You talkin’ about playoffs? The atmosphere in the Clippers overtime win over Miami felt like an NBA Finals game. Down the stretch, we can’t remember the last time we’d seen so many bodies hitting the deck. Miami really should’ve won it during regulation. But LeBron (23 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists) fouled Chauncey Billups on a three, as well as going half n’ half at the line two times in a row at the end of the game (Damn he looked uncomfortable at the end of the game). It stayed close all the way through the overtime until Mario Chalmers (18 points) missed a three. With the Heat down three, they couldn’t get a foul, DeAndre Jordan (six huge blocks) got a wide-open jam, Erik Spoelstra flipped out and got tossed and the Clippers had a 95-89 win … Read More »

Laker fans never have to worry. When the NBA released its revised schedule about a week ago, they made sure the league’s most polarizing franchise was delivered to it’s ever-expanding fan base. Is 29 out of 66 enough? 29 times this season the Lakers will be playing on national TV, which is only about 25 times more than the New Jersey Nets, despite their star point guard and despite their jet ski-riding, womanizing owner (and even those four games got the shaft that is NBA TV). The NBA knows the big names and the big teams will make the most money. Cleveland at Milwaukee in February is for no one outside of the diehards. Read More »

The Memphis Grizzlies proved to be a pretty solid source of fantasy value last season, even after one of their stars went down with a shoulder injury. With just one significant free agent (a restricted one at that), this squad should be mostly intact for another run at NBA (and fantasy) relevancy whenever the season starts. Read More »

Let’s thank Andrew Bynum for pointing out the obvious: the Lakers were steamrolled in the playoffs by Dallas because they were tired, mentally and physically, they were overconfident and cocky, they didn’t totally respect the Mavs (who seriously did?) and they felt they could turn it on and off. The three-peat didn’t happen, it ended ugly, and now no one really knows what their future holds. Bynum wants everyone to be more accountable. He called out the whole team, including himself. For the Lakers to get back to the apex, Bynum needs to not only stay healthy, but also mature. Read More »

If Fran Fraschilla said it once, he said it a thousand times: Team USA wasn’t playing against Iran yesterday, they were playing against themselves. (Only without the Jay-Z after-party.) So if that was the case, would we call the 37-point “victory” over the guys in the other uniforms a win or a loss? … Hamed Haddadi and Co. weren’t as terrible as you may have been led to believe, but they still weren’t on Team USA’s level. And yet if you wanted the U.S. to improve during this game, you had to be disappointed. Read More »

I’ve never dealt directly with a bookie, and I don’t know much about gambling, so I have to ask: Is there such a scenario where you’d lose money on “winning” bet? For today’s Team USA vs. Iran matchup, putting $100 on the U.S. to win should cost you at least and extra $50 just out of pure shame in trying to get over so easily.

While Iran did pick up a win yesterday to run their record to 1-2 in Group B, it’s safe to say they’ll be fortunate here to keep the margin under 30. I’m usually one to pull for the underdog, and while there’s a part of me that wants Iran to do well, let’s be realistic: Hamed Haddadi is by far the best player on the team, and he might be the worst player in the NBA. Read More »

This is one of the craziest things I’ve seen in a long time. After Kenyon Martin blocked Hamed Haddadi into the stands, when he went to go retrieve the ball, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins decided he was going to swat K-Mart. Hilarious.

For two guys who were mentioned so often throughout the NBA trading deadline frenzy, it never seemed likely that Tracy McGrady and Kevin Martin would directly cross paths the way they did late Wednesday night. As we sent this Smack to post, the deal (almost finalized) has T-Mac, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey going to Sacramento for K-Mart, Hilton Armstrong, Sergio Rodriguez and Kenny Thomas … There were still reports that the Knicks could be brought in last-minute and T-Mac could end up in New York, but as it stands, this is a good move for both sides. Read More »

Sporting an 8-3 record going into Monday’s action, the Bucks were still a tough team to figure out. Brandon Jennings could make a good case for League MVP of the first month, and with Michael Redd returning to the lineup, some people think the Bucks are gearing up for a playoff run. Then again, an alarmingly soft schedule — almost all of Milwaukee’s wins have been against surefire Lottery teams — has others thinking the Bucks are just taking advantage of patsies until the rest of the League compiles its scouting report on Jennings. Although Andrew Bogut and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute would be out for last night’s game at San Antonio, it was still seen as a good test for one of the League’s early-season surprises … Read More »

Even though there was no NBA game action last night, there was tons of activity in the League. As we mentioned yesterday in Smack, while there were certainly some memorable plays in the tune-up games, this preseason will be known for two things: a lack of “real” NBA refs and injuries. Thankfully the former has been cleared up after the NBA reached an agreement with the referees, but unfortunately the latter seems to be an overwhelming reality for many of the League’s standout players … On the eve of the season opener, which includes a matchup between the Lakers and Clippers in a battle for Los Angeles (well, not really), it appears the Clippers will be without their superstar. Announced late last night, Blake Griffin may miss up to six weeks with a stress fracture of his left patella. Suffered during the Clippers’ last preseason game against the Hornets on Friday, this is horrible news for the No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year favorite … Read More »