Move Over Big Fella

Bryant embracing longtime teammate and
co-captian, Derek Fisher, after surpassing
O'Neal as the NBA's fifth leading scorer.

He's at it again.

It was a little over a week ago that Los Angeles Laker guard Kobe Bryant surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West for the most field goals and free throws in franchise history, respectively. Now, he has eclipsed yet another Los Angeles legend.

In his hometown of Philadelphia, Bryant, 33, hit a 23-foot jump shot with 5:07 remaining in the second quarter of the team's 95-90 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, giving him 24 first half points and passing former teammate Shaquille O'Neal for fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

The 16-year veteran, who is currently leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 29.3 points per game, finished the game with 28 points after just scoring four points in the second half and going 1-for-10 from the field in the fourth.

Bryant's career total now stands at 28,601, five points better than O'Neal's 28,596 and 2,818 from tying Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain for fourth all-time. Prior to this season, Bryant had averaged 1,857 points per year. He has already scored 733 points his season and if he keeps to his career averages, even in a shorten 66-game NBA season, Bryant will need just 1,694 next season to surpass Chamberlain, something he is no stranger to.

In his senior season at Lower Merion High School, Bryant averaged 30.8 PPG and broke Chamberlain's Pennsylvania's high school scoring record of 2,252 career points, finishing with 2,883.

Last season, Bryant donated more than $400,000 to the Lower Merion School District and had his old gym named after him in honor of his unbelievable NBA career and contributions to his old team, leading the Aces to the 1996 state championship.

Along with trailing Chamberlain's 31,419 career point, Bryant also continues to chase Michael Jordan (32,292), Karl Malone (36,928) and Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).

But considering Bryant and O'Neal's history, he may cherish this individual accomplishment the most. Their ongoing love-hate relationship has been well documented after they won three consecutive championships with one another at the turn of the century and went through an ugly divorce in 2004. However, the two have since made peace, come to appreciate what they accomplished together, are arguably the greatest one-two punch in league history and shared the lime light one last time.

At the 2009 All-Star Game in Arizona, with O'Neal a member of the Phoenix Suns, he and Bryant shared the game's Most Valuable Player Award, leaving many to wonder what could have been.

A dynamic duo, O'Neal (32) and Bryant (24)
shared so many magical moments over their
 careers playing along side one another.

Bryant has since won two more NBA championships. Most recently in 2010, when he famously dedicated the win to having more than O'Neal's four, saying postgame, " I got one more than Shaq".

Booed as usually in his homecoming, it's not the first time Bryant has accomplished something special in front of the Philly faithful. In 2001, Bryant came to Philly "to cut their hearts out" and he did, helping the Lakers win their second of three straight NBA titles. The following year, Bryant returned to Philadelphia, capturing his first of his record four All-Star Game MVPs.

However, Bryant is notorious for shooting a low percentage in the Wells Fargo Center, and it was his rare poor fourth quarter shooting that handed Los Angeles their second loss in-a-row.

Bryant only scored two points in the final quarter, seeing his Lakers drop to 14-11 on the year and 3-9 on the road.

Normally never outdone in crunch time, Bryant was, this time by reserve guard Lou Williams, who is apart of Philadelphia's 'Night Shift'.

Williams is a leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award and is the 76ers' leading scorer this season, averaging 15.5 PPG. The 25-year-old scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth, leading Philadelphia to their 18th win of the season and snapping their four-game home losing streak to Los Angeles.

The 76ers' 18-7 record ranks them No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, but are they for real? They are 6-5 against teams with a record of .500 or better, while 12-2 against the league's worst. Not to mention they have lost both overtime games they have played this season.

Only time will tell if a team that's leading scorer comes off the bench can sustain permanent success.

Los Angeles was without head coach Mike Brown. He was severing a one-game suspension following his outburst and bump of an official in the team's 96-87 loss in Utah Saturday night.

But this night, even in a loss, belongs to Kobe Bryant.

Shopping at K-Mart

Martin adds depth to an already deep
Clipper bench and team.

The Los Angeles Clippers have outdone the Los Angeles Lakers yet again -- a phrase that had never been muttered prior to this season.

Both vying for his services, it was the Clippers that have agreed to a deal with veteran Kenyon Martin, not the Lakers. It's the second time in as many months the usual second-rate Clippers have acquired a player the Lakers were interested in.

In December, the Lakers came to terms on a deal with the New Orleans Hornets that would have sent point guard Chris Paul to Los Angeles. Instead the league nixed the deal and less than a week later Paul would be playing his home games in Staples Center, just not for the Lakers.

Martin, 34, headed overseers to play in the Chinese Basketball Association during the would end of being a 161-day lockout. The former Denver Nugget had been playing for the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers, averaging 13.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, before reaching a buyout agreement with the team on Dec. 21.

He has also been cleared by the FIBA to return to the NBA two weeks before originally thought, making his now highly anticipated Clipper debut on Wednesday, Feb. 8 against the Cleveland Cavaliers very likely.

His former teammate in Denver, J.R. Smith, also played in China to start the 2011-12 season and will another hot commodity in his return to the NBA -- a commodity the Clippers might also be interested in adding to their already talented roster.

Since being named the Consensus 2000 NCAA Player of the Year and drafted with the No. 1 overall pick that same season by the New Jersey Nets, Martin has played 654 career NBA games.

The 6-foot-9 forward has averaged 13.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game during his 11-year career.

Fresh of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances with the Nets, Martin's best season came during the 2003-04 campaign. He averaged a career-high 16.7 PPG and grabbed 9.5 rebounds, earning him his first and only All-Star appearance thus far.

Martin will primarily play this season in Los Angeles as Blake Griffin's backup, earning the mid-level exception of $2.5 million.

But after failing short in two straight NBA Finals in the early part of the century, Martin is still of search of first NBA championship. He has come to accomplish that goal in the City of Angels.

Just not with the franchise that possesses 16 of them.

Going Fishing

Fisher's leadership as made him
a winner over the years.

Monday night marked let another disappointing loss for the Los Angeles Lakers in what has been a roller coaster season for the two-time defending champions.

Los Angeles blew a 16-point lead late in the third quarter and were upset in Game 1 of the conference semifinals at Staples Center by the Dallas Mavericks.

The good news for Los Angeles, it's only Game 1 and were able to overcome a Game 1 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets in the first-round, but by no means is it a recipe for success.

Along the way, Derek Fisher is showing why the aging veteran was brought back to Los Angeles in the offseason with a new three-year contract.

Fisher has been heavily criticized this season for his shaky defense and inconsistent shooting. The fact is the Lakers brought Fisher back for his leadership ability and clutch performances in the postseason. This postseason has been much of the same for the 15-year veteran averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 52 percent from the field in the team's first seven playoff games.

Those numbers are well above his regular season averages this season, where he only averaged 6.8 points per and shot 38 percent from the field.

Fisher has also shot well from beyond the arch to start the postseason at 54 percent compared to the 39 percent he shot in the regular season.

Even though Fisher, 36, has lost a step on defensive side of the ball, he had some extremely good sequences in the first-round series against the much younger 25-year-old Chris Paul. There is not too many point guards Fisher is going to run into at more of an advanced then him, but that is what he has exactly done.

Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is still very productive at age 38 and finds himself in the middle of dog fight of two talented veterans. Fisher has the hardware, while Kidd has the Hall of Fame resume, it should be a relatively even matchup between the two point guards, who are no longer going to impress anyone with their speed and athleticism .

Fisher has been known as a gamer and always been willing to give up his body for his teammates.

Some consider Fisher one of the best in the NBA at selling offensive fouls, which is why he is always among the league leaders in charges drawn.

Los Angeles was 18-1 this season when their point guard scored in double-digits. Fisher scored only eight points on three of six shooting Monday night and the end result was a loss. There is no question if the Lakers and Fisher want to capture their third straight NBA championship and second three-peat under Phil Jackson, they will need him to live up to his playoff reputation once again.

Who can forget Fisher's game-winning shot in San Antonio in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals with 0.4 left on the clock. How about Fisher's two clutch three-point baskets in Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals that sealed the Orlando Magic's fate. Fisher hit the game-tying three with just under five seconds left in regulation to force overtime. In the overtime, Fisher would hit the eventual game-winner with about 30 seconds left in the extra period.

Most recently, Fisher continued his postseason magic, while single-handedly taking over Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Boston a year ago with 16 points in a 91-84 victory. Fisher would return in Game 7 of that series with a game-tying three-point bucket in the closing minutes of the decisive series-clincher, setting a new record for most three-pointers for a career in the Finals.

It couldn't have come at a better time.

It's not a question of if, but when will Fisher hit his next big playoff shot in this year's postseason. When he does it will be nothing but the bottom of the net and we will be waiting to say, "Told you so".

Superman Does it Again

Howard has developed into the best big
man in the NBA.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard captured his third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year Award Monday.

Howard will become the first player in NBA history to win the award three times in-a-row. There is no question that Howard has been the best defensive player in the NBA the last couple of years with his shot blocking ability and being able to alter opponents shots around the rim.

Along with being named the top defensive player in the NBA in 2011, Howard could add another piece of hardware to his collection at the end of the season.

Howard has been in the Most Valuable Player discussion most of the NBA regular season and rightfully so. He is enjoying his most consistent year of young seven-year career. The 265-pounder averaged 22.9 points per game along with 14.1 rebounds this season.

Both of those are well above his career averages.

Howard led the NBA in trips to the foul line, averaging 11 free-throw attempts during the regular season. With Howard's overwhelming production, the Magic secured the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 52-30.

It's not a stretch to say without Howard Orlando might not even be a playoff team.

Even though Chicago's Derrick Rose is the most deserving of the award, Howard is finally getting the reconition he deserves.

The 6-foot-11 center showed why he was the best defensive player in the NBA this season yet again, averaging 2.4 blocks and a career-high 1.3 steals per game. Drafted with the first overall pick by the Magic back in 2004, Howard has been a top five player in the NBA since his arrival and continues to impress his piers.

Orlando suffered a tough loss Saturday night at home against the No. 5 seeded Atlanta Hawks, 103-93, but Howard gave it his best effort, leading the away with 46 points and 19 rebounds.

The Magic have a tough road ahead if they want to appear in their third Eastern Conference Finals in as many years. It's a goal that plan to meet, but Orlando will first need even up the series at a game apiece on Tuesday night to get there.

Howard can become a free agent after the 2012 season and will be sure to draw a lot of interest from many NBA teams on the open market.

The Magic will need to show the 25-year-old Howard they get back to the NBA Finals, like they did in 2009. If they don't, that could be kryptonite that sees their beloved Superman fly out of town.

Can Durant Break Scoring Curse?

Durant averaged 27.7 PPG this season,
leading the NBA for the second
straight year.

If history stays true in recent years the Oklahoma City Thunder will not reach the Western Conference Finals in 2011.

Many believe, with the addition of center Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics, the young Thunder have added the final piece to the puzzle and could legitimately challenge the Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the NBA Finals.

In only his fourth season in the league after being drafted second overall in the 2007, Kevin Durant has led the NBA in scoring back-to-back years.

That might not be such a good thing for Oklahoma City heading into this year's postseason. Since the 2001-02 NBA season the NBA scoring leader has failed to lead his team to the conference finals. Former NBA point guard Allen Iverson was the last player to do so, averaging 31.4 points per game in the 2000-01 season.

That year Iverson led the Philadelphia 76ers to the Eastern Conference Finals in a thrilling seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks, eventually reaching the NBA Finals. The 76ers would lose to the Lakers in five games, paving the way for the NBA's next dynasty. Iverson would lead the league in scoring again the following season, but his team was bounced out in the first-round by the Celtics.

A trend was born.

Since that time, the NBA has seen some of the most elite players lead the league in scoring and not reach the conference finals. The list of players includes Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and now Durant.

A year after James led the the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first Finals appearance in franchise history, for the first time in his career, he led the NBA in scoring (30.0 PPG), but unable to get them back to the promise land, losing to the eventual NBA champion Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Durant and Co. are in for a hard-fought battle in this year's postseason, no longer playing the role of underdog after capturing the No. 4 seed in the West. The road does not start easy for the Thunder with them opening up a first-round matchup with one of the hottest teams in the NBA during the second half, the No. 5 seeded Denver Nuggets.

Not only will the young man out of Texas need to live up to the expectations this season has brought. but will need to break a scoring curse to reach them.

Heat Off in Miami

Hugs all around in Miami after
stopping a five-game skid.

After being a topic of conversation much of the past week and a half, the Miami Heat have ended their five-game losing streak.

The win comes at the hands of the two-time defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat have now improved to 2-0 against the champs this year, their first coming with a 16-point win on Christmas Day.

This was an almost must-win for the Heat given their recent stretch and record against the league's elite. With the game tied at 88, Miami went on a 6-0 run in the final two minutes of the game, giving them the 94-88 victory. Head coach Eric Spoelstra took a different strategy in the closing minutes, giving the ball to Dwayne Wade instead of LeBron James, something they should have done long ago.

Chris Bosh also stepped up and had a great game logging 24 points and nine rebounds in 38 minutes.

The Big Three for Miami scored a combined 63 points while using the three-point shooting of veteran Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers. Kobe Bryant gave it his best effort with 24 points of his own, matching the number on his back, but at one point had missed seven straight shots.

With Miami outscoring the Lakers in the paint 46-30, it was something nobody saw coming. The Lakers biggest advantage against most of their opponents is their size and length, that was not the case Thursday night in South Beach.

The Heat, being relatively undersized to Los Angeles, were able to get easy lay-ups down the stretch securing their 23rd win at home this season. The win ended an eight-game winning for the Lakers since the All-Star break. In the bigger picture, the game really means nothing for either team other than Miami has ended their losing streak and can get back to playing good basketball.

One thing is for sure, if this was a potential preview of a NBA Finals matchup, it should be a fight to the finish.

The Bite of the Black Mamba

Bryant took home his 4th All-Star Game
MVP Sunday night.

Does anyone still think Kobe Bryant has nothing left in the tank?

In his 15th season in the NBA and now at the age of 32, Bryant started to hear the whispers he might have lost a step. That was not the case on Sunday night at Staples Center, when he went off for 37 points and 14 rebounds. Not to mention the amazing two-handed slam that electrified the Los Angeles crowd early.

Bryant came out on a mission, to steal the show and come away with his fourth All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award.

He did just that, tying Bob Pettit for the most all-time.

Bryant, who is coming his second knee surgery of his career, has played significantly less minutes this season compared to the last couple of years. It seems as it he is pacing himself for a deep playoff run and getting the Los Angeles Lakers to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals.

Bryant has always loved playing on the game's biggest stage and tends to elevate his game when need be. You can be sure that will be the case come playoff time in the City of Angels, Sunday night is living proof. Bryant's star was not to be out shined by anyone that night.

There is no questioning the thirteen-time All-Star's motivation and sometimes it's believed that is ego even has a work ethic. So for those who said the 2007-08 MVP has lost a step, go back and look at the film from Sunday's All-Star Game.

Bryant rose to another level when the spotlight was shining brightest on his city and showed why he is still the best player in the NBA. Expect that not change, even more so come June.

Wake Up & Smell the Rose(s)

Rose has the Bulls firing
on all cylinders.

The Chicago Bulls head into the All-Star break with a 38-16 record, good enough for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and fifth best in the NBA.

We can attribute that to the first overall pick in 2008 out of the University of Memphis. At the young age of 22, Derrick Rose is making a strong bid for the Most Valuable Player Award this season.

Only in his third season in the NBA, he is beginning to raise the question, is he the best point guard in the NBA?

The Bulls finished 41-41 a year ago as the eighth seed in the East, only to be bounced out in the first-round by the then-LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. What a difference a year makes, as Rose and Co. have elevated to new heights.

Rose has averaged 24.6 points per game, along with 8.2 assists in the first half, both well above his career averages and this is despite having two key components miss significant time. Offseason acquisition Carlos Boozer missed the first two months of the season with a broken hand and the team's emotional leader Joakim Noah has been out since mid-December with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Boozer and Noah have only played nine games together this season, giving us a small sample size to how good this team could be. Noah should return to the starting lineup shortly after the All-Star break, adding a huge boost for a team that seems to already be surging.

They're coming off an impressive win at home just before the break against the team with the best record in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. Rose led the way with 42 points and 8 assists. With the best record against the Western Conference at a 17-7 mark, Chicago has made themselves a legitimate NBA Finals contender thanks to my first half MVP in the NBA.

The Windy City has reason to smile come June and well into the future.