Beast of the Night: Paul Pierce blasted the Bobcats with 36 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, three blocks and a three-pointer last night. He shot 50 percent (10-20) from the field and 83 percent (15-18) from the free-throw line, and had four turnovers. Since March 2, Pierce has averaged 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.7 threes, while shooting 47 percent from the field and 87 percent from the charity stripe. Those are top 15 averages. Read More »

Are they for real? We guess we could’ve said that about either one of the teams taking the floor in Indiana last night. The Pacers beheaded the Heat by 15, and Miami has now lost two in a row by double figures, and are just 8-6 since the All-Star break. Title contenders? They need to get their heads out of the sand first. Then on the other side, the Pacers made a statement: Don’t overlook us. They almost had Miami calling for the mercy rule on the boards, destroying them 49-33. Read More »

Weekend Wonder: Kevin Love was a monster this past weekend, averaging 40.5 points, 17.5 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.0 blocks and 4.0 threes in two games. In this stretch, he shot 59 percent from the floor and 83 percent from the free-throw line, and averaged 2.0 turnovers per game. Love has asserted himself as the clear-cut No. 4 fantasy basketball player in the NBA, and should be viewed as such in next season’s drafts. Read More »

It’s true what Thomas Wolfe wrote, that you can’t go home again. OK, so saying New Orleans is Chris Paul’s home is a definite stretch, but when you spent your whole career someplace, it’s more than just a stop on a map. Read More »

One was the seventh pick. The other, the fifth. The 2010 NBA Draft might someday be remembered for the debate that became a joke almost immediately – Evan Turner or John Wall? – but the real arguments should’ve went down between picks three and seven. It was in those five spots that Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Ekpe Udoh and Greg Monroe were chosen. With Favors becoming quite friendly with the pine amidst a Utah frontcourt more crowded than a Niketown on a Jordan release date, and Udoh morphing into the perfect role-playing big man, DMC and Monroe have exploded. Read More »

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen DeMarcus Cousins go between a defender’s legs. He did it in Miami just a few weeks ago, in basically the same exact spot on the floor. Cousins is still only shooting 44 percent, and the Kings are still allergic to the pass, but the big man is averaging 16.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in less than 30 minutes a night. Combine that with his unique ability to do stuff like this and you might have something. Read More »

The Pacific Division’s second half is a tale of two teams from one city. No one is catching either the Clippers or Lakers as the rosters of the other three — Warriors, Kings, Suns — stand. If you’re trying to build a case in those teams’ defense, just stop.

This is what commissioner David Stern dreamed of in December when a trade of Chris Paul from New Orleans to the Lakers was rejected like a shot in Serge Ibaka’s airspace. That could have resulted in enough cap room to realize the owners’ great fear, Dwight Howard to the Lakers, and the run of titles in purple and gold to go with it. Read More »

Some teams get rusty with a seven-day delay like Miami was coming off of. The Heat got nastier while still being down an All-Star with Chris Bosh gone. Portland got run out of its own gym, 107-93, as the team still trying to find itself ran into a buzzsaw of a team that’s discovering how vicious it can be. Dwyane Wade (33 points, 10 assists) had a big follow block that led to Mike Miller’s three on the other end to go up five in the second. If you liked that, the James-Wade combo platter included a two-on-one fast-break alley-oop to LeBron that had Portlanders covering their mouths. Read More »

Remember when everyone was so concerned about taking Kyrie Irving No. 1 overall this summer? Between his ROY play so far this year and last night’s dominating performance in the Rising Stars Challenge, he’s shut everyone up. Last night he won MVP by leading Team Chuck to a 146-133 victory over Team Shaq by going OFF for 34 points, nine assists and not missing a three (in eight attempts) all night. Despite the presence of Linsanity, unbelievable highlights from John Wall and Evan Turner‘s forgotten about near-trip-dub, Irving showed he’s the real deal … Read More »

Ranking the NBA from worst to first…

30. Charlotte Bobcats (3-26) Last Week: 30, — They haven’t won a game in what seems like ages, and have progressed to searching for moral victories. When your best player – going by PER – is D.J. Augustin (15.9), then you might as well throw in the towel. They have a chance to join the upper echelon of worst NBA teams ever. Read More »