Michael Jordan Masterpiece Figures by Enterbay

Overlaps between the sneakerhead and toy collecting scenes are numerous, so it’s inevitable that we cross paths from time to time.  The latest example is at least in one sense the greatest of all time, as Hong Kong’s masters of minute detail Enterbay offer up the impressive Michael Jordan Masterpiece collection.  Spanning the period from “I’m back” through ‘The Last Shot’, this set of figurines takes through the second three-peat with 2000 limited edition 1/6th models that include perfectly scaled down Air Jordans X-XIV. 

Credit : Sneaker News

NBA - J.R. Smith Mocks Kim Kardashian's Ex Kris Humphries

This is J.R. Smith.

This is Kris Humprhies.

As you might have heard, Kris Humphries was once married to Kim Kardashian. It didn't end well.

As you might have also heard, Kim Kardashian is now dating Kanye West. They're having a baby!

ANYWAY: Kris Humphries is a member of the Brooklyn Nets, and the Nets just played J.R. Smith's New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' home court. Humphries and the Nets won a tight game that went down to the buzzer.

During the game, Kris Humphries was booed, and it turns out he couldn't resist a little jab at the Garden crowd on Twitter afterward.

Kris Humphries @KrisHumphries

Big game tonight! The Garden got really quiet on the way out! #Brooklyn

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J.R. Smith didn't like that. J.R. Smith had a little message of his own for Kris Humphries.

JR Smith @TheRealJRSmith

Wasnt quiet when Kanye tore it down last month! RT @KrisHumphries: Big game tonight! The Garden got really quiet on the way out! #Brooklyn

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NBA : Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett Continues Outside Garden

NEW YORK — Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett jawed from baseline to midcourt, and Anthony still had more to say.

So the Knicks forward went toward the Celtics locker room after the game to keep shouting, taking his frustrations from the court right along with him and perhaps risking an NBA suspension.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, and Boston beat New York 102-96 on Monday night in a heated first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals.

Anthony left without talking to reporters and the Knicks wouldn't comment on Anthony's postgame trip in the wrong direction, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't deny it.

"I'm going to let you all figure that one out. I'm going to stay out of that," Rivers said. "If it was the playoffs I'd tell on him, but since it's not I'm going to just be quiet."

Rivers didn't need to. MSG Network reported the incident, in which security had to step in and send Anthony back in the right direction, as it went to its postgame show, and the league likely will investigate and could penalize the Knicks' leading scorer.

Comcast SportsNet New England posted a video on its website showing Anthony waiting near the Celtics' team bus after the game, with coach Mike Woodson and New York City police nearby.

"I didn't know what was going on at that point in time," Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire said. "It's strictly basketball. We have to keep it on the basketball court and make sure we come to play every night. Boston will definitely bring the intensity and aggressive play. We got to be able to match that."

Garnett added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who even without the suspended Rajon Rondo won their third straight and finally are playing like the team that has ruled the division for the last half-decade.

The Knicks want that title now, but Anthony and his teammates were reminded how tough the Celtics can make it.

Anthony had 20 points but shot 6 of 26 while battling his temper, Garnett and foul trouble.

Garnett denied the postgame altercation.

"Listen, heat of the battle, man. Guys go back and forth. He's trying to get his team to go, I'm trying to get my team to go, both teams are colliding, not to mention that it's the Knicks and the Celtics," Garnett said. "Just what it is, man."

J.R. Smith led the Knicks with 24 points. Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 17 rebounds.

Rondo was suspended Monday for making contact with a referee in a game against Atlanta on Saturday and failure to cooperate with an NBA investigation. Without the NBA's assist leader, the Celtics relied on the kind of defense that has been absent too often this season.

They allowed 78 points per game in their last two wins, then held the Knicks to 40 in the second half Monday.

Pierce, who was also in foul trouble in the tightly and sometimes inconsistently called game, put it away with a jumper with 45 seconds to go, blowing a kiss toward the crowd he loves to torment after putting the Celtics up by six.

Anthony had averaged 34.4 points in his last 10 games and had a pair of 40-point performances last week, but his jumper was off from the start Monday as the Knicks had their two-game winning streak snapped.

"They took us out of a lot that we wanted to accomplish out there," said Chandler, who said "nothing" happened after the game.

"Very physical on the ball," he said. "Forced us to take some tough shots."

Boston led by four when Anthony and Garnett became extra physical with each other on a Boston possession that ended with a turnover with 9:03 remaining. Anthony followed him all the way to midcourt as they jawed at each other following the play, leading to technical fouls on both players.

The trash talk didn't just stay on the court – or between players. Pierce tried to throw the ball in from the sideline shortly after, only to have Spike Lee standing and yelling in his ear the whole time.

"I've been tuning Spike Lee out for years," Pierce said. "That's just common noise now."

Jason Kidd's 3-pointer tied it at 86, but Pierce dunked and Avery Bradley made a jumper for a four-point lead with 5:32 to play. The Knicks got it to one before Pierce's jumper with 3 1/2 minutes to play, and the Knicks never got that close again.

The Celtics have won the last five Atlantic Division titles, starting with their NBA championship season of 2007-08. But while Rivers often says he never talks to the players about winning the division, Woodson has made it a priority since becoming interim coach last March.

They couldn't catch Boston last season but had opened a 4 1/2-game lead over Brooklyn and were seven games up on the third-place Celtics entering Monday's play.

"Our goal is bigger and so are the Knicks', I'm sure, but maybe that's part of their goal and that's their first step," Rivers said of the division title. "But our goal is always bigger than that."

They've only recently begun to play like that could attain it.

Rondo had his second triple-double of the season Saturday to rally the Celtics to an 89-81 victory in Atlanta, but his actions during the game kept him from the arena Monday. Bradley, recently back from shoulder surgery, helped the Celtics overcome his absence with 13 points. Jeff Green had 16 off the bench.

Anthony and Pierce both picked up two fouls in the first 4 1/2 minutes, Pierce getting a technical as well on his way to the bench. The early fouls, and some extra intensity, kept either team from getting in much of a flow, though New York did build a 10-point lead that Boston wiped out on its way to a 22-21 lead after a period in which they combined to make 13 of 35 shots.

The Knicks had the lead back to nine in the second, but Pierce scored 15 points in the period as Boston got within 56-53 at the break.

Boston scored seven straight late in the third quarter to open a six-point lead, held the Knicks to 6-of-17 shooting in the period and led 76-72 headed to the fourth, when the fireworks started.

NOTES: Anthony was chosen Eastern Conference player of the week after averaging a league-best 36 points in three games. ... Knicks G Iman Shumpert, out since tearing his ACL in last year's playoffs, had his knee tested Monday as he moves closer to returning. He could take part in full practices this week. ... The Celtics open a five-game homestand Wednesday against Phoenix.

The Knicks Are The Basketball Version Of An Erectile-Dysfunction Ad

Despite being so old they meet every morning at McDonald's for discounted coffee, the 'Bockers are the NBA's only undefeated team.

The New York Knicks are the only undefeated team in the NBA (6-0). Who are these Knicks?
1) Carmelo Anthony, the league's most perenially unsuccessful All-Star;
2) J.R. Smith, a streak shooter who is the basketball equivalent of Russian Roulette;
3) Steve Novak, who, if he weren't 6'10", would remind you of your girlfriend's genial older brother, a bank manager in Ohio;
4) Fat Raymond Felton
and 5) a whole mess of old dudes.
The Knicks right now feature six rotation players — Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas — whose average age is 53. Which is remarkable considering none of them are actually older than 40; it's just that the Knicks are so old that they cripple conventional mathematics. (Those guys' average age in reality is 37. Which is still a lot.)
And yet, the Knicks have won five games and lost zero — one fewer than the Grizzlies and the Spurs; two fewer than the Nets and the Clippers; three fewer than Heat and the Thunder; and five fewer than the Lakers, a team that rosters both Ares the God of War and 19th-century abolitionist John Brown. In a twist anticipated by no one, the Knicks — the big-city team, the celebrity-fan glamor team — have become better than they've been in years by harnessing the power of middle-aged wisdom. As the Lakers' coaching carousel and Dwight Howard antics dominate the headlines, this is probably the quietest five-game Knicks winning streak in the last three years. (Can you imagine the pandemonium if they were doing this WITH Jeremy Lin? You don't have to: they did last year, and it consumed the world.) They are the spirit of an erectile-dysfunction ad channeled into a basketball team: laid-back, kind of goofy, and hard to take seriously — but always, in the end, effective.
Saddled with bad knees and full figures — Rasheed Wallace in particular entered training camp as though he'd been transported there by a Carnival Cruise — it seems incomprehensible that the team could keep pace with, for example, a Miami Heat squad made up mostly of players who appear to have been carved from Egyptian obelisks. Even Carmelo Anthony, who at 27 is one of the Knicks' sprightlier youngsters, looks physically smudged, like the artist who drew him had to leave before he could finish. And these guys SMOKED the Heat on opening night. It wasn't even close.
What these Knicks are is efficient. They can't run around all crazy like they used to, but hey, that's not going to stop them from getting the job done. They play defense, they take good shots and make them at a high rate, and they take care of the ball. Their turnover differential is best in the league at -7.6, meaning that they force 7.6 more turnovers a game than they surrender; second place are the Raptors and the Hawks, at -3.6. They have all the glamour of a couple in parallel bathtubs watching the sun set over wine country, and about as much appeal to a viewing audience that doesn't have an immediate need for their product. (Cialis users = Knicks fans.)
Will the Knicks keep up this pace? No! J.R. Smith will not continue to make 72% of his three-pointers, and Jason Kidd won't maintain a 22.8 PER. But is it reasonable to think that they could be a long-shot Finals contender? That, especially with the return of Iman Shumpert, they could continue to combine a top-five defense and a top-ten offense? That they could compete for the NBA championship, and that Carmelo Anthony could finish the season in the MVP discussion? It's possible, just like anything else in our age of miracles.

Credit : Buzzfeed

Sports : NBA - Chris Paul Trade hits a Road Block

The Los Angeles Lakers trade to obtain New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom has hit a snag, sources tell ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
Sources said that a group of NBA owners, assembled in New York for the ratification of the league's new labor pact with the players, protested vigorously that the league-owned Hornets were trading Paul to the star-studded Lakers and convinced NBA commissioner David Stern to intervene.
"The deal is off," one source told ESPN.com.

The Houston Rockets were the third team in the trade and would have obtained Gasol from the Hornets in return for Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, and a 2012 first-round pick that Houston received from the New York Knicks, sources said.
Paul can opt out of his current contract with New Orleans after this season, and the Hornets have been fielding trade offers in an effort to acquire new players for the star guard rather than letting him walk in free agency.
Paul averaged 15.8 points and 9.8 assists last season.
The Rockets, who lost Yao Ming to retirement, coveted the 7-foot Gasol, while the Hornets didn't, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.
Furthermore, the Rockets have the rebuilding pieces Hornets general manager Dell Demps wanted in a trade for Paul -- namely, young talent such as Martin and the 2012 first-round draft pick, the source told Bucher.

Speaking earlier Thursday, Hornets president Hugh Weber said the franchise has been preparing for months for the possibility that Paul would resist signing an extension in New Orleans, a move that would all but force a trade."We've been preparing for this moment for over a year and it's not like we were surprised or caught flat-footed," Weber said. "This is not a surprise. This is not something where we've been sitting around waiting to see what would happen. We've been managing this and taking control of the situation as best we can and we're going to have a team that we believe achieves that objective of making this community proud."
While he never said publicly that he wanted to play in a larger market, he did say before last season that he wants to play for a team that has a chance to contend for a title right away -- something he should get if he joins Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

The Hornets have been owned by the NBA since last December, when the league bought the club from founder George Shinn.
Despite the lockout and uncertainty over Paul's future, fan support has been building in New Orleans, where the team has advertised their season-ticket drive as an effort to lure a permanent local buyer who is committed to keeping the team in Louisiana.
The Hornets have increased their season ticket base from a little more than 6,000 last season to just over 10,019 as of Thursday afternoon.
Owners and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, the final step to ending the five-month lockout and paving the way for training camps and free agency to open Friday.
There was hope in small markets like New Orleans that after the lockout it would be easier for teams to hold on to their biggest stars. However, that apparently is not the case.
If this deal is approved one of the NBA's biggest stars from the league-owned small-market Hornets will be moving to one of the NBA's largest, richest markets.
Paul was drafted by the Hornets fourth overall out of Wake Forest in 2005.

Sports : NBA - Chris Paul traded to Lakers in three-team-deal

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to surrender Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in a trade for New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul, sources tell ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
Sources close to the process tell Stein that the Houston Rockets remain part of the talks and are trying to complete a deal that would send Gasol to Houston and the Rockets' Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic to New Orleans, along with Odom.
In Paul, the Lakers would be getting an All-Star and U.S. Olympic Team member who has averaged 37.1 minutes, 18.7 points and 9.9 assists a game in his six seasons.
Paul can opt out of his current contract with New Orleans after this season, and the Hornets have been fielding trade offers in an effort to acquire new players for the star guard rather than letting him walk in free agency.
Paul averaged 15.8 points and 9.8 assists last season.
The Rockets, who lost Yao Ming to retirement, covet Gasol, while the Hornets do not, increasing the likelihood Gasol won't stay in New Orleans, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.
Furthermore, the Rockets have young talent the rebuilding pieces Hornets general manager Dell Demps wanted in a trade for Paul, namely, young talent such as Martin and a protected future first-round pick Houston acquired from the New York Knicks. The Hornets would look to acquire that pick as part of the proposed deal, the source told Bucher.
Speaking earlier Thursday, Hornets president Hugh Weber said the franchise has been preparing for months for the possibility that Paul would resist signing an extension in New Orleans, a move that would all but force a trade.
"We've been preparing for this moment for over a year and it's not like we were surprised or caught flat-footed," Weber said. "This is not a surprise. This is not something where we've been sitting around waiting to see what would happen. We've been managing this and taking control of the situation as best we can and we're going to have a team that we believe achieves that objective of making this community proud."
While he never said publicly that he wanted to play in a larger market, he did say before last season that he wants to play for a team that has a chance to contend for a title right away -- something he should get when he joins Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
The Hornets have been owned by the NBA since last December, when the league bought the club from founder George Shinn.
Despite the lockout and uncertainty over Paul's future, fan support has been building in New Orleans, where the team has advertised their season-ticket drive as an effort to lure a permanent local buyer who is committed to keeping the team in Louisiana.
The Hornets have increased their season ticket base from a little more than 6,000 last season to just over 10,019 as of Thursday afternoon.
Owners and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, the final step to ending the five-month lockout and paving the way for training camps and free agency to open Friday.
There was hope in small markets like New Orleans that after the lockout it would be easier for teams to hold on to their biggest stars. However, that apparently is not the case.
If this deal is approved one of the NBA's biggest stars from the league-owned small-market Hornets will be moving to one of the NBA's largest, richest markets.
Paul was drafted by the Hornets fourth overall out of Wake Forest in 2005.

Sports : Delonte West has been traded to Home Depot?

Although he's made over $14 million in the NBA, Delonte West tweeted recently that he is "broke" and has applied for a job at Home Depot.

"It's official.. Pride 2 the side.. just filled out a application at Home Depot.. Lockout aint a game," the Celtics guard tweeted.
West is on probation for a weapons charge and also tweeted that he wasn't allowed to pursue basketball opportunities overseas.
"Can't even get that over seas money," he tweeted. "Judge said it's a no go on leaving the country."
West has battled bipolar disorder during his career and also posted this to Twitter: "Broke down in the ATM line.. 25 cars behind me and I already reached my daily limit... I'm broke n my cars broke.. Where's my therapist???"
Appearing in only 24 games this past season, the 27-year-old West averaged 5.6 points in his second stint with the Celtics.

NBA VIDEO: LeBron James Stays in the Locker Room for Introductions in Cleveland; Avoids Getting Booed

We're all loooooong over having a pitty-party for Cleveland, especially with the Heat trailing behind the Celtics for second place in the East. However, tonight The King had no interest facing his former serfs in The Q before tonight's Miami Heat - Cleveland Cavaliers game. It was an awkward, bizarre moment. Yes, LeBron walked away with a triple-double on the night, but the city of Cleveland was finally able to get its pesky (albeit insignificant) revenge on the LBJ's new team with a 102 - 90 win. Hoorray moral victories. Can we move on now? Video of LBJ skipping the intro to his former home crowd after the jump.

Internet : Google Discusses Broadcasting Live NBA, NHL Games on YouTube

Last year, when YouTube broadcast an Indian Premier League Cricket tournament, rumors began to circulate about Google's plans to show more live sporting events on the video site. Now Google, the NBA and the NHL are discussing a plan to broadcast entire live games on YouTube -- possibly as soon as this fall or winter, according to Bloomberg News. Clearly, Google wants to broadcast live sports on YouTube because advertisers are more likely to spend money if viewers are spending more time on the site. "It's fair to say that there will be a lot more appealing sports content you'll see on YouTube," Gautam Anand, Google's director of content partnerships for Asia Pacific, recently told reporters. Anand wouldn't reveal any specific details about the company's talks with the NBA, NHL or any other pro sports leagues. But Brian Suh, YouTube's partnership head at Google in Korea, confirmed the talks by saying the company was in negotiations with "most pro sports leagues," which we'd think would mean some European soccer leagues, too. (Sorry, NFL fans, but don't expect the league to share any of its broadcasting rights)

Sports : NBA - Finally It’s Done: Carmelo is a Knick

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Remember last week when Carmelo Anthony was extremely close to becoming a Net, so much so that people like me were writing about the ramifications of the trade. So much for that… Now we have Carmelo heading to the Knicks, where he wanted to be all along, and the Knicks are giving up a hell of a lot to get him. Carmelo is headed to the Knicks with Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman. Denver receives Danilo Gallinari, Timofy Mosgov, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, New York’s first round pick in 2014, and two second-round picks from Golden State (from the David Lee trade). Minnesota chips in by receiving Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry. The T-Wolves will send Corey Brewer to the Nuggets.
With the Knicks, it all starts at the top. This deal was run by Jim Dolan, who went over Donnie Walsh’s head to get it done. Walsh had turned the Knicks into a respectable franchise after Isiah Thomas burned it to the ground. Walsh and coach Mike D‘Antoni were not in favor of this trade. Dolan didn’t care and was rumored to have taken the advice of Thomas to get the trade done. Dolan traded away most of his talent, along with his soul and 500 tickets to watch his band play in concert next time they’re in the Denver area.

Carmelo will likely be good for the Knicks, but the initial appearance here is they gave up a lot. Chandler’s a solid player who regressed in the last month as all the trade rumors surfaced. He’s the player I care most about giving up because I think he still has a lot of potential. He may never be the scorer Carmelo Anthony is, but he’s a better defender, a better rebounder, and he is perfectly suited to be a team’s third or fourth option. If the Knicks added a better guard (either an upgrade on Felton or a scoring shooting guard) and a center, there’s a chance they could’ve been better off with Chandler.

Felton going to Denver leaves me with mixed emotions because he was thriving as the team’s point guard, but his future was uncertain. He likely was only around until the summer of 2012, when the Knicks throw big free agent dollars at either Chris Paul or Deron Williams. In the next two years, however, he gives the team a better chance to win than Billups does. Billups isn’t suited for D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense and the loss of Gallinari and Chandler won’t help that either. I don’t think Gallinari’s ceiling is as high as Chandler's. He can’t play defense and isn’t as good of a shooter as he was supposed to be.

Denver seemed to have fully taken advantage of this situation and I think they make off much better than if they had Favors and four first round picks. Once they realized Dolan was involved, they milked the Knicks for everything they could get. Knowing Anthony was a goner in the offseason anyway, they’ve now got at least three pieces to help them stay competitive in the Western Conference in the coming years as they add players with their now open cap space. We still have to see whether or not the rumors are true of them flipping two of the acquired players to New Jersey for future first round picks.

As a Knicks fan, I’m now left with three emotions: skepticism, curiosity, and excitement. It’ll be fun to have Carmelo and Amar'e playing together in the Garden, but I’m skeptical about the long-term future of this team. Anything that has Dolan and Isiah’s fingerprints all over it doesn’t make Knicks fans feel good. Finally, I’m curious to see what other pieces they add now that they’ve lost a lot of depth.

Knicks fans will be left to make an interesting decision with their franchise after this deal. We all hate what Thomas did; we all respect what Walsh did to clean up his mess, and we all are worried when Dolan gets involved. Despite all this, we’re excited to have Carmelo around.

It should make for an interesting few years at Madison Square Garden.

Sports : NBA - Christian Eyenga’s Huge Dunk Gives Me an Excuse to Post About the Cavs Upsetting the Lakers

On Wednesday night the Cavs got absolutely manhandled shocked the shit out of the Lakers (and the rest of the NBA), beating Kobe and company 104-99. That's right, read it again and savor the moment, Cavs fans; it could be as good as it gets this season. Here's a highlight from Congolese rookie Christian Eyenga, who made a thunderous statement in the final seconds of the third quarter with this incredible Godzilla dunk.

Sports - Incredibly Cheap NBA and NHL Tickets Wildly Available Online

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If you’re like me and are sick of watching ticket prices to your favorite pro teams continue to skyrocket, I have good news. While looking for tickets recently on StubHub, I noticed that some NBA and NHL teams are selling tickets for under $1. That’s right, a basketball or hockey game for multiple pennies. Yes, these are for more or less the worst seats in the house and some of the worst teams in the league; no, those are not just the starting bids for an online ticket auction. Just so you don’t say to me “What the fuck, I thought I was gonna pay $0.69 for tickets?” I should warn you that, like any other ticket service such as Ticketmaster, you have to pay some service fees for StubHub — electronic download fee of $4.95 per order and a service fee of 10% of your total ticket purchase ($5 minimum). But let’s say you and three friends get four tickets at $5 a piece, your total is going to be $29.95, still only $7.50 each. According to Reuters, this year’s NBA and NHL average ticket prices are $48.08 and $54.25, respectively; so that means you should be saving an extra $40 to $45 for beers (you’re gonna need them up in the rafters). Don't expect these types of prices at the Staples Center or Madison Square Garden — some teams are obviously going to always be expensive, though its always worth looking. No matter who you root for, here’s a list of 10 great games at low prices and 10 ludicrously priced not-so-great games.

NBA
Bang-for-your-buck games: For the fan who wants to catch a cheap game but also cares enough about the quality of play.

Thunder at Spurs, Feb. 22, 2011: As low as $5
Oklahoma City's Durant and Westbrook, two of the NBA’s most exciting young stars and currently tied as the league’s top scoring duo, take on the Spurs, the team with the league’s best record. A great chance to see some stars for next to nothing.

Bulls at Hawks, March 2, 2011: As low as $2
You got MVP candidate Derrick Rose and the Bulls taking on a strong Hawks team that is one spot behind them in the playoff hunt. Both teams will be playing hard as they try to prove they are in the upper echelon of East teams with the Heat, Celtics, and Magic.

Knicks at Mavericks, March 10, 2011: As low as $6
The Mavs are winners of nine straight and boast the second-best record in the West. The Knicks are one of the more exciting surprises in the league this year. Raymond Felton and Amar'e Stoudemire are reviving a disheartened Knicks fan base that has been accustomed to years of futility. Should be a fast-paced, high-scoring game.

Rockets at Clippers, March 2, 2011: As low as $5
Frankly, it doesn’t matter who the Clippers are playing: I would go watch a Blake Griffin if he were playing a girls middle school team. He's just killing it right now. As one of my friends put it, “Dude is so entertaining I want to watch him take a shit, just to see what he does, like how many coils he reels off.” Riveting stuff.

Jazz at Suns, February 15, 2011: As low as $3
In the wake of Jerry Sloan's sudden departure, the young Deron Williams leads the Jazz against wily old man Steve Nash in a showdown of two perennial Western Conference powers. Both teams are also in their first season without star big men — Carlos Boozer and Amar'e — and would love to prove they can make a run this year without them.

Incredibly low priced games: For the fan who cares less about who’s playing, and just wants to catch a game.

Hornets at Nets, February 9, 2011: As low as $0.69
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‬Editor's Note: This story was originally meant to be published on Feb. 9, thus why this item is outdated. That said, tickets to the Warriors-Nets game on March 9 begins at $0.99, and the Nets at Spurs on Feb. 14 begins at $1.39.

This almost made it into the bang for your buck section because, frankly, any game priced at 69 cents is a steal. It’s also hilarious that someone seems to think that a dollar is too much to ask for someone to go to a Nets game — and chose 69 cents, no less. Nets/Hornets isn’t the worst match up on this list but it has to go first for being so cheap.

Wizards at Cavaliers, February 13, 2011: As low as $0.99
Now this is probably our worst match up in the group. The Cavs are currently losers of 26 straight, an NBA record, and are one loss away from breaking the Big Four sports leagues’ record of 26 consecutive losses by the ’76-’77 Tampa Bay Bucs. The Wizards are approaching their own infamous record as they are the only win-less team on the road left this season. Their 0-25 start away from home is four shy of the NBA record set by the ’92-’93 Mavericks (in fact the Cavs are 0-26 on the road themselves). One of the streaks will have to give, which could increase the effort level and make this an exciting game. Or not.

Pistons at Cavaliers, March 8, 2011: As low as $1
Scary to think these teams were squaring off in the Eastern Conference Championship three seasons ago. Now they’re selling $1 tickets. For shame.

Nets at Bobcats, February 11, 2011: As low as $1
MJ's new team has managed to stay relevant this season as they are a game out of the 8th spot in the East. However, it seems the fan haven't noticed and are willing to do almost anything to rid themselves of tickets when the Nets roll into town.

Pacers at Pistons, February 16, 2011: As low as $2
As far as the match ups for these games go, this may be the best one. Pacers are clinging to that 8th spot in the Eastern Conference and the Pistons, at 20-33, are just are a slim 3.5 games behind them. Plus, maybe you’ll catch the Malice at the Palace, Round 2.


NHL
Bang-for-your-buck games: For the fan who wants to catch a cheap game but also cares enough about the quality of play.

Capitals at Lightning, March 7, 2011: As low as $4; or Flyers at Lightning, February 15, 2011: As low as $5.99
Despite having the fourth-best record in the NHL, the Lightning have some of the lowest ticket prices in the league: StubHub has tickets available under $10 for 14 of the next 16 Lightning games. So with your pick of the games, a match up against the division-rival Capitals would be an ideal game. The Flyers would also be a great match up as they are the only team ahead of Tampa in the Eastern Conference.

Avalanche at Predators, March 31, 2011: As low as $7
Having lived in Nashville, I can tell you first hand that Bridgestone Arena is a great place to see a game. The fans are rowdy, there are half-price beer specials on Thursday nights (the 31st is a Thursday), and they always pull out the stops to keep the fans interested with live music and on-ice gimmicks. Not to mention it’s a match up of two teams just 7 points out of the playoffs, so why not?

Thrashers at Hurricanes, March 9, 2011: As low as $6; or Rangers at Hurricanes, February 22, 2011: As low as $9
The ’Canes and Thrashers are division rivals and are currently in 8th and 9th place in the Eastern Conference, respectively, fighting for that last playoff spot. And after watching the All-Star Weekend in Raleigh, Carolina looks like a great place to see a game. Rangers are currently in 7th place in the East, so they would be a great match up too.

Kings at Red Wings, March 9, 2011: As low as $10
I have only been to a handful of hockey stadiums but there are two places that top my list of places I haven’t been: Bell Center in Montreal and Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. And since Canadiens tickets are the second-highest in the league, I could definitely settle for $10 tickets at the Joe.

Devils at Stars, February 22, 2011: As low as $8
The Stars have the lowest average ticket prices in the league, but that hasn’t stopped them from leading their division and holding down the 3 spot in the Western Conference. This year, the Devils have been ugly but boast the second-best record in the NHL over their last 10 games so they should keep it interesting.

Incredibly low-priced games: For the fan who cares less about who’s playing and just wants to catch a game.

Red Wings at Panthers, February 18, 2011: As low as $2
Pretty much all of the Panthers' upcoming games are for $5 or less so I picked the cheapest — which happened to also be the best visiting team to see. (Flyers, Canadiens, Capitals, and Leafs are all also available for under $5.)

Islanders at Lightning, March 22, 2011: As low as $2
The Lightning are a fun team to watch, with young-gun Steven Stamkos leading the league in goals and points. The Islanders? Not so much. They have the league’s third-worst record, and last week their starting goalie got his face broken in a fight and is out six weeks. Ouch.

Senators at Devils, March 8, 2011: As low as $2
Two usually consistent teams having a down year. At least the Prudential Center is a good venue.

Blue Jackets at Blues, March 7, 2011: As low as $5
Both teams are on the outside of the playoff hunt looking in but are only 6 and 7 points out, respectively. Add in the fact that they’re division rivals and this could be a pretty good match up.

Maple Leafs at Thrashers, February 22, 2011: As low as $6
The Thrashers are still fighting for a playoff spot but without a miraculous push, the Leafs seemed to be out of the postseason for the sixth straight year. However, these teams have averaged 10 goals per game in three meetings this season.

Sports : LeBron James scores 23 of his 51 points in first quarter to lead Heat

Team Stat Comparison

	Miami	Orlando
Points	104	100
FG Made-Attempted	36-72 (.500)	36-85 (.424)
3P Made-Attempted	7-16 (.438)	12-33 (.364)
FT Made-Attempted	25-36 (.694)	16-31 (.516)
Rebounds (Offensive-Total)	9-44	17-44
Assists	19	20
Turnovers	11	10
Steals	6	4
Blocks	6	0
Fast Break Points	12	21
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant)	27 (0/0)	26 (0/0)
Largest Lead	23	0

Top Performers

Miami		Orlando
	L. James Points: 51 Reb: 11 Ast: 8 Stl: 1 Blk: 1		J. Nelson Points: 22 Reb: 6 Ast: 6 Stl: 0 Blk: 0

Game Leaders

	Miami	Orlando
Points	L. James 51	J. Nelson 22
Rebounds	L. James 11	D. Howard 16
Assists	L. James 8	J. Nelson 6
Steals	L. James 1	G. Arenas 2
Blocks	D. Wade 2	G. Arenas 0
Team rosters: Miami | Orlando

Are 50-point games becoming less frequent? LeBron's 51-point effort was the first 50-point game of the season. 50-pt games have been in decline each of the last three seasons. There were just three such games all of last season (Andre Miller, Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Jennings) after 11 in 2008-09.

This is the 9th 50-point game for LeBron James on the ROAD. He ties Kobe Bryant for the 2nd-most road 50-point games in the last 25 seasons.

LeBron James recorded the 6th 50-pt game in Heat history, with 3 of them coming against the Magic. His 51 is 3rd most in franchise history, behind Glen Rice's 56 and teammate Dwyane Wade's 55.

LeBron James is only the 2nd player in Heat history to reach 45+ points, 10+ rebounds and 8+ assists. Dwyane Wade went for 50 pts, 10 rebounds and 9 assists on march 14, 2009 vs Utah. No Heat player has ever had a triple-double with 40 or more points

LeBron James had 29 points in the first half. That is tied with Wesley Matthews for the 2nd-most points scored in the first half this season. Kevin Martin had 32 in the first half on December 11 against the Cavaliers.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- In the days leading up to Miami's third matchup of the season with Southeast Division-rival Orlando, LeBron James stressed that even at barely the midpoint of the season there was high importance for Thursday night's game.

And James played like it, pouring in 51 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists -- including a 23-point first quarter -- to lead Miami to a 104-100 victory.

It was a season high for James, whose scoring effort tied for the fifth most points of his career. Dwyane Wade added 15 points and Chris Bosh 13. The victory was the Heat's fourth straight. The Magic lost for the fourth time in their last six and fell behind 2-1 in the season series with Miami.

LeBron Drops 51

LeBron James' 51 points Thursday gave him the ...

• most by any player this season (the previous high was 47 by Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin).
• ninth 50-point game of his career -- all of them on the road.
• sixth 50-point game in Heat history.
• second-most points against the Magic in the Dwight Howard era (Allen Iverson scored 60).

"Just playing this team got me going," said James, who hit his first 11 shots of the night. "We understand that it wasn't just any regular-season game. There were a lot of things said about us in the offseason that came from this organization. So we just wanted to come in here and play to our abilities and make a statement."

Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 22 points. Dwight Howard had 17 points and 16 rebounds, but only one point after halftime and was just 3 for 13 at the free throw line. Jason Richardson chipped in 16.

The Heat were expected to exploit a thin Magic front line that was missing injured starting forward Brandon Bass. Instead, led by James, the Heat did their damage from the outside. They led by as many as 23 points before a frantic rally by the Magic in the final six minutes almost washed it away.

Miami took a 16-point advantage into the final period and led 90-69 before the Magic went on a 19-4 run, capped by Gilbert Arenas' 3-pointer to cut the lead to 94-88 with 1:51 remaining in the game.

But James responded with his own 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to give Miami a 97-88 cushion.

A missed 3-pointer by Richardson on the other end was rebounded by James, who was fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws. Another 3 by Richardson cut the lead to 98-91 with 51.1 seconds left.

Nelson hit a layup to trim it to 98-93 and then 99-95 with a pair of free throws with 22.5 to play.

Are 50-point games in decline?

LeBron's 51-point effort was the first 50-point game of the season. There were just three such games last season (Andre Miller, Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Jennings), after 11 in 2008-09.

50-Point Games, Last 5 Seasons

Season	Games
2010-11	1
2009-10	3
2008-09	11
2007-08	5
2006-07	18

Following a pair of free throws by James to make it 103-97, Nelson hit a 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds left. The Heat lost the ball on the ensuing inbounds play, but the Magic were unable to tie it on their next possession. Wade hit a free throw to provide the final margin.

"We just let our guard down," James said. "We can't do that as a veteran ball club. You can say that about a young team. We came in [the locker room] and you could tell by the look on the guys' faces that we weren't satisfied with the way we finished the game out. That's always a good sign. It wasn't just 'Let's celebrate.' "

Aside from the late flurry by Orlando, there was another scary moment for the Heat in the third quarter.

Wade was driving to the basket with 9:43 left in the period when he went up for a dunk and was fouled hard by Howard, who was attempting to block. Wade slammed to the floor and remained down for about a minute.

After a timeout, the Heat players -- even those who were on the bench -- went out to check on Wade, who was face-down on the court. He eventually walked gingerly to the bench and remained in the game to shoot two free throws. He went to the locker room and returned with a heat pack on his back. He returned to start the fourth quarter.

He had ice on his back afterward, but said he will travel with the team to Charlotte and plans to play Friday. He said he didn't think the play by Howard was dirty.

Nelson said he was pleased with his team's comeback effort, but not with another slow start by the Magic, who he said succeeded for the most part Thursday in forcing the Heat to shoot jumpers.

"We need to do the things we need to do to get ourselves ready, individually and collectively," he said. "We shouldn't have to come out and talk about energy or intensity every night. That should be a given of something that should be there every night."

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said their early offensive woes were too much to overcome. For the night, Orlando shot just 42 percent.

"Everybody struggled on the offensive floor," Van Gundy said. "I was quote honestly pretty happy with the shots that we got. Some nights I'm not, but I thought we got good shots. I thought we had trouble putting the ball in the basket."

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said that though he was pleased with the win, the final six minutes is what he will be watching for their final meeting on March 3.

"They've very competitive. You've got to be on top of you game and for 42 minutes we played as well and as efficient as we can on both ends of the court. We had an unfortunate six-minute lapse, but I'm not going to let that take away from the win," he said. "It was a good win. Our guys were very motivated in this game to beat a division rival, but hopefully we've learned our lesson."

Game notes
According to STATS LLC, in the last 25 years the only player with at least 50 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in game was Michael Jordan against Phoenix on Jan. 21, 1989. ... The Magic were outrebounded 35-27. ... Making his fifth start of the season, Anderson scored in double figures for 19th time in the last 22 games.

Credit : ESPN

NBA : Nets close to landing 'Melo in three-team trade

The New Jersey Nets were close on Sunday evening to acquiring All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team deal with the Detroit Pistons, but are still looking to get a commitment from Anthony and his camp on a long-term contract, according to two league sources.

The deal would send Anthony, along with guards Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter, along with center Shelden Williams, to the Nets. Detroit would send veteran Rip Hamilton to New Jersey. The Nets would send guard Devin Harris, rookie forward Derrick Favors, guards Anthony Morrow, Stephen Graham, Quinton Ross and Ben Uzoh, along with two first-round picks, to the Nuggets. New Jersey would send center Johan Petro and forward Troy Murphy (and his expiring $12 million contract) to Detroit.

Talks continued Monday, a person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press. The three teams negotiated over the weekend and the source said the deal was "advancing.''

Anthony refused to discuss a potential deal before the Nuggets played New Orleans in Denver on Sunday night. He said afterward he didn't think a 96-87 loss was his last game in a Nuggets uniform.

"Uh-uh, not at all," he said, repeating the phrase "not at all" four times.

Asked if that was an indication he wouldn't sign the extension so the trade with the Nets could be consummated, Anthony demurred, saying: "I haven't heard anything. Only, that it's just been speculation as of right now."

Anthony noted that team executive Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri "are not even here, so I don't see that happening."

In what time frame was he referring to?

"I'm just saying I don't see it happening right now," Anthony said.

This week sometime?

"No."

The potential savings for Detroit -- Hamilton has two years and $25 million left on his deal -- combined with the opportunity to break up the backcourt logjam that has plagued the team for two seasons makes the deal irresistable for the Pistons. Trading Hamilton would allow the team to, finally, move Ben Gordon into the starting lineup instead of splitting mintues with Hamilton.

The Pistons don't want Petro, though, and are looking for New Jersey to route him somewhere else.

Billups and Hamilton were the starting backcourt for the Pistons team that won the 2004 NBA title and remained teammates until Detroit traded Billups to his hometown club for Allen Iverson.

Billups said he didn't know if a trade was imminent, either.

"I don't know nothing new, so I can't tell you nothing new," he said.

The Nets were close to acquiring Anthony during the preseason, but a four-team deal that included Utah and Charlotte fell through. Talks progressed recently with the inclusion of Detroit.

Anthony can become a free agent next summer. He has refused to sign the contract extension the Nuggets offered him last summer.

Anthony wants extension, reportedly in New York

NEW YORK (AP) -- Carmelo Anthony wants his money, even if he's not saying where he wants it.

Anthony made clear Sunday the importance of a contract extension, which he's thus far refused to sign with the Denver Nuggets. He also said he doesn't think the Nuggets would trade him somewhere he wouldn't accept one.

After the Nuggets' 129-125 loss to the Knicks, the team Anthony reportedly wants to play for, he was asked the importance of getting an extension before the collective bargaining agreement expires next summer. The NBA wants major salary cuts in the next deal.

"Whatever decision that I make, that's going to be the first thing that gets done," Anthony said.

ESPN.com reported later Sunday that Anthony would only accept a long-term extension if it came with a trade to the Knicks.

The Nuggets offered him one worth about $65 million over three years during the summer, but he has said he wanted to keep his options open. He can become a free agent next summer, but Denver would likely attempt to trade him before rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Denver was close to a four-team deal in the preseason that would have sent Anthony to New Jersey, but it fell apart.

Anthony can squash many trades by informing teams he would not take an extension with them. Many clubs would refuse to give up the pieces necessary to acquire the All-Star without a guarantee he would be part of their future.

But Anthony doesn't believe Denver would try to send him somewhere he didn't want to go.

"I don't think that will happen," he said.

There have been reports since the summer that Anthony's preference was to play in New York, where he was born, lived his first eight years and was married this summer. But he said after the Nuggets' practice Saturday that he hadn't made up his mind.

Anthony scored 31 points Sunday after receiving a loud ovation during pregame introductions.

Heat's Wade, Mavericks' Nowitzki named Players of the Week

NEW YORK -- The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade and the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 12.

Wade led the Heat to a 4-0 week, averaging 30.8 points on .584 shooting from the field, 8.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steal. On Dec 11, Wade scored 36 points to go along with six assists, six rebounds, helping Miami to its eighth straight victory, a 104-83 win over Sacramento. On Dec. 6 at Milwaukee, Wade posted a double-double with a game-high 25 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

Nowitzki averaged 25.7 points on .700 shooting from the field and 9.0 rebounds, leading Dallas to a 3-0 week, extending the current Maverick winning streak to 12 games. In consecutive games -- Dec. 9 vs. New Jersey, Dec.11 vs. Utah Jazz -- Nowitzki led the Mavericks in scoring and rebounds.

In those two games Nowitzki shot .800 (8-10) and .833 (10-12) from the field, respectively.

Here is a recap of the week for Wade and Nowitzki:

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Dec. 6 @ Milwaukee: Posted 25 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in an 88-78 win over Milwaukee.

Dec. 8 @ Utah: Scored 28 points to go along with four assists and two steals in a 111-98 win over the Jazz.

Dec. 10 @. Golden State: Tallied 34 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 106-84 win over the Warriors.

Dec. 11 @ Sacramento: Recorded 36 points, six assists and six rebounds in a 104-83 win over the Kings.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Dec. 7 vs. Golden State: Tallied 25 points, four blocks and two steals in a 105-100 win over the Warriors.

Dec. 9 vs. New Jersey: Posted team-highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds, and added a steal in a 102-89 win over the Nets.

Dec. 11 vs. Utah: Scored a game-high 31 points on 10-12 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and four assists.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta's Josh Smith, Chicago's Derrick Rose, Houston's Kevin Martin, Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut, Minnesota's Kevin Love, Memphis' Zach Randolph, New York's Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton ,Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, and Portland's Wesley Matthews.

Insist on excellence from yourself in every endeavor. Do what you know is best, and you'll achieve what you long to achieve.

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