NBA Team Recap – January 28, 2013

Russell%20Westbrook%20is%20an%20all-star%20player%20and%20his%20energy%20is%20often%20effective%2C%20but%20his%20ability%20to%20lose%20his%20cool%20is%20remarkable%20and%20still%20haunts%20this%20team.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Rocky%20Widner%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

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LeBron%20James%20and%20Ray%20Allen%2C%20in%20his%20return%20to%20Boston%2C%20hit%20big%20three%20pointers%20to%20force%20OT%20but%20the%20Garden%20magic%20pulled%20the%20win%20out%20for%20the%20Celtics.%20The%20Heat%20seem%20assured%20of%20the%20number%20one%20seed%20in%20the%20East%20despite%20holding%20just%20a%201%20%C2%BD%20game%20lead.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Brian%20Babineau%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

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True%20to%20form%2C%20the%20Bulls%20crush%20the%20Warriors%20and%20the%20next%20night%20lose%20to%20a%20lesser%2C%20albeit%20improving%2C%20Wizards%20team.%20But%20the%20Bulls%20are%20playing%20well%20and%20head%20coach%20Tom%20Thibodeau%20as%20a%20good%20coach%20is%20giving%20some%20freedom%20to%20Nate%20Robinson%20as%20the%20team%20needs%20his%20scoring.%20%28Photo%20by%20Gary%20Dineen%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

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All-star%20snub%20of%20Steph%20Curry%20is%20perhaps%20even%20more%20egregious%20although%20David%20Lee%20was%20selected.%20However%2C%20the%20return%20of%20Andrew%20Bogut%20is%20the%20one%20thing%20that%20could%20actually%20make%20this%20team%20a%20championship%20contender.%20%28Photo%20by%20Gary%20Dineen%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Under-appreciated%20players%20like%20Ersan%20Ilyasova%20and%20Larry%20Sanders%20continue%20to%20raise%20the%20play%20of%20the%20Bucks.%20But%20Monta%20Ellis%20got%20revenge%20with%2020%20points%20in%20a%20win%20over%20his%20former%20team%2C%20the%20Warriors.%20%28Photo%20by%20David%20Liam%20Kyle%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Two%20of%20the%20players%20dangled%20in%20trade%20rumors%2C%20Al%20Jefferson%20and%20Paul%20Millsap%2C%20dominated%20with%2025%20and%2021%20points%20respectively%20in%20an%20OT%20win%20over%20the%20Pacers.%20Makes%20sense%20as%20the%20Jazz%20are%20the%20OT%20mavens%20going%2014-5%20in%20extra%20period%20games%20the%20last%20four%20seasons.%20%28Photo%20by%20Andrew%20D.%20Bernstein%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Paul%20George%20has%20taken%20over%20as%20the%20leader%20of%20this%20team%20in%20the%20absence%20of%20the%20injured%20Danny%20Granger%20and%20he%20may%20not%20relinquish%20the%20role%20anytime%20soon.%20George%20earned%20his%20first%20selection%20to%20the%20all-star%20game%20while%20pushing%20the%20team%20on%20a%20nightly%20basis.%20%28Photo%20by%20Sam%20Forencich%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Hakws%20had%20a%20chance%20to%20steal%20a%20game%20against%20the%20Knicks%20in%20the%20Garden%20with%20a%20Josh%20Smith%20dunk%20in%20the%20waning%20moments%2C%20but%20subsequent%20Smith%20plays%20%28offensive%20foul%2C%20turnover%20and%20missed%20open%20three%29%20spoiled%20that.%20Smith%2C%20by%20the%20way%2C%20wants%20clarity%20about%20his%20situation%20in%20Atlanta%20%E2%80%93%20trade%20or%20re-sign.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jesse%20D.%20Garrabrant%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Rockets%20are%20in%20a%20slump%2C%20but%20responded%20with%20a%20big%20win%20over%20the%20Nets%20by%20doing%20what%20they%20do%20best%20%E2%80%93%20running.%20%28Photo%20by%20Bill%20Baptist%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Kobe%20Bryant%20messed%20around%20and%20almost%20had%20a%20triple%20double%20%2821%20points%2C%209%20rebounds%2C%2014%20assists%29%20in%20a%20thrilling%20win%20over%20the%20Thunder.%20That%20win%20and%20the%20previous%20win%20over%20the%20Jazz%20has%20lifted%20spirits%20in%20Los%20Angeles.%20%28Photo%20by%20Noah%20Graham%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Trail%20Blazers%20snapped%20a%20five-game%20losing%20streak%20with%20a%20win%20over%20the%20Chris%20Paul-less%20Clippers%2C%20but%20lost%20the%20next%20time%20out%20to%20the%20same%20Paul-less%20Clippers.%20%28Photo%20by%20Noah%20Graham%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Rajon%20Rondo%E2%80%99s%20torn%20ACL%20putting%20him%20out%20for%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20season%20is%20franchise%20altering%2C%20but%20the%20Celtic%20pride%20will%20likely%20rise%20and%20the%20team%20won%E2%80%99t%20back%20down%20from%20the%20challenge.%20%28Photo%20by%20Kent%20Smith%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Just%20as%20the%20Mavs%20seem%20to%20be%20regaining%20some%20semblance%20of%20a%20team%2C%20sources%20say%20Allen%20Iverson%20is%20being%20asked%20to%20make%20a%20bid%20to%20return%20to%20the%20NBA%20through%20the%20Mavs%20D-League%20affiliate.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Ethan%20Miller%2FGetty%20Images%29

Rondo%E2%80%99s%20injury%20and%20the%20possible%20return%20of%20Andrew%20Bynum%20provides%20some%20glimpse%20of%20hope%20that%20the%20playoffs%20are%20a%20real%20possibility.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jesse%20D.%20Garrabrant%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Detroit%20continues%20to%20build%20with%20its%20roster%20of%20core%20young%20players%20in%20Greg%20Monroe%2C%20Andre%20Drummond%20and%20Brandon%20Knight.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Fernando%20Medina%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

The%20season%20apparently%20has%20slipped%20away%20after%20going%201-9%20in%20their%20last%20ten.%20%28Photo%20by%20David%20Sherman%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Hornets%20are%20building%20for%20the%20future%2C%20like%20the%20Pistons%2C%20going%206-4%20in%20their%20last%20ten%20games.%20%28Photo%20by%20Joe%20Murphy%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

The%20return%20of%20John%20Wall%20has%20actually%20worked%20out%20better%20than%20the%20most%20optimistic%20expectations.%20Washington%26%238217%3Bs%207-3%20record%20over%20the%20last%20ten%20games%20has%20been%20highlighted%20with%20victories%20over%20the%20Nuggets%20and%20Bulls.%20%28Photo%20by%20Ned%20Dishman%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Kyrie%20Irving%20making%20his%20first%20all-star%20game%20was%20enough%20motivation%20for%20him%20to%20even%20play%20better.%20In%20his%20last%20three%20games%2C%20all%20wins%2C%20he%20has%20scored%2040%2C%2035%20and%2032.%20%28Photo%20by%20David%20Liam%20Kyle%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Raptors%26%238217%3B%20drop%20in%20the%20rankings%20is%20not%20so%20much%20that%20Toronto%20is%20playing%20poorly%2C%20but%20a%20few%20other%20teams%20have%20elevated%20their%20play.%20One%20day%20soon%2C%20DeMar%20DeRozan%20can%20make%20an%20all-star%20team.%20%28Photo%20by%20Fernando%20Medina%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

Kings%20have%20not%20really%20been%20competitive%20during%20their%20current%20four-game%20losing%20streak.%20Perhaps%2C%20the%20pending%20move%20to%20Seattle%20next%20season%20has%20sapped%20the%20team.%20%28Photo%20by%20Garrett%20W.%20Ellwood%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

A%20jolt%20of%20energy%20with%20new%20coach%20Lindsey%20Hunter%20in%20grabbing%20two%20quick%20wins%20over%20the%20Kings%20and%20the%20Clippers.%20Reality%20may%20have%20set%20in%20while%20facing%20the%20Spurs%20and%20Mavs%20as%20bad%20losses%20were%20the%20result.%20%20%28Photo%20by%20Christian%20Petersen%2FGetty%20Images%29

Amazingly%2C%20the%20Bobcats%20had%20lost%2016%20consecutive%20home%20games%20until%20the%20faltering%20Twolves%20came%20to%20town.%20%28Photo%20by%20Kent%20Smith%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29

J.J.%20Redick%2C%20with%20multiple%2025%20point%20scoring%20games%20this%20month%2C%20may%20be%20the%20sole%20bright%20spot%20as%20the%20Magic%20suffer%20through%20a%20five-game%20losing%20streak.%20%28Photo%20by%20J.%20Dennis%2FEinstein%2FNBAE%20via%20Getty%20Images%29