With a 1.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks for the 8th playoff spot in the East, it seems like the New York Knicks are in good position to at least make the playoffs. They’re still sitting at .500 (27-27) as they have been for most of the season, and even the energy of a new coach and system isn’t helping them get over the hump and back into serious contention, despite some analysts who have the Knicks pegged as a title contender hiding in the best spot possible. Because any team, regardless of talent level, really wants to play the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.

But over in China, an old Knick is proving that he had some gas left in the tank to get himself a championship. Stephon Marbury and the Beijing Ducks – mmmmmmmm, Beijing duck – are the new Chinese Basketball Association champions, after Starbury scored 41 points in Game 5 to oust the defending champions, Guangdong Hongyuan. Marbury also scored 52 points in Game 2 and 53 points in Game 3, so if you were wondering how the New York sports media would pass the time with Jeremy Lin out for the season… stop.

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I was hoping that by this point in the week I’d have some fun little anecdotes to share about how Orlando is shaping up for All-Star Weekend, but short of about 60 more homeless people than usual and some banners, I haven’t noticed much yet. In fact, I’m mega bummed, you guys. My buddy got me on the guest list for Diddy’s All-Star party this weekend and I was super pumped to go and take really awkward pictures next to all of the celebrities in attendance (“Hey is that Joey Fatone with Skeet Ulrich???”) but word on Church Street is that the party was cancelled thanks to some screw up by a promoter. Bummers, y’all.

But I’m still gonna do my best to put together a fun recap for next Monday, because I’m perpetually bound to run into ridiculous stuff on a weekend like this. I may still attend the Rising Stars Challenge and Dunk Contest, but the real fun is going to be at the bars, so I will stick to what I do best. My prediction? I end up bare-knuckle boxing Aaron Carter behind a Steak-N-Shake dumpster. Fingers crossed!

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"Cry about it."

When not starring in massive blockbusters like Gulliver’s Travels and Year One, Jack Black is a huge Los Angeles Lakers fan. The Santa Monica native is regularly seen sitting courtside between his brosephs and DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. Yes, friends, Jack Black is a true Hollywood A-lister and soon enough he’ll be regarded as a giant in Laker fan folklore, alongside Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Most recently, Black attended the Lakers’ 109-100 loss to the New Orleans Hornets, but he didn’t care so much about the loss, because, as I’ve already pointed out, David Stern will make sure the Lakers are in the picture. Always. So what’s a hilarious bastard like Black gonna do in the meantime? According to the Daily Mail, he’s gonna check out some hot cheerleader ass and make the people piss their pants with laughter, that’s what he’s gonna do.

Luckily, I’m a psychic mind reader and I was able to read Black’s thoughts during the Lakers game on Sunday…

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