This is such a goofy picture of Bogut and his teammates celebrating his buzzer beater over the Spurs last night...

Kobe Bryant went bananas last night, scoring a career-high 62 points in just three quarters as the Los Angeles Lakers drilled the Mavs 112-90
Bryant shot 18-of-31from the filed, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range, and made 22 of 25 foul shots while playing only 33 minutes. When he left the game, he had actually outscored the Mavericks by himself, 62-61. "I was so frustrated by the loss the other night I was going to will us to victory," Bryant said, referring to a 76-74 loss to the Houston Rockets. "I was very angry, I felt like I wanted to come out and send a message, that we're going to dominate at home," he said. "We're going to hit you, we're going to bring it to you. I wanted to send that message."…"We had no answer for him," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "We tried to double-team him, we tried to zone him, we tried to trap him in the backcourt, and nothing worked. He had his way with us tonight." Bryant scored 15 points in the first quarter, 17 in the second, and a franchise-record 30 in the third before taking a seat for good with the Lakers leading 95-61. "I just felt like I could continue to attack these guys," Bryant said. "It was just determination, take it to them. It's definitely the best scoring game I've ever had." With the 30 points in the third quarter, Bryant broke the previous Lakers record for points in a quarter was 24 shared by Bryant and Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. For Posterity, the NBA record for points in a quarter is 33 by George Gervin for San Antonio in 1978. Denver's David Thompson scored 32 in a quarter the same season, and Wilt Chamberlain scored 31 in a quarter for Philadelphia in 1962, when he set the single-game NBA record with 100 points. Baylor scored a franchise-record 71 points on Nov. 15, 1960, at New York. Bryant's total is the sixth-highest in club history and the most for the Lakers since Chamberlain scored 66 at Phoenix on Feb. 9, 1969. The crowd was on it’s fet the whole 4th quarter chanting “we want Kobe!”, but Phil Jackson declined to put him back in…"We wanted to win the game, the game was in the bag, it was in the refrigerator," Bryant said. "There was no reason for me to go back in." Bryant became the first NBA player to reach 60 points since Philadelphia's Allen Iverson scored 60 in a 112-99 victory over Orlando last February. His total was the highest in Staples Center history, surpassing the 61 points Shaquille O'Neal scored against the Clippers on March 6, 2000 -- O'Neal's 28th birthday. "I've seen a few 60-point ballgames in my time, but none of them had been done by the third quarter," said Jackson, who coached Michael Jordan in Chicago. "His 30-point third quarter was incredible."

Funniest quote by an 80’s movie alien: "Kaman is that kind of guy, he's like a giant bass, you give him slack, and give him slack, then you reel him in," Cassell said. "I yell at him because I believe in him."

Wow, have some Eddie House…House scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting Tuesday night and Jones, back after missing four games with a sprained right ankle, added 16 in the Suns' 111-83 rout of the Seattle SuperSonics.

And some Andrew Bogut…who made a fadeaway jumper with 0.7 seconds left in the Bucks 109-107 OT win over the Spurs last night. The big aussie had scored the tying basket with 14 seconds left in overtime and finished with 19 points, including five in overtime. He added nine rebounds, seven offensive, and two blocked shots. "I've never had a buzzer-beating game-winner, but to do it in the NBA against the world champions is a great feeling," Bogut said. "The guy I've always looked up to is Tim Duncan. So, to do this against his team is a great feeling for me." Maurice Williams scored 28 points and Michael Redd added 20 for the Bucks, who had lost six of their last seven games against the Spurs. Duncan had a season-high 34 points on 15-of-28 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out with 22 seconds left in overtime. Tony Parker added 22 points and Nazr Mohammed 11 in the defending champion Spurs' second straight loss.

Football note: In the 14-year Bill Cowher tenure, Pittsburgh is now 98-1-1 when it holds a lead of at least 11 points at some point during a game.

Uncle Cliffy makes good…with his first basket of the Clippers-Nets game, Cliff Robinson moved past Scottie Pippen into 39th place on the NBA career scoring list with 18,942 points. Dale Ellis is next with 19,002 points. Robinson finished the game with four points. ...

Great stat from Elias sports Burean: Kobe scored 43 points against Dallas on Dec. 12. The last NBA player to score 105-plus points against one team over two games was David Robinson, who put up 112 against the Clippers in March-April 1994.

1) From Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post, Carmelo Anthony is crazy:

Artest the answer to Nuggets' questions

Back in the day, when Nene was talking breakout season and Kenyon Martin was going to prove he was worth the money, Kiki Vandeweghe had a vision. He wanted to use his two power forwards on the same front line with Marcus Camby. "Our three big guys are all flexible enough to play together in the front line," Vandeweghe said. "We certainly wanted to experiment with it so we could move Carmelo to the backcourt. But we haven't been able to realize that." Now is his chance. Vandeweghe not only has an opportunity to move Carmelo Anthony to the backcourt, he can significantly upgrade the Nuggets' defense in the same instant. All he has to do is risk every bit of team chemistry he has spent years trying to nurture. All he has to do is risk polarizing a fan base that isn't exactly breaking down the doors of the Pepsi Center for tickets. All he has to do is trade for Ron Artest. Sounds easy, trading for a player the Pacers want to unload, but nothing is ever easy with Artest. Even if the Nuggets can swing the deal - Nene and Earl Watson would be part of the package - there's the little matter of Artest's baggage. Did I say little matter? The guy has more baggage than Imelda Marcos. Depending on your point of view, Artest is at the top or bottom of the bad-boy food chain. Yao Ming is a foot taller, but Artest makes for a much better lightning rod. Why in the world would the Nuggets even consider dealing for Artest? You're right, it doesn't make any sense. The Nuggets would be asking for trouble. They would be begging for dissension among their ranks. It could turn out to be the NBA version of the Eagles-Terrell Owens nightmare. Yeah, but. The Nuggets are already in survival mode, to use Vandeweghe's term. Twenty-five games into things, they're below .500. What, Artest's presence might raise a few eyebrows in the locker room? A few outraged fans might boycott games? It's not like the team they've got is creating a buzz. They've had one sellout - on opening night. Sure, the Nuggets have had injuries, major ones. They all but hauled out the fife and drum the other night at Atlanta. But here's the thing about injuries: You can't let them be an excuse. And above all, you can't let them hide your real issues. Granted, the Nuggets don't have some issues other NBA teams do. They don't need two basketballs on the court. They don't have any undercurrents of tension in the locker room. They don't have any Shaq and Kobe "he said, he said" soap operas playing out in the papers. No, the Nuggets' only issue is talent. They don't have enough of it. They're bound to improve on their 12-13 record, what with eight of their next nine games at home, but there are telltale signs that Vandeweghe and George Karl don't believe the current cast is the answer. "Both of us feel that, talent-wise, this is a very good basketball team," Vandeweghe said. "We've had circumstances early in the season that haven't allowed us to emerge as a good basketball team. Ask Houston how difficult it was to play without Tracy McGrady. Ask Utah how difficult it was to play without Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko." Vandeweghe walked away a few moments later, presumably to start working the phones again. Even before all the injuries, he was talking trades with other clubs. Paul Pierce, Steve Francis and Al Harrington are just three of the names he has pursued. Now comes Artest. Forget those heart-to-hearts with teammates about wanting to rescind his trade demand. The Pacers' front office wants to deal him, and the Nuggets are interested enough to have initiated trade talks. Anthony is more than interested. If he can hook up with a 20-point scorer who doubles as the NBA's best perimeter defender, he'll do it and ask questions later. "He's got a clean slate if he comes here," Anthony said. "If we can get a guy like that, I don't really care about his baggage as long as I know what he's going to give me out there on the court, and it's self-explanatory what he's going to give me. "He's going to go to war with you every night." Anthony's willingness to accept him is just one reason the Nuggets should take a chance on Artest. Fact is, they're unique among the 20 teams that have inquired about his price tag. For one thing, they have a general manager whose future is anything but certain. With his contract expiring in August and no extension talks in the works, there's no next year for Vandeweghe. He needs to make a bold move, right here and now. Then there's Karl, who has a long history of getting the most out of troubled players. Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Anthony Mason, World B. Free. The list goes on and on. Artest would be Karl's biggest challenge yet, but it beats the heck out of scuffling along near the .500 mark. Go ahead, call any notion of acquiring Artest a panic move by a troubled team. Maybe it is. Then again, such a desperate move could turn out to be a stroke of genius. In this great unknown, the Nuggets could have everything to gain. We already know they have nothing to lose.

2) John N. Mitchell of the Washington Times reports that Gilbert Arenas is not interested in having Ron-Ron on his team:

Arenas votes no on Artest

Whenever a team falls on hard times as the Washington Wizards have -- they're 4-13 over the last month -- people start wondering whether it's time to make a change here, a tweak there. Indiana's volatile Ron Artest -- one day calling for a trade, the next telling his coaches and teammates he wants to remain with the Pacers -- is on the market, according to team president Donnie Walsh. And because of his relatively low salary, teams are going to come calling. Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld certainly isn't satisfied with the Wizards in recent weeks -- they have lost all three of their games so far on this road trip. As a result, Wizards coach Eddie Jordan is expected to make a lineup change tonight against the Denver Nuggets, inserting forward Caron Butler into the starting lineup in place of Jared Jeffries. Butler, who has come off the bench in the team's first 23 games, is third on the Wizards in scoring (15.0) and rebounding (5.0). Jeffries has started all 23 games but is averaging just 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. The slide also means Grunfeld at least has to be considering the tenacious defense Artest could bring to the buttery-soft Wizards. But point guard Gilbert Arenas, for one, wants no part of Artest. "A guy like that can help any team," Arenas said when asked whether he would like to have Artest as a teammate. "But he's one of those guys where you're going to need someone like Phil Jackson who has dealt with a guy with that type of personality." Nobody questions what Artest brings to the court for 48 minutes. But a more important factor for any potential suitors is the havoc he's capable of creating off it. Rightly or wrongly, Artest always will be connected to last season's infamous brawl with abusive fans in Detroit that resulted in charges being brought against players and Artest receiving a 73-game suspension and losing $4.9 million in salary. Even before the brawl, Artest was guilty of questionable actions and infractions, not to mention his absurd desire to take an in-season hiatus to work more closely on his Tru Warier record label. "If you really look at it, the same reason they are getting rid of him is the same reason a lot of teams won't touch him: He can mess up a locker room," Arenas said. "It's a shame because if you look at what he does on the court, he's just as important as Jermaine O'Neal. But when you think about what he does, you'd rather have Jermaine O'Neal. With Ron, you just don't know what type of disturbances he's going to bring to the locker room." Even if the Wizards don't make a play for Artest, team captain Antawn Jamison knows trade rumors will grow stronger until the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Jamison, mired in perhaps the worst shooting slump of his tenure in Washington, is against the Wizards tinkering with a team that has seven new faces on the roster. "I'm happy with what we have," said Jamison, who has made just 18 of his last 72 field goal attempts. "I don't think they should make any changes -- they should just let it ride out. We're going to be all right."

3) Ian Thomsen of SI.com with an article on leadership:

Leaders of men - Richardson, O'Neal lead Warriors, Pacers by example

To understand how the Golden State Warriors have risen from hopeless to hopeful -- based on a 14-11 start, they're promising to make the playoffs for the first time in nine years -- you must appreciate the short, complicated career of Jason Richardson. He has grown up to be far more valuable than the selfish dunker he admits he used to be. The Warriors used to be one of those franchises that bred bad habits. When Richardson joined them as the No. 5 pick of the 2001 draft coming out of Michigan State, he was introduced to an upside-down locker room. "Guys weren't playing defense, guys weren't sharing the ball," says Richardson. "Guys were just worried about trying to get to the All-Star Game, just trying to get their points. You pick up those bad habits -- you come in and don't practice hard. I can see how young guys would be affected like that. And I was." Richardson recalls older teammates criticizing him for making them look bad in practice. "They'd say, 'Slow down rook, you're going too hard.' I fell into that my first year, but toward the end of the season I said, I'm not here to make any friends, I just want to win games. And if it cost me friendships with teammates then you really found out who the selfish ones were. If you're playing hard and practicing and you see guys who aren't working hard, you really find out who your true teammates are." The best thing that happened to Richardson was the arrival in '03-04 of veteran swingman Calbert Cheaney. "He's the prototype of what your approach should be," says Richardson. "He doesn't complain about playing time, he works hard every day, he's the guy talking to me about what I need to do to get better. If I was not playing as well as I should, he was the first one in my ear saying, 'Jason, you're not playing like an All-Star, you're not doing this or that.' He's the guy who helped me to get to the next level of my game, and he's doing that to this day. He says, 'Every time you step on the floor you've got to consider yourself an All-Star and you've got to play like one.'" Give GM Chris Mullin credit for holding onto Cheaney. Now in his 14th year, the former Hoosier is a 34-year-old averaging only 11.0 minutes and 2.0 points, and his $1.8 million salary is readily expendable. But look at what he has helped bring out in Richardson, who is averaging 22.4 points and 6.0 rebounds while willingly ceding the marquee to point guard Baron Davis. "He's not just helping me," Richardson says of Cheaney. "He's helping Mike Dunleavy, [Mickael] Pietrus and all the wing players on this team because he's been there scoring points on winning teams going to the playoffs. He knows what it takes." The Warriors aren't taking Richardson's improvement for granted. Among players who have scored at least 14 points per game as rookies, only four have raised their scoring average over each of the next four seasons -- Karl Malone, Stephon Marbury, Billy Cunningham and Jack Twyman. Richardson is on track to join them, which has prompted former critics to start appraising him as more than a former two-time NBA dunk champion. "People just looked at me as a dunker, they came to the games and that was all they wanted to see," Richardson said. "I always felt I could do something more." Among the more noticeable improvements in Richardson's game has been his shooting, which has dove-tailed with a growing sense of responsibility for the Warriors' success. After missing a pair of last-minute free throws that doomed a game against Sacramento last season, Richardson practiced late into the night. "I stayed in the locker room and waited for everybody to leave, then I was out there in the main arena shooting free throws," he said. "I was so mad at myself because we could have won the game. It was a rivalry we had with Sacramento -- it's not that big, but to me they're like the big brothers and they always beat up on us, and every time you get a chance to win you want to win those games." As of Tuesday, Golden State was in third place in the Pacific Division -- four games ahead of the last-place Kings, whom they have yet to meet this season -- and hoping to stave off pursuers such as Denver, Seattle and Houston in the Western Conference playoff race. Richardson is trying to meet the challenge by elevating his game at both ends. "He expends a lot of energy to score 24 or 25 points a game, and then to go back down and chase Kobe and Ray Allen and Tracy McGrady," says backup guard Derek Fisher. "He hasn't backed away from these guys. There were times last year when those guys would have a good game and Jason couldn't summon up the energy to do what he needed to do to help us. This year he's doing it on both ends to help us win."

The result has been that Richardson, 24, is on the cusp of his first All-Star appearance. "It would mean a lot to me," he says. "But last year I was more into it: I was telling newspapers I should be an All-Star and all that. This year I would rather be in the playoffs than be in the All -Star Game. That's what I'm really pushing for -- to get this team into the playoffs."

In his own words: Jermaine O'Neal - Pacers team captain and All-Star Jermaine O'Neal is among the most articulate players in the league. In the last week he's put his eloquence to use explaining why Indiana should not reverse course and reinstate small forward Ron Artest on the active roster after he demanded to be traded before asking for a reprieve a few days later. In this interview O'Neal explains his feelings about Artest, including his assertion that he could have accepted a lesser penalty for his part in the 2004 brawl at Detroit but was adamant about supporting his teammate. O'Neal was ultimately suspended 25 games for his role in the melee. Though the 6-11 O'Neal is a power forward, he's spent most of this season playing out of position at center (in place of the previously injured Jeff Foster). As of Monday night, O'Neal was averaging 22.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for the Pacers (14-8), who won four of their first five games after Artest was placed on the inactive list while the team tried to trade him. "He's a legitimate MVP candidate based on how he's led the team and how he's played," says Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. "He's been the key guy to hold this group together through a tough first month, trying to find our way and find our chemistry

On how he supported Artest last season: "Right now we're dealing with a situation with Ron which made me a little bit bitter because of all the situations I've been involved in with Ron, especially after actually going to bat for him and doing what I did last year for him. I had a chance to not even [go] to arbitration; I could have just gone to the NBA and [by declining arbitration], my suspension would have been done with. So for him to speak about other players and other teams while wearing the uniform, after all that we've been through, is a little bit of a slap of the face."

On his rapport with Artest: "Our relationship in the past hasn't been the best. It's just been a work relationship, not a personal relationship. But this year was a little bit different -- actually it was a lot different. We talked all the time, we called each other, we came off a West Coast trip where we were together every single day. Then we got the word [about Artest's trade demand] when you guys got the word, and that was probably one of the most hurtful things. As a player you understand the nature of either wanting to be traded or you're going to be traded -- that one of the two is going to happen in your career. We would have understood it a lot more if he had just come to us -- the players -- because we're the guys who ultimately carry the organization. We win or lose games. It's one of those situations where I got upset about it, but at the end of the day I can't really dwell on that. I've just got to keep moving forward."

On winning a championship this year: "We were just talking on the bus about how you see so many different articles about how the Pacers 'need to retool now.' This Pacers team has dealt with me not being here, with Ron, with Jack (Stephen Jackson), with Reggie [Miller] not being here, and the fact of the matter is that we've never faltered. We've always found a way to stay afloat, even with six or seven guys, so we can't worry about people who don't want to be here. Ron is an afterthought now. It's more about what we can do to better ourselves. "We're not going to sit on our hands and wait on a trade. This is what is given to us. We have to go out and compete every single night. I'm sure whatever [team president] Donnie [Walsh] and [GM] Larry [Bird] do is going to be beneficial to the team, but our style has to be established now and whoever we get has to get in with the program. We can't wait to see what type of player we get; there're 14 other players on our team, so that [new] player has to adjust to what we're doing."

On the up-and-down nature of this year's Pacers: "This is probably the most frustrating time in my last four or five years because the bar has been set so high and when you underachieve there is no excuse. So don't talk about certain situations when we were tired or whatever, because every team goes through that. Every team plays the schedule. It's either we go out and we play hard or we don't play hard. That's it. When you make excuses you set yourself up for failure every single time. "Maybe it's time for management to find a group of players -- from me on down -- where there are no excuses. We have to come to the games, OK? So why not go out and play to win? It's only for two hours, so why not give your full ability to win? I'm going to put the blame on my shoulders, but one thing I do expect is for every player on this team to do what he's supposed to do. If between now and June we don't get certain players doing what they're supposed to do, then they shouldn't be here."

On the paradox of Artest: "As a player you just get tired of dealing with it, you get tired of talking about issues that have nothing to do with basketball. It never has anything to do with basketball. And it's the off-the-court stuff that wears you down. It's so puzzling because when you talk to Ron and you deal with him, he's perfectly fine and he's one of the hardest workers that you've ever seen. His desire to be the best is unbelievable. I admire that to the utmost. He brings that aggressiveness, that ability, that energy every single day, and it's hard to do that every single day, but he finds a way. But then there's another part of Ron that you don't quite understand. He does things, says things, and it's more on an individual level, where its just about Ron and it's never about the team. "We laugh and joke about it now because we shouldn't be surprised. Every year we've dealt with something.... From the bottom of my heart I hope that Ron Artest reaches every goal and gets everything that benefits him and his family from basketball. I genuinely hope for that. We just can't have any more issues that affect us.

On how Artest hurt his future earnings: "He probably is one of the rare Top-15 guys who doesn't get paid Top-15 money. But when something like this comes up again, after what he went through last year, you're not quite sure that he would ever get that max deal. That's probably the saddest thing about it, because for what he physically can do he deserves a max deal. But it's so much more -- it's not just playing the game. You have to be a very good person, also. And Ron is a very good person; he just has certain issues that he lets funnel over. And sometimes he says things, and I don't think he really means it, but once you say it, it's done. It's in ink."

On what he learns from his rivals: "San Antonio has a lot more talent. Detroit is not that talented. They have five really good players, and they have other guys who know their roles. Personality-wise, they're put together very well. It takes a team -- not necessarily a talented team -- but a team from 1 through 15 that wants to win, that's going to be happy for every player if they score a bucket. One thing I notice about the Spurs and the Pistons: When the team is making a run, you see guys up, waving towels, jumping up and down, [and they] haven't played one minute in the game. That's what it's about. That's a championship team. Our team, we're more of an emotional team. When things are going bad then you can tell. You can look at peoples' faces and you can tell."

On playing center: "Centers have had an awful lot of problems guarding me. Even when we played in Miami [in November], Shaq picked up three quick fouls trying to guard me because I'm able to catch and face. Miami really has a lot of problems with me in the pick and roll. "Obviously Shaq is the most dominant player ever, and I think he's the only center who would give me issues -- and that's as far as foul trouble. But as far as any center guarding me, there's no center that can guard me. Period. As far as Yao Ming, he fades later in the game, he gets tired. So I'm strong enough to hold him up, and if he's not making that turnaround shot, he's in trouble. He's going to find problems catching and facing because he can't move his feet quick enough. "My motto is: If you're too big, I'm going to face you; if you're too small, I'm going to post you. And I give a lot of credit to Rick Carlisle and his system."
4) From the AP, the General is still at it:

Knight's still feisty as career winds down

It's been quite an unusual 40th season for Texas Tech coach Bob Knight so far: His successor has already been picked, he's off to his worst start in a decade, but he's still got the same intensity that helped him win three national championships with Indiana. "I'm still coaching. My name is still on there as the coach," the 65-year-old Knight said. "My name's on there, then that's what I'm doing." Knight, with 860 career wins, needs 20 to overtake Dean Smith for No. 1 on the all-time list. But with a team that's struggling and 19 games remaining before postseason play, passing Smith seems like it will have to wait for next season. After last year's team made a surprising run to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, this year's Red Raiders (6-5) are the most inexperienced team Knight has ever coached. There are seven freshmen and one junior college transfer on the roster. The influx of new players and the fact that several interior players have been hobbled by injuries means Knight is off to his slowest start as a coach since 1995 at Indiana. "We've got an awful lot of work to do to be competitive," Knight said. "Forgetting the injuries, we're not where I had hoped we would be at this point." Knight said he's "disappointed" so far by this team, which plays Arkansas (8-2) for the first time since 1991 Wednesday in Dallas. Knight pointed to a leadership void and the departure of former walk-on Ronald Ross, one of the sparks during the NCAA tournament, as major factors in the team's struggles. "That has been a huge," Knight said. "I did not think that replacing Ronald, as good as he was and as much as he meant to that team, would be as difficult as it is." Pat Knight, who signed a contract in October that designated him as his father's successor as Texas Tech's coach, said the team has been inconsistent without a leader. "We told our team it doesn't need to be one guy," he said. "It can be the whole team, just as long as somebody takes the burden off the coaching staff." Tech started 10-1 in each of Bob Knight's first two seasons, and the Raiders have won at least 20 games all four years since he arrived - a first for the school. Despite Knight's first slow start in Lubbock, some who have watched him for years see him utilizing the same techniques he's been doing since 1965, when he became the youngest coach in Division I history when Army hired him at age 24. "I don't see any changes since they made the (successor) announcement," said Tech senior associate athletic director Steve Downing, who played for Knight in 1972-73 at Indiana and followed him to Lubbock. "He's doing exactly the same things that he did when he was at Indiana when I was a player." Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said he believes that "gradually" his longtime friend and colleague would shift some of the head coaching responsibilities to his son. For now, though, Pat Knight is helping his father in much the same way he always has, though some of the players may view him differently. "I would think that they would look at him as a person with a little more authority than maybe they thought he had, as far as having a lot of input in the program," Myers said. "He's always been active in workouts and practices." The line of succession has "already had a positive effect" in recruiting, both for the players and Pat Knight, Myers said. "The players can feel comfortable in that they would still be part of the program as far as why they were recruited," Myers said. "I think that now he will have a bigger interest in the players he's evaluating, not only trying to evaluate for his dad as the head coach, but also looking at it from his own perspective." Myers believes Bob Knight probably will stay in Lubbock after he retires. His contract, which was extended in September, expires in 2009. "He likes it here," Myers said. "A lot of good recreation that he likes. Plus, his son will be coaching. He'll want to see him coach some."