Dwyane Wade punched his teammate Michael Beasley in the chest in Miami’s game against Atlanta a few days ago, prompting Beasley to go for 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Wade explains:

“‘The main thing, of course, was the punch in the chest made headlines,’ Wade said of the blow he hopes still stings Beasley entering tonight’s game at Charlotte. ‘But the main thing that hit home with Michael is that I said, ‘I need you.’ I need him. Hearing me say that really set home for him. We really all need Michael to be a player. That’s what he’s gotta start doing.’” … “‘Hopefully, he gets it,’ Wade said. ‘If he don’t, we’ll still try to make him get it, because we believe in him. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t try to say nothing to him. But we’re on him because we know how much potential he has. I can’t keep (punching him), because one time, he’s going to hit me back. Y’all seen his hands?’”

[H/T to Dime Magazine]

Kobe Bryant has now put together the clutchest season in NBA history, surpassing Carmelo Anthony’s record of five go-ahead buckets in the final 10 seconds with his sixth game-winner of the season in the final 10 seconds last night against the Toronto Raptors.

The very franchise Kobe torched for 81 points four years ago, Bryant burned at the buzzer last night.

Bryant entered the fourth quarter with 18 points on the night, with his Lakers trailing 84-81. With seven minutes left, now down 94-91, Bryant hit a 21-foot jumpshot to kickoff his fourth quarter scoring campaign. Two possessions later, Bryant drew a shooting foul, stepped to the line and knocked both freebies down. Following a Hedo Turkoglu miss, Bryant would come back down the court and knock down a 16-foot jumper to tie the game at 96. After an Amir Johnson turnover and a media timeout, Bryant got to the line again and again put both in the hoop, this time giving the Lakers a two-point advantage.

After the four minute mark, only four field goals were made by either team. A nine-foot, beautiful running jumper for Kobe (after two free throws on the previous possession) to put LA up 104-100 with 2:45 left in the game.

Derek Fisher, Turkoglu and Bryant would all miss shots on the next few plays, setting up Toronto with a chance to get back in the game with a minute left, down just four. Andrea Bargnani would finish inside with 1:09 left in the game with the dish from Chris Bosh to make it a two point game. When Toronto got the ball back, they would have one of the ugliest possessions of the game. With 45 seconds left in the game, Jose Calderon missed a wide open three from the wing. Bosh followed that up with a missed tip shot, but Jarrett Jack was able to pull down the O-board. Now with 41 seconds left, the Raps reset the offense and gave the ball to Hedo Turkoglu on the left wing. Turkoglu, a man who became familiar with these situations last season, would get past his man and get a good path to the hoop. But instead of drawing a foul on Lamar Odom, Hedo uncharacteristically passed it off to who he thought was Jarrett Jack, only to have Derek Fisher pick off the pass and get fouled.

Fisher rainbowed both of his FT’s in, giving the Lakers a four-point lead with 30 seconds left. Toronto would call a timeout and respond with a beautiful inbounds play that ended up with Calderon going to the basket for a very quick lay-up, cutting the lead to two (106-104, Lakers) and giving Toronto the option of not fouling on the Lakers’ next play. The Raptors started off in a regular defense, which I thought was a trap to get the ball out of Fisher’s hands, and it worked. Lamar Odom ended up with the ball and Toronto rushed to foul him.

Lamar hit the first, ensuring that the Lakers would not be losing at the buzzer, but missed the second, giving Toronto the chance to tie. With 19 seconds left, what Toronto ran is still a blur to me, but they ended up having Chris Bosh taking a 26-foot three with a few guys around him, but not contesting his shot. He swished it. After making six of his first six three-point attempts on the year, then missing his next 10, Bosh had now made two in this game, this one undoubtedly being the biggest of the season.

But it was just a tie game. Which gave the Lakers a free chance to win the game. They didn’t need to rush it because they weren’t down and they didn’t have to worry about free throws because they weren’t up. And when live hands you a chance to win the game at the buzzer, there is noone better to give the ball to than Kobe Bryant.

With nine seconds left, the Lakers inbounded the ball to Pau Gasol. Gasol waited for Kobe to get a little space to catch the ball and then delivered the ball to Bryant. Kobe caught on the right wing with about six seconds left with Antoine Wright on him, jab-stepped, took two dribbles towards the baseline and rose up with Wright’s hand in his face, faded back as Bargnani came over to help contest, and buried the game-winner from 20 feet.

It was a thing of beauty.

Bryant finished with 32 points on efficient 11-of-20 shooting from the field, getting his jumpers to fall late, hitting his free throws and getting to the lane when the Lakers made their surge in the third period. Kobe also had six rebounds and six assists.

While the Lakers should not have required Bryant to bail them out tonight, Kobe came through once again in crunch time to will his team to victory. Thanks to a more inspired second half, Los Angeles was able to snap its three game losing streak and start a winning streak that could last awhile with teams like Phoenix (the only quality squad for a week or so, but they are beatable), Golden State, Sacramento, Minnesota, Washington and San Antonio coming up on the schedule.

The Milwaukee Bucks are going to compete this year. Not for a title, but they will win a playoff series. In fact, as I have been saying for a week or so now, they will be beating these very Celtics in a first round series if they play them and they will give the Hawks a run for their money if that’s who they draw.

They have all of the major pieces required to be a successful playoff team now that John Salmons has joined the club. A game-managing point guard with explosive offensive capabilities, a defensive stud in the post that blocks shots, has a nearly complete offensive game and does all of the little things, a 18-20 points per game scorer that can light it up and can be the designated crunch time guy if the situation occurs, a pair of bench players that bring energy, passion and their own unique offensive abilities, and a proven veteran who plays with his knowledge of the game and a lot of desire.

It’s not a championship contender, but its a piece away from being one. It might be a big piece, but its just one piece.

And as of late, whether or its the hair or just him, Brandon Jennings has given this club a mental edge.

The Bucks aren’t just an intriguing story that will be fun to see in the postseason,  Jennings has given them a bit of swagger. The way he taunted Mo Williams into a three-of-17 shooting performance and the way he cursed up a storm against one of the most hated teams in the entire league gave the impression that the Bucks are not going to succumb to the pressure of the playoffs and will instead puff out their chests and fight. And if they beat you, they won’t let you forget it.

Now, onto this game in particular.

Andrew Bogut dominated the C’s inside. How’s 25 points, 17 rebounds, and four blocks against a top defensive team sound to you? It sounds good to me. Perfect in fact. 10-of-18 shooting for Bogut and a nasty dunk on Glen Davis that made me get up out of my chair.

One of those energy guys is Carlos Delfino and, despite some health issues, Delfino produced at a good rate, scoring 19 points, grabbing eight rebounds and knocking down five triple’s. Carlos is a pretty good shooter from the outside and the Bucks do a good job of finding him when they swing the ball on the perimeter. This game kinda sorta proves the Bulls aren’t a top 10 team in the league, but the more interesting story from this game was the battle between two of the league’s top point guards.

Deron Williams won the match-up, not only with the team W but with his very impressive play. 28 points and 17 assists on 11-15 shooting against another top five point guard is extremely good. Love what he was doing tonight. Attacking the rim, hitting from outside, and he did have a pretty nasty throwdown in Rose’s grill.

Derrick Rose had 25 points, 13 assists and four rebounds himself on 10-of-19 shooting. The loss had nothing to do with him and a lot to do with the completeness of Utah’s roster and the coaching of Jerry Sloan.Not the prettiest of games. Houston shot just 38% from the field and Washington didn’t do much better at 42%. Luis Scola led the Rockets with 23 points and 10 rebounds but did turn it over seven times. Washington’s power forward Andray Blatche had another solid contest, though he took a lot of shots (22) to get 18 points. He added eight boards and five turnovers of his own. This game wasn’t much better, as Orlando is just so much of a better team and they exploited their strengths well tonight. Dwight Howard was a monster, going for 22 points on nine-of-12 shooting, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Dwight was just being the best player on the court for his entire 32 minutes. Baron Davis was the Clippers’ leading scorer, notching 16 points on 15 shots.I have always been a fan of Brandon Rush’s game and while this game wasn’t against the toughest competition, 24 points and nine boards aint bad. Dahntay Jones is a good offensive player. Really. He has a jumpshot. If he would have gotten as many looks as Aaron Afflalo does now in Denver, he could have been putting in 12-14 a game as a starter. Samuel Dalembert dominated the paint for Philly, scoring 16 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. He can be a good back-up center on a contender. Charlotte wrapped up the season series with this win. Miami was up double-digits for a good amount of this game, but big three’s from D.J. Augustin and Raymond Felton in the final quarter get the Bobcats back in it. Dwyane Wade had an open look from the corner for three at the buzzer but it was long.

Sidenote: If you had to pick one team to score under 80 points on any given night, it has to be Miami. Charlotte is a close second, though.A win for Portland. 19 points and eight rebounds for Brandon Roy. I think he is completely healthy at this point, but he hasn’t found his rhythm yet. Once he gets his shots back and starts getting to his spots easier, Portland will look a lot better. Carl Landry had 17 points on seven-of-12 shooting and eight boards.

A statement from the Portland Trail Blazers on their injured center Joel Pryzbilla:

Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla will undergo surgery on his right patella tendon in the next few days.

Przybilla re-ruptured his right patella tendon Saturday morning after slipping in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wis.

He returned to Portland today to undergo an MRI, which revealed the rupture.

Przybilla originally ruptured the tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas. He underwent season-ending surgery on Dec. 24 and was in Milwaukee rehabilitating the injury.

No timetable is available for his return to the court.

There is something freaky going on in Portland.

In August of 2008, the Cleveland Cavalier, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed on a three-team deal that centered around then Bucks point guard Mo Williams going to Cleveland.

Finally, Cleveland had nabbed a scorer capable of complementing LeBron James with alright passing skills and, most importantly, excellent scoring ability from the perimeter. The Cavaliers’ biggest weakness for several seasons was not having a shooter to hang along the wings with James and they had just gotten one for next to nothing (Joe Smith and Damon Jones).

Almost instantaneously Williams looked perfect with the Cavs. Of course, any transition to a new club is made easier when you have likely the best teammate in the game in LeBron, who is also easily the best player in the league when it comes to getting into the lane, which creates several open looks from three a game for his outside shooters.

Williams was now that guy and, thanks to James, he had a career year. After taking a combined 469 three’s in his previous two seasons, Mo took 420 triples alone in the 08-09 season and converted them at a higher rate then any other part of his career, at 43%.

Mo finished the season with a career high 17.8 per game, shooting 47% from the field and 91% from the line, earning him a trip to his first career all-star game.

Everything looked great for Williams at that point. He was on the best team in the NBA, sitting one game ahead of the eventual world champion Los Angeles Lakers by one game at the end of the regular season, while the Bucks were 32 games behind the Cavs in a tie for 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Things took a turn for the worse come playoff time. Williams, who was brilliant all season long, flat out collapsed during the post-season. He shot just 37% from three and 77% from the line, and shot 32% from deep in Cleveland’s four Eastern Conference Finals losses. His regular season was all for none.

***

At first, the Williams trade didn’t get the Bucks any major pieces. Sure, Luke Ridnour and forward Adrian Griffin were nice players, but neither was good enough to be a starting point guard for the future.

However, in the long run, now searching for a franchise point guard, the Bucks were free to draft a young stud with the tenth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. A skinny, tatted, 19-year old that rejected a college scholarship offer to play in Europe until he was eligible for the NBA Draft, Brandon Jennings has been more than most expected for Milwaukee so far this season.

Jennings has been through a pretty up-and-down season from a media standpoint. When he was drafted, Jennings was perceived as a kid with unlimited potential and some attitude problems, which probably came about because he didn’t attend college, was cautious of actually showing up to the draft and had a funky hairdo.

Here’s what I had to say on Jennings in July:

There were a lot of doubts about Brandon Jennings on Draft Night. Some said he was too childish for the NBA while others said he had the highest ceiling in the draft. He likely could have been a top five lock had he decided to stay in the states for a year at a top university, but because he chose to go oversees and play for money, his potential and skills were hidden away and the numbers he would have put up in college were replaced by single digit points and assists.

With a lot of questions about Jennings being unanswered, Brandon chose not to accept an invitation to the “Green Room” on draft night after hearing some whispers that he would fall out of the lottery. Little did he know the Milwaukee Bucks would call his name at #10. Astonished and relieved, Jennings made his way to Madison Square Garden from his hotel room and was announced as the tenth overall pick after the 14th selection was made. This fashionably late appearance didn’t help the cocky attitude that critics had placed on him, but it didn’t matter to Jennings at that point. He was in the NBA and he had a chip on his shoulder. He was ready to make somebody pay.

Then, once Jennings dropped a modern day rookie record 55-points in the seventh game of his NBA career, the media essentially named him a lock for Rookie of the Year (Yes, I bought in, too). Of course, that performance set the standard way too high for Jennings, which shifted the coverage from Brandon to the Kings’ Tyreke Evans and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry.

While Jennings is no longer getting the attention he was during the first month of the season, his play has not dropped off to the extent that the lack of exposure may insinuate. “Young Money” has just embraced a new style of play. Showing advanced maturity for a kid who skipped college, Jennings has acknowledged the fact that it is much better for his team if he distributes the basketball first and takes his shots when they come to him.

So, yes, the drop from 42% shooting from the field in his first month to a 37% shooting percentage on the season and the decline from 22 points a game in November to 16 a game overall doesn’t look impressive but his overall comprehension of the game of basketball has not only made his learning curve a lot shorter, making the possibility of his emergence as an all-around star at an earlier age, but has made his team better.

Let’s revisit an excerpt from my November column on him:

This kid has made the Milwaukee Bucks a watchable franchise, an accomplishment some believed was impossible. On top of that, Jennings might make this team a top eight squad in the East. I know that their 5-3 record is padded because of the teams they have played, but they didn’t win those games in the past. Now they are thanks to Jennings, and this is without their best player Michael Redd.

Now, as we enter the stretch run,  the Bucks are not only watchable but enjoyable and competing in the Eastern Conference. As it stands now, the Bucks are the sixth seed in the playoffs, and while Andrew Bogut has been the most consistent factor all season and the acquisition of John Salmons has added a strong presence offensively,  Jennings has certainly been a huge factor in getting both of those guys involved.

***

To bring it all full circle, I don’t know if Mo Williams will redeem himself this post-season by scoring 30 on the Lakers in the Finals. He just might.

However, after watching Jennings go right at and destroy Mo Williams last night against the Cavaliers and drain three’s over him with swagger (Jennings had 25 points and five three’s while Williams shot three-of-17 and scored just seven points), I wandered to myself if, over the next ten years, Jennings will help get the Bucks further than Williams ever could. And, if the Cavs don’t win or make the Finals and LeBron bolts this off-season, if Jennings could end up having the better career long-term.

Which is ironic, considering the Cavs made the trade for Williams to secure their future even though it might just end up securing the Bucks’ future.

Over the past 48 hours, the Chicago Bears have made three free agent signings, one of which was arguably the best player on the free market.

Veteran tight end Brandon Manumaleuna from the Chargers was signed to a five-year deal to bring a blocking presence to either side of the line. Running back Chester Taylor was signed away from division rival Minnesota to add a pass catching back to fit Mike Martz’s system that doesn’t mind playing a back-up role (as he played behind Adrian Peterson for the past three seasons).

And, of course, their biggest move was inking defensive end former Carolina Panther Julius Peppers to a six-year contract worth $91.5 million.

That’s quite the haul. Though, some may argue that those players don’t necessarily fill any of the Bears glaring holes on the offensive line, at the offensive skill positions and in the secondary, they still have the draft to fill those holes.

However, while the media has hyped the Chicago as the main attraction this free agency in terms of headlines, let’s take a look at what has happened in Arizona. And, when I say with “in,” I don’t mean that many players are coming to town. In fact, most of the action with the Cardinals is of the departing fashion.

To kick things off, a few weeks ago, their quarterback and leader for the past two memorable seasons that included a Super Bowl run one play short of a miracle victory Kurt Warner decided to call it a career at the age 38. Though technically not a transaction, you could call this the addition of Matt Leinhart as he will presumably start next season.

Next, the Cards traded their star wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens for some picks. Here’s what I said about the deal yesterday:

The rift between Anquan Boldin and the Arizona Cardinals has not been the best kept secret over the past two seasons. After Larry Fitzgerald signed a 4-year, $40 million deal in 2008, Boldin got a bit jealous and wondered publicly why he hadn’t received a deal similar to Fitzgerald’s. While he may have had the right to do so considering his production, his constant journey to receive more money and hold outs during the off-season essentially ruined the Cards’ relationship with him.

That move, while a trade not a a free agent departure, kicked off the “Let’s leave Arizona party.”

The latest word before a deal was signed for both linebacker Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle, was that both players were on good terms with the team, especially Rolle, who was released by the Cardinals knowing the team intended to resign him. Both Rolle and Dansby were expected to reach a deal with Arizona in the next few days, in fact.

But, as we found out, that was far from the case.

Dansby was lured over by Bill Parcels and the Miami Dolphins, who released their linebacker acquisition from three seasons ago Joey Porter prior to the signing. Dansby received a five-year deal worth $43 million with $22 million in guarantees. Dansby finished last season with 109 total tackles (good enough for a top 25 spot in the NFL) and anchored the Cards front seven at various points of the season.

The New York Giants would take Rolle off the market. The Giants, who were in the middle of the pack last year in pass defense at 15, gave Rolle a five-year contract worth $37 million in order to secure one of the best safety pairs in the entire league. Rolle, a University of Miami product,  will now be paired with another former Hurricane in Kenny Phillips, who missed all of last season with a hip injury.

You can’t really blame either Rolle or Dansby for leaving. They were both released and now they will be too of the richest players in the history of the league. Rolle’s contract is the highest ever given to a safety and Dansby is now making more money than any other linebacker in the league today.

The Cardinals have tried to mend their holes. They dealt a fourth round pick in this year’s draft and a seventh round pick in 2011 to the New York Jets for hard hitting safety Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes is an excellent safety, possessing top of the line physical toughness and good football instincts, which will help the Cards in what some would call a rebuilding process of their defensive unit.

The off-season is far from over. There is still time for the Cardinals to make up for their loses and put together a roster capable of competing for at least a division title if not a wild card spot (Normally that would be the other way around, but the NFC West is brutal), but when a team loses an all-time great quarterback and replaces him with a 26-year old that has been a complete bust this far and is better known for his looks off the field than on while also losing a key offensive playmaker and two defensive building blocks, it is hard to imagine Arizona playing more than 16 games this season.

The rift between Anquan Boldin and the Arizona Cardinals has not been the best kept secret over the past two seasons. After Larry Fitzgerald signed a 4-year, $40 million deal in 2008, Boldin got a bit jealous and wondered publicly why he hadn’t received a deal similar to Fitzgerald’s. While he may have had the right to do so considering his production, his constant journey to receive more money and hold outs during the off-season essentially ruined the Cards’ relationship with him.

Of April of last season, the Cardinals started listening to trade offers for Anquan, which all but made sure Boldin would be dealt this off-season.

Today, the Cardinals made what has been in the making for a couple of seasons a reality by dealing Boldin and and a fifth round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for a third and fourth round pick in this year’s draft. After the trade was made, Boldin signed a three-year, $25 million extension, giving him four years and $28 million left on his deal.

The Ravens finished the 2009-2010 season as the 13th best offense in the league, and I think it is safe to say that they will easily be in the top 10 and possibly in the top eight after next season thanks to this addition.

Last year, the Ravens were the fifth best rushing team in the NFL with a dynamic duo that featured breakout super star Ray Rice and veteran Willis McGahee. The two rushed for a combined 1883 yards and 19 touchdowns even though defenses had no real passing threat to keep them from stacking the box. Yes, Derrick Mason had a great season, but he isn’t the kind of guy that defenses will double at 36 years of age.

Boldin gives quarterback Joe Flacco,  who has looked very good during his first two seasons in the league a very potent offensive weapon that can catch screen passes, isn’t afraid to run across the middle of the field and is very dangerous in the open field thanks to his combination of size and speed. Though he has had some issues with his hamstrings and you can make the argument that a lot of his success in Arizona came because of an all-time great quarterback in Kurt Warner and a top two wide receiver in the NFL in Fitzgerald (which, I would flip around and say that Fitz got some easier  catches because having Boldin on the opposite side  stopped defenses from cheating over), I think that Boldin will fit in perfectly with the Ravens.

Now Baltimore has a great offensive player at every key offensive position. Last year’s first round pick Michael Oher is a budding star and will anchor their offensive line for year’s to come, Joe Flacco is an excellent young quarterback that continues to get better, Ray Rice is in the conversation as far as the best 10 backs in the league after showing the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and tear it up off the line and now Boldin will be paired with Mason and pro bowl tight end Todd Heap in the passing game.

Oddly enough, this move may signify the shift in power on the Ravens’ squad from being dominant defensively to being a top offensive team in the league. With some of the Ravens key pieces going elsewhere over the past two off-seasons and Ray Lewis getting older every season, this young, and exciting offensive may be what gets Baltimore to the playoffs.

For Arizona, this is the second key loss they have had over the past two months. First Warner retired and now they trade Boldin. I’m not so sure the ideal situation for them is giving Matt Leinhart one primary option in Fitzgerald even though he couldn’t succeed with both of them in town, but Boldin had to go.

Attacking the Boards will be back tomorrow after a bit of a break.