NBA Playoffs Weekend Round Up.

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New York Knicks 85 - Boston Celtics 78

The New York Knicks laid the pipe down on the Boston Celtics to take the first lead in a potential 7 game series. Carmelo Anthony was very much like his scoring champion self, going off for 36 points on 13 of 29 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and dishing his only assist of the afternoon to Kenyon Martin for the game sealing lay-up. The rest of his Knicks teammates weren't of much help with only three other players in double figures. But it wasn't necessarily their fault either, with Melo playing ISO for the majority of the game, the beautiful New York ball movement that initially got them here, wasn't in play. Fortunately, their opponents could not buy a shot either, going absolute zero in the second half, scoring only 8 points in the 4th quarter, to add to the 8 of 20 total turnovers they had in the final 12 minutes. It wasn't all bad though, Jeff Green did have a huge first half (26 on 8 of 15 shooting, and 7 rebounds), before fading to the background.

#PIPE

Denver Nuggets 97 - Golden State Warriors 95

The Nuggets defeated the visiting Warriors because we all predicted that 37 year old Andre Miller and his magical baby hair would come off the bench for 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting, 5 assists, and to score the game winning basket against their opponents, on that dust covered body of his, right? I mean, it only makes sense that the hunched back, back up point guard of Denver would use his rather large bottom to bully his defenders for 28 points. In all seriousness, the Nuggets played a great game, holding Stephen Curry to 7 of 20 shooting for 19 points and 9 assists is not easy. But you have to feel for the Warriors, losing David Lee at this stage to a tore right hip flexor does nothing good to their second round odds. Get well, soon, fellow lefty.

Brooklyn Nets 106 - Chicago Bulls 89

To sum this up quickly, the Brooklyn Nets scored 35 points in the second quarter on an incredible 80 percent shooting, while the Chicago Bulls finished the first half with only 35 points. The Nets had a 35 point lead by halftime and if you take a look at the final score, it clearly didn't get any better for the Bulls.

This .GIF is pretty much the current state of Chicago, and unless Joakim Noah gets healthy, this will end in five. That or Derrick Rose comes back, but that is highly unlikely to happen and even if it does, there are no guarantees.

Los Angeles Clippers 112 - Memphis Grizzlies 91

In the rematch of the two hated rivals that met in the first round of last year's playoffs, things, for the most part were close, at least it was until it got to the fourth quarter, where this happened.

Despite of their size, the Memphis Grizzlies got dominated on the glass, grabbing an embarrassing 23 boards compared to Clippers' 47. Chris Paul finished with a game-high 23 points (7 of 11), and 7 assists in the win. The Clippers out-shot Memphis 74 to 71, hitting 55 percent of their attempts, while their opponents shot 47 percent from the floor.

Indiana Pacers 107 - Atlanta Hawks 90

The Pacers won and the Hawks lost. So let's just leave it at that. I don't want to waste any words on the series that no one wanted and are subjected to watch Josh Smith throw up bricks after bricks from three point land. You wouldn't want to end up like this fella here, would you?

Anyway, Paul George went off for his second career playoff triple double to become the first Pacer since Mark Jackson in 1998 to do it. He had a game high 23 points on a poor 3 of 13 shooting, 11 boards and 12 assists in the victory.

San Antonio Spurs 91 - Los Angeles Lakers 79

Kobe is great on Twitter and all, but unless he is in uniform, the Lakers have no shot at beating the Spurs and this first game is enough to prove it. The Spurs, despite shooting a horrible 38 percent from the field won handily with a injured Tony Parker, who had 18 points on 21 shots and 8 assists. Manu's God Mode self was back, hitting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc for his 18 points. Tim Duncan added 17 and 10 in their first win of the series. Dwight Howard led his team with 20 points (8 of 12) and 15 boards. The Lakers played them close early, but the lack of depth and defense is not exactly the formula they need to get past the first round.

Miami Heat 110 - Miwaukee Bucks 87

As expected, the Miami Heat took care of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of what will be a very short series. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we should just advance the Heat to the next round. This is completely pointless, but here are some LeBron stats: 27 points on 9 of 11 shooting, including 8 of 9 from inside the paint. He also had 10 rebounds and 8 assists in 35 minutes to flirt with a triple double, because he can.

Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis combined for 48 points on 39 shots, with this loss, Brandon has only 5 more games to owe up to his ridiculous prediction that no one should really blame him for but we should anyway because it is hilarious.

Oklahoma City Thunder 120 - Houston Rockets 91

The Rockets shot 36 percent from the field. The Thunder shot 53 percent.
James Harden had 20 points on 19 shots. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 43 on 30 shots.
And these are James Harden's tears.

I know this one is a little late, and it looks kind of rushed, but I promise the next one would be better and not full of .GIFs. That is unless you want it to be. You can't see it, but I am winking at you right now. And totally not in the creepiest way possible.

The Round Up - April 9th, 2013.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights:

Boom: Russell Westbrook is more athletic than you.

The Round Up - April 5th, 2013.

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This is going to be a quick one, games weren't all that great yesterday, thought the schedule would be better today, but then I opened up ESPN. Anyways, here are the recaps.

Apple Man: After going off for 50 points on Tuesday and then 40 points on Wednesday, Carmelo Anthony took a day off before following both performances with 41 points on 17 of 28 shooting and 14 rebounds on Friday night in the win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks. In the last three games, Melo, not only tied the Knicks franchise record with 3 straight 40+ point games (previously held by future Hall of Famer, Bernard King), he also became the first player since Michael Jordan to score 40 plus and shoot 60 percent in 3 straight since 1991. J.R. Smith came off the bench for 30 points (11 of 22) and 10 rebounds to extend the New York winning streak to 11. The Bucks had them early, but after the third quarter, the game was a whole different story. Who knew letting your opponents drop 42 right out of half time can cost you the lead?

Dynamic Duo: Against the top ranked Indiana defense, the Oklahoma City Thunder and their second best offense, stormed their opponents out of the gym with a 22 point win. Everything was calm and close until the Thunder decided to score 25 points in the 4th quarter, while holding the Pacers to only 8. Kevin Durant scored 15 of those 25 points to finish with a game-high 34 points (13 of 21) and 9 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 24 points on 24 shots, 7 boards and 9 assists. For those who care, Kevin Durant is still the current leading scorer in the NBA, but only by a small margin. Trailing close behind is Carmelo, who played 14 games less than the reigning scoring champ.

Walking Canes: In a game that should have never aired on ESPN or any other national network, Mike Miller took us back to the Jurassic period (Get it? It's because he's old and Jurassic Park 3D was released this week, perfect timing. This is not a plug by the way, I wish I could tell you that I got paid for that, but no. Apparently, the guys at Universal Studios were out of budget, at least that is what they told me.), with 26 points, 7 of 11 from the land of triceratops, and 5 rebounds to lead the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Ray Allen-less Miami Heat to a win over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Reptilians: The Toronto Raptors won an actual close game, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves on a Ricky Rubio free throw miss that could have tied the game. Super efficient shooters, Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan combined for 51 points on a total of 46 shots. Real life caveman, Nikola Pekovic of the Wolves arrived on Earth too early, his 24 points (6 of 12) and 8 rebounds was just not enough to fend off the giant red lizards.

Don't Call It A Comeback: The Golden State Warriors fought back from 18 down to defeat the Phoenix Suns. Stephen Curry shot a poor 6 of 15 from the field for 18 points, but he did most of his damage in the other highly underrated faucet of his game with 15 assists. The Suns wasted a rare 61 percent team shooting performance and a career high 32 points (11 of 13) from Goran Dragic in their 8th straight loss.

8th Seed Struggle: The Lakers (vs. Grizzlies) and Jazz (vs. Hornets) both won yesterday, which means that they are now tied in the win column, but Utah falls behind in the the race with one more loss on their record (due to more games played).

Fantasy Shoutouts: Without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett , the Boston Celtics would fall to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tristan Thompson had 29 points on 10 of 17 shooting and 17 boards to finally put an end to their 10 game losing streak.

The Chicago Bulls escapes another one without 5 of their guys in the victory over the Orlando Magic. It wasn't pretty, but Beno Udrih did score 27 points (10 of 17), to go with his 5 boards and 7 dimes in the place of Jameer Nelson.

In the 18 point win against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Houston Rockets outscored their opponents in every single quarter, getting a combined effort of 55 points from James Harden (33) and Jeremy Lin (22). For the Blazers, only LaMarcus Aldridge showed up to work, going off for 32 points (12 of 19) and 13 rebounds to lead the NBA with seven games of at least 30 points and 10 boards.

The Round Up - April 3rd, 2013.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Round Up - March 15th, 2013.

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Rocket Fuel: Down 20 points early in the third quarter, the Houston Rocket fought back from a 15 turnover first half to take down the Minnesota Timberwolves on a 69 to 43 run in the second half. The run, powered by James Harden's 37 points on 8 of 16 shooting (5 of 10 from three), 7 rebounds and 8 assists, had more than just one energy source. His back court partner, Jeremy Lin erupted for an additional 24 points (8 of 15), 8 dimes and 4 steals to complete the comeback. Minnesota still without Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic, Andrei Kirilenko, had to rely on Derrick Williams's 19 points (7 of 14), which as you could tell from the result, was not nearly enough.

Mamba-less Pack: Fueled by the courage displayed by Kobe Bryant in his 12 minutes of scoreless and meaningless play in the first quarter on a severely sprained ankle, the Lakers would rally to defeat the Indiana Pacers on the road. Dwight Howard had 20 points (7 of 17), 12 rebounds and a surprising even amount of contribution across the board from his teammates, who went off for 13 of 26 from the beyond the arc. Indiana was less fortunate, getting absolutely no help from anyone on offense besides George Hill and Paul George, who had 27 points (11 of 19) and 20 points on 20 shots respectively.

Wild Fire: The Miami Heat won again, which means they have now won 21 games in a row, making this the third longest winning streak in NBA history. LeBron James finished with 28 points on 12 of 24 shooting, 10 rebounds and 7 dimes. Chris Bosh went off for another 28 points (12 of 16) and 7 boards in the victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, who never really stood a chance, despite getting a 26 point (10 of 20) and 17 rebound effort from Ersan Ilyasova.

Tropical Storm: After leading by as much as 27 points in the game, the Oklahoma City Thunder would allow the Orlando Magic to crawl back within 4 points in the final 5 minutes. But that would be as close as the Magic would get as the Thunder would hold off the impending attack for their 7th straight win at home. Kevin Durant had 26 points on 8 of 15 shooting and 9 rebounds, including a few jumpers in the 4th quarter that put this game out of reach. Russell Westbrook added 23 points on 19 shots, 6 rebounds and 6 dimes. For Orlando, it was Jameer Nelson that carried the bulk of the offense, going for 26 points (10 of 22) and 7 assists.

Fantasy Shoutout: John Wall went off for 29 points on 12 of 15 shooting and 9 assists to lead his Washington Wizards to victory against the New Orleans Hornets.

Rudy Gay had 28 points (11 of 16) to tear up the visiting Charlotte Bobcats by 14 points in the Raptors' win. The Cats did not have the greatest night shooting the ball, hitting only 33 percent of their shots compared to the Raps' 49 from the field.

A Few Notes: Following their 42 point loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, it was the Chicago Bulls, that did the stomping of their opponents on Friday, as they defeat the Golden State Warriors by 18 points. Luol Deng led the way with 26 points (9 of 16) and 6 boards. Carlos Boozer chipped in with 21 points (9 of 17), 9 rebounds and 5 assists. The Bulls held Stephen Curry to only 2 of 13 from the field and 0 of 5 from the three to snap the point guard's 53 game streak with at least a three pointer made in each.

In the battle between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies for the third seed in the West, it was youth and speed that came out on top. With this win, Denver extends their winning streak at home to 15 and 11 overall. This game also marks their 48th straight time in this season, where they have outscored their opponents in the paint, including the 50 to 36 point advantage they had on the Grizzlies. For the most part, this game was close, until Denver went on a scoring tear in the 4th, going off for 29 points, which works out to be exactly 15 points more than their opponents. Kosta Koufas, who has been great through out the entire winning streak, had 18 points (7 of 9) and a career-high 16 rebounds, while Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies went for 18 points (6 of 14) and 18 boards in the losing effort.

The Round Up - March 8th, 2013.

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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 6th, 2013.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights

Yawn: ZZZzzzzz.

The Round Up - March 3rd, 2013.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

Engulfed in Flames: The Miami Heat haven't lost a game since February 1st, as they improve to a franchise record breaking 14 straight wins, in the victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday morning. LeBron James led the charge with 29 points on 12 of 23 shooting, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and a breakaway dunk to ice the game. Dwyane Wade added 20 points (8 of 16), 8 boards and 8 assists. After trailing by 14 points in the first half, the Heat came out of the break to outscore the Knicks 54 (46 of which belonged to the Big 3) to 34 in the second to defeat New York. Carmelo Anthony had 32 points (9 of 19), while Jason Kidd came off the bench to hit 4 of his 5 three point attempts for 14 points.

Storm The House: Up by as much as 19 points on the Los Angeles Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder that once looked likely to blowout their conference rival, would let up in the final two quarters to allow the Clippers to creep within reach for a scare. Kevin Durant had 35 points (10 of 25), and 9 rebounds. Russell Westbrook went off for 29 points (11 of 20), 6 rebounds and 10 dimes. With less than 2 minutes to play, Clippers would get their first lead of the game, but the Thunder would prove to be too much, as they pile on the lead, which they topped off with a Russell Westbrook jumper to ice the game. Chris Paul finished with 26 points on 21 shots, 6 boards, 8 assists and 4 steals. Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford scored 20 points each in the Clipper's third straight loss to the Thunder of the season.

Power Surge: The Indiana Pacers moved to second place in the East with the win against the shorthanded Chicago Bulls. The Bulls, who were without Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson, could not execute late in the game, as they watch Indiana's David West go off for 31 points (11 of 18) and 7 rebounds. George Hill got 21 points on a perfect 6 of 6 from the field, 6 boards and 5 dimes. Jimmy Butler of the Bulls came off the bench for a career high 20 points, to score a three pointer to cut the Indiana lead to 3 in the last 26 seconds.  The Bulls would get two more chances to tie the game, but would fail on both, resulting in this reaction from their Coach.

Via: @cjzero

I think Thibs maybe a little mad.

Young Guns: Chandler Parsons of the Houston Rockets exploded for a career-high 32 points on 12 of 13 shooting, and 6 of 7 from downtown, to become the first player since Larry Bird in 1986 to shoot 92 percent from the field and score at least 30 points (with a minimum of 6 three pointers attempted). This was his shot chart.

Via: @nbastats

James Harden and Jeremy Lin chipped in for 21 points each in victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

On The Tracks: The Los Angeles Lakers finally reached the .500 mark with the win over the Atlanta Hawks. Despite turning the ball over 21 times, the Lakers were able fight off their opponents for the win in the closing seconds. Down 1 with 26 seconds remaining, Kobe Bryant, who led all scorers with 34 points on 13 of 27 shooting, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, drove to the rim to hit the game winning lay up. Al Horford of the Hawks, scored a team-high 24 points and snagged 5 boards.

A Few Notes: Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies played pretty well in the 26 point win against the Orlando Magic, he finished with 12 points (5 of 6), 5 boards and 11 dimes to become the first center since 2008 to dish out 11 assists.

It was all John Wall in the last minute of the contest between the Philadelphia 76ers and Washington Wizards. After hitting two free throws to put his team on top, Wall would make a huge defensive play down the stretch, blocking Evan Turner's jumper, and then following it with a 20 foot dagger to seal the win for the Wizards. Rookie Bradley Beal suffered a sprain ankle late in the fourth quarter, he is listed as day-to-day.

The Charlotte Bobcats are still a depressing bunch, falling into their 6th straight lost, after a 39 point ass-whooping from the Sacramento Kings.

A Tony Parker-less San Antonio Spurs demolished the Detroit Pistons by 39 points. Tim Duncan had 16 points (7 of 14), 11 boards, 6 assists and 5 blocks to make up for his All-Star point guard's absence, who is out for 4 weeks to recover from a grade 2 ankle sprain.

Highlights

Erased: Blake, administrative officer of Gryffindor rejects Nick Collison's application letter.

Routine: Booooooooring.

The Round Up - March 1st, 2013.

Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images

High Altitude: In the game of the night, the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center for the chance to take a one game lead in their regular season series. Kevin Durant had 25 points on 9 of 20 shooting and 14 rebounds. Russell Westbrook erupted for 38 points (12 of 23), 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a tough loss to the Nuggets. Denver, with only one starter in double digits, relied on Wilson Chandler, who came off the bench for a career high tying 35 points (13 of 19) on 6 of 7 shooting from the three, for all of the offense. He contributed to a Nuggets' bench that outscored OKC's 71 to 11. With the game tied up at 103 in the last 11 seconds, Ty Lawson goes iso on defensive specialist, Thabo Sefolosha to hit the game winning shot that finally brought "Bernie" back into the general public. Thanks for making it cool again, short fella.

Saddle Down: Up 85-66 early in the 4th quarter, the visiting Dallas Mavericks were sure to defeat the Brooklyn Nets in their home. But then they became the Mavericks again, allowing the Nets to crawl back within 5 points in less than a minute to play. Fortunately, the Nets would just come up short in their comeback attempt. Deron Williams, who has started to look like himself in the last few games, had a game-high 24 points (8 of 18), with 7 turnovers. Brook Lopez chipped in for 19 points on 14 shots and 9 rebounds. Dirk and Vince Carter both got 20 points each in the losing effort.

Beard Fuel: James Harden powered his team to victory again, in the win against the Orlando Magic. The Beard finished with 24 points (7 of 18), 7 rebounds and 8 assists. While his teammates, Chandler Parsons and Carlos Delfino combined for 42 points (21 each) to lend the follicles on James's chin some help. Newly acquired Tobias Harris of the Magic (former Buck), went off for a career high 27 points on 11 of 15 shooting, and 10 rebounds.

Burnt Bears: Despite LeBron getting only 4 points through 3 quarters, the Miami Heat still came out on top against the Memphis Grizzlies thanks to some late game heroics from the headband guy. That guy finished with a total of 8 rebounds, 10 assists and 18 points (4 of 14), 8 of which, were the last points of the Heat, including a 3 pointer in the remaining 24 seconds to ice the game. However, this poor shooting performance ends his 14 game streak of shooting 50 percent from the field. Dwyane Wade went for 22 points (9 of 16), and 8 assists. Marc Gasol led all Grizzlies with 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting, 9 boards and 4 dimes. This loss snaps Memphis's 8 game winning streak, while extending Miami's win streak to 13, the franchise's longest in the big 3 era.

Capital: The New York Knicks, with only 2 players besides Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton in double figures, managed to take down the Washington Wizards in the Nation's Capital. Melo got 30 points on 24 shots, and 6 rebounds. Felton added 23 points (9 of 18) and also 6 rebounds. Washington's rookie, Bradley Beal was a monster for his team again, going off for a career high 29 points on 10 of 21 shooting, and 11 boards. With 4 made threes in this game, Beal became the Wizards' all time rookie 3 point made leader.

Green Truth: Kevin Garnett passed Hakeem Olajuwon for 11th on the NBA all time rebounding list, with his 13 boards and 7 points (2-10) in the Celtics win. Paul Pierce led the way with 26 points (9 of 15), and 8 rebounds. Their opponents, the Golden Warriors could not make their shot fall last night, shooting 34 percent from the field. Stephen Curry did get 6 assists and 25 points, but he was 6 of 22 from the field and 3 of 11 from downtown.

Stinger: The New Orleans Hornets-Soon-To-Be-Pelicans don't have much going for them right now, but they have quite a future ahead. Their Most Improved Player Award candidate, Marques Vasquez had his fingerprints all over the game with 9 assists (0 turnovers) and 25 points (8 of 15), 2 of which came in the last 12 seconds of the game to give his team a three point lead, to seal the game. Eric Gordon added 21 points on 6 of 18 shooting. For the Pistons, sophomore Greg Monroe had 27 points (11 of 22), and 10 rebounds. His fellow 2nd year teammate, Brandon Knight got 22 points on 10 of 18 shooting.

Fantasy Shoutouts: In his second start of his career, Enes Kanter of the Utah Jazz, went off for 23 points (10 of 22) and 22 rebounds in the 30 point win over the Charlotte Bobcats. The Turkish Center finished with only 2 rebounds short of tying the entire Bobcats squad, who grabbed a total of 24.

Sacramento King's Marcus Thornton continues his hot shooting in the 28 point loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The shooting guard came off the bench for 25 points on 8 of 13 shooting and 5 assists. Meanwhile, Manu Ginobili of the Spurs goes for a career high 15 assists, which is the most off the bench in the franchise.

Jamal Crawford scored a game-high 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting (3 of 5 from three) to lead the Clippers to a 16 point win against the Kyrie Irving-less Cleveland Cavaliers.

Highlights

Elder Abuse: Tim Duncan's defense has no effect on DeMarcus Cousins.

Frequent Flyer: What did I say about not fouling Blake Griffin when he reaches for the ball in the air? You are only going to make his dunks cooler.

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.

The Round Up - February 13th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights

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

Reverse: Tyson opted to throw it down backwards.

The Round Up - February 12th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Closer: Do you remember when the Raptors would always get into close games and lose by a single basket? Well, since they have added Rudy Gay, they don't that a problem anymore, at least not as often. In the absence of Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, the Denver Nuggets would fall to the Toronto Raptors, thanks to the late game heroics of Rudy Gay. Rudy finished with 17 points on 6 of 14 shooting and 4 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan led his team with 22 points (8 of 18) and 8 rebounds. This game was not just a two man effort, John Lucas III came off the bench to hit 4 of his 5 threes in the fourth quarter. He and Alan Anderson combined for 22 of the Rap's 27 4th quarter points. Ty Lawson put up a valiant effort of 29 points (12 of 20) and 9 assists, he had an opportunity to win the game for Denver, but his floater with fall short.

Savior: Rudy Gay will have his way.

 

Makin' History: In his last 6 games, LeBron James have scored at least 30 points in each contest and shot 72 percent from the field. Of his total 92 shot attempts, 54 of which were inside the paint and he converted 46 of them. These numbers make him the first player in the NBA to score at least 30 points at 60 percent (or more) in a 6 game stretch. Yesterday, against the Portland Trail Blazers, he had 30 points on 11 of 15 shooting and 9 assists in the victory. Chris Bosh added 32 points (13 of 16) and 11 rebounds. While Dwyane Wade went for 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Legend in the Making: This man will finish as one of the top 2 greatest players in the NBA.

 

The Blazers played a great game, they started off hot, but were not able to keep it up in the fourth. Allowing your opponents to go on a 18-5 run to end the game isn't likely going to help you win games. The future Rookie of the Year, Damian Lillard scored a game high 33 points (10 of 18), LaMarcus Aldridge stepped in for 29 points (13 of 20) and 5 rebounds.

Bear Hug: The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Sacramento Kings on Marc Gasol's 24 points (8 of 13) and 12 rebounds. Tony Allen, yea you read it right, Tony Allen chipped in for 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting and 8 rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points (8 of 15), 7 rebounds and 5 steals in the Kings' 5th straight loss on the road.

Jam Up: Tony Allen can do more than just defense.

 

BIG men game: The bigs of the Jazz bullied the Thunder inside all night. Al Jefferson, took away of OKC's lunches with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Kevin Durant countered with 33 points on 11 of 16 shooting, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, but his resistance was futile in the loss.

Serge Protector: Ibaka will allow none of your weak lay up attempts.

 

Sick Joke: Someone please tell me that this isn't true. In the Lakers' victory over the Phoenix Suns, Kobe Bryant only scored 4 points and had 9 assists. He did not attempt a single field goal in the first half and was actually able to live with himself. Who is this guy? And why are you messing with Kobe. I mean, his first and only field goal make was in the last 2 minutes of the game, what in the world is going on?

Outplayed: After the Rockets dropped 140 points in their last match up, the Warriors were looking for some revenge at home. However things didn't work out to their favor. James Harden went off for just another night of 27 points (7 of 22), 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Chandler Parsons helped with 21 points (9 of 15), 8 rebounds and 9 assists. The duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 49 points on 40 attempts (Klay shot 9 of 21 from the field).

Extra: Ivan Johnson has his own big head, Terrence Ross's dunk was pretty cool, Kobe was a fish in his past life and Dwight Howard finally took off his silly head band.

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.

The Round Up - February 6th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Jason Terry has a unique taste in head bands. Via: @mcten

There were 13 games last night, but only a few of them were worth watching.

Burnt Beard: Despite James James Harden going off for 36 points on 10 of 16 shooting, 12 rebounds and 7 assists, his teammates would fail to produce enough to defeat the Miami Heat. LeBron James led his team with 32 points (11 of 18), 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Dwyane Wade added 31 points (9 of 18), 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals and a touch down from his own free throw line.

Glove: Mini LeBron, Eric Bledsoe had great game again in the place of Chris Paul. The back up point guard got 27 points (9 of 21), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals and 3 blocks in the victory over the Orlando Magic. The Clippers snapped their 3 game losing streak.

Dishin': Jeff Teague has taken his game to a whole new level this season. He had 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting, 2 rebounds and 13 assists, one of which fed the hungry Ivan Johnson on the break against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Time Machine User: The Boston Celtics are still getting it done without Rondo and Sullinger. In last night's win against the Toronto Raptors, the men in green gets their 5th straight win. Kevin Garnett scored 11 of his 27 (11 of 18) in the 4th quarter to help outscore the Raptor 30 to 16 in final 12 minutes. The grizzled veteran also grabbed 10 boards for a double-double.

One Gear: Since John Wall's return, the Washington Wizards have completely transformed into another team. With the victory over the New York Knicks yesterday, they have now won 7 of their last 8 home games. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 31 points on 10 of 23 shooting, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. While John Wall goes by everybody for 21 points (8 of 18), 5 rebounds and 9 assists.

Green Light: In the absence of Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, Danny Green and Tony Parker took over against the also injury riddled Minnesota Timberwolves. Danny Green hit a career high 8 three pointers on 12 attempts to drop 28 points in the win. Tony Parker chipped in for 31 points (11 of 23), 5 rebounds and 8 assists.

Miracle Whipped: The rivalry between the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers have become increasingly interesting over this season. Tied at one a piece for both teams, Dallas decided to take the lead in the series on OJ Mayo's 28 points (11 of 14), 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge put up a good effort with 27 points on 11 of 22 shooting, and 10 rebounds, but his team would fall short.

Highlights

Wingspan: DeAndre Jordan abuses poor Nikola Vucevic.

Fancy: You would think DeJuan Blair could guard that pass. Seeing that he probably has to deal with it in practice when Manu Ginobili does it on him.

The Round Up - February 2nd, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Tony Dejak/AP Photo

One Man Team: In his first game without the mask, Kyrie Irving dragged his lottery bound team to a hard fought victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Dynamic Duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 60 points, but it was no match for Kyrie's 35 points (12 of 23). In the fourth quarter, with less than 3 minutes left in the game clock, the unmasked sophomore scored 13 points to take the win over the second best team in the West.

Hot Hand: Coming back from another ankle injury, Stephen Curry showed no signs of rust, dropping 29 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the three, while dishing out 8 dimes. Harrison Barnes tied his career high with 21 points (9 of 11), and 8 rebounds in the Warriors' fourth straight win.

Horns: Without Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich, the Chicago Bulls still somehow managed to defeat the Atlanta Hawks by 17 points. Luol Deng led the team with 25 points (10 of 21), 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Taj Gibson added 19 points and a career high 19 rebounds. Of course both of them would play for more than 40 minutes, because you will never expect anything less from Coach Thibs.

Domination: The New York Knicks crushed the Sacramento Kings 120 - 81 at the Madison Square Garden. There is not much to say. Carmelo Anthony scored his 17,000th point, but snapped his 31 game streak with 20+ points when he finished with only 9 points on the night. Tyson Chandler grabbed 20 rebounds to become the second Knick to do it in two consecutive games since 1985-86'. Amare Stoudemire came off the bench for a perfect 10 of 10 from the field for 21 points and 6 rebounds. J.R. Smith went 7 of 14 from the three for 25 points to add to the total 19 threes that the Knicks made.

In summary:

This is the Knicks (Via: @TheKnicksWall):

And this is the Kings (Via: @TheKnicksWall):

The never ending loop of struggle faces.  

Rookie Watch: At this point, the ROY award already belongs to Damian Lillard right? The rookie from the Portland Trail Blazers had a game-high 23 points on 9 of 17 shooting, and 8 assists in victory over the Utah Jazz.

First Beard: James Harden recorded his first career triple double last night against the Charlotte Bobcats. He went for 21 points on 6 of 11 shooting, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the W. Patrick Patterson dropped in 24 points, as did Chandler Parsons, who also grabbed 10 boards. Some bad news for the Bobcats, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist took a hard during this game, he had to be carried out on a stretcher, it is reported that he has suffered a concussion.

Sneaky: This is what happens when you don't box out, folks.

The Houston commentators just compared Chandler Parsons to Michael Jordan, showing thier extensive knowledge about the NBA. 

Highlights

Ricky Rubio everything.

Always Fancy: Ricky Rubio still can not make a normal pass, and we love him for that.

Skyscraper: Everyone benefits from Ricky, even Dante Cunningham, who went for a franchise high, 9 for 9 from the field (most FGM without a miss) in the win against the New Orleans Hornets.

NBA Bloopers of January 2013.

This edition comes with cartoon sound effects.

The Round Up - January 30th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Via: @cjzero

Up-do: Michael Beasley must have taken my advice and stopped eating chicken tenders + fries before games. The man of many hair-dos came off the bench for a game-high 27 points on 12 of 20 shooting, 6 rebounds and 5 steals to end the Lakers' 3 game winning streak. The Lakers had a 13 point lead early the fourth quarter, but gave it up once Dwight Howard left the game after a shoulder injury. They gave up a 19-8 run to the Suns and remained winless on the road in 2013.

Not-So-Fun Fact: Steve Nash had only 2 assists in this game, which ties for the fewest he has ever delivered in a game.

Maybe if Kobe dunked this, he would have at least got his third. (Via: SB Nation)

Where is Kobe and what did you do with him? We now live in a world where Kobe rondos in transition. For shame.

FROLO: Sorry Bynum, for the first time, your hair was not the best of the night. (Via: SB Nation)

Tiny Assassin: Tony Parker is holding it down for his Spurs in the absence of Tim Duncan. The French point guard had 22 points (9 of 10), 7 assists and 3 steals to take down the Charlotte Bobcats. This win in San Antonio is their 17th straight, which ties for the third longest streak in their franchise.

Energy Ball: In his first 9 minutes into the game, Nate Robinson came off the bench to score 14 points on 6 of 6 shooting for his total 24 points (9 of 11). He also handed out 4 assists, stole 3 basketballs and completed his first dunk since the 2010-2011 season in the victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Stacey King must be off the medication that helps keep his composure during Bulls games.

Rookie Watch: Anthony Davis went for 14 points (7 of 9), 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in only 22 minutes of play against the Utah Jazz. The Utah would come out on top thanks to the Giant 2. Paul Millsap had 25 points and 10 rebounds. While Al Jefferson added 22 and 5.

Eat Your Words: After trash talking LeBron and the Heat up prior to the game, Reggie Evans would be the one that fails to back it up. Tied at 49 at halftime, the Heat came out of the third quarter to outscore the Nets, 36 to 14, and forced 8 turnovers. The Nets were so bad that Mario Chalmers was able to grab his own rebound on his ass. As you would have guessed, LeBron James's fingerprints were all over this game, he led his team with 24 points (10 of 18), 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the 20 point victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Joe Johnson did kill off the last remaining Boshasaurus in the loss.

No Defense Necessary: When two teams with highest pace in league, Houston Rockets (1) and Denver Nuggets (3) play against each other, defense will be non existent. Jeremy Lin led the Rockets with 22 points (8 of 15), and 5 assists. His majestic facial bearing partner, James Harden got 21 points on 6 of 13 shooting, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. However, the efforts of the two were not enough to trump Danilo Gallinari's 27 points (10 of 17) and the late 17-0 run they allowed Denver.

Exhibit A of the non-existent defense.

 

Javale loves his Italian Food.

Boards: Blake Griffin got his 19th double double of the season last night with his 26 points (11 of 17) and 13 rebounds in the win over the injury riddled Minnesota Timberwolves.

Setting Records: Carmelo Anthony set a new Knicks franchise record with 20+ points in 30 straight games. Tyon Chandler dropped a team-high 21 points on 10 of 11 shooting, to go with his 7 blocks and 5 assists. For the Magic, J.J. Reddick has been hot off the bench lately, he had 29 points (9 of 14) in another loss for the Orlando Magic. More bad news, Glen Davis will be out for the season with a broken foot.

What is better than Iman Shumpert's hi-top fade? Children with Shumpert wigs, of course. (Via: @netw3rk)

Flocks: The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Toronto Raptors with help of their starting front court of Josh Smith, who went for 20 points (7 of 16), and 11 rebounds, as Al Horford chipped in for 22 points (10 of 15), 10 rebounds and 6 assists. There was a questionable no-call in this game that potentially lost the game for the Raptors. Down with 1 with 5 seconds left, after grabbing an offensive rebound off Alan Anderson's miss, DeMar DeRozan went back up for the win, but would miss the shot due to a foul that was unfortunately not called. The Raptors have now lost 10 games this season when tied or leading with 2 minutes left in the fourth. Maybe Rudy Gay can solve the problem.Or maybe the league can stop apologizing to the Raptors and do something about the refs.

Highlights

Swats: Avery Bradley will not allow Isiah Thomas to deliver his Pizzas.

Fancy: Ricky Rubio still can not throw a normal pass to his teammates.