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Duke Over North Carolina – About the Rivalry, Nothing Else
With Virginia already clinching the ACC title for a second straight season, the only thing Duke and North Carolina had to play for was the meaning of their rivalry, which is quite a lot, even when isolated from other implications. For the second time this season and third in a row, the Blue Devils came out on top, winning 84-77.
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Portland Trail Blazers – Wesley Matthews Injury Makes for a Depressing Ending
It’s rare to see a locker room in silence and sadness after a win, but the Portland Trail Blazers weren’t in the celebratory mood despite beating the Dallas Mavericks 94-75. The reason? Wesley Matthews tore his Achilles tendon, and is out for the season.
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Chicago Bulls – E’Twaun Moore is Russell Westbrook Kryptonite
No Russell Westbrook triple double and more important no win for the Oklahoma City Thunder as their key player failed to deliver in the clutch, while the Chicago Bulls got pulled to a 108-105 victory by E’Twaun Moore of all players, including the game winning 3-pointer.
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Memphis Grizzlies – Zach Randolph Steals, James Harden Knows he was Fouled
Coming back from a one game suspension, James Harden & the Houston Rockets have every reason to be angry with the officials, allowing Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies to foul him and get away with it, leading to Marc Gasol hitting a game winning shot.
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Los Angeles Lakers – Jeremy Lin Keeps Getting Thrown Into the Same Situation
The Miami Heat didn’t need to be at their best to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-94, knowing very well that focusing their defense on Jeremy Lin in the second half is pretty much the best way to slow down their opponents, crippled by having a weak squad, tanking for a strategy and Byron Scott for a head coach.
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Portland Trail Blazers – Nicolas Batum Thwarts Another Special Chris Paul Effort
The incredible form Chris Paul has been in has kept the Los Angeles Clippers on the right track despite the Blake Griffin injury, but he can’t do things on his own, failing to steer his team to victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, losing 98-93 in overtime to the combined efforts of LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum.
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Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook With a Mask is Scary-Good
The triple double streak for Russell Westbrook continues with his fourth in a row in a 123-118 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, keeping the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of the chasing pack in the race for the final spot in the NBA playoffs.
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Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James Doesn’t Let Dirty Fouls Stop Him
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a very important road win over the Toronto Raptors, as a great LeBron James performance included getting harshly fouled by Jonas Valanciunas, something that made him very angry and dangerous in the fourth quarter.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden Following the Daryl Morey Plan
The analytics movement isn’t isolated in just one place in the NBA, but Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, might be the biggest symbol and advocator of it, which has shaped his team in more than just the way they choose their players, but also in trying to control every aspect of the game, including the shooting of a superstar like James Harden.
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San Antonio Spurs – The Best Team Ever, Sort of
The Los Angeles Lakers keep losing. The San Antonio Spurs? They’re a little bit off their game, but not so much as to derail them from their annual trip to the NBA playoffs, and on the way also become, at least for now, the team with the best regular season winning percentage in NBA history.