Late to the Throne: To everyone’s surprise, the Sacramento Kings took the reigning NBA Champions, Miami Heat, to a thrilling double overtime before heading on the road with the inevitable loss. DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with his 26th double-double of the season, grabbing 15 boards and scoring 24 points (10 of 17), 2 of which, forced the first overtime. Marcus Thornton exploded off the bench for 36 points, on 8 of 12 shooting from beyond the arc, and 3 assists. In the second overtime, LeBron James went full super hero mode, going off for 11 of Heat’s 17 points in the extended period to finish with a total of 40 points (14 of 23), 8 rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists. Becoming the first player in NBA history since Kareem in 1983 to shoot at least 64 percent (minimum of 200 shots) from the field in a calender month. Dwyane Wade added 39 points on 19 of 28 shooting, 8 rebounds and 7 dimes.
Chippy: Things got a little out of hand down at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana when the Golden State Warriors came to visit. Stephen Curry went off for 23 of his game-high 38 points in the first half. He shot 14 of 20 from the field and missed only 3 of his 10 attempts from the three. Despite the big game from their point guard, the Warriors would come up short in the end due to a lack of production from other players. Indiana’s David West had 28 points (12 of 16) and 7 rebounds. Paul George chipped in for 21 points (9 of 17) and 11 boards.
Brawl: Because of course, David Lee, Roy Hibbert and Stephen Curry are the toughest dudes in the league
Broken Horns: The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped their 11 game losing streak to the Chicago Bulls in the 101-98 win. The Cavs, without Kyrie Trving, depended on Dion Waiters’s 25 points (10 of 16) and Shaun Livingston’s 15 points (6 of 11). Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng of the Bulls combined for over half of Chicago’s points with 53 total, unfortunately no one else but Kirk Hinrich on the team scored in double figures to be of any help.
Slow Motion: Despite not having a single fast break point last night against the New Orleans Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets still left New Orleans Arena with the W. Deron Williams got a game-high 33 points (10 of 21) and 8 assists, while Brook Lopez goes for 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The Hornets didn’t do that well in the fast break points column either, scoring only 9 points in transition. Greivis Vazquez had 20 points on 20 shots, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in his team’s third loss in four games.
German Monster: Dirk Nowitzski has returned to form as of late, he had 21 points (8 of 16), and 20 rebounds in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks, who shot a horrendous 6 of 21 in the first quarter, turned it up in the remaining periods to finish with a game-low 42 percent from the field. Monta Ellis led the charge with 22 points on an inefficient (as usual) 8 of 17 shooting, 9 assists and 6 steals.
Pain and Sorrow: Please take a moment now and honor the efforts of these teams. I will be thinking about you guys when I break down into tears, watching the last episode of Boy Meets World. The Bobcats put up a valiant effort in the 22 point loss to the LA Clippers. Gerald Henderson and Blake Griffin both led their respective teams with 24 points each. Don’t forget about the Sixers, as they fall to the Orlando Magic by 14 points. And the Timberwolves, who were once promising, but has taken a step back with an injury riddled roster in their loss to the Phoenix Suns, the worst team in the west.
Fancy: Ricky Rubio is not he only one that can spice up their passes.
Highlights
Hang Time: Still unfair.
Lob City: The Clippers has removed all the just about every magical aspect about the alley-oop. This was not what the Flint Tropics envisioned when they created the play.
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