NBA Action Highlights - 1st February 2013

Two games in the NBA today, but inexplicable moments in both. In one, a team up 21 has its player storm off the court and in the other a player does a playground trick of playing possum-

Oklahoma City Thunder 106 – Memphis Grizzlies 89

After being called for a five second violation, Westbrook stormed off the court after being benched. The Thunder were up by 21 when he went to the locker room. Russel Westbrook finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. He was benched for an outburst against his own team in the third-quarter that gave the Grizzlies a glimmer of hope as they went on a 10-0 run before Oklahoma City closed out a 106-89 victory. Kevin Durant had 27 points and 7 rebounds in this one.

Golden State Warriors 100 – Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks do not like the Golden State Warriors very much. Brandon Wright decked Bogut for some chippiness, but the animosity goes way back to the 2007 playoffs when the top seeded Mavericks were knocked by the lowest seeded Warriors in six games.

It seems that the Warriors have a Faustian bargain in exchange for their surprisingly excellent record. Reminds one of the scene in 3 Idiots when Rancho told Raju after the latter landed in a hospital bed “Is this a tradition in your family? When one male stands up the other sits down?” Although Andrew Bogut is back for the Warriors, Steph Curry sat out his second straight game with an ankle injury. For the Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki sat this one out with an abductor strain.

Warriors started the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run and David Lee finished the game with an assist short of a triple-double, He had 15 points, 20 rebounds and 9 assists. Klay Thompson led all scorers with 27 points on 11 of 18 shooting. For the Mavericks, OJ Mayo had 25 points and 6 assists. the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 100-97.

Vince Carter made one of the sneakiest veteran plays, he did what old men do, play possum and then when everyone’s back is turned, yell “Just kidding!” and leap for a dunk. As the commentator put it “It was a ‘Paul Pierce’ on the court.”-

Pretty sneaky Vince!