If last night’s Thunder/Spurs game was a preview of the Western Conference Finals, we’d be more than ok with it. The Manu-less Spurs made the trip to OKC and fought valiantly, but still got a whole facefull of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant buckets. The NBA’s top dynamic duo combined for 52 of the Thunder’s 100 total points in a 100-88 victory. Russ put in 27 (as well as seven boards and seven assists), despite playing 10 minutes less than KD (25, nine boards, six assists) … We’re not going to lie, after Durant dribbled through half the Spurs’ team and then hit San Antonio with a huge dunk, we 100% laughed out loud when TNT was going to commercial showing a replay and Reggie Miller yelled, “Mommmy has some things for daddy to do!” … Read More »

Not everyone can be LeBron James. That’s okay, especially in the playoffs when just as many big games are determined not by the last shot, but by the defensive rebound or the charge or the swing pass or the block that set up that last shot. The club of playoff x-factors is long and memorable, and we’ll see some more names be inducted this year. Read More »

The case of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is peculiar, one where a former No. 1 pick languished, then found a career rebirth. And then, today, he was traded to Kansas City because Colin Kaepernick took his job with an out-of-nowhere run in December and January. In NBA terms, the only player eligible for such a career twist would be former No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani — though he still hasn’t found the career rebirth part yet. Read More »

The NBA regular season stretches from Halloween until the middle of April. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The Pacers and Knicks are both learning that quickly this year. New York, boosted by some incredible shooting and a rejuvenated Carmelo Anthony, sprinted out of the gates, starting 6-0 and eventually 18-5. Read More »

The second half of the 2012-2013 NBA season is well underway, and now that we crossed the trade deadline, all the speculation of who’s moving can stop. From here on out, you’ll have to rely on the guys lining your depth chart. Read More »

Hoops demands we break down its players not just by stats, but by the time and place they occur. That’s not the case in fantasy hoops, though, where cold calculations rule the day and the matchup. Who are the Fantasy Doctor‘s choices for this week’s best pickups? Hit the jump to find out. Read More »

Without drama, how can you even get excited? That’s how we felt watching the Heat roll over Philly last night, doing it so effortlessly in the second half that not even Andrew Bynum‘s new haircut could get us going. In the Heat’s 114-90 win, the third quarter wasn’t even fair. Miami hit the hosts with a 15-3 run, and had LeBron (16 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) and Dwyane Wade (33 points) rolling: making the extra pass, hitting from midrange, the entire offense flowed like water. Read More »

In New York City, the name Lance Stephenson is one that many would say will live forever. His success as a teenager at Lincoln High School put him in the limelight early. As his game progressed and he was drafted into the NBA in 2010, many thought the Indiana Pacers got a steal, despite character concerns that followed him into the league. Read More »

Atlanta forward Josh Smith is reportedly on the move by 3 p.m. tomorrow’s deadline. After telling him that they would not offer him a maximum contract, Atlanta’s front office is looking to take a page out of Orlando’s book from Dwight Howard, and bring back valuable pieces for their star rather than losing him to free agency. Read More »

When Danny Granger was injured from patellar tendinitis early in this season, Indiana looked to be in trouble. Since then, and without Granger, the Pacers are comfortably in the top half of the Eastern Conference owing to the NBA’s best defense per 100 possessions. The team’s offense may get a boost soon, with Granger close to returning to game action. Read More »