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Miami Heat work out UFA F Shavlik Randolph

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:31:48 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

The Heat continued their search for a 15th man on Thursday, working out unrestricted free agent forward Shavlik Randolph in Miami, league sources told CBSSports.com.

The Heat signed center Mickell Gladness to a second 10-day contract on Feb. 28, according to the Sun-Sentinel. They now must decide whether to re-sign Gladness for the remainder of the season or go a different direction.

Miami reportedly worked out retired forward Rasheed Wallace recently and had been linked to free agent center Joel Przybilla before he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in February.

Hedo Turkoglu grabs ref; suspension coming?

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:39:52 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu was whistled for a technical foul during the fourth quarter of a Thursday night game against the Chicago Bulls after he touched NBA referee Karl Lane with both of his hands while protesting a no-call on a drive.

It's likely that Turkoglu will be suspended for Sunday night's game against the Indiana Pacers.

The NBA rule book notes: "Any player or coach guilty of intentional physical contact with an official shall automatically be suspended without pay for one game. A fine and/or longer period of suspension will result if circumstances so dictate."

Blazers, Pacers talk Jamal Crawford trade

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 1:54:29 EDT

Jamal Crawford could be headed out of Portland just months after he arrived. (Getty Images) Posted by Ben Golliver

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported Thursday that the Portland Trail Blazers were seeking a first round pick in a trade package for guard Jamal Crawford. Potential suitors included the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers. Add to that list the Indiana Pacers.

A league source with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com later Thursday that reported talks between the Blazers and Pacers are "legitimate" and have included a scenario that would send Crawford to Indiana for guard A.J. Price and a 2012 first round pick. Indiana has sufficient salary cap space to absorb Crawford's contract without matching salaries.

Trade Deadline: Teams looking to make a move

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:12:51 EDT

Dwight Howard faces the most uncertain trade deadline of his career. (Getty Images) By Matt Moore

The winds are filled with whispers and disinformation. Fans are rattling trade machines and scouring salary lists. And most of the players in the league have a heightened anxiety while telling everyone they're oblivious to what's going on.

It's trade season.

With the deadline a week away, talks are ramping up, and while this is the most difficult trade deadline in years to predict in the way of volume of deals, the chatter is going to be the same as ever. Teams are at the point in the season where it's time to either head in a different direction, try and get over the hump, move towards the future, add that final piece, blow the whole thing up, or try and stay the course.

Report: Josh Smith requests trade from Hawks

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:41:54 EST

Is Josh Smith headed out of Atlanta? (Getty Images) Posted by Ben Golliver

Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith has only known one home during his NBA career. And he's sick of it.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Smith has requested a trade from the Hawks.

Even as Josh Smith is having a strong season for the Hawks he has let the team know he wants to be traded as the March 15 deadline approaches, according to people with knowledge of Smith’s thinking.

Report: Lakers considering offensive mutiny

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:13:41 EST

The Lakers are facing serious problems on the road. (Getty Images) By Matt Moore

The Lakers' loss to the lowly Wizards isn't causing panic. But it's definitely got the Nation of Lakerland in an uproar, inside and out. The Lakers' inability to win on the road where they are now 6-14 on the season is a huge black mark on their championship-caliber record. It makes two losses in two nights to lottery teams, with the Wizards truly one of the league's worst teams. It involved a 21-point blown-lead, a dagger from Nick Young, and Kobe Bryant shooting 31 times. Thirty-one-times for thirty points.

So in this time of trouble, Mother Laker has of course came to them, speaking words of wisdom: "throw your coach under the bus and try and run the offense you want on your own." From ESPN.com:

Wednesday Night Game-Winner Power Rankings

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:11:06 EST

By Matt Moore and Ben Golliver

Wednesday night was one of those nights in the NBA. Multiple game winners, so many that we decided we need to break them down, power rankings style.

1. Rose does MJ: Derrick Rose's game winner had to be the best of the night for pure elegance. It had everything we look for from a winner: at the buzzer, walk off, isolation, high degree of difficulty, total calm, nothing but net. So much was going on in this one. He read the defense patiently, unleashed some crippling dribble moves, created and took the exact shot he wanted and even had large swaths of a road crowd cheering for him. Watch that thing and try not to think Michael Jordan.

2. Kyrie Irving's end-to-end. Irving's dash to the rim for what would be the game winner wasn't 94 feet of basketball brilliance, but it was as close as you want it to be. The fact that Byron Scott had the confidence in Irving to navigate all that space and the tactical knowledge to know the Nuggets wouldn't expect Irving to just get a running start and barrel to the basket deserves some points, while Irving's approach to switch hands on approach shows off his handle. That kid is something special.

Report: Rasheed Wallace works out for Miami Heat

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:00:47 EST

Rasheed Wallace and the Miami Heat. Really? (Getty Images) Posted by Ben Golliver

It's about that time of the year for title contenders to stock up on veteran talent for the playoff push. But, really?

Fox Sports Florida reports that the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat recently worked out retired forward Rasheed Wallace.

A source close to the situation confirmed Rasheed Wallace has worked out with Heat, but source said he hasn't decided if he'll play again. Source on whether Rasheed Wallace would be interested if Heat wanted to sign him: "It’s something he may consider.’'

Heat make pitch for Peyton Manning

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:00:30 EST

Peyton Manning is being lobbied by NBA players. (Getty Images)

By Matt Moore

Dwyane Wade lobbied to bring in LeBron James and Chris Bosh to Miami in 2010. Now, Wade and James are trying to bring in another superstar to Miami: Peyton Manning. From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “I’m just sayin’,” LeBron said. “Dolphins need a quarterback, and Peyton’s available.”Later, I asked LeBron if he was trying to recruit Manning to Miami.

“Oh, you guys heard me?” he said with a smile. “I gave my pitch, my one and only pitch. We’ll see what happens.”

Video: Kyrie Irving end-to-end game winner

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 0:25:06 EST

By Matt Moore

With 15 seconds left, down 1 to the Nuggets, the Cavaliers inbounded from their own basket, eschewing advancing the ball to half-court in favor of getting Kyrie Irving at full-speed going to the rim. The Nuggets essentially only needed to get in front of him as he was the Cavs' whole offense down the stretch. Instead...

Ty Lawson would miss a driving layup and the Cavaliers hang on to win, 100-99.

You have to give credit to Byron Scott for trusting Irving in that situation and for getting him the room to operate by inbounding full-court. It goes against traditional thought and involves trusting a rookie to go basically 94 feet against a defender. For Denver, what in the world were they thinking letting him get all the way to the rim? Unbelievable let down by the Denver bigs who needed to step up to help there.

Nick Young daggers the Lakers

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:45:52 EST

And that's how the Wizards downed the Lakers, sending them to their second loss in two nights to bottom-feeder lottery teams, after their big win Sunday against Miami. The Wizards were down 21 points in the third quarter, before rallying to close it within one possession by the start of the fourth.

Kobe Bryant was 9-31 for 30 points in the loss. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol had 19 shots combined. The loss comes a day after Rodney Stuckey crossed over Bryant for a late-game bucket and now Young drains this one. The Lakers looked like one of the elite teams in the league on Sunday. Four days later, they're taking on water again. The trade deadline is one week away.

For the Wizards, it's their best win of the season, and something for Randy Wittman to hang his hat on. Trevor Booker was the player you need your bigs to be, John Wall managed the offense even on a bad night, and his team got the win. In a long, dark season, it's nice to have nights like this.

Bulls G Derrick Rose game-winner vs. Bucks video

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:13:10 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

The Milwaukee Bucks elected not to send a second defender at Derrick Rose, and the reigning NBA MVP made them pay.

With the score tied at 104 and just seconds remaining on the clock, the Chicago Bulls spread the floor to allow Rose to work on Brandon Jennings one-on-one on the perimeter. Rose took his time, methodically dribbling to the right of center court as he eyed Carlos Delfino to see whether he would offer a double-team. Delfino instead chose simply to clog the paint, discouraging a drive. Recognizing that Jennings was by himself, Rose hit him with a right-to-left crossover and a leap back gather step, easily creating a clean look as Jennings flailed a bit in closing the gap.

Jennings rose to contest Rose's resulting fadeaway jumper but it didn't matter, as the shot looked good as soon as it left Rose's hands. The ball swished cleanly through the net as the buzzer sounded, and Chicago left the Bradley Center with a dramatic 106-104 victory on Wednesday night. Rose finished with a game-high 30 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 11 steal and 1 block in 39 minutes.

Jordan Farmar game winner over Clippers video

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 1:54:50 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

New Jersey Nets guard Jordan Farmar hit a game-winning 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Clippers after the assist from Deron Williams.

"I'm sure you'll replay it plenty of times," Farmar said in a post-game interview.

Farmar finished with 16 points, 3 assists and 21 steals in 19 minutes. His three delivered a 101-100 win at the Prudential Center.

Vegas oddsmaker: expect busy NBA trade deadline

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:34:17 EST

Dwight Howard could determine whether or not this is a busy NBA trade deadline. (Getty Images) Posted by Ben Golliver

Will we see two hectic NBA trade deadline days in a row? Las Vegas seems to think so.

The 2011 trade season was crazy, but the biggest deals -- Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks and Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets -- were both completed in advance of the Feb. 24 deadline. Even so, Gerald Wallace, Kendrick Perkins, Baron Davis, Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks and Jeff Green were just some of the names that moved on the final day of the trade season.

This year, Vegas oddsmaker Bovada anticipates a similar level of activity. On Wednesday, the site set the over/under on trades that will happen on the March 15th deadline at 6.5. Of course, this number is for entertainment purposes only.

Jason Kidd fined $25K for blasting refs

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:13:20 EST

Jason Kidd was hit with a fine. (Getty Images) Posted by Ben Golliver

Everyone seems to agree that Jason Kidd will one day make an excellent NBA coach. He got a jump on his future this week, when he blasted off on a group of officials for doing a poor job and for not paying his Dallas Mavericks the respect they deserve as defending 2011 NBA champions.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that Kidd has been fined $25,000 for comments he made following a Monday night loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The Mavericks led late but wound up losing 95-91 and shot just 10 free throws while Oklahoma City attempted 33. Kidd was upset about that free throw disparity as well as a late, questionable foul call.

Here are the offending quotes via ESPNDallas.com.

Report: Wolves want league to be nicer to Rubio

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:24:34 EDT

Ricky Rubio is getting a lot of body from defenders. (Getty Images) By Matt Moore

When Ricky Rubio was drafted, the questions were about how he would deal with the tougher defense of the NBA. Not in terms of acumen, the Euro leagues provide plenty of defense. But the players are so much bigger, so much more toned, so much stronger, that his wispy frame was considered an issue. Then he came over and lit the league on fire and it wasn't considered an issue. But it's gotten tougher and tougher as the season has gone on, and now the Wolves have decided to pull the "mom who finds out her son is being bullied and goes to the principle" approach. Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn said the team has sent video to the NBA , seeking to call attention to what Kahn and the team's coaches believe are opponents being overly physical with rookie guard Ricky Rubio.

Sixers deny report regarding Turner issue

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:36:28 EST

Evan Turner struggled off the bench in his first start this week. (Getty Images) By Matt Moore

Update: Shock of all shocks, the Sixers and Turner deny any such problem to WIP Sports Radio. It seemed weird given that Turner's honestly played pretty well this season, but in either case, we've got the Sixers official take on the situation.

-----------------------

I know that headline is pretty much the vaguest thing you're ever going to read, but that's really the best way to describe this from CBS Philly: Stan Hochman, long-time writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, says that there’s a reason for Turner’s troubles. “There’s an explanation for Turner’s inconsistent play. One of these days, the team, with Turner’s permission, will reveal it. And then the criticism will back off,” he said during an interview with 94WIP’s Angelo Cataldi and The Morning Team on Wednesday.

Mark Cuban says Mavs aren't making trade calls

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:04:32 EST

By Matt Moore

The Mavericks have pretty much freaked everyone out. The Mavericks not only held off signing three of their major championship components to long-term deals, presumably because of the luxury-tax implications in two years under the new CBA, they didn't re-sign th Mark Cuban says the Mavs won't be ringing up other teams at the deadline. (Getty Images) em, period. They moved a trade exception to get Lamar Odom, despite knowing Odom has never really had a lot of success outside of the cocoon of L.A. and Phil Jackson (though there was absolutely no way to predict how many personal issues Odom would unfortunately undergo which have impacted his play). They are rumored to be pursuing Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, but if so, why aren't they active on the trade market? To put it the way one Western Conference exec told the San Francisco Chronicle: "I can't tell what Dallas is doing. I'm as confused as everybody else," one Warriors source said. via Considering the Warriors' trade possibilities.

Report Card 3.6.12: Underdogs rule Tuesday

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:56:21 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

The Bobcats enjoyed a rare win on Tuesday, over the Magic no less. (Getty Images)

Each night, Eye on Basketball brings you what you need to know about the games of the NBA. From great performances to terrible clock management the report card evaluates and eviscerates the good, the bad, and the ugly from the night that was.

Charlotte Bobcats When you only win about once every two weeks and your first win since Feb. 17 comes against the No. 3 seed Orlando Magic, in convincing fashion, it's time to celebrate. That was the case for the Bobcats, who relentlessly pounded Orlando's defense and held the Magic offense to one-and-done looks possession after possession down the stretch, to dance their way to a 100-84 victory. Rookie Bismack Biyombo had his best game as a professional, going toe-to-toe with Dwight Howard to score 10 points, grab 15 rebounds and block an astounding 7 shots. He could barely contain his glee by the end, gesturing to the crowd in animated fashion as Charlotte walked off with the win. Rodney Stuckey The Detroit Pistons guard outshot and outscored Kobe Bryant in a dramatic overtime win at the Palace. Stuckey scored Detroit's final seven points in regulation and tacked on another six in overtime, pushing the Pistons to an 88-85 upset win. He also put Bryant on skates with a vicious stepback crossover. He didn't do much else besides score, but that was more than enough. Miami Heat Unlike the Magic and the Lakers, the Heat easily took care of business against lesser competition, stomping the New Jersey Nets, 108-78. Miami also enjoyed a nice soft launch in re-integrating Chris Bosh after he missed some time due to a death in the family. So why a "B"? Well, simple: irreplaceable guard Dwyane Wade suffered an apparently minor foot injury that kept him on the bench late. The good news: the Sun-Sentinel reports indicate he'll be fine and expects to start on Wednesday against the Hawks. New York Knicks Dallas is now 15-7 at home, so expectations had to be somewhat tempered for the Knicks on the road. But a troubling 2-for-12 from Carmelo Anthony plus a decidedly not-superhuman performance from Jeremy Lin -- 14 points on 13 shots, 1-for-5 from deep, 7 assists and 2 turnovers, mixed in with long stretches of passive play -- make this a tough one. It was also New York's third loss in four games, with San Antonio on Wednesday. The next few weeks are critical if New York hopes to be better than the No. 8 seed. Kobe Bryant He was due for an off night after three big scoring games in a row following the All-Star break, but Bryant's 8-for-26 shooting was a major reason the Lakers let what should have been an easy win slip away. While he nailed a pretty buzzer-beater to push the game to overtime, his performance and decision-making in the extra period was erratic. A forced deep three that didn't even come close on the final possession was Bryant at his worst. Orlando Magic This was a hot mess of a loss to the Bobcats. Orlando scored just 13 points in the fourth and couldn't mange a single point in the final 2:47, conceding an 8-0 run to close the game. On the other end, Charlotte, the NBA's worst offense, seemingly scored at will, with Corey Maggette getting to the foul line 11 times and Gerald Henderson tossing in 16 points, including some big late buckets. Do the Magic even care? This was a lacking performance in virtually every area.

NBA ref to Dirk Nowitzki: 'Do you want to go?'

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 2:19:47 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

Dallas Mavericks All-Star forwrd Dirk Nowitzki wasn't pleased with a no-call but he had no idea his protests would be met with four threats of ejection.

In one of the more direct exchanges between NBA referee and superstar player that you will ever see caught on camera, official Eric Dalen asked Nowitzki directly if he would like to be ejected on four occasions.

"Do you want to go?" Dalen asked, over and over, after first hitting Nowitzki with a technical foul for arguing a no-call on a drive attempt.

Kobe Bryant wears new black face mask

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:14:06 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

Kobe Bryant will don this black mask. (Lakers.com)

Cue the Batman jokes, I guess.

Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant will switch up his mask game on Tuesday night, replacing his old clear model with the smaller, all-black style shown above, via Lakers.com. Bryant will debut the new mask when the Lakers travel to The Palace of Auburn Hills to face the Detroit Pistons.

Report: Kobe fined for skipping All-Star events

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:58:33 EST

Kobe Bryant took a hit in the pocketbook for not doing this. (CBSSports.com) Posted by Ben Golliver

23 of the 24 2012 NBA All-Stars showed up for a mandatory Friday morning media availability in Orlando. The one absentee -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant -- called in sick. That proved to be a costly decision.

USA Today reports that the NBA fined Bryant $40,000 for multiple All-Star Weekend absences.

The NBA fined the Los Angeles Lakers guard $40,000 for missing a news conference and a mandated charity appearance for NBA Cares during All-Star weekend in Orlando.

Podcast: Kevin Harlan on Wolves and March Madness

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:45:08 EST

Kevin Harlan of CBS Sports and TNT discusses the Timberwolves' resurgence. (Getty Images)

By Matt Moore

Kevin Harlan is a staple of NBA life for fans. He's been calling NBA games for 23 years. So his perspective on ridiculous condensed season is pretty insightful given how connected he is to the league and its players. So we talked to him on the CBSSports.com NBA podcast. We also touch on the Timberwolves who he was play-by-play for for many years, and about Kevin Love being "the best power forward in the NBA" in Harlan's eyes, and we look forward to March Madness, which you can see on CBS and the Turner Sports family of networks this month.

You can download the podcast here, and it's available on iTunes as well, so be sure to subscribe. Click here to pop out the podcastinto its own window and continue surfing the information superhighway.

Video: Clipper Darrell cries on television

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:11:37 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

This tiff between the Los Angeles Clippers and superfan Darrell Bailey was already at the soap opera stage, and that was before Bailey broke down in tears on television.

To quickly recap: Bailey was essentially the only fan of the franchise for more than a decade when they were terrible and he cut no corner and spared no expense to spread the Clippers gospel. The Clippers are finally good thanks to drafting Blake Griffin and trading for Chris Paul, and now they have a problem with Bailey and some of his methods, as they believe he's working to profit personally off of their brand.

Bailey said he was "devastated" by the team's stance and then this video happened.

Report: The Warriors have spoken to everyone

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:02:30 EST

By Matt Moore

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Warriors have spoken with about half the league regarding trades to be made at the deadline. It's a pretty leaky faucet the Warriors have somewhere. Among the remarks, the Chronicle reports the Warriors spoke with the Hawks about trading for their All-Star, Joe Johnson.

Atlanta: The Warriors think they could get Joe Johnson but feel he's a more expensive and possibly inferior player to Monta Ellis. They'd like Josh Smith, but they haven't found the Hawks willing to part with the forward. via Considering the Warriors' trade possibilities.

This is the first time a substnative rumor regarding the Hawks being open to Johnson has surfaced. Johnson is in the second year of a six-year max deal which was panned by essentially everyone at the time. Johnson is a six-time All-Star, but his field goal percentage has dropped to 42 percent this season along with his assists and asssist rates, as well as his rebound rates.

Charles Barkley: NBA had bounties

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:55:23 EST

The only way Barkley would have won a ring is if someone bountied Jordan. (Getty Images) Posted by Ben Golliver

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said that a "bounty system" -- purposefully injuring an opponent for monetary gain -- isn't exclusive to the NFL, where pay-for-hit has become a lead headline in the offseason.

Indeed, in a DanPatrick.com interview, the TNT commentator said he personally participated in a bounty during the 1980s.

"One time," Barkley said, before refusing to identity the target's name and team. "I can't tell you that... I can't incriminate myself."

Blake Griffin gets technical; was it dirty?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:43:44 EST

Posted by Ben Golliver

You won't see this one replayed in a goofy Kia commercial. And, hopefully, someone gets through to Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin to let him know this type of play isn't OK, it's borderline dirty.

During the fourth quarter of a tightly contested game between the Clippers and the Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Griffin pulled down Luke Ridnour from behind after the Minnesota guard he broke up a transition pass from Chris Paul to Griffin.

L.A.'s All-Star forward came barrelling down the key and, after the ball was already out of bounds, pulled Ridnour back towards him by yanking on his shoulder as the two crashed into the baseline. Thankfully, Ridnour's legs somehow managed not to get caught underneath him or he could have been looking at a broken bone or ruptured ligaments. His right foot did briefly catch on the court but pulled free quickly, ensuring that he narrowly avoided what could have been an ugly knee injury.

Report Card 3.6.12: Celebrating revenge

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:05:02 EST

The Bulls did some celebrating of their own in a beatdown of the Pacers. (Getty Images)

By Matt Moore

Bulls second-half defense The Bulls' win over the Pacers in a "revenge" game for celebration-gate earlier in the month was close in the first half. In fact, the Pacers lead. It was going well. The pace was how the Pacers want it, and the Bulls offense had resorted back to "Rose dribbles around and then passes to Noah in the pinch post who holds it for too long until passing it to someone for a mid-range jumper which misses. Then the third quarter happened, a 33-13 cannibalistic raid which started with the Bulls attacking the Pacers dribble furiously to create turnovers then running out for dunks and transition threes. It was like Chokeholds in Seven Seconds or Less and it turned a great battle into a rout before the Pacers could figure out they were hit. OKC defense The Thunder won the free throw differential, again. The Thunder had some bizarre offensive possessions again. But when the Thunder absolutely needed to shut down the Mavericks, they did. The defense for OKC has come miles in the last three weeks. They blanketed Dirk and disrupted Dallas' playsets enough to completely block out any chance of a miracle tying bucket. They allowed too many Dirk Nowitzki threes early in the fourth, but their recovery down the stretch was championship level. Orlando Magic/Toronto Raptors The Raptors have no center, no real power forward, and are playing Jamal Magloire and a series of tweeners. And yet outside of Dwight Howard's dominant 36 points, the Raptors hung with the Magic. That says a lot about both teams. The Magic needed a clutch J.J. Redick three to finish them off and this team simply had no frontcourt to defend Orlando with. That's a problem loss. Sacramento Kings Essentially, twice against the Nuggets, all the Kings had to do was avoid the exact thing they wound up doing. Don't foul Arron Afflalo on a desperation three-pointer at the end of regulation. Don't miss free throws. Don't let Lawson go ISO with space. And yet they did all these things, twice blowing leads that seemed safe and tossing away a game they had every chance to win. Clippers composure Kenyon Martin gets T'd up needlessly inside the final three minutes. Blake Griffin gets a technical for a bad fall into Luke Ridnour, then missed both of his free throws for the fouls which started it. Chris Paul misses a tying free throw. For whatever reason, the Timberwolves turn the Clippers into toddlers with buckets on their heads, running into walls and down stairs.

Video: Ty Lawson goes Lawesome in OT

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 6:18:02 EST

By Matt Moore

Ty Lawson is stepping up and becoming a regular clutch machine. After hitting a game winner just days ago, Lawson stepped up in overtime and helped the Nuggets overcome a 5 point deficit with 15 seconds to go in a win over the Kings.

The Nuggets are starting to find that they have two closers, Arron Afflalo and Lawson. Both players played huge roles in the comeback Monday night, and both have the ability to score out of the ISO set, the preferred NBA offensive set. With big shots against Houston and Portland in the last week, the Nuggets are recovering their momentum they lost due to injuries.

It's nice to see Lawson taking the next step.