Weekend Wonder: Carmelo Anthony averaged 29.5 points, nine rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, two blocks and four threes in two games over the weekend. He shot 44 percent from the field and 85 percent from the foul line in that stretch. In the last 30 days, Anthony has put up top-three averages. Read More »

Is there any better young rivalry in the league than the Thunder and the Lakers? No bad blood (well, outside of Kendrick Perkins), it’s just pure, unadulterated talent, a smorgasbord of MVPs, All-Stars, scoring champs, defenders…it’s as good as it gets. We need seven games of this. We can only hope they get the chance to pick up where they left off last night … Read More »

At this point, every loss for the playoff teams is huge. Home-court advantages and seedings are on the line. But those trap games can get anyone. While last night was lacking in high-profile match-ups, it did provide plenty to distinguish just who is ready for the playoffs and who isn’t. Denver and San Antonio passed their tests with flying colors. Then there was Atlanta, who reinforced every bad feeling you might have about them. And in case you missed it, Ty Lawson was hotter than Hell’s waiting room … Read More »

Well, at least now we know that the Lakers would rather not play Portland in the first round of the playoffs. Last night, the Lakers battled like Erick Dampier in a non-contract year. They simply didn’t care, and most of them probably would’ve stood around in the corner if they were allowed to. How do you go to a dance and not get down? On the other side, the Blazers played with the urgency of a team that was telling itself all night: “Win this game and we probably get to play Dallas in the first round!” … Read More »

Ehhh. That was my immediate reaction upon checking this out. I figured it would be average, at best. I was definitely wrong. Check out the recently-released trailer for the Hoopsfixtape Volume 1 DVD, showcasing all of the best highlights from the United Kingdom.

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Shabazz Muhammad was the breakout high school star of the summer. The 6-5 wing from Las Vegas was already rising through the rankings before he averaged 32 points per game on the AAU circuit, but now his name is one of the hottest on the prep scene.

Now every school from North Carolina to Kentucky to Duke is in pursuit of Muhammad, a junior who is ranked 8th overall in the High School Hoop national Top 50. Muhammad has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on his high school season and the recruiting process. Here’s an excerpt from his latest entry: Read More »

With Boston’s average performance in Chicago last night, Shaquille O’Neal might be more important than ever for the Celtics. The team is struggling and the presence of Shaq could turn things around.

O’Neal isn’t the physical freak that he once was. Back then, his best rival was Hakeem Olajuwon. Come to think of it, they are still rivals.

In their prime, who was better? We argue. You decide. Read More »

If you’re a basketball fan, chances are you’ve sat at home on a Wednesday night flipping through your sports package and come across an episode of Hardwood Classics airing Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Sixers. Probably one of the most immortalized moments ever in the history of the NBA was Johnny Most’s call of the closing seconds of that game: “Havlicek steals it. Over to Sam Jones. Havlicek stole the ball!! It’s all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball!” Today Hondo turns 71 so we thought we’d pay homage to the 13-time All-Star with a dope highlight mix featuring Gang Starr.

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The season-long journey of the great Boston’s Got Wings program has finally started to make a real, tangible impact on the city of Boston’s basketball courts. All season long, Red Bull has been donating $500 to Boston’s Department of Parks and Recreation for every steal recorded by Rajon Rondo, with every single dollar going towards the refurbishments of outdoor basketball courts all over the city.

Now that the weather has (sort of) improved, the first refurbishments have officially begun. Read More »

I’ve heard of people “manning up” before, but Saint John’s men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin takes the cake.

Earlier today the school announced that Lavin was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer last fall. Instead of taking a leave of absence, Lavin did a fantastic job in turning around a once-illustrious Saint John’s basketball program that had been in the doldrums for years. The Red Storm finished this season with a 21-12 record, tied for 3rd in the Big East, and a 6th seed in the NCAA tournament. Read More »