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Nuggets vs Lakers – Humiliations That Keep on Coming
The Los Angeles Lakers might be playing fun basketball, but the ones who are enjoying more than anyone happen to be the team’s opponents, this time being the Denver Nuggets, enjoying the free flow of the game that went nicely with the no-defense approach, pulling off a 137-115 win on the road.
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Knicks vs Mavericks – Energy That’s Rarely Seen
The most memorable thing about the New York Knicks coming away with a surprising 92-80 road win over the Dallas Mavericks? Not Carmelo Anthony leading the team in scoring, but J.R. Smith untying Shawn Marion’s shoe before the two contested for a free throw rebound.
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Celtics vs Thunder – An Easy One for a Change
After two losses and a very tough win, the Oklahoma City Thunder needed something easy to feel at home. Luckily for them, they had the Boston Celtics as their rivals and not someone a bit tougher, giving Kevin Durant a chance to play in a bit more relaxed manner while Reggie Jackson was having one of his good days.
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Warriors vs Wizards – Winning Streak Up to 9
Not everyone is convinced that the Golden State Warriors, even with a clean bill of health, are real contenders in the Western conference, but their winning streak reaching 9 games might be a positive hint, this time led by Klay Thompson with some impressive shooting and David Lee with his usual offensive hustle to grant them a 112-96 victory over the Washington Wizards.
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Raptors vs Heat – LeBron James Does Most of the Heavy Lifting
The red hot Toronto Raptors gave the Miami Heat plenty of problems, but they couldn’t handle the biggest one: stopping LeBron James. Despite trying with five different defenders, not being able to limit the best player in the NBA was just a bit too much for them.
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Pau Gasol & Andrew Bynum Trade – Not Going to Happen
What seemed like an inevitability a day before turned into nonsense shortly after, as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t agree on a deal that will end up being a trade of Pau Gasol for Andrew Bynum and other players or parts.
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San Francisco 49ers – More Difficult Than it Should Have Been
The jury might still be out on whether Colin Kaepernick is a great quarterback or not, but it doesn’t really matter. The San Francisco 49ers displayed the complete package in their 23-20 win over the Green Bay Packers, yet still needed a field goal with time expiring from Phil Dawson to find themselves in the divisional playoffs.
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San Diego Chargers – Slow & Steady Wins the Race
The San Diego Chargers weren’t supposed to make the postseason, but they did. Winning on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t the most likely of scenarios as well, but a patient and smart gameplan that focused on running the ball and kept Philip Rivers from taking unnecessary risks led them to their first playoff win in over five years.
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Juventus vs Roma – Tactical & Technical Superiority
Year 3 in the Juventus revival project, and everything is working quite nicely. There’s no team in the Serie A that comes close to them in terms of players quality or their technical superiority which begins with Antonio Conte but also having players like Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal and Giorgio Chiellini, brushing aside the empty threat that turned out to be Roma.
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FC Barcelona – Alexis Sanchez Leads an Old School Demolition
There’s not always a need for Neymar or Lionel Messi to be on the pitch for Barcelona to be at their best. Alexis Sanchez in the best form of his career and generally playing like they couldn’t wait for the Christmas break to be over is enough to put on one of the most impressive performances from Barcelona this season.