May 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) attempts a shot against Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) and Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) during the second half in game five of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Thunder 88-84. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Without their point guard Russell Westbrook, the series against the tough Grizzlies was always going to be difficult for the Thunder.

After winning Game 1 thanks to some late game heroics from Kevin Durant, the Thunder lost four straight to fall out of the playoffs. In the end, the well-rounded Grizzlies were too much for the short-handed Thunder. Mike Conley played a fantastic series, leading the way from point guard, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph were too much down low, and Tony Allen was able to frustrate the Thunder defensively.

It was a disappointing end to what had been a phenomenal regular season in Oklahoma City. But despite the loss, Durant was trying to think positively following the loss. After the game, he had this to say,

“I gave all I have for my team. I left it all out there on the floor. I missed 16 shots, but I kept fighting, kept being aggressive, and that’s all I could ask for. It is what it is. It’s tough to swallow right now, but I’m sure we’re going to look back on this down the line and really appreciate this tough time. It’s something we’ve got to embrace and get better from. It’s tough to lose your last game in the playoffs so you’ve just got to move on.”

He added,

“Every one of these games came down to the last few minutes. It’s unfortunate we didn’t come out on the winning side except for once. Like I said, down the line we are going to look back on this and really appreciate it. Sometimes you’ve got to right out some storms to get to sunshine.”

“I have peace because this is when we really had to come together. You really seen us grow as a group. The only way I’d be frustrated is if we came in here with attitude because Russ is out or we missed shots or we lost the game, and nobody did that. We kept our spirits up. We were always positive and that was the best part about it. No matter how you lose, you couldn’t ask for nothing else man.”

“These guys, I love playing with them. Some days you come in and you get upset with each other, that’s just life. But at the end of the day I love all those guys, we all love each other and it was a joy fighting with each other, this playoff run, this whole season. So it wasn’t frustrating. Of course it was a little tougher than usual, but we made the best out of it.”

Durant has become the league’s second best player, and at just 24, is still improving, as scary as that sounds. Westbrook, also 24, will be healthy for next season and ready to lead the offense in his ferocious, full-speed ahead style. And the big man Serge Ibaka; a very good interior defender with room to grow both offensively and defensively is only 23 years old.

As good as the Thunder have been the last few years, they are still incredibly young and have room to grow. They’ve been to two Conference Finals and an NBA Finals and come up short both times, but Westbrook’s injury was the first real adversity the team had faced.

The team will be back again next year to fight for the Western Conference crown, and with a healthy roster, they should once again be favorites to come away with it.

His struggles continued early on in Game 3 this afternoon. Ibaka looked like he had an easy basket, but couldn’t get the dunk to go down.

(Thanks to @SBNationNBA for the .gif)

UPDATE: Ibaka went and missed another dunk later in the first half.

(Thanks to @HPBasketball for the video)

He scored 10 points in the final 6 minutes, including the go ahead basket with 11 seconds remaining.

(Thanks to @HPBasketball for the video)

Apr 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts to a play in action against the Houston Rockets in the second half during game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Crushing news for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the NBA in general today, as it was announced that Russell Westbrook has suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery for a meniscus tear in his right knee. No timetable announced.

— Royce Young (@dailythunder) April 26, 2013

Westbrook has never missed a game, regular season or playoffs, in his career. With no timetable set, it is unclear how long he will be out, but it is sure to be a fair amount of time.

Whatever the timetable may be, hopefully Westbrook comes back fully healed and ready to be the explosive player we all love to watch.

The halftime performance gave the first half a run for its money on entertainment value though, as some very talented dogs came out to center court.

There was a dog walking on its back legs pushing a dog walking on its front legs.

There was a dog doing backflips!

And there was even a dog jumping over hurdles on its hind legs like it was a human!

Apr 15, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) puts up a defensive front against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Biggest strength for the Thunder: Everything.

Given that the Thunder finished with the second best record in basketball, there’s about five things I could write about here. They’re just a very good overall team. With two top five players in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder were the second most efficient offense in basketball. Durant is pretty much impossible to defend one-on-one, while Westbrook is probably the most athletic guard in the league and made significant strides running the offense this year. The Thunder finished 29th in field goals attempted because they finished 2nd in free throws attempted and first in free throw percentage. It’s hard to stop a team when they have two elite scorers and get to the free throw line about as much as anyone. In addition to their ridiculous offense, the Thunder also boast a very capable defense. Oklahoma City quietly finished with the league’s fourth ranked defense, directly ahead of Chicago, Boston, and Miami.

Apr 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) celebrates during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Rockets 99-95 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Biggest strength for the Rockets: Analytical offense.

The Rockets aren’t fancy offensively, featuring a heavy amount of isolation and spread pick and roll, but they’re super effective in what they do. Houston was the 6th most efficient offense in basketball behind ex-Thunder star James Harden. GM Daryl Morey is considered one of the premier analytical minds in basketball and has built the Rockets offense in the mold of a computer simulation of how offense should be run. The Rockets took the second most threes in basketball, the third most shots less than 5 ft away from the rim, and the fourth most free throws. In Jeremy Lin and Harden, Houston has two ball handlers who excel in both getting to the rim and kicking the ball out to the corners for open threes. They’ve also got a plethora of shooters who are more than capable of raining in threes.

Biggest Weakness for the Thunder: Scott Brooks.

I don’t think the Thunder have one glaring weakness that will hur them in this series, but in general it’s probably the head coach. I’ve never been a huge fan of Scott Brooks. I’m not enamored with his vanilla isolation-heavy offense or his lineup management. I get the idea behind giving your best players the ball and letting them go to work, but the Thunder are painfully vanilla offensively, running basic pin downs that result in high elbow iso’s for Durant or a plethora of high pick and rolls for Westbrook. Though Oklahoma City destroys teams when playing small with Durant at the 4 and Ibaka at the 5, Brooks insists on using these lineups sparingly. In this series, Oklahoma City should employ this type of offense quite often against a Rockets team that plays small-ball most the time itself. Is Brooks going to kill them in this series? Absolutely not. Moving forward, I think he’s probably the biggest weakness the Thunder have.

Biggest Weakness for the Rockets: Defense

Houston’s two best defensive players are Chandler Parsons and Omer Asik, but overall the Rockets are a below average defensive team. They ranked as the 17th best defense in basketball, allowing 103.5 points per 100 possessions. For as great as he is offensively, Harden is just a terrible defender. Lin can match up with most point guards, but struggles with exceptionally quick ones. I imagine he’ll struggle greatly trying to keep Westbrook in front of him. I like Patrick Beverley defensively as a third guard coming off the bench and he might take minutes from Lin, but that hurts the Rockets offensively. Apart from Asik, the Rockets aren’t nearly strong enough in their defensive front court. They don’t have the depth to keep teams from scoring when Asik sits, which causes them major problems considering he played just 30 minutes a game this season.

Prediction: Thunder in 4

While these should be enjoyable fast paced games with high point totals, the Thunder will take care of business handily. Houston’s a young team on the rise and just making the playoffs was a great accomplishment for them, but they have about a 0.00005% chance to win this series. I don’t think the Thunder are going to blow them out every game, but the Rockets just aren’t talented enough at this point and time to win. Houston would have to shoot lights out and Russell Westbrook would have to absolutely implode, neither of which I see happening. Harden returning to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder will make for a fun media narrative, but he won’t get the best of his former team. Not this season at least.

Mar 27, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) and point guard Mario Chalmers (15) and shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. The Bulls beat the Heat 101-97. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

In case you missed it, this NBA regular season is REALLY close to its conclusion. That’s right. Believe it or not, there are only 15 days until the playoffs start. Sneaks up on you, doesn’t it? Once April 20^th hits, basketball fans will only care about who wins 16 games first. That’s all that matters. But let’s be real, the regular season isn’t just a five and a half month waste of time. It’s a five and a half month odyssey that produces a bulk of storylines and a fair amount of winners and losers of its own before we even get to the winning and losing that casual fans will remember.

In case you missed it, I’m not a casual fan. I’m weird. I’m a certified basketball nerd who follows the NBA like it’s my religion, and this benefits my life in no specific way whatsoever, other than allowing me to discuss the winners and losers of the NBA regular season with close to complete confidence in what I’m saying. On that note…

WINNER: LeBron James
We might as well get the most obvious winner of the season out of the way right off the bat. I’m keeping this section short since next week I’ll breaking down my extended MVP ballot, and a large part of that will consist of semi-biased, although completely warranted gushing about the greatest overall basketball player in the last decade or so, who happens to be in the midst of perhaps his finest season of his career. Just know that if the Heat close this season out with a title (still a while down the road, but it doesn’t seem totally out of the question to assume it might happen), LeBron will take a major leap forward in the “Greatest of All-Time” discussion thanks to back to back titles, and a regular season for the ages.

Apr 2, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (left) and teammate small forward LeBron James (right) react during the first half against the New York Knicks at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

LOSER: Dwyane Wade
You’re probably wondering why Dwyane Wade would be considered a loser of this season, when conventional standards wouldn’t justify that at all. He has been a vital part of the best team in the Eastern Conference, put up extremely good numbers all year long, and could very well end up a top 25 player ever by the end of his career… but nobody is noticing. Dwyane Wade is making just a tad over $17 million this season playing in the sunshine state, but doesn’t need to spend a single penny on sunscreen… you know, because he’s spending so much time in LeBron James’ shadow. Word play at its very finest. Speaking of guys being in LeBron’s shadow…

LOSER: Kevin Durant
28 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 50-40-90 club… and he’s a distant second in the MVP race. No need for sunscreen in Oklahoma City either.

WINNER: Erik Spoelstra
30 years ago it was a common belief that you needed a dominant big man to win a title in the NBA. Today, the best team in the NBA puts five players around the perimeter, plays without a center, and posts up their shooting guard and small forward more than their power forwards and centers. Erik Spoelstra could be called a basketball innovator. And to think he was one loss away from being fired last spring until LeBron walked into the TD Garden and killed the Celtics.

LOSER: Fired Coaches
Happy trails to Mike Brown, Avery Johnson, Alvin Gentry, and Scott Skiles, who were all relieved of their duties within the season, even though three of their respective teams will probably end up in the playoffs. The bright side for Mike Brown and Avery Johnson is they have ESPN experience. The bright side for all four guys is there will surely be teams that would be more than willing to hire any of them within the next couple of years, because some teams are just that desperate.

WINNER: Dwight Howard
Congratulations Dwight! You’ve come a long way, and it surely has been a bumpy road, but you’re no longer the biggest diva and piece of crap in the NBA. That title belongs to Andrew Bynum/Frederick Douglass/Pete Weber, or whoever he wants to pretend to be. I’ve already gone out on a limb on Twitter, and I’ll say it again here so everybody knows that I mean business; I don’t think Andrew Bynum will ever play another game in the NBA again… in part because of two chronically bad knees, but also because he does stupid things like going bowling while he is rehabbing said bad knees. So let me raise the question, who lucks out more than Dwight in this situation? Nobody! His biggest competition at the center position in the league has chronically bad knees, and a beyond questionable motor and desire to play basketball for a living.

LOSER: Philadelphia 76ers
Let’s break this down: On August 10^th Philadelphia traded away Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic and Mo Harkless, and in return got Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson. Andrew Bynum was coming off his best season, Jason Richardson would seemingly be a nice complementary piece to the Bynum/Holiday duo, Andre Iguodala needed a change of scenery, and nobody even knew who Nikola Vucevic and Mo Harkless were. All the way around, that trade made sense on paper, especially since Philadelphia wasn’t going to contend for the title with the team they had in place. But the funny thing is, NBA games aren’t played on paper. On paper we didn’t take into account that chances were, Andrew Bynum wasn’t going to be able to play a full season, or even one game. On paper it didn’t necessarily say that Jason Richardson was past his prime, and would only play 33 games himself. That paper certainly didn’t say that Nikola Vucevic was going to be a double-double machine. All that metaphorical paper said was Philadelphia could challenge in the Eastern Conference because of this trade. Not quite.

WINNER: Houston Rockets
Here is an example of a trade that did work out exactly how it looked like it should on paper. When Oklahoma City and James Harden couldn’t come to terms on a contract extension before the season started, Houston was more than willing to ship over whoever they needed to in order to bring in James Harden, his massive beard, and his potential to be one of the ten best players in the league. You could say that both teams won this trade: Oklahoma City has the 2^nd best record in the Western Conference, Kevin Martin has had a nice season coming in off the bench, and the Thunder don’t need to worry about giving a third player a max contract. But let’s be real, if this trade doesn’t go down Houston wouldn’t be close to sniffing the playoffs even if the playoffs were covered in Icy Hot, and Oklahoma City’s upside could only be higher than it is right now.

LOSER: Danny Granger
If Danny Granger was a lost puppy and the Pacers were his owner, would they have already taken down the posters they put up around town, or would they leave them up for a while? If I had to guess, I’d say they took them down and already found a new puppy (Paul George).

WINNER: FGCU
Come on, I had to show some love for my school somewhere on The Skyhook. The Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles improbable run to the Sweet Sixteen prompted a whole bunch of school spirit, more bandwagon fans than you could imagine, the unofficial renaming of Fort Myers to Dunk City, and even a very well-received piece on what it’s like to be a student at FGCUas our basketball program ascends.  Check it out!

Mar 31, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) reacts during the second half against the Miami Heat at the AT

LOSER: Father Time
Father Time is undefeated, and will remain undefeated for the rest of eternity unless we find the spring water that the people were drinking in Tuck Everlasting or everybody goes to Germany like Kobe did. But this year Pops Time took a nasty right hook to the jaw in the form of great seasons from Kobe Bryant (27 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6 assists, 46% shooting, 17^th season) and Tim Duncan (17.4 points, 10 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 50% shooting, 16^th season), a very good season from Paul Pierce (18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 43% shooting, 15^th season), good seasons from Dirk Nowitzki (17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 48% shooting, 15^th season), Kevin Garnett (14.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 49% shooting, 18^th season), and Ray Allen (10.8 points, 46% shooting, 17^th season), and varying contributions from Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Andre Miller, Antawn Jamison, and Steve Nash, all of whom are at least 35 years old.

WINNER: Western Conference
A lot is at stake during the next week and a half in the NBA. Imagine this: If the Lakers manage to sneak into that 8 seed in the Western Conference (my personal belief is they will), we could potentially be treated with seven straight Western Conference playoff series’ that at the very least will be legitimately interesting from a hype standpoint. Just check out the 1^st round matchups and imagine the possibilities of where this wild ride could lead us:

Spurs/Lakers: One last Duncan/Kobe battle. Sign me up as many times as possible. If you can only sign up once, I’ll use aliases.
Clippers/Grizzlies: Rematch of the 7 game 1^st round series they played last year that saw the Clippers prevailing on the road in game seven.
Nuggets/Warriors: Two very fast, young, and talented teams + Stephen Curry = A playoff series I would thoroughly enjoy watching.
Thunder/Rockets: This has to happen. If there is such a thing as basketball Gods (I believe that there is), they will make sure James Harden plays the Thunder, and delivers at least one “Screw You Guys, I’m The Best Guy Out Here” performances.

LOSER: Eastern Conference
A legitimate question that was posed in a podcast I recently held with my cousin and a friend of mine from New York: If the Eastern Conference put together a team of All-Stars (all players must be healthy right now), could they beat Miami in a seven game series? Common sense would say yes, with the amount of depth they could put on that roster, even with guys like Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Anderson Varejao, Danny Granger not available, they should win… but the fact that all three of us has to think pretty hard about it shows how far ahead of everyone else in the Eastern Conference Miami is.

WINNER: NBA
The NBA will always be the ultimate winner at the end of the day. We all watch it, we all speculate about it, and we all love it… no matter how things go down during the season.

Robert Swift in 2007 (Photo by Trena Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

You may not remember Robert Swift, who had a short stint in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics and Oklahoma City Thunder. He entered the league out of high school, and was picked 12^th overall by Seattle in the 2004 NBA Draft.

Unfortunately, in a pre-season game before the 2006-07 season, Swift tore his ACL. He stayed in the league a few more years, but was never able to stick. He hurt his knee again a few years later, and was finally released by the Thunder in 2009. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for his career.

Afterwards, he played in a few different leagues around the U.S. and Japan. It was another sad tale of a young career derailed by injuries.

Since then, however, Swift’s tale has become even sadder. According to a report out of Seattle, Swift lost his home to foreclosure almost a year ago, but simply refused to leave.

Well, until this weekend.

“At some point this past weekend, Swift and others moved out of the home. The Dalzells had their first full look inside Monday.”

Inside was a sight no one wanted to see. Swift had been living in filth.

“Animal feces clogs the deck. Walls are punched out on different levels of the house. One even has an autograph. Pizza boxes and beer bottles are piled on the kitchen granite. Multiple guns were found in the home. Some appear to be air guns, but live ammo was also found. Dalzell said they also found a handgun.”

Even more depressing, is that Swift left all his memories behind.

“A box of letters from colleges around the nation sat pushed against a downstairs wall. It looked like another trash box. Crests and logos of UCLA, Arizona, UConn and others are jammed together as untold memories of what could have been for Swift. He never attended one of those powerhouse schools. He didn’t even open some of the letters. Swift was drafted right out of high school to play in Seattle as a pro.”

It doesn’t appear that anyone knows where Swift went, or whom he is with. Judging by his previous living conditions, it probably isn’t a good place. Hopefully Swift is able to get some help for whatever issues he is dealing with right now.

While the Clippers were in the midst of a furious comeback, Ibaka and Griffin were battling under the basket. As Matt Barnes put up a three that ended up going in, Ibaka swung his arm and hit Griffin below the waist.

Ibaka received just a flagrant 1, but should have been ejected for the dirty move.

Check out the .gif below. (H/T to @MattMooreCBS)

Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Derek Fisher (37) shoots over Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15) during the fourth quarter in game five in the 2012 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

After playing 9 games earlier this season with the Dallas Mavericks before a nagging knee injury led to the two sides agreeing to part ways, it seems that veteran point guard Derek Fisher is making his way back to the NBA.

According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, Fisher and the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed on a deal for the rest of the season.

Derek Fisher has reached agreement with Oklahoma City on a contract for rest of season, league sources tell Y! Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 25, 2013

The 38 year-old Fisher also finished out last season with the Thunder. In 20 playoff games, he averaged 6 points and 1.3 assists.

After trading Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers on deadline day, it seems that the Thunder would like a security blanket for their young back-up point guard Reggie Jackson. With an extra roster spot to fill, picking up Fisher makes sense, because of his experience with the team last year and his veteran leadership.

At this point in his career, not much can be expected from Fisher. With Jackson getting most of the minutes at the back-up point guard spot, Fisher will probably see minimal minutes. He does have championship experience however, and will be a good addition to a young roster.

As they say on Twitter: Let Westbrook Be Westbrook.

Jan 6, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. The Thunder beat the Raptors 104-92. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns are discussing a deal that would bring Marcin Gortat and P.J. Tucker to OKC in exchange for Kendrick Perkins, rookie Jeremy Lamb and a first-round pick.

For Phoenix, it’s now easier to talk about who hasn’t been mentioned in trade rumors. They have everyone on the block. I would love this deal for the Thunder, not so much for the Suns, but I get what they’re trying to do in Phoenix.

The Thunder get a major upgrade at center over Perkins, who doesn’t even play crunch time minutes for them anymore. Gortat fits perfectly along side Ibaka in the frontcourt, bringing necessary scoring to the 5-position, as well as the same shot-blocking ability as Perkins did. The only thing they really lose is that Perkins “toughness” quotient, but really, has anbody ever called Gortat soft? The offensive upgrade alone makes this deal a win for OKC. He’s also cheaper than Perkins. And with more minutes in Phoenix, P.J. Tucker has shown that he’s capable of handling tough defensive assignments, which may be utilized come playoff time or should anything happen to Sefolosha. The loss of Jeremy Lamb, now being tossed around as a constant trade chip, as well as the pick, won’t set the Thunder back at all.

The acquisition of Lamb will mean more for the Suns, as they can find minutes for him coming off the bench. At this point, he’s approaching the path of wasted lottery pick, so this may be his chance to show his value. Perkins will simply replace Gortat in the starting lineup, look disinterested and angry at every glance, and eventually leave when free agency starts up again for him in 2015-16 or demand a trade out of a “bad situation.” Perk should be motivated to raise his value and somewhat stand out while playing with this collection of players.

Report courtesy of Paul Coro, Arizona Republic. Article can be found here.

Stay with us at SavingtheSkyhook.com as we continue to report more on the highly anticipated NBA trading deadline. We will be getting news out as soon as we hear about it.

January 7, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal (3) celebrates with Wizards point guard A.J. Price (12) after making the game-winning basket in the final second against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 101-99. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Thunder (26-8) 99 @ Wizards (5-28) 101

•  Leading scorers: OKC – Kevin Durant 29, WAS – Bradley Beal, Martell Webster 22.
•  The Wizards: 5 wins in 33 games, 2 of them against the Thunder. Can’t make it up.
•  Bradley Beal hit the game winner, but also finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
•  With the season he’s had, you could say that 10 points (5-6 FG) and 7 rebounds is practically a breakout game for Jan Vesely.
•  Beal and Webster went a combined 9 for 13 from behind the arc.
•  Durant (29 pts, 7 rebs, 8 asts) and Ibaka (26 pts, 11 rebs, 2 blks) had big games, but it couldn’t out do Westbrook’s 4 for 17 shooting night.

Celtics (17-17) 102 @ Knicks (23-11) 96

•  Leading scorers: BOS – Paul Pierce 23, NYK – J.R. Smith 24.
•  With NO Rajon Rondo, the C’s handled business in NY, winning their 3rd straight.
•  Garnett had a solid game with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 near-fight with Carmelo.
•  Jeff Green gave 16 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.
•  Carmelo shot a very ugly 6 for 26 from the field, finishing with 20 points.
•  Tyson Chandler had a big game with 13 points and 17 rebounds.
•  The Knicks knocked down 14 threes and still lost.

Cavaliers (8-28) 92 @ Bulls (19-13) 118

•  Leading scorers: CLE – Dion Waiters 18, CHI – Carlos Boozer 24.
•  Offensively, the Bulls had their best and most efficient game of the season, shooting 53.7% (71.4% from three) overall and dishing out 34 assists.
•  Carlos Boozer continued his string of very impressive stat lines with another 24 points and 11 rebounds.
•  Taj Gibson had 18 points (8-9 FG) and 7 rebounds.
•  The Cavs continue to miss Anderson Varejao as they got outrebounded 47-31 by the Bulls.
•  Dion Waiters had 18 points (6-11 FG) and 6 rebounds off the bench.

Spurs (27-10) 88 @ Hornets (9-25) 95

•  Leading scorers: SAN – Manu Ginobili 21, NOH – Eric Gordon 24.
•  Eric Gordon is quickly back to himself, launching 22 shots (making 9) and finishing with 24 points.
•  Greivis Vasquez (3rd in the league in assists) finished with a double double of 14 points and 11 assists.
•  Ginobili had a solid game for the Spurs with 21 points (7-13 FG), 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Mavericks (13-22) 94 @ Jazz (18-18) 100

•  Leading scorers: DAL – Dirk Nowitzki 20, UTA – Gordon Hayward 27.
•  Gordon Hayward was brilliant for Utah in a comeback (24-16 4th quarter) win. He finished with 27 points (8-14 FG, 4-5 3PT), 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Get him back into the starting lineup or don’t fix what ain’t broken? Tough call.
•  The Jazz shot 10 for 19 (52.6%) from 3-point range.
•  Big Al put up 15 points and 11 rebounds.
•  On the Mavs side, it certainly was nice to put Dirk’s name back into the “leading scorers” field. He had 20 on 7-14 shooting.
•  Elton Brand had 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Grizzlies (22-10) 113 @ Kings (13-22) 81

•  Leading scorers: MEM – Wayne Ellington 26, SAC – John Salmons 17.
•  Another random big one for Wayne Ellington, finishing with 26 points, shooting an INSANE 10 for 11 from the field, including 6 for 7 from three in 26 minutes.
•  The Grizz also shot 11-20 from behind the arc and outscored the Kings 27-8 in fastbreak points.
•  For the Kings, Thomas Robinson had 8 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

Magic (12-22) 119 @ Blazers (19-15) 125 – OT

•  Leading scorers: ORL – J.J. Redick 29, POR – LaMarcus Aldridge 27.
•  Perhaps most impressive? With the OT win, the Blazers are now 5-0 in overtime games this season.
•  All five Blazers starters scored in double figures and four of them had double doubles: Aldridge (27 pts, 10 rebs), Batum (16 pts, 10 asts), Hickson (20 pts, 15 rebs) and Lillard (18 pts, 10 asts).
•  Blazers shot 51.1% for the overtime game.
•  J.J. Redick finished with an impressive 29 points on 11 for 17 shooting, including 6 for 10 from three.
•  Jameer continues to play well with his 21 points and 12 assists.
•  This was the 9th straight loss for the Magic.

Dec 20, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) looks to get around Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Thunder (21-5) 93 @ Timberwolves (13-11) 99

• Leading scorers: OKC – Kevin Durant 33, MIN – Kevin Love 28.
• The Timberwolves snapped the Thunder’s 12-game win streak, behind Kevin Love’s 28 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks.
• Alexey Shved also flirted with a triple double with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists.
• Big Pek continued to bully opponents down low and finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
• Russell Westbrook was 1 assist shy of a triple double with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. But, he did shoot a very rough 9-28 from the floor.
• Serge Ibaka posted 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.
• The Thunder bench only producted 7 points for the whole game.
• This was just the 6th time in 26 games that the Thunder scored under 100 points.

Heat (17-6) 110 @ Mavericks (12-14) 95

• Leading scorers: MIA – LeBron James 24, DAL – Jae Crowder 15.
• The game wasn’t even as close at the 15-point final score, as the Mavs outscored the Heat 34-19 in the final “garbage time” quarter.
• The only player of the 13 that played for Miami not to score was James Jones.
• The Heat starters combined for a +144 net point differential rating.
• The Big Three combined to shoot 24-40 (60%) from the field.
• O.J. Mayo had a rare off night with only 8 points on 3-14 shooting.
• Give it up for rookie Bernard James, who finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in 22 minutes.

Nuggets (14-13) 93 @ Trail Blazers (12-12) 101

• Leading scorers: DEN – Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Corey Brewer 13, POR – Nicolas Batum 22.
• The Nuggest set a NEW NBA record in this game with the most 3-point attempts without a make. They went 0-22 from behind the arc. They just happened to break the Blazers record (0-20) that was set just last week. Terrible!
• J.J. Hickson continues his breakout season with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks.
• Luke Babbitt is becoming a big part of the Blazers bench and finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.
• The Nuggets best statistical game belonged to Andre Miller, who finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in 28 minutes off the bench.

Dec 17, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs center DeJuan Blair (45) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Timberwolves (12-10) 93 @ Magic (11-13) 102

• Leading scorers: MIN – Kevin Love 23, ORL – Glen Davis 28.
• The Magic used a 53-32 second half to come back all the way against the Wolves.
• Big Baby Davis had 28 points on 13-17 shooting.
• Nik Vucevic had a double double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• J.J. Redick was a killer with 18 points (8-12 FG) and 7 assists off the bench.

Rockets (12-12) 109 @ Knicks (18-6) 96

• Leading scorers: HOU – James Harden 28, NYK – Chris Copeland 29.
• Jeremy Lin’s return to The Graden: 22 points (9-15 FG), 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 win.
• Harden wasn’t too bad either with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
• Chris Copeland returned to his Preseason form with 29 points on 11 for 19 shooting.
• Tyson Chandler ripped down 18 rebounds.

Clippers (18-6) 88 @ Pistons (7-20) 76

• Leading scorers: LAC – Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford 15, DET – Brandon Knight 16.
• The Clippers get into double digits (10) with their win streak.
• Nothing too impressive for the Clippers starters, but Lamar Odom got 29 minutes off the bench and had 6 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• Brandon Knight led the Pistons again with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Bulls (13-10) 71 @ Grizzlies (16-6) 80

• Leading scorers: CHI – Carlos Boozer 16, MEM – Mike Conley 17.
• The Bulls shot only 37.3% from the field, including 2-11 from behind the arc.
• The Grizzlies outrebounded the Bulls 51-39.
• Randolph, Gay and Gasol combined to shoot 10 for 34 from the field.
• Zach posted a double double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Spurs (19-7) 93 @ Thunder (20-4) 107

• Leading scorers: SAN – Tony Parker, Nando de Colo 14, OKC – Serge Ibaka 25.
• It’s rare that a guy not named Durant or Westbrook leads the team in scoring, but that’s what Serge Ibaka did with his 25 points on 10-16 shooting. And yeah, he also had 17 rebounds and 3 blocks.
• Westbrook finished with 22, Kevin Martin with 20 and Durant with 19.
• Nando de Colo had a good game off the bench with 14 points and 6 assists.

Kings (7-17) 90 @ Suns (10-15) 101

• Leading scorers: SAC – Jimmer Fredette 22, PHX – Shannon Brown 22.
• Shannon Brown was extremely efficient with his 22 points on 10-13 shooting.
• Marcin Gortat had a solid game with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks.
• Luis Scola also put up 14 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists.
• Jimmer had a breakthrough game with 22 points on 7-13 shooting.
• Only one Kings starter (Aaron Brooks with 12) scored in double figures.

Dec 14, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Sacramento Kings observe a moment of silence before their game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in honor of the victims of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

After a Week 6 hiatus, the Power Rankings are back in business. Keep in mind, since we last positioned these teams, there has been a 2-week period in between, with plenty of guaranteed shuffling.

The Thunder, Clippers have MAJOR win streaks (10 and 9 respectively), the Knicks are still on fire and the Bobcats and Hornets, well, they have streaks going in the opposite direction. The Warriors know how to take care of business on the road and the Jazz are still stingy at home. Rubio’s back to resume his Minnesota love affair and the Lakers, who knows?

So welcome back to The Skyhook’s NBA Power Rankings, where any given week, things can change faster than a James Harden trade.

Previous weeks: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5

Week 7 – December 17, 2012

Biggest jump: Timberwolves (+7) | Biggest drop: Lakers (-7)

1. Oklahoma City Thunder | 19-4 | Last rank: 4

With 10 straight wins (by an average margin of 13.8 points), there’s zero debate that the Thunder are the league’s hottest team and easily take over the top spot in the rankings. Their battle with the Spurs Monday night will be slightly lacking with Ginobili on the shelf, but will still be testing.

2. New York Knicks | 18-5 | Last rank: 5

Just when you think the new “beast of the East” is ready to slow down with an injury to Carmelo, they string together 4 straight wins and 9 of their last 10. I still the most underrated element to this Knicks team isn’t the shooting, but their lack of turnovers (10.6 per game = 1st in the league).

3. San Antonio Spurs | 19-6 | Last rank: 1

We ain’t mad at cha Spurs, but a 2-2 week is enough to drop you down behind the league’s current scorchers. Not many teams could successfully weather an injury to a player of Ginobili’s caliber but the Spurs are deep. Don’t worry, Pop’s got this.

4. Los Angeles Clippers | 17-6 | Last rank: 6

The Clips are still undefeated in December (8-0) and are in the midst of a 9-game win streak themselves. With the Pistons, Hornets, Kings and Suns up next, they could (and should) get this thing to 13 games. Eric Bledsoe’s 24.1 PER in only 18.6 minutes is very impressive.

5. Miami Heat | 15-6 | Last rank: 2

Losing to the now-rival Knicks and Warriors at home carries more weight than them exacting their revenge on the lowly Wizards. Based on the numbers to date (19.4 pts, 3.7 rebs, 4.4 asts), I would not be voting for Dwyane Wade to be on the East All-Star squad.

6. Memphis Grizzlies | 15-6 | Last rank: 3

Knocking off the Jazz at home (9-2) can always be considered an accomplishment, especially after losing 3 straight games, but since their amazing 12-2 start, the Grizz are only 3-4 in December. Maybe a guy like John Hollinger in the front office can add value… er, wait.

7. Golden State Warriors | 16-8 | Last rank: 9

These aren’t your father’s Golden State Warriors. I love this team. What they just did on their 7-game road trip, going 6-1 with wins over the Heat, Nets and Hawks, is the most impressive run by any team at any point this season, especially given their history. And David Lee better make the damn All-Star team.

8. Atlanta Hawks | 14-7 | Last rank: 8

I have to admit, I’m still surprised by the start the Hawks have had with such an extreme roster turnover in the offseason. Perhaps it’s the boring, quiet defense that keeps them in most games? If the Hawks didn’t play the Heat or Warriors, they’d be sitting at 14-3.

9. Chicago Bulls | 13-9 | Last rank: 13

This Bulls team sure can grind. While weathering injuries to their backcourt (Hamilton, Hinrich), they’re still at 6-2 for December. As great as Deng and Noah are playing with their extended minutes, the likelihood of injury keeps rising, which would derail their season.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves | 12-9 | Last rank: 17

The return of Rubio has the T-Wolves flying high and rising up 7 spots in the rankings. This is a dangerous team, especially if they can get something out of the sporadic Derrick Williams.

11. Brooklyn Nets | 13-10 | Last rank: 7

December has not been kind to the Nets, who are 2-6 so far in the month. The bright spot however, is that they are finally seeing signs of old Joe Johnson, who’s been sneaking in some game-winners recently.

12. Denver Nuggets | 13-12 | Last rank: 14

The only thing this team does consistently is be inconsistent. However, a 3-1 week (including a win against the Grizz) earns them a slight bump up again. The Nugs can look forward to January where they play 12 of their 15 games at home.

13. Boston Celtics | 12-11 | Last rank: 11

The C’s offensive looks horrible right now. When Rondo’s not in the game to facilitate every play, they just toss the ball around until someone forces up a shot. Pierce looks really old. I also thought they’d get more from Courtney Lee.

14. Indiana Pacers | 13-11 | Last rank: 19

The Pacers were extremely impressive with their 3-0 week last week, beating the teams they should beat (CLE, PHI, DET) by 15, 10 and 11. David West has easily been one of the most consistent players in the league this season.

15. Utah Jazz | 13-12 | Last rank: 16

Getting beat up by the Suns and Grizz (at home) hurt a bit, but they’ve won 4 of their last 6. Shoutout to Mo Williams for that dagger against the Spurs. We know he had NO problem taking it. Is it time to start considering a story on Jamaal Tinsley’s return to relevance?

16. Milwaukee Bucks | 12-10 | Last rank: 15

After dipping below .500, the Bucks came back with 4 straight wins to get them back over. With his 16 point, 14 rebound (in 24 minutes) performance against the Kings, could we be on the verge of an Ersan Ilyasova resurgance? The Bucks sure hope so.

17. Los Angeles Lakers | 11-14 | Last rank: 10

Though they have played slightly better recently, we still can’t trust the Lakers. The return of Gasol, and of course Nash, can’t come quick enough. Haters gon’ hate, but Metta World Peace is quietly having a solid season. He’s playing 35 minutes per game, giving about 13 points, 6 rebounds and some solid D.

18. Philadelphia 76ers | 12-12 | Last rank: 12

It’s only a couple of games, but it’s easy to see what Jrue Holiday means to this team. When he’s not in the lineup, the Sixers are a bit like Spencer Hawes’ hair… a mess. After Bynum called out Kobe about “stunting his growth,” Mamba responded by dropping 34 and dealing them a loss at home.

19. Portland Trail Blazers | 11-12 | Last rank: 21

The Blazers are such a frustrating team to love. Their talent is unquestioned, but they lack consistency. Hopefully their 3-0 week last week (TOR, SAN, NOH) will be the start of that. J.J. Hickson quietly having a breakout season averaging 12.0 points and 10.5 rebounds.

20. Dallas Mavericks | 11-13 | Last rank: 20

The Mavericks age was clearly showing last week in dropping all three games of their mini road trip to the C’s, Raps and Wolves. As the current heart and soul of this team, O.J. Mayo is completely deserving of an All-Star nod. Maybe Cuban will go off is he gets left out?

21. Houston Rockets | 11-12 | Last rank: 18

Not surprisingly, James Harden ranks 2nd in the league (Dwight Howard) with Free Throws Attempted per game (9.6), a prime chunk of his scoring. Jeremy Lin’s 38 against the Spurs was fun to watch, even if it didn’t come with a Rockets win.

22. Orlando Magic | 10-13 | Last rank: 23

You really have to give it to the Magic, they have marginally exceeded expectations so far this season, an example of which, was a 14-point beatdown of the hot Warriors last week. J.J. Redick is becoming lethal and Nik Vucevik is averaging a near double double (10.0 pts, 9.4 rebs).

23. Phoenix Suns | 9-15 | Last rank: 24

For the Suns, a successful week looks like: Knocking off both the Grizzlies and the Jazz. Michael Beasley is proving to be one of the most inefficient players in the league. Will his name come up during trade talks?

24. Detroit Pistons | 7-19 | Last rank: 25

That little glimmer of promise that the Pistons showed is all but gone as they’ve managed to put together another losing streak. With the Raps and a back-to-back with the Wizards coming up, surely they can snap it. However, Brandon Knight continues to impress.

25. Sacramento Kings | 7-16 | Last rank: 28

The Kings have had losing streaks of 3, 5, 3 and 4 (and counting) so far this season. He won’t be entering the Hall of Fame anytime soon or anything, but Jimmer Fredette is averaging 7.6 points per game in only 12.3 minutes per game. Turn The Jimmer loose!

26. Toronto Raptors | 6-19 | Last rank: 26

First Dallas, then Houston. See what some home cookin’ can do for the Raps? Injuries to Bargnani and Lowry will be costly in the short term, but trust me when I say that Jose Calderon (leading the league in triple doubles with 2) has got things under control at the PG position right now.

27. Charlotte Bobcats | 7-16 | Last rank: 22

At 11 straight losses and counting, the ‘Cats have to take a tumble. Kemba Walker won’t make the All-Star team, but should definitely be tossed into the immediate conversation for Most Improved Player. Nothing wrong with 18.5 pts, 6.1 asts, 2.0 stls and an improved (for him) 43% from the field.

28. New Orleans Hornets Pelicans | 5-18 | Last rank: 27

After a heartbreaker in Portland, the Hornets have now dropped seven straight games. Ryan Anderson (almost 19 points per game) is becoming one of the most dangerous scorers in the league and has to be the odds-on favorite to win the 3-point challenge at All-Star Weekend.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers | 5-20 | Last rank: 29

About the only thing(s) rocking in the city of Cleveland right now are Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao. Wearing a black Phantom of the Opera mask in his second game back, Irving dropped 41 as MSG in a 1-point loss to the Knicks. I guess I can finally get over my “I didn’t think he’d be this good” feeling already huh?

30. Washington Wizards | 3-18 | Last rank: 30

Has anyone checked in on John Wall lately? He’s still alive through all this right? Another great question… could the Wiz make a run at the Bobcats losing history of last year? I vote “Yes.” Oh, the tragic fall that is Jan Vesely. Chin up Washingon, your Redskins could still win the NFC East.

Nov 30, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Utah Jazz guard guard Earl Watson (11) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Welcome all stat geeks! “Box Score Bulletin’” is sifting through, analyzing and summarizing all of the NBA box scores from the previous day and night, so you don’t have to! So sip your coffee and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly…

Suns (7-10) 97 @ Raptors (4-13) 101

• Leading scorers: PHX – Marcin Gortat, Shannon Brown, Jared Dudley 14, TOR – DeMar DeRozan 23.
• Leading rebounds: PHX – Marcin Gortat 6, TOR – DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis 8.
• Leading assists: PHX – Michael Beasley 6, TOR – Jose Calderon 9.

76ers (10-6) 104 @ Bobcats (7-8) 98

• Leading scorers: PHI – Evan Turner 25, CHA – Ben Gordon 19.
• Leading rebounds: PHI – Evan Turner, Lavoy Allen 10, CHA – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 8.
• Leading assists: PHI – Jrue Holiday 15, CHA – Kemba Walker 9.

Nets (11-4) 98 @ Magic (5-10) 86

• Leading scorers: BKN – Joe Johnson 22, ORL – Glen Davis 16.
• Leading rebounds: BKN – Reggie Evans 10, ORL – Moe Harkless 7.
• Leading assists: BKN – Deron Williams 7, ORL – J.J. Redick, E’Twaun Moore 4.

Trail Blazers (6-10) 78 @ Celtics (9-7) 96

• Leading scorers: POR – LaMarcus Aldridge 23, BOS – Jeff Green 19.
• Leading rebounds: POR – LaMarcus Aldridge 8, BOS – Paul Pierce, Jared Sullinger 8.
• Leading assists: POR – Will Barton 4, BOS – Paul Pierce, Courtney Lee 5.

Wizards (1-13) 87 @ Knicks (11-4) 108

• Leading scorers: WAS – Jordan Crawford 17, NYK – Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith 20.
• Leading rebounds: WAS – Kevin Seraphin 10, NYK – Tyson Chandler 10.
• Leading assists: WAS – Jordan Crawford 4, NYK – J.R. Smith 6.

Cavaliers (4-12) 113 @ Hawks (9-5) 111

• Leading scorers: CLE – Jeremy Pargo 22, ATL – Josh Smith 25.
• Leading rebounds: CLE – Anderson Varejao 18, ATL – Al Horford 11
• Leading assists: CLE – Dion Waiters 7, ATL – Jeff Teague 7.

Pistons (5-12) 78 @ Grizzlies (12-2) 90

• Leading scorers: DET – Greg Monroe 17, MEM – Rudy Gay 18.
• Leading rebounds: DET – Jason Maxiell 9, MEM – Marc Gasol 11.
• Leading assists: DET – Tayshaun Prince 4, MEM – Mike Conley Jr. 6.

Jazz (9-8) 94 @ Thunder (13-4) 106

• Leading scorers: UTA – Enes Kanter 18, OKC – Kevin Durant 25.
• Leading rebounds: UTA – Al Jefferson 11, OKC – Russell Westbrook 13.
• Leading assists: UTA – Earl Watson 8, OKC – Russell Westbrook 8.

Bucks (7-7) 85 @ Timberwolves (7-8) 95

• Leading scorers: MIL – Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings 18, MIN – Luke Ridnour 16.
• Leading rebounds: MIL – Larry Sanders 12, MIN – Nikola Pekovic 16.
• Leading assists: MIL – Brandon Jennings 4, MIN – J.J. Barea, Alexey Shved 5.

Pacers (8-8) 97 @ Kings (4-11) 92

• Leading scorers: IND – David West 31, SAC – DeMarcus Cousins 19.
• Leading rebounds: IND – David West 11, SAC – DeMarcus Cousins 16.
• Leading assists: IND – Paul George 9, SAC – John Salmons, Chuck Hayes, Jimmer Fredette 3.

Nuggets (8-9) 103 @ Lakers (8-8) 122

• Leading scorers: DEN – Danilo Gallinari 19, LAL – Antawn Jamison 33.
• Leading rebounds: DEN – Jordan Hamilton 8, LAL – Dwight Howard 20.
• Leading assists: DEN – Ty Lawson 5, LAL – Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Chris Duhon 8.