Ep.27: The Kingslayers

Even though they managed to steal a win the previous game against Memphis and thus keep their winning streak alive, The Brotherhood travelled west to face a team famous for defeating the "best" teams: the Golden State Warriors. "The Kingslayers" had defeated twice the Lakers (2nd in the West), the Clippers (1st in the West) and Chicago (3rd in the East). Now they wanted to add another name to the fallen in the Oracle Arena, the hurt Philadelphia 76ers.

They don't have a bad team. Chris Mullin, Brandon Roy, Jerry Lucas, Greg Monroe and Jarrett Jack start every night, and they have bench players like David Lee, Andrew Bogut, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Toni Kukoc and Steve Kerr.

Chris Mullin is the star and leader of
The Kingslayers

The 76ers wouldn't have an easy game at the Oracle. Added to the Warriors' offensive power, this would be the first match without Alonzo Mourning in the floor, as he was hurt in the previous game against the Grizzlies.

The start of the match was an absolute blowout. The Warriors abused the 76ers' poor paint defence, and embraced theirs thanks to Monroe, Lucas and Bogut. Allen Iverson had a good start, scoring 16 points, but the 76ers finished the first half trailing by 10 points.

But then the 76ers began to play a more cohesive basketball. Iverson took advantage of a double-team on him to spread the floor, hitting Holiday, Iguodala and Dell Curry for open threes, as all of them finished the game perfect from beyond the arc.

Soon after the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Sixers took the lead for the first time in the game. And they did their best to hold on to it. With 6 minutes remaining, the Warriors began a run that put the game within 2 points. After a missed layup by Iguodala, Brandon Roy grabbed the rebound and he went off to the other rim. But just when he was about to lay the ball in and tie the game, Jrue Holiday appeared out of nowhere and blocked his shot with force. The Warriors attemped a quick-two from the inbound, but they missed it.

Now having all the momentum, the Sixers finished the task. Iverson scored 39 and handed 12 dimes. Holiday scored 22, blocked 3 shots and made 2 steals. Iguodala scored 21, and the 76ers survived their test win a convincing 8-point win.

Post-Game Stats:

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Zoom In #3 - All-Star Weekend

- Friday

The 2013 All-Star Weekend starts with the always funny Celebrities Game. This year the NBA decided to supress the Rising Stars Challenge, as there is no real rookies other than the players drafted this season, and replaced it with two secured spectacles: first of all, the Free Agents Game, where the players who couldn't find a spot in the rosters before the start of the season face each other and compete for what could possibly become an offer by some teams. To finish the evening, the members of the 1992 "Dream Team" will play together again, and will face the team that won the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.

- Saturday

The saturday will remain unchanged. First of all, the Skills Challenge, with 16 players competing against each other. Then, the Three Point Contest* and to finish the evening, the most hyped Dunk Contest* in recent memory.

* Participants yet to be announced

- Sunday

And finally the All-Star Game arrives. With all the legends who came back and having more than 10 players with legitimate chances of winning the MVP award, this is without a doubt the most expected All-Star Game in the history of the league.

Ep.26: Never Make Iverson Angry, Part 2

Things were once again going right for The Brotherhood. 3 of their last 4 matches were blowouts, and their team chemistry was at an all-time high. However, they would've to engage in another epic battle to keep their 6-game winning streak. Their next rivals would be Penny Hardaway and his Memphis Grizzlies.

Initially, everyone expected Penny to go back to his home in Orlando, where he was praised as the future of that franchise.

"Orlando turned their backs to me. When I was struggling with my injuries, instead of trying their best to help me, they demanded me to keep playing. They did nothing to help me recover, and when it was beyond repair, they just traded me." - Penny Hardaway

Once Orlando's leader, the furious Penny Hardaway moved
to Memphis to lead the team's quest for the championship

From the beginning it was clear that the match would be an unforgiving battle. Both teams traded baskets for a while, with none of them either being able to stablish a solid defence. The fans were prepared for a high-scoring match, as both teams finished the first quarter with 32 points.

The second quarter was completely different to the first. The second units were not as productive as the starters. The offences stagnated but not because of a better deffensive quarter, but because of the low accuracy of the bench players. However, Danny Green nailed an amazing buzzer-beater on Dell Curry to give the Grizzlies a 1-point lead heading to the second half.

During the third quarter, the Grizzlies completely outplayed The Brotherhood. The Sixers started to pile up turnovers while Penny Hardaway, Paul Pressey and Marc Gasol took off. By the quarter's half, they were up by 10 points.

But then something clicked. First was Jrue Holiday, who nailed a contested 3. Then was Dorell Wright, with a corner three. Even though they still were down by 6 points, the Sixers had all the momentum heading to the last quarter.

However, the Grizzlies responded well and the 6-point lead grew to a 12-point lead. The Sixers looked defeated. Although, suddenly Iverson, who "only" had 22 points, made a play and nailed an off-the-dribble shot. Then he hit a corner three. Then he posterized Zach Randolph.

During the game's last 7 minutes, the Sixers went from losing by 12 to win by 5, all thanks to an epic comeback lead by Allen Iverson, who drop 25 points in less than ten minutes. The Grizzlies were completely dried out. The Sixers hold on to their lead and finally, with an Iverson's clutch steal on Hardaway, the Sixers sealed the deal.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.25: Christmas Special

One of the most expected nights of the season finally arrived: the christmas day special. And of the five games that would take place that day, one of those is the Lakers-Knicks duel, a match full of history on both side, with Magic Johnson, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal playing against Clyde Drexler, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed.

The game began and the New York Knicks were the first to throw a punch. They began a 12-2 run within the first 6 minutes of the match, and took a convincing lead thanks to Lou Hudson's great offensive performance. However, Gail Goodrich hit a contested three and only a few seconds later, Elgin Baylor made an amazing poster on Josh Smith. The momentum had changed.

During the first quarter's last minutes and the beginning of the second, Magic Johnson commanded the Lakers' comeback efforts. They managed to bring the game back to a single-possesion game, but then Clyde Drexler made a jumper, then stole the ball and made a fantastic fast-break dunk.

Even though they started the second half losing by 7, the Lakers didn't give up. Antawn Jamison hit a crucial three-pointer over Hudson, and then Shaquille O'Neal made an important block on Willis Reed. Again, Elgin Baylor was the Lakers' most dangerous weapon, as he made 5 consecutive shots, including 3 jumpers, to give his team the lead for the first time in the game.

During the fourth quarter, the Lakers absolutely destroyed the tired Knicks and got away with the victory, important to keep the chase for the Clippers alive. Both Magic Johnson (23-11) and Karl Malone (15-10) ended up with a double-double. Clyde Drexler was the match's max-scorer, with 26 points.

The Knicks' crisis continued with yet another loss, while the Lakers immediately started to prepare their next match, wishing to keep alive their chances at the top spot of the conference.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.24: The Logo and The Rookie

The 2012-13 season would be the first one for the historic Nets on Brooklyn. However, and because of their bad last few seasons, it was really difficult for their management to find legendary players who wanted to play for them. That's why their team mostly has current players, like Brook Lopez, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Lou Williams.

But their first key acquisition wasn't in the free agency, like most of the other teams. It came during the Draft. Terry Washington is a 7'1 athletic center, with an outstanding college career in UCLA. Everyone projected Terry to be selected in the Top 5, until he sustained a horrible injury: in a freak accident, his body completely landed on his wrong-positioned right leg, breaking it almost immediately. Teams were not willing to draft another Greg Oden, so Washington's value plummeted to the second round, being drafted by Detroit and later traded to Brooklyn. But when "Age Away" was announced, the lucky ones were the Nets: although being a rookie, Washington suddenly was again the center who dominated the NCAA.

Having Washington in their roster gave Brooklyn's project a high value in the future, and thus Jerry West and Bob Dandridge signed with them. Doc Rivers and Byron Scott were recluted by "The Logo" and also signed with the team.

Jerry West is the leader of the young Nets team

The Brotherhood wasn't expecting a tough match. The Nets had been in the back of the standings during the whole season. But the Nets caught them by surprise: Bob Dandridge was a nightmare for Andre Iguodala, as he scored 12 points on him only in the first quarter. Iverson had a slow start, so the first twelve minutes finished with Brooklyn up by 6.

In the second quarter, Philadelphia's bench responded well. Nick Young had his best shooting night since he was traded, scoring his first three field goals attemps. Dell Curry also contributed with his 3-point shooting, scoring two in a row in the closing minutes of the half. However, Dandridge and West managed to survive the storm and the Nets still had a 3-point lead.

But from the third quarter onwards, it was Allen Iverson's show. 25 points in 24 minutes, plus 5 assists, helped Philadelphia to recover the lead and to close a match that was closer than what it should've been.

Iverson scored 31 points, Mourning 17, Nick Young scored 13 off the bench, Holiday scored 12 and Iguodala 10. Thaddeus Young struggles with his new found starting spot continued today, as he only scored 8 points in 32 minutes. On the Nets side, Dandridge also scored 31 points. West scored 18, Lopez 11 and Lou Williams scored 10 points off the bench. Terry Washington had a very inconsistent night. He only played 18 minutes and scored 2 points. 

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.23: Flying High

Even though they didn't have a great start of the season, the Atlanta Hawks are one of the fans' favourite teams, mostly thanks to Dominique Wilkins, considered to be one of the most athletic dunkers the league has ever seen.

When healthy, the Atlanta Hawks started Dominique Wilkins alongside Doug Collins, KC Jones, Al Horford and Paul Millsap. However, during the last weeks, many of their players, including Horford, fell victims to injuries. Thus, "Nique" would be alone when his team had to face the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dominique Wilkins came back to Atlanta
to lead the team's efforts to reach the playoffs

The Hawks never stood a chance. The Brotherhood started the game with the objective of putting the game out of reach for the Hawks from the beginning. Even though they had a 10-point lead, Wilkins managed to single-handedly short that disadvantage, finishing the first twelve minutes 5 points behind.

In the second quarter the Sixers' bench totally outplayed Atlanta's. Lead by Dell Curry, who had his best shooting night in the season so far, they outscored the Hawks by 11, as their players were not being effective in the field and were absolutely shattered in defence.

Wilkins came back to the game and with him, the Hawks started a run that cut Philadelphia's lead to single digits. But again Allen Iverson returned to the court and slowly brought back his team's lead. The Hawks won the quarter by 3, but they would start the last twelve minutes being down by 13 points.

And in the last quarter they plummeted. Iverson, Mourning and Iguodala led a 16-2 run, and confirmed Philadelphia's supremacy. The final score was an ashaming 103-75, one of the worst loses for Atlanta so far.

Philadelphia's score was distributed between Iverson (27), Mourning (14), Curry (12) and Iguodala (10), while Wilkins was the only Hawks' player to score double-digits, finishing the game with 30 points but only 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.22: Never Make Iverson Angry

The Philadelphia 76ers slowly recovered from the three consecutive loses. Before their match against Houston, The Brotherhood had beaten Indiana, Los Angeles and Dallas, but no team promised a harder battle than the Rockets, relying on their big-three with Hakeem Olajuwon, James Worthy and Rajon Rondo.

Even though the Rockets had some difficult times at the early stages of the month, they recovered themselves and a victory against Philadelphia would put the team above 50%. This was Houston's best chance, as their rivals were missing an important part of their team: after trying to play through his injury, Serge Ibaka finally gave up and would miss two weeks.

Hakeem is the leader of the new Rockets' squad with Worthy,
Rondo, Doug Christie and former partner Otis Thorpe

From the start of the match, the Rockets were clearly superior. with Rondo controlling the game's pace, Olajuwon and Worthy overcame Philadelphia's defence and gave the Rockets a 7-point advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Brotherhood was unresponsive: they scored only 12 points in the second quarter, and totally succumbed to Houston's offence, lead by an unstoppable James Worthy. But then something finally happened the 76ers' way: Dell Curry nailed a buzzer-beater 3-pointer, and the Sixers would start the second half 17 points behind, but with crucial momentum.

And then the game transformed into an Allen Iverson show. Starting the half with "only" 20 points, Iverson played out of his mind, locking down Doug Christie and absolutely ashaming Houston's defensive efforts. Slowly, Iverson brought the Sixers back to the game: the fourth quarter would start with Houston leading by 9.

Even though the Sixers' coach tried to give Iverson some rest, he insisted: he played the game's last 20 minutes, and slowly reached to a historic performance: 74 points. The Rockets were absolutely dried out and gave up with 2 minutes remaining. The Sixers took the lead and it only grew.

The final score was 117-107, and Iverson's legendary performance was noticed by everyone. It looks like it doesn't matter what. Allen Iverson will win the Regular Season MVP.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.21: The Revenge

Only weeks before, the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers faced each other for the first time in the season. Back then, the Mavericks defied the odds and beat The Brotherhood by six points. But this moment, Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and the others were ready to take revenge.

The five players who started the game for Dallas were the same who a few weeks ago had beaten the Sixers: Mike Conley, Jeff Hornacek, Mark Aguirre, Dirk Nowitzki and Brad Daugherty.

Dirk Nowitzki is the leader of the Dallas' team

The Brotherhood learnt about their previous mistakes, so they tried to hit as soon as possible. And they did: lead by Allen Iverson's efforts, the 76ers finished the first quarter leading by 10, a lead that grew as the match kept going.

The Mavericks tried to respond during the second quarter thanks to their good second unit. Chris Kaman lead the efforts scoring 10 points and grabbing a few rebounds. However, the Sixers' bench reacted quickly and thanks to some baskets made by World B. Free, The Brotherhood went to the half with an 11-point lead.

The bench kept being the Mavericks' best resource. Thanks to "The Matrix", Shawn Merion, the texans were able to bring the game back to a one posession game. But again the 76ers answered, this time lead by the Holiday-Mourning pick and roll.

The great display of offence and the lockdown defence allowed the Sixers to start the last quarter with an unreachable 19-point lead. But Allen Iverson was yet to make his greater impact. In an effort to avenge their heart-braking loss two weeks ago, AI continued to drop 52 points on Hornacek, thus giving the Sixers the definitive 30-point lead.

Meanwhile the Mavericks tried to repeat their strategy of the previous game between them and The Brotherhood, this time they encountered a tightened defence, as their max-scorer was Mark Aguirre with only 13 points. Dirk Nowitzki also had his worst game so far in the season, as he scored 8 points and shot 4-11 from the field.

On the other side, the 76ers also had to make some sacrifices in order to be sure that they would win this game: half of the team did not score a single point, as the 109 points spread only between Iverson (52), Holiday (17), Mourning (16), Iguodala (14), World B. Free (8) and Dorell Wright (2).

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.20: Rivalry

The league had two main forces, one in each conference. In the east, The Brotherhood, with their unselfish style and great talent. In the west, the loaded Lakers, with a "Dream Team" which included Magic Johnson, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal.

Because the Lakers and the 76ers were expected to see each other in the NBA Finals, this match had everybody's attention. No one wanted to miss the opportunity of watching Magic Johnson against Allen Iverson, Karl Malone against Serge Ibaka and Shaquille O'Neal against Alonzo Mourning.

Magic Johnson was the captain and leader of
the Lakers' "Dream Team" with Shaq, Malone, Goodrich and Baylor

But the match was far from what the people expected. Willing to witness an authentic clash of titans, the fans were taken aback by the Sixers' undeniable dominance over the Lakers.

The Los Angeles' team couldn't do anything to stop The Brotherhood. Their offence was completely shut down by the Sixers' deffensive efforts, led by Andre Iguodala's lockdown on Elgin Baylor.

And while the Lakers were struggling to score on the Sixers' deffence, the Sixers were completely destroyed the Lakers' deffence. Iverson scored 34 points, Iguodala scored 13, and Alonzo Mourning scored 12 while grabbing 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile the Lakers' failed misserably against their rivals, the Clippers took this as an opportunity to put even more ground between each other. The Deron-Griffin-Robinson trio won their match and are now 2 games ahead of their counterpart.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.19: Lights On

After losing three games in a row, The Brotherhood felt the pressure of winning their next match in order to avoid a greater crisis. But the rival wasn't easy. After letting their best player, Danny Granger, go away, the Indiana Pacers managed to sign three legends: Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing and Dennis Rodman.

Their starting lineup also features Muggsy Bogues and Monta Ellis, and they have Gilbert Arenas, Roy Hibbert and Grant Hill coming off the bench. The Brotherhood would need a great effort if they wanted to win this match.

Once rivals, Bird, Rodman and Ewing teamed-up in Indiana
looking for another ring

The Pacers hit first with Monta Ellis. Ashaming Jrue Holiday's deffensive capabilities, he scored 12 points only in the first quarter, which ended with the Indiana team leading by 5 points.

During the second quarter, the Sixers team remained unresponsive. This time led by Larry Bird and Patrick Ewing, the Pacers managed to take a 14-point lead going to the halftime. Being dominated in every aspect, it was looking like The Brotherhood would take another loss.

But then Allen Iverson happened. After scoring a season-low 15 points before the half, he scored 32 points and gave all his 9 assists in just two quarters. The Brotherhood slowly returned to the match, and they managed to finally tie the game with 6 minutes remaining in the last quarter.

It was at that moment when Jrue Holiday finally step up. Even though he had finished the first half without scoring any points, during the last minutes of the third and all the fourth quarter he scored 12 points to help Iverson's efforts.

The Pacers couldn't respond in time, and they found themselves in the free throws game, being down by three, hoping for a miracle. A miracle that almost happened, as a Larry Bird's clutch 3-pointer tied the game. Although, Iverson answered quickly with a 3 of his own, which was the only one he scored in the entire match.

In the end was a 3-point differencial. Although losing in almost every aspect, the Sixers defied the odds and took a win out of Indiana. The crisis wasn't over, but ending the losing streak was the first step to return to the winning path.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.18: Into The Darkness

This were hard times for the Philadelphia 76ers. After their win against the Celtics at home, they started a road trip which had really bad results: first, a tough loss in the second game against the Celtics. Then, the second straight loss again the Pistons, this time in a tense low-scoring match.

It wasn't the same scenario for the Bulls though. They won every single match after their loss at home against the 76ers, and they were ready to take revenge. But this time they made themselves sure that nothing could stop them.

Scottie Pippen went off in the games before their
rematch against the Sixers

It was a close game from the beginning. Each time the Sixers scored, the Bulls responded. Every time the 76ers seemed to run away, the Bulls came back. During this time, two players had already step up for their teams: Allen Iverson and Scottie Pippen.

After the half, the match started to become phisical. Iverson struggled with the Bulls' defence while Kendall Gill began to thread the 76ers' chances of winning. During the third quarter, both Gill and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led a 15-3 scoring run, thus entering the last quarter with a 9-point advantage.

The Broterhood's hopes relied on Allen Iverson. Although, the Bulls' defence was forcing Iverson to take contested jumpshots, as the paint was too toughly defended. AI missed four 3-pointers in a row, all of them answered by fast breaks. Slowly, the match slipped away from the Sixers' hands, and the Bulls were closer to the win.

Nothing was enough. Iverson's 33 points, Mourning's double-double, Holiday's 5 assists, Ibaka's 10 rebounds. The Bulls outplayed The Brotherhood and handed them their third straight loss.

Rumours began to spread. Was Nick Young's trade a mistake? Should the 76ers make another trade? Never. These bad games only made the players get closer between each other, and the 15 of them were ready to another battle: Larry Bird's Indiana Pacers.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.17: Defending Home

Less than a month ago, the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers clashed in what was one of the most intese games so far. And that's why the whole league was excited for the rematch between Bill Russell and Allen Iverson, this time in Philadelphia.

After an amazing performance in the first game against the Celtics,
Iverson was ready to repeat that 57-point game

The Brotherhood dominated the start of the match. The Iverson-Iguodala connection proved to be deadly for the Celtics' defence. After scoring 20 points combined in the first quarter, the Sixers were leading by 9 points.

The visitors tried to respond. Their bench unit, lead by Tayshaun Prince and Dennis Johnson, brought the game back to a one possession game. But the Sixers' bench again managed to "stop the bleeding." Lead by World B. Free, the team tied the quarter 24-24 and kept the 9-point advantage alive.

With the starters back on the court, the Celtics vanished again. Chris Paul was left alone against the Sixers' offense, and sooner than later, the home team had a 15-point lead. Although, Paul Pierce and Chris Paul scored four consecutive 3-pointers, giving the visitors a chance to win the game.

However, Allen Iverson again step up in the last quarter, scoring 19 points in 12 minutes. The Celtics' efforts to contain the 76ers were in vain, and they gave the game up with around 5 minutes left in the last quarter. Iverson completed his 42-point performance. Iguodala ended up with 20 points and Alonzo Mourning scored a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The third match between the two teams would be only 24 hours later, this time at the TD Garden. This could be the Celtics' last chance to prove the world that they weren't a bust.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.16: The Return

Although they had won four of their last five games, something was wrong with the 76ers' squad. Yes, they enjoyed great chemistry, as all their stars were playing with only one objective in mind: the Finals. Although, the management though that something was missing.

A consistent problem with the team was their 3-point efficiency. Although having great long-distance shooters like Jrue Holiday or Dell Curry among others, the management was thirsty for a 3-point specialist. And they found him: although risking to affect their team chemistry, they decided to trade George Lynch to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for sharp-shooter Nick Young.

Former Wizards player, Nick Young was enjoying a lot
of minutes with the Wolves after Jerome Kersey's injury

Destiny wanted that the first match of Nick Young with a 76ers jersey was against the Timberwolves. The Minnesota team was struggling to win as an important player of their team, Jerome Kersey, was still injured. All the weight of the team's offence fell on Gerald Green and Jason Kidd. Nick Young would come off the bench, but the other player involved in that trade, George Lynch, would be a starter, since now he was the Wolves' best available small forward.

The match was a blood-bath. Allen Iverson instantly took the lead of the 76ers' offence. He was absolutely unstoppable. When the first half ended, AI had played 19 minutes and had scored 41 points. Because the match was already out of range for their rivals, Iverson wouldn't return to the game.

The bench took the relay: Dell Curry scored 12 points, Thaddeus Young socred 10 and JJ Barea scored 7 on a season-high 14 minutes. However, Nick Young struggled to produce in his new team and only scored 5 points in 11 minutes and shooting 2-4 from the field.

On the Timberwolves' side, only Gerald Green and Aaron Gray enjoyed a good game. Mitch Richmond finished with a season-low 10 points, Chase Budinger had one of the worst matches in his career, as he shot 3-9 and 0-3 from the 3-point line, and Jason Kidd ended up with no points after he missed every single one of his six field goals attemps. In his first game with the Wolves jersey, George Lynch only scored 4 points in 22 minutes after missing 3 of his 5 shots.

For The Brotherhood, only time would tell if the decision of trading away Lynch would be a success or not, but for the time being, they had to focus in their next match against the Boston Celtics.

Post-Game Stats:

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Ep.15: A Clash of Kings

Probably last summer was the best for a Chicago Bulls' fan, when a medical lab announced the release of "Age Away." This could mean that the team's current star, Derrick Rose, could recover quickly from his last injury and that he wouldn't need to sit out for the entire season. But it also meant that probably the best player of all time, Michael Jordan, would return home.

Well, not exactly. Although the Bulls retained Rose and signed Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan turned down Chicago's offer.

"It was difficult for me to turn down the offer they (the Bulls) made me. I have to be honest, I would give everything to play one more day with that jersey, but at the same time I have some unfinished business. Ten years ago I promised a ring for a city, a ring that I couldn't bring. Thus, this season I'm going to play for the Washington Wizards" - Michael Jordan

With "The GOAT" out of the team, another member of "the olympus of basketball" wanted to join the Bulls: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Not willing to return to Milwaukee, nor sharing team with Shaquille O'Neal in Los Angeles, he signed for the Chicago Bulls and instatly formed one of the most feared teams in the league.

Once a rival, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the new
hero of the Windy City

However, their start of the season wasn't as good as they were expecting: first, some chemistry issues, and then the lack of bench depth, made really difficult to the Bulls to win some important games, and because of that they were 5th in the Eastern Conference by the time they had to face one of the best teams in the league: The Brotherhood.

It wasn't the best moment for neither of the two teams. Although winning their previous match against the Bobcats, "The Brotherhood" still had some doubts about their bench after the poor performance most of them displayed in the humiliating loss against the Mavericks. In the other hand, the Bulls were returning home after a disastrous road trip, in which they lost 4 out of 5 games.

The match started and from the first play it was clear that this could be one of the best face-offs of the season. Both teams traded baskets for a while, until the Bulls managed to begin a 16-5 run near the end of the second quarter, relying on Kendall Gill's explosiveness. The match headed half-time with the Bulls leading by 7.

But then, the 76ers' defence readjusted and all the responsibility of leading the comeback fell on Iverson. And he didn't dissappoint: 33 points in 24 minutes, plus 2 rebounds, 7 assists and a clutch steal to Kendall Gill, that lead to the play that tied the game.

With 5 minutes to go, the game looked as if it could go to overtime. However, World B. Free came in for Jrue Holiday and lead the team's final effort: thanks to his energy, the tired Bulls' defence fell apart and, with less than 2 minutes remaining, they were down by 5. They tried to come back, but it was too late: after the free-throws game, the Sixers won the game by 7.

Post-Game Stats:

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Month Review #1 - October/November

The league's first month of action has ended and a lot of teams are experiencing a lot of different scenarios. Some are clear title contenders, as others struggle to find chemistry in teams full of stars but without a good relationship.

The Monster

Although they aren't the team with the most talent, the Philadelphia 76ers are reassuring their nickname of "The Brotherhood" night in and night out, as they display an excellent and unselfish basketball, where the one who takes the shot it's not the best player, but the one who is open.

Allen Iverson is having an MVP-worth season, as he is by far the highest scorer in the league, averaging 34.1 PPG and 7.3 APG, while leading the Sixers' 15-2 record. This is no surprise, as his partners Alonzo Mourning (12.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG), Andre Iguodala (12.2 PPG) and Jrue Holiday (11.5 PPG and 4.4 APG) are all averaging more than ten points per game. They also have a huge production coming off the bench, as World B. Free is averaging 7.4 PPG at 12.4 MPG. Also Dell Curry is averaging 4.2 PPG at 7.2 MPG.

Los Angeles: The Dream City

Los Angeles is having one of its best years in basketball, as both the Clippers and the Lakers are leading the Western Conference. Taking a lot by surprise, the Deron Williams-Blake Griffin duo is proving to be deadly for a lot of teams, and they lead with a 14-2 record, 1 game ahead of the 13-3 record of the Lakers' "Dream Team."

The Clippers not only rely on Griffin and Williams' production, because their recently-signed star David Robinson is also playing amazingly. The Clippers' big-three averages 45.7 PPG, 18.9 RPG and 10.4 APG.

For the Lakers' "Dream Team" it's not going as well as they expected, but their stars are slowly clicking and are playing better game after game. Their max-scorer still is Elgin Baylor, who averages 19.4 PPG. Shaquille O'Neal is their max rebounder, with 8 RPG. Also, Magic Johnson is averaging 12.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 6.8 APG.

The Pursuers

Although standing right now 3rd and 5th in the Eastern Conference standings, the two teams that are most likely to stop "The Brotherhood" are the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bulls are lead by a dreamt Big-Three with Derrick Rose, Scottie Pippen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Derrick Rose is averaging 16.3 PPG and 6.7 APG, while Abdul-Jabbar is having a near-double-double season, as he right now averages 14.5 PPG and 9.3 RPG. Kareem also averages 1.1 SPG and 1.5 BPG while shooting 50% from the field.

The Cavaliers are lead by LeBron James and his unlimited energy: playing 27.6 MPG, he averages 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.9 BPG while shooting 49% from the field and 37% from behind the three-point line. Kyrie Irving and Larry Johnson are the main supporters of the team, as they average 14.7 and 13.5 PPG respectively.

The Disappointments

Although we're only one month into the league, both the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors are running out of time for doing something to solve their current problems.

The Spurs are dead last in the Western Conference, with a 3-15 record, and the Raptors stand second-to-last, with a 5-12 record that is half a game better than the Bobcats' record, the worst of the conference.

No one can find out why these teams are such a failure. The Spurs start Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker every night, the three of them accompanied by Kawhi Leonard and Tyson Chandler. They also have Gerald Wallace and Vinny Del Negro coming off the bench. The big-three is averaging 38.5 PPG, 13.2 RPG and 11 APG but they just can't defeat their opponents.

Same history with "The New Lob City." Even though their five starters are averaging more than 10 points per game, their lack of bench depth have catched them quickly and they don't seem able to turn the situation around. Also, their three big stars are not getting along very well, as they often battle for who will have the ball in the important moments of the game. Since mid-november they've been looking for a trade, but they haven't made any yet.

Trades

The first trade of the season came on 6th of November, when the Detroit Pistons agreed to trade Josh Smith and Charlie Villanueva to the New York Knicks for Amar'e Stoudemire (who was having problems with Knicks' legend Willis Reed) alongside Kurt Thomas and a couple of draft picks.

Then, the Mavericks traded away Danny Ainge for Grizzlies' player Tony Allen because the former was complaining about his lack of minutes. Nate Robinson also was complaining to the Pistons' management for his lack of playing time, and he was basically given to the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the Pistons only recieved in return Ish Smith and two Draft picks.

The same day, the Spurs did their first move in order to turn around their disastrous season, as they traded starter Stephen Jackson to Charlotte in exchange for Gerald Wallace. However, the latter didn't fit very well in the Spurs' structure and is now a back-up for new starter Kawhi Leonard.

Finally, the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics agreed to exchange Tayshaun Prince and Jason Terry, as both teams felt that this exchange could give each other a better back-up for their positions.

Injuries

Only days before the end of november, Steve Nash took a contested lay-up and, when he landed, he sprained his knee. This was the first important injury of the season, and only a day after the lab responsible for "Age Away" released a statement saying that from then on, some players could get injured. It was confirmed later that Nash would be out of the courts for a month.

On November 29th, Willis Reed went down with a thigh contusion, which though is not preventing him to play on restricted minutes. A far more important injury caught Jerome Kersey, former Blazer and starter for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he sustained a corneal ligament tear during a training and will be out for 6-8 weeks.

League Leaders

- Points

1) Allen Iverson (76ers), 34.1 PPG

2) Larry Bird (???), 19.6 PPG

3) Elgyn Baylor (Lakers), 19.4 PPG

4) Michael Jordan (Wizards), 18.5 PPG

5) Moses Malone (Blazers), 18.0 PPG

- Rebounds

1) Dwight Howard (Magic), 11.1 RPG

2) Moses Malone (Blazers), 9,5 RPG

3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Bulls), 9.3 RPG

4) Otis Thorpe (Rockets), 9.1 RPG

5) Bill Laimbeer (Pistons), 9.1 RPG

- Assists

1) Allen Iverson (76ers), 7.3 APG

2) Steve Nash (Suns), 7.1 APG

3) Penny Hardaway (???), 7.0 APG

4) Derrick Rose (Bulls), 6.7 APG

5) Terry Porter (Blazers), 6.4 APG

- Steals

1) Tim Hardaway (???), 2.1 SPG

1) Mike Conley (Mavericks), 2.1 SPG

3) Chris Paul (Celtics), 2.0 SPG

4) Jason Kidd (Timberwolves), 1.9 SPG

4) Michael Jordan (Wizards), 1.9 SPG

- Blocks

1) Shaquille O'Neal (Lakers), 2.3 BPG

1) David Robinson (Clippers), 2.3 BPG

3) Tyson Chandler (Spurs), 2.2 BPG

4) Marcin Gortat (Thunder), 1.9 BPG

4) Dikembe Mutombo (Nuggets), 1.9 BPG

Standings

- Eastern Conference

1) Philadelphia 76ers, 15-2

2) Miami Heat, 11-4

3) Chicago Bulls, 9-6

3) Orlando Magic, 9-6

5) Cleveland Cavaliers, 10-7

6) Atlanta Hawks 8-6

7) Indiana Pacers, 9-8

8) Brooklyn Nets, 7-9

9) Washington Wizards, 6-8

10) Boston Celtics, 7-10

11) Detroit Pistons, 7-11

12) New York Knicks, 5-10

12) Milwaukee Bucks, 5-10

14) Toronto Raptors, 5-12

15) Charlotte Bobcats, 4-11

- Western Conference

1) Los Angeles Clippers, 14-2

2) Los Angeles Lakers, 13-3

3) Oklahoma City Thunder, 12-6

4) Utah Jazz, 11-7

5) Portland Trail Blazers, 10-7

6) Minnesota Timberwolves, 8-7

7) Memphis Grizzlies, 8-7

8) Houston Rockets, 8-8

9) Golden State Warriors, 8-8

10) Denver Nuggets, 8-9

11) Dallas Mavericks, 7-10

12) New Orleans Hornets, 6-9

13) Phoenix Suns, 5-12

14) Sacramento Kings, 4-12

15) San Antonio Spurs, 3-15