That may all change following an incident during Saturday night’s game against the Houston Rockets, as the Timberwolves’ power forward, who usually does his damage above the rim, was inflicting some damage on the Rockets’ Luis Scola well below the rim when he stomped on his face while heading up the court.  Love was not called for a foul on the play during the game, but he has since been handed a two-game suspension for the act.

Does the punishment fit the crime?  Take a look at the video below and judge for yourself.

McGee didn’t see much wrong with his choice of finish, but his coach and teammates did.  In addition to benching McGee, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders and some of the Washington players had some interesting thoughts to share with reporters regarding McGee’s antics following the game.

Here is a look at what some of the Wizards had to say:

Flip Saunders:  “We’ve got to get to where those plays, you know we identify with meat and potato basketball, playing hard, setting screens, playing the right way and not highlight type things and we’ve been saying that many times. You know we have some players that look for highlights rather than substance.”

John Wall: “A dunk is a dunk. I would rather seen him do a regular dunk.  We’re down. We’re 1-11. 1-12 now. So there’s no point in doing any kind of excitement, but he made the basket and that’s all that counts.”

Maurice Evans: “Obviously, it’s a little disappointing. We’ve had this on a team I played on in the past where we showboated a little bit.  I think that’s something people will look at. We’re already struggling to get wins; we don’t need to put targets on our back. That’s something JaVale knew and recognized and understood once he was in the locker room. I think that’s something he’ll learn from.”

Andray Blatche: “I don’t know. That’s his thing. He’s a dunker. I don’t really care for it. It’s nothing bad or good to me.”

As for McGee, he didn’t see things in quite the same manner as his coach and teammates.  He had the following to say after the game:

“Apparently, if you get a fast break and throw it off the backboard in the third quarter, and you’re 1-11, you’re not supposed to do stuff like that.”

So what do you think?  Is a self-alley-oop a little overboard for a player on a 1-12 team?  Or is McGee simply trying to have fun on the court and entertain the paying fans in the process?

Take a look at the video below and we’ll let you be the judge.

Hat Tip – [Washington Post]

Charles Barkley was one of the fiercest competitors and best rebounders that the NBA had ever seen.  He averaged a double-double in points and rebounds for an incredible 15 straight seasons while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.  Barkley was named to the All-Star Game in 11 consecutive seasons from 1987-1997 and was named as the 1993 NBA regular season Most Valuable Player.  Sir Charles was one of the most colorful personalities in sports and remains so to this day as a basketball commentator for TNT.

Barkley did not want the last image of his career to be of him being carried off the court.  So in the final home game of the season, he suited up, played and was able to walk off the court for the final time in his Hall-of-Fame career.

Here are some great plays from Barkley’s career.

Notable Birthdays

Mike Mussina, MLB – Born December 8th 1968 (age 43) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Phillip Rivers, NFL – Born December 8th 1981 (age 30) in Decatur, Alabama

Dwight Howard, NBA – Born December 8th 1985 (age 26) in Atlanta, Georgia

The New Jersey Nets made headlines when they picked up Deron Williams before the NBA trade deadline, and while he may now be the team’s biggest superstar, their biggest attraction is still Kim Kardashian.

Kim K was in Houston Saturday night to watch the Nets take on the Rockets, and while her world famous rear end was probably on the minds of most men seated courtside for the game, Kim’s mind appeared to be focused on the Rockets’ furry mascot, Clutch.

Should Kris Humphries be worried?

Luis Scola was able to put the Rockets on his back, with some help from Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin, and carry them to the victory.  He scored 35 points on an array of post moves, jumpers, and easy buckets.  He was 16-of-25 from the field, 3-of-4 from the free throw line, and he snagged 12 rebounds, 4 of which were at the offensive end.  He had some key buckets in the fourth quarter as well that helped put the Pistons away after they were threatening to make a run.  He also had a block and an assist in the effort.  His +/-, which I will be the first to admit is a dubious statistic at best, was a whopping +30.  I’d like to have him on the court for my team.

The Rockets may not be the team that can upend the Lakers in the Western Conference, but if they continue to have strong performances like last night’s, they may be able to quietly creep back into the playoff picture.  For now, Luis Scola captures the “Stat Line of the Night”.

Surprisingly, he was not assessed a technical foul for taunting.

Hat Tip – [The Score]

The Bulls were in control of the game at halftime but Rose had to go to the bench in the 3rd quarter with foul trouble and the Rockets crept back into it.  At the start of the 4th quarter Rose came back in the game with his Bulls behind by 8.  That’s when he became a blur of jumpers, layups, and three-pointers, scoring 17 of his 33  in the quarter to lead the Bulls to a 95-92 victory.  Rose was 13 for 20 from the field and a scorching 4-5 from downtown.  He also added 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.

The Bulls are a young team on the rise.  With Derrick Rose at the helm and new addition Carlos Boozer on the mend, they could prove to challenge the big teams in the Eastern Conference for supremacy all season long.  For now they must get through the vicious Circus Trip, but thanks to Rose’s “Stat Line of the Night”, they are off to a good start.

Only Yao Ming could turn a ride on the stationary bike into an entertaining gif.  The Rockets’ center spent plenty of time on the sidelines staying warm during his team’s season opener in Los Angeles, and he even took the time to endear himself to a few of the Lakers’ fans.

Should Rockets coach Rick Adelman continue to limit Yao’s minutes as he eases him back into action, there could be several more entertaining gifs like this one on their way.

Bryant, coming off knee surgery, did not look much the worse for wear.  Although his shooting touch started off cold, he finished the night 8 for 20 and hit 11 of his 12 free throws.  He had 27 points, but even when his shooting stroke was a little off, he was able to contribute by getting his teammates involved, playing great defense, and even getting some rebounds.  He had 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and a steal.  He also had some help from his teammates, with Pau Gasol scoring 29 points and snagging 11 rebounds and Steve Blake and Shannon Brown combining for 26 points off the bench.

The Lakers look to be the team to beat in the NBA again this year.  Kobe seemed fine after his knee surgery and the bench seems as strong as ever.  Bryant will be satisfied with nothing short of a 3rd straight title and 6 overall.  Last night he won “The Stat Line of the Night”, but there is no reason to think he can’t take hom another MVP trophy by season’s end.

Prior to the draft, Francis publicly let it be known that he was not interested in playing in Vancouver for the Grizzlies. Distance from his home in Maryland, potential loss of endorsements, taxes and God’s will were all reasons given by Francis why he did not want to play for the Grizzlies.  However, at the 1999 NBA Draft Vancouver held the second overall pick and after the Bulls selected Elton Brand, Vancouver chose guard Steve Francis out of the University of Maryland.

After Commissioner David Stern announced the pick, in a now infamous shot, the camera panned over to Steve Francis who was trying his best to hold back the tears.  Getting drafted into the NBA is supposed to be the happiest moment for a young basketball player, but for Steve Francis it was anything but that for reasons that may seem bizarre to some people.

Here is the 1999 NBA Draft Lottery

Notable Birthdays
Jim Thome: MLB – Born August 27th 1970 (age 40) in Peoria, Illinois

Jose Vidro: MLB – Born August 27th 1974 (age 36) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

Darren McFadden: NFL – Born August 27th 1987 (age 23) in North Little Rock, Arkansas