Look What the Bobcats Dragged In

It appears Michael Jordan's sports birthday wish came true (no, not the one where he's a scratch golfer or the one where he's a .300 hitter). The day he celebrated his 49th year on Earth, the owner of the blighted Bobcats saw his team's distinctly unsweet 16-game slide mercifully expire. Game on in Ontario for first-year player Bismack Biyombo, who tallied career-highs in rebounds (13) and blocks (7) against the Raptors. Rookie Kemba Walker, who scored 14 points, said, "It's been awhile (more than a month, as we pointed out in the previous post). We're overdue." Yup, like a late library book.

Unfortunately, as all awful things eventually end, so too do all awesome things, and we must mournfully mention that the Knicks Lin streak is over. Unexpectedly, New York lost at home to the horrid Hornets, owners of the second-worst record in the league, but it wasn't because of a poor performance from Lin. He tied a game-high with 26 points (Amare Stoudemire also scored 26) and added four steals and 5 assists, although he did turn the ball over 9 times. Coach Mike D'Antoni went with a tight 8-man rotation and Lin's teammates were of almost no assistance; Tyson Chandler was the only other Knick to reach double-digits , with 10 points. Contrast that with the Hornets, who had every starter score 12 or more points. We're not Linconsolable about the loss, but we are coming around to the concept that he's not Linvincible after all.

If Carmelo is still sidelined on Sunday, the Knicks might be Lincapable of defeating the Mavs, who are riding a six-game winning streak (second to the Spurs), after erasing a 15-point deficit on the road against the steady 76ers, holding Philly to a stingy 8 points in the third quarter (Dirk Nowitzki made 5 baskets in the third; the Sixers team, 4).

Finally, the third time was the charm for LeBron, as in his contrite third trip back to his old club he amassed a game-high 28 points in just 30 minutes of work, as the Heat burned the Cavs. You could say he put on a clinic in Cleveland. Lin has been the man in Manhattan, but Friday James reminded us why he's the King.