I'm too distraught to write a cold open. Fandom has that effect sometimes. Plus, my writing staff had the night off. Just pretend I wrote a comical paragraph that'll have you slapping your knees for days, fraught with enough cool lingo and jibber-jabber to wonder why I haven't won a Pulitzer, yet.

HOSPITAL WARD

Iman Shumpert suffered a right hip contusion less than a minute into the game and didn't return. The x-rays were negative. I couldn't find any more news relating to the matter, but if he misses time, look for Tim Hardway, Jr to start and J.R. Smith garnering more of the offensive load. The Knicks play the Nuggets on Sunday.

C.J. Miles lasted four minutes before aggravating the calf injury that held him out of the previous four games. That didn't stop him from hoisting and missing two shots, dropping his season average to 25 percent.

Darrell Arthur didn't return to the game with an undisclosed injury after contributing 11 points (5-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), and four rebounds in 14 minutes. I honestly couldn't find more information on the severity or nature of the condition. The Nuggets carry a relatively healthy roster at the moment, so Arthur's absence might cut the rotation from 12 to 11 if he misses extended time.

Kawhi Leonard ducked out early after Kobe Bryant inadvertently swiped him in the face. There was blood. The game was over at that point, so Leonard stayed in the lockeroom with five stitches below his right eye. The Spurs play their fourth consecutive road game in six days tonight, so who knows if coach Popovich sits him as a precaution.

M.I.A

This is the list you don't want to be on.

• Atlanta
  • DeMarre Carroll (groin)
• Charlotte
  • Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (foot)
• Denver
  • Randy Foye (knee)
• Detroit
  • Cartier Martin (foot)
• Houston
  • Patrick Beverley (hamstring)
  • Terrence Jones (leg)
  • Troy Daniels (groin)
• Indiana
  • Rodney Stuckey (foot)
  • C.J. Watson (foot)
• Los Angeles
  • Ronnie Price (suspension)
  • Wayne Ellington (personal)
• Miami
  • Dwyane Wade (hamstring)
  • Josh McRoberts (blister)
• Minnesota
  • Thaddeus Young (personal)
• Milwaukee
  • Khris Middleton (knee)
• New York
  • Amar'e Stoudemire (rest)
• Oklahoma City
  • Andre Roberson (foot)
  • Perry Jones III (knee)
• Orlando
  • Kyle O'Quinn (ankle)
  • Devyn Marble (rotator cuff)
• Philadelphia
  • Alexey Shved (back)
• Utah
  • Rodney Hood (plantar fasciitis)

ROTATION NOTES

Victor Oladipo made his season debut off the bench against the Bucks, donning a clear mask. He missed all of preseason with a sprained MCL, compounded by the facial fracture three weeks ago. He'll need time to work himself back into game shape, but the kid looked swift last night. Coming into training camp, Oladipo claimed to have shed 20 pounds, and it showed. He finished with 13 points (3-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-8 FT), three rebounds, two assists, and one turnover in 25 minutes. With the offseason roster turnover, he'll have to get used to playing with new teammates on the fly, and the face mask adds a level of difficulty to the matter.

So now that Oladipo is back, who loses minutes? I'll have coach Jacque Vaughn give his take:

What I don't want to do is have a predetermined minutes script, and Victor has a lot of rust that he has to get off his game, and basically there's a group of men in the locker room he's never played basketball with. So for us I think that's going to be the thing that we look for the most — not about minutes, but finding a rotation and finding guys who can play together.

There you have it. Coach speak for "I'll play who I play when I play them." Evan Fournier was on the court for 36 minutes last night, Elfrid Payton saw 22 minutes, Luke Ridnour ate up 18 minutes, and Willie Green ran for 19 minutes. If you want a reasonable excuse for Payton's limited minutes, look no further than Brandon Knight scoring 14 of his 24 points (9-17 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT) in the first quarter, getting to the rim with relative ease. Fixating on the schedule, Orlando plays their fourth game in five nights tonight, five games over the next eight days, and nine games (six road games) the rest of the month with no more than one off day in between. Expect quantity over quality for the upcoming rotation.

Dwyane Wade held himself out after tweaking his hamstring against the Pacers two nights ago. I can't tell you how long he'll rest, but I can tell you the Heat play a back-to-back set after one day off. David Lee is facing a hamstring issue of his own, playing a total of seven minutes this season. Others dealing with hamstring injuries include Derrick Rose, Andrea Bargnani, and PatrickBeverley. James Ennis started at shooting guard and played six minutes. It was Mario Chalmers who flourished with a game-high 23 points (7-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 8-8 FT), game-high 11 assists, and one rebound in 40 minutes. Pat Riley said during the offseason that Chalmers would man point guard and shooting guard this season, increasing his value when Wade doesn't play.

Josh McRoberts sat because of a toe blister. Shawne Williams scored 21 points (8-11 FG, 5-6 3Pt), grabbed six boards, and chipped in one steal, block, and assist in 33 minutes. If Wade and McRoberts continue to sit, the minutes and shots will be available.

Enes Kanter played 12 minutes, devoid of injury or foul trouble. I wrote it on Thursday and I'll write it again; you know his defense is atrocious when Quin Snyder plays Kanter fewer minutes than Ty Corbin.

Jason Smith replaced Quincy Acy in the starting lineup. Acy then started the second half. This is the power forward carousel in New York until Derek Fisher decides to rely solely on Carmelo Anthony.

Dion Waiters returned from a one-game lower back induced absence. Prior to the game, he stated, "I'm not missing another game." There you have it, folks. You can now safely leave him in your starting lineup with the knowledge that he'll play the rest of the season, no questions asked. Sarcasm aside, Waiters scored all 10 of his points in the first half, playing just five second half minutes. Props to Joe Harris for stepping up in the fourth quarter, playing all 12 minutes and finishing the game with a team-high positive 24 plus/minus.

Marcus Thornton made his triumphant return. Some even called it much anticipated. After missing one game with a sprained right ankle, Thornton joined six other teammates in double figure scoring, ending the night with 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt), two rebounds, and one assist. Right now, he's stuck behind Evan Turner on the reserve depth chart.

Brandon Davies started over K.J. McDaniels. Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams came off the bench for the second straight game. Noel was limited by foul trouble and Carter-Williams missed the game winning jumper at the buzzer versus the Rockets. Tony "Wrecking Ball" Wroten led the team with 19 points (7-16 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 3-6 FT), eight assists, four rebounds, and one steal in 35 minutes. Quarterback controversy? Who's with me?

Thaddeus Young left the team following the loss of his mother. He'll skip Saturday's game in Dallas and remain out indefinitely. The Timberwolves will then have three days off before facing the Knicks on Wednesday. Gorgui Dieng started against the Pelicans to matchup against Anthony Davis. In 10 minutes on the court together, the two-man lineup of Dieng and Nikola Pekovic sported a 159.0 Defensive Rating and a respectable 94.6 Offensive Rating. Small sample size theater notwithstanding, one wonders if Flip Saunders starts Dieng or Anthony Bennett against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. Either way, it's a lose-lose proposition. Zach LaVine played 31 minutes to Mo Williams' 17 minutes, terminating the primary point guard debate. Kevin Martin recorded more turnovers (4) than points (3), rebounds (2), or assists (1) in 18 minutes. The rest of the team didn't fare much better as the Timberwolves lost by 48 points. Check out the Rookie of the Night for the lone bright spot.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist didn't play after sustaining a stress reaction in his right foot earlier this week against the Blazers. He's not expected to play tonight in Golden State. P.J. Hairston spot started and finished the game with nine points (3-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and two rebounds in 17 minutes. Gary Neal claimed most of the Kidd-Gilchrist's minutes, scoring 14 points (4-13 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), and adding three assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 25 minutes as he battled through a left foot contusion. Bismack Biyombo had the most surprising contribution, supplying 11 points (3-4 FG, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, and two assists in 14 minutes. It was his first double-double in over a year and only his second game played because coach Steve Clifford benched Jason Maxiell.

Gary Harris made his season debut after sitting on the inactive list the first seven games. The Nuggets jumped out to a 64-46 halftime lead, going ahead by as much as 33 points in the second half. Seven Nuggets scored in double figures, including Harris' 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT) off the bench in 18 minutes. Danilo Gallinari played a season-high 22 minutes and scored a season-high 12 points (4-6 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT). Arron Afflalo scored a team-high 17 points (7-11 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 0-1 FT) in 24 minutes a game after playing just 10 minutes. I'm trying to illustrate the assortment of Denver players capable of receiving 20-30 minutes on a given night, making them all a crapshoot with the exception of Ty Lawson, should his ankles stand the test of time.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Apologies to Gordon Hayward, LeBron James, and James Harden. I'm a Knicks fan so you'll understand when Carmelo Anthony scores 46 percent of his team's points that he'd garner top billing. When Pablo Prigioni is your team's second leading scorer (13 points), Shane Larkin plays the second most minutes (38), and Amar'e Stoudemire (rest) doesn't play, the margin for error is razor thin. In 39 minutes, Anthony produced an NBA season-high 46 points (16-26 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 13-16 FT), seven rebounds, one steal, and one assist with Hayward as his primary defender. Shooting 61 percent on 26 attempts and 81 percent from the free throw line salvaged a timid showing in the counting stats department.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Andrew Wiggins receives the honor, almost by default, with a career-high 20 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 4-6 FT), five rebounds, and one assist in just 23 minutes. He didn't have much rookie competition, but with Thaddeus Young out indefinitely, Wiggins will get plenty of offensive opportunities. The jumper was wet last night, and don't look now, but he's shooting 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from the mid-range, just above league average.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

A few more of these and we're likely to rename this corner "Rajon Rondo Recon." In 31 minutes, Rondo executed six points (3-10 FG), 16 assists, eight rebounds, and three steals against the Cavaliers. Ultimately, he missed the game winning 15-footer, which wouldn't have counted anyway since it left his hands after the buzzer sounded.

Kyle Korver makes his second appearance this week. In both games, the Hawks were without the services of DeMarre Carroll (groin), so Korver has been playing north of 37 minutes. In total, Korver compiled 12 points (4-7 FG, 4-5 3Pt), seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals. He's shooting 58 percent from downtown on 6.5 attempts per game. Enjoy the hot streak while it lasts because sooner or later, defenses have to start forcing him to put the ball on the floor. Right?

James Harden's dirty little secret this season? He's shooting 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the three-point line. Even dirtier, he's barely an above average three-point shooter for his career. Nevertheless, he makes all his free-throws, singlehandedly runs the offense, and is the only player averaging 20+ points, 7+ assists, and 6+ rebounds per game. So we're cool if shoots three percentage points better than Kobe Bryant from the field. Against the Sixers, Harden recorded 35 points (10-24 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 14-16 FT), seven assists, six rebounds, three steals, one block, and five turnovers in 41 minutes. In the end, it took one Harden layup to secure the 88-87 victory.

Dwight Howard earned a notch in the TDW with 21 points (9-14 FG, 3-12 FT), 16 rebounds, seven blocks, two steals, and six turnovers in 41 minutes.

Tyreke Evans took advantage of his team's hot shooting, chipping in 16 points (6-11 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-6 FT), seven assists, six rebounds, and four steals in 26 minutes. At what point do we acknowledge Evans' improved three-point shooting? Or do we just wait for it to revert back to his career-mark of 27 percent? On sample size alone, his 12-of-23 three-point acuity leaves me searching for answers. In fact, glance over his shot chart and try to come up with an answer of your own.

[caption id="attachment_2296" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tyreke Evans 2014-15 Shot Chart[/caption]

Lance Stephenson recorded 13 points (5-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 38 minutes. He continues to steal rebounds from Al Jefferson, ambivalent to the term "team chemistry."

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Chris Copeland shot 1-of-10 from the field and 1-of-5 from downtown. David West can't return soon enough.

My Al Horford pectoral/free-throw theory might be gaining some traction. After a 2-of-2 showing from the charity stripe last night, Horford stands at 8-of-9 on the season. Granted, I may have been delirious when I suggested tearing his second pectoral reset his upper body, allowing him to return to his pre-injury free-throw line form. However, I'm ready to close this case. Wrap it up.

For whatever reason, Kyrie Irving doesn't get going until after halftime. He scored 23 of his 27 points (8-16 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 8-9 FT) after the break and now leads the NBA in second half scoring at 15.3 points per. It reminds me of Isaiah Thomas' tenure in Sacramento. Without fail, Thomas would always manage to dig himself out of a near zero-point first half with a monstrous fourth quarter splurge that reaffirmed your decision to use him in your lineup.

Trevor Ariza converted 1-of-7 three-pointers. He's now 5-of-24 in his last four games from downtown. Like most three-point shooters, he'll have hot streaks and cold streaks.

Jeremy Lamb was the most added player in Yahoo! leagues. In 45 minutes, Lamb contributed a career-high 24 points (10-17 FG, 4-7 3Pt), 10 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. The stats are great, yet I wonder if he'll play enough minutes in the future to put up comparable numbers. Also, once Andre Roberson and Perry Jones III return, does Lamb even play consistent minutes?

Serge Ibaka has more three-pointers (20) than blocks (16). The 1.6 blocks per game are an all-time low since he stepped into the starting lineup, but the 20 three-pointers are three off his season-high. The blocks hit a slight dry spell earlier in the season, negated by at least one block in his last four games. As the regulars start to trickle back, Ibaka can spend more energy on the defensive end of the floor, posting block totals he's more accustomed to.

Reggie Jackson leads the league in minutes per game (42.0) and is averaging 22.4 points and 8.1 assists per game. With Russell Westbrook to be reevaluated at the end of the month, I'd start trying to sell high on Jackson within the week. If you don't get any favorable returns, don't feel inclined to trade him. He'll still retain a good chunk of his value, but those assists and minutes could dry up when he shares the backcourt with Westbrook.

Jordan Hill pulled down five offensive rebounds and leads the league at 4.7 offensive boards per game. This year's version of Josh Smith shot to Andre Drummond rebound can be found in Los Angeles, with Kobe Bryant missing his first ten attempts and closing the night 1-of-14 from the field.

Eight Atlanta Hawks scored in double figures during their 114-103 win over the Heat. Only Pero Antic posted a negative plus/minus.

The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the depleted Minnesota Timberwolves, 139-91. They shot a franchise-record 67 percent from the field, led by as many as 53, and tied a franchise-record with 15 made three-pointers on 20 attempts.

DAN FORDEN AWARD*

If you like stats, you've come to the right place. Brandon Jennings helped the Pistons defeat the Thunder in overtime, 96-89, with 29 points (10-18 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five assists, five rebounds, two steals, and zero turnovers in 36 minutes. He's shooting a career-high 46 percent from the field, seven percent better than his career mark. His 60 percent true shooting is eleven percent better than his career average. Only five previous times has he scored more than 25 points and shot better than 50 percent in consecutive games, an anomaly of the highest order. Coincidentally, it's never happened in more than two straight games. Working in Jennings' favor are the fewer three-point attempts per 36 minutes, trading them in for shots closer to the rim. Given everything I just told you, and the fact that the Pistons face the Grizzlies tonight, his value may never be higher. Plan accordingly.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Carmelo Anthony, F, NYK: 46 points (16-26 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 13-16 FT)
2. LeBron James, F, CLE: 41 points (16-27 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 6-9 FT)
3. James Harden, G, HOU: 35 points (10-24 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 14-16 FT)

Rebounds

1. Dwight Howard, C, HOU: 16 rebounds (5 offensive)
2. Kevin Love, F, CLE: 15 rebounds (3 offensive)
3. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 15 rebounds (4 offensive)

Assists

1. Rajon Rondo, G, BOS: 16 assists (3 TO)
2. Reggie Jackson, G, OKC: 12 assists (4 TO)
3. Mario Chalmers, G, MIA: 11 assists (3 TO)

Steals

1. Gordon Hayward, F, UTA: 4 steals
2. Tyreke Evans, F, NOP: 4 steals
3. Corey Brewer, F, MIN: 4 steals
4. Pablo Prigioni, G, NYK: 4 steals
5. Norris Cole, G, MIA: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Dwight Howard, C, HOU: 7 blocks
2. Steven Adams, C, OKC: 5 blocks
3. Derrick Favors, C, UTA: 3 blocks
4. Henry Sims, C, PHI: 3 blocks
5. Thabo Sefolosha, F, ATL: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Shawne Williams, F, MIA: 5-6 3Pt
2. Brandon Jennings, G, DET: 5-8 3Pt
3. Kyle Korver, G, ATL: 4-5 3Pt
4. Ryan Anderson, F, NOP: 4-8 3Pt
5. Jeremy Lamb, G, OKC: 4-7 3Pt
6. Luke Babbitt, F, NOP: 4-4 3Pt

Minutes

1. Jeremy Lamb, G, OKC: 45 minutes
2. Reggie Jackson, G, OKC: 44 minutes
3. Serge Ibaka, C, OKC: 42 minutes
4. Trevor Ariza, F, HOU: 42 minutes

*The Dan Forden Award is given to the player with the best long-distance shooting performance. It is named the Dan Forden Award after Dan Forden, audio technician for the Mortal Kombat series and the guy who popped up from the bottom right corner of the game and excitedly proclaimed "Toasty!"