The Denver Nuggets locked up one of their key pieces in forward Danilo Gallinari with a four-year contract extension worth around $42 million. This has become a key move for the Nuggets, who currently sit in second place in the West with a 13-5 record (winning five straight), and many are positioning Denver amongst the conference’s best.

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Though Gallinari and Love (who signed to his own extension on Wednesday) have been secured for the near future, a number of other teams have gambled without agreeing to new deals with some significant players. Here’s a look at some fourth-year ballers who will become restricted free agents come the offseason.

• Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets): The Hornets offered Gordon a chance at a four-year extension, but he decided to decline that offer after seeking a deal for five seasons. Gordon was suppose to become New Orleans’ star of the future, but injuries have limited him to just two games this season. It looks like Gordon will test the markets come the summer, and if the Hornets continue to struggle, the four-year guard might ship out of town for somewhere more intriguing.
• Ryan Anderson (Orlando Magic): Arguably the most improved player in the NBA this season, Anderson is put in a unique situation. While the Magic would like to extend Anderson – who is averaging a career high in points (16.8), rebounds (6.8) and three-point percentage (42.2%) – they’re still waiting on the details of Dwight Howard’s future to unfold. If the Magic get rid of Howard at some point as expected, look for Orlando to get a deal done with Anderson shortly after.
• Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers): Hibbert has transitioned into one of the East’s best centers this season, averaging a double-double with 14.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, to go along with a field goal percentage of 53%. However, Hibbert was left without an extension, but the feeling is there wasn’t a rush to get a deal done. The Pacers will look to secure the big man long term come the offseason.
• O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies): There were talks of trading Mayo, but he’s still a Grizzlie at this moment. He’s coming off the bench this season, and although his numbers have decreased heavily from his rookie season, he remains a vital part of the team. Should Mayo want to crack a starting lineup once again and collect a heavier paycheck, he could possibly look at other options during free agency.
• Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets): Another part of the Dwight Howard-fiasco that can’t be secured because of a blurry future. In hopes of adding Howard at some point, the Nets don’t want to commit to Lopez. Should they not be able to grab Superman, hopefully it’s not too late to grab Lopez in the offseason. If he goes elsewhere, the Nets are in big trouble.
• D.J. Augustin (Charlotte Bobcats), Michael Beasley (Minnesota Timberwolves), Robin Lopez (Phoenix Suns), Nicolas Batum (Portland Trailblazers) and Javale McGee (Washington Wizards)

Credit: http://www.nba.com/heat/

Check out more photos of Ashley, a member of the Miami Heat dance team, right here.

Credit: http://fullcourtpumps.com/

In the end, both sides got what they had hoped for. The Timberwolves lock up their biggest star in Love for at least the next three years. Love gets the money he was looking for from Minny, and although he didn’t get the five years he hoped for, the opt-out clause gives him some leeway on his options down the road. If he feels the team is not progressing over the first three years, or he simply wants to ship out of town, Love now has that option.

The signing wil keep Love in a Timberwolves uniform for the foreseeable future, surrounding a roster full of young, raw talent. Ricky Rubio, who was drafted in 2009, is officially a rookie this season and is transitioning from the international game exceptionally well, averaging 10.7 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per contest. Derrick Williams – the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft – is playing well as of late, scoring double-digit points and at least seven rebounds in his last two games. Along with Michael Beasley and a slew of other young talent, the Timberwolves could be looking like the Memphis Grizzlies of 2010-11.

Love, who transformed his body in the offseason, is undoubtedly worthy of the new deal. He has increased his point averages in every season, and currently sits fourth in the NBA in scoring at 24.9 points per game. His rebound totals dropped from 15.2 boards a game last season to 13.9 this year, still good for second in the League. Not too shabby, and there’s still plenty of time to boost that average. MVP caliber play? Without a question.

Double-doubles have become a norm for Love, but Saturday’s contest against the Jazz was his first all season without a double-double. With the thoughts of those heavier paychecks out his head, he’ll be looking to start a new streak tonight against the Dallas Mavericks (that was a total joke, K. Love isn’t all about the benjamins).

Bosh scored a staggering 17 of his game-high and season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter for Miami. He also grabbed sevn rebounds in the 92-85 victory.

The two squads were tied at halftime, 37-37, before the Heat took the lead for good in the third period. Shane Battier’s three-pointer at the 7:01 mark in the third put Miami up 50-49, and the Heat never trailed after that bucket.

Despite shooting 50% (34-68) from the field and out-rebounding the Heat 33-29, the Cavs were at a disadvantage in the free throw category. While Miami shot 88.5% (23-26) from the strike, Cleveland went to the line just 17 times and made 11 of those opportunities.

James struggled against his former team, notching just 18 points on 8-21 shooting. He missed three of four free throws, and despite notching five rebounds and five assists, James committed five turnovers for the Heat.

Kyrie Irving continues to be a bright spot for the rebuilding Cavs. The rookie from Duke scored a team-high 17 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Samardo Samuels added 15 points and five rebounds. Anderson Varejao notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Heat are right back in action tomorrow night against the Detroit Pistons (4-14), while the Cavs will welcome the streaky New York Knicks (7-10) on Wednesday as well.

Some bullets from a lively NBA season…

• A busy Friday night most likely had many people miss out on Kevin Love’s buzzer-beater over the Clips. 
• For the fantasy heads, Marcin Gortat has been ripping the stat sheet lately, averaging 14 points and 9 boards this season.
• Sixers are ranked 3rd in scoring this season, averaging an uncharacteristic 101 points a night. They suffered that tough 4-point loss in overtime against the Nuggets last Wednesday, but bounced back with their 11th win of the season over the Hawks.
• NBA’s worst records? Wizards hold this spot with a 2-13 record to start the season. Charlotte, Detroit and New Orleans just have three wins to this day.
• The Knicks continue slipping with a recent loss against the Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings was able to tear up the sloppy New York defense with 36 points and five dimes.
• Lastly, the streaks: The Houston Rockets have won their last five, and so has Memphis. The Raptors are suffering a 7-game losing skid, while the Hornets have dropped their last five games.

Credit: http://www.nba.com/sixers/

With the Philadelphia 76ers off to such a hot start, we’ll give the honors to Kerri of the Sixers’ dance team.

Credit: http://www.nba.com/kings/

Anabelle is a member of the Sacramento Kings dance team.

That answered turned out to be yes, as Bryant poured in 42 points, with 31 of those coming after halftime. The Black Mamba hit 14 of 28 shots and shot 12-14 from the free throw line.

Credit: nbcsports.msnbc.com

Despite scoring nearly half of the Lakers’ points, however, the Clippers came out on top with the 102-94 victory. It was the first time in the past four contests that the Lakers were on the losing side of the scoreboard when Bryant toped the 40 points.

The Clippers led from the opening tip and rushed out to a 10-point first quarter lead on a number of occasions. They finished the second quarter to score the last five points and held a 13-point margin at the break, which turned out to be even too large for even Bryant himself to claw his Lakers back.

The Lakers never held a lead in the game.

In the first matchup between the two L.A. squads, much of the hype also surrounded around Chris Paul. Paul was first scheduled to join the Lakers in the shortened offseason, only for that trade to be rejected by the NBA. Paul was later dealt to the Lakers’ next door neighbor in the Clippers. Rightfully so, both the Lakers and Paul were out to show up the other in the building the two teams share.

Tally one for CP3 over the Lakers early in the 2011-12 campaign. Paul finished the game with 33 points on 12-22 shooting, including 3-4 from three-point range. He also notched six assists, four rebounds, three steals and just one turnover.

Not everything turned out to be a fairy tale ending for the Clippers as the final score indicated though. Paul hobbled off the court with just minutes to play in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. It looked as if an apparent hamstring injury was what kept Paul in discomfort after connecting on a late mid-range jumper.

Blake Griffin was sensational as well, posting 22 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for the Clips. Chauncey Billups added 19 points in the victory.

For the Lakers, both Andrew Bynum (12 points and 16 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (14 points and 10 rebounds) posted double-doubles.

Things don’t get much easier for the Lakers as they’ll host the 2010 NBA-champion Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Bryant will look to reach the 40-point plateau for the fifth consecutive game.

The Clippers will host the New Jersey Nets on Monday as well. Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m., and the court will be transformed to purple and yellow for the Lakers’ game just hours later.

• To start off, it’s crazy to have the NBA back… Tonight’s marquee match ups on TNT will be a must-watch. The Miami Heat could potentially be without Dywane Wade tonight, as his status remains uncertain heading into gametime. LeBron James fared well last night without his sidekick, ending up two rebounds short of having his triple-double. His final line against Indiana, without Wade read: 33 points, 13 assists, 8 boards, 2 steals.
• Most importantly, NO three-pointers taken. I mean, we’re talking about LeBron here, the 6-foot-8 superstar that would settle for the spineless three pointer with the game on the line, in the playoffs… He’s made it clear he’s going to dominate the paint, and continue taking the ball to the hole. Not to mention, those newfound post-moves are beginning to resonate.
• The Blazers have looked superb on both sides of the floor this season, their 4-1 start makes fans feel slightly better about the retiring of their former All Star guard Brandon Roy. Felton remains as the ballsy sparkplug that keeps this team’s high-motor running. Portland is nearly unstoppable in their home court, and still have a load of talent in LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Wes Matthews.
• The Lakers seem like a whole new team with the return of Andrew Bynum. The young giant center has helped the Lakers maintain a defensive presence. Still the team remains winless when playing away from home, making tonight’s match up an important one to grab. The scoring-minded Bryant is coming off a 37-point night against Houston, look for him to continue his attack mode against Portland.
• Here’s the link to cast your vote into this year’s All Star ballot. All of the special events such as the three-point contest, dunk contest, skills challenge, etc. will take place this season in Orlando, with the All Star game taking place Feb. 26th.
• Some quick notes regarding the ballot: eight Pacers are featured to choose from. Rubio, Love (must vote) and Beasley have all made the ballot following their surprising start. Come to think about it, there’s a lot of trifecta’s featured in this ballot, from the Spurs to the Warriors. One trifecta that didn’t make it to the Ballot were the Raptors’ (Bargnani, Calderon and DeRozan).
• And finally, some notable records of the week: Chicago Bulls (6-1), Miami Heat (6-1), Washington Wizards (0-6), New York Knicks (2-4)… It’s still an early (shortened) season.

Nothing captures the emotion of basketball more than the last second buzzer beater. The drama and emotion behind the final moments of a close game could draw anyone into the sport of basketball. All of the unforgettable shots, reactions and miracles in the league have led us to create a ‘live’ post that will continue to add some of the league’s best buzzer beaters and moments from time to time.

Clutch Moment: Jordan’s Last Shot as a Bull

One of the most recognizable moments in NBA history begins with Michael Jordan’s final shot in the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. It was the perfect way for Jordan to close his tenure as a Chicago Bull; with five championships already won, Michael kept true ice in his veins to earn his sixth ring. It’s difficult to put this moment into words, from Bryon Russell’s frustrated and confused reaction, to Jordan’s iconic freeze after drilling the shot—this is what the NBA is all about.

Clutch Moment: Kobe nails two clutch shots against Phoenix in ’06 Playoffs

One word that comes to mind when thinking about Kobe Bryant is lethal. He’s a killer. He portrayed that venom on two occasions against Phoenix – one to tie the game in regulation and one at the buzzer in OT. You remember the story…but here’s a clip to refresh your memory of Kobe’s heroics nearly five years ago.

…many more to come.