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Clippers vs Thunder – Kevin Durant Shouldn’t Score so Easily
One of the more interesting and growing rivalries in the NBA is the one between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers. As their latest meeting suggests, as long as Kevin Durant doesn’t really have someone capable of slowing him down or protecting the paint from his shooting ability, it’s quite easy to guess who is going to dominate the matchups most of the time.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden & Jeremy Lin Enjoy The Dwight Howard Free Throw Show
At some point, hack-a-Dwight had to backfire on someone. That team happened to be the Denver Nuggets, seeing an incredible free throwing performance from Dwight Howard, stepping up instead of the mistake-filled James Harden game or Jeremy Lin having a solid performance from the bench, leading the Houston Rockets to a 122-111 win.
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Pacers vs Bulls – Derrick Rose Needed Some Time Off Apperantly
The Indiana Pacers are undefeated no more, losing to the team seeking to replace them as the main challenger and possibly the best team in the Eastern conference. The Chicago Bulls played their best game of the season, winning 110-94, led by Luol Deng with 23 points and Derrick Rose, getting to the 20-point mark for the first time this season.
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Miami Heat – LeBron James Isn’t Slowing Down
It was going to take something bigger and better than the Charlotte Bobcats to take LeBron James out of the impressive scoring run he’s currently going on, scoring 30 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 97-81 win, winning for a third consecutive time and a sixth in their last seven games.
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Grizzlies vs Lakers – Zach Randolph Has Fun Against the Worst Frontcourt in the NBA
It’s been a slow and frustrating start this season, but there’s nothing like playing against the no-defense Los Angeles Lakers to make a big man pad up his stats and boost his confidence, scoring 28 points, 14 of them coming in the final quarter, to lead the Memphis Grizzlies in a 89-86 win, hopefully streaming things towards the right direction.
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Timberwolves vs Nuggets – Something Starting to Click in Denver
Maybe Brian Shaw believes in a half-court kind of offense, maybe even the Triangle. It doesn’t matter. With the kind of players he has, which are a better fit for what George Karl ran there in the years after Carmelo Anthony left, it’s much better to let this team run, which is what they do almost better than anyone else, especially at home, leading to an impressive 117-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Miami Heat – LeBron James Perfect on Offense; Dwyane Wade Surprising on Defense
After scoring 39 points on only 37 minutes and taking 18 shots, LeBron James once again brought up the subject of his ability to score a lot more if he’d just be more selfish like other superstars around the NBA. It’s nothing new. The more surprising factor of the Miami Heat beating the Dallas Mavericks 110-104 was Dwyane Wade coming up with 8 steals, and for once giving a complete effort on defense, usually not his strongest quality.
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Blazers vs Celtics – LaMarcus Aldridge on The Winning Side Now
Into his eighth NBA season, LaMarcus Aldridge finally has a win over the Boston Celtics on the road, in yet another proof that the small additions made by the Portland Trail Blazers during the summer have made it possible for this team not only to get back to the playoffs, but possibly be an unnoticed rising force in the Western Conference.
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Bulls vs Raptors – Rose Isn’t Needed For First Road Win of the Season
While Chicago Bulls fans are still waiting to see a more efficient version of Derrick Rose, getting their first road win of the season, 96-80 over the Toronto Raptors, who aren’t going anywhere while DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay continue to contend each night on who has the worse shooting day, isn’t such a bad way to continue without their struggling point guard.
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Houston Rockets – James Harden Playing Like Jeremy Lin Needs Him to For Once
At his best, James Harden makes the Houston Rockets a title contender. The problem is that his efficient and rather composed performance against the New York Knicks isn’t something the Houston Rockets get from him every night. Jeremy Lin, coming off the bench again, was finally happy with the kind of basketball he saw from his team and especially star teammate, but is it something he can count on happening again?