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 »

Beast of the Night: LeBron James had himself a typically big line to the tune of 35 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. He shot 57 percent (13-23) from the field, 100 percent (9-9) from the free-throw line and had two turnovers. Through three games, James is averaging 32.7 points on 59 percent shooting from the field and 87 percent shooting from the charity stripe. The odd thing is that he has yet to attempt a single three-pointer. The fact that he’s been such a stud without a three-pointer says volumes about his fantasy value. It’s early, but James looks like the probable top dog in fantasy basketball this season. Read More »

The Indiana Pacers are some kind of something. That is to say, they’re a mediocre team with a few mildly appealing pieces for fantasy purposes, but nothing to go nuts about. If anything, there are a lot of untouched ceilings here, which may or may not appeal to you. Let’s take a look at what Larry Bird’s boys can offer fantasy owners next season. Read More »

No one grows up wanting to be the next Jeff Foster. I’m sorry, but it’s true. Kids grow up wanting to play at Duke or North Carolina and become the next Kobe Bryant or LeBron James; not attend Southwest Texas State and average five points per game for their career. All-Star Games, MVP awards, endorsement deals, these are what kids aspire towards. You know, the good life. But at 34 years old, Foster lives that too. And 12 seasons and almost $50 million later, he’s leaving his mark on another playoff series. Read More »

Even when the packaging and presentation gets on your nerves, Terrell Owens does at least know what he’s talking about. Last December, during the dog days of another bad season for his Cincinnati Bengals , T.O. laid it out on his talk show:

“I think there is underachieving from the top down,” Owens said. “You start off with the owner, you start off with the coaches, and obviously we as players. We are a product of what the coaches are doing, are coaching us throughout the course of the week. Of course we have to go out there and play the game, but in order for us to do what we’re allowed to do at the best of our ability the coaches have to put the players in the best position.” Read More »

What year is it again?

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The funniest thing about the NBA Draft Lottery is how team reps try to balance acting happy about getting a high pick with looking sufficiently disappointed that their team was bad enough to end up at the Lottery in the first place.

The 2010 Conflicted Emotions winner was the guy from the Pistons: During the drawing he broke into a big grin when his team landed the No. 7 pick, but as soon as ESPN’s Mark Jones said, “The Pistons missed the playoffs for the first time in since 2001,” his face immediately shifted to a somber, focused look.

Danny Granger forgot the “act happy” part. Repping the Pacers, Granger brought a John Wall jersey to the Lottery and was ready to rip off his dress shirt like the Incredible Hulk if the Pacers got the top pick. When they didn’t, he dropped his head onto the table. Lost in the comedy of the moment: Granger was advertising that he needs help. Read More »

Kevin Durant is a freak of nature. And everybody knows it. When I was down in Dallas for All-Star, I asked Steven A. Smith about KD and this is what he had to say: “Kevin Durant is the real deal. And I think that within the next two or three years, he will easily be one of the top three players in the NBA. He’s that good.” After his streak of 29 straight games with at least 25 points ended in late February, this got people thinking: Who leads the way on the NBA’s Anti-Kevin Durant Team? Check it out. Read More »

We like to hook up our Dime readers throughout the year, so you know we have something special for the holidays. Starting now, if you purchase a gift subscription to the magazine for somebody else, you get your own one-year subscription for only $12. That’s like less than the price of feeding Big Baby Davis every day between the hours of 3-5 p.m. Check the deal out HERE and take advantage … Now if you like watching Dwight Howard shoot free throws, Magic/Pacers last night was your game. Maybe Indy coach Jim O’Brien agreed with the Orlando announcer who called Roy Hibbert a “foul-committing machine” who has no business guarding Dwight and maybe he didn’t, but Coach’s plan to single-cover Dwight and foul him basically every time he got the ball worked in the sense that the Pacers were in position to win the game late in the fourth quarter. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Jason Kidd was a maestro once again, orchestrating a line to the tune of 16 points, 2 threes, 8 boards, 10 assists, 5 steals, 1 block and 4 turnovers. He shot 83 percent (5-6) from the floor and 100 percent (4-4) from the line. He could be finding his groove, but it’s unlikely that he’ll keep this kind of production up on a consistent basis. Regardless, Kidd remains one of the best fantasy point guards in the land. Read More »