New Year's Ball Ball: A Message from Manong Jinnobili

On behalf of, well, it's just me so far, I'd like to thank everyone who viewed this blog. It has been a wonderful year for Ball Ball Time, especially coz', well, it's the year the blog was created (which, to be exact, was just two weeks ago).

Please do continue to visit, as we have definitely more in store next year. Aside from the regular daily previews and recaps, I will soon be posting a lil' some'in for those on the betting side of basketball town. And hopefully, I'll be able to get some more help in the upkeep of this blog. (This is hard to do at work)

Also, please help me in spreading the word of the balls. Tell your friends, family members, school teachers, pet doplhins, local police officers, and basically every ball ball lovers out there. Like I always say, "Spread the Balls."

So again, this is Manong Jinnobili, wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Stay safe! Let the fireworks begin! (These are he only types of fireworks that everyone should be using)

Ball Baller of the Day: Dec. 30, 2010

Runners-up:
(the year's about to end, so I'm giving away a lot of runners-up)

Stephen Jackson

38pts, 6rbds, 4assts, 2stls (13/15 FT)

Dorrell Wright

32pts, 11rbds, 2stls (career high in pts)

Al Horford

21pts, 15rbds, 4assts, 2stls, 2blks, (10/14 FG)

Paul Pierce

33pts, 5rbs, 8assts, 4stls, (11/16 FG, 8/8 FT)

Tracy McGrady

21pts, 4rbs, 8assts, 3stls, (7/11 FG, 6/6 FT)

Dwyane Wade

45pts, 7rbs, 1assts, 2stls, (17/24 FG, 10/10 FT)

Zach Randolph

35pts, 17rbs, 3assts, 2stls

and the winner is...

(drumroll please...)

How the Ball Balls Dropped: It Aint Over 'Til the Fat Lady Throws a Half-Court Buzzer Beater

Grizzlies (98), Kings (100)
Boy was I wrong putting this game as a forgetta-ball! Here's what happened...

About 20 seconds left in the game, Memphis up 96-95, Grizzlies ball.
Game.
Over.
No?
Why?
Tyreke Evans steals the ball from OJ Mayo, races up the court and dunks the ball. Kings up 97-96. 5.5 seconds left.
Game.
Over.
Still no?
What the-
Time-out Memphis. Half-court inbound. Mayo throws up a step-back fading runner and silences the crowd. Memphis leads, 98-97. 1.5 seconds left, no more time-outs, the Kings have to inbound the whole length of the court.
Game.
Over.
What?!
No?!
You gotta be kidding me!
As Cousins throws down his head as a sign of defeat, he gets the ball to Tyreke Evans, who took a few steps mid-court, and heaved a shot...
All.
Net.
Kings win.

Wow! One of the most amazing sequences in basketball.

Blake Griffin Needs a Nickname!

If you haven't been paying attention, this kid is a beast! We're not even halfway through the season, and already he's amassed the most awesomest highlight dunks of the year. He's been the clearcut choice for ROY so far (sorry John Wall. You still gots the best Dougie though). And so needless to say, this guy needs a nickname! Here are the ones I came up with so far:

Blake "Griffin" Griffin

Not the most imaginative of ideas, but it's up there. Maybe I can even make a cooler photoshopped version with instead of a Griffin having Blake's head, I'd have Blake with Griffin wings. Hmmmm...

Ball Ballin' Preview: A New Day, A Better Way

Nice title, eh? Wondering what it's about? Well, it's just that I realized there are eleven games for today (whew!), and for a man with a day job (more like, for a man doing this thing while at work), and for a man who recently installed NBA2K11 on his laptop, this is too much. So I decided to do the previews a little differently.

The Watcha-Balls (The I-could-go-to-work-late-to-catch-these-games games)

Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Hornets

Lakers a-reelin. The just-as-a-reelin' Hornets could be just what they need to end this slump. Also, "ey you guuuuys!"

Miami Heat at Houston Rockets

They're the Miami Heat. That's reason enough. No? Well, the Rockets are on the upside recently, so this should be a nice game. And Yao's on the trading block. That's gotta be a really big block.

Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers

Blake frickin Griffin (hey! that could catch on!). If being the Miami Heat isn't a given for a game to be a must-watch, then having Blake Griffin playing has got to do the trick. If not? Then, I dunno, go watch Jersey Shore or some'in.

The Tolera-Balls (The At-least-there's-one-good-team-on-it games)

Golden State Warriors at Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are finally healthy. No more excuse for them if ever they fall flat for the rest of the season. If ever they do, well, I guess they really are just not that good a team.

Ball Baller of the Day: Dec. 29, 2010

Runners-up:

LaMarcus Aldridge

18pts, 13rbds, 4assts, 3stls, 7blks

Ed Davis

17pts, 12rbds, 3stls, 3blks

DeJuan Blair

17pts, 15rbds, 2stls, 1blk, and the fact that he was up against Bynum, Gasol and Odom, while being (generously) listed at 6'8"

Amar'e Stoudemire

30pts, 7rbs, 1asst, 2stls, 2blks

Gilbert Arenas

22pts, 6rbs, 11assts, 3stls, (5/8 3PFG)

and the winner is...

How the Ball Balls Dropped: La La Land in La La Land

Lakers (82), Spurs (97)

Three straight losses for the Lakeshow. Yikes. What's even yikesier, is that the they lost by an average of about 17pts during that stretch. Kobe wasn't as mad as he was during Christmas, because now he's part of the blame (8/27 FG). And two 7footers and a 6'11" guy all got outplayed by a 6'8" dude. The Spurs now improve to a league best record of 27-4. 72-10 anyone?

Celtics (95), Pacers (83)

The Pacers were the Celtics' W#13 during their 14 game win streak, and they could be W#1 in another streak that Boston could start. The Beantown boys started sluggishly, falling behind by double digits, but came back like the (very very old. ancient even. but to be politically correct, we'll just call them the) veteran team that they are. JO's back, and Rondo could follow suit within the week. By the law of averages, that means either Shaq or KG will miss the next few games with a sore knee. (and Celtics fans all over suddenly knocked on wood)

Knicks (98), Heat (106)

Save for a late rally from the Knicks, this was all Heat. D3 had a season high 40pts and thwarted a comeback by New York. Bosh and Bron got 18pts apiece. Interesting scenario, 8 minutes into the contest, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (who fits the Boston definition quite well), had 12 pts and 9 rbds. Amare had 2pts and zero boards. Z for MVP.

Magic (110), Cavaliers (95)

This one was a close contest through 3, but then it rained threes. 19 3pointers overall for the Disney Boys (I actually like that better than "The Magicians" now), with a subpar game from Dwight because of foul trouble. The Cavs continue to be the lesser team that they are. The countdown to February begins.

Ball Ballin' Preview: We're Back!

After a weekend getaway, and another party to boot, I finally got back to some ball ball time. Back to regular programming, well, until New Year's Eve that is.

New York Knicks at Miami Heat

I know I've picked a lot of the Heat games, and I think I've made it clear that I am somewhat a fan of the formed superteam, but hey, you can't take away the fact that no matter how much we scoff at this team, we all want to know what happens to 'em next. And what's next, is a rematch with Amar'e's squad who recently discovered a new word in the dictionary: defense.

Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers

The Celtics streak finally came to an end. What continues is a list of inactive games for Rondo, Jermaine O'Neal, Delonte West, and Kendrick Perkins. You gotta admit, if they're this successful without those guys, they gon' be pretty scary once they get all those playin'.

Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers

And whaddayaknow. My prophetic tendencies continue, as the Magicians are now starting to roll. They have the Cavs for their next trick. If things go according to the norms of ball ball physics, this should be a breeze to the Disney Boys.

Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls

The holiday season has been Boozer season for Chicagoans so far. Heck, it has been Boozer season for all of us! (Though, holidays or not, I usually have Boozer sessions every Friday)

How The Ball Balls Dropped: Christmas Edition

T'was the day of days in this oh so special season,

Excitement was aplenty, and aplenty were the reasons.

Three kings came to town for a very difficult test,

It was as difficult as the alphabet was to Ron Artest.

A match for the ages? A finals preview perhaps?

Last year's champs against this year's perhaps?

I have to find something else that rhymes with "perhaps",

There's gotta be something else, you know, like, booby traps?

It was a game not quite as we expected, I'm sure you've heard the reviews,

But at least it still wasn't as ugly as Kobe Bryant's Christmas shoes.

The Heat turned up the D, and the Lakers struggled to score,

Compared to the match we all thought it'd be, this really was a bore.

Bron got a triple-double, Bosh and Wade got theirs too,

But I couldn't say the same for the Mamba and his crew.

Miami tried to downplay it, that it was just another game,

But deep inside we all know they grinned as Kobe walked the walk of shame.

You can see the smoke come out of the nose and ears of Kobe,

Whenever he looks at the final score, Heat 96, Lakers 80.

And so the much awaited Christmas game came and went away,

But this is not the end, and we'll all patiently wait 'til these two teams meet another day...

Jingle Balls! Jingle Balls! Ball Ball All the Way!

(No games for tomorrow. No Ball Ballin' Preview today folks)

As much as I'd like to cover Sunday's much awaited NBA Christmas treat (Heat-Lakers, Magic-Celtics), I'll be taking a break with BBT, as the Jinnobili family would take a much needed out of town trip. (Headin' up Baguio). So to pass the time by, Here's a little Christmas carol from the Denver Nuggets and the Chicago Bulls.

Denver Nuggets' "Christmas in Hollis" Rap

Chicago Bulls' 12 Days of Christmas 

MERRY BALL BALLIN' CHRISTMAS!

Ball Baller of the Day: Dec. 24, 2010

Runners-up:

Beno Udrih

17pts, 7rbds, 5assts

Andrew Bogut

15pts, 13rbds, 1stl, 4blks

Dwight Howard

29pts, 11/13 (85%) FG, 14rbds, 1asst, 3blks

Lebron James

36pts, 6rbs, 4assts,3stls

and the winner is...

How the Ball Balls Dropped: Black Magic

Spurs (101), Magic (123)

I'm not as much a fan of Orlando's black uni's as compared to Minnesota's (I think Orlando's has too much blue goin' on in the sides), but I am starting to be a fan of the new Magicians (as I have vowed to call them henceforth). Even the Hedo move is starting to make sense now. Orlando finally won with it's new roster, and ended the battle-weary Spurs' 10 game win streak (2nd night of b2b). And for their next trick (or at least an attempt to perform one), they will try to pull a rabit out of Shaq's ears against the Celtics.

Heat (95), Suns (83)

Well Gortat didn't do much, and didn't start. Bummer. Phoenix still put up a bit of a fight though getting a huge game from Jared Dudley. But even without Wade (sore knee), Miami still had Lebron and Bosh. Captain Obvious I know, but that sums up this game. And that's exactly why this Miami team is that dangerous. No Wade? LeBosh. No Lebron? Dwosh. No Bosh? LeWade. No Z? Dampier. No Miller? James Jones. No Arroyo? Chalmers. No House? a hobo. 

Bucks (84), Kings (79)

Ugly game. The face of the franchise Evans continues to hit the sophomore wall this injury-plagued season scoring just 4 points on 2of13 shooting. The supposed other face Cousins had more turnovers (5) than points (2). Milwaukee was just a tad bit better offensively, but clearly better on the defensive end. Mah' man Earl "the Boy" Boykins had 19 pts to follow his 22pt showing yesterday against the Lakers. And as if things aren't bad enough for SacTown, rumors of firing Westphal have already circulated. Merry Christmas Sacramento!

Brown, Out (See what I did there?)

The Charlotte Bobcats have announced that Larry Brown has been axed, given the pink slip, fired, terminated. Well, they didn't say all that, but something to that effect. After a miserable 9-19 start for the team (though amazingly, just 2.5 games away from the 8th spot in the East. Rea-hee-hee-lly doesn't say much about the conference), Jordan and company ultimately decided that it was time for a change. Paul Silas, the former Hornets coach (not to mention Lebron's first coach), will reportedly take the place of Brown in an interim role for the rest of the year.

After a trip to the playoffs and the distinction of having the best defense in the league last season, the Bobcats have significantly fallen off this year on both ends of the floor. And in my personal opinion, I don't think Brown had anything to do with that. The team just stinks! Even if you have Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Popovich, or call upon the soul of Red Auerbach, this team isn't really going anywhere. They don't have a true physical presence at the center spot, and as much as Augustin gets it going at times, Charlotte doesn't have a point guard to facilitate an offensive scheme. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Way too many problems for this team to be relevant again.

But ultimately, in any way at all, this team definitely needs some sort of change. If it aint broke, don't fix it, but if it aint friggin workin', give it a good ole smack to try and get it running. So this is Charlotte's smack.

Rumor has it that they're looking to change the roster a bit, trying to trade Augustin, Diop and Caroll for Baron Davis. Yeah, well, okay. Any change would be better than no change at all for this struggling team.

Again, I can't blame Larry Brown for Charlotte's struggles, but I can't blame Jordan either for firing him. Merry Christmas Larry Brown!

Ball Ballin' Preview: Giddy Gortat Game

Whew! Finally a day with just a few games. I gotta get me some sleep with all these parties and work and stuff.

Miami Heat at Phoenix Suns
Phoenix finally gets to play it's new pieces. A bit of a challenge though with their first go against a Miami Heat team looking to get back on the winning track. I'm kinda half expecting Marcin Gortat to jump up and down as his name gets called in the starting line-up (that is IF he's starting).

San Antonio Spurs at Orlando Magic
If only Washington had a game this day, then all of the teams involved in the recent blockbuster trade would be playing. Not that it matters. What matters though, is that the third time might be the charm for this newly retooled Orlando team to get a win. What matters most, is that we loved at all. 

Milwaukee Bucks at Sacramento Kings
Cousins will reportedly get a spanking (again) from Coach Westphal. Maybe putting a rookie's face on the side of a whole building wasn't such a good idea after all. Cousins' promising rookie campaign continues to get derailed by his headcase moves both on and off the court. I'm hoping to see a lot of Earl "The Boy" Boykins here. (you thought I was gonna say "the pearl", did you? ha!)

Ball Baller of the Day: Dec. 23, 2010

Runners-up:

Joe Johnson

23pts, 5rbds, 7assts

Derick Rose

25pts, 5rbds, 5assts, 1stl, 3blks

Tracy McGrady

17pts, 8/12 (67%) FG, 7rbds, 7assts, 3stls, and the fact that he's Tracy McGrady

Deron Williams
25pts, 7rbs, 7assts, 2stls

Al Jefferson
23pts, 9rbds, 1asst, 1stl, 7blks

Blake Griffin

24pts, 18rbds, 2assts, 2stls, 1blk

and the winner is...

How the Ball Balls Dropped: Prophetic Tendencies

Pistons (115), Raptors (93)

I will bet my neighbor's dog that none of you, NONE OF YOU predicted this T-Mac performance (17pts 7rbds 7assts 3stls). Wanna know who saw that one coming? The good looking guy who wrote this. I have to be careful with what I say next time. I was just talking about a possible Heat-Mavs finals the other day...

76ers (80), Celtics (84)
The Sixers at least scored over 76pts this time (does this make them the 80ers now?), but the Celtics' veteran savvy is unparalleled in the league right now. Boston's streak is up to 14 heading into Christmas, and with Shaq-a-Claus on they're side, there's a good chance they'll be on Santa's good boys list this year.

Nuggets (103), Spurs (109)

K-Mart's back, Birdman's back, and Mr.Big Shot's back. The Nugs still lost to the Spurs though, playing without Melo who's sister just died due to some medical condition not disclosed. Our deepest condolences to the Anthony family. No jokes for this one folks.

Nets (91), Hornets (105)

Another sad story here with Willie Green missing the game because of the death of his sister and his cousin who both died from a car wreck. (This post is becoming more and more depressing. What a way to welcome Christmas)

Thunder (98), Knicks (112)

Fatigue might have played a factor here, but the Knicks just really looked more alive in this game. Durant outscored Stoudemire, but Amar'e got more help. And damn I'm giddy about these new commercials! Here's Durant's, and here's Amar'e's. Can't wait for CP3's and Stephen Curry's that are reportedly following soon.

Jazz (112), Timberwolves (107)
The wolves were up by 15 late in the 3rd. Not a good place to be when you're playing against Utah. Yet again, the Jazz rallied from a double digit deficit, and came up on top, giving Jerry Sloan the solo spot for third in the all-time winningest coach list. Can we just give the guy the COTY award now? I mean, come on! He's already been inducted in the HOF!

Ball Ballin' Preview: The Chicken and the Egg Thing

Freeze! You have the right to remain silent Tony Battie! Anything you say and do will probably not matter at all in a court of basketball.  

Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
I've already mentioned this, but I'm still baffled up to this day. Philadelphia just lost by 45pts to the bulls and are on a second game of a b2b against the rolling Celtics. Oh, and Shaq did this.

Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs

Melo's getting closer to being traded. Not the thing to think about while facing the team with the best record in the league right now. If there's someone who could teach Denver a thing or two about focus, that's Tony Parker. The frenchman hasn't skipped a beat even with the whole Eva Longoria thing.

New Jersey Nets at New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets are slowly plummeting, and things are probably about to get worse now that they're up against THE MACHINE!

Oklahoma City Thunder at New York Knicks

Mr.30pts last year meets Mr.30pts this year. A lot of good match-ups in this game actually, Russell Westbrook-Raymond Felton, Serge Ibaka-Ronny Turiaf, Royal Ivey-Andy Rautins. Well, maybe not the last one.

Utah Jazz at Minnesota Timberwolves

Al Jefferson would probably look to exact payback to his former team. And it just occured to me that "UTAH JAZZ" is the shortest name for an NBA team, with only 4 letters each for the city name and the monicker. You didn't know that, did you?

Ball Baller of the Day: Dec. 22, 2010

Runners-up:

Jason Kidd

13pts, 6rbds, 12assts, 1stl, and the fact that he's old

Kevin Durant

32pts, 8/13 (61%) FG, 14/16 (88%) FT, 7rbds, 3stls, 1stl, 1blk

Earl Boykins

22pts, 4/5 (80%) 3pt, 3rbds, 2assts, and the fact that he's listed at 5'5"

Monta Ellis

36pts, 4rbds, 7assts, 4stls, 1blk, and a couple of acrobatic shots

and the winner is...

How the Ball Balls Dropped: Christmas Jitters

Bucks (98), Lakers (79)

The Lakers looked like they overlooked this Milwaukee team (that's a lot of looking), heading into a Christmas showdown with the Heat. Kobe got tossed with over 2minutes left in the game, though he probably wouldn't have helped much either if he didn't get ejected. The Bucks just outplayed LA, period. And the man of the hour was someone just about my height (HA!).

Mavericks(105), Magic (99)

The new Magicians (is that not what they're called?) played slightly better, Hedo getting 8 assists, Arenas leading a bench squad, and Richardson rallying the team back with a few threebees towards the end of the game, but Dallas still played like the better team that they are. Orlando's next chances of practicing their new bag of tricks are the top two teams in each conference, San Antonio and Boston. They're gonna have to do a David Blaine stunt to pull those off.

Thunder (99), Bobcats (81)

Well wouldn't you know it, Charlotte actually looked like it wouldn't even reach the 70pt goal that I gave them (which I actually thought was too low). They had 69 pts at the end of 3, and failed to score in the last quarter until about over 2 minutes left. MJ comeback v3.0 anyone?

76ers (76), Bulls(121)

Kurt "Crazy Eyes" Thomas got 12pts 8rbds and 5blks. Omar "Omar Asik who?" Asik had 8pts and 6rbds. Even Kyle "Ashton Kutcher" Korver got 10pts off the bench going a perfect 6of6 from the field, 2of2 from the three point line. And some other guys named Rose, Boozer and Deng got 22, 16, and 22. Let's just put it at that.

Nets (101), Grizzlies (94)

Melo who? If you ask me, Jersey's pretty a'ight with the Rise of the Machine! Mr.Sharapova had 16pts and 4rbds off the bench.

Warriors (117), Kings (109)

The Kings thought they had it with a 3pt lead with about 3 seconds to go. V-Rad had another idea (I am on fire with nicknames as of late!). He sent the game to overtime with a three pt buzzer beater, and the Warriors took care of business in the extra period. V-Rad... V-Rad!

A Holiday Ball Ball Game Suggestion

What do these people have in common? Let's see, Lebron James, James Jones, Eddie Jones, Eddie Murphy... get it? get it? no?

Allow me to make things clearer. 

I was going home one day thinking about the chances of the Miami Heat (against Utah if I remember right), when I suddenly mentioned Lebron James and James Jones in succession inside my head. Then I played with the fact that one man's last name, is another man's first. Which gave me a great idea for an NBA game.

Ball Ballin' Preview: Trial #2

Before the attack of the tats, amazingly, there was a time DeShawn Stevenson actually looked pretty normal. And in hindsight, the switch to the pinstriped version of the Magic jerseys was actually a good move, yes?

Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic

Trial #2 could mean the Mavs' second try to win in Florida. (Not that they didn't succeed on the first one). Or it could mean SVG giving another go with his newly retooled Disneyland crew. Good title post, yes?

Oklahoma City Thunder at Charlotte Bobcats

Durant and Co. will try to bounce back after losing to the depleted Suns, lead by the immortal Sprite Man. Charlotte on the other hand, will desperately try to score at least 70pts. May the force be with you Bobcats.

Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls

The Bulls just lost to the Clips on a botched Rose free throw, and the sixers just beat a depleted Magic. Also, is it only me who gets mental images of a middle-aged blonde woman, or a female jazz singer/sax player, whenever the name "Jodie Meeks" is mentioned?

New Jersey Nets at Memphis Grizzlies

The Nets are reportedly getting closer and closer to ending the Melo-drama once and for all. Reports say that anyone on the roster will be available for trades, with the only exception of Brook Lopez. Though my guess is that that untouchable list also includes Mr. Sharapova. The Melo-Machine pairing would be unstoppable!

Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings

DeMarcus Cousins has been hitting his stride recently. He gets another shot at improving his rookie campaign facing the Golden State frontline of David Lee and Louis Amundson. I say his chances are pretty good.

Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers

The banged up Bucks get to lick their wounds by facing a healthy Lakers team. Is there no good in the world anymore?

Ball Baller of the Day: Dec 21, 2010

Runners-up:

Daniel Gibson

29pts, 7/8 (88%) 3pt, 4rbds, 4assts

Dwight Howard

18pts, 20rbds, 2stls, 2blks

Lamarcus Aldridge

29pts, 19rbds

Monta Ellis

44pts, 15/20 (75%) FG, 7assts, 3stls

Blake Griffin

22pts, 10rbds, 7assts

and the winner is...

How The Ball Balls Dropped: The Heat Couldn't Bake It

Mavericks (98), Heat (96)

Yep, keep lookin up Bron. Coz there's still a notch higher than where Miami's at right now. Dallas played the part of the party pooper yet again, halting the Heat's 12 game win streak. I know it's waaay too early, and I'd raise a lot of eyebrows with this, but a Dallas-Miami Finals wouldn't be too shabby a series now, would it?

Suns (110), Spurs (118)

Hill still got some Sprite, though it wasn't enough to beat the top team in the league as fatigue finally caught up after playing the second game of a back-to-back, still without their new acquisitions. (that was a looong sentence). It was actually the other Sprite guy who shined in this game.

Magic (81), Hawks (91)

Well the new toys aint workin' yet. And as much as Stan Van insists that they have to focus on their defense, it's the offense that stunk. But things could only get better once the new guys get the hang of things and learn a few more plays other than "pass the ball to Dwight".

Jazz (101), Cavaliers (90)

The Cavs are now at 8-20, tied with New Jersey and Washington at the bottom of the East standings. One can only wonder if there are any Clevelanders still believing in Dan Gilbert's hissy fit, vowing to win a Championship before Lebron ever will. One can only wonder...

Bucks (80), Trailblazers (108)

The Brandon-less game wasn't pretty. Not to mention it was also Maggette-less, Delfino-less, Przybilla-less, Camby-less, and even Cunningham-less just after 4 minutes in. This was a very injured game.

Ball Ballin' Preview: Heat Check Time

Pretty interesting games today. The kind that would make you think whether you should go to work or not, but not enough to really make you not go to work. So go to work people!

Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat

And so it came, the first pairing of these two teams after the ever so famous players-only meeting that got this Heat team to a 12 game win streak. Will the Heat make it to 13, and finally beat the Mavs in a regular season game? Will there be another meeting if ever Miami loses? Will Mike Miller who is reportedly finally coming to town fit in right away? Will the whole internet world berate the Heat once again and throw away all their past wins if ever they lose today (i'm guessing yes)? Will I get to work on time?

Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs

These aren't the same teams that got to a heated rivalry a few years back, but it's always a good contest whenever they meet. Time to see if Grant Hill can turn back the clock again after drinking Sprite.

Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks

I can't wait to see Otis Smith's new toys! Though my gut tells me these moves won't really get them any higher in the pecking order in this playground.

Utah Jazz at Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs finally got a win this month. Though there's a good chance they'd go back to losing after today. They're up against the Jazz who just got Mehmet Okur back.

Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trailblazers

For fans of the name "Brandon" out there, tough luck for you guys. There will be no Brandon in this game as Jennings will reportedly be out for the Bucks for 4-6 weeks, and Roy is still shutdown for Portland.

Ball Baller of the Day

There were a few candidates, Grant Hill's 30-11 performance, David West's 32 and 9, or Prince's 22-12-8. But today's award goes to...

How the Ball Balls Dropped: Indiana Couldn't Handle the Truth

Celtics (99), Pacers (88)
And the streak hits 13. Pierce did his share of the passing in lieu of Rondo's absence, getting his 7th career triple-double. Since 13 is an unlucky number, does that mean they'll lose their next game? but that next game will be the 14th if ever they win it, so that's not unlucky. It's the whole chicken and egg thing!

Suns (113), Thunder (110)
Looks like the Suns won't need their new trade acquisitions after all. Grant Hill played like it was the "Grant-Hill-drinks-Sprite" era all over again, scoring a season high 30pts, and the Suns managed to eke out a win over the streaking Thunder. Can we suggest a "Comeback Player of the Year" award for the NBA?

Ball Ballin' Preview: Beantown Baker's Dozen?

Not so much to watch out for today. It's either a bad team against a good team, or two bad teams slugging it out. So pick your poison folks.

Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
Basically the only storyline for the day, as the Celts try to go for their 13th straight victory. Rondo will be out, and the Big Shamrock is still questionable for the game, which means more Erden and Nate. Expect this to be  a close one as Indiana is known for upsetting the top teams in the league.

Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma Thunder

First game of the Suns after the blockbuster trade. Though Carter, Gortat and Pietrus might not be suiting up for the Suns yet. With Nash questionable from the stinger he got the last game, the Phoenix starting line-up could be Dragic-Dudley-Hill-Warrick-Lopez. Happy Holidays Arizonans.

BALL BALL TIME!

It's time! Oh yeah! I'ts finally time! Better yet, it's Ball Ball Time!

Welcome ball ballers! It's your master ball baller Manong Jinnobili, finally starting this ball ball blog. We'll tackle everything around the world of hoops, particularly the NBA, though I will try to put in a few local basketball action from time to time.

Be sure to check out the site daily, as I will try to put in as much as I can, from on-court action, trade rumors and off-court drama, to fantasy hoops, and many more. I will also preview each game daily, and hand out the "Ball Baller of the Day" to the player with the best performance.

Also, I made a personal challenge to myself, giving out predictions for NBA spreads each game, and I'll be sharing with you my personal score sheet, and will be asking for your comments, your takes regarding which spread is too high, or which one is totally off.

Hopefully I'd be able to get other editors for this blog, but as of now, Manong Jinnobili is all you have folks. Please do comment, and give out suggestions for segments, and the likes that you'd like to see.

Looking forward to the rest of this season with all of you ball ballers. Rest assured, this is gonna be a ball ball!