NBA Week in Review: J.J. Barea's mind games, All-Powerball Team and more
Welcome back to the NBA Week in Review, a look at the association’s best offerings on and off the court from the last seven days. Today, we have the Thunder and Mavs clashing, Gregg Popovich being nice and the difference between Miami and Slovenia.
Game of the week
Wednesday night’s game between the Mavericks and Thunder was not particularly close, but it featured an absolutely vintage performance from J.J. Barea. With Dallas resting five starters after an overtime game Tuesday, the Mavs faced long odds of winning in Oklahoma City. So Barea took it upon himself to annoy Russell Westbrook so deeply that the Thunder star would get tossed from the game. And it worked! Barea kept pestering Russell, and the Thunder guard was tossed in the second quarter. Sure, OKC already had a 25-point lead and ended up winning handily, but I respect Barea’s intense dedication to being a cartoonish goon. Barea will never again reach the heights of when he Jedi mind-tricked LeBron not to play offense during the 2011 Finals. Still, his commitment to be so annoying during a regular-season game in January in which his coach has already admitted defeat is remarkable. As for Westbrook, he might have been fooled Wednesday, but he'll probably drop a quadruple double the next time he sees the Mavs.
The All-Powerball Team
According to SI.com’s list of best NBA players by jersey number, here’s the best team you could put together using this week’s winning Powerball ticket.
4. Adrian Dantley
8. Kobe Bryant
19. Willis Reed
27. Jack Twyman
34. Shaquille O'Neal
And the Powerball...
10. Walt Frazier
Tweet(s) of the Week
[tweet"https://twitter.com/MrMichaelLee/status/687842751128453121]
Vine of the Week
This vine of Gregg Popovich praising Tony Parker in the middle of Thursday’s game between the Spurs and Cavaliers is my favorite vine so far this season.
#https://vine.co/v/iOKKxJFUAYM
Roundup
Drake and Kevin Hart will coach the celebrity All-Star game ... How the Spurs exploited Kevin Love while beating the Cavs ... Mario Chalmers hit a stupid game-winner to beat the Pistons ... There is no way anyone watches this new LeBron reality series ... Behind the scenes of the Air Jordan XXX launch ... Matt Barnes would really like his money back ... Barack Obama is a Ben Simmons fan ... DeMar DeRozan is having success bringing his game inside ... After a wrongful felony conviction, Darrell Williams got a chance to live out his dream.
The Ben Golliver YouTube Channel
With the All-Star game coming up, I really hope the starters choreograph a new dance for introductions.
Wow, remember the Jabbawockeez?
The Fashion Outlet
LeBron’s coat and scarf combination here is fantastic.
The One-Question Interview
Off the court only. Has never been just one question. This week, Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic.
Rohan Nadkarni: What do you like most about living in Miami?
Goran Dragic: Weather. Weather first. And then, it’s so many different cultures. It’s a mix of different cultures and people. I like that because in every corner you have something else, whether it’s stores or food. I like that a lot.
Rohan Nadkarni:How different is Miami than Slovenia?
Dragic: Oh, it’s way different. [Laughs] First of all, the weather is way different. It’s right on the beach. It’s a more lively city. Slovenia is a small country. The main city that I’m from is only 200,000 people. It’s a huge difference. But I like it. I’ve experienced both worlds but this one is good.
