Funniest quote I read about the Kobe 81 points thing: “Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in the Lakers' 122-104 win over the Raptors on Sunday night, the second-highest total in NBA history. It's by far the most Kobe has ever scored without having to buy his wife a diamond afterward.”

Miami's Antoine Walker is making my point here: "The defense has to do something," Walker said. "Somebody gets 81 on me, I'm going to clothesline him."

Wow…read this and then think about it…If you take Kobe's three quarters in his Dec. 20 game versus Dallas (out-pointed the Mavs in three quarters) and his second half Sunday (out-pointed the Raptors, 55-41), the league's leading scorer accounted for 117 in 60 game minutes.

However, let’s not give Kobe the MVP yet…Wilt Chamberlain was denied the MVP in 1962, the year he averaged 50.4 points, 25.7 rebounds per game, and scored 100, then logic dictates that setting individual scoring records should not earn you an MVP this year….

According to the New York Post, the Pacers and Kings are exceedingly close to swapping Ron Artest for Peja Stojakovic. Sources say that it's strictly Sacramento's call and that the Pacers are waiting for the Kings to make up their mind. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Star reports the Pacers appear to be closing in on a trade involving Artest. Larry Bird doesn't expect more than two teams to be included in the deal. ... "I can't say we're in love with all the deals, but they're getting better," Bird told the newspaper. "Last week was a pretty good week. The offers improved."

Trade Rumour: Pistons trade C Darko Milicic and SF Maurice Evans to the Magic for C Kelvin Cato…

T-Mac is hot, but only on the road…McGrady scored 41 points, including 14 straight in the fourth quarter, to lead the Rockets to a 97-80 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night. He is averaging 30.7 points in 18 road games -- including 38.0 in the last seven -- and 19.1 points in nine at home.

Meanwhile, the Clips cannot be stopped…Elton Brand had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Clippers rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second half for a 96-93 victory over Golden State on Monday night.

Gonzaga is for real… SF Adam Morrison scored 41 points as Gonzaga beat San Francisco 84-75 last night for their 7th straight win. ''It was one of those deals where I felt like I was in high school again,'' Morrison said. ''I was feeling it.'' The Zags (16-3, 6-0) won their 15th consecutive West Coast Conference game and seem capable of another unbeaten season, like their 14-0 league campaign in 2004, after sweeping their three Bay Area rivals on the road. Morrison, the nation's leading scorer at 27.6 points per game coming in, recorded his third 40-point game of the season and bettered 30 points for the fourth in five games. He shot 14-for-23 from the field - 5-of-7 on 3s - made all eight of his free throws and had nine rebounds, though he went 15 1/2 minutes without a basket spanning halftime.

Texas destroyed Ok State 80-46 last night with Brad Buckman scoring 19…it was the worst loss ever for Ok State and Emery envelope legend Eddie Sutton…and if you get that joke you, like me need to get a life…

1) Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star thinks that Bird should just blow up the Pacers:
Time to tinker is gone; trade O'Neal, rebuild

Today marks exactly one month before the NBA trading deadline, or 42 days since Ron Artest was put into permanent timeout. And the Indiana Pacers, now a bland, mediocre franchise doomed to middling status in the Eastern Conference, have left themselves with only two real choices: Start the rebuilding process now, or wait until this summer? Because unless somebody has a debilitating brain cramp and opts to send Kevin Garnett here for Ron Artest and a nail clipper, the Pacers are going absolutely nowhere. Fifty wins, at best. A second-round playoff ouster, at best. What? You think Pacers president Larry Bird and team CEO Donnie Walsh, who so thoroughly botched the Artest situation from the start, are going to make a season-saving trade sometime in these next few weeks? No. Blow it up. Start over. Unpopular? Yes. Difficult? With this screwy salary structure, with Jonathan Bender and Austin Croshere ranking as the second- and third-highest-paid players on the team, absolutely. Necessary? That, too. It's just a matter of when. "I can't really see that happening,'' Jermaine O'Neal said Saturday night after the Pacers' disturbing 101-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Conseco Fieldhouse. "The owners (Herb and Mel Simon), Donnie, Larry, they're too prideful to let that happen. But it's up to them. If we can't get the job done, I truly believe there are going to be some changes by this summer, and hopefully, my teammates and myself understand that.'' There will be changes, and it would be foolish to dismiss the notion that those changes wouldn't involve O'Neal. On the one hand, some of us think he's grown as a player and as a leader, that he's become a regular double-double guy while operating without a second post-up presence in the lineup. He's not the reason this thing has stagnated, any more than Elton Brand was the reason the Bulls were so horrible for all those years. Management, which has let Artest destroy a second straight season while sitting in his front-row seat at Los Angeles' Staples Center, deserves ultimate culpability. That said, if they're going to rebuild, they've got to start by moving O'Neal. He's the only player on this roster who can demand another All-Star-caliber talent. Anything short of that, they're basically tinkering, which defeats the entire purpose. When the latest Artest mess reached critical mass, the thought here was, move the guy, give the new players a chance to get integrated, then decide by Feb. 23 whether to make subtle changes or take a blowtorch to the whole thing. Well, nothing has happened yet. And even if it happens this week, it's not going to give coach Rick Carlisle and the rest of management enough time to know who they have, or what they have, or whether to make additional moves by the deadline. Essentially, they've punted away a second straight season. "We can't wait around for Superman to come in here and save the town, save the team,'' O'Neal said. "It's up to us to get it done.'' That's a noble sentiment, and it's one you'll hear throughout a very professional locker room. To their enduring credit, the Pacers' coaching staff and players have never, not once, used the team's terminal instability as an excuse. Carlisle has been dealt a lousy hand for two straight seasons, and while his lineup-tinkering can be maddening at times, he still has this group playing about as well as possible. These players have been virtually abandoned, left to fend for themselves, and they've refused to let the bizarre circumstances compromise their professionalism. "Even given all of the situations we've been put in, we still should be playing better than we are,'' Austin Croshere said. "I felt the same way last year, so maybe that's just me.'' If I thought a little bit of tinkering might put them over the top, or at least get them into the area code of the top, I'd say they need to keep battling away with the current roster, be patient. If I thought an eventual trade would mentally kick-start them, make them some kind of dark horse contender, I'd call for maintaining the status quo. Except it's not going to happen. Is Jamaal Tinsley ever going to stay healthy? And if he does, will his maddening, painfully inconsistent street game ever evolve? No, and no. (Understand, Tinsley is a base-year compensation player, which means if they traded him now, they'd get only half his contractual value in return. So if they're going to move him, it will be this summer, when they can get full financial value.) Is Stephen Jackson the long-term answer at either the two- or three-spot? No. There are some decent pieces in place, some younger players who have a chance to emerge with additional minutes. But in the end, the Pacers as currently constituted are monuments to mediocrity, products of an Eastern Conference where .500 is viewed as an elite standard. They're going to have to start over. Now or later, they're going to have to start over.

2) Marty Burns of SI.com asks:

Right of way - Limits on defense paved way for Kobe's big night

Spectacular. Captivating. Amazing. Kobe Bryant's 81-point explosion against the Raptors on Sunday night was certainly all that and more. The Lakers' superstar put his full arsenal on display while leading his team to the 122-104 victory. He sank jumpers from all over, drove the lane, drained 3-pointers, scored off steals and defense. Most important, he did it while leading his team back from an 18-point deficit. Even the most ardent Kobe critic can't scoff at this scoring line: 28-of-46 from then field, 18-of-20 from the free-throw stripe, six rebounds, two assists. But was Bryant's performance the best ever? Let's not get carried away. Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game is still the gold standard. Bryant's performance was more impressive than Wilt's in one way, however. Chamberlain was a 7-foot-1 giant in a game still populated with smaller, slower players. Bryant had to swerve around all types of defenders, most of whom (safe to say) were longer and more athletic than those Chamberlain faced. He also had to do it on a sore ankle (from a previous game), and against a defense that was probably much more sophisticated and prepared in terms of scouting (though the Raptors' D sure didn't look like it on this night). But Bryant had one big advantage over Wilt (and more recent players such as Michael Jordan) in that the new rules have made it almost impossible to defend against anyone. It's no coincidence that we've got three players averaging more than 30 points this season (Kobe, Allen Iverson and LeBron James), which would be the first time that's happened since 1981-82. In fact, were it not for Kobe's explosion, we'd probably all be talking this morning about Sunday's 152-149 Sonics-Suns double OT game, the league's highest-scoring game in 11 years. As Blazers coach Nate McMillan once said after the NBA instituted the first set of new rules against hand-checking, back in the late '90s: "Michael Jordan would love this. It was almost impossible to guard him when you could touch him. With these rules, he could get 100 points." Bryant is the beneficiary of this new offensive-minded NBA, and he has been building toward something like this for months. Earlier this season, he had a 62-point game against the Mavs. In that one, he chose to sit out the fourth quarter because the Lakers were winning in a rout. Later, he said he felt he could have hit 80 points if he'd stayed in. Turns out he was right. Just like he was right to sit out the fourth quarter of that game, despite the protests of the critics (again) who said he was denying fans a chance to witness history. Of course, many of those same critics would have lampooned Bryant for staying in the game and chasing a personal record at the risk of injury. Bryant doesn't have to worry about that anymore. On Sunday, he painted an 81-point masterpiece, with only a handful of points coming after the outcome had been decided. And his Lakers won the game. The only question now is, what will he do for an encore?

Who's up - Chris Paul, Hornets…One night after posting a career-high 28 points and 11 assists in a loss to the Wizards, the Rookie of the Year candidate collected 27 and 13 on Saturday at New York while leading the Hornets to their eighth victory in 11 games. Over his last four games, Paul is averaging 23.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 51.9 percent from floor (28-of-54) and 92.0 percent from the foul line (35-of-38). The Hornets have now won five of six since Paul came back after sitting out one game from a sprained finger suffered on Jan. 6 that was supposed to keep him out two weeks. Said Knicks coach Larry Brown: "He is as good as anybody that has come into our league in a long time."

Who's down - Manu Ginobili, Spurs…Just when he seemed to be getting in a groove, the All-Star shooting guard is out with an injury again. The 6-6 Argentinean severely sprained his right ankle when he landed on Udonis Haslem's foot while driving to the hoop in Friday's win over the Heat. He had to be carried to the locker room and is expected to be out two weeks. Ginobili, who is averaging 15.4 points, already missed 10 games this season because of injuries to the same foot (bone bruise, sprain). Without him, San Antonio lost at home to the Nuggets on Sunday. "I just feel so bad for Manu," Tim Duncan said. "He was right back in the mix, he was starting to feel good and this happens again."

Rumor mill - Is Doc Rivers in trouble in Boston? With the Celtics limping along at 16-24, coach Doc Rivers has begun to feel some heat. The former NBA Coach of the Year has been criticized for inconsistent rotations, not playing Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins enough, and for the team's 7-12 record in games decided by five points or less. Still, Celtics boss Danny Ainge says he has no intention of making a coaching change any day soon. ''Doc wants to be great," Ainge told the Boston Globe. ''He's learning as a coach and I think he's doing a good job. I think he is creating a very good culture on our team. The professionalism of our team is very good. The work ethic of our team is very good. I like the atmosphere he has created in practice every day. I like the work the guys are putting in. I like how hard our players are playing, night in and night out, with few exceptions." Here's another reason Ainge might be reluctant right now to make a change: Rivers still has over $10 million left after this season on the four-year contract he signed in 2004.

Grudge match(es) of the week - Tuesday, Jan. 24: Pistons at T'wolves…Pistons coach Flip Saunders makes his first trip back to Minnesota, where he compiled a 411-326 record in 10 seasons before being fired midway through last season and replaced by his pal Kevin McHale. Saunders, of course, has done more than land on his feet. His Pistons have the NBA's best record (33-5), earning him the honor of coaching the Eastern Conference at next month's All-Star Game. It should be an emotional return for Saunders, whose friendship with McHale dates back to their days together at the University of Minnesota. Friday, Jan. 27: Jazz at Hornets - Chris Paul gets his first chance to face the Jazz, the team that passed over him with the third pick in last June's draft in favor of Deron Williams. While Paul has been sensational for New Orleans, Williams (10.3 points, 4.4 assists) has been solid while suffering typical rookie growing pains. Paul no doubt will be looking to send a message to Utah and Williams, especially on his home floor.

Three seconds…It's frustrating for Pacers players and fans, but Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh are taking the wise approach by not rushing to trade Ron Artest. In the NBA, it's often better to do nothing than to take on a player with a bad contract. Besides, the Pacers made the playoffs without Artest last season, and should be able to do so again…This year's Sixth Man race is shaping up as one of the most crowded in recent memory. There are at least eight solid candidates led by Memphis' Mike Miller, Phoenix's Eddie House, Milwaukee's Mo Williams, Denver's Earl Boykins, New Orleans' Speedy Claxton, Portland's Ruben Patterson, San Antonio's Michael Finley and Dallas' Devin Harris…Don't know which was worse about Sunday's Sixers-T'wolves game on ABC: Wally Szczerbiak introducing teammate Marko Jaric as "The Gigolo" during the starting lineups, or the officials missing Jaric's blatant hack of Andre Iguodala on a dunk attempt with the score tied 84-all in the closing seconds. Fortunately for the refs, the Sixers went on to win the game anyway on Iguodala's buzzer-beater.

Around the rim - LeBron James had 51 points in the Cavs' win on Saturday at Utah, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 5,000 for his career. ... Celtics guard Ricky Davis went scoreless (0-for-8) in 45 minutes of his team's loss to the Pistons last Monday. It was the first time ever that a player had gone scoreless with so many minutes and shots, according to Elias Sports Bureau. ... The NBA has decided that Bucks guard T.J. Ford can play for the sophomores team in the Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend. Ford is technically in his third season, but he missed almost all last year with a spinal injury. ... Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko had 18 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists on Tuesday vs. the Raptors, marking the first triple double for a Utah player in 530 games. Toronto now owns the longest streak without a triple-double: 381 games. ... Knicks guards Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford are the only set of high school teammates who are playing together in the NBA, according to the Knicks. The two were teamed during Crawford's senior and Robinson's freshman year at Rainier Beach High in Seattle in 1998-99.

3) Chris Sheriden of ESPN.com thinks Eddy Curry was not worth it:

For trade to work, Curry needs strength of six men

Memo to all New York Knicks fans planning to check out Eddy Curry's return to Chicago on Wednesday night: As you're basking in the glory of watching the young behemoth pile up points against the Bulls' overmatched and undersized front line, take a brief moment to ask yourself the following question: We're not just talking about Mike Sweetney and Tim Thomas, the two main players the Knicks jettisoned in the October deal to acquire the 23-year-old center. A greater concern is what basically amounts to four draft picks -- two No. 1s and two No. 2s -- that Chicago will get from New York between 2006 and 2009 when the price for Curry, if the Knicks miss the playoffs, could turn astronomical. Fans in New York already can forget about Greg Oden ever becoming the Knicks' savior. He'll go No. 1 in 2007, but Knicks president Isiah Thomas gave the Bulls the right to swap first-round picks in 2007 even if New York wins the lottery. You like Adam Morrison, LaMarcus Aldridge, J.J. Redick or anyone else expected to be in this year's lottery? Don't like 'em too much because the Bulls get the Knicks' pick this June, too -- even if it's No. 1 overall.Isiah also gave the Bulls second-round picks in 2007 and 2009, and don't forget that he still owes another first-round pick to Utah as part of the package he sent to the Suns to acquire Stephon Marbury. That pick becomes unprotected in 2010, meaning the Knicks already are out of the mix on Lincoln (N.Y.) High School freshman Lance Stephenson, already averaging almost 20 points for the school that produced Marbury and Sebastian Telfair. That's a heck of a jumbo mortgage to take out on a player with significant health risks, and the question needs to be asked whether Thomas had to include all those draft picks. It's not as though other teams were beating down GM John Paxson's door after a heart abnormality was discovered and Curry refused to take DNA tests that might have shown whether he was genetically predisposed to the type of ailments that likely contributed to the deaths of NBA players Reggie Lewis and Jason Collier. The trade left Chicago woefully undersized along the front line, and it hasn't helped that the team hasn't gotten much production out of Tyson Chandler (4.6 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game) after granting him a contract extension. But this is a transitional year in Chicago, with the Bulls sitting on more than $15 million of cap space for this summer. Who will end up with Greg Oden? Not the Knicks. One way or another, they'll replace Curry's size before they turn their attention to extensions for Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni. After that, they can add a few enhancements -- maybe even Oden -- with the draft picks Thomas tossed into the deal. See, Knicks fans, that's what a real "rebuilding" plan looks like. "I don't think that Isiah and our doctors would have taken the risk if we didn't know Eddy was 110 percent, and thus far, thank God we haven't had any problems," said Knicks guard Jamal Crawford, a teammate of Curry's with the Bulls for three seasons. "I don't know what happened in Chicago as far as tests went, but I'm glad he's with us and I'm glad he's healthy." Curry has been a load for opposing teams to handle in the deep low post, but the Knicks have tended to run plays for him early before switching their offensive sets to get others involved. Curry is averaging only 14.5 points, a drop from his 16.1 last season, and has fallen nearly 10 percentage points on free throws, giving opponents all the more reason to foul him and make him earn his points from the line. When Curry goes to the free-throw line Wednesday night, Knicks fans should keep an eye out for the amount of time -- measured in nanoseconds, not seconds -- he spends looking at the rim before releasing his free throw. Watch his footwork, too, for its fundamental flaws, and prepare to cringe if you see Curry get ready to shoot from anywhere beyond 10 feet. Practice that cringe, too, Knicks fans, because it'll come in handy on the nights of the 2006 and 2007 draft lotteries if this Curry thing doesn't work out…