LeBron James hit 16-of-27 shots and three 3-pointers on his way to 40 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in Friday’s win. He didn’t have a triple-double tonight, but this is still one of his best lines of the year. The Cleveland Cavaliers fantasy playoff schedule isn’t great, but LeBron is still the top fantasy player in the league, and should remain so in the playoffs. LeBron said after the game that he tweaked his right ankle, but “hoped” to play tomorrow in Milwaukee.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Dallas: Brendan Haywood failed to score in seven minutes on Friday before leaving the game after his lower back tightened up. Eduardo Najera played 26 minutes in his absence, but had just one points and five rebounds, while Dirk Nowitzki also filled in some at center. Erick Dampier is still out for a week or so, meaning that Haywood will play if he can. Hopefully this is not a long-term injury and he’ll be ready to go for Saturday’s game at Chicago.

Oakland: Corey Maggette returned from a hamstring injury a few days earlier than expected, scoring 18 points in Friday’s loss to the Hawks. He came off the bench and added seven rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting. He played 23 minutes, but we still don’t really trust Maggette.

Toronto: Andrea Bargnani received three skin staples in the back of his head after suffering a laceration in Friday’s game. He finished with nine points, four boards, one block and one 3-pointer on 4-of-15 shooting, but at least returned to finish the game. He should probably be considered day-to-day at this point, but watch for an update over the weekend.

Cleveland: J.J. Hickson started at center again, but was replaced in the second half by Anderson Varejao. Hickson struggled tonight, hitting just 1-of-6 shots for four points and one rebounds in 16 minutes, while Varejao had 16 points and 10 boards on 8-of-10 shooting.

Detroit: Rodney Stuckey had eight points and 10 assists before leaving Friday’s game with some sort of seizure on the Pistons’ bench. A Detroit Pistons spokesman said Stuckey’s vital signs were normal, he was breathing on his own and was conscious at Cleveland Clinic where he was taken after the incident. However, given the fact the Pistons are out of the playoff hunt, and Stuckey’s seizure was termed “violent” on television, it’s possible he could be shut down.

Denver: Kenyon Marting will miss Friday’s game against the Pacers with a partial tear of his left patella tendon, and might need surgery. The Denver Nuggets will use the next 48 hours to decide on a treatment plan, which will include rest and injections, but he very well may need surgery.

Like many NBA teams, the Golden State Warriors are currently in a state of flux. The team, which is based in Oakland and plays its home games at Oracle Arena, was hailed as an up-and-comer in the Western Conference two seasons ago. Since then, they have been up and down, a talented young team capable of pulling off stunning upsets or losing a string of games. In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, the Warriors have struggled to find their place.

Early Years

The Warriors began their existence on the East Coast, as a member of the old Basketball Association of America (BAA). The Philadelphia Warriors were one of the original league members, winning the BAA’s first championship over the Chicago Stags. They boasted one of the league’s stars, “Jumping Joe” Fulks.
In 1959, the Warriors drafted Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, a strong and agile big man who changed the way the game was played. As a Philadelphia Warrior, Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game on March 2, 1962, against the New York Knicks. His single-game scoring record still stands today.

The team moved to San Francisco, Calif., in 1962, and were renamed the San Francisco Warriors. They began playing home games at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in 1966, and in 1971 they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors. To this day, they are the only NBA team whose nickname does not include their home state or city.

Championships

The Warriors have won two NBA championships in their history, one on each coast. As the Philadelphia Warriors, they defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons, four games to one, to win the 1955-56 title. As the Golden State Warriors, they upset the heavily favored Washington Bullets to become the 1974-75 champs. That team was led by notable players like Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes, yet they were tremendous underdogs. Someone forgot to tell the Warriors that; they swept the Bullets in four games.

“Run-TMC”

The Warriors faded into NBA obscurity during the late 1970s and early ‘80s, but a trio of draft picks would put them back into the limelight in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin played so well together, and scored so many points in such a high-flying style, that they garnered the nickname “Run-TMC.” The nickname was a play on the rap group Run-DMC, incorporating the first initials of Tim (Hardaway), Mitch (Richmond), and Chris (Mullin).

The trio played a high-speed, run-and-gun style that flustered many opponents and cemented head coach Don Nelson’s reputation as the mad genius of the NBA. They were the NBA’s highest-scoring threesome of the 1990-91 season. But Nelson, who is known to tinker with his teams even when they’re successful, traded Richmond for Billy Owens and broke up the trio.

2007-08 Season

After upsetting the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2006-07 playoffs, hopes were high for the Warriors in 2007-08. But shooting guard Jason Richardson was traded away to the Charlotte Bobcats for Brandan Wright, and forward Stephen Jackson was suspended for an incident involving a firearm. The team did not live up to expectations and ended up missing the playoffs.

The offseason brought change to the organization. Star point guard Baron Davis opted out of his contract and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Corey Maggette migrated to the Warriors from the Clippers.

2008-09 Outlook

The Western Conference is historically tough, and has gotten tougher with the addition of Pau Gasol to the Lakers, Jason Kidd to the Mavericks, and Shaquille O’Neal to the Suns. Whether Golden State’s off-season acquisitions will allow them to keep pace remains to be seen. But teams around the league know that Don Nelson thrives in the role of underdog. If the Golden State Warriors can make the playoffs, few teams will want to see them in the first round.

The Los Angeles Clippers have long been considered L.A.’s “other” NBA team. The team plays its home games in the Staples Center, just like the Lakers, but they aren’t associated with the same kind of glamour as the Lakers. The reason? Championships.

The Early Years

The Clippers joined the NBA in 1970, under the name Buffalo Braves. They played in upstate New York until 1978. At the end of the 1978 season, the team was relocated to San Diego, Calif., and renamed the San Diego Clippers.

The Clippers had a winning record in 1978-79, posting a 43-39 record, but it would be a while – 13 years, in fact – before they would have another winning season.

After the 1983-84 season, another unsuccessful campaign, owner Donald Sterling asked for and obtained the right to more the Clippers to Los Angeles.

Playoff appearances

The Clippers have yet to win an NBA championship and went an astounding 13 years without even reaching the playoffs. In 1991-92, new head coach Larry Brown led them to a regular-season record of 45-37. The Utah Jazz bounced the Clippers in five games, but things were looking up.

The Clippers went .500 (41-41) the following year, but lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round. The itinerant coach Brown left the Clippers after that season, to be replaced by Bob Weiss. Weiss lasted a season before being fired and replaced by Bill Fitch. Fitch got the Clippers to the playoffs in 1997, but they suffered another first-round loss, to the Utah Jazz.

In the 2005-06 season, led by power forward Elton Brand and swingman Corey Maggette, the Clippers posted a 47-35 record and made the playoffs. They beat the Denver Nuggets in five games to win their first playoff series since their Buffalo days. The Clippers fell to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinal in seven games.

2007-08 season

The 2007-08 campaign was a rocky one for the Clippers. Their woes actually began the season before, when talented young point guard Shaun Livingston dislocated his knee in a gruesome, non-contact injury. Elton Brand also ruptured his left Achilles tendon, putting him out of action for much of the 2007-08 season. As a result, the team was never competitive in the tough Western Conference. They posted a 23-59 record and finished 12^th in the conference. What’s more, after the season, Elton Brand departed for the Philadelphia 76ers and Maggette bolted to the Golden State Warriors.

2008-09 Outlook

With Brand and Maggette gone, and an influx of new players, the 2008-09 Clippers will hardly be recognizable. Point guard Baron Davis signed with the team in July (reportedly under the impression that Brand would stay). Center Marcus Camby was acquired from the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers have also signed veteran scorer Ricky Davis, and drafted Indiana star guard Eric Gordon with the 7^th pick in this year’s draft. With an overhauled roster, head coach Mike Dunleavy has his work cut out for him, especially in the super-competitive West, where the Lakers, Hornets, Suns, Jazz, and Spurs all have their own respective plans to wrest the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy from the hands of the Boston Celtics.