Learn to speak with a Boston accent with Paul Pierce.

15 years. Paul Pierce has been with the Boston Celtics for 15 years. It's going to be weird not seeing him in green anymore and faking knee injuries (totally joking, please don't hate me). Anyway, get well soon, Celtics fans, learning that you lost your franchise player over pizza can't make this break-up any worst.

Paul Pierce gets a massage during a WSOP Poker game.

FIERCE. Via: @SportsCenter

AND WHILE WINNING $10K. PAUL PIERCE HAS ALL THE SWAG. KISS THE RING OF TRUTH.

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Farewell, Paul Pierce the Celtic.

Really going to miss you in green, big fella. It's going to be pretty weird to see you retire with a team other than the Boston Celtics. Good luck with the Nets (you guys are totally getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, please don't send your Russian mobsters to get me, Mr. Prokhorov).

Random NBA .GIF of History: Nate Robinson jumps Paul Pierce.

NEVER FORGET. Via: Tumblr

STILL the greatest thing ever.

The Round Up - April 3rd, 2013.

Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images

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.

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

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

The Round Up - March 26th, 2013.

Danny Bollinger/NBAE/Getty Images

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

O.J. MayNO.

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

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

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

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

Via: @cjzero

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

The Round Up - March 8th, 2013.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

Long Range Bomber: Deron Williams broke a NBA record for most threes made in a half, hitting 9 of his total 11 threes (just one shy of the game record) in the first two quarters. He would finish with 42 points on 15 of 24 shooting, 11 of 16 from three, and five assists in the 17 point Brooklyn win. Reggie Evans grabbed a career high 24 boards to go with his 11 points in the effort. More details of this game is recapped here.

Vino Splash: In his 17th season in the NBA, Kobe Bryant has yet to slow down, as the Laker erupted for 41 points on 11 of 22 shooting, 6 rebounds and 12 assists against the visiting Toronto Raptors. Dwight Howard added 24 points (9 of 15) and 13 boards. Steve Nash also stepped up with 22 points of his own, hitting big shots down the stretch to pull out of the Staples Center with the overtime win. The Raptors had this game wrapped up, but miscommunication and interesting shot selections in the final minutes of the game costed them the W. DeMar DeRozan went off for 28 points (12 of 18), 5 rebounds and 5 dimes in his homecoming. Rudy Gay did not have the greatest night in terms of shooting, he was ice cold for much of the game, hitting only 7 of his 26 shot attempts for 17 points. There is nothing else left to say, but watch the video below to see the unbelievable things Kobe did to force overtime and win it for his team.

Burning Towns: The Miami Heat improves to 17 straight, in the victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Miami is just one win away from passing the Los Angeles Clippers for the longest win streak this season. LeBron James had the usual 25 points (10 of 17), 10 boards and 5 assists, while Dwyane Wade added 22 on 9 of 16 shooting. The Sixers, lacking an offensive punch last night, had to rely on Thaddeus Young's 25 points (12 of 15) to stay within reach of this game.

Green Company: The Boston Celtics maybe old and riddled with injuries, but these guys will not back down without a fight. With the game tied at 94, both teams had a chance to put their opponents away, but a KG miss on one side and a Josh Smith miss on the other, led to overtime. Boston would eventaully come out on top, thanks to Jason Terry's late game heroics. Paul Pierce had a team-high 27 points on 10 of 16 shooting, 7 rebounds and 7 dimes. Where as, the Hawk's Josh Smith, Al Horford and Jeff Teague combined for 80 of their team's total 102 points.

Italian Dressing: Down by 1 with less than 14 seconds to play, the Chicago Bulls came up with a huge offensive rebound on a Marco Bellinelli miss, that found its way back into the Italian's hands, who, on his second attempt hits the three to win the game for the Bulls. Marco finished with 22 points on 7 of 14 shooting in the night where he hits his third game winning shot of the season. Carlos Boozer chipped in for another 22 points and 10 rebounds. Desperately hanging on to their 8th spot in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz is not doing themselves any favors by losing 6 of their last 7 games. If their slump continues any longer, they will have to make new plans for April.

Note: In what was suppose to be a high scoring affair between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors, no team shot over 38 percent from the field. Rockets' sophomore, Chandler Parsons, who has been on fire as of late, scoring an average 24 points in his last five contests, had 26 points (9 of 13), and shot 6 of 8 from downtown last night. James Harden lived on the line, going 3 of 17 from the field for 20 points, 11 of which were from the charity stripe. He also grabbed 6 boards and dished out 11 assists in the victory. Stephen Curry of the Warriors did not bring his shooting touch into the building, going 8 of 21 for 24 points and 8 assists at the Oracle Arena.

Fantasy Shoutouts: The Royal Quartet of DeMarcus Cousins (22 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists), Tyreke Evans (25 points), Isiah Thomas (27 points, 5 boards, 6 dimes, and 5 steals), and Marcus Thornton (23 points) shredded the Phoenix Suns apart in the Sacramento win. Not to be out done, Goran Dragic of the Suns got 17 points, 16 assists and 5 steals.

The Blazers Trio of Damian Lillard (35 points and 9 assists), LaMarcus Aldridge (26 points and 5 boards) and J.J. Hickson (23 points and 11 rebounds) annihilated the Tony Parker-less San Antonio Spurs by a margin of 30 points. Portland shot a ridiculous 62 percent from the field in the win.

Paul George went off for 25 points (8 of 12), 4 of 5 from the three, and 5 rebounds in the 29 point Indiana Pacers win over the Orlando Magic. Magic was horrendous from the field, hitting a less than ideal 39 percent of their shots.

Highlights

Quiet Talent: Kawhi Leonard is a spry young gentleman.

Bazooka: Alonzo Gee can manually and accurately launch a basketball from 70 feet and beyond.

The Round Up - March 5th, 2013.

Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE/Getty Images

If you are in a hurry to get out of the door, but still want a recap of last night's NBA schedule. Here are the GIFs that will sums up each game nicely.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder.

Via: Bleacher Report

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers.

Via: SB Nation

Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings.

Via: SB Nation

Now, for those that would still like to read, just continue to scroll down.

Jerkyll and Hyde: Russell Westbrook might shoot you out of games in rare occasions, but sometimes, he can go off for 37 points (15 of 29), 10 rebounds and 5 assists, like he did against the Lakers last night. Russ had everything his way for the entire game. He pulled up when he wanted and never once had trouble getting into the paint for an array of dunks/lay-ups. His partner in crime, wasn't too shabby either. Kevin Durant added 26 points on 9 of 22 shooting, 9 boards and 5 dimes in the Thunder win. Besides scoring 71 points in the first half on the purple and gold, OKC also tied a NBA record for the least turnovers in a game, with only two on the night. Kobe Bryant did everything he could to get this much-needed win for the Lakers. He willed himself into 30 points (8 of 19), even after a brief exit in the first 2 minutes of the game for a ulnar nerve contusion in the right elbow, which is fancy talk for a bruise elbow. Steve Nash tried to help, but his measly 20 points on 7 of 15 shooting could not overcome the onslaught set out by the blood-thirsty Thunder.

Power Struggle: Despite turning the ball over 22 times and allowing 30 points on those slip ups, the Boston Celtics held off the Philadephia 76ers to survive for another day. The Celtics received quite a pleasant surprise when their defensive specialist, Avery Bradley erupts for a game-high 22 points on 10 of 15 shooting, 7 boards and 5 assists. Paul Pierce shot a perfect 4 for 4 from the three to chip in for 18 points to go with his 11 rebounds and 7 dimes. The Sixers didn't shoot too well in this game, hitting only 41 percent of their shots from the field. Jrue Holiday led his team with 18 points on 17 shots, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. While Arnett Moultire came off the bench for a flawless 5 of 5 shooting for 10 points in 20 minutes of play.

Camping Grounds: The Denver Nuggets dominated the paint again, outscoring the Sacramento Kings 60 to 44 to extend the Nugget's winning streak to six. Little Ty Lawson went off for 24 points (8 of 16) and 7 dimes. Danilo Gallinari scored an additional 23 points on 7 of 11 shooting and snagged 4 rebounds. The Kings with this loss drops to bottom of the West. DeMarcus Cousins was a non-factor in this contest, going 1 for 12 for only 8 points, but he did block a career high 5 shots. Sacramento's own short guy, Isiah Thomas also had a good game, he had 23 points (6 of 13) and 8 assists at the Sleep Train Arena (This name will never not be funny).

The Round Up - February 25th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Carlos Osorio/AP Photo

Under-appreciated: It is about time that Al Horford gets some love. He has been solid all season for the Hawks, and is averaging a career high in just about every statistical category. The Florida product went off for 23 points on 10 of 13 shooting, a career high 22 rebounds to go along with his gigantic ears in the win against the Detroit Pistons. Josh Smith chipped in for another 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. For the Pistons, Rodney Stuckey, who has struggled all season in a misplaced role, got 22 points (10 of 17) and 5 rebounds. Jonas Jerebko came off the bench for 21 points on 9 of 12 shooting and 6 boards.

Retina Damage: It was all sorts of ugly down at the Air Canada Center, as the Washington Wizards took on the Toronto Raptors for the second time of the season. If you tuned in, you would have caught a night of horrendous shooting and glorious misplays from both teams. The Wizards shot a vomit inducing 42 percent from the field, while the Raptors shot an even worst 37 percent. There were a total of 34 turnovers in this game, and only 2 Raptors scored in the double digits. DeMar DeRozan had a game-high 25 points on 9 of 17 shooting, and 4 rebounds. Kyle Lowry added 18 points on 17 shots and if you were wondering about Rudy Gay, well, he shot a career low 1 of 10 from the field for 7 points, not the most efficient night for the swing man. The rookie, Bradley Beal of the Wiz led his team with 20 points (8 of 13) and 6 rebounds in Washington's 3rd straight victory.

Truth: The Boston Celtics maybe old and riddled with injuries, but they will always find a way to fight back. After allowing Alec Burks of the Utah Jazz to tie the game in the closing seconds to force overtime, Paul Pierce goes off for 7 straight points (a solo 7-0 run) to give Boston the win. Avery Bradley brought more than just his defense last night, helping himself to 18 points (8 of 12) and 5 rebounds in Salt Lake City. Gordon Hayward led the second unit with 26 points (7 of 16) in Utah's 4th loss in their last 5 home games, which is rare.

Fun fact - Paul Pierce is a perfect 2 for 2 when his shorts gets pulled down.

NBA JAM: Just when you thought the Lakers were starting to get back on track, they go ahead and lose to the Denver Nuggets. The score might say 119 to 108 in favor to the Nuggets, but it was certainly not all that close. Denver had their way on offense for the entire game. To put this into a perspective for those of you that missed the game, imagine if you were playing NBA JAM against someone who has never played before and you were able to keep one of your players "on fire" for the whole game because your opponent can't stop you. It was kind of like that. Denver scored 78 points in the PAINT and a season high 33 fast break points. Wilson Chandler stepped up in place of the injured Danilo Gallinari, going for 23 points on 10 of 18 shooting. Ty Lawson had 22 points (8 of 19) and 8 assists. Kobe did kobe things at the Pepsi Center, he scored 29 points (12 of 23), snagged 6 rebounds, and dished out 9 dimes to go with his clenched jaw.

The Lakers are not going to have a fun time watching any footage from this game in their next film session. But they don't really need to watch it, as with all their games, it comes down to defense, which they still don't know how to play.

The Round Up - February 10th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

A few blowouts on Sunday, but the close games were fun.

Via: @SBNation

Cookin': LeBron James has yet to be inefficient in this season. With his 32 points (12 of 18), 7 rebounds and 4 assists yesterday, James becomes the first Heat player to score 30 points in 5 consecutive games. He shot 71 percent from the field in those 5 games. Dwyane Wade chipped in 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting, and 5 assists in the win against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. LA kept it close through the first 3 quarters, but collapsed in the 4th. Kobe Bryant had 28 points (11 of 19), 6 rebounds and 9 assists.

Aerial Strike: Kobe turns the ball over and fuels an amazing LeBron alley oop finish.

To which Kobe say.

Via: @cjzero

Stay classy, Bean. Children are watching.

Camera Trickery: It is not what it looks like. (Via: @cjzero)

Point God'd: Despite Carmelo Anthony going off for 42 points on 14 of 26 shooting and 8 rebounds, the lack of help from the rest of the Knicks could not overcome the team effort from the Los Angeles Clippers. The "Tribe Called Bench" outscored New York's second unit 48 to 15. Jamal Crawford had his way with 27 points (12 of 22). Chris Paul added 25 points (10 of 17), 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in the victory.

Launch Pad: Blake Griffin can dunk from anywhere.

Burnt Out: The Phoenix Suns drops a third straight game in the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nobody on the Suns scored into the double figures, except for Markieff Morris, who scored a team-high 12 points on 13 attempts. Russell Westbrook led the way for the Thunder. The fashionista had 24 points (8 of 15), 6 assists and 4 steals.

Bear-fection: In his fifth game with the Memphis Grizzlies, Tayshaun Prince posted a perfect 8 of 8 shooting for 17 points in the victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves have lost 8 straight games on the road and dropped 10 of their last 11 games. It has been a rough season for the pack, the number of injuries to their key players have completely taken them out of the playoff chase.

Ov3rtime: This was the game of the night. After three overtimes at the TD Garden, the Boston Celtics walks away with their 7th straight win. Paul Pierce exploded for a triple double, he got 27 points (7 of 20), 14 rebounds and 14 assists against the high octane Denver Nuggets. Down 3 with only 10 seconds left to play in the second overtime, the Truth knocks down a three to extend the game.

Jason Terry came off the bench for 26 points. Kevin Garnett scored an additional 20 points to go with his 18 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. As for the Nuggets, Ty Lawson went for a game-high 29 points (13 of 22), 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Their 9 game winning streak has now ended.

French Special: The Brooklyn Nets gets served at home by the San Antonio Spurs. Tony Parker led the charge with a game-high 29 points on 12 of 21 shooting, and 11 assists. The Spurs have done pretty well without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Short of Beards: The Houston Rockets have only one James Harden and even though he had 30 points on 10 of 20 shooting, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, it was not enough to take down the Sacramento Kings. The trio of Isiah Thomas, John Salmons, and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 66 points in their first consecutive win in the month of February.

Highlights

Near Escape: Ed Davis may have dunked on Nikola Pekovic, but revenge is in store and you don't want to know what Pek has in mind. Hopefully, it is not too cruel and won't leave too much of a mess.

Vision: Gustavo keeps his Eye-on cutters.

Explosion: Dwyane Wade catches the Lakers snoozing, or what they call defense.

Paul Pierce schools Fab Melo in a 1 on 1 game.

It's not everyday that we get a glimpse into NBA practices, so it is always a treat when members of the media releases a clip of what goes on behind the scenes.

What you have just witnessed is Celtics rookie, Fab Melo, a 7 foot back up center get schooled in the post by a much smaller 6 foot 7, Paul Pierce. In theory this should not happen, but Pierce has one of best foot work in the league and to see a center, whose sole offensive responsibility should be mastering low post moves, it is kind of embarrassing. Hopefully, Pierce can spare him a lesson or two, dude seriously needs some help. I mean he did get a concussion after hitting his head on a door. Help on any level will be beneficial.

The Round Up - January 24th, 2013.

Stat Rundown + Short Recaps

Toronto Raptors vs. Orlando Magic: The Raptors did it! They won a close game! Up by double digits late in the game, the Raptors did Raptor-y things that allowed the Magic to crawl back from the deficit to tie the game with 20 seconds left on the game clock. Normally, this would go into overtime, where Toronto will crumble with a familiarity that we are accustomed to seeing and lose another hard fought battle, but DeMar DeRozan would not let it happen. The shooting guard scored 14 of his 22 points (10 of 17) in the 4th quarter, including this buzzer beating basket to win the game.

Demar DeRozan also did this to the Magic.

Shout Out: To Nikola Vucevic, who led Orlando with a team high 19 points on 8 of 14 shooting and 14 rebounds.

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics: The Knicks finally snapped their 13 game losing streak at the TD Garden, where they haven't won since November, 2006. Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 28 points on an inefficient 11 of 28 shooting, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. This is Melo's 27th straight 20+ points game, moving him past Amar'e Stoudemire for the third longest streak in Knicks' history. On the other side, Rajon Rondo got his 27th career triple double, it is the 20th on national TV and the 4th one this season. His 23 points, 10 boards and 11 dimes ties him with Bill Russell for the 4th most triple doubles in Celtics History. Paul Pierce had a great first half, scoring 19 of his 22 points, but he would go without hitting a single field goal in the second. To make things even stranger for the Knick slayer, in the final two critical possessions of the game, Pierce turns the ball over twice, basically losing the game for his team. The Boston struggle continues. (Via: @cjzero)

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul was injured, the Clippers played awful and the Phoenix Suns took advantage. Goran Dragic led all Suns with 24 points on 5 of 12 shooting, 5 rebounds and 8 assists in the victory. As for the Clippers, Blake Griffin dunked. A lot.

Michael Beasley still has the coolest hair in the game.  (Via: @BeyondtheBuzzer)

Beasley may not be putting up the numbers he was expected to for the Suns, but his hair game is on point. It is almost different every basketball game.

Rajon Rondo has a really weird pregame routine.

Rajon Rondo is well known in the NBA to be quite a character, or lack there of. In reality, he just hates the media (probably you too) and refuses to open up. Since he is so adamant on maintaining a low profile, the only way to learn about him is from his teammates, and in a recent interview, Jason Terry revealed Rondo's rather bizarre pregame routine.

From ESPN:

"... His (Rajon Rondo) routine is long-winded and it lasts all the way through tip-off. It starts in the back hallway. He runs down a corridor and he throws the ball to our team chaplain, who throws it back. Then [Rondo] runs out into a circle, high-fives the whole team and then he does the layup lines for five minutes. 

"Then he will stand under the goal and Paul Pierce will shoot every ball on the rack from half court. Rondo will catch four balls at one time and then after that, it's just amazing -- one pass off the backboard to KG, one bounce pass to Paul Pierce and then he throws it all the way up to the scoreboard and Jeff Green finishes with an alley-oop.

Unfotunately, the person who filmed the video cut off the Jeff Green dunk. I have no idea how he came up with it in the first place and you shouldn't expect an explanation from Rondo anytime soon. It is kind of weird that no one caught on earlier, because when do you see a basketball player stand in the middle of the paint with his teammates all outside shooting bricks for him to catch. I am just glad to know he likes to pad his stats early.

Video Via: Celticslife

The Round Up - January 7th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and handed out 5 assists in the overtime win against the Orlando Magic. For the last few years, this guy has been consistently posting up 20 and 10 every night, but his effort always goes unnoticed due to the lack of success. Fortunately the arrival of Damian Lillard and growth of Nicholas Batum gives him a team that he finally deserves. Portland will be a fun team to watch in the next couple of seasons.

Missed 6: What does J.J Redick and Gordon Hayward have in common? Well, they both missed only six shots in their respective 27+ point games. Redick went 6 of 10 from the 3, scored 29 points and dished out 5 assists. Gordon Hayward had 27 points (4 of 5 from the three), 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks in the Utah Jazz victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Hayward needs more playing time, he is solid on both ends of the floor and will reward you with plays like this. I know nobody keeps count, but aside from LeBron James, and Kenneth Faried, this guy might lead the league in transition blocks.

Grizzly Surprise:Wayne Ellington first made his name in the blowout victory over the Heat at the beginning of the season, but he has been quiet ever since. That was until last night, where he shot 6 of 7 from the three, and scored 26 points on 11 shots, he only missed once.

Dimes: Jameer Nelson has become the Orlando Magic' all time leader in assists with 2,777. Not to take anything away from Jameer, but it can't be too difficult when you played with a healthy Dwight Howard early in your career.

Rookie Watch: Bradley Beal has earned 3 consecutive Rookie Watch honors and deservedly so. This is by far his best game in terms of contribution. He had 22 points (7 of 17), 5 rebounds, 4 assists and the game winning shot to embarrass Kevin Durant in his hometown.

Time Machine User: I think every Boston Celtic fan should thank me because ever since I uploaded my piece on their problems, not only have they fixed those said problems, they are now also on a 3 game winning streak. Paul Pierce went off for another big night at the MSG, going for 23 points (10-18), 3 rebounds, 6 assists and a couple of daggers down the stretch to get the victory.

The Celtics got into the heads of the Knicks in this game, especially Carmelo, who shot 6 for 26 from the field. Apparently Kevin Garnett said some things to cause Melo to go into the Boston locker room for a yelling match. Later, he was filmed waiting for Garnett in front of the team bus. Nothing physically actually happened off court, but people on twitter said (not legitimate sources) KG made sexual remarks (involved cheerios, or something) about Melo's wife during the game. 

Smash: J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler executes the perfect pick and roll.

Headbands: The New York Knick leads the league in using head bands to cover up cuts on players' heads. (Via: @BeyondtheBuzzer)

Bizarro World: First, the Washington Wizards beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, making them probably the best championship contending team killers. They are 2-2 against the Heat and Thunder, 3-26 versus the rest of the league.

Then we have the Chicago Bulls shooting lights out from behind the arc. For a team that usually makes 5 threes a game at a rate of 36 percent, they went for 10 of 14 against the Cavs last night, and 71 percent of them fell. It is a miracle.

Jokes: Every single tweet from Kobe has been gold so far. He even addressed the rumored fights with Dwight Howard in the most twitter way possible, via photo. (Via: @kobebryant)

Pop Death Stares: You can already guess that Coach Pop doesn't sit well with losses. (Via: @HPbasketball)

Don't be like Pop, enjoy your morning.

The Round Up - January 5th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

(Mark J. Terill/AP Photo) Blake Griffin makes really ugly in game faces.

The Point God has landed on Earth and all we can do is watch. Chris Paul went for 27 points on 10 of 12 shooting, knocking down 5 of his 6 three point attempts, to go with his 9 assists, 5 rebounds and a steal in the shaming of the Golden State Warriors. Oh, and he did all that in 28 minutes.

Honorable Mention: Despite the loss to the Houston Rockets, Kyrie Irving was an unstoppable force. The sophomore carried his dead beat of a team with 30 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. He was so good, we can just forget that the 8 turnovers ever happened.

Dishin': Rajon Rondo isn't taking my criticism too well, he looks like he is try to stop at nothing to prove me wrong. Well, if a triple double doesn't rid the doubters, I don't know what can. His 14 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals shot the Atlanta Hawks out of the sky.

Time Machine User: Paul Pierce came out of half time on a mission, he vanquished the 15 point lead the Atlanta Hawks had in the first, and led a 33-9 third quarter that would later decide the game. The Truth had 26 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists without any athleticism, Paul Pierce basketball never makes sense.

Twinsies: Wesley Matthew and Nicholas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers scored 26 points each in the victory over the Minnestoa Timberwolves. They combined for 52 points on only 26 shots.

The Orlando Magic starting back court of Jameer Nelson and Arron Affalo both scored 29 points in the tough loss to the New York Knicks. It takes a lot more to outscore Carmelo Anthony when he drops 40 points (14 of 29 shooting) and grabs 6 rebounds against you. Also doesn't help that you let him score 16 points in the 4th quarter.

Highlights

Transition Games: I think Andre Iguodala has a pretty good grasp on Denver's high octane offensive concept.

The Man with Two First Names: Just a heads up, Paul George is really good at dunking.

Lob Airgeles Clippers: Isn't it fun to play with a guy that can catch anything you throw up. Must be great, but have you ever thought about how the basketball rim feels. It must be in pain from the constant pounding (Haha).

What's wrong with the Boston Celtics?

Last season, the Boston Celtics were the best defensive team in the league and took the soon-to-be champions, Miami Heat to a game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The difference between then and now is that they are currently sitting below .500, with a record of 14-17, lost their last 4 games by a margin of 20 points and are playing some of the worst basketball you have ever seen. This is still the same team, with the same coach. Ray Allen might have gone (I could make a case for Greg Stiemsma as well, but I will refrain from going to that), but they did get equivalent talents as replacement, so why are they struggling?

There are a few things (by few, I mean a lot) to fix before the Celtics return to a playoff contending team and it starts with finding a suitable back-up for Kevin Garnett. Kevin Garnett is basically everything for this team, he literally anchors the defense and the stats show. According to NBA Advanced Stats, they are at an above average defensive rating (an estimate of points allowed in a 100 possessions, the lower the better) of 96.3 with KG on the floor. Without him, they have the league's worst defense and yes, that is even worst than the Charlotte Bobcats, allowing approximately 111 points per 100 possessions. The main problem is that Boston is allowing more points then they can score, Avery Bradley should be an upgrade on defense, but there isn't anything else he can give them.

The importance of Kevin Garnett doesn't just extend into disrupting offenses. Boston's rebounding numbers drop in the absence of his presence. This is where Boston misses Greg Stiemsma the most. Their decision to let him go to the Timberwolves, who rarely gives him playing time will hurt the Celtics. Greg by no means can fill KG's role, but he is better defensively than both Jason Collins (old) and Jared Sullinger. The pressure on Jared Sullinger to come off the bench to fill KG's void is a bit too much for a rookie to handle. Make no mistake, he is not a bad defender, he is just not consistently ready or quick enough to guard against most NBA players (he will get better over time).

On the offensive end, things just get worst. Age has finally caught up to them. Paul Pierce looks slower than he usually does and Kevin Garnett's jumper is not going down. The pieces they added to the roster over the summer have not worked out in the way they would have imagined. Jason Terry, who had everyone's hopes up coming into this season to replace Ray Allen is only averaging 11 points, the lowest since his rookie year. Courtney Lee has yet to find himself in this Boston defense and is also at career low in points scored per game. The Jeff Green experiment can be marked as a failure and no, it is not too early to say so. On top of all of that, the Rajon Rondo they needed is not coming through. He has continued to refuse shot attempts after shot attempts for assists. He has to understand he doesn't have a choice to pad which stat because his team needs his scoring, whether it is a jump shot or a lay up, they will take whatever you give them. Allowing opposing teams to play off you and give your teammates a tougher shot is not what a point guard does.

Losing Ray Allen, may have left a bigger impact than we all thought it would. The Celtics take forever to set up their offense, and usually shoots late in the shot clock. Doing this, allows defense to settle and adjust accordingly, which doesn't help this offensively maligned team. To make things worst, they can't score anything in the paint, 35 points (approx.) per game for a team like Boston can't hope to win. Especially if it relies on outside shooting that they don't have. Not to mention how many leads they blow without KG on the court. With Ray Allen, they had go-to plays in scoring droughts and his mere presence spaces the floor for his teammates. Unless Jason Terry finds his shooting touch or someone steps up their production, you can look forward to some ugly games.

Boston should be worried and they are, because these concerns are very real. They still have a good amount of games left to play and time to make some big moves. Something has to change for this team, and we might be looking at a different Celtics team by the end of February.

Source: Basketball Reference (Stats)

The Celtics play the Pacers tonight, and if they are like every team after I write about them. They will probably blow the Pacers out and make everything I wrote pointless because the world hates me.

Fab Melo suffered a concusssion after hitting his head against a door.

Yea, you read the title right, this actually happened. The Brazilian rookie of the Boston Celtics took a hit from a hinge of a hotel double door way to his head yesterday and got a concussion. Definitely not the best way to get into the news, after dominating in his D-League games.

I guess being tall does have it's negatives.

On a unrelated note, he did do something like this in his rookie photo shoot. (Via: @cjzero)

The Round Up - November 17th, 2012.

Stats Rundown:

Chris Bosh and his giraffe neck got him 24 points (9 of 11 shooting), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in the win over the Phoenix Suns.

Board Monsters: Emeka Okafor grabbed 14 rebounds in the loss to the Utah Jazz. This marks the Washington Wizards' eighth straight loss, they remain win less and at the bottom of the NBA.

Dishin': Rajon Rondo can't be stopped, handinh out 20 assists today in the victory over the Toronto Raptors. Not only does this becomes his 33 straight game with double digit assists, he also becomes the fifth player since 1985 to get 20 assists in less than 33 minutes. (Via: @ZackLowe_NBA)

Block Party: Chris Kaman put his hunting skills to work, using his elite hand-eye coordination to swat 6 Cleveland Cavaliers shots in the victory for the Dallas Mavericks.

Rookie Watch: Anthony Davis would not allow Damian Lillard to stay as the front runner for the ROY, so he decided to score 28 points (10 of 14 shooting) and register 11 rebounds in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Time Machine User: Kevin Garnett gets his first mention, 15 points (6 of 7 shooting), and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes.

Early Christmas: The Boston Celtics people thought it would be funny to bring out Grinch early and give all the young spectators nightmares that would haunt them for eternity. (Via: @nbamusings)

Happy Kevin Garnett: Yes, He exists. And he loves to groove with Gino of American Bandstand.

Old Man Dunk: Paul Pierce's legs didn't could not comprehend his demands, so the Truth had to make do. Using his veteran experience, he banked a dunk, the first ever done in NBA history.

Sad Bulls: The 101 to 80 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, becomes the first Chicago Bulls 20 point loss since December 1st, 2010. (Via: @KCJHoop)

Scoopity Doo: Shannon Brown doing a 06' Wade impression on the 12' Miami Heat.

 

FROLO: Guess What? Andrew Bynum just re-injured his knee while bowling, and the 76ers still have to pay him $16.5 million in 2013, ain't that something?

Weak: Yesterday, was not the most entertaining day in the basketball world, tons of blowouts and non-emotional clinching close games.

Highlight of the Night: In case you didn't know, the Los Angles Clippers still like to do alley oops and they are still super fun.