Our quick look around the NBA, or what you missed while wondering why anyone would live in a dumpster for a year, voluntarily…

Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets. The NBA game is in large part about exploiting mismatches. With all due respect to the solid season Miles Plumlee is having, him trying to cover Dwight Howard is a mismatch. One the Rockets went to again and again. Howard finished the night with 34 points on 11-of-17 shooting (plus he was 12-of-18 from the free throw line) and he had 14 rebounds. The Rockets struggled with the Suns this season in previous meetings, but they just pounded the Suns with the big guy Wednesday and he delivered.

Jeff Green, Boston Celtics. Aggressive, attacking Jeff Green poked his head up Wednesday, which I think means six more weeks of winter. But when you get a sighting of Green when he is on you see one of the better scorers in the game. Sure, a night like this likely means he goes into hibernation for another week, but the Celtics don’t get the win over the Sixers without him. Green had 36 points on 11-of-18 shooting, plus he had eight rebounds. Nice of him to put on a little showcase game like this before the trade deadline.

The Cleveland Cavaliers. What. A Tire. Fire. If you lose to a team that has dropped seven games in a row, is on the second night of a back-to-back and by the end of the game had only four eligible players left on the court, you have SERIOUS issues. It isn’t just one thing, it’s everything — management, coach, star players, role players, locker room attitudes, offense, defense, pretty much everyone and everything.

Steve Blake, Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, if you get a triple double on the Cavaliers “defense” it still counts. In his second game back from injury Blake had 11 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. Plus, he had a key three late when the game was still in doubt. He may be the best point guard the Lakers have on the roster now.

Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs. Tony Parker didn’t play after halftime for San Antonio due to a sore back. With the game close in the fourth quarter and first overtime, the Spurs were looking someone to step up with big plays, and Mills was that guy — he had 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtimes of the Spurs win. He was the guy knocking down the big snots like it was no big deal. He had a quiet first half but was there when needed.

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers. When you talk about the best power forwards in the game — LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, Dirk Nowitzki (not a traditional four but still) — Griffin wants to be mentioned in that group. And nights like this with a gaudy stat line — 43 points 17 rebounds and 6 assists against the Miami Heat help that cause. He has played fantastic ball with Chris Paul out. But he gets a “B” here because even with all the highlights dunks and good plays he was still just 16-of-34 shooting overall and 14-of-25 inside eight feet. Good, but not quite great.