8 assists. Hornets rookie, Anthony Davis scored a team-high 20 points on 20 shots and snagged 18 points in the losing effort.

Fantasy Shoutouts: In the game no one should ever watch, the Washington Washington destroyed the Charlotte Bobcats 104 to 87. Kemba Walker of Cats had 29 points (11 of 25), 6 assists and 4 steals. Wizards' Trevor Ariza came off the bench for 26 points, 7 of 11 from the field and 10 boards. Yes, this is real.

The Denver Nuggets took out the injury depleted Minnesota Timberwolves last night. Ty Lawson led the way with a game-high 32 points (12 of 17), and a perfect 4 of 4 from downtown to get Denver, their 13th straight win at home.

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 - February 1st, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Twelve games on last night, and only two away teams came out with a victory. The other 10 teams held it down in their own home.

Toronto Pterodactyls: After signing Rudy Gay, the Toronto Raptors have officially changed their nickname to the Pterodactyls. It is really fitting now that they have three athletic dunk contest material players playing in the Air Canada Center. Missing Chris Paul for the sixth straight game, the Clippers struggled on both ends of the floor. The Raptors held their opponents to a franchise low 30 points in the first half and 46 in the third. Rudy Gay came off the bench for 20 points on 8 of 16 shooting, and 3 rebounds. His smaller counter part, DeMar DeRozan got 19 points and 7 assists. In a surprise to us all, Amir Johonson also scored 19 points, and grabbed 16 boards to go with it. This is the most exciting Raptors squad to watch in a while, hopefully they can start winning games.

Terrence Ross has not been invited to the Dunk Contest yet, but the Captain of the East team, Dwyane Wade wants him, so it will likely happen. Too bad he has to go against James White of the New York Knicks. If you don't know who he is, I suggest YouTube and make sure nothing fragile is near you.

New Additions: All three teams in the recent "Rudy Gay" trade won today. Jose Calderon didn't suit for the Pistons, but his new team still won, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers by 18 points. Tayshaun Prince came off the bench for the Grizzlies to register 14 points (7 of 11), and 3 assists in their win against the Washington Wizards.

Gold Rush: With the 15 point win over the New Orleans Hornets, the Denver Nuggets are now on a 6 game winning streak. Andre Iguodala led the team last night with a game-high 24 points on 10 of 14 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Ty Lawson added 21 points and 13 assists.

 

Andre to Andre.

Antidote: The Indiana PAcers defeated the Miami Heat for the second time this season, staying 2-0 agains the reigning Champions that took down out in the second round last year. For the third time in his career, Ray Allen was held scoreless, this was the second time of this month.  Without any help last night, LeBron James carried his team with 28 points (9 of 17), 6 rebounds and 3 assists in the loss. David West single-handedly extended the Pacers' winning streak to 13 straight at home. He dropped 30 points on 12 of 15 shooting, grabbed 7 boards, dished out 5 assists and had zero turnovers.

Homecoming: In the return to his hometown, Tyreke Evans went off for 29 points on 11 of 18 shooting, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Isiah Thomas chipped in for 24 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in the victory. Meanwhile, Thaddeus Young dropped a team high 23 points on 11 of 17 shooting, and 15 rebounds for the Philadelphia 76ers. His All Star teammate, Jrue Holiday had 21 points, 7 assists and a hideous 8 turnovers.

FROLO: The versatility of Bynum's hair is equivalent to Michael Beasley's. If anyone is bringing cornrows back to Philly, I am glad that it is Andre Bynum. (Via: @machinegunbrian)

Hot and Cold: The Los Angeles Lakers tied a franchise high in three pointers made in the first half, hitting 10 of them before half time. Up 29 points in the early third quarter, the Lakers would suddenly miss everything, allowing the Wolves to cut it close. But Minnesota would run out of time, and was left stuck in the hole they dug themselves into. The Lakers have won 20 straight games against the Wolves, the longest streak against any opponent. Might as well never let them win, after taking their name, am I right? Pau Gasol led the way with 22 points (8 of 15), and 12 rebounds. Kobe Bryant flirted with another triple double last night, he had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. This new Kobe is scaring me, not like afraid to play him kind of way, more like what the hell is happening kind of way. Not good.

The Timberwolves are still very fancy with their passes.

Highlights

Russian Connection: This is more of an example of Kobe Bryant's off ball defense. Really great.

Ironman: So nice, he did it twice.

Glen Davis uses the power of words to will his hook shot into the basket.

This is why every single NBA game should be mic'd up. All games should give you an option to choose between the regular broadcast with color commentary and an all-access feature that allows you to hear what goes on in the game. It would be great to hear what some of these guys say to each other in games. We can get in on the trash talking, funny stories and maybe even rookies asking veterans how to do their laundry. Who knows? So please David Stern, let us pay more money to watch our favorite sport.

Glen Davis intimately catches Gerald Wallace to safety.

The NBA needs more of this. Enough of the hard fouls on players in mid-air, they are dangerous and could potentially end careers. Knocking someone down in transition to force them to shoot free throws, gives the victim of the foul, virtually no time to brace their fall. Players should care for each other regardless of the city sewed on their jerseys. Everyone should be more like Glen Davis and catch your opponents to safety. Of course, no one is really as strong as Glen, who managed to catch Gerald Wallace running at full speed without much effort, but the least you can do is to slow the fall.

When a Big Baby saves a Human crash dummy in an intimate moment, Marvin Gaye is always necessary.

The Round Up - January 28th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Australian Warrior: In his first game back from his ankle injury, Andrew Bogut dropped 12 points (6 of 8), and grabbed 8 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. David Lee led the Warriors with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Bad news for the Warriors, Stephen Curry tweaked his ankle again, it doesn't seem to be serious, but a recurring injury does raise concerns. A unlikely hero appeared for the Raptors, Aaron Gray, the Raptors' own Andrew Bogut scored a career high 22 points on 9 of 12 shooting, and took down 10 boards. However his efforts would be wasted, as the Warriors would win. They outscored Toronto 62 to 34 in the paint, which basically never happens.

Close One: With the Indiana Pacers down 2 in the last 40 seconds against the Denver Nuggets, David West scored a huge basket off of his offensive rebound to tie the game up at 101 a piece. Down the floor, Danilo Gallinari, who scored a game high 27 points (9 of 16) would get blocked by Paul George on his ill-advised jump shot, to give the ball back to the Pacers. Unfortunately, Indiana came out of their time out without a play, giving Paul George the hard task of scoring against Andre Iguodala, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. As you would have guessed, things would start to go downhill for the man with two first names, as he gets ball stolen by AI and later fouls him on a lob attempt, that rewarded his opponent with the game winning free throw.

Black Panther: Looks like Deron Williams has finally found his shooting touch. In the 20 point blowout win over the Orlando Magic, the point guard went for 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting, and 9 assists in 34 minutes of playing time. The Nets might have won, but Orlando would get the last laugh.

Andray Blatche will always be funny.

Pizza Guy: Isiah Thomas stays representing for the little guys. He had 22 points (9 of 16), 4 rebounds, 7 assists and the biggest basket of them all.

Blast-Off: The Houston Rockets defeated the Utah Jazz 125 to 80 at Salt Lake City. James Harden had 25 points (8 of 15), 3 rebounds and 3 assists to hand the Jazz the biggest loss at home in franchise history. Before this happened, they have never lost by more than 33 in their turf. Omer Asik singlehandedly out-rebounded the entire Utah starting squad with 19 boards in the win.

The Beard takes flight.

Oso: Marc Gasol is still pretty furious about getting snubbed in the All Star votes, so he decided to vent his anger against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Spaniard went off for 27 points (10 of 15), 7 rebounds, 7 assists and a block on Nick Young in the last few seconds of the game to seal the win. Rudy Gay added 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Jerryd Bayless filled in for Mike Conley with 21 points and 9 assists. Evan Turner of the Sixers had a pretty good game as well, he got 27 points on 12 of 18 shooting and 7 assists in the loss.

Joakim Woah: The Bulls' All Star center has gone for 15+ rebounds in 4 straight games, something no Bull has done since Rodman in 1998. He grabbed 18 last night to go with his 13 points, 7 assists and 5 blocks in the win against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Highlights

Launch Failed: Derrick Favors will not allow the Greg Smith shuttle to reach its desired destination.

Boom: Carlos Boozer, the NBA's most athletic looking, unathletic guy still has a little hop in his step. Watch for his younger, skinnier twin on the bench cheering, it's crazy.

The Round Up - January 21st, 2013.

Via: @cjzero

Stats Rundown

Honorable Mention: To Al Horford's 28 points on 12 of 20 shots, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks in the victory over the injury riddled Minnesota Timberwolves.

Battle of the Boroughs: Carmelo Anthony's hot shooting start in the beginning of the season has begun to cool off, as he shoots 11 of 29 from the field for only 29 points (27 by the end of third). Joe Johnson on the other hand has reversed his poor shooting, although not shown in this game as he goes 8 of 20 for 25 points. The Nets somehow pulled out with the victory with a whopping 19 turnovers to the Knicks' 5. I guess a little Iso-Joe magic can be good for the team.

Cooked: The Los Angeles Clippers entered into the Oracle Arena to quite surprise. Even though Blake Griffin went off for 26 points (11 of 18), 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, the Clippers would lose due to a surprising lack of scoring from the others. Meanwhile on the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry successfully landed 6 of his 8 bombs to score 28 points on 9 of 14 shooting, to add to his 6 dimes. Curry completely took over the game in the 4th quarter going 4 of 4 from the three and tearing up the defense with some ridiculous passes.

Brand New: With the return of John Wall, the Washington Wizards have morphed into a real NBA team. Nene, the man with no last name led the way with a season-high 24 points on 10 of 17 shooting, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. He scored 17 points in just the first 9 minutes of the game. Poor J.J. Hickson was left helpless and should really consider suing the Brazilian for abuse. Things don't always stay goodthough, because Nene would later get his face in one of Damiam Lillard's dunks.

For the Blazers, Nicholas Batum got his first career triple-double, 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. But none of that matters because Jordan "Not Jamal" Crawford would score all of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, including the buzzer beating three pointer at the end to win the game.

One Man Team: The Houston Rockets vs. Charlotte bobcats was basically a James Harden vs. Kemba Walker one on one game where the crowd happened to be really close. Despite shooting a horrid 5 of 20 from the field, James Harden finished with 29 points (thanks to 21 free throw attempts), 7 rebounds and 7 assists. While Kemba Walker had a career high 35 points on 6 of 7 from downtown, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss. The Rockets snapped a 7 game losing streak and the Bobcats added another home loss to make it their 15th straight, which is the longest streak since the 93-94 Mavs, who had 19 straight.

Hair Revolutionaries: Of course we have Andrew Bynum's infamous deflated afro. (Via: @BeyondtheBuzzer)

I got all the angles. (Via: @cjzero)

Nick Young changed his mini fro into a Fro-Hawk. (Via: @cjzero)

Iman Shumpert is keeping his hi-top fade really high. (Via: @knicks148)

Time Machine User: After giving up a 17 point lead to the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Antonio Spurs managed to hold off the comeback with Tim Duncan's 24 points (10 of 17), 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. The game wouldn't have been so close if Coach Pop wasn't so adamant about staying with his bench, no matter how close the game was. The Sixers have not won a back to back game since November.

Raining Day: The New Orleans Hornets stung the Sacramento Kings from behind the arc, shooting 12 of 25 on 48 percent. A large part is due to Ryan Anderson, who had 27 points (7 of 14 from the three), 6 rebounds and 2 assists in the win. As for the Kings, DeMarcus Cousins dropped a game-high 29 points (11 of 17) and grabbed 13 boards.

Matching Suits: Looks like both Craig Sager and Wilt Frazier planned to wear their couch tonight.

(Via: @cjzero) VS. (Via: @FauxCowherd)

Highlights

Fancy: Ricky Rubio is still unable to do a normal pass, which is awesome.

Fancy Part 2: Not to be outdone, Jarrett Jack does a nifty pass of his own.

The Brooklyn Nets tries to speak Russian, while struggling to pinpoint Russia on the map.

Geez, guys. Did you all skip geography class in school? Granted, they are super boring, but you have got to  know where the largest country in the world is. Circling the entire Eurasia is not good enough. If I were them, I would go on that Google thing, and get to know a little about Russia. Just so when the time comes, and Mr. Mikhail Prohrov makes a joke with Russian references, I can laugh at it and avoid getting executed by one of Mikhail Prokhorov's gangster buddies. Say what you want, I just want to keep my fingers on my hand.

The Round Up - January 4th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

It was crazy night in the association, tons of close games and even more game winners. Speaking of which, Kyrie Irving went for 33 points (10 of 21 shooting, 3 of 4 from three), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks and the game winning shot to add another loss into the Charlotte Bobcats' record. 

Honorable Mention: To Chris Paul's 30 points (11 of 25), 6 rebounds, 13 assists and 2 steals in the battle of Los Angeles. Dude was unstoppable, and basically did this to the Lakers' "Defense" all night.

Boards: DeMarcus Cousins shows off his versatility, he had 31 points on 18 shots, 20 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in the extinction of the Toronto Raptors. A change of scenery might turn him into an All Star caliber player.

Block Party: It was Spanish night and Marc Gasol doesn't want anything to go wrong. He swatted away 8 basketballs that came close and finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals to go with a 2 point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Handshake Game Proper: Kevin Durant asks for a high five, you give a high five, not a fist. Silly Westbrook. Good job on your 27 points, and 5 assists. Hitting 4 for 4 from the three was not bad either. (Via: @dailythunder)

Time Machine User: Kobe Bryant doesn't let a stupid thing like age get in his way. If he wants to win, his body will have to respect him and work properly. However his amazing 38 points (15 of 25), 3 assists and 5 steals performance would once again be a wasted effort. At least he did this to Chris Paul.

Sucks that Chris Paul ended up getting the best of him by embarassing the Black Mamba with an array of dribble moves. The Lakers were lucky Kobe scored 16 of their 31 points in the 4th quarter to keep this game close.

Band of Struggle (Faces): They all must be wondering why they were even close to beating the Clippers, because I am just as shocked. (Screenshots via: @cjzero, @netw3rk, @jose3030)

Tyler ELbrough-ed: Kevin Garnett was just really tired. By the way, remember when I said that the Celtics would blow out the Pacers because I wrote about them earlier. It happened. Thanks for nothing. (My piece is still relevant though.)

Rookie Watch: Bradley Beal is the future of the Washington Wizards and rightfully so. He got 24 points (10 of 19), 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals against the Brooklyn Nets.

10 More Minutes: If you were looking for an exciting game that took forever to finish, you can go watch the Brooklyn Nets play the Washington Wizards because it is totally worth your time (Nope). This game went into double overtime thanks late heroics from players of both teams. Nene brought the game to overtime with a sweet hook shot. Bradley Beal took it to a second overtime with a 3 pointer. And Joe Johnson ended it all with a signature Iso-Joe game winner.

Randy Wittman is a man that has lost all hope.

Via: @recordsANDradio

I'll be there: Tom Thibodeau was just trying to help, LeBron had other things in mind.

Peek-a-Bull: I love you too, Derrick Rose.  (Via: @amandakaschube)

Storm Troopers: It was Star Wars night in Detriot, and Al Horford is really excited. (Via: SBNation)

Highlights

Trick-Tricks: Monta Ellis have it all.

Lob Air-geles Clippers: It is pretty unfair to play against a basketball team that can legitimately fly.

Ronny Turiaf wishes you a good weekend with two fist throws/pumps. (Via: @MikePradaSBN)

Don't go too crazy.