LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are ready for NBA restart. (Getty Images)

Basketball is back. It may not be the usual games we’ve been accustomed to, but it’ll have to do.

The NBA and its partners have created a unique bubble plan, setting up shop at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.,where 22 teams will be participating in an AAU-type environment. The bubble plan has daily COVID-19 testing and strict policies about entering and reentering the Orlando bubble. When players arrived in the sprawling campus at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex, they quickly found out nothing will be normal about this restart.

Yahoo Sports writer Chris Haynes gave an insider’s perspective on life in the NBA bubble. Teams have designated hotels and food is brought to players’ rooms. There is a “snitch line” that makes sure everyone is following COVID-19 protocol. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases, was impressed with the $170 million program. It is the most comprehensive plan from all the major sports leagues dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. If this bubble plan bursts, we might as well cancel the rest of sports for 2020. If it works, you’ll see other leagues implement a similar program. It’s a copycat league.

There was some unfair chatter of a possible asterisk next to the team that wins the 2020 NBA championship. Yeah, there will be an asterisk. But it’ll say this: * Won championship despite going through the most difficult road of any NBA team in history. No home court advantage. No crowds. Giant video monitors serving as backdrops. Practices held inside a ballroom. Plenty of social distancing. And oh by the way, if a player is infected with the coronavirus, they’ll need to be quarantined.

The coronavirus pandemic halted the NBA season for five months. That’s equivalent to an entire offseason. There will be rust. There will be fitness issues (remember Shawn Kemp after the 1999 strike). There will be upsets. There will be missteps. This is a season unlike any other. Buckle up, folks. It’s going to be crazier than Mr. Toad’s wild ride.

The favorites: L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks

The Lakers, Clippers and Bucks were head and shoulders above the rest of the competition when the sports world shut down on March 11. Fast forward to July following a four-month layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic and the three teams favored to win the NBA title are … drum roll, please … Lakers, Clippers and Bucks. So, basically nothing changed.

The Lakers were probably the team that was most affected by the COVID-19 shutdown as they were coming off huge wins against the Clippers and Bucks days before commissioner Adam Silver hit pause on the 2020 season. The lethal combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis make the Lakers a difficult matchup for anyone. Offensively, the Lakers have the NBA’s most efficient offense. LeBron has been the Lakers catalyst even at the advanced basketball age of 35. But LeBron is no ordinary baller. In year 17 as a pro, LeBron averages 25 points per game and leads the league in assists (10.6). His offensive game was rounding into playoff form in March. The Lakers did take a hit defensively with the loss of lockdown perimeter defender Avery Bradley, who decided not to participate in the bubble plan. The loss of Bradley leaves a huge void in the backcourt as head coach Frank Vogel will be forced to shuffle his backcourt rotation and may have to give minutes to Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith. Waiters was cast aside by the Miami Heat while J.R. hasn’t played in a meaningful NBA game since 2018.

The team most equipped to handle the Lakers in a playoff series is the Clippers. Reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard wants nothing more than to ruin the Lakers party, become the undisputed king of L.A. and validate his position as the best player in the world. The Clippers have the deepest roster among the 22 teams in the restart. The only question mark(s) is on-court chemistry. Paul George is still rounding into shape coming off surgery to both shoulders while Kawhi remains under load management protocol. PG and Kawhi don’t have lot of court time together, but when both were in action the Clippers were 24-8. The Clippers owned the third-best offensive rating and fifth-best defensive rating. They also have the best bench in the league (51.5 points per game), led by super subs Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, who could start for many clubs. L.A. also added guard Reggie Jackson and forward Marcus Morris, giving coach Doc Rivers a plethora of options. LouWill and Trez will miss the opening week of the restart, but both are expected to rejoin their teammates when the seeding portion of the schedule concludes. The Clippers are a confident bunch and they’re not worried where they end up in the standings.

The Bucks likely benefitted from the long layoff as they were in a bit of a funk (6-4 in their last 10 games) after the All-Star break. All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a left leg injury during the loss against the Lakers in March and appeared a little fatigued. Milwaukee’s title hopes rest on the broad shoulders of Giannis, who is having an MVP season (29.5 points per game, 13.9 rebounds, shooting 55 percent from the field). He’ll need to be at his absolute best because his supporting cast isn’t good enough to carry him. Good news is The Greek Freak appears to be healthy again. Giannis needs to be special if the Bucks are going to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the face of the franchise.

Contenders: Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics

There is a major logjam of teams in the discussion. Even though these teams are all capable of making a deep playoff run, they have some weaknesses that could be exposed and eventually derail their championship hopes.

Houston is going all-in on small ball, putting Robert Covington (6-8) and P.J. Tucker (6-5) in the frontcourt with guards Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the backcourt. Coach Mike D’Antoni could either look like a genius or he could lose his job. He will lean on his two superstars, Harden and Westbrook, to generate most of the offense. That’s a heavy burden even for a dynamic duo averaging a combined 61 points a game (No. 1 in the league). If one of them has an off night it could be lights out for the Rockets. As an added distraction, you have the Westbrook COVID-19 positive test. Houston, that’s a problem.

Speaking of COVID-19, Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic is also coming off a positive virus test. The good news is Jokic has recovered and looks in fantastic shape, stunningly slim. The Serbian big man was listed at 280 pounds at the start of the season and he appears to have shed at least 25 pounds. Jokic is the linchpin to everything the Nuggets do. The Nuggets will go only as far as Jokic can carry them.

Did anyone say COVID-19? If there’s such a tag as Team COVID, it’s the Utah Jazz. Center Rudy Gobert was one of the first faces of the coronavirus pandemic as his positive test triggered the league-wide shutdown. Guard Donovan Mitchell also tested positive for the virus, and there was a period during isolation when Gobert and Mitchell were at odds. Mitchell reportedly was upset about Gobert’s careless behavior about the coronavirus. Both appear to have squashed their reported beef. But one issue Gobert and Mitchell won’t be able to fix is the absence of Bojan Bogdanovic. The veteran sharpshooter had wrist surgery and won’t be playing in the bubble. Bogdanovic was averaging 20.2 points per game and 41 percent from 3-point range before shutting it down.

If there was team that needed a reset it would be Philly. The Sixers greatly underachieved during the season and almost seemed disinterested. All-Star center Joel Embiid appeared out of shape prior to the pandemic and fellow All-Star Ben Simmons kept teasing us with his new jump shot but kept disappointing us, too. When they are both clicking, Embiid and Simmons pose a lethal 1-2 punch talented enough to save coach Brett Brown’s job. The reboot could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

The Celtics have a budding star in Jayson Tatum, and he could finally have his breakout moment. The one negative for the Celtics is their lack of size. Tatum is the Celtics’ tallest starter at 6-8 and all their rotational players with the exception of Enes Kanter are 6-8 or shorter. Celtics are severely undersized against their two biggest obstacles: Philly and Milwaukee.

Sleepers: Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder

What do the Mavericks, Raptors and Heat have in common? They all have coaches with championship pedigree. The restart will be a sprint, and teams with steady leaders should thrive.

Rick Carlisle, who led the Mavericks to an NBA title in 2011, is one of the game’s best in-game strategists and he has a wonderful chess piece to play with in rising superstar Luka Doncic. The Mavs offense revolves around Doncic. The 2019 Rookie of the Year now has a full two years of NBA experience to process in his super high basketball IQ, and his arrow is pointing way up. In his second year in the Association, Doncic nearly averaged a triple-double (28-9-8). Looks like Luka is ready to make the jump into elite status.

It’s a bit odd to call a defending NBA champ a playoff sleeper, but Nick Nurse and the Raptors have gotten almost zero respect following their stunning win in the 2019 NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors. When Kawhi left for L.A., almost all the basketball pundits left the Raptors for dead. Guess what? The Raptors are still ticking. Paschal Siakam has emerged as a bonafide No. 1 option. Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol have logged a lot of miles, but they are crafty veterans who know how to turn it on in the postseason. Don’t sleep on the team from The North.

Erik Spoelstra hasn’t had much to work with since LeBron left town and Dwyane Wade’s skills started to fade. This year, Spo has a boatload of talent. With Jimmy Butler leading the way, third-year player Bam Adebayo emerging as the secondary star, role players Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson and rookie Tyler Herro all gaining confidence by the day, Miami has a young, hungry squad looking to put some serious heat inside the Orlando bubble.

Billy Donovan may not have a NBA championship ring, but he does own two college basketball championship plaques when he led the Florida Gators to back-to-back NCAA tournament titles in 2006-07. With the departures of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Paul George, Donovan can freely coach the Thunder without having to worry about hurting a superstar’s ego. And he has a veteran leader in point guard Chris Paul to help him guide a young and energetic squad that will be a tough out.

Stephen Curry and Harrison Barnes ended Golden State’s title drought in 2015. (GETTY IMAGES)

There are 30 teams in the NBA, but realistically speaking there are only a handful of teams capable of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.

If you’re a fan of the Sixers, Kings, Lakers, Nuggets, Nets and Hornets, it’s probably safe to book that reservation to Las Vegas or the Caribbean in June.

Sure there are plenty of contenders for the championship, such as the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls. But these teams have major questions that’ll ultimately lead to their downfall during the knockout stages.

The Rockets are a wonderful offensive team, but can they make enough stops on the defensive end when it counts? The Grizzlies are a fantastic defensive team, but can they score enough points? The Hawks have a well-balanced team, but do they have that superstar to close out games? The Bulls have all the pieces to win in the playoffs, but can Rose stay injury free?

OneManFastbreak.net examines the five teams, in no particular order, with the best shot at winning the 2015-16 NBA championship.

Cleveland Cavaliers — LeBron James came within two games of ending Cleveland’s decades-long title drought. LeBron posted historic numbers during the NBA Finals, but even his superhuman effort wasn’t enough to beat the Golden State Warriors. LeBron is more than capable of lifting a team to the Finals, especially in the weak Eastern Conference, but he needs help to finish the job. The Cavaliers have the roster to compete for a title. The only roadblock at this point is health. Kevin Love missed nearly the entire playoffs because of shoulder injury, and the Finals might have had a different result had Kyrie Irving not gotten hurt on a freak knee-on-knee collision with Klay Thompson. Love appears to be healthy, while Irving is on schedule to return in January (or sooner). The Cavs have one goal in mind and that’s win a title, and Las Vegas oddsmakers love the Cavs this season. Anything less than The Chip would be a major disappointment.

Golden State Warriors — The Warriors had one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. They finished the 2014-15 regular season with the best record. Stephen Curry was named the league MVP. And the Dubs capped off their storybook season by capturing the franchise’s first NBA title since 1975. Steve Kerr made this coaching gig look real easy by expertly navigating his team through the playoffs without a hitch in his rookie season. His second season, however, if off to a rough beginning. Kerr has taken a leave of absence after undergoing back surgery during the summer.

Steve Kerr won a title in his first season as coach. (GETTY IMAGES)

Luke Walton takes over as the interim coach, and he’ll be tasked with the keeping the ship on course until Kerr returns. Walton shouldn’t have too much to worry about because the Warriors still have the best roster in basketball. Curry and Thompson are now walking around with championship swagger, and Draymond Green is $82 million rich after inking a five-year deal. Until someone knocks them out, the Warriors are wearing the championship belts and the road to the title goes through the Bay Area.

San Antonio Spurs — Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford pulled off the biggest stunner during the offseason when they acquired the top prize in the free-agent market. LaMarcus Aldridge’s arrival in San Antonio opens up two avenues. The Spurs hop back on the fast lane to the NBA Finals and it also sets them up nicely in the future when Tim Duncan decides to hang up the sneakers for good. Duncan turns 40 next April, but he doesn’t look like a guy who is ready to dip into his retirement savings. The Big Fundamental signed a two-year extension for a modest $10.4 million. That’s quite a major discount for a first-ballot Hall of Famer and arguably one of the 10 greatest players in the history of basketball. It just shows Duncan’s commitment to winning. He may not be the player he was 10 years ago, but he’s still a very effective player on both ends and remains the heart and soul of the Spurs.

Oklahoma City Thunder — If there is anyone who has something to prove this season it’s Kevin Durant. After playing in a career-low 27 games in 2014-15, the man with the Twitter handle @kdtrey5 is on a mission to show the world he’s back to reclaim his most valuable player status. Durant’s return only bolsters an already formidable Thunder lineup. KD and Russell Westbrook form the best 1-2 scoring punch in the league, two unstoppable scoring champs who can take over a game at any moment. The challenge for first-year coach Billy Donovan is to find a way to unload some of the burden off KD and Westbrook, something former coach Scott Brooks wasn’t able to do. Donovan, an accomplished college coach, made two smart moves after his hiring. He brought in Maurice Cheeks and Monty Williams as assistant coaches, and he’ll lean on those two as he adjusts to the rigors of an 82-game NBA schedule. The Thunder’s title hopes largely depend on how quickly Donovan can convince Durant and Westbrook to buy into his program.

Los Angeles Clippers — The Clips went from title contender to borderline playoff team then back to being title contenders in one bizarre week in early July. The DeAndre Jordan drama that unfolded during the free-agency period was something straight out of an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Once the L.A. smog cleared up, Jordan remained a Clipper and the Dallas Mavericks must have felt like a jilted GF. With Jordan back in the fold, the Clippers have what it takes to compete for a championship. They also added big-game performer Paul Pierce to help fix some of the problems that has plagued the team the last two postseasons, such as blowing leads in the fourth quarter. The window of opportunity for Chris Paul is closing fast. It’s now or never for the All-Star point guard, who has never reached the conference finals in his career. CP3 and the Clips hope to put up a real banner at Staples Center instead of those ridiculous giant selfies.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant put on a show for basketball fans in the Heat-Thunder game on Jan. 29. (GETTY IMAGES)

There is little doubt that Kevin Durant and LeBron James are the two best players on the planet. So, heading into Wednesday night’s showdown in Miami, much of the buzz surrounding the Heat-Thunder matchup was the showdown between the reigning MVP against this year’s leading MVP candidate.

When the smoke cleared from Durant’s smoldering fingertips, it was the Thunder that came out on top, 112-95, in what could be a preview of the NBA Finals.

“It could be my last game every time I step on the floor, so I gotta give it my all,” said Durant, who extended his 30-plus scoring streak to 12 games as he scorched the Heat for 33 points, 23 of them coming against arguably the best one-on-one defender in the league in LeBron.

James had 34 for the game, but was only 2-for-6 from the field when guarded by Durant.

”It would have been fun to clear the court and watch them go 1-on-1,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks told The Associated Press.

During a stretch in the third quarter, Durant and James looked like they were playing one-on-one on the blacktop.

After James scored on a powerful drive, Durant came back with a 3-pointer. James scored on a pull-up jumper, Durant came back with another 3-pointer.

It was seemingly a game of “Can you top this?” And both were thoroughly enjoying it.

”Rucker Park, that’s what was going through my head,” Durant said, referring to the legendary New York City basketball playground where he scored 66 points in a game during the summer of 2011. ”It was fun. … I’m sure the fans got what they wanted to see with that one.”

“He’s a tremendous competitor,” Durant said of James. “I love playing against him.”

James was more disappointed in the Heat loss than getting worked by Durant, but he welcomed the challenged. ”It’s fun competition,” James said. “It’s been a while since I was able to do something like that.”

Durant is well on his way to claiming his fourth scoring championship. But you know a bigger title is on his mind, and he may have to go through LeBron to claim it.

For the first time in 16 years, Kobe Bryant won’t be playing on Christmas Day. (GETTY IMAGES)

This wasn’t how the NBA schedule-makers envisioned Christmas Day.

When they pitted the Lakers and Heat, they had visions of LeBron James going head-to-head with Kobe Bryant at Staples Center. Instead, they’ll likely get LeBron versus. . . . Wesley Johnson?

When they pitted the Bulls and the Nets, they had visions of Derrick Rose crossing over Deron Williams at Barclays Center. Instead, they’ll settle for Williams versus. . . . D.J. Augustin?

When they pitted the Spurs and the Rockets, they had visions of James Harden pulling the Euro step on Euro step king Manu Ginobili. Instead, Ginobili could be Eurostepping . . . Francisco Garcia?

And when pitted the Thunder against the Knicks, they had visions of a scoring duel between Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. Instead, the crowd at Madison Square Garden could see Durant versus . . . Iman Shumpert?

Bah, hambug!

Unfortunately for the league, injuries are playing tricks on them. The injury bug bit Rose (torn meniscus, out for the season) and Kobe (knee fracture, out six weeks) hard, while Harden and Anthony are game-time decisions because of  sprained ankles. That’s two former league MVPs definitely out, and possibly the reigning scoring champion and former sixth man of the year missing from the NBA Christmas showcase.

The Knicks star left Monday night’s win against the Orlando Magic, and Mike Woodson told ESPN radio that the team will closely monitor his status.

“We got to weigh it out,” Woodson said. “He came in and got treatment today and he’ll get treatment through probably the evening and then tomorrow when he wakes up and comes in we’ll have to assess it at that time.”

The Lakers may have the worst luck when it comes to injuries. Aside from Kobe’s broken bone in his kneecap, Steve Nash has only appeared in a handful of games due to nerve damage to his neck. His two backups, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar, are also out. Blake is dealing with a torn ligament in his elbow, while Farmar has a bad hamstring.

Mike D’Antoni is so fed up with the injuries he told Lakers Nation to follow another ballclub. He later apologized for that temporary lapse in judgment.

The sprained ankle monster nearly swallowed LeBron. But league honchos David Stern and Adam Silver can rest easy because The King isn’t expected to miss the Heat’s game in L.A. If LeBron were to miss the Christmas Day game, the NBA might was well cancel the rest of the schedule.

On a much, much, much smaller scope, J.J. Redick will miss the Clippers-Warriors matchup. Had to throw that in there to keep the theme going. Good news is, the Splash Brothers, Chris and Cliff Paul, Blake Griffin and the Griffin Force are all healthy so the nightcap could live up to the hype.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Thunder star Russell Westbrook was reportedly irate with Rockets guard Patrick Beverley for the questionable play he made during Game 2. (GETTY IMAGES)

Houston guard Patrick Beverley just became public enemy No. 1 in Oklahoma City for an unnecessary play he made during Game 2 of the Thunder-Rockets series that resulted in a potentially playoff-damaging injury to Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder’s second-leading scorer and the sixth-best scorer in the NBA will have surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee and be out indefinitely. General manager Sam Presti won’t speculate on the timeline for his return until after the procedure was done.

This is devastating news for the Thunder, who are the top-seeded team in the Western Conference and favored to return to the NBA Finals. But without Westbrook, arguably the most dynamic player in the game, Oklahoma City’s title hopes are thrown out the window. It came as a surprise to the Thunder when the team arrived at the practice facility Friday that Westbrook, who hasn’t missed a game dating back to high school, would be out.

The injury occurred with six minutes left in the second quarter of Game 2 when Westbrook crossed halfcourt and just when he was about to call timeout Beverley, a feisty guard who plays with a little bit of an edge, lunged at the ball and his hip struck Westbrook’s right knee. Westbrook knew right away there was something wrong, as he slammed the scorer’s table in frustration and stared at the Rockets bench looking for Beverley.

Beverley called Westbrook’s injury “unfortunate” and claims he had no intention to hurt the Oklahoma City guard.

“Anyone who knows me knows I don’t go out there and try to hurt anybody,” Beverley told USA Today. “I play at one speed and that’s fast. I was just trying to make a play on the ball before they called a timeout and it’s just unfortunate.”

Beverley can defend his actions all day long, but it doesn’t let him off the hook. The play was totally unnecessary and absolutely dirty. Westbrook told Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski that he was “irate” with Beverley, and he has every right to be upset. Beverley just cost him his season, and changed the entire complexion of the NBA playoffs.

If you watch the video closely Beverley lunged right at Westbrook’s knees, which is a big no-no in any sport. You could say that Beverley was simply playing hard, and it was one of those plays that has happened hundreds of times. A player walks the ball across halfcourt, goes near the bench, then calls timeout. But in this case, Beverley went a little too far.

Charles Barkley called it a “dirty” move and totally uncalled for, and Barkley was absolutely right. Beverley is a young player who was definitely trying to get under Westbrook’s skin. He wanted to show Westbrook that he wasn’t going to back down, and he was willing to do just about anything to get an edge and get Westbrook’s attention. But Beverley overstepped his bounds when he went too low and took out Westbrook’s legs.

What goes around, comes around. Beverley better watch his back the rest of this series.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Want proof? How about the end-to-end speed he flashed in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets. Twice!

At the start of the game, Westbrook grabbed a rebound at the 11:21 mark and took off like a world-class sprinter. By the time he got to the rim on the other end for a layup the time on the game clock showed 11:17. If you do the math, that’s four seconds.

For an encore Westbrook pulled off another four-second layup in the third quarter. With 5.6 seconds and the Thunder leading the Rockets by double digits, Westbrook took an inbound pass from Kevin Durant near the free throw line and three quick dribbles later he was at the rim for a layup, blowing past Patrick Beverley in the backcourt and juking Chandler Parsons in the frontcourt. It took Westbrook a mind-boggling four seconds to score the buzzer beater. And he made it look easy.

Westbrook is without a doubt one of the best athletes in the world, and Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley says he could probably play in the NFL if he wanted to or compete in the Olympics in track and field. Mike D’Antoni authored a book “Seven Seconds or Less” when he was the coach of the Phoenix Suns. Imagine Westbrook in D’Antoni’s offense in Phoenix? D’Antoni would have had to change the title to “Four Seconds or Less.”

Watch Westbrook fly down the court in this highlight video:

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant need to be at their absolute best for Oklahoma City to advance past the first round because former teammate James Harden will be highly motivated. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Western Conference is like an episode of “The Avengers.” It was action packed all season, and you had to be there at the end to get the full story.

Oklahoma City and San Antonio are the top two seeds, but both enter the playoffs with some question marks. The Spurs hobble into the postseason with a gimpy Tony Parker and gimpy Manu Ginobili. Parker was enjoying a MVP-type season before ankle and leg injuries derailed his season. Ginobili has been in and out of the lineup all season and he just returned from his hamstring injury. Then, in a very un-Spurs-like move, the team released veteran forward Stephen Jackson a week the before the playoffs start.

The Thunder have stayed relatively healthy all season, but they’re facing a different challenge this postseason. Anything less than a trip to the NBA Finals will be considered a failure in Oklahoma City, and the pressure falls squarely on the shoulders of four people: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Scott Brooks, and Sam Presti.

For Oklahoma City to win the title, Durant and Westbrook need to be great. They can’t be just OK. Also, Brooks will have to figure out a way to clean up the Thunder’s issues on defense, and Presti is praying that the James Harden gamble won’t blow up in his face.

Here’s how the West playoffs will unfold:

FIRST ROUND
(1) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS. (8) HOUSTON ROCKETS
This is the worst possible first-round matchup for the Thunder. The Rockets can match the Thunder shot for shot and, oh by the way, Houston has James Harden. Remember him, Thunder fans. Harden will be extra motivated to be his old pals Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and what a boon would it be for Harden to knock off his former team out of the playoffs. This series could easily go seven games and it’s a good thing the Rockets don’t play defense because that’s about the only saving grace for OKC. Prediction: Thunder in 7

(2) SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS. (7) LOS ANGELES LAKERS
For the first time in the recent history of this epic showdown between the West powers, the Spurs won’t have to deal with Kobe Bryant in the series. That’s good news in San Antonio because Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are both hurting. It evens up the playing field. The first two games of the series will tell a lot if this matchup will go the distance. If the Spurs jump out to a 2-0 lead, then the Lakers could go home early. But if the Lakers somehow earn a split in San Antonio, then the Spurs better prepare for a long series. Magic Johnson has already predicted a Lakers win over the Spurs. That’s bad news for the Lakers because Magic has never been good at making forecasts. Prediction: Spurs in 5

(3) DENVER NUGGETS VS. (6) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Talk about your track-meet series! The Warriors love to play fast, but the Nuggets play faster. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson love to rain threes, but the Nuggets love to score points in the paint. Injuries to key players will play a huge factor in this matchup. Golden State has no shot if center Andrew Bogut doesn’t play. But if Kenneth Faried’s bum ankle keeps him out, then this series is up for grabs. Both are excellent home teams with superb home crowds. Denver has been nearly unbeatable at the Pepsi Center, and that should be enough to advance. Prediction: Nuggets in 6

(4) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS. (5) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
In a rematch of last year’s epic seven-game series, the Grizzlies trot out a new lineup to try to exact revenge on the team that sent them home a year ago. The Grizzlies believe they have a better team entering the playoffs because volume shooter Rudy Gay is now in Toronto, and Zach Randolph is now the No. 1 option. The Clippers will try to push the tempo, while the Griz will try to slow it down and pound it inside to Randolph and Marc Gasol. The key matchup lies at the point where Mike Conley goes head-to-head with All-Star guard Chris Paul. Whichever point guard plays better will see their team advance. Prediction: Clippers in 7

The play started when Russell Westbrook blocked Stephen Curry’s layup. Durant corralled the rebound and dribbled down the length of the court. He threw down a thunderous dunk at full extension, then pretended to slice his throat and crossed his hands in prayer.

Durant added more fuel to fire when he called the move “kill ’em and pray for ’em” when reporters asked him to describe the gesture after dunking on Golden State rookie forward Draymond Green. In today’s hyper-sensitive era when everyone tries to be politically correct, the gesture was a bit over the top and totally out of character for the normally low-key Durant. Watch the play:

Durant finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to help the Thunder regain the Western Conference’s best record with a 116-97 victory over the Warriors. Durant admitted someone urged him to get a little nasty to send a message to the rest of the league as we get closer to the playoffs.

”It’s nothing against the team I’m playing against,” Durant said of his animated moves. ”Come out with a mindset and be friends after the game.”

Before everyone goes crazy over the “throat slash” gesture Durant gave after his monster dunk let’s not forget who Durant is. He is deeply religious and doesn’t have a history of being a jerk. He plays with a lot of passion, and although the throat slash was a bit over-the-top it is not a reflection of what type of person Durant is.

”When I said killed them, I mean our attitude was straight focused, laser-focused, ready to play every possession, locked in on every possession at both ends,” Durant said.

Kevin Durant soars above the rim for a spectacular slam dunk against the Clippers. (GETTY IMAGES)

At one point during the second half of the Oklahoma City-L.A. Clipper showdown at Staples Center Tuesday night, Clippers TV analyst Mike Smith said “Kevin Durant looks like he’s on a mission.”

What was supposed to be a matchup of the two best teams in the NBA — although the Clippers were shorthanded without their leader Chris Paul — turned into a one-sided affair when Durant simply took over the game and seemingly made every shot he took in the second half en route to another 30-point night.

The Thunder cruised to an impressive 109-97 road victory thanks to Durant’s 32-point performance, including five of six 3-pointers. Durant keyed a 3-point barrage over a four-minute span in the second half, making three of them himself while Westbrook added one and Ibaka had another to extend the Thunder’s lead to 99-82 – their largest of the game.

Durant punctuated his incredible night when he crossed over Matt Barnes at the top of the circle and then exploded to the basket, soaring over Lamar Odom for a vicious slam dunk to make it 101-85. Watch the play:

“We knew Chris Paul was out, but we knew Eric Bledsoe was playing well,” Durant told NBA TV. “We didn’t want to take them lightly without Chris Paul. They’re bench is so great, we just want to come out and play hard.”

Durant added: “I just had to slow down and figure out how the defense was playing me. They did such a great job of trapping me on pick-and-rolls, loading up on the side I was on. I just tried to be aggressive.”

NBA TV’s Chris Webber asked Durant how a player like him, who is nearly 7 feet tall, can handle the ball and shoot the ball so well.

Durant responded by saying it’s all practice.

“It’s all about repetition every single day. It may get boring but I keep working on the same things everyday. I get good shots up, work on my ball handling, and work with my coaches everyday. And watch film because half of this game is mental. You have to know how teams are playing you.”

Work on your jump shot, kids.

Oklahoma City star forward Kevin Durant goes up against Miami Heat MVP LeBron James on Christmas Day. (GETTY IMAGES)

Last June the Oklahoma City Thunder watched the Miami Heat celebrate an NBA championship. Six months later, the Thunder met the Heat again.

The marquee matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant lived up to the hype. James, the reigning regular season and Finals MVP, nearly had a triple-double as he finished with 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Dwyane Wade backed up James with 21 points, as the Heat survived a frantic finish to beat the Thunder 103-97 on Tuesday.

”Felt a little bit like a different month,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told The Associated Press. ”Regardless of what your script is coming into the game, when you play this team, it’s not going to go according to script. They’re too good.”

But on this night, much like last June, the Heat were better.

Durant dropped a game-high 33 points and Westbrook netted 21 for Oklahoma City, but both Thunder stars missed potential game-tying 3-point attempts in the final seconds. Westbrook thought he was fouled on his 3-point attempt and slammed the scorers’ table in frustration when no foul was called.

”It was a great game. I can’t complain,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. ”We could have done a better job of not turning the ball over in the first half. All in all, it was a great game to play and a great game to coach. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out with the win.”

Here are the rest of the Christmas Day results:

L.A. LAKERS 100, NEW YORK KNICKS 94
Playing in his record 15th Christmas Day game, Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback to lead the Lakers to their fifth straight win and 2-0 since Steve Nash returned to the starting lineup. Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks.

Bryant, the league’s leading scorer, has topped 30 or more points in nine straight games.

”If you’re going to play on Christmas, it’s always better to win. Makes it all worthwhile,” Bryant told AP. ”It’s so early in the season to have turned a corner. We have everybody in the lineup and we’re starting to see how we want to play.”

The Lakers improved to 14-14 – 9-9 under new coach Mike D’Antoni – and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home. They returned to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on Nov. 30.

L.A. CLIPPERS 112, DENVER NUGGETS 100
The Clippers remain the hottest team in the NBA, pushing their winning streak to 14 straight which is a franchise record. Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes had 22 and 20 points, respectively, to spearhead a strong game from the Clippers bench.

Chris Paul had 14 points, eight assists, and three steals while Blake Griffin finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists in just 25 minutes of action. The Clippers blew the game open with a 42-point outburst in the second quarter that propelled L.A. to a 67-48 halftime advantage.

HOUSTON ROCKETS 120, CHICAGO BULLS 97
Omer Asik returned to the United Center and had a double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds.

”Omer is a big-time player in the middle,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale told AP. ”Tonight he was blocking shots, getting rebounds, and outletting the ball for us. He’s got a big body and sets wide picks for us. This was a very good game for him.”

James Harden scored 26 points and Jeremy Lin added 20 points and 11 assists for Houston, which had all five starters score in double figures. Chandler Parsons scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 10. Houston has won six of seven.

BOSTON CELTICS 93, BROOKLYN NETS 76
The last time Celtics guard Rajon Rondo played against the Nets, he got into it with forward Kris Humphries and was thrown out of the game to stop his double-digit assist streak. It was redemption for Rondo on Christmas as he scored 19 points in his first full game against the Nets this season to help orchestrate a very impressive road win for Boston.

Rookie Jared Sullinger tied a career high with 16 points and Jeff Green had 15 for the Celtics, who was challenged by their head coach Doc Rivers after their “soft” performance in the previous meeting with Brooklyn. Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez each scored 15 for the Nets, who have lost four of five. The Nets’ high-priced backcourt of Deron Williams (10 points) and Joe Johnson (12 points) were a combined 7-for-21 from the field.