[Izulde]

No trades last month.

Oh, and for all the haters out there, I'd like to point that Jose Calderon has a 5.6 A/TO ratio. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

Tiago Splitter almost singlehandedly carries us to a 113-103 win over Oklahoma City, posting a ridiculous 42 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Hat tip to Xavier Henry's 11 bench points. I love how Splitter's stepped up as our #1 option after Danny Granger's departure.

11 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks from Tiago Splitter in our narrow 100-94 win over Utah. Balanced offense ruled the day, as signified by three players with 14 bench points - Xavier Henry, Ryan Gomes and Timofey Mozgov.

Fans get treated to a 118-115 thriller over San Antonio in our next game. All five starters with 11+ points, keynoted by Jose Calderon's 21 points. Once again, the reserves played a big part, with 14 and 13 points from Timofey Mozgov and Xavier Henry.

The back end is another nail-biter, but we emerge 95-92 winners against the Warriors thanks to Marc Gasol's 18 points and 13 rebounds and 13 and 12 bench points from Xavier Henry and Timofey Mozgov, who have really stepped up their play after the holidays.

No heart stress in a 102-80 home romp versus the Pacers. Tiago Splitter ices Indiana for 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks and Marc Gasol brings the rejections too, with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Xavier Henry scores 14 to lead the second unit and he's becoming a great 6th man.

We finally drop a close one, 86-82, to Orlando. Timofey Mozgov continues his solid play with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Xavier Henry scores 13.

Marc Gasol owns the post with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in our 104-98 win in Houston. Tiago Splitter is right there with him, scoring 22. Eric Bledsoe and Xavier Henry pace the bench with 16 and 10 points.

Bad news in the loss with Eric Bledsoe spraining his wrist so bad he's questionable for the next two weeks. Tiago Splitter's got a minor injury too that could affect his status for a game or two.

We respond by going to New Orleans the very next night and completing a beautiful doubleheader sweep of two excellent teams. It was a 105-103 coronary bruiser that saw Marc Gasol taking charge in Splitter's absence, compiling 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. Xavier Henry keeps his streak alive with 13 bench points.

The Hawks have lost 4 games this month already by the time they play us and we win our umpteenth cardiac game of the month, 99-97. Xavier Henry's streak is finally snapped by a single point, which is sad, but I'd rather the win. Marc Gasol does work with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. Still not worth his massive contract, to be honest, but considering how damned rare worthy bigs are in this league, it was a necessary overpay. He's also been the man these two games.

With all the games we've won this month we should have lost, it's hard to get too mad about our 105-99 drop to the Pistons. 21 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks for Marc Gasol, 11 bench points for Xavier Henry.

All five starters with 10+ points, including Marc Gasol's 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and benchmen Ryan Gomes (14 points), Xavier Henry (13 points), and Timofey Mozgov (11 points), lead us to victory in a 126-113 shootout with Phoenix.

Although Marc Gasol got 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Ryan Gomes and Timofey Mozgov keyed the reserves with 13 and 12 bench points, it was Eutor Taffarel who win his first Player of the Game award in our 110-94 win over the Wizards. Our Spanish rookie matched his career high with 19 points on 7/14 shooting, 5/10 from behind the arc. He also held Gilbert Arenas to 4 of 15 for 13 points, 10.3 below Arenas's season average.

No miracle vs New Orleans this time, the Hornets beating us soundly, 95-85. Only Clipper that didn't stink up the joint was Xavier Henry and his 13 bench points.

So much for Miami mystique. We take the Heat to the woodshed, 121-101, riding balance signified by Tiago Splitter's 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks, and by three bench players with 14 points. Naturally it's the usual suspects - Xavier Henry, Eric Bledsoe, and Timofey Mozgov.

29-15 is awesome, but the Lakers became the Lakers this month and have a half-game lead on us at 31-16. Right now we'd be the 5 seed with home court advantage over the 4 seed Timberwolves as I understand it. It's a little over halfway through the season and we're in very good shape as far as the playoffs go - 6 games in front of the 7th seed Warriors, so even if we regress to what I think is our expected mean, the postseason looks easily in reach.

Atlanta's still the best record at 34-10, but they no longer look otherworldly.