Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Russell Westbrook's Gun-slinging Three Point Celebration.

Camo pants fan knows what's up. Via: @cjzero

Game two Westbrook go BOOM.

Russell Westbrook do not appreciate fans trying to steal his towel.

Unlike his teammate, Russell Westbrook is not much a giver. You probably know that already from watching him constantly pull up for contested jump-shots instead of trying to get the ball to wide open teammates. Just kidding, his assists numbers have definitely gone up this year, but these jokes will always be funny.

I kind of feel bad for that Sacramento Kings fan (I am assuming this is the case, as the game was played in Sac-Town). His favorite team might be leaving his home and Russell Westbrook denied him of his sweaty towel. Can't the Kings fans get anything?

Kevin Durant gave one of his shoes away to a fan.

Look at Mr. Nice Guy here. You really can't hate him, except for when he destroys your team and put up 20 points effortlessly.

That kid has some big shoe to fill, haha. I'm sorry.

Kevin Martin gets fouled by a ghost.

Damn it Antoine, not again.

This is Kevin Martin's second warning, which means he has to pay a fine of $5,000 dollars to the league. Good going Antoine, one more time and Kevin Martin would lose 10,000 dollars.

Caron Butler spikes Serge Ibaka's shot into the face of a NBA official.

This is the season of the NBA referees, you guys. I am telling you, in the history of NBA, there has not been so many referee related incidents. Earlier this season we had an official caught secretly working for the Miami Heat, then another one blocking free throw shots, one stalling games on national TV and one that danced Gangnam Style with a mascot. Finally, we have an innocent official getting a surprise from Caron Butler. I hope David Stern calls Derek Richardson (victim) tomorrow and give him a flop warning for that, because flinches resulting from actual hits can't put you on the floor. That is unless Caron Butler possesses an advanced, state of the art, biologically engineered arm that can send a man through the crust of the Earth and deep into the mantle. But that's probably impossible, so the only reasonable explanation is that, there must be something in the water of the LA Clippers facility that makes everyone exaggerate their body movements. In that case, I would like advise against Blake Griffin from drinking that water, he is way too hopped up on that stuff.

Russell Westbrook sings Ke$ha's Die Young.

Jeremy Lamb's head is sooo freakishly small, you guys. He is closer to the camera and his head is still somehow smaller than Westbrook's.

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.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook handshake fail and other funny things in the OKC-LAL game.

This must be what they call a "Deja Vu." If you can still remember things back in 2010, there was a similar, nearly identical situation that occurred during a NBA game. The moment that I am referring to was the infamous Kevin Love and Wesley Matthew's awkward handshake, which you can view down below.

When this was first caught on tape, not only did it instantly become the joke of the NBA, it also spread like a wild fire across the internet, and inspired a series of hilarious commercials. I don't know if Russell Westbrook being Kevin Love's UCLA roomates and teammates had to do with it, maybe the Bruins don't teach students how to properly finish a handshake. Don't worry though, Russ did eventually get his high five. Kevin Durant is the real leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder and sometimes he has to let his team know that he is in charge. Even if it means punishing Russ for those ill-advised PUJITs, by leaving him hanging and embarrassing him on national television.

In other funny things: Kendrick Perkins have caught the Magic Johnson fever, trying another fancy pass in transition that will land him in Shaqtin' a Fool a second time in a row.

In FashionNews: My advice is to get a nice classic suit to avoid looking like these people. Who unfortunately has all the money in the world, but decides to dress like weirdos.

First up from the Motorcycle Gang x Rockstar collection: We have Russell Westbrook wearing a Marilyn Manson original. The purse is a must need accessory. (Via: @cjzero)

Then from the Summer collection, we have Steve Nash wearing a vest made out of Pink Panther fur to match Serge Ibaka's salmon pants. Cute. (Via: @jose3030 and @cjzero)

Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets [12/04/12]

Oklahoma City Thunder 117 - Brooklyn Nets 111

The Good

Thunder: OKC is never short of surprises, the young talent on this team just keeps improving. Serge Ibaka has already developed a nice mid range game and now Thabo Sefolosha is a legitimate threat from three. They do have the benefit of having Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to draw defenses away for a ridiculous open look, but if they can keep this up, forget Harden. Losing him might turned out for the better.

It is evident that these guys love playing (BASKETBALL) with each other, just the synchronization of their defensive rotations shows the trust they have in their teammates. Add that with the length of each player, you can imagine how hard it is to make a pass inside, let alone getting an uncontested look in the paint. As for the offense, the Thunder shot 61 percent from the field in this game, if they were not getting easy looks from the Russ-KD pick and roll, they were getting free throws.

More on the two man game in the bad section of the Nets.

Nets: The short amount of time this team took to get things together is baffling. Although Avery Johnson's coaching is questionable at times, he has done a great job to implement all the new pieces his rich Russian owner got him. I mean, even Andray Blatche looks like a real NBA player, you got to give him credit for that.

Deron Williams is the key component of Brooklyn's offense. If he starts making his shots, everything else will follow. Consistency is an issue for Deron, one night he can show you why he is considered as the top candidate for the best point guard in the league and look completely average in another. But without Mr. Hair Helmet, his team scrambles to find a good shot in half court. His play making is vital, especially when Joe Johnson is not playing at the level that they expected from him.

Offensive rebounding and three point shooting kept them in the game. In the third quarter comeback, Avery went with a small line up that placed Gerald Wallace at the 4 to space out the Thunder defense. An issue arises for Serge Ibaka when he has to defend a 4 that can shoot, his tendency to stay in the paint to help after a pick and roll leaves his man at the top for open shots. As streaky as Gerald Wallace is, he knocked back to back to back threes to help outscore OKC by 11 in that quarter to be give them a real scare.

The Bad

Thunder: Considering how well the pick and roll/pop with Kevin Durant worked against the Nets defense, there were way to many Russell Westbrook isos. Having the second best player in the league watching you take a lower percentage shot is not an ideal possession.

The only other bad thing was KD missing a potential dunk of the year. This would have marked the end of Gerald Wallace's career.

Nets: Brooklyn's defense was not as bad as it sounded, they just didn't make the right adjustments for a team like OKC. Their biggest problem was over hedging. The purpose of hedging is for the defender of the screener (usually a forward) to show enough to deter the ball handler from driving into the basket and give your guy time to recover. Against an explosive guard like Russell Westbrook, it would only make sense to do this every time. But not when the screener is Kevin Durant, if you hedge for a second longer, a short pass from Russ will leave the NBA scoring champ open. It is really a pick your poison situation for the Nets, the best choice is to trust that your help will bail you out if Russ blows by D. Will.

Brook Lopez (Injury) is not good defender by any means, but the missing height in the front court definitely hurt them. And some inside scoring would have helped too.

Kobe Bryant is Ultimate NBA Villain.

You shall obey me, young one.

Kobe Bryant, professional basketball player and occasional saboteur.

…source says the Black Mamba talked relentless smack during the Olympics that the Thunder stars weren’t going back to the Finals after the Lakers acquired Steve Nash and then added Dwight Howard right before the U.S. played Spain for the gold medal. Kobe also made a point of guarding Westbrook during practices and pumping him up, the theory being that he wanted to incite Russ to bump heads with KD over who the team’s best player is. (If you think that’s too conspiratorial to be real, you don’t know Kobe.) KD, in particular, got tired of hearing him. For what it’s worth: KD and Westbrook’s combined 69 points is the highest single-game total they’ve posted this season.

Can someone call Shaq to confirm please?

Source: PBT

Notes: Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/28/12]

Oklahoma City Thunder 120 - Houston Rockets 98

The Good

Thunder: They shot 54% from the field, everything fell into and through the hoop. Serge Ibaka's jump shot has noticeably improved, he went 11 of 13 for 23 points. Good Russell Westbrook showed up, he was somewhat under control (5 turnovers), his dribble penetration and usage of the screens makes the floor so much bigger for his teammates. The pick and roll tore up the porous Houston defense, Russ was given all the options. Depending the direction of the screener takes (in most cases, it is Serge Ibaka, but this works with Nick Collison too), he will read it and make the right decision. On top of that, Kevin Durant did the best Kevin Durant things, 37 points and got himself to the line.

On defense, they were in sync, their rotations can not be any better. The ball handler trap off the screen forced multiple turnovers. Every James Harden move was read to perfection, and prevented. He basically got blocked every time he tried his luck in the paint.

Rockets: Patrick Patterson (27 points) seems like a guy that can consistently help with the scoring load. He takes good shots and is decent in the low block. Omer Asik finally learned how to how to do a lay up, which will be useful in future. A sudden improvement in his offensive repertoire that goes under scouting reports can surprise a few teams.

The Bad

Thunder: I hate to say none, but they played a perfect game.

Rockets: The non-existent defense and bench play. They are mismatched in every position, Russ shattered Jeremy Lin and Kevin Durant torched any one within his parameter. On offense, they could not execute plays, once they get stuck in the OKC ball handler trap, they have already lost half of the shot clock. As a result, most shots came from isolations. They dribbled more than they passed and barely moved without the ball.

James Harden did try to do a lot on his own, and it obviously didn't work. He needs to get his teammates involved, or nothing will happen. Jeremy Lin is not quite ready to be a play maker, and with Russ draped all over him, his sub-par ball handling forced him to pass early. This team is still too young, they need time to develop and an answer to their identity crisis.

Kendrick Perkins will be guarding Rajon Rondo tonight.

Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo were the best of bros, after all they were on the same Boston Celtics team that won the Championship in 08'. Three years later, the ugly goatee wearing big man got traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the bros had to go on their separate ways with their respective team. Although they dearly miss each other, being part of the Celtics somehow allows you to be able to completely cut out all of your emotions, just ask Kevin Garnett.

They are still cool, but Perk still wants to shut Rondo down and maybe prevent him from continuing his 35 games with double digit assist streak.

From John Rohde of the Oklahoman:

Asked if Perkins was going to check Rondo tonight, Brooks smiled and said: “Absolutely. Perk is begging me to do that. That would be fun. I’m sure the fans would love to see Perk getting down in his defensive stance, pressuring the ball. I don’t know how fun that would be for me watching it.”

I am not too sure it is a very good idea for Scott Brooks to put a 6ft 10 guy on a 6ft 1 point guard that is currently playing out of his mind. After all, Perkins couldn't even guard his position against Marc Gasol, who embarrassed the hell out of him.

(Yes, I am very well aware that the Thunder sometimes switches on the pick and roll, leaving the point guard for Perkins to defend, and it is always hilarious watching him taunt. For future assignments, remember that smacking the floor repeatedly and encouraging a guard to shoot a wide open shot is not really defense.)

Via: PBT

The Feed: Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/18/12]

Recap:

The Oklahoma City Thunder electrocuted the Golden State Warriors, 119 to 109 in a memorable night for Kevin Durant. The three time scoring champion registered his first career triple double, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. His fellow All-Star teammate, Russell Westbrook added 30 points, 7 assists and 5 steals.

It was clear from the start, the Warriors had no answers for the duo. The mismatches in all positions, plus the lack of a consistent defensive effort, allowed their opponents to score at will. The offense (24th in the league) was not particularly great either, Klay Thompson (4 points, 2 of 8 shooting in 23 minutes) has not taken the extra step that was expected from his surprising rookie campaign. Stephen Curry led his team with 22 points (9 of 17 shooting. 4of 8 from the three) and 6 assists. He kept his team in the game for the second half, but the missing help from his teammates failed to make a late comeback run.

The Thunder shot lights out from behind the arc, hitting 13 of their 20 attempts (65%). And they have Kevin Martin to thank for it. The unorthodox shooter knocked down 5 three pointers for his total 23 points. Despite shooting 52 percent from the field, the Golden State Warriors just could not get a stop. If they want to take the next step, into a future playoff bracket, coach Mark Jackson has find a way to manage the offensive talents (there's a lot of them) on his team, and make them play defense.

Offensive End:

This is OKC, and their identity is Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. If it is not drawing defenders for a kick out, they will find their own way to get buckets. Russell Westbrook destroyed Stephen Curry today, he posted him up, facialed him multiple times with his patent transition 15 foot pull up and got pass him whenever he wanted.

Shots were just not falling for GSW in the first half, they had a lot of open looks, but they failed to capture it. Stephen Curry and David Lee got going in the second half. After the break, the Warriors ran a lot of off ball screens to free Curry of Russell Westbrook for open shots. David Lee was more comfortable against Thunder's interior defense, he had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Golden State has a lot of trouble with half court sets, especially in the first half. They couldn't score unless it was early in the shot clock against an unsettled defense. It got better in the second though.

The second unit led by Jarrett Jack is more patient, and attacked the basket often. They totaled 58 points in the paint to Thunder's 32, which doesn't happen often for a jump shooting team like the Warriors.

Defensive End:

The Thunder weren't that great defensively today, they did get lazy when they got a huge lead and allowed the Warriors to sneak back in within 10. They basically won by being better at trading baskets.

The Warriors defense needs work, none of the starters can hold their own against the Thunder's 5. this maybe an age issue, hopefully they will improve as the season goes by.

Notes:

• Jeremy Lamb has a ridiculously small head, what a creepy head to body ratio. And he has those T-Mac tired eyes, except his eyes are a lot bigger, we are talking Tarsier big. 
• Let me show you:

I know, I can't tell the difference either.

The Feed: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/14/12]

Recap:

The Memphis Grizzlies took out the Oklahoma City Thunder, 107 to 97 for their sixth consecutive win in the season. I hate to do this early in the season, but I am going tell you right now that the Memphis Grizzlies are a force to be reckoned with. The rest of the league can not let them fly under their radar, because this healthy Grizzlies team will make you work if you want to come out top.

OKC had Memphis on ropes in beginning, going off for 30 points in the first quarter, shooting 53 percent from the field. Fueled by the notoriously loud crowd in the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder held the Grizzles to only 33 percent from the field in that quarter. However, everything changed in the second.

The Grizzlies retaliated in the second quarter, outscoring the Thunder 36 to 15. The Memphis bench sparked a 16-6 run, completely dominating their opponent's second unit on both ends on the floor (The Memphis bench finished with 31 points to OKC's 13). Oklahoma City did not do themselves any favors, coughing up 8 turnovers (15 total) to contribute to a lead that they would never return from.

They had no answers for Rudy Gay, who went for 28 points (12 of 21 shooting), 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Zach Randolph added 20 points and 8 rebounds. The Grizzlies got help from everyone on the team, they were certainly not short on fire power tonight.

Kevin Durant (34 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks) had to carry his team, with the exception of Serge Ibaka (17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks), nobody could find points in the second half. Russell Westbrook did not have a good night, 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting, and a surprising 13 assists. The Thunder made late runs down the stretch, but Memphis's ability to repeatedly disrupt any slight momentum shifts held off OKC charge.

Offensive End:

Rudy Gay killed Thabo Safolosha, the height difference alone, allowed Rudy to take any shot he wanted. The Memphis post up game could not be contained, combined with their unselfish ball movement, the Grizzlies got a lot of open shots.

Both teams were great in transition, neither were stoppable.

If Kevin Durant decides to score the basketball, no one can stop him. Besides the usual high pick and roll, dribble penetration, drawing attention with stars to kick out, the only thing that stood out in the Thunder's offense was Ibaka's 15 foot jumper, with Zach consistently helping in the interior, Serge had the free pass all game.

Defensive End:

Serge Ibaka's timing is impecacble, he can block anything. His help defense threw the Memphis bigs off in the beginning, they had to do a triple pump fake just to shake him off.

Memphis did the little things to force those 15 turnovers. Marc Gasol drew so many charges in this game, he fell down in just about every other play. The size of the Grizzlies bothered Russell Westbrook. He never managed to get past that wall, it tuned him out of his driving game.

 Notes:

• Z-Bo and Kendrick Perkins got thrown out for what seemed to be some trash talking. Allegedly there were scuffle between them after the game that involved police investigation. It was confirmed later that there weren't actually any police involved. That is all according to twitter, so I don't really know what went down.

The Feed: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Chicago Bulls [11/08/12]

Recap:

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Chicago Bulls 97 to 91, in a grind out at the United Center. This is one of those games where, both teams played well, kept it close to the end and the Superstar emerged in the final minutes to close out the battle. Kevin Durant started off slow, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the first half. It definitely didn't help that Bad Russ was unleashed, hitting only 7 of his 22 shot attempts for 16 points, but he did manage to dish out 12 assists, which included a few big plays that changed the game.

Serge Ibaka led the Thunder early with 15 of his 21 points in just the 1st half of play, taking advantage of Carlos Boozer's late rotations, he became nearly unstoppable. Under Tom Thibodeau, the disciplined Bulls stepped up the in the second half on both ends on the floor. In the third quarter, Chicago went on a 11 to nothing run, where OKC shot 0-7 to give them the lead in the before the start of the 4th.

Oklahoma returned the favor, holding the Bulls to 19 points in the fourth, while scoring 31 points. They dominated Chicago in the paint outscoring them 46 to 34. In the absence of Derrick Rose, the Bulls had to rely on jumpers from Luol Deng (27 points) and Richard Hamiliton (20 points) to keep them in the game. Unfortunately the shots didn't fall late in the quarter and Kevin Durant sealed the victory with a couple of clutch baskets.

Offensive End:

The Bulls without Derrick Rose relies on good ball movement to create shots, they will usually have the guard run a pick and roll to assess the situation, if there are opportunities, they will find it. Their most effective play is running Rip Hamilton (or other players) through double screens to cross from wing to wing, this will not only disrupt the defense, it will open guys up. If Noah gets the ball in the post, he is very patient with it, he is a great passer and will find the cutter.

The Stars of OKC draws the attention of the defense to find open man. As always Westbrook and Ibaka high pick and roll will produce results, especially when Boozer is on Serge, because his snail like speed to recover on his defender, gave up easy 15 footers for Air Congo.

Defensive End:

Both teams were good in the defensive end in first half, but that all disappeared in the second, where each team suffered defensive lapses in different quarters. The turnovers really hurt each team's play, as they combined for a total of 43 turonvers (21 Bulls, 22 Thunder).

Chicago is rotate well with the exception of Carlos Boozer, they are quick to trap and challenge shots.
Ibaka does wonders for the Thunder in the paint, he got 4 blocks tonight. They like to pack in the paint, so they are a bit slower to get out on the shooters.

The Moment: Serge Ibaka planted a little kiss on Russell Westbrook's head before the start of the game, and it resulted in a hilarious shocked reaction.

Dude, gross. - Russell Westbrook.

The New York Knicks and OKC Thunder reveals new alternate uniforms.

The New York Knicks jersey looks great, the league has been missing orange for a long time now.

The Thunder jersey looking not so great, those are just plain and boring, the players don't even look excited. Look at Iman Shumpert, arms wide open to let you guys know how cool his jersey looks, even though he is one of those guys that will wear anything and call it swag, he got this one right.

Update: The Thunder will only wear those for 10 road games, no idea for the Knicks.

Sources: Beyond the Buzzer, @OKCThunder

The Round Up - November 6th, 2012

Stats Rundown:

Greg Monroe did everything in his power to help his team, the Detroit Pistons to take down the Denver Nuggets, in Mile High City. Unfortunately, his 27 points, 10 boards and 3 blocks didn't get his team the win.

Honorable Mention to Arron Affalo who dropped 28 points, dished out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Thief: Jose Calderon and Ty Lawson snatched 4 basketballs away.

Butter Fingers: Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin, Danilo Gallinari, and Brandon Knight lost the ball 4 times.

Rookie Watch: Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the embarrassing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Time Machine User: No one stepped into the Time Machine today, but I am very convinced that Andre Miller is the BEST alley-oop passer to have ever played the game.

In Regards to the U.S. 2012 Election:

CELEBRATION TIME: When asked about Obama's victory, Joakin Noah responds with PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!

Highlight of the Night: Kevin Durant with a welcoming ceremony for Jonas Valanciunas.

Sources: @cjzero and the Score

The Feed: Toronto Raptors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/06/12]

Recap:

The Oklahoma City Thunder electrocuted the Toronto Raptors repeatedly 108 to 88 in a offensive showcase at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Kevin Durant and company came out red hot in the first quarter scoring 30 points at 61% from the field to Raptors's 17 at 37%. With every possession, the lead grew and Toronto was out of it by the first half.

The Raptors were never able to find an offensive rhythm and it definitely didn't help when Kyle Lowry left the game in the second quarter after twisting his ankle. Rookie Jonas Valaciunas led all Raptors with 18 points and 6 rebounds, getting a some help from Andrea Bargnani who added 16 points and another 6 boards. The Italian continues to struggle shooting the ball, as the main option on offense, he could never find the basket, hitting only 5 of his 14 shot attempts.

Russell Westbrook stormed the Raptors defense, scoring 19 points, while dishing out 8 assists. Kevin Durant chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds and Serge Ibaka with his own 17 points from 8 of 9 shooting. Needless to say, Toronto never found a way to slow down their opponents.

Offensive End:

It wasn't as if the Raptors were defended exceptionally well, they just couldn't hit anything but iron. Andrea Bargnani had a fair share of wide open threes, which he never took advantage of. And without Kyle Lowry, not only were they missing their best current scorer, they lost the only person that could create offense out of nothing.

OKC got whatever they wanted against Toronto tonight, as usual Westbrook will use a high pick and roll to get free and likely take the first shot, if that doesn't happen, he had Ibaka (the Screen Setter) open from 15 feet out all game long. Kevin Durant will get most of his points via post up, or isolations. The two superstars will draw attention as soon as they touch the ball and they will find the open man if given the double team.

The Thunder will make you pay in transition, there is probably 0.01% chance, they will not score against a unsettled defense.

Defensive End:

Toronto still has not improved their transition defense, giving lay ups/dunks after layups/dunks on the break. In this game, Toronto had a tendency to over help on the ball handler (had two guys on OKC guards for no good reason), some players will follow as deep into the restricted area. This opened up a lot of space for the Thunder shooters, who had a blast, thanks to the terrible rotations.

I couldn't really tell if the Oklahoma City played really good defense, because like I mentioned earlier, Toronto couldn't even buy a basket. OKC does a good job packing the paint, preventing a lot of interior points. They only had a few noted mishaps, when Andrea is on the floor, Perkins and Ibaka will still stay near the paint just to help out on drives, too bad he didn't knock them down.

The Moments:

Some woman or girl screamed at a decibel high enough to almost crack the screen of my TV when Jose Calderon was shooting the penalty for Ibaka's defensive three seconds in the key. You know what they say, girlies love the Spanish.

If you don't live in Canada, you missed out on the Raptor's commentators making fat jokes about an obese fan, who was wearing suspenders over his half naked body. Canada is sometimes not so nice.

Rookie Watch:
Jonas Valanciunas was aggressive all night attacking Kendrick Perkins in the post. He finished with 18 points from 6 of 8 shooting and 6 rebounds.

Terrence Ross scored 10 points in the second half, which was basically garbage time.

Perry Jone III was scoreless in the 18 minutes he played.

Jeremy Lamb knocked a three down in 6 minutes.

James Harden balls out at a Night Club.

For those who don't already know, James Harden really likes to party, alot. He hosted a all white yacht party in the summer (it is not what you think, is just everyone dressed in white) and was making it rain on a girl at a club next month.

I am not even kidding when I am saying that he was ballin' out, those might be one dollar bills but that is one MAD FAT STACK, is what I would say if I was a rapper, which I am clearly not.

In his own way, he did good, he made that Lady's night, while barely making a dent in his bank account after signing that max 5 year, 80 million dollar contract with the Houston Rockets and he broke records on top of record in his first 2 games in a red jersey, so no harm done.

Source: @DGforThree

The Round Up - November 4th, 2012

Stats Rundown:

Dwight Howard did a little bit of everything in his first victory in a Lakers uniform, finishing with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Honorable mention to Kevin Martin who is not going to let the Beard out do him, scoring 28 points in the loss to the Hawks.

Board Monster: Nikola Vucevic used his magical touch to grab 13 rebounds in a surprise blow out of the Phoenix Suns. Who would have thought they would be on the other end and have a 2 game win streak.

Thief: Steve Blake who usually turns the ball over, got 5 steals today. So that's basically why the Lakers won today.

Butter Fingers: Kevin Durant was 2 assists shy of his first triple double, and was 4 turnovers away from a quadruple double. Jrue Holiday also lost the basketball 6 times today.

Rookie Watch:
Damian Lillard did not play today, therefore no one is deserving of this honor. (Alexey Shved got 8 points, and I know you don't care)

Time Machine User:
I guess Kobe Bryant didn't need his knee to be German treated, because he has been ballin'. In the first Lakers victory of the season, the Black Mamba scored 15 points, dished 8 dimes and grabbed 7 boards in the destruction of the poor Pistons.

Best Hair: Andrew Bynum showing us how to never change and be yourself, no matter how much money you get, you stick to your roots and remain HOBO (get it? I changed it from humble to hobo because he looks like one, haha I am sorry).
From @jemelehill:

Whoops: Dante Cunningham heel kicked J.J. Barea's forehead while going for a rebound. Tests confirmed he gave his own teammate a mild concussion. Two concussions in the last 4 days, when did I start watching football?

My Bad: Russell Westbrook saved the basketball from out of bounds under his own basket for a hustle play, too bad it didn't really work out because Al "weird ears" Horford caught it and dunked it. (Will update with video)

This must have been his reaction:

Who is this Melo person and why is he actually playing defense?

Highlight of the Night: Jeff Teague only knows one dunk and this time he did it properly.