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LaMarcus Aldridge's God Mode
All 43 of LaMarcus Aldridge's points in one videoThere were times early in the season when Portland Trail Blazers fans were trying to add LaMarcus Aldridge to the MVP conversation. It was a nice sentiment at the time, but it was also pretty clear that was a reach. After all, Kevin Durant and LeBron James still exist. -
Harden than expected
James Harden falling asleep on defense (Via @lashy)The thing about James Harden is that he usually stays efficient despite taking and missing a lot of shots. His commitment to the three-pointer and knack for drawing fouls erase all those misses. -
Southwest stunner
The most amazing thing about the Mavericks clobbering the Spurs in Game 2 was how matter of fact it all was, like it was San Antonio’s fifth game in seven days on the second night of a back-to-back in January. The Mavericks breezed to a playoff road win against a team they hadn’t beat in more than two years and in a building where they hadn’t won since before the lockout. They did that without a vintage Dirk Nowitzki performance and by forcing 24 turnovers. Suddenly that amazing San Antonio comeback in Game 1 looms even larger. -
Making the league's best uncomfortable
There are two ways to trouble the Spurs. One is to disrupt the timing of their free-flowing offense. San Antonio is on autopilot when executing it; mess up the conditions, and it forces the Spurs to think. This is how the Thunder beat them in 2012. The other is to attack their conservative pick and roll defensive schemes, which work well in almost every matchup, but can be exploited by aggressive small guards and unique shooting big men. This is how Golden State pushed San Antonio to the brink last year before Stephen Curry's troublesome ankle limited him too much to be himself. -
Pray for Big Al
Al Jefferson balled the hell out for Charlotte all year, averaging 21.8 and 10.8. In one stroke, he fulfilled the potential NBA fans have always seen in him and gave Charlotte a legit star in his first year in the Queen City.