NBA Roundup: Kiss Me Deadly

Notes on Tuesday's games in the National Basketball Association ...

• You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful, And You're Mine. Rarely does your account of attending an NBA game include the phrase "and then Jason Terry kissed me." Unless you're this one certain woman, who was the recipient of an unsolicited smooch at the Mavericks game, or as David Stern calls it, "NBA-fan makeup sex." The facts as we know them: Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead Dallas over New Jersey (that hurts at the bottom of the playoff standings) 102-89. It was the Mavericks' 16th straight win, and clinched them a playoff berth (whew!). In all the confusion, Terry (24 points) dove into an elderly woman by mistake, apologized, and then kissed her. The new, gentler NBA. (Next season they'll be charging for that).

• Seven Feet Of Wondrous Accuracy. Mark Blount's three consecutive 3-pointers allowed the Wolves to force overtime, and overshadowed Kobe Bryant's 40 points as ... wait, wait ... sorry. Let's start over. No way that stuff we just said actually happened. Let's just read the story again, and ... oh come on. Well, apparently it's true. The words "Mark Blount" and "green light from 3-point range" were used in the same AP sentence. So it's Minnesota 117, Los Angeles Lakers 107, and we're going to take a nap.

• Hey, It Happens. OK, that's NOT the way you're supposed to wear those new Nike uniforms (although it's close). It was the Knicks trailing by two with 0.9 seconds left and Stephon Marbury at the line for two shots. First one ... good. Second shot ... oh, what a shame. SuperSonics win, 100-99. Marbury had 40 points, but all that mattered to him as he disappeared into his jersey was No. 41. He should hardly shoulder all the blame, however, as New York was 24-of-38 (63 percent) from the line. Ray Allen had 29 points for Seattle.

• Baby, I'm Back. Carmelo Anthony, anxious to make it to the hospital where his wife was delivering his first child, scored 21 points Denver's 106-91 win over the New Orleans Hornets. Then at the buzzer, he was out the door and into a cab. And after a quick stop at the Jack-In-The-Box drive-thru ... (not really) ...