2014-15 NBA Season Opening Night Game Schedule

The 2014-15 NBA season officially tips off on Tuesday, October 26th and there’s three marquee matchups on the slate. The NBA schedule will begin at 8 p.m. EST with TNT providing a doubleheader for fans to enjoy. That will feature the reigning NBA champion Spurs as they get their championship rings and then take on the Mavs. Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers will bring showtime to the nightcap game as they host Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets.

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One other game is not being televised nationally and that features Anthony Davis’ Pelicans as they host the Orlando Magic. Tip off for the game is just after 8 p.m. EST. As of this report, the Spurs are 7 1/2 point favorites to beat the Mavs, the Pelicans are nearly 10-point favorites to defeat the Magic, and the Rockets are 6-point favorites over the Lakers.

2014-15 NBA Opening Night Schedule:

Dallas vs. San Antonio 8:00 p.m. EST (TNT)

Orlando vs. New Orleans 8:00 p.m. EST (FS-Florida)

Houston vs. LA Lakers 10:30 p.m. EST (TNT)

By the way, both opening night TNT games will also be available live online through the TNT Overtime website. This site provides a unique live look at the game with multiple camera feeds. There’s also a player cam which keeps track of one player from each team as voted on by the fans ahead of the game. Dirk Nowitzki leads the way for the Mavs at 38% of the vote while Kawhi Leonard leads the way for the Spurs with 35% of the votes. Tony Parker has 22% of votes for San Antonio as of this post.

Are you ready for NBA basketball to get going? We sure are! Let us know any of your season predictions below!

Greg Oden out for Season, again...

It's another unfortunate injury for Greg Oden and the Trailblazers. This time it was a left knee cap injury that will have Oden likely to miss the rest of the 2009-10 season. Although the Blazers won the game, they definitely lost a lot in terms of size and power.

The injury occurred Saturday night in the Blazers-Rocks game when Oden fractured his left knee cap. He was down on the floor clutching at his left knee. The incident happened after the big man collided with the Rockets Aaron Brooks. Trainers and physicians immediately huddled around the Portland center to attend to his injury. He was down for at least 7 minutes, and fans at the Rose Garden let out a "Oden!" chant in support.

Eventually, they moved Oden to a stretcher and wheeled him off court to get have an MRI performed. The report already says Oden will need surgery for this latest setback.

"I'm obviously disappointed having worked so hard to get to where I was. This is a setback but I'll be back. It's in God's hands now," Oden said in a statement released by the team. "I want to thank the fans, my teammates and everyone in the Blazers family for all of their good thoughts."

The early knock on Oden was he might be the #1 pick, but he may mirror the path of another Portland big man, Bill Walton. Walton is still heralded as one of the greats, but found himself plagued by injuries to his legs as well. Similarly, another big man, Yao Ming from the Houston Rockets, has been out this season due to foot problems. It might be true, the bigger they are, they harder they fall...

Story Source: The Associated Press

Brandon Jennings' 55 - Bucks Record

Brandon Jennings hosted an NBA game last night between Milwaukee and Golden State...

So this kid from Lottomatica can play. Last night, Brandon Jennings put his name into the history books by notching an incredible 55 points. That makes for the most by a rookie since Earl Monroe 31 years ago, and the most by a Bucks rookie in a game ever. It beats the record of another guy you've definitely heard of: Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Jennings is the third guy in Bucks' history to have a 50+ point game, joining Michael Redd and Jabbar.

In last night's game, Jennings started off slow, with nothing in the first, then 10 in the second, followed by a huge 29 point third quarter and 16 to close out the Brandon Jennings scoring show. His 55 lead Milwaukee past Golden State in a close game. The rookie was the #10 pick by Milwaukee in this past year's draft and seems to be its best kept secret. He skipped a commitment to play college ball at Arizona then headed overseas to play in Europe for a year, which is why he's from Lottomatica. He soon may carry the nickname "Automatica" if he keeps scoring like this. Also playing in the game is another guy who may put in some big scoring performances in his career, Stephen Curry who is the song of retired NBA sharpshooter Del Curry.

So apparently Jennings was reported as unable to shoot by NBA scouts. Point taken, and thrown completely out the window. Jennings has arrived and will keep arriving in the 2009-10 season.

When It Comes To Brandon Jennings, The Hype Meter Just Got Cranked Up To 11

Manu Ginobli Bat Heroics on Halloween

Halloween is all about tricks, treats, ghouls, goblins, ghosts, and yes bats flying into NBA games! On Saturday night, the Kings and Spurs' game in San Antonio at the AT&T Center was invaded by a winged creature which swooped down from the rafters high above the crowd. After it interrupted the proceedings twice, gameplay was stopped as officials and players moved aside for the bat to take center court. However, Manu Ginobli decided enough was enough as he smacked the mammal down from mid-air. It flopped to the court, much like Ginobli on a self-generated foul and then Ginobli scooped it up to hand off for an unrecorded assist. The crowd, players and even his coach seemed to applaud the heroics of Manu Ginobli bat boy. Check out the video below to see Manu in action...

2009-10 NBA Season now playing!

The 2009-10 NBA Season is now in full swing! The latest National Basketball Association season kicked off Tuesday October 27th, 2009 with four games on the schedule. Opening night featured plenty of stars including Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Shaq, Lebron James and Gilbert Arenas. Here's a look at some of the top stories, stats and scores from the opening night's action on the hardwood.

The marquee matchup of Tuesday night featured the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Boston Celtics. It was the debut game for new Cav Shaquille O'Neal, but the Celts played spoilers as they won 95-89 behind a combined 52 points from the Big 3 of Pierce, Allen & KG. Garnett had 13 in his first regular game since last March while Pierce led with 23 pts. Lebron James scored 38 points along with eight assists, four blocks and two steals. His new frontcourt teammate Shaq added in 10 points and 10 rebounds. In other Celtics' news, Glen "Big Baby" Davis is out with a thumb injury caused by an altercation involving a former college teammate. The Celtics have reportedly suspended Davis for the injury as well. He received surgery on Tuesday for it and is out indefinitely as of this writing. More on that story here

The NBA champion Lakers started their season off with a nice home victory over the local rival Clippers, 99-92. Kobe put in 33 points with 8 rebounds and 4 steals, and center Andrew Bynum added 26pts and 13 boards. Ron Artest had 10 points in his debut for LA. The Clips were lead by Gordon's 21 point performance and helped by Chris Kaman's 18 points / 16 boards. Unfortunately the Clippers were without their prized rookie Blake Griffin who suffered a broken kneecap during the past few weeks. Griffin is reportedly out for 6 months and watched his team lose by 7 to the NBA champs.

Agent 0, Gilbert Arenas, is officially back in effect on the court. The star guard had been saddled by injury last season. Last night, his 29 points and 9 assists helped the Washington Wizards defeat the Dallas Mavericks 102-91.

The Portland Trailblazers look to build upon last season's success as they opened with a win against the Houston Rockets who are without Yao Ming for this season. Brandon Roy led the Blazers with 20 points. Former #1 draft pick Greg Oden recorded just 2 points but 12 rebounds in the win, while Houston was led by Aaron Brooks' 19 points.

Wednesday night will feature more teams in action with 12 games on the slate. A doubleheader on ESPN will see the Hornets take on the Spurs while the Jazz face last year's Western Conference runner-ups, the Denver Nuggets. See full schedule here.

Lebron's 3 at Buzzer beats Magic

This is the stuff NBA legends and MVP's are made of. On Friday night, the Orlando Magic seemed to have the Cavs down against the ropes, facing a possible 0-2 deficit in their Eastern Conference Finals series. However, where there's a second left, there's a Lebron, and King James delivered in Game 2 with a last second 3 pointer. Moments beforehand, the Magic's Hedo Turkoglu hit a runner in the lane to give the Magic a 95-93 lead. Things seemed somewhat gloomy for Cleveland, but never in their building when you've got the MVP and premiere superstar in the league. Mo Williams waited it out on the inbounds and eventually found Lebron James up at the top of the 3 point line. Lebron caught and released in a fluid movement, hitting an amazing 3 pointer over Hedo Turkoglu in his grill. In Game 1 it was Rashard Lewis hitting a game winner, and now Lebron has matched it. Lebrons finished the game up with a game-leading 35 points. Fans were silent with a second left, but after the shot was official, the placed went wild. Fans were still celebrating in the streets outside the Q. Lebron saved the day and the series as they now will head to the Magic Kingdom to duke it out in the next 2 games, which promise to be just as compelling as the first 2.

We now have two very even pace starts to both the East and West series. In Game 2 out West, Denver was able to steal a 3 point win against the LA Lakers evening that series up. Orlando and Cleveland are also knotted up at 1-1. Stay tuned as this weekend will offer some very intriguing and hopefully equally as thrilling Game 3's!

Kemba Walker propels UCONN to Final 4

UCONN is hatching yet another new star as it gained another big victory in the 2009 NCAA tournament. NCAA basketball analyst Jay Bilas made the comment during UCONN's game against Missouri that UCONN freshman Kemba Walker came from the Bronx, New York, where some of the roughest streetball is played. That toughness and intensity enabled the young Walker to play a fearless brand of basketball, leading the Huskies to their 3rd final 4 appearance in a span of 10 years. In one play in particular, Walker drove quickly down the court charged into the midst of the Missouri players then flew underneath two defenders with a beautiful scoop shot layup. Perhaps a slight bit of Air Jordan mixed in for good measure.

The game wasn't easy for Connecticut as Missouri played ferociously all game. Bodies hit the floor, hands were contesting every shot, every dribble, every pass. It was perhaps the toughest, swarming defense that UCONN has seen all season long. However, UCONN persevered and outlasted yet another opponent. The end result was an 82-75 win behind Kemba Walker's career high 23 points. The beauty of this UCONN team is there's always a player ready to step up and take the lead, whether it's 7'3 center Hasheem Thabeet blocking shots and scoring inside, or point guard AJ Price draining 3's and driving to the hoop to dish to the open man. The West region's #1 seed UCONN now awaits the winner of Sunday's Louisville versus Michigan State matchup.

In the nightcap game, an all-time tournament classic game was had. The game went right down to the wire between two other Big East opponents UCONN is quite familiar with: #3 seed Villanova and #1 seed Pittsburgh. Pitt had been exhibiting some sloppier play in the NCAA tournament despite looking brilliant during the regular season. That sloppiness was surely exposed Saturday night as a constantly improving Villanova team took advantage and scored a basket with under a second to go, breaking a tied game. The 3/4 court drive by Nova's Reynolds was the deciding factor in a game which featured plenty of grit and an amazing stretch of 21-21 free throw shooting by Villanova. Nova now advances to the Final Four in a run reminiscent of their 1985 run, and will wait to meet the winner of Sunday's UNC vs. Oklahoma winner. This also makes at least 2 of 4 Big East teams in the Final 4, with a potential third coming if Louisville wins its game against Michigan State on Sunday.

Instant Classic: Syracuse Outlasts UCONN in 6th OT

Last night saw an extended Big East tournament matchup between the #4 Connecticut Huskies and #20 Syracuse Orangemen which went into the wee hours of the night. Originally the game was thought to have ended in regulation on a Eric Devendorf three pointer at the buzzer. But Devendorf's celebration was premature; upon further review the ball didn't leave Devendorf's hands in time. The game continued into overtime number 1. From there the two teams continued to battle it out, but UCONN failed to hit the buzzer beating last second shot opportunities they had in several overtimes. Player after player fouled out for both teams including Devendorf for Syracuse and big man Hasheem Thabeet for UCONN. Once OT number 6 came, the Orangemen simply had more gas in their tanks while UCONN was losing key players. A Rautins 3 sparked off a run that saw Syracuse outscore UCONN 17-7 in the final period. After six overtimes and close to four hours a classic game came to an end. Final score: Syracuse 127 UCONN 117.

The game was a true testament to just how tough and competitive collegiate athletes really can be. It saw feats of endurance and skill, including 7 foot 3 center Hasheem Thabeet diving to the floor for a loose ball for UCONN, then quickly getting a timeout out of the deal. The game also featured two hall of fame coaches and a well-known big East rivalry. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was proud of his team's win, while Jim Calhoun admitted the Huskies had chances at the free throw line and with several missed shots. After an exhausting extra 6 rounds in a heavyweight fight, both teams were seen exiting the garden around 2 AM in the morning.

The Huskies will most likely head into the 2009 NCAA Tournament as a top seed, to be determined Sunday night. As the Huskies get a much needed rest from the 6 overtime epic game, Syracuse must press on to their next contest, a 9PM meeting with West Virginia, scheduled for just 2 halves. In the words of ESPN commentators, "What could the Orange possibly have left?"

Read more about Thursday night's classic Big East basketball game at MSG.

NBA Action: Marbury Debuts for Celts

Stephon Marbury has finally returned to NBA action after a year or so riding the bench, and staying in the controversial news headlines of New York. On Friday, the newly signed guard made his debut in a game for the Boston Celtics as they hosted the Indiana Pacers. Ray Allen led all scorers with 30, while Marbury contributed 8 points in a close game which saw the Celtics win it by just 5. The Pacers were one of the first teams to defeat the Celtics back in their red hot start to the 2008-09 season and continue to pose a problem for the Eastern Conference leaders. Rajon Rondo put in 17 assists during the contest, and you'd have to believe he's going to have more nights like this with a handful of great scorers to dish to.

Also Friday night, big Shaq Diesel returned to form of his yesteryears when he scored an impressive 45 points and pulled down 11 rebonds, as Steve Nash watched from the bench. The Suns who beat Toronto 133-133, recently learned they would be without Amare Stoudamire for the remainder of the season due to a detached retina. Dirk Nowitzki scored 41 points in an Overtime win against Oklahoma City which saw the Thunder lose star player Kevin Durant to a sprained ankle. Lebron tallied up his 16th double double of the season with 30 points and 14 boards for Cleveland. The Cavs bounced back from their loss a night earlier to the Rockets with a convincing win against the Duncan-less Spurs. Chris Paul racked up 20 assists in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks, won by a Tyson Chandler last second tip in shot. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama dropped by a Wizards home game, but to watch his hometown favorites, the Chicago Bulls lose to one of the worst, if not worst team in the league. Despite that, it was all love for Obama as he shook hands with fans on his way out of the arena.

**In tragic news, the NBA very recently suffered the loss of two all-time greats in Johnny "Red" Kerr and Norm Van Lier, both former members of the Chicago Bulls. Kerr was known as a passing big man, the first coach of the Bulls when they were an expansion team, and also notable as the former Bulls broadcaster. Kerr received an honorary statue at the United Center earlier this month, at a ceremony which featured taped messages from Barack Obama, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Norm Van Lier was a three time All-Star who began his career with Cincinnati back in 1969. He was given the name "Stormin' Norman" for his fiery play and was one of the most popular players in Bulls' history. Van Lier was scheduled to work as a TV analyst for Wednesday's Bulls game. His body was discovered at his home with no cause of death known at this point. Read more about Johnny Red Kerr & Norm Van Lier here.

How the West Won: 146-119 All-Star Game Blowout

(It's a man, it's a mime, it's Shaq-Fu!)

Welcome back, Shaq and Kobe...The dynamic duo teamed up for the first time since their LA Laker days of old glory to lead the West to a big blowout win in the 58th annual NBA All-Star Game Sunday Night. It was the West pounding the East by a final score of 146-119 as the stars came out to shine in Phoenix. Looking on from the crowd were the likes of Chris Tucker, Ludacris, Jay-Z & Beyone, Senator John McCain and his wife, and boxing legend, Muhammad Ali.

Prior to the actual game were the always colorful introductions. In the past we've seen Yao and his starting mates do breakdance moves. This year, Shaq decided to get introduced in grand fashion as he emerged onto the stage wearing his very own white mask (ala Michael Meyers), then proceeded to break it on down with the hip-hop dance group, Jabbawockeez. All that was missing were Shaq's fellow hip hop friends Fu-Schnickens for a surprise rap reunion on stage. Nonetheless, Kobe must have been smiling ear to ear, happy that Shaq wasn't delivering yet another freestyle rap in his direction, and that the two were on the floor together again as teammates. According to NBA.com's game recap there was little interaction between the two, but they claim they've patched things up.

Kobe seemed on a mission early on, as the commentators mentioned he took about 11 or so shot attempts in the first quarter. Then again, the West was coached by his good pal and current coach, Phil Jackson who had no problem leaving his star on the court. Bryant scored a game high 27 while Shaq added 17 to help the West dominate. The two former Lakers alum shared the MVP award honors after the game. Hometown star, Amare Stoudamire chipped in 19 for a West team that avenged its loss against the East last year in New Orleans. The East was lead by posterchild Lebron James' 20, followed by 18 a piece from Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce. Several newcomers to the game saw action and their first stats in the game, including Devin Harris, Danny Granger and Mo Williams.

The glaring difference amongst the two teams which seems to have plagued the East in the past was the Eastern Conference's lack of size. Even though the East had lead vote-getter and Superman, Dwight Howard on its starting lineup alongside KG, that's where their size ended. The bench held no real help as Chris Bosh was injured, and all that remained were the likes of Danny Granger, Rashard Lewis and Paul Pierce, none of whom really size up with guys like Paul Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki or David West. Note to the NBA coaches and Commish Stern: Try to have some parity in the game before lineups are finalized. It was nice to see Ray Allen get the nod when Jameer Nelson was unable to play due to injury, but the West had several guys capable of playing the PF or C position. The West took control of the boards, outrebounding the East 51-38, once again proving, size matters. So let's make it mandatory that each team must have 2 centers and 2 power forwards on the bench, no matter what. The East has a few of those right?

See the Full game recap and the full boxscore for the All-Star game here.

Celtics Slump: Lose Sixth to Knicks

After starting the season on an impressive win streak and looking capable of smashing the 70 win mark this season, the Celtics have now found themselves on the losing end for the sixth time. Sunday night it was the lowly New York Knicks who knocked out the Celtics 100-88 behind Wilson Chandler's career-high 31 point performance. This was the Knicks first win against Boston since April of 2005, snapping their own 8 game losing streak against the squad.

For the losing Celtics captain Paul Pierce lead the way with 31, while Ray Allen added 16. Kevin Garnett was extremely cold and appeared to hurt his leg in the 3rd. KG had just six points all game on 1 of 6 shooting. It was in the 3rd when KG threw an around the back pass to set up a dunk. The All-Star forward appeared to land gingerly and returned early in the fourth with his leg wrapped below the right knee. The Celtics are still on track to finish the season 70-12, if they can regain their winning ways.

Just a day ago, the Celtics had handed the Washington Wizards a convincing loss in a 108-83 win in Boston. But with three losses during a four game West road trip and the latest loss, the Celtics seem to be in search of their ability to put together win streaks. On the season the Celts have lost to the Lakers, Warriors, Blazers, Nuggets, Pacers and the Knicks. Of those teams only 3 are legitimate playoff contenders, with the majority being West Coast teams, including last year's Finals opponent in LA. Many analysts believe the Celtics may try to add New York Knick guard Stephon Marbury who's been seeking a release from the team. Rumors have circulated that a deal will be done once Marbury's been bought out. Nonetheless, the addition of some new key personnel could be just the answer the Celtics require to get back on track during this slump.

BuzzerBeaters & East Guards

Several great buzzer-beaters in Friday night's NBA action. The Oklahoma Thunder (former Sonics) were on cloud 9 after young superstar Kevin Durant knocked down a huge 3 to put his team ahead. With just seconds remaining though Carmelo returned the favor, hitting a three to give the Nuggets the win, coach George Karl's 900th. Can it get any worse for the Thunder? When it rains on them, it pours...

Vince Carter also hit a 3 to win the Nets game Friday night. The Nets continue to be amongst playoff contenders in the East behind the standout play of Guard Devin Harris, who was acquired in the Jason Kidd trade. Recently though the Nets were offering a ticket to any of 5 home games for just 75 cents. Maybe a move to Brooklyn and bringing the King to town will see better ticket sales.

As for guards in the East, ESPN NBA Analyst Jeff Van Gundy was saying he thinks PG's Jameer Nelson, Jose Calderon and Devin Harris are all deserving of All-Star spots. His co-analyst Mark Jackson let him know that they won't all be playing in Phoenix this February, so it will be interesting to see which guys get the nod. With Billups departure, Iverson is back east. Then you've got superstar guards like Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen, so the bench will be interesting.

Speaking of Ray Allen's Celtics, there's now rumors that Boston is interested in acquiring Stephon Marbury. Newsday reported:

On Friday, a source-based report on ESPN.com suggested that the Celtics are interested in signing Marbury once he completes a buyout with the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday. Walsh, who has given Marbury permission to talk with other teams to find a new home, said he had no indications that the Celtics, or any NBA team, had a sincere interest.

The Celtics were caught off-guard by the report, and general manager Danny Ainge had no comment Friday about Marbury.

A KG-Starbury reunion would be something to see, but would it help or hurt the Champs? Marbury's been a star in the past but his on/off court problems are always a danger to teams he plays for. Read Newsday's full article here.

LA Grinches Steal Celtics Christmas

They weren't the team wearing green, but the Lakers played the role of Grinches on Christmas day as they stole away the Boston Celtics incredible winning streak. The Celtics were on fire heading into LA with 19 straight games won, but Kobe & company decided it was their day to shine. The Lakers held the lead from most of the 2nd quarter on, until the Celtics began to charge back behind Paul Pierce (20pts) and KG's (22pts) hot shooting hand. The game became back and forth in the 4th, but the Lakers managed to pull away in the final 2 minutes, winning it by 9 points and defeating their Finals foes from this past June. Kobe was consistent as usual but it was the effort from Pau Gasol down the stretch which helped put things away. Kobe had 27 points, 9 boards and 5 assists, several of which were passes to teammate Gasol in the lane for buckets. Gasol also added a huge block of a Ray Allen 3 point attempt during the final stretch. Trevor Ariza retrieved the loose ball for a fast break reverse jam to cap off the play.

Not only did this mark the Celtics first loss in 20 games, it was Lakers coach Phil Jackson's 1000th Career win as a head coach. Jackson achieved this milestone faster than any other coach with 1,423 games. As for the Celtics they still have a shot at matching the great Chicago Bulls of years ago who had an incredible 41-3 start, coached by Phil Jackson also.

Kobe Bryant said they would use today's game as a measuring stick for the Lakers strength this season, but does it prove the Lakers are more formidable foes than last year? The Celtics still played tough and resilient in Los Angeles against a team obviously hungry for revenge and the upperhand. Bynum showed how valuable he will be in the lane for the Lakers D. If nothing else this game only served to prove how great a matchup this truly is. Fans who watched the ABC Christmas day games definitely were given quite a present, as they also saw the Spurs knock off the Suns at the buzzer with a 3 from Roger Mason. Game 2 of the doubleheader provided an intense meeting between the champs and runner-ups of 2007-08. Come playoff time fans will be just as greatly rewarded should the Lakers & Celtics meet again in a Finals rematch.

View complete game info at NBA.com

NBA's 2008 Christmas Presence

NBA fans will be given several Christmas day presents in the form of two exciting doubleheaders and some fun in Orlando. TNT, ABC & ESPN will play Santa as they bring superstars such as Lebron James, KG, Kobe Bryant and Greg Oden to all NBA faithful. Game one of the ABC set will start at 2:30PM EST & features a rematch of Western foes, the Spurs and the Suns, with Shaq, Amare & Nash facing Tim Duncan, Manu and Tony Parker. Game 2 will be a riveting rematch of last year's NBA Finals as the red hot Boston Celtics travel into Los Angeles to battle the Lakers.

Currently the Suns and Spurs are runner-ups in their respective divisions. San Antonio continues to try to overcome guard injury problems and sits in 3rd place in the Southwest at 17-10. Meanwhile the Suns are second place to Kobe's Lakers at 16-11. These two teams have battled it out in recent years' playoffs, usually with San Antonio coming out on top. The Suns continue to revamp parts of their lineup as they just recently unloaded Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, bringing superstar Jason Richardson into the mix. San Antonio seems to be the aging battle-tested team that keeps on going with what it has. While they're not dismal, they aren't the powerhouse they were in the years they were part of the "dynasty" talks.

The second game at 5PM features the Celtics dressed in Green hoping to play Grinches to Kobe's LA Santa Claus. Kobe will have his helpers including Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Bynum was not part of last year's Finals so this will give everyone a good look at how the emerging Center performs against the Champs. Bryant's also currently in third place in the NBA scoring race, a tight race at that. Kobe's averaging 26.2 and trails his Team USA pals, Lebron James & Dwyane Wade. Wade recently outdid Kobe in a battle in Miami between their two teams. While D-Wade may be headed towards scoring champ and MVP, Kobe may be headed back to the Finals for his 4th ring. His Christmas day matchup with the Celts may help Phil Jackson dismantle the champs for their Finals rematch.

But wait, there's more.... Chris Paul and the Hornets will play Dwight Howard's Magic at 12 Noon in Orlando (ESPN). TNT will also feature a doubleheader of its own starting at 8PM when the Wizards face Lebron & the Cavs. At 10:30 PM, it'll be the young Portland Trailblazers with their young center, Greg Oden, facing Dirk & the Dallas Mavs. For an NBA fan that's 5 games to enjoy along with all your Christmas gifts and cookies...enjoy!

Happy holidays to all this 2008 Holiday Season!

Wade's Heat take Kobe's Lakers 89-87

Friday night saw a thrilling clash between NBA Superstars, Olympic Teammates and former teammates of Shaq Diesel. It was the first game of an NBA Double header on ESPN and was down to the wire. Dwyane Wade's Heat barely survived in Miami as a Kobe buzzer beater went in and quickly bounced right back out as the game ended. Even though Kobe debuted a new pair of shoes at the game (said to be Nike's lightest bball shoe yet), they weren't enough to lift his Lakers to OT, or a win. (Kobe has chosen to switch to low tops for more ankle mobility).

The two teams are on almost opposite ends of the NBA spectrum, although this year's Miami team is much more respectable than a season ago. Dwyane Wade's healthy and looking better than ever since that season-ending shoulder surgery he had. The Heat at 12-12 have the fight in them to make this year's playoffs behind their phenom leader.

Meanwhile, Kobe's Lakers are still right up there with the red-hot Celtics. It was mentioned during tonight's Heat-Lakers contest that the Lakers were at 21-3, (now 21-4), and will be eagerly anticipating a Christmas day matchup against the Celtics. It should be one interesting replay of last year's Finals, this time with Andrew Bynum in the mix.

Celtics Outdo Pistons 98-80

Tonight saw a hardwood rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, similar result. The World Champion Boston Celtics were able to defeat Allen Iverson & the new-look Pistons, thanks to the play of young guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo outdid his veteran, former-MVP opponent scoring 18 points and dishing out 8 assists. Iverson recorded 16 points and 4 assists for the Pistons. The Big Ticket Kevin Garnett added 15 for the Celtics, who continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Celtics currently rank 1st or 2nd in most Team D categories,

These are the Pistons who dethroned the mighty Lakers a week ago, handing them their first loss of the season, as well as snapping the Cleveland Cavs 8 game win streak. Despite the high the Pistons were on, the Celtics humbled them and showed that Detroit still needs more time to gel if they plan to top the best of the East. It wouldn't be surprising to see these teams in another showdown come Playoff time 2009.

Redeem Team Strikes Gold in Beijing!

Team USA basketball now has its spot back on the World Map. Sunday at 2am EST the "Redeem Team" as they've been dubbed, ended their 3 year quest to capture the elusive gold medals. Spain was the final team to be taken out by USA, with a closer than expected 118-107 victory Sunday morning. D-Wade had 27 points with Kobe Bryant adding 20. Kobe's Laker teammate Pau Gasol scored 21 in a losing effort. Gasol's teammate Rudy Fernandez lead the way with 22. After the victory, Team USA was quick to extend hugs and obligatory handshakes and pats to their opposition. During their steamroller trip to the Gold medal game, Team USA took down various foreign opposition including familiar NBA players. Dirk Nowitski, Yao Ming, Manu Ginobli and others were among the casualties.

This team had been carefully crafted by NBA GM Jerry Colangelo, and practiced together for a solid 3 years to make sure they could co-exist. Initial cuts were made to wittle the team down into one capable of demolishing international opponents. Gilbert Arenas, Bruce Bowen, Amare Stoudamire and Kirk Hinrich were amongst those not part of this team that finally appeared in Beijing. The final roster read like a "who's who" of the current NBA, minus the 3 superstar Celtics who are definitely up there in age. Kobe and Lebron have been the 2 most talked up superstars in the league for several years now, with debates as to who's better. In this competition, they were teammates, setting up each other for layups and spectacular dunks. Add in players such as Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, and you've got the makings of gold medalists.

Of course the debates started as to whether or not this team eclipses Dream Team 1992. That legendary team consisted of the well-respected forefathers of today's basketball: Bird, Barkley, Jordan, Ewing, David Robinson, Malone, Stockton, Pippen. You'd be hard-pressed to find a player on the 2008 roster who doesn't choose one of these 92' stars as their idol growing up. Lebron, Kobe, Melo, D-Wade and others on this team will be those legends one day, but for now they continue to achieve more milestones.

Congratulations again to Redeem Team 2008 for achieving Gold in Beijing!

Read more about Team USA winning the gold including pictures at CBS News!

Lakers Stay Alive in Game 5

The NBA Finals will shift back to Boston, as the Lakers managed to hold on for a win Sunday night, keeping their NBA title hopes alive. It would have been a huge win for the Celtics to capture the NBA title in LA, and also memorable for Doc Rivers who lost his father earlier this season. However, the Lakers showed resolve tonight despite an excellent 38 point performance by Paul Pierce. A 103-98 win is now in the books for LA, and the series sits at 3-2 Celtics.

Kobe Bryant recorded 25 points in the win as well as a big breakaway dunk in the 4th. Lamar Odom also had an oustanding game. It seemed whenever Odom had the ball inside he scored. Kobe told Michelle Tafoya in his postgame interview that tonight's Lakers performance won't be good enough to win on the road.

The Celtics were hampered by the loss of Kendrick Perkins due to a strained shoulder injury. Perkins didn't play Sunday night and is doubtful for Tuesday in Boston. Leon Powe got the start, with PJ Brown and James Posey also picking up additional minutes. Garnett and Pierce also got into foul trouble, as KG wrestled with 5 fouls during the closing moments. Close to fouling out, KG had to play a bit softer against Gasol inside. Jeff Van Gundy remarked that the defense of the Lakers wasn't solid, as they basically won the game on a iffy steal and missed free throws. However, the Celtics again made an impressive comeback, down by double digits in quarter 1.

The Celtics should be able to wrap the series up by Thursday, en route to another NBA title. Not to be premature with the prediction, but no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals. Then again not many teams have an MVP like Kobe.

Lakers Take Game 3 in LA, 87-81

Last night it was a Lakers team effort, but the man who reigned supreme was league MVP Kobe Bryant. Bryant's 36 point performance and the Lakers' D held off the Celtics in the 4th quarter en route to their first win of the series. It's now a 2-1 Celtics advantage, and one more win puts the Lakers right back in the thick of things.

From the start in last night's game, both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce struggled. Pierce struggled most of the night and finished with just 6, while KG put in 13 points in limited time on the court. The only Big 3 member to show up, Ray Allen had spots of brilliance and 25 points in the loss. But there were no Powe-heroics in last night's game for the Celtics. Sasha Vujacic added key 3 pointers for the Lakers to help them along to their 87-81 victory. Nicholson and Beckham were surely pleased.

Games 3 and 4 will also take place in Los Angeles, complete with Jack Nicholson and the other celebs rooting on their Showtime team courtside. The Lakers now seem to have momentum, but it's hard to believe Pierce and KG will put in performances as cold as Tuesday night's.

More about last night's game at Mercury News.

Celtics KO Pistons en Route to NBA Finals

It will be a renewal of a classic rivalry in the 2008 NBA Finals as the Boston Celtics will face the Los Angeles Lakers. The two dynasties are storied in their histories as championship teams, and now the newest versions will do battle. Boston took care of business Friday night, winning their second road game to eliminate the Detroit Pistons.

The Luck of the Irish showed up in Detroit for sure. In the second half the Celts shot an amazing 67% field goal percentage. Rajon Rondo's shot with about 2:30 to go in the 4th put Boston up 7. Detroit had an 8 point lead just moments earlier. Billups was able to respond with a three point play to get the Pistons back into it. Posey had a huge steal from Prince after Rondo missed a three, and Pierce followed up by knocking down 2 free throws. Pistons fans began to leave the building as the Celtics had a 85-79 lead with about a minute to go. However, KG missed two free throws with 36 seconds to go, leaving signs of life for Detroit. After a drawn up play, Rasheed missed a three attempt and Pierce came down with the rebound. Pierce hit 1 of 2, and then another Pistons missed three lead to Ray Allen free throws. Celtics win 89-81 and return to the Finals for their first time since 1987. Pierce was jubilant during his post-game interview with ESPN's Michele Tafoya, saying it's been "10 long years" and "bring on the Lakers!" All-time Celtics legend John Havlicek presented the Eastern Conference Championship trophy to a highly charged Boston team who will now begin their 11th matchup with the Lakers in the Finals.

The Celtics-Lakers is definitely an exciting matchup as two squads with a trio of amazing stars will face off. The Lakers not only have the MVP Kobe Bryant but also its two versatile Forward/Center swingmen in Gasol and Odom. The Celtics of course feature the Big 3 with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Should be a very fun finals to watch, so let's hope it goes the full 7!