There has been a common denominator in almost all of the Bucks' wins this season: Their bench plays well.

The Bucks have won six games this season, and in almost every triumph, the reserves have answered the call.

That was amply apparent against the Knicks on Friday night, when the Bucks bench contributed 56 points in the team's triumph, and again Saturday, when the Milwaukee reserves outscored the starters 43-36 in a win over Charlotte.

But the Bucks' bench has stepped up in the other wins as well. In fact, the Bucks backups scored at least 22 points in all but one victory.

Charlie Villanueva has been a key contributor off the bench as evidenced, by his 20-point performance against the Knicks.

However, the Bucks' best reserve so far has been point...

With Milwaukee clinging to a three-point lead in the final minute, Richard Jefferson threw the ball into the backcourt and Tyronn Lue stepped on the baseline on consecutive possessions. The key mistakes that cost the Bucks a victory? Nope. Not when the Charlotte Bobcats were even worse on offense. The Bucks held on for a 79-74 victory Saturday night in a game where both teams were without their top...

Suddenly faced with a short bench after his team completed two trades earlier in the day, New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni gave guard Stephon Marbury the chance to play for the first time this season. Marbury said no. The short-handed Knicks went on to lose 104-87 to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, using a seven-player rotation as Marbury again took his now-customary spot on the bench.

Once they saw the Milwaukee Bucks were getting tired, C.J. Miles and the Utah Jazz really put on the pressure. "Coach (Jerry Sloan) wanted us to run and be aggressive late in the game. They started getting on their heels and we took it to them," said Miles, who scored a season-high 25 points in Utah's 104-94 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

The high-flying, high-scoring Denver Nuggets didn't leave town with Allen Iverson, after all. Although the new model features a stingy defense and an effective halfcourt offense engineered by Chauncey Billups, there's still some pop left in the lineup to light up the scoreboards. Linas Kleiza scored 25 points, Carmelo Anthony had 17 in limited duty and the Nuggets whipped Milwaukee 114-105 Tuesday...

Toronto 101, Miami 95

I truly do apologize for making this so simple, but the difference between a Raptor loss to the Magic and a win over the Heat comes down to Jose Calderon's presence. Orlando's a better team than the Heat, there's no doubting that, and the rebounding issues remain, but Calderon just makes things happen for this team.

He moves everyone down a spot, too. Just eight points and seven assists (to one turnover) for Jose in the win, but his presence allows Will Solomon (five assists, two turnovers) to play fewer minutes and against lesser talent, while Roko Ukic doesn't play at all. Also, Andrea Bargnani (25 points at starting small forward, and he missed some bunnies) was mighty fine.

PG-rated words don't do Dwyane Wade's night (40 points, 11 assists, three turnovers, five blocks) justice. Honestly, the three turns might be the most impressive number of all. To have a hand in that much action, take as many risks with the ball as he has to, play nearly 43 minutes, and come out with just three turnovers? The man is back, people. 

Atlanta 91, Washington 87

The Wizards looked, and really they can't but help but have looked, rightfully despondent during this loss.

Another fine game (18 points and 11 rebounds) for Antawn Jamison, a fantastic contribution from Caron Butler (32 points, seven boards, four assists, three steals, just one turnover), and they still can't pull the win. Atlanta plays without Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Washington can't win. Atlanta's best player (TV's Joe Johnson) makes less than a third of his shots, and the Wizards are 1-8. No fun.

This isn't to say that Washington had no chance in this. They could have pulled the win off with better shot selection and a more focused effort on the boards from both interior and wing-types.

Heaps of bad shots, then the Hawks out-rebounded this lot by a 58-40 margin, and Mike Bibby seemed to have a little extra push in his 30-year old calves. Bibby was nailing shots from all over, even a few Tim Hardaway-esque turnaround jumpers, and Marvin Williams' late-game three-pointer (a bad shot, really) sealed it for the Hawks.

Portland 116, Chicago 74

Sorry for taking away from Portland's fabulous night, but have you seen any team (outside of the SuperSonics/Thunder) play as poorly as Chicago did on Wednesday night over the last year or three?

That was a miserable effort, with miserable planning, miserable movement, shot selection, attitude, and coaching, and executing. And inspiration. And as Goathair noted, "Aaron Gray is starting."

On the sunny side, how giddy is everyone about Greg Oden (11 and 10 with three blocks in 17 minutes) right now?

Minnesota 102, Philadelphia 96

Here's a bit of a shocker. The Minnesota Timberwolves were averaging about 26 points per quarter over the first three quarters of this game, and in the fourth quarter Randy Wittman's team came through with ... 26 points!

You can't blame me for waiting for the bottom to fall out from Minnesota's fourth quarter offense, as it has all season. Al Jefferson just had it going, though. The team got to the line, handled Philadelphia's 31 points (with several tough makes from Andre Miller and Elton Brand going in) just fine, and pulled out an admirable win.

Also, it is as if Mike Miller has become the fourth option on a 60-win team, and he's just doing it all. Sadly, for a team that will be lucky to win half that, BUT THIS IS NOT THE POINT. 10 points, 10 boards, six assists, a couple of steals for Miller; who didn't see the ball much but still nailed a game-clinching three-pointer toward the end. Craig Smith and his knee brace also contributed 21 points.

Utah 105, Milwaukee 94

You just want to strangle the Jazz sometimes, though not in the way Harry Anslinger intended.

You see Andrew Bogut barely able to get up and down the court, he's so winded, and yet he gets the ball in the post against Carlos Boozer. Two dribbles and a move into the paint for the jump hook, one that's obviously going to fall about 14 inches short, and Boozer ... pushes him. Just gives up on the play, shoves two arms into him, and Bogut gets to go to the line. Gah.

Luckily Boozer and C.J. Miles came alive in the second half, keeping the Bucks at bay while helping to overcome more than a few other defensive brain freezes. Boozer had 20 and 11 in 34 minutes, none of his shots were blocked (so there), and Miles' smooth touch (love how his shots sometimes bounce softly around the rim) came through with 25 points in 29 minutes.

On top of that, Andrei Kirilenko (16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two turnovers, five steals and four blocks in 29 minutes) partied like it was 2004, and that's always fun.

Detroit 96, Cleveland 89

Sorry for denigrating a great win, but a lot of you saw it ... the Pistons took bad shots. And they went in! Went in = win!

Rasheed Wallace (21 points on 12 shots, 15 rebounds) was obviously hot early on and kept it up, Allen Iverson could have probably scored 40 against Cleveland's miserable backcourt defenders, and the Pistons refused to give up after an iffy start.

I just don't feel as if this win was anything to build on. It does lead you to believe that, with Mo Williams, Delonte West and Daniel Gibson working the perimeter, the Pistons should be a pretty solid favorite against the Cavaliers should they meet in the playoffs.

Of course, this depends on the Pistons giving up again, defensively, as they often do in the postseason. Nothing of the sort happened tonight, LeBron James had an impossible time trying to turn that corner, and though he still managed 25 points on 21 shots (Williams had 25 as well), Detroit was in charge.

A great game, and I made fans of neither team happy with that recap. So it goes.

Dallas 96, Houston 86

I didn't see a lot of this, Jeff Van Gundy left to his own devices can be a very frustrating thing, so I'll have to let Matt Moore have the opening salvo:

"It's not that the Mavs aren't good. It's that they're not lethal in any respect. They're painfully above average. Meanwhile, I don't know how many more of these ‘This Rockets team is the one!' letdowns I can take."

One must add that everyone should be enjoying Jason Terry's little renaissance. 31 points tonight, he's nearly two points above his scoring average from last season, and he's been killing it for the last two weeks. Still can't guard anyone, but for someone who thinks that Terry's 2004-05 turn was about as unappreciated as turns go (with this one acting as the most appreciated), this has been fun to watch.

Los Angeles Clippers 108, Oklahoma City 88

I'm not sure I've ever seen a 20-point winner play this poorly, but that's the fun of watching the Clippers.

First off, Cuttino Mobley (23 points) was great, especially finishing around the rim. Chris Kaman was active and interested and saw the floor well on both ends (25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, one turnover, four blocks ... maybe a career night?), and Al Thornton (20 points on 14 shots) was terrific.

But Baron Davis is still wearing cement shoes to go with the concrete that's all around, and in his head. 5-15 shooting, he can barely get off the ground, and this somehow doesn't seem to stop him from chucking. Ricky Davis missed all five of his shots off the bench, and Tim Thomas missed six of seven attempts. The Clippers shot just 13 free throws all night, and it isn't hard to see why. The guys who are supposed to put the other team in the penalty can't seem to step inside 20 feet.

Good thing the Thunder are/could be historically bad.  

Sacramento 105, New Orleans 96

Here's the tradeoff that Hornet GM Jeff Bower seemed to sign off on:

He'd willingly ignore New Orleans' startling lack of depth at positions like center and point guard, look past the team's offensive shortcomings, because the addition of someone like James Posey means that the defense (5th in the NBA last year) would be that much better. Even though Posey's a bench guy on this team, and he has issues guarding shooting guards at this point in his impressive career.

And while I don't agree with the move -- Posey's great and the Celtics are going to miss him but the Hornets DON'T NEED HIM -- it can't possibly be a swing and a miss. Not with what sound defensive talent the Hornets already have.

And then the team gives up 123 points per 100 possessions to the Sacramento Kings, playing without Kevin Martin. At home.

The Hornets couldn't defend the paint, they weren't talking in transition, they were susceptible on the perimeter, they allowed easy penetration, and it was just a bum night from every imaginable angle. I can understand falling short because the team's scoring ability falls off the table like a Bruce Sutter toss after the top three, but getting yanked around defensively like this? Unacceptable. To the players, coaching staff, everyone.

Great game from the Kings, I don't mean to focus too much on the Hornets, but that's the way things go. Donte Greene (15 points on nine shots) was solid as a starter, John Salmons (29 points, six assists, and one turnover) was potent from all over, Bobby Jackson kept the effort flowing from off the bench, and the Kings registered 24 assists on 41 field goals. 

Denver 91, San Antonio 81

It does make sense. The Spurs have an incredibly-tough time creating shots, and the shots they do create are low, low percentage looks. Some of them are illegal, too, because it looks as if Michael Finley has to push off any time he wants to be allowed to shoot a basketball after dribbling it.

Denver didn't play a very good game, either. They scored about 101 points per 100 possessions, which is pretty lousy, and turned it over on 22 percent of the team's possessions. But they did play the Spurs, in Denver, in November, and the Spurs didn't have Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

San Antonio rookie George Hill had another nice one with 20 points on 11 shots, and Tim Duncan (who contributed 13 points) had six assists, but San Antonio has 11th men shooting 6th man levels of shots from the floor, and that's just not going to work.

Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Nintendo Cereal System from Ralston-Purina. At least for now. We'll see how long this lasts.

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune: "Larry Hughes started for the injured Luol Deng Wednesday, but Deng's sore left hamstring can't make the Bulls' glut of guards disappear. That's why the disenchantment Hughes expressed late Tuesday in Los Angeles, after averaging 18 minutes this season, could resurface. 'I don't want to play like this,' Hughes said. 'I'm not comfortable with 15-20 minutes. Something has to change.' It did, albeit temporarily. But Derrick Rose is the No. 1 overall pick, Ben Gordon is the team's leading scorer and Kirk Hinrich, currently injured, is the best perimeter defender. 'You have to understand that situation and I do,' Hughes said. 'We have a lot of guys at one position. Somebody has to come off the bench and you accept that role. But I'm not expecting 15-20 minutes, and I don't want to deal with that.'"

Mike Wells, Indianapolis Star: "Trying to defend stars such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant affected Granger's offense. Or vice versa. Sometimes he struggled defensively if he focused too much on offense. That hasn't been a concern this season. Marquis Daniels is guarding the opponent's best perimeter player at the start of each game, which means Granger doesn't have to exert as much energy on both ends of the court. 'It definitely helps a lot,' Granger said. 'I don't get tired as much as I used to. It's a hard job chasing those guys around. I still end up defending them at some point in the game.'"

Paul Coro, Arizona Republic: "In a convoluted storyline layered with meanings lost in translation, Suns center Shaquille O'Neal is denying an interview that he probably didn't need to deny. From a transcript run Friday on a Sacramento Bee blog, O'Neal's comments were pulled and translated in Los Angeles and then nationally on an ESPN crawl. The "news" was that O'Neal had not ruled out a return to the Lakers when he is a free agent in 2010 and that Lakers coach Phil Jackson orchestrated O'Neal's tension with Kobe Bryant. Part of the problem was that O'Neal said Wednesday that he did not talk to anyone in Sacramento, where the Suns played last Friday — but the interview was done in the preseason in Phoenix by the Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper, a former Los Angeles Times writer whom O'Neal knows."

Chris McCosky, Detroit News: "Ben Wallace, who is playing a somewhat diminished role for the Cavaliers these days, barely recognizes his former Pistons team. 'It's strange coming in here now and this guy's not here any more, and that guy's not here and then a couple more guys are gone,' he said. 'The numbers keep getting smaller (of guys he played with here) and that is a little strange.' Wallace said, like everybody else, he was shocked when he heard the Pistons had traded Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess for Allen Iverson. He joked that all that was left was, 'the Big Three,' Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. 'Their style of play has definitely changed,' Wallace said. 'They are forced to play a different style of basketball now. You get used to playing one way, then you've got to change the way you play toward the end of your career, I mean, I am sure it's been a little tough on them.'"

Michael Lee, Washington Post: "For a fleeting moment, it seemed that cocky swagger that has come to define the Washington Wizards in their annual journey through adversity had returned. A desperate, hard-luck team appeared set to pull out a gutsy road victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night when DeShawn Stevenson dribbled toward the right baseline, gave Maurice Evans a slight nudge for separation, then drilled a jumper over him to give the Wizards a four-point lead with just more than a minute remaining. Stevenson waved his hand over his face, rookie JaVale McGee patted him on his backside and Stevenson then jumped into Caron Butler as a stunned Philips Arena crowd looked on. It was a premature celebration, because the Wizards don't have the Eastern Conference's worst record by mistake. They've earned it in a season that has been marked by fourth-quarter mishaps and an inability to close. And one minute proved to be too long for the Wizards to hang on, as Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams nailed back-to-back three-pointers to hand them a 91-87 defeat."

Charles F. Gardner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Hey, the Milwaukee Bucks still haven't won in Utah since the 2001-'02 season. But the Bucks did have a decent chance Wednesday night, holding a 10-point, third-quarter lead before faltering in a 105-94 loss to the Jazz. 'Compared to the Denver game, it was a step up,' said Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who finished with 16 points and a season-high 20 rebounds. 'We came with intensity and played hard. But we still were making simple mistakes. We were so close, yet so far. Mental lapses for 4 or 5 minutes at a time absolutely cost us ball games.'"

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: "The Celtics coach, asked yesterday about Knicks forward Quinton Richardson’s postgame complaints about the C’s perceived compunction for boastful talk, wrote part of the issue off to rivalry and the other to the source. 'This thing with the Knicks has been going on for a while now,' Rivers said. 'And Q has been in the middle of it. But a lot of teams talk to us, man. What I tell our guys is, 'You’ve proven what you can do, so just go out and do it.''"

John Denton, Florida Today: "What then will happen to Redick? Pietrus is the unquestioned starter when healthy and Keith Bogans has been Orlando’s best reserve. According to head coach Stan Van Gundy, rookie Courtney Lee is the Magic’s best on-ball defender on the perimeter. Then, there’s Redick, who is eager to learn his fate as it applies to the future. 'This was an opportunity presented because MP (Pietrus) was injured and whenever chances like this come I have to go out and earn my minutes,' Redick said. 'I hope I’ll get more chances like this.' Those chances were few and far between after Redick was pulled from Van Gundy’s rotation following a dreadful three-game start to the season."

Brian Lewis, New York Post: "As if their listless loss to LeBron James & Co. wasn't bad enough, Yi Jianlian strained his neck yesterday in practice. With every power forward on the roster banged up, the New Jersey Nets could start a pair of rookies tomorrow in Toronto. [...] 'Yi hurt himself in practice, strained neck. We'll know more [today],' said coach Lawrence Frank. 'He kind of jolted back. It must've been some sort of hit, and his head [went back]. It wasn't anything glaring.'"

SI.com: "Anthony Morrow can still walk without incident from his downtown hotel to the BART trains that sometimes take him to the Golden State Warriors' arena. Most of Oakland's famously enthusiastic hoops fans haven't yet put a face to the name that hit their favorite team's starting lineup like a thunderbolt last weekend. [...] Just a few weeks after Morrow was wondering whether he'd have to play in Ukraine this winter, he is Golden State's starting shooting guard. Corey Maggette and captain Stephen Jackson already see him as an equal, and coach Don Nelson is talking about building parts of his famed offense around Morrow. 'He's the real deal, and we haven't even learned how to play with him yet,' Nelson said. 'I told the team that we'd better know where this guy is at all times. We'd better get him open, because he looks like the real deal.'"

Cleveland 106, New Jersey 82

The Cleveland Cavaliers are first in the NBA in offensive efficiency right now.

I'll let that sink in a little bit, you might not want to buy it, it might not make sense that one of the ugliest and most frustrating offensive teams of the last four years is now pumping out the league's best offense, but that's what happens when something sick like LeBron James happens.

Nobody should be surprised by James' play, this is right in line with the expected growth from last year, when he out-scored, out-shot, out-rebounded, out-assisted, out-blocked and had a lower turnover ratio than the guy who was voted NBA MVP (they tied in steals, though James did on a slower-paced team). This is right in line with where he should be. And he should continue to be what he's been since the spring of 2007: the NBA's best player.

And his contributions, through the roof by most standards but maybe not as mind-boggling due to Cleveland's slow (24th in the NBA) pace, are what is driving this top-heavy Cleveland offense. That one that, somehow, is tops in the NBA. Yes, Mo Williams, blippity blah. Yes, Big Z still hits shots. Yes, Delonte. But Williams has actually played worse in Cleveland than he did in Milwaukee last year. This is on James.

31 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three turnovers and a block in 34 minutes in the win. And this was his easy night.

Los Angeles Lakers 116, Chicago 109

The Lakers lost because they're better than the Bulls, much better, and that isn't in doubt. But coming in second in the blame/praise column is the team's focus coming out of timeouts, deadballs, and quarters/halves. Los Angeles' play in the third quarter turned this into a blowout after it'd been a game for a while, and though Chicago came back, advantages built in the first and third quarters were too much to overcome.

Pau Gasol (34 points, 24 in the first half) built his initially, and then Kobe Bryant came out firing in the third quarter. The Bulls rallied behind Derrick Rose (25 points, nine assists, two turnovers), but Ben Gordon (6-22 shooting) never plays well in Los Angeles, and Luol Deng (4-10 shooting, nine points) has been left behind by Vinny Del Negro's offense.

Orlando 103, Toronto 90

What happens when your team loses a player who contributes 13.5 points, nine assists, and one of the best assist-to-turnover marks in the NBA?

You lose by 13. You only dish 12 assists as a team on 35 field goals. You turn it over a sickening 21 times, or on 24 percent of your possessions. Too simple? Too right. You know it.

The Raptors miss Jose Calderon, even if the shots aren't going in and he's not providing the direct assist, his ability to keep a live dribble and run things acts as the straw that stirs the offensive drink for Toronto, and they just didn't have enough in Orlando on Tuesday night. Toronto isn't giving up without JC, they played a tough game, but the talent just isn't there at the point guard slot.

Backup Will Solomon had seven turnovers and four assists, needing 13 shots to score 10 points. And Roko Ukic just isn't an NBA contributor. He missed six of eight shots and had two turnovers in 16 minutes to one assist. Chris Bosh's 40 points on 19 shots, 18 rebounds, four assists, three turnovers, two steals and a block (geesh) kept Toronto in it.

Orlando started J.J. Redick, and guess what? He tied for the team lead with a +20 mark. There are all sorts of factors that go into that stat, and it's not always the best representation of how well a guy does, but the number is there, take what you want from it. He had 10 points on 4-9 shooting and didn't turn the ball over in 34 minutes. Hedo Turkoglu turned it over five times, but his activity (22 points, seven assists) stirred a few drinks for the Magic.

Memphis 109, Sacramento 94

The Kings just can't be expected to compete with all these injuries, and when a guy like Rudy Gay (22 points and eight rebounds doesn't seem like much, but he was brilliant in the first half) is going off, you're lucky just to escape with a 15-point road loss. Especially when Bobby Jackson has to carry the offensive load for significant stretches.

And Tom Ziller? How dare he dispute some of my poorly-conceived hyperbole and bluster?

Indiana 113, Atlanta 96

We're in the test phase for the Hawks. They can't jump right back into the playoffs, we still have a little over five months to go before that, and they're going to have to go through the doldrums of an 82-game season just like everyone else. Also, if the Hawks are going to compete at all, Atlanta is going to have to play inspired defense just about every night. Because just playing up to form is going to leave the Hawks well short of .500 and out of the playoff bracket.

On Tuesday, they played to form, as it was during the home-and-home losses to the Nets. Atlanta's early win streak came because they were playing over their heads, but that is something that can be sustained. It's not typical, but it can happen if the effort is there. These guys need to get after it in the first quarter, and not let up. They have to work harder than other teams, because they're not as good as most other teams.

That wasn't there on Tuesday, and while a 17-point loss to an injured Pacer team may seem surprising now, it wouldn't be surprising to you way back in October, when you were wearing parachute pants and drinking New Coke. Or whatever we did back then.

Danny Granger has really left me more than surprised on his own this year, he's been reflexively great. I thought he was a nice wing player who stood still out on the perimeter and nailed a bunch of shots, while contributing the occasional drive and offensive foul. And you can't blame me for that, because that's all he did last season. Shoot the lights out and pick up charges.

This year, he's a full-on all-around force. With handle and touch and the ability to create new and different and potent shots. 34 points in 35 minutes for Granger in the win.

Golden State 111, Portland 106

I watched it early this morning, and I'll be honest, I have no idea what happened. So I'm off to watch again, and anyone with any questions can just hit up this afternoon's BDL Live Chat, which will take off around 3 p.m. or so.

Miami 94, Washington 87

A worrying game for both teams, for me at least.

The Heat continue to go away from Michael Beasley. I understand that he's a rookie on what is essentially a veteran team, a rookie who doesn't often make himself available for shot attempts in a way that Shawn Marion (a master at working off the ball and pouting a little bit) would appreciate, but the Heat have to involve this guy more often. For on and off-court purposes. And for the porpoises. Yes, he was in foul trouble, and the defense was iffy; but six shots and 15 minutes of play is not enough.

Meanwhile, the Wizards (who have played a grand total of three games this entire season, off memory) took in a pair of tres efficient games from Antawn Jamison (25 points on 15 shots, 12 rebounds, four assists, zero turnovers) and Caron Butler (21 points on 12 shots, 12 boards), that's not going to happen much, and they still lost at home to a Heat team that played well, but not that well.

19 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, five turnovers, two steals and three blocks for Dwyane Wade in the win.

Denver 114, Milwaukee 105

Good thing the Nuggets are starting defensive stalwart Dahntay Jones, otherwise Charlie Bell (25 points) may have had 45 for the Bucks on Tuesday.

A hot first half for Denver allowed the Nuggets to take it easy and rest the starters, and that's probably a good thing. Meanwhile, the win now-Bucks are 5-7, and Andrew Bogut took (and made) just one shot in 16 minutes. This cannot work.

What does work? Pickaxe and Roll and BrewHoop's takes.

Dallas 100, Charlotte 83

Charlotte needed a banked-in turnaround jumper, going over his right shoulder from the right block and into the paint, from Adam Morrison to make it to 10 points in the first quarter. And you know what? You're supposed to bank that in. Larry Bird did it. Sometimes it's good to hit a banker that goes over the front of the rim. I'm not being a prick, ‘ere. I promise.

The Bobcats stunk in this one, though. They made few second half runs but they had a truly tough time creating good shots, and Dallas just did what it could on the other end. The Mavs had 50 rebounds to Charlotte's 34, while Dirk Nowitzki (34 points) and Josh Howard (21) had another devastating performance. Made Bobcats cry.

Boston 110, New York 101

I'll say it. I think starting Brian Scalabrine in Kevin Garnett's absence was a little cruel and a little lame and quite wrong. To Leon Powe.

Doc Rivers might like Powe's work off the bench, but so what? He's young. He's not a KG-type that has to cap minutes at 34. Start him, sit the starters, leave Powe and his scoring acumen out there with the reserves. 14 and 7 in 28 minutes for Powe off the bench.

We're probably about to start going nuts about Wilson Chandler around here, but the guy had 23 points on 23 shots. He had seven rebounds in almost 39 minutes, but he just shoots a lot for a team that runs a lot.

According to The Boston Herald, Kevin Garnett has been suspended one game without pay by the league for his role in Saturday night's "slap scuffle" in Milwaukee. With four minutes remaining in the fourth, Bucks center Andrew Bogut inadvertently caught KG in the face while fighting for a rebound, so Garnett retaliated with a quick open-handed smack to Bogut's Aussie grill. Both guys were hit with a technical foul. Here's the video:

This was an easy call by Stu Jackson and his swarm of suits. KG may have avoided being T'd up for taunting Jose Calderon last week, but when a player slaps another player in the face, that's a suspension. It's that simple. One game seems about right.

Garnett will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Celtics host the New York Knicks.

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Sacramento Bee. Maloof Productions is partnering with reality icon Mark Burnett for a behind-the-scenes series called "Rebuilding the Kingdom" on all things Kings.
PF: FoodCourtLunch.com. Stephon Marbury says he'd like to join the Spurs. Well, wouldn't that be fun?
SF: The Blowtorch. Is Anthony Morrow a real person? Goatman investigates.
SG: ClipperBlog.com. Weren't the Clippers supposed to improve once the starters got back healthy?
PG: Basketbawful. Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is ... "a chaotic, abler humdrum."
6th: The Sporting Blog. Video of Sheed teaching Kwame and Walter how not to suck.
7th: Empty The Bench. Nothing catches the eye of Jordan more than sexy, well-shampooed hair.
8th: CelticsBlog. Kelly "The Cobra" Dwyer joins Celtics Stuff Live to talk a little basketball.
9th: dustinOcanalin. UNDRCRWN presents another world famous caricature tee. So nice.
10th: Cleveland Plain Dealer, via FH. LeBron James to fans: Stop whining about free Chalupas.

It's official: Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva's bald head has outshined the competition. Up against some seriously slick competition, Villanueva, with the help of his loyal fan base, was named EAGLE Snacks' first ever 'The Bald And The Beautiful' celebrity winner.

Tiki Barber, Terry Bradshaw and Chris Daughtry all put forth a valiant effort, but when push came to shove, and buzzed came to bald, Charlie Villanueva claimed the title by a hair, or more appropriately, a lack thereof.

Villanueva, the definite underdog of this race, was surprised and happy to have beat out two of the biggest names in sports. For his chrome dome, he will receive a distinguished trophy and $1,500 to benefit the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

Congratuations to CV31 for being named the baldest, most beautiful entertainer in sweet and tangy snacks history.

The BDL NBA Power Rankings combine two parts Chivas Regal with one part flippant observation to create the most unbalanced ranking possible, and to offer the least accurate look at the state of the NBA on a weekly basis. If you disagree with your team's spot, feel free to go crazy in the comments or spit venom via email.

1. Los Angeles Lakers — One always had the hint that Arron Afflalo was Los Angeles' kryptonite. The Lakers are now on pace to only win 72 games. The dream is over, people. What can I say? [KD]

2. Boston Celtics — Kevin Garnett: "You can look at our record, but we still have a long way to go." Um, not true, Kevin. Saturday's OT battle in Milwaukee was the Celtics' 68th game in the last 12 days. They're almost done. [JE]

3. Phoenix Suns — Things are too good. Something's going to happen. Steve Nash is going to rob something, or someone. Grant Hill is going to default on a loan. Shaq's going to turn out to be a bloody Bolshevik. They're going to break our hearts. You know it. I like their defense (14th), though. [KD]

4. Cleveland Cavaliers — "LeBron James scored 38 points, leading a second-half rally that gave the Cleveland Cavaliers their seventh straight victory ..." That has to be the Associated Press's go-to line. I bet they use it to pick up chicks at the bar. Also, "LeBronco James":

5. Detroit Pistons — It is a repudiation of all that is sane and civil that Kwame Brown is starting over Amir Johnson. At least Amir's per-minute stats are better. We'll always have the per-minute stats, Amir. Always. [KD]

6. New Orleans Hornets —I've watched the Bees play three or four times this season, and I still have no idea what to make of them. I am flummoxed. One quarter they're dominant, the next quarter they get pushed around a little bit and start playing the refs. Ranking them sixth seems too high and low at the same time. [JE]

7. Atlanta Hawks — Hey, remember when the Hawks were on pace to win 82 games? Man, those were the days. Back when shows had great theme songs and my dad had a neckbeard. [JE]

8. Houston Rockets — When I wrote "rusty bunch of geezers," I meant "tempestuous batch of all-world talents and Aston-driving basketball mercenaries, several of which boast a Victor Mature-like sense of cool and whimsy, even at their most droll." Obviously, both Noel Coward and Carl Landry are standing directly in back of me. [KD]

9. Portland Trail Blazers — The worst defensive team (29th) that nobody knows about ... wait, I'm sorry, did someone order a 7-footer with skills? [KD]

10. Orlando Magic — The Magic Men were the only squad in the league last season with a better record on the road (27-14) than at home (25-16), and we could be looking at a repeat performance. Their moms must suck at cooking. Sloppy Joes and crap like that. [JE]

11. Utah Jazz — One of these days, mister, they're gunna get the whole gang back together and, you wait. Yeah, you wait. Also, minus the Afghan Whigs t-shirt, Kosta Koufos looks like me from October 1994-November 1994. Then I got the haircut right. The skin took a while. [KD]

12. Philadelphia 76ers — It is beyond comprehension. You even take pictures of your hotshot free agent pickups in the uniform. Just go back to the old unis, already. Stop making this harder than it has to be. What would Steve Mix say? [KD]

13. Toronto Raptors — Calderon's out, and you know Darrick Martin is circling the parking lot, like a vulture, trying to guess which car is Will Solomon's.

(Everybody knows Will Solomon can't afford a car!) [KD]

14. Denver Nuggets — 25th in offense, 6th in defense. Yes, I'm back on that thing again. [KD]

15. New York Knicks — Actual "MSG Mic Check" with Coach D'Antoni Sunday night: "C'mon defense, let's go. Let's go guys! Go! Here we go, here we go, guys. Here we go! Here we go, here we go. Way to go, Zach! Here we go white, here we go white. Here we go white." Awesome. [JE]

16. Chicago Bulls — My girlfriend had to tell me to shave the thin little mustache, and she told me she knew exactly why I was growing it. [KD]

17. Miami Heat — Win, loss, win, loss, win, loss, coach was in CHiPs.

18. Milwaukee Bucks — "While the Bucks' 5-6 record isn't going to turn many heads in L.A. or New York, it's tough to complain given what they're up against: an obscene eight back-to-backs in the first month, 12 of the first 19 on the road, and seven games and counting without Michael Redd." Frank Madden. Boom! [JE]

19. New Jersey Nets — A young man blocks out harmful memories of weak ankles and significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life and win two games over the Hawks. "The Harris Effect," starring Devin Harris. [JE]

20. Indiana Pacers — The Pacers are actually outscoring their opponents by two a game, which puts them at 13th in the NBA, which means they're better than their record. And yet, six years after it hit the internet, nothing's better than this record. [KD]

21. San Antonio Spurs — Monty Williams has been annoying his family for weeks, stepping outside of restaurants to check his voicemail, and driving circuitous routes in order to stay in cell phone range. He thinks the call is coming. He thinks Pop is going to need him. He's really not as deluded as you think. [KD]

22. Golden State Warriors — If you have five dollars and undrafted free agent Anthony Morrow has five dollars, undrafted free agent Anthony Morrow has more money than you. [JE]

23. Sacramento Kings — The Kings are horrible. The team is a mismatched batch of parts that shouldn't fit, couldn't fit, and (eventually) won't fit. The team competed like mad all last season. The squad's offense, while iffy, is at least innovative and trying new things. The team is fun to watch. The team entertains the fans. The team works hard. The team is injured. The team has no singular focus off the court. The team has a singular focus on the court. The team should be worse than it is. And you want to fire the coach of this team? [KD]

24. Dallas Mavericks — Sigh. [JE]

25. Charlotte Bobcats — At least three times this season, 68-year-old coach Larry Brown has told his team to stop playing like Laverne and Shirley. Funny line, except "Laverne and Shirley" was a situation comedy that ABC cancelled in 1983. Nine of Brown's players weren't born yet. [JE]

26. Memphis Grizzlies — Once again, it's time for Matt Moore's Griz Semi-Chub. Take it away, good sir ... "The best part about following the Grizzlies is that no matter the score, the fourth quarter will be exciting. They always seem to close the gap. The worst part about following the Grizzlies is that no matter the score, they're probably going to lose, often in profoundly frustrating ways." [JE]

27. Washington Wizards — You just get the feeling that if Chris Whitney were around, none of this crap would be going down. [KD]

28. Minnesota Timberwolves — See: Grizzlies, Memphis.

29. Los Angeles Clippers — This team doesn’t play to expectations, however small. This team cannot rebound, in spite of two guys who had double-figure boards last year. This team is full of mercurial, flighty guys who need coddling (players that were acquired with both coach and front office knowing that they were mercurial, flighty guys who need coddling), who instead receive stern lectures in the press as a result. This team has played at home, a lot. This team loses, a lot. And this team wants to keep its coach? [KD]

30. Oklahoma City Thunder — "PJ Carlesimo is definitely a great hire if you're looking for someone to lose games, alienate fans and insult your city. If not, though, you might want to go with a guy who players respect." Sound advice. Embrace the comments, people. [JE]