"'A real man makes his own luck,' Billy Zane, Titanic."

- Dwight Schrute

"Winning."

- Charlie Sheen

"Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and [redacted] the prom queen."

- Sean Connery

 "If you ain't first, you're last."

- Reese Bobby

HOSPITAL WARD

Michael Beasley added to the Heat's injury report that includes Hassan Whiteside (hand), Chris Bosh (blood clots), Josh McRoberts (knee), Chris Andersen (foot), and Shabazz Napier (hip). He hyperextended his left knee and we won't know more until the team runs tests today. Luol Deng was another injury casualty, experiencing increased left knee pain. That could mark the end of Deng's season, vaulting James Ennis into fantasy relevance. Deng will undergo further testing, along with Beasley, Monday to determine the root of the problem. There remain five regular season games for the Heat, and even though Ennis has been efficient of late, he's limited in his categorical assistance. If you need scoring help, Ennis is almost a lock for at least 30 minutes a night on this depleted roster. He chipped in 17 points last night in 28 minutes on 6-of-11 shooting. He's firing away from distance or getting to the rim, converting 52 percent from the field over his last six games.

Rodney Stuckey has been dealing with a sore right wrist for over a week. He aggravated the area last night but believes he'll play Wednesday against the Knicks, the Pacers' next game.

Nik Stauskas suffered back spasms but doesn't believe it's a long-term problem. His season has turned around under coach George Karl, converting 44 percent of his threes since the beginning of March. The Kings play five games in seven nights beginning Tuesday. With Rudy Gay (concussion) slated to return this week, Stauskas will continue to be a nonfactor in most leagues.

M.I.A.

• Chicago
  • Derrick Rose (knee)
  • Kirk Hinrich (knee)
  • Doug McDermott (DNP-CD)
• Golden State
  • Shaun Livingston (suspended)
• Houston
  • Patrick Beverley (wrist)
  • Donatas Motiejunas (back)
  • Kostas Papanikolaou (ankle)
• Indiana
  • C.J. Watson (elbow)
• LA Clippers
  • Jamal Crawford (calf)
• Miami
  • Hassan Whiteside (hand)
  • Chris Andersen (foot)
• New York
  • Cleanthony Early (ankle)
  • Travis Wear (back)
• Oklahoma City
  • Serge Ibaka (knee)
  • Andre Roberson (ankle)
  • Nick Collison (ankle)
• Philadelphia
  • Luc Mbah a Moute (shoulder)
  • Thomas Robinson (ankle)
  • Isaiah Canaan (ankle)
• Sacramento
  • Rudy Gay (concussion)
  • Darren Collison (hip)
• San Antonio
  • Tiago Splitter (calf)
• Utah
  • Trey Burke (back)

ROTATION NOTES

Kevin Love returned to the lineup after missing one game with a sore back. But did anyone notice he was gone or care he returned? For the concerned, Love contributed 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block, and three three-pointers in 31 minutes. Kevin Love gives love a bad name.

The Heat needed to start someone at center with Hassan Whiteside (hand) and Chris Andersen (foot) unavailable. Coach Erik Spoelstra shifted Udonis Haslem to the five and inserted Henry Walker into the starting lineup, a precarious position for the 6'6" veteran. Haslem supplied 10 points and 10 rebounds, but Walker was limited to 19 minutes. The Heat plays the equally injured Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, a contest Whiteside's availability seems doubtful. He missed three games (seven days) last time he required stitches. I believe a similar time frame is in order.

Paul Cliftonantho (his actual middle name) George made his season debut eight months removed from a broken right leg. Pacers' President Larry Bird confessed, "He's not going to run as smooth as he used to, but over time he'll get better and better. Everybody thinks Paul George is coming back and that he's 100 percent, but he's not 100 percent and he's in no condition to go out and play a 30-minute game." In 15 minutes off the bench, George added 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three three-pointers. It was reminiscent of Danny Granger's initial return after knee surgery: a ton of jumpers, botching gimme layups, and poor game conditioning. The Pacers have one back-to-back set the final two days, the one time I could envision George resting. However, they're battling for a playoff spot and 20-25 minutes of George is better than the alternative. Coach Frank Vogel believes George will participate here on out.

Matt Bonner resumed his duties as stand-in starting center when Tiago Splitter (calf) doesn't play. Splitter is scheduled to miss at least two more games. Those minutes will be dispersed among Bonner, Boris Diaw, and Aron Baynes.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Russell Westbrook or James Harden? Filet mignon or lobster tail? Candy corn or jelly beans? Creed or Nickleback? You get the point. I couldn't choose, and I don't have to. Both were great in their own right, accumulating stats in a monumental clash of MVP candidates.

Westbrook hindered his chances of playing all remaining five games when he earned his 15th technical foul. His previous tech was rescinded, landing him on the doorstep of an automatic one-game suspension yet again. Nevertheless, Sunday's performance was headlined by his 11th triple-double this season, efforting 40 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, and four three-pointers. Even though he played without a mask, his efficiency remained constant, in that he shot less than 42 percent for the 10th time in the last 11 games. He's only hit at least half his shots three times since the All-Star break.

Harden fouled out with 33 seconds left and his team up four. He exited with 41 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals, and six three-pointers in 38 minutes. If you thought Westbrook was an efficiency drain, wait until you find out it was just the second time post-All-Star break Harden made half his shots. They both mask their inaccuracy by ranking one and two in free-throws made and attempted, led by Harden. He also leads the NBA in total minutes (2,806) and turnovers (304), two categories that lend themselves to stat stuffing and a high usage rate. His total points (2,104) is 333 more than the next closest player, Stephen Curry, in 347 more minutes.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Rodney Hood has been something else since the All-Star break, injuries notwithstanding. He's shooting 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from distance as he fought off concussion symptoms and an ankle issue. Last night, Hood scored a career-high 25 points by attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line. His four steals was also a career-high. We'll see if he can duplicate his performance in two days against the same team. The most impressive part of his scoring barrage was the 13 points he scored in the fourth quarter without Gordon Hayward or Derrick Favors on the court, both benched the final 18 minutes in favor of Joe Ingles and Trevor Booker. It was the second night of a back-to-back, so players like Jack Cooley, Bryce Cotton, and Jeremy Evans were tasked with closing out the win.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

LeBron James waited until Game 77 to record his first triple-double of the season. The league may want to review the footage of all 10 rebounds before we lock in this feat. James concluded the win with 20 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, three steals, one block, and one three-pointer in 37 minutes. He's going to rest a game or two over the final 10 days; most likely after the Cavaliers clinch the two seed, of which they hold a four-game lead and the tiebreaker with five games left.

Shane Larkin, where have you been all season? After beginning the year as the starting point guard, then fading into the background, Larkin emerged as an assists and steals specialist. Last night, he provided 15 points, a career-high 11 rebounds (I'm not looking it up. There's no way he grabbed that many in an NBA game before.), seven assists, and one block without turning the ball over in 41 minutes. He must face George Hill, Michael Carter-Williams, and Elfrid Payton this week, an unenviable gauntlet of wiry length sure to obliterate the Larkin love.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Dwight Howard scored 22 points against the worst defense over the previous 10 games. Steven Adams fouled out in 14 minutes, shifting rookie Mitch McGary on the 6'10" Howard. The Rockets were smart to exploit the matchup. You would be wise to not overreact. Howard fell one minute shy of his imposed 24-minute limit, a number that will increase later this week, presumably. Back-to-back contests against the Spurs won't provide the safe harbor a depleted Thunder frontline bestowed.

Enes Kanter and Anthony Morrow combined for 43 points. Kanter corralled 17 rebounds and Morrow sniped six three-pointers. They're limited players afforded open shots compliments of Russell Westbrook's presence.  At least they know their roles.

Mike Dunleavy scored 24 points. The last time he scored at least 20, I wrote to wait a month for the next occurrence. Well, five days in and Dunleavy fulfilled the prophecy, reaching his quota with 10 days remaining. It's almost like clockwork though not exactly. You know it's coming once a month, but you can never predict the exact date.

Nikola Mirotic is shooting 30 percent from downtown and 26 percent since the beginning of January. He was 3-of-12 from the field Sunday in 24 minutes, losing playing time to Taj Gibson. He's rosterable if you can start him when Joakim Noah or Gibson rests or the Bulls have a favorable matchup. With a back-to-back upcoming against the Florida teams, Mirotic should be able to exploit the Magic's flimsy defense and the Heats' decimated frontline.

J.R. Smith attempted 17 field goals, all of the three-point variety. His eight makes accounted for every point. He holds the record with 12 games of at least eight three-pointers, three more than Ray Allen and Stephen Curry.

Solomon Hill is the only Pacer to play in every game this season. He scored 19 points against the Heat last night, his fourth-highest point total of the year. It's been a rough one for Hill. Luis Scola scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the diminutive Heat frontline, registering 17 of those points in the fourth quarter. He was primarily matched up against Luol Deng. Scola's success and the Heat's undersized frontcourt limited Roy Hibbert to 20 minutes and 2-of-11 shooting. He was blocked by the 6'6" Henry Walker and 6'8" Udonis Haslem in the first three minutes of the game. You don't easily recover from that.  At least Hibbert swatted three shots.

Kawhi Leonard recorded a career-high seven steals in 24 minutes against the best team in the Western Conference. I'll let that sink in. He supplemented his thievery with a game-high 26 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one three-pointer. The Spurs are two games back of the two seed with five games remaining. Since Leonard leads the Spurs in minutes per game (31.6), his time on the court remains the most secure. It could help him whip up votes for Defensive Player of the Year, assuaged by a league-high 2.3 steals per game.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green shot a combined 5-of-22. The Spurs ran the Warriors out of the arena, cultivating a 28-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Harrison Barnes was the only Warrior starter to play in the final period, closing out a terrible week averaging 5.5 points on 27 percent accuracy (4 games).

Andrea Bargnani scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half. More impressive, he blocked a season-high four shots and compiled four assists for the third time in the last seven games. 25 is his season-high, a number he's recorded four times already. He can't seem the breach the 25-point barrier. I'll also note, four of Bargnani's five four-assist games (that's confusing every time I read it) came when he scored 25 points. I'm not exactly calling Guinness World Records, but my Spook Meter jumped about three levels.

The Knicks blocked 14 shots, one shy of a franchise record. Along with Bargnani's four, Jason Smith denied four shots, Lou Amundson rejected three, and Lance Thomas, Quincy Acy, and Langston Galloway added one each.

Ish Smith, or Dish Smith as broadcaster Malik Rose calls him, has scored at least 10 points in a career-high six straight games. Even though Isaiah Canaan (ankle) missed two straight games, Smith hasn't played more than 33 minutes as he splits point guard duties with JaKarr Sampson. Smith's recent run in the starting lineup has beared serviceable fruit, i.e. I'll eat if you give it to me, but I'm not paying for it. He's averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals since replacing Canaan 11 games ago. It's nice production off the waiver wire, yet detrimental to your percentages with him shooting 42 percent from the floor and 69 percent from the line.

Hollis Thompson is back on a heater, scoring 17 points and hitting five three-pointers in 26 minutes. That makes three straight games of at least 14 points and three three-pointers. Injuries have opened up playing time. Sadly, if your head-to-head league is still active, the Sixers are one of two teams playing a minimum two games this week.

The list of players with more than 100 steals, 100 blocks, and 100 assists: Nerlens Noel.

DeMarcus Cousins, missing a third straight triple-double by six assists, received his 14th technical foul. That ties him with Markieff Morris for second most behind Russell Westbrook. The Kings have six games remaining, including five in seven nights. Whether he gets to 16 or not, it sounds like he'll miss a few games for rest purposes. But if he does play out the string, I believe he'll reach 16 techs for the third straight season. He was automatically suspended the final game of the 2013-14 season, a drill destined to repeat itself.

The Clippers defeated the Lakers 106-78 after leading by as many as 43. It was their franchise-record 56th loss. March's Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Jordan Clarkson, was held to two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 26 minutes. It was a bloodbath of decent proportions. Lester Hudson played 18 minutes. Dwight Buycks scored nine points in 21 minutes. I'll let you guess which teams they play for. I can tell you they're not teammates. Flip a coin if you're truly stumped.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. James Harden, G, HOU: 41 points
2. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 40 points
3. Kyrie Irving, G, CLE: 27 points
4. Dwyane Wade, G, MIA: 27 points

Rebounds

1. Enes Kanter, F, OKC: 17 rebounds
2. Luis Scola, F, IND: 12 rebounds
3. DeMarcus Cousins: 12 rebounds

Assists

1. Chris Paul, G, LAC: 15 assists
2. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 13 assists
3. LeBron James, G, CLE: 12 assists

Steals

1. Kawhi Leonard, F, SAS: 7 steals
2. Pablo Prigioni, G, HOU: 5 steals
3. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 4 steals
4. Ben McLemore, G, SAC: 4 steals
5. Rodney Hood, G, UTA: 4 steals
6. Ray McCallum, G, SAC: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Andrea Bargnani, C, NYK: 4 blocks
2. Jason Smith, C, NYK: 4 blocks
3. Six players tied with 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. J.R. Smith, G, CLE: 8-17 3Pt
2. James Harden, G, HOU: 6-9 3Pt
3. Anthony Morrow, F, OKC: 6-8 3Pt

Minutes

1. J.R. Smith, G, CLE: 43 minutes
2. Jimmy Butler, G, CHI: 42 minutes
3. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 41 minutes
4. Shane Larkin, G, NYK: 41 minutes