ATLANTA HAWKS

We resolve to get to the bottom of why we gave Joe Johnson so much damn money. He does lead us in points, but will we make it deep in the playoffs….of course not. ( same as last years resolution)

BOSTON CELTICS

We the Boston Celtics resolve to let Rondo shoot nothing but threes for an entire game, just to see what happens….

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

I, Paul Silas resolve to survive the entire season.

CHICAGO BULLS

I, Derrick Rose resolve to continue dominating basketball, postgame interviews  and my acne.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

We resolve to continue to be a horrible team until Dan Gilbert can finally complete the cloning of LeBron James, let the clone grow to 18 years of age, then draft him with the #1 pick in the 2030 Draft.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

I, Lamar Odom will drive to Galveston Beach each off day so I can look at the ocean and remember what once was.

DETROIT PISTONS

We the Pistons resolve to find some food for Austin Daye, and to have Ben Gordons arms chopped off!

DENVER NUGGETS

We the Nuggets resolve to be extremely grateful that Coach Karl is back and healthy!

GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS

I, Coach Mark Jackson resolve to stop yelling “Hands down, man down” to everyone on the team, every possession.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

We the Houston Rockets resolve to continue pitting Chase Budinger, and Chandler Parsons against each other until they are forced to fight to the death.

INDIANA PACERS

We resolve to let Physcho T run into the stands at least once this season.

L.A. CLIPPERS

We resolve to keep our racist ass owner away from Chris Paul, and keep Chris thinking that Frankie Muniz is indeed the owner of the team.

L.A. LAKERS

We resolve to plant testosterone tablets in Pau Gasol’s drinks throughout the season.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

We resolve to get Tony Allen as far away from our team as possible.

MIAMI HEAT

We resolve to win the Finals, not for LeBron but for original man: Juwan Howard.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

We resolve to get to the bottom of signing of Mike Dunleavy Jr.!

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

I, Kevin Love resolve to rebound every ball, on every shot, from every basketball game in the world.

NEW JERSEY NETS

We resolve to play in Brooklyn until Brooklyn realizes that the Nets play in Brooklyn, then we haul ass to Russia! #NYETS

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

We the NBA speak for the Hornets, and the Hornets have nothing to say!

NEW YORK KNICKS

I, Carmelo Anthony resolve to remember that I, Carmelo am the only option, and I need to shoot every single time!

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

We resolve to do whatever we can to keep Russell Westbrook from becoming Stephon Marbury and eventually eating Vaseline on Twitter!

ORLANDO MAGIC

I, Dwight Howard resolve to ask, demand, then say pretty please for a trade.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

We resolve to hire Michael Vick as soon as the NFL season is over. He will suit up and be in the starting lineup, just for the player introductions, but he wont play any minutes.

PHOENIX SUNS

I, Steve Nash resolve to never leave the Suns, and continue playing until they can find a point guard better then I.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

We resolve to burn some Sage in the Rose Garden, because our team is definitely cursed!

SACRAMENTO KINGS

We resolve to remind all those fans that fought to keep the team in Sacramento that the team is still in Sacramento

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

We resolve to casually ignore the age of our Big 3, but encourage fans to purchase DeJuan Blair Bears from the gift shop

TORONTO RAPTORS

We resolve to call the NBA everyday, and send flowers so that they remember there is a team in Toronto.

UTAH JAZZ

We resolve to remind the Jazz players that the sign that said “Team of Misfit Players” was not funny.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

We resolve to let John Wall do whatever he wants to and to continue letting Glbert Arenas in the locker room so he can shit in Rashard Lewis’s shoes.

(from the video description) Kevin Durant embodies an unstoppable passion for the game. So with a soundtrack provided by the legendary vocalist Sam Cooke, Kevin Durant takes to the Oklahoma City streets to show that Basketball Never Stops for any of us.

Dallas didn’t lead until Nowitzki hit two free throws 16 seconds into overtime, needing to rally from a 99-84 deficit in the final 5 minutes of regulation.

Kevin Durant finished with 29 points and 15 boards, and Serge Ibaka had 18 points and 10 boards for Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook added 19 points, eight boards and eight dimes.Durant had nine of the Thunder’s 26 turnovers, including the one that led to Kidd’s big shot.

Kidd stripped him as he went up for a shot with just over a minute left in overtime, then took a pass from Nowitzki, pump-faked to get Westbrook in the air and stepped up and drilled a 3-pointer to put Dallas up 108-105 with 40.3 seconds left.

On a night the Thunder appeared to be minutes away from tying up the series, the loss of James Harden to fouls spelled disaster on the offensive end. Since returning home the Thunder have shot 3-30 from deep.

The Thunder out-rebounded the Mavericks 55-33 (+22) in the Game 4 loss. That’s the largest rebounding advantage in a postseason loss since the 76ers lost to the Bullets April 18, 1986 despite out-rebounding them by 58-29 (+29).

Only two teams have come back from 3-1 deficits in NBA history without the benefit of home-court advantage in Game 7 — Houston in the 1995 West semifinals and Boston in the 1968 East finals.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Dallas on ESPN/ Mavs lead series 3-1

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

In Game 3, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant decided to take a backseat and let their teams have at it. It resulted in a Mavs 93-87 victory for the Mavericks and a 2-1 series lead.  Durant and Nowitzki combined to shoot 14-43. Fortunately for the Mavericks, Dirk decided to help out in the 4th quarter, making 10 of 11 possessions at one point, finishing with 18 points.

“He’s our guy. In the fourth quarters, he’s going to touch the ball as frequently as we can get it to him,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

Kevin Durant finished with 24 points and 12 boards, but was 0-8 from deep. Russell Westbrook rebounded from being benched in the 4th quarter of Game 2, with 30 points. The Thunder missed their first 16 3-pointers — including all eight by Durant — before Westbrook made one in the final minute. 1-17 from deep was the majority of the problems the Thunder faced. The Thunder three-point shooting tied for the second worst postseason 3-point percentage in the last 20 years.

Game 4 is Monday at 9ET on ESPN/ Mavs lead 2-1

In Game 2, Dallas appeared to be riding the wave of Game 1, but then Kevin Durant murdered Brendan Haywood.

In the 4th quarter Kevin Durant and OKC got big baskets from Eric Maynor, and James Harden. Harden’s scream in this video following the jumper is what nightmares are made of.

Game 3 is Saturday at 9ET on ESPN/ Series tied 1-1

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks had a nice rest before Tuesday nights Western Conference Finals. Many believed that rust would play a part in their matchup with the OKC Thunder who were fresh off a Game 7 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

There was no sign of rust on the older Mavs, winning 121-112, and taking a 1-0 series lead. There was absolutely nothing the Thunder could do to stop Dirk. He hit 10 of his first 11 shots from the field and an NBA playoff-record 24 straight free throws on the way to 48 points. “I thought Dirk was pretty good tonight,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, laughing. “I thought we defended him as close as we can — obviously, too close.” Scott Brooks won’t be laughing if Dirk continues his play, and there doesn’t appear to be any reason he will end his dominance.

Nowitzki finished 12 of 15 from the field and a perfect 24 of 24 at the line. It was the most points by anyone this postseason and two shy of his most ever in a playoff game. Dirk also had the highest FG pct in a conference finals game in history.

Kevin Durant followed his 39 points in Game 7 of the previous round with the 40, one shy of his most ever in a playoff game. Tuesday night marked the third time in NBA playoff history that opposing players scored at least 40 points in Game 1 of a playoff series.

Russell Westbrook routinely attacked the rim but was unable to convert many of his shots missing 12 of 15, and drawing the angst of Thunder fans as he chose difficult shots instead of deferring to Durant in the second half.

The problem for the Thunder was obviously, and without question Dirk Nowitzki. Although he shot 24 free throws the Thunder still had more attempts, 43 for OKC, and 36 for the Mavs.  Each Thunder player got a chance to defend Dirk and all failed miserably.

The Mavs bench outscored the Thunder 53-22. 21 points on mostly laypus from J.J. Barea, and the super 6th man Jason Terry had 24 points.

Game 1 winners have won 78.6 percent of all best-of-7 series in NBA history

Game 2 is Thursday night in Dallas, where the Mavs are 6-0 this postseason. Dallas leads series 1-0

The Memphis Grizzlies upset the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs, and after a 114-101 victory in the opening game of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday, they look to continue their upsetting ways.

Zach Randolph had 34 points and 10 z-bounds, Marc Gasol added 20 points and 13 boards, completely destroying the Thunder in the paint.

The Grizzlies, the NBA’s most productive team in the paint with a 51.5-point average, racked up 52 against the Thunder.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored 29, but shot 9-23 and had 7 turnovers. The Thunder had 18 turnovers leading to 23 Grizzlies points. Memphis had 8 turnovers.

The Thunder will have to step up their defensive effort if they want to regain home court advantage.

Game 2: Tuesday in Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., TNT/ Grizzlies lead series 1-0

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies possess two of the youngest playoff rosters in history. If coach Scott Brooks were to replace Sefolosha with James Harden (21) — which won’t happen — Thunder starters would have an infantile average age of 22.4.

The Grizzlies got the better of the Thunder in the regular season, winning the series 3-1 as Randolph averaged 26.5 points and 13 boards.

Tony Allen will be have the assignment of slowing Kevin Durant down. Durant has great respect for Allen as a defender, but Durant also averaged 30.5 points against the Grizzlies this season. Allen hurt the Thunder more with his offense, which was unexpected. Allen averaged more points (18.8) against OKC than any other team this season and shot 57.1 percent from the field.

Allen will have reinforcements with Memphis’ addition of another top perimeter defender, Shane Battier, at the trade deadline. And similarly, the Thunder have something new to throw at Randolph: deadline pickup Kendrick Perkins, Allen’s teammate on Boston’s 2008 championship team with the same tough-as-nails demeanor.

Perkins didn’t play in any of the four regular-season meetings, but should allow Serge Ibaka — the NBA’s top shot blocker — to slide over and defend Randolph.

The two may be labeled the NBA’s teams of the future, but there’s no reason they can’t be successful in the present. Ahead in the Western Conference finals would be a matchup against one of two veteran-laden teams — the Dallas Mavericks or the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

“We’re both bad teams that have risen up and become good teams,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said Saturday. ” … Our transformations started the same way, and they actually were ahead of us. We’re here, and they’re here.”

SCHEDULE:

Game 1: Sun., May 1 in Oklahoma City, 1 p.m., ABC
Game 2: Tue., May 3 in Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Sat., May 7 in Memphis, 5 p.m., ESPN
Game 4: Mon., May 9 in Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5: Wed., May 11 in Oklahoma City, Time TBD, TNT
Game 6: Fri., May 13 in Memphis, Time TBD, ESPN
Game 7: Sun., May 15 in Oklahoma City, Time TBD, Network TBD

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The most exciting offensive game of the weekend goes to the Thunder and Nuggets. It wasn’t as dramatic a game as the Celtics-Knicks or as thrilling as Bulls-Pacers, it was simply non-stop quickness.

Kevin Durant scored 41 points, Westbrook added 31 points, and the OKC Thunder withstood a beat down from Nene to win Game 1, 107-103. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook became the first players since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City to each score 30 points in a playoff game. They were 25 for 45 from the field and provided all but 13 baskets for the Thunder.

Nene dunked on everyone in a Thunder uniform en route to 22 points and eight boards to lead Denver. Nene missed 71/2 minutes after bumping knees with Kendrick Perkins in the opening minutes of the second half.

Danilo Gallinari scored 18 points, Raymond Felton had 12, and Denver had eight players score at least eight points.

“There are a lot of ways to win games down the stretch, and I think big-time shooters, big-time scorers are one,” Karl said. “But there are also a lot of other ways to win close games.” With the departure of Carmelo Anthony the Nuggets role players appeared uneasy with the pressure of taking big shots. Except of course J.R. Smith who had 9 points on 3-8 shooting, and went 0-3 from downtown.

A controversial offensive goaltending call will take the majority of scrutiny. Westbrook’s jumper from the right side caromed off the rim and Perkins was credited for the tip-in with 1:06 remaining to put Oklahoma City up 102-101. Several Nuggets looked for it to be waved off as basket interference, and coach George Karl insisted after the game: “Obviously it was goaltending.”

Teams involved in the Carmelo trade: 0-2 Teams involved in Kendrick Perkins trade: 2-0

Game 2 at Oklahoma City, 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT/ Thunder lead series 1-0