Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Afro Kobe Bryant's 360 dunk.

FRO. Via: Reddit/Tumblr

Good ol' number 8.

Wesley Matthews really dislikes shopping with his mom.

DUDE, I KNOW. This is my mom, "Hey son, do you want to go to IKEA with me? I am just going look at a few things and might need your help loading it to the car."

Three hours later... after two trips around the entire store, SHE BUYS NOTHING. THE WORST. AND NO, MOM THOSE IKEA PENCILS DO NOT COMPENSATE FOR THE GARGANTUAN WASTE OF TIME THAT YOU JUST PUT ME THROUGH.

Damian Lillard loses his humility at the acceptance of his NBA Social Rookie Award.

For a relatively boring rookie, in terms of his off-court persona, Damian Lillard did pretty well in this short skit for NBA TV's Social Media Awards.

Jeremy Evans travels far for the alley-oop finish.

He's not the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champ for no reason, but this is ridiculous.

Just look at how far he was away from the basket at the launch of Jamaal Tinsely's perfect pass.

Via: @MikePradaSBN

Here's a different angle.

Via: @talkhoops

GO GO GADGET ARMS.

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

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

The Round Up - March 22nd, 2013.

Mike Ehrmann/NBAE/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights

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

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

The Round Up - March 21st, 2013.

Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Round Up - March 19th, 2013.

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

The Round Up - March 18th, 2013.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

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

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

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

STRRREEETCHH.

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

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

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

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

Highlights

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

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

The Round Up - March 16th, 2013.

D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images

Veteran Game: It just doesn't matter what father time does anymore, Tim Duncan, at the age of 36, is having none of it, going off for 30 points on 13 of 19 shooting, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks in the victory over the younger Cleveland Cavaliers. Spurs' sophomore, Kawhi Leonard added 24 points (8 of 16) and 13 boards to take off the offensive pressure on the rest of team in Tony Parker's absence. The Cavs, still without Kyrie Irving, shot 51 percent from the field compared to their opponents' 58. Wayne Ellington came of the bench for a team-high 21 points on 4 of 7 from the three. Cleveland just did not have an answer for the Spurs' big, as they get pounded inside (it is totally not what you are thinking) to lose the battle in the paint, 62 to 46.

ALL MANU EVERYTHING.

Jazz and Blues: In the quest for a playoff spot, the Utah Jazz came out with a huge win over the Memphis Grizzlies to be only half a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers. Up by 5 before heading into the third quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies would suddenly forget how to put the basketball into the elevated orange ring thing, to go 2 for 16 from the field for 9 points, 15 less than what the Jazz put up during the stretch of their opponents' offensive struggle. The Grizzlies would never quite recover from the hole they dug themselves into, as they watch Gordon Hayward, who led his team with 17 points (5 of 10) and 8 boards, sink the three point dagger in the in the final 17 seconds to seal the game. Zach Randolph of the Grizzles finished with 19 points (7 of 11) and 9 rebounds.

Engines: Blazers' rookie, Damian Lillard's 8 game streak with 20+ points, came to an end last night, as his team hold off a late run by the Detroit Pistons in the Portland victory. Lillard had an off night, going 3 of 12 from the field for 14 points and 7 dimes. But he didn't to worry about the offense much, as his power forward, LaMarcus Aldridge go off for 31 points (13 of 21), and 12 rebounds to join LeBron James and Kevin Durant in the elusive players club with 1,300 points and 500 rebounds this season. The Pistons, on the other side, had Rodney Stuckey, who scored a season high 32 points on 23 shots in the losing effort.

Bearded American: Guys, Spencer Hawes did something last night that no one thought Spencer Hawes would be able to do. The once proud owner of a mullet went off a near quardruple double with 18 points, 8 assists, and a career high 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in the Philadelphia 76ers win. (Let me put this into a perspective for those who are wondering what is so spectacular about that particular line. No NBA player, other than Hakeen Olajuwon came close to those numbers in a game since 1990 and no Sixer has ever came close to it, since Charles Barkley in 1986.) Jrue Holiday chipped in for a game-high 27 points on 12 of 25 shooting and 12 assists to solidify his candidacy for the most improved player award. The Pacers finally got their Roy Hibbert break out game, as the center finally ends his scoring slump with 25 points on a not so efficient 26 shots and 10 boards in the tough loss. Indiana did not have a fun time shooting the ball on this night, hitting only 39 percent of their shots, while their opponents lit it up with 49 from the field and 46 behind it.

A Few Notes: Without Kevin Garnett (rest), the Boston Celtics took on the Charlotte Bobcats to win their 11th straight home game, the longest streak since 2009. This was the first game in about 3 weeks, where all Boston starters were in double figures.

Fantasy Shoutout: Martell Webster erupted for a career high 34 points on 10 of 18 shooting. He went 7 for 10 from the beyond the arc, to make this his franchise record breaking 5th game with at least 4 three pointers made and dished out 5 assists along the way in the 22 point win over the Phoenix Suns.

Damian Lillard, Iman Shumpert and Von Miller stars in new Champs x Adidas commercial.

I knew there was a smaller rapping Iman Shumpert living inside that flat top. I mean, how else is it suppose to stay up like that.

Random NBA .GIF of the Day: Portland Nose Picker.

Via: The Bloody Owl (@CorkGaines)

Look at this guy, there is definitely no shame in his game. They really weren't kidding when they said Portland was weird.

The Round Up - March 14th, 2013.

D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images

Set in Stone: With the win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs extends their NBA record of 50 or more wins to 14 seasons. After a slow start, going 1 for 7 from the field, Tim Duncan would finish with 28 points on 12 of 20 shooting, and 19 boards to become the oldest player to get such a line since 1992. The Spurs, still without Tony Parker, got their other scoring punch from Gary Neal. He had 16 points (6 of 13), including a few critical threes down the stretch. The Mavericks, who were on the last of their 4 game trip hung in for the most parts of this game. Down 3 with less than 30 seconds remaining on the clock, Dirk (21 points, 11 rebounds) would drain one from the elbow to cut the lead to 1. With a chance to win it after a Manu miss on the other end, the Mavs would come out of their time out with a Vince Carter (10 points, 4-12) fade way three that just rims out.

Yep, braids are cool again.

Via: Reddit

Bright Lights: In the dreaded return to Portland after spending a whole season at the Rose Garden slightly overweight, Raymond Felton, after insinuating that he would drop 50 points against his former team, had only 11 points on 12 shots. The rest of his teammates weren't of much help either, with the exception of J.R. Smith, who went off for 33 points on 11 of 21 shooting. The game was close in beginning, but after Portland closed out the second quarter with a 13-0 run, the Knicks would only come as close as 4 points in 4th, where J.R. Smith made three straight threes. In his second national television debut, Blazer's rookie, Damian Lillard erupted for 26 points (11 of 18), and 10 dimes, joining LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry as one of the 4 players in this season with at least 1,200 points and 400 assists. LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points (8 of 15), 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, while playing with a migraine.

Knicks' Stoudemire, Chandler and Anthony were all out due to injuries. Stoudemire will go under season ending knee surgery. Neither Chandler or Anthony have been confirmed for the next game.

He may or may not have traveled on this one.

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 4th, 2013.

Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images

Buckcourt Duo: In the fight for the permanent 8th seed in their respective conference, the Milwaukee Bucks' backcourt duo triumphs over Utah Jazz's front court duo of Paul Millsap (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Derrick Favors (23 points, 15 rebounds), who stepped in for the injured Al Jefferson. Monta Ellis had the best game of his season, going off for 34 points on 15 of 21 shooting, including clutch baskets down the stretch to get his team into the playoffs. Following his 19 assists performance on Saturday, Brandon Jennings exploded for 20 points (8 of 14), and dished out a just as impressive 17 assists. Jennings, down 3 with 13 seconds left on the clocks hits a tough three pointer to force over time. Enes Kanter had an opportunity win the game for the Jazz  but he would miss at point blank range. Utah has gotten 0 points and little to no production from three of their starters for the second time in 5 games. It might be about time for some line up changes.

Of course, Brandon Jenning will shoot the tougher shot, and hit it. It is only natural.

Don't Call it a Comeback: Down 22 mid way through the second quarter, the New York Knicks were a sure bet to lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers after Carmelo Anthony left the game with a knee injury late in the first half. But, who are we kidding, the Cavs are still Cavs and they would get outscored 72 to 45 by the Knicks after their superstar trips over himself. With no one near double figures in the New York starting line up, they relied on Amare Stoudemire's 22 (10 of 15), and 6 boards off the bench. Kyrie Irving, who missed the last 3 games with a knee injury, returned for the first time last night. The Sophomore had 22 points (9 of 20), 5 rebounds and 6 dimes. Marreese Speights went off for a game-high 23 points on 10 of 14 shooting and 8 rebounds. Down three with less than a second to go, Kyrie had a chance to tie the game, but he would get blocked by Tyson Chandler, who may or may not have bribed the refs in the win.

Steve Novak was excited.

Via: @cjzero

The Orlando Magic came back from a 17 point deficit against the New Orleans Hornets to win one on the road. Arron Affalo led his team with 26 points (10 of 20), 5 boards and 5 assists. Hornets rookie, Anthony Davis had a pretty good game, going for 17 points (6 of 13), 15 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Scorged: It was not LeBron James, but Dwyane Wade  that carved up the Minnesota defense for 32 points (15 of 23), 7 rebounds and 10 assists. LeBron chipped in for 20 points on 9 of 16 shooting and 10 boards to extend the Heat's winning streak to 15. They have won every game in the streak by an average margin of 12 points. Despite forcing their opponent into 24 turnovers, the Timberwolves could not hit anything, shooting 38 percent from the field. Derrick Williams scored team-high 25 on 22 shots and snagged 10 boards in their sixth straight loss.

For those who are interested, here is the full Ray Allen and J.J. Barea scuffle (NSFW language, if you can lip read).

Gun Show: Up by 7 before heading into the 4th quarter of the no defense exhibition between the Raptors and Warriors, everything looked good for Toronto. That was until they crumbled in the 4th, going 0 for 9 from three to allow the Dubs to score 42 points in the quarter, which were 14 more than the Raptors, to send the only NBA team in Canada on the road with a 5th straight loss. Andrea Bargnani had his best game since his elbow injury, going for 26 points (8 of 18) and 7 boards. Rudy Gay added another 26 points, shooting yet another inefficient 10 of 22 from the field. Amir Johnson on the other hand, went for a perfect 10 of 10, in his 23 points and 15 rebounds performance off the bench. For the Warriors, David Lee got himself 29 points (12 of 21), 11 boards and 5 dimes. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson dropped 26 and 22 points respectively.

A Few Notes: Denver improves to league best 26-3 at home in the win against the Atlanta Hawks at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets outscored the Hawks 70 to 42 in paint. Corey Brewer came off the bench for a game-high 22 points, hitting 11 of his 20 shots. Josh Smith scored his 10,000th point, while his teammate, Al Horford got 18 points (9 of 16) and 13 rebounds to end their 6 game road trip.

The least Javale McGee possession of Javale McGee's career. Everything is downhill from here.

Seven Trail Blazers scored double figures as Portland hand the Charlotte Bobcats, their's 7th straight loss. LaMarcus Aldridge  led the way with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Rookie, Damina Lillard went for 20 points and 7 dimes.

Brandon Roy receives a standing ovation in the Rose Garden.

Via: @elyoregonian

Brandon Roy returned to the place that drafted him last night, as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. While his time with Portland lasted only 6 seasons, the effect he had on the entire organization will never be forgotten by its community and fans. Roy gave Portland hope. He was the next big thing, but injuries to his knees took away what was suppose to be the prime of his career and we never got to see what he could have done. And it sucks to see a good guy with such immense talent, sidelined with injuries that prevent him from doing what he loves most.

Brandon might never get to play again in the biggest stage of basketball, but what he gave to NBA fans will always sit in our memories. The 32 foot turnaround game winner in 0.8 seconds against the Rockets for the win. And the one man 18 point, 4th quarter in game 4 of the playoffs against the eventual NBA champions, Dallas Mavericks to overcome a 23 point lead, have carved its place in my head. Thank you for everything, Brandon. I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors.

The Round Up - March 2nd, 2013.

Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo

Long Hair Don't Care: Following his triple double performance on Thursday, Joakim Noah led the Bulls to another victory with a team-high 21 points (10 of 13), 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets started the game with a 15-4 lead, but crumbled in the second and third quarter to give away a 19-0 run for their opponents. In between the second and third, Brooklyn did not score a single point for a whole 7 minutes. Carlos Boozer came in for 20 points (9 of 16), 8 rebounds and a career 5 steals. Brook Lopez of the Nets had 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting.

Wild Finish: With 27 seconds left, the game tied up at 102 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors, Ersan Illyasova scores 2 of his total 29 points (12-21) on a put back to give his team a one point lead with 6.9 left to play. Toronto, without their leading man, Rudy Gay (back spasms) went to Alan Anderson (21 points) for the last play, where he got by Larry Sanders for the dunk to force overtime. But the Raptors are still Raptors, so it would only be fitting that they would fail to execute late and lose this game. Kyle Lowry added a triple double, 10 points, 10 boards, 10 dimes and 5 steals. Brandon Jennings of the Bucks got a career high 19 assists, while Larry Sanders erased 5 shots to make it his 39th straight game to register at least one block.

Panic in the Bay: The good news for the Golden Warriors is that Stephen Curry has been incredible in the last few games. The bad news is that they were 0-4 this week, despite of Curry's ridiculous numbers and only 3.5 games ahead of the Lakers. In this slop-fest against the struggling Philadelphia 76ers, where both teams had at least 20 turnovers that led to 20 points for the opposing tea,. Stephen Curry was stayed hot. Hitting 11 of 20 from the field for 30 points and 8 assists. Klay Thompson chipped in for 29 points, 7 of 12 from the three. But the Sixers would not give this game away. Jrue Holiday went off for 27 points on 11 of 20 shooting, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. While his back court mate, Evan Turner goes for 22 points (10-15), 10 rebounds and 9 assist to end Philly's 7 game losing streak.

Rookie Watch: At this point of the season, there is no doubt that Damian Lillard is a lock for the ROY award. The rookie had 24 points (9 of 18), 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead his Blazers to victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. J.J Hickson went for 18 points (7 of 8) and 16 boards. The shooting woes of the Wolves continued last night, as the team shot 39 percent from the field, and only 1 of 12 from downtown. They did not hit a three until the last 45 seconds of the game. Derrick Williams had a team-high 23 points on 20 shots and 8 rebounds in the losing effort

Javale McGee spikes Damian Lillard's shot into the face of Corey Brewer.

Any Javale McGee moment in the NBA is the best moment. Somethings just never change, he might have left the Washington Wizards, but its team spirit will always be with him. You would think that by his 7th season in the league, he would start trying to keep blocked shot in bounds for his teammates to grab, but nope. If it flies, Javale is smacking it into the stands and unfortunately for Corey Brewer, who just so happened to be in the way, caught the basketball at the wrong time. Poor guy, I can't imagine what it is like putting up with him everyday. At least there will never be a dull moment.

The Round Up - February 27th, 2013.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Bright Lights: Without their All-Star big man, David Lee (suspension), the Golden State Warriors headed into the Madison Square Garden to face off against the New York Knicks for a night that they will never forget. Carmelo Anthony had a team-high 35 points (10 of 26) and 8 assists. Tyson Chandler chipped in for 16 points and a career high 28 rebounds. Despite the outcome, which favored the Knicks, the spotlight was on Stephen Curry all night, as the Golden State point guard goes off for a career high 54 points on 18 of 28 shooting, 11 of 13 from three, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. If only he got some help from his teammates.

Take a look at his shot chart.

Via: @nbastats

Wild Charge: The Houston Rockets took an early 20-4 lead against the Milwaukee Bucks, who returned with a 29-16 run to make this into a game. James Harden had 25 points (8 of 18), 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Omer Asik added 16 points and 22 rebounds. Tied with 6 seconds left on the clock, Monta Ellis hits an off balance three to win the game for the Bucks. The shooting guard finished with 27 points on 24 shots, 6 rebounds, 13 assists and 6 steals.

Burning Upset: The Phoenix Suns, the worst team in the west, took down the mighty San Antonio Spurs in overtime. Walking fossil, Jermaine O'neal led the way with 22 points (8 of 14) and 13 rebounds. While the Spurs' Tim Duncan goes for 19 points (6 of 15) and 11 boards to become the 11th player in NBA history to have 20,000 points and 13,000 rebounds. Tony Parker added 22 points on 20 shots and dished out 8 assists. The Suns down 3, with less than 4 seconds remaining found a wide open Wes Johnson for three to force overtime, where the Phoenix would outscore the Spurs 5 to 1.

Don't Call it a Comeback: The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 25 point deficit in the second half for the win against the Dallas Mavericks. After giving up 38 points in just the first quarter to their opponents, the Grizzlies held the Mavs to only 5 points in the third quarter, while they go on a 24-0 run to get back into the game. Zach Randolph got 22 points and 10 rebounds. His front court mate, Marc Gasol dropped 21 points and snagged 12 boards. Dirk Nowitzski had only 10 points, but it was enough for him to pass Larry Bird for the 21st all-time in Field Goals Made.

After starting 1 of 15 from the field, the Cleveland Cavaliers fought back from a 14 point lead by making 20 of their next 31 shots. In the absence of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters stepped up again for 23 points (7 of 16), and 6 assists. Toronto made a 9-0 run late in this game, but the effort was just a step behind as they fall to the Cavs. DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 34 points on 10 of 19 shooting.

Fantasy Shoutouts: Brandon Knight went off for a career high 32 points on 11 of 18 shooting (5 of 6 from three), and 4 assists. His teammate, Jose Calderon had only 6 points, but he dished out 18 assists in the Detroit Piston's win over the Washington Wizards.

Al Horford had his way against the giants of the Utah Jazz, the Florida product got 34 points (14 of 22), and 15 boards. Josh Smith added 24 points (9 of 19), 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. Al Jefferson of the Jazz scored a team-high 26 points (12 of 22) and grabbed 11 rebounds in the loss.

For the first time in his career, Russell Westbrook shot 50 percent from the field in a month (February). The explosive point guard finished with 29 points on 8 of 17 shooting, while his buddy, Kevin Durant messed around and got a triple double in 27 minutes of play. KD had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 dimes in the 45 point blowout victory over the New Orleans Hornets.

The game between Denver and Portland went down to the wire, with the fate of the Blazers on LaMarcus Aldridge, who just missed the basket in the final seconds to tie things up. He had 22 points on 24 shots and 5 rebounds. Rookie, Damian Lillard got 26 points (8 of 14) and 4 assists. For Denver, Andre Iguodala went for 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals. Ty Lawson chipped in for 30 points on 12 of 22 shooting.

Highlights

Real Fancy: Tyreke Evans threw an incredible no look pass and it didn't get picked off.

Bromance: Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons have quite the chemistry.