The Round Up - March 23rd, 2013.

Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

Point Guard Wars: This game between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers were close for the most part, until Chris Paul decided to go into God mode in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his total 29 points (and 11 assists) in the final two minutes to carry his team over the Nets. His fellow 2005 draft mate, Deron Williams, who was picked ahead of Chris Paul, had 18 points (6 of 16) and 9 assists. Brook Lopez added another 18 points on 9 of 14 shooting. If you were wondering where Blake Griffin was, he was kept inside Reggie Evan's beard the entire time. Reggie completely removed any substantial impact that Blake was capable of, holding him to only 11 points on 11 shots and 7 boards.

What?!

Carnivorous Bears: The Marc Gasol-less Memphis Grizzlies had a 21 point lead on the Boston Celtics, early in the 4th quarter. But then weird things happened and the Celtics second unit erupted for a 21-4 run to cut the the deficit to 4. Unfortunately, for them, that was as close as would get as they drop their 4th straight, all without Kevin Garnett. Boston are now only 1.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and is clinging on to the 7th seed for dear life. Paul Pierce had a team-high 26 points (10 of 17) and 6 rebounds. Meanwhile, Jerryd Bayless of the Grizzlies came off the bench for 30 points on 11 of 20 shooting in the win.

Defense: When the Indiana Pacers play against the Chicago Bulls, things usually get really ugly and last night was not an exception. Both teams shot under 43 percent from the field, with the team shooting the best percentage coming out on top. Luol Deng had 20 points (7 of 14) and 7 rebounds in the Bulls' win. Carlos Boozer added 18 points on 8 of 15 shooting and 10 boards. Indiana got little to no help from their bench, shooting a horrendous 39 percent as the team, with Paul George in the lead with 23 points (9 of 20) and 11 rebounds.

A Few Notes: In the absence of Ty Lawon (heel), the Denver Nuggets were still able to extend their winning streak to 15 in the near escape from the Sacramento Kings. Kenneth Faried led the way with 17 points (7 of 12) and 9 rebounds. His teammates were no slouches either, with everyone scoring at least two points for Denver. King's DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points (10 of 16) and 15 boards in the losing effort.

Fantasy Shoutouts: Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats had a game-high 25 points (10 of 20) and 4 steals, in the one point loss to the Detroit Pistons. It was Charlie Villanueva who hits the game winning lay up with 15 seconds remaining. The Bobcats had two opportunities down the stretch to win it, but Kemba Walker's jumper would fall short and Josh McRobert's put back attempt on an offensive rebound would get blocked by Rodney Stuckey.

Carmelo Anthony went off for 28 points on 9 of 19 shooting and 8 boards in the second of the back to back games against the Toronto Raptors. J.R. Smith came off the bench for 25 points (9 of 16) and 5 rebounds in the 26 point victory over the league's only team in Canada.

Stephen Curry found his shooting stroke again in this win over the Washington Wizards. He had 35 points on  13 of 18 shooting (6 of 10 from three) and 8 dimes. But like everything else in life, all good things would eventually come to an end, as the point guard rolls his ankle in the fourth quarter and never returned. However, it did help the Warriors, that John Wall would later get ejected in the same quarter after going nutzo on Klay Thompson with threats and stuff.

The Round Up - March 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 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.

The Round Up - March 15th, 2013.

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

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 - February 11th, 2013.

Stats Rundown

Not a great basketball night, if it weren't for Clippers' highlights, I probably wouldn't do this.

This is what Blake Griffin does to you. Via: @TheKnicksWall

Lob City: The Philadelphia 76ers are brutal to watch. Aside from Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, no one has stepped up for this team. The Los Angeles Clippers dominated their opponent at the Wells Fargo Center. Chris Paul had 21 points (9 of 11), 11 assists and 5 steals. Blake Griffin dropped 20 easy ones and grabbed 9 boards. No one on the Sixers scored more than 10 point last night, except for Nick Young, who exploded for 29 points on 10 of 18 shooting and 5 assists.

Aerial Show: You can call this unfair, or you can call it terrible defense.

Claws: The Charlotte Bobcats snapped their 7 game losing in the win over the Boston Celtics to end their 7 game winning streak. So much for Boston being better without Rajon Rondo. Byron Mullens led the Cats with 26 points on 10 of 16 shooting, 4 of 5 from the three, and grabbed 18 boards. Ramon "Clutch" Sessions came off the the bench to add 19 points (6 of 11) and the dagger to ice the game.

Flight and Feathers: Despite Dirk going off for 24 points on 8 of 14 shots, the Atlanta Hawks were able to hold off the Mavericks for the victory. Josh Smith scored a game-high 26 points (10 of 15), went 4 of 5 from the three, which apparently was possible. He also took down 13 rebounds and dished out 6 assists. Al Horford gave an additional 21 points and 10 boards. Jeff Teague sneaked in 20 points and 9 assists.

Steps: What is this thing they call "travelling?" I have never seen such a call blown by the official. Basketball players are not allowed to take more than 2 steps? What a bunch of baloney.

Rookie Watch: If there was an award for a late-blooming rookie of the year, the award would go to Bradley Beal. The Wizards shooting guard got 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting, and 4 rebounds in his team's fourth straight win. Nene chipped in for 21 points (10 of 13) and 13 rebounds. The Milwaukee Bucks were awful, they shot 38 percent from the field. Monta Ellis shot 9 of 21 for 24 points, to go with his 7 rebounds, 8 dimes and 6 steals.

Lopez Bros: For the first time in this season, the Lopez twins both went off for 20+ points on the same night. Brook had 25 points (8 of 19), and 8 rebounds in the loss to the Indiana Pacers. Robin finished with a more efficient 23 points (9 of 13), and 10 rebounds in the New Orleans Hornets' victory over the Detroit Pistons. You can't beat Sideshow Robin.

Depth: Even with the Chicago Bulls out rebounding the Spurs 49 to 26 (17-2 on offensive boards), San Antonio would somehow take out the Bulls without their Big 3 of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. Chicago turned the ball over 19 times to Spurs' 8. Not a thing you would want to see, if you are the Bulls playing against the second unit of the Spurs. Kawhi Leonard had a career high 26 points (11 of 18), and 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nate Robinson led his team on a game-high 20 points (8 of 15) and 7 assists.

Nutmeg'd: Being little has its advantages.

Jordan Crawford ate Skittles in the middle of the game.

Via: SB Nation

Somethings just never change. Even after removing Andray Blatche, the President of the Knuckleheads and Javale McGee, the secretary of  doing stupid things on the court, the effect they left on the Wizards remain in effect. I hope you enjoyed those tropical flavored Skittles, Jordan Crawford, because they didn't help your game very much. He scored only 3 points and went 1 of 5 from the field. John Wall must have wanted to get in on the candy too, as he went for 9 points on 3 of 12 shooting. The rainbow is the devil.

Taj Gibson scored on his own basketball against the Wizards.

Stupid Taj Gibson, the last thing that Washington needs is more help. Oh, wait. They are still the Wizards. Does Taj get an offensive rebound for tipping in his opponent's shot into his own basket though? This is a serious question.

Ish Smith leaped over John Wall and still blocked his shot.

This has probably never happened in the history of NBA. I don't believe anyone has ever jumped over their defensive assignment, land, turn around and then swat the shot with perfect timing. Usually the guy on offense will undercut his opponent for the foul, but I guess John Wall didn't want to risk another injury. This Ish Smith guy must have legs made completely out of fast twitch muscle fibers for him to bounce right up after landing, too bad they would fail him later in the game. Because you see, when you embarrass John Wall at home, good things won't happen to you.

At least his legs got him back up in less than a second.

The Globetrotters grants Kobe's request to play the Washington Generals.

Martinez/Getty

In perhaps the biggest surprise of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are off to their worst start since 1978. After a summer block buster trade that landed Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, this team was expected to be instant Championship contenders. But they now stand at 9-13, they are on a 4 game losing streak into the first quarter of the season. The players are frustrated, and for the first time in his career, Kobe seems lost. He is so defeated that he even suggested playing the Washington Generals in an attempt to bring life back into his team.

“Every game for us has a lot of meaning to it at this point,” Bryant said after a 116-107 loss to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. “Maybe if we were rolling, playing well … at this point, I wish we had the Washington Generals on our schedule.”

Kobe asks, Kobe gets:

For those who don't who the Washington Generals are, they are simply an exhibition basketball team full of losers that never managed to beat the Harlem Globetrotters more than once. There have not been reports of Kobe accepting the offer, but they do play the Washington Wizards today, which is a close second.

Good thing Kobe didn't challenge the Globetrotters, because they got his moves down and are ready to defend against it.

Via: Slam

Javale McGee presents: The Most Javale McGee minute of NBA Basketball.

When Javale McGee was shipped out to Denver, a little part of us died inside. While we are glad that he is developing into a solid NBA player under Coach Karl, we missed the Washington Knucklehead moments. He offered comic relief in those retina torturing games with his volleyball spike blocks that ends up into the cheap seats, the countless unforced turnovers and the most ridiculous dunk attempts during games. But as much as he is trying to shed his image with a healthy amount of consistent play, he is always good for some classic Javale McGee plays and we love him for that.

A D.C. Sports Anchor was a little too excited about the Wizards' win over the Heat.

This dude threw professionalism out the window when the Washington Wizards defeated the Miami Heat, but can you blame him? If your team, that also happens to be the worst in the league, gets their second season victory against the defending champs, you should be allowed to go a little crazy. Just ask the guy that almost killed himself after the first Wizards win, he was lucky Emeka Okafor was there to save his life.

Source: SB Nation

Emeka Okafor caught a falling Wizards fan.

Attention: This is what happens when your favorite team that has gone under a 12 game losing streak to start the season and finally wins one at home.

“I was just so excited about the first win of the season that I leaned over too far,” said the fan, who declined to be named out of embarrassment. “I didn’t realize [Okafor] was too far away.”

“He was falling over and I saw the guy,” Okafor said of the incident. “He was smiling the whole time. Before I got there he had stopped himself. I just helped put him back into the stands.”

 “He was over [the railing] but he had a huge smile on his face. He had absolutely no awareness of the danger he was in,” Okafor said with a laugh. “That’s a first for me. I haven’t seen that before.”

Imagine if the Washington Wizards was extending a win streak instead, he would have done triple bye bye birdie off his seats and planted his head right on the stadium floor. But that was not the case, he is save and alive, and has Emerka Okafor to thank for. Too bad, he will forever be remembered as the way-too-excited guy that almost killed himself in a Wizards game.

Source: Washington Post

Jordan Crawford almost got away with shooting Jan Vesely's free throws.

Oh, man. Jordan Crawford almost pulled one on the referee. You can't blame them, who seriously pays attention to a Washington Wizards and Charlotte Bobcats game. Even the announcers didn't notice until Jan Vesely bricks to two free throws. Do they practice this? I mean it looked so natural, almost like Jan Vesely knew instantly what Jordan Crawford tried to do. I think we can just conclude that Jordan just really likes to shoot the basketball, which speaks for his "great" shot selections in games.

John Wall and Justin Bieber both don't know how to wear pants properly.

John Wall and Justin Bieber would make great friends because they both don't like wearing pants like normal people. They like to show off their underwear and will own the look by probably calling swag, causing millions of more people doing the same. It is 2012 not the early 2000's, nobody should sag their pants anymore and men should not be allowed to wear skinny jeans.

Sources: @BeyondtheBuzzer, Latin Rapper

The Feed: Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers [10/30/12]

Recap:

Kyrie Irving and company defeated the Wall-less Wizards 94 to 84 in the first official game of the 2012 - 2013 season. I know it was not the best way to start the NBA off, but this was surprisingly entertaining to watch. For those who missed out on Kyrie Irving in the previous hectic 66 game season, the reigning Rookie of the Year was ready to put on a show. The Wizards had no answers for the sophomore allowing him to finish the game with 29 points. Without John Wall, and Nene, Washington could not buy any offense, relying on Jordan Crawford, which turned out like you would have guessed. The kid jacked up a shot every time he got the ball, scoring 11 points on 13 attempts.

Anderson Varejao put in a near triple-double performance, with 9 points, 9 assists and a ridiculous 23 boards, something no one has ever done in an opener since Wilt chamberlain in 1967. The "Wild Thang," (Yes, that is his actual nickname, I found out today too.) probably broke another record today, drawing two charges in two consecutive possessions against the same player and no, he did not do any flopping except for the curly locks on his magnificent head. His contribution on the offensive glass (12) created multiple offensive opportunities that eventually led his team to victory. 

Cleveland was in total control of the entire game, leading every quarter except the fourth, where they blew a 16 point lead. The Cav's second unit were just unable to find points and play defense, they got outscored by the Wiz's bench 46 to 23. It didn't really matter though, once Byron Scott re-inserted his starters, the lead was quickly erased, handing Washington, their first loss of the season.
 

Offensive Set:

Cleveland often struggled to score in a half court set, if they don't put a shot up before the opponent's defense are set, they will usually run a pick and roll with the ball handler, who will shoot or attack the basket off the screen. They are most successful with Kyrie and Dion on the floor pushing the pace for a quick bucket.

Majority of the time, Washington, tends to set up in the half court (this is likely not going to become their offensive scheme when John is back, but with A.J. Price as your starting point, somethings had to change). The set they ran the most was a on ball screen, where the ball handler passes to a forward standing on the wing, and cuts through the right side with the help of another 2 screens. The recipient of the ball returns it to the original ball handler who has now on the weak side, where he will either have a shot or a pass to the big man.The Wizards seem to favor an attack on the weak side.

Defensive Set: 

The Cavs traps the ball handler hard when their opponents are setting a screen, this was effective in forcing a few turnovers. However, neither teams played great defensively, Wizards' rotations were horrible, they were either too slow, or late. In the 4th quarter at around the 2 minute mark, Tristan Thompson was left open in the same spot for 3 straight possessions, where he threw down three back-to-back-to-back dunks that were so similar, you would have thought there was a disruption of the TV signal, causing a weird loop.


Rookie Watch:

Dion Waiters simply outplayed Bradley Beal. He has great awareness, taking good shots, making the right plays and oozes confidence. He finished with 17 points in 28 minutes.

Tyler Zeller wasn't really a factor in this game, he did seem nervous to start but managed to get 5 points and 2 boards.

Bradley Beal made a good debut, 8 points, 2/4 from three point within 21 minutes. Wittman should have gave him more opportunities, needs to draw up a few plays for him to be effective as a shooter.

NBA East Preview: Who makes the Playoffs?

The East has been a step behind the West in terms of quality teams. While it houses the reigning NBA champions, achieving a playoff spot in this conference is slightly easier. The competition is lackluster, besides the few notable powerhouses, the rest of the teams are the butt of the NBA. This summer, a lot of new faces arrived in the East. Some soared in the power rankings, where as some dropped. Here are my predictions for the 2012-2013 eastern conference playoff spots.

1. Miami Heat
With the Bulls now out without Derrick Rose and their bench mob, the Heat will take over at the top. The addition of sharp shooters Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will make this team even deadlier. Especially in the small ball offense that they like to run. Look for LeBron to post up more often. He can wreak havoc in the paint by himself, and if you dared to double, his court vision will find an open man, which will result in 3 points. Miami's defense will remain just as irritating, but they will have to come up with a solution for the skilled Big Man (Hibbert and Bynum). It will not be a problem for this team to make it back to the finals this year, but whether they will repeat depends on Wade's pending health.

2. Indiana Pacers
How good Paul George will get this season will define what the Pacers can achieve in the post season. Otherwise this remains a solid team that plays great defense and suffer from occasional offensive droughts.

Granger hasn't improved into the offensive threat they would like, he needs to find consistency, as with much of the other players on this team. Hibbert has to demand the ball into the post more often, he is too skilled to not get more touches. Note to Vogel, please tell me you worked on getting the ball into the post over the summer, there is no reason why Hibbert should not be your go to scorer.

Coming back from this summer, they gain more depth with D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, and importantly Ian Mahimi to back up Roy. To get past the Heat they must improve offensively, they have the basic tools but the players are just outmatched in some positions.

3. Boston Celtics
If there is anyone that can take the Heat down before their return to the throne, it's the Celtics. Losing Ray Allen might seem detrimental at first, but adding Jason Terry, who will be more than happy to be the sixth man can turn out for the better. Terry is a streaky shooter, but he is able to create for himself, which will be needed for instant offense that Boston is really short of. Courtney Lee is a bonus, gives them another streaky shooter that can defend the wing.

The Celtics are a  heavily loaded defensive team, if they can stay healthy, any team they play will have a tough match up. With excellent depth at Doc's disposal, the elders will get enough rest to be effective in late game. The struggles on offense has to be cured by Rondo, he has to put points on the board, giving up shots frequently hurts the team more than often.

4. Brooklyn Nets
I know this might be a stretch, but this Nets team looks promising. Offensively, they are a juggernaut, a starting group of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez will light up the score board. The key factor for the team is for Joe Johnson to find his place. With Deron beside him, there should be no circumstances, where he should play as iso-joe.

Kris and Brook will sweep the glass and should give them double doubles every game. They have a decent bench in C.J. Watson, Marshon Brooks, Reggie Evans, foreigner Mirza Teletovic, and Josh Childress. Oh, I forgot about Andray Blatche. Sorry, can't even write that without laughing.

The biggest problem will be on defense, they are lacking in basically every position, Gerald Wallace is not as young as he used to be. If they figure out a way to cover up their defensive woes, this team should give New York something to talk about.

5. New York Knicks
Adding a bunch of players that you recovered from fossils do not make them better defensively. I don't understand what James Dolan and Glen Grunwald was thinking, letting go of Jeremy Lin could have cost them a lot more than the poison pill contract. Off the record, I am not caught up into the Linsanity hype, but I do think he is an average point guard and by far better than the always chubby Raymond Felton.

The issue lies with Carmelo and Amare, if they don't find a way to mesh, the Knicks will never get anywhere. Their defense has already improved under Mike Woodson, I just don't see it can any better with the veterans they added. This team remains a solid playoff team, other than that they are no where close to contention.

6. Philadelphia 76ers
This young team has all the potential in the world, right now it is just waiting on Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner to get up to the next level. They need to provide consistent performance for this team to improve.

Andrew Bynum is now the face of the franchise, free from Kobe's grasp, he should be a terror for any team that he plays against. He has to put up big numbers every game to push Philadelphia up the seeding chart to avoid an early playoff exit. (Which should have happened last year if it wasn't for a certain knee that gave out.)

Doug Collins have done a wonderful job with this team, assembling a surprising third best defense in the league. Losing Andre Iguodala might take a toll on this team against opposing Superstars, hopefully putting Bynum in the paint will slow them down.

7. Atlanta Hawks
So long are the days of Atlanta's boring isolation offense. Let's welcome a new running game. Jeff Teague has been spectacular, finally discovering his role. He has to improve on his passing game with the new shooters Danny Ferry has put on this team. Anthony Morrow and Kyle Korver will be a huge boost to the offense.

Al Horford comes back this year at complete health, he and Josh Smith combining down at the low post will put up big numbers. This all comes down to Smith, he has to stop settling for jumpers, this is his contract year, it is time for him to play at an All-Star level. Which he is very capable of doing, the fate of Atlanta is in his hands, if he can break out from this Joe Johnson absent offense, Hawks will crack the playoffs easily.

8. Chicago Bulls
As a Bulls fan this is heart breaking, without Derrick Rose this year, they will play for an early exit in the playoffs. This again, prevents them from getting a good lottery pick. In honesty, they should tank and see if they can pull what San Antonio managed to do in 1997 (David Robinson got injured, Spurs tanked and got Tim Duncan). That's enough of my rambling, because I can go on forever, but let's just stop here.

The best chance Bulls had at a championship was last year, who knows what would have happened if Rose didn't tear his ACL. Losing the bench mob is a huge hit for the Bulls, their depth was the only thing that kept them from losing. Without them, even with Rose back they can't compete with the Heat. It will take some time before they re-insert themselves as a contender, most likely in Rose's prime (Yes, I believe his knee will be fine) or when LeBron's age catch up to him.

The Others:
Milwaukee Bucks
Don't Sleep on this team yet, they might sneak on into the playoffs. They have been stuck at the 9th seed for quite a while now, but with the Bulls and Hawks feeling the void left behind by their superstars, it lays out a perfect opportunity for Milwaukee. I am still perplexed by the Ellis and Jennings combo, which have yet to work out. Ilyasova is a promising player whose production will be necessary to clinch playoff berth. With all that said, defense remains an issue and it just seems like they are a few pieces short for any future success.

Toronto Raptors
This team has been frustrating, they have the talent, but are having a hard to time to find it. The Raptors are a team in progress, Bryan Colangelo is beginning to build an impressive team, it is just going to take a few years before they get out of the missing playoff slump. Their future relies on DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry,  Andrea Bargnani's health, the Jonas Valanciunas project and a surprise in Terrence Ross.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving is ridiculously good, but that is all this team has going for them. Tristan Thompson has been disappointing so far, let's hope Dion Waiters doesn't follow that trend.

Washington Wizards
Nothing is going right for the Wiz, John Wall is injured, and Nene is still unclear when he can comeback. Next year Washington, next year.

Detroit Piston
They a potential star in Greg Monroe, if he can fit with Andre Drummond, they can put in a devastating front court. Give this team some time for their draft picks to develop, Joe Dumars might finally be on track.


Charlotte Bobcats
They can't get worst than last year. Ben Gordon, Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker should be able to pick up the load on offense. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is still a work in progress, he does provide a bright future for the Cats but still, defensively this team is a disaster. Maybe Brendan Haywood and Bimack Biyombo can fix that?

Orlando Magic
If your offense depends on Jameer Nelson, your team is likely not going to do so well. Orlando created a huge mess this summer, getting Arron Affalo out of a 4 way trade that lost Dwight Howard. It will be some time for this team to be any good, and it starts with getting rid of those heavy contracts.

Javale McGee, Nick Young and Gilbert Arenas had a paintball battle.

That was a cool tribute to Coach Carter in the beginning. Rich What?

Javale McGee was pretty much camping through out the game, but the man is 7 foot tall, all that surface area moving around is not a good idea. Also, I wonder what it is like to get hit with the paintball grenade.

Oh, and insert obvious Gilbert Arenas playing with guns jokes here. Too easy.

Source: @JaValeMcGee34

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had a dance off.

It was Scottie's 47th birthday, 2 days ago and apparently the best thing ever went down:

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan surprised his former teammate Scottie Pippen for Pippen’s 47th birthday party Monday night. Pippen’s wife, Larsa, planned the secret bash at Chicago hot spot Sunda. Sources told us the fun night ended with a dance-off between Jordan and Pippen to the Trey Songz and Fabolous song, “Say Ahh.”

Can you even imagine the greatest basketball duo bust a move in those clothes, at their current age and to above all else Trey Songz's "Say Ahh." That is the epitome of a song that older people shakes their head to, and grumble about how the young generation ruined music.

With all that said, video/pictures or it didn't happen bro.

Sources: New York Post