A 37-point, third quarter outpour led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 108-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

This spring, the Pistons will not make the playoffs for the third consecutive season – the first time that’s happened since the mid -1990s. It pains me to write it, but by the next the Pistons enter the postseason it will have been (at least) five years since their last playoff win in 2008.

For the second time in as many nights, the Indiana Pacers relied on a strong second half to clinch a victory.

On a night when ninety-percent of New Orleans was probably watching the Saints’ NFL playoff game against the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Mavericks took on New Orleans’ basketball team in a potential get-well game after an absolute thrashing in San Antonio at the hands of the Spurs two nights ago. As is always the case with a tough loss, the Mavs were eager to get the bad taste out of their mouth by performing well in their next game.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder continue their 66-game, lockout-shortened season, it is becoming very apparent that James Harden is the NBA’s best sixth man.

New Jersey had their way from beyond the arc (15-31) and Toronto wasn’t aggressive in cleaning the glass which allowed New Jersey to score 28 second chance points. Throw in the 21 points New Jersey scored off of Toronto’s turnovers and it was a messy game for Toronto.

We’re only six games into the season and already the attitude on the defensive end has undergone a seismic shift. Toronto has ranked at the bottom of the NBA in team defense for the past two seasons, but so far this season Toronto is holding teams to 91.5 points per game (seventh in the NBA) and holding teams to a .398% shooting percentage (first in the NBA). A vast improvement from last season when teams averaged 105.4 points (26th in the NBA) and .483% from the field (16th).

While the hot stove was simmering, Houston was cooling down with a sub-par team. Why? As it stands today, and presumably, for the rest of the season (just as the last two unfolded), the Rockets are in the NBA’s no-man’s land: mediocrity.

While getting wins is always the first priority, the Mavs’ second focus is finding their mid-season form as fast as they can. That includes Rick Carlisle, who is inching closer and closer towards deciding on a rotation that he is comfortable with. Monday’s win over the previously unbeaten Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Mavs their confidence back, but it’s about finding consistency with that confidence and running with it during this shortened season.

DeMar DeRozan’s confidence levels are soaring higher than his vertical jump. And, an in ironic twist, his newfound confidence and swagger has very little with his ability to attack the rim. Instead, it has to do with his newfound stroke from beyond the arc.