THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT: A representative of league sponsor BBVA dropped the 
Rising Stars Challenge MVP trophy as he was handing it to Pistons big man Andre Drummond.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Gregg Popovich, explaining his extended tenure as San Antonio Spurs coach:
“I have information on everybody. And I’ve threatened everybody I’ll let it out unless they keep me as long as I want to stay.”
TANKAPALOOZA!: When the season resumes, there could be some serious jockeying for the second lottery slot between the Magic (16-38) and Sixers (15-39). Orlando visits Milwaukee and Cleveland before hosting New York – all winnable games. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s eight-game losing streak is in jeopardy as it hosts Cleveland, Milwaukee and Orlando during a five-game homestand.
LINE OF THE WEEK: LeBron James, Miami at Golden State, Feb. 12: 42 minutes, 14-26 FGs, 4-8 3-pointers, 4-7 FTs, 13 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, two turnovers, 36 points in a 111-110 win. Coming off a ho-hum 37-9-3 game the previous night, James needed one assist for a triple-double. But the Warriors defended him straight up with Andre Iguodala on the final possession, so he drilled a game-winning three with 0.1 seconds left.
LINE OF THE WEAK: Quincy Miller, Denver at Indiana, Feb. 10: 27 minutes, 0-5 FGs, 0-1 3-pointers, 0-2 FTs, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, three turnovers, two fouls, zero points in a 119-80 loss. Miller also was minus-27 while on the court, which makes you wonder why he was on the court.
TRILLION WATCH: Wolves rookie Shabazz Muhammad had his first career 2 trillion Monday vs. Houston and Raptors rookie Dwight Buycks registered a 3 trillion Wednesday vs. Atlanta. But the week’s big winner was Thunder forward Perry Jones III, a frequent visitor to this space. Already the leader in the clubhouse with a 10 trillion on Dec. 27, Jones wrecked a 5 trillion with a foul at Portland on Tuesday but finished the job with a 5 
trillion at Los Angeles on Thursday. Is it any wonder that Jones is the player Kevin Durant told to “Wake the bleep up!” during a game earlier this season?
GAME OF THE WEEK: San Antonio at LA Clippers, Feb. 18. Don’t play any violins for the Spurs as they continue their “Rodeo Road Trip.” Everyone except Tony Parker and Marco Belinelli will have had the chance to sleep in their own beds for four straight nights, which usually doesn’t happen during a road trip. Instead, it’s time to hold San Antonio’s feet to the fire over its awful 1-11 mark against the NBA’s top six teams. The only win came against the Clippers, who are 5-7 against the top six.
GAME OF THE WEAK: Boston at LA Lakers, Feb. 21. Considering this game is a day after the trading deadline, Rajon Rondo may no longer be on the Celtics and Pau Gasol may no longer be on the Lakers. If ESPN switches to figure skating, the ratings might be better.
TWO MINUTES: It was nice to see Marco Belinelli and Bradley Beal go an extra round Saturday night to determine the NBA’s King of Fling because they are the two players – along with Jose Calderon of Dallas – who have kept pace this season with Hawks swingman Kyle Korver, who is shooting 46.4 percent from the arc, the highest mark of anyone with at least 100 attempts. However, Belinelli’s current 3-point streak is two games and Beal’s current streak is four. Korver, who skipped the event to spend All-Star Weekend with his somewhat famous 
wife and their baby daughter, takes his record 120-game streak into Indiana on Tuesday. Since the Rockets blanked Korver in the 2012-13 season opener, the only team that has shut him out is the Pacers, who did it in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs last year. Since the streak began, Korver is shooting .380 (27-of-71) in 12 games (including playoffs) against Indiana and .470 (285-of-606) vs. everyone else. The Pacers are second in 3-point defense this season at .329. … Wednesday’s loss to New Orleans meant Milwaukee was mathematically eliminated from winning the Central Division. … Given how bad the Eastern Conference playoffs should be until the conference finals, we would really like to see these two series materialize in the West, regardless of round: Clippers-Warriors and Blazers-Thunder. The rivalry between the Clippers and Warriors has been simmering for the last two seasons, and the animus between the Blazers and Thunder is percolating as well. “We respect this team and they respect us, but we don’t like them and they don’t like us. Point blank,” Kevin Durant said after Oklahoma City edged Portland on Tuesday night. “We’re not trying to make friends out there,” Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge said after the same game. “We’re trying to win games.”
… Bobcats center Al Jefferson, who began the season with a sprained ankle, has had to play his way back to full health and appears to be there. Jefferson has seven 30-point games this season, all since Jan. 14 and five in the last eight games. Charlotte is 6-1 when Big Al goes for 30. … When Clippers center DeAndre Jordan managed just six rebounds Wednesday vs. Portland, it was his first single-digit game since Dec. 11 at Boston. … One of the names you should be hearing a lot in trade chatter is Lakers center Chris Kaman, who was a forgotten man until about two weeks ago. After ringing up seven straight DNPs to end January, Kaman is averaging 20.2 points, 9.0 rebounds 
and 1.8 blocks in his last five games while shooting 54 percent (44-of-81) from the field. Playoff-bound teams needing an extra big man who can score include Atlanta, the LA Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Phoenix and perhaps even Miami. Kaman has an expiring deal at the mini-mid-level exception of $3.18 million. A 2014 first-round pick is probably too much, but perhaps Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak can pry a future first-rounder from a desperate team. … In the last 10 games before the All-Star break, Pacers forward Paul George shot just 32.6 percent (56-of-172) from the field. That didn’t change Nuggets coach Brian Shaw’s impression of him. “He’s the best two-way player in the game – and that includes LeBron (James) and everyone else you include.” … While everyone has been marveling at Durant’s ability to carry the Thunder – they are 18-7 since Russell Westbrook went down on Christmas – what has been overlooked is Oklahoma City’s defense. No opposing player has scored 20 points against the Thunder since LeBron James dropped 34 in Miami’s 112-95 to OKC on Jan. 29.
Trivia Answer: Two – Damian Lillard and Roy Hibbert. … Happy 51st Birthday, Michael Jordan. … When did Nick Cannon get access to Craig Sager’s closet?
Chris Bernucca is the managing editor of SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear Monday during the season. You can follow him on Twitter.
Today, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a thirty foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation.
My iPad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know
this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
trivia answer is 2- d. lillard and r. hibbert
Ben Wallace should probably be on the Pistons, or Chauncey. Someone from that championship team/run of conference finals
Not saying this is your thought process, but folks can’t be in awe of Pistons winning title without a superstar and then wonder why those players aren’t treated like superstars. I’d take Chauncey over Ben, but who gets bumped? I feel like Laimbeer is ahead of both of them. But thanks for reading.
What about Ray Allen on the Bucks?
Close. But I felt like those Bucks teams from the 80s were much better – they won 60 games once or twice – and the guys on those teams meant more to the franchise than Allen. Thanks for reading.
For the Spurs I’d put David, Tim, Pop, and Gervin.
I agree, but coaches were not included. Thanks for reading
How could you forget Bernard King for the Knicks?
I think CB got the Knicks, perfectly. King was great, but not as great as the guys that were mentioned.
(Well, probably better than Allan Houston, but Houston meant/means more to the franchise, overall, than Bernard. No slight to Bernard, though)
Thanks for reading, guys. Struggled with that one, too. King really wasn’t there that long compared to the other guys, which factored in. Houston also helped the Knicks reach a Finals.
Of course, my father would say, “How could you leave off Harry Gallatin?”