One big man is struggling, the other is spouting off about "trust issues." Their enforcer got carried away at the end of the last game and is suspended from the next one.
The verbal jabbing of Phil Jackson and the mind games with Ron Artest will begin soon enough.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes officials missed two crucial calls during Dallas' 18-point meltdown during the fourth quarter of a Game 4 loss to Portland. He's so sure of it, he's "absolutely" willing to be fined for voicing his complaints.
Portland coach Nate McMillan has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for disparaging comments about the officiating in Game 1 of the Trail Blazers' playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.

The downtrodden Timberwolves faithful rose to their feet and roared like they rarely have done all season, saluting Kevin Love for being one of the few reasons to keep coming to Target Center during another long, miserable basketball winter in Minnesota.
The Western Conference needs a starting center for the All-Star game in Los Angeles, and Gregg Popovich says he knows the perfect person for the job.
The Western Conference needs a starting center for the All-Star game in Los Angeles, and Gregg Popovich says he knows the perfect person for the job.

Over one season or two, no team in NBA history has lost as many games in a row as these Cleveland Cavaliers.

Blake Griffin is going to his first All-Star game, and Kevin Garnett matched an NBA record Thursday with his 14th straight selection as one of a record-tying four Boston Celtics headed for the midseason event.