Eric Gordon is self-aware (Rocky Widner/ Getty).

At this point, most of the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.

Damien Wilkins is not who you think he is:

Ppl just came up 2 me,"hey Carlos Booz can we take a pic w/u?" I kno y'all think we all look alike but c'mon son. So after I took the pic...

— Damien Wilkins (@dwilkins3000) May 9, 2013

Eric Gordon is willing to make fun of himself:

I thought this was funny. I know I have round basketball head. twitter.com/TheofficialEG1… — Eric Gordon (@TheofficialEG10) May 9, 2013

Tony Parker tells Stephen Curry about the time he designed the Eiffel Tower (Noah Graham/ Getty).

The typical NBA player is thought of as being very tall, but that's obviously not always the case. The league's point guards are typically men of somewhat average height, enough so that they appear quite diminutive next to the frontcourt players who impede their paths to the basket. The shorter sort must be resourceful, coming up with new ways of scoring over and around bigger foes.

[Also: Luol Deng opens up about physical ailments]

One of the ways they do this is with the teardrop, the high-arcing runner that's reached in a new level of popularity in recent seasons. In a feature on the shot for The New York Times, Scott Cacciola spoke with many of its top practitioners. And while no one is quite sure when the teardrop was first performed, San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker says he invented it:

Klay Thompson fends off Manu Ginobili (D. Clarke Evans/ Getty).

For several minutes of Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinals series against the San Antonio Spurs, it looked as if the Golden State Warriors were headed for a repeat of a devastating Game 1 loss that included blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead. After building a 62-43 halftime lead on the strength of a burning-hot performance from Klay Thompson (29 points in the half, including seven three-pointers), Golden State let the game get away once again in the second half. From the 3:49 to 1:23 marks of the third quarter, the Spurs went on a 14-2 run to cut the deficit 19 to seven points. They looked headed for disaster.

Except they didn't. The Warriors scored six points in the last 67 seconds the period (including a huge Thompson three-pointer at the buzzer) to bring the lead back up to 11. And while the Spurs managed to cut the lead to six points within the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, they never got closer over the rest of the game. It wasn't always pretty, but the Warriors managed to make enough plays late to come out on top 100-91 in the franchise's first win in San Antonio since Valentine's Day 1997. The series is now tied at 1-1 as the action shifts to what should be a raucous Oracle Arena for Games 3 and 4.

[Also: LeBron James, Heat frustrate Bulls in historic Game 2 blowout]

Join us after the jump for more analysis of the game and the issues at play in the rest of the series.

The Chicago Bulls' win over the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series was one of the most stunning wins of the season, a case of an overmatched, injury-riddled side out-playing the clear title favorites as if it were the climax of an inspirational movie. It also recast this series as something more interesting than the dominant Heat performance most of us assumed it would be when the matchup was set on Saturday night. The Bulls were given life.

In Wednesday night's Game 2, the Heat did everything they could to obliterate that sense of hope. While Chicago played Miami close for the bulk of the first half, the home team looked far more comfortable than they had in Game 1, relying on LeBron James for early scoring and moving the ball with newfound ease.

Yet that improved start was mere prelude to the dominance to come. After a Jimmy Butler three-point play made the score 42-38 Heat with 3:42 left in the first half, the Heat closed out the period on a 13-3 run to stake themselves a sizable halftime lead. They won the third quarter by a lopsided 30-15 score and opened the fourth quarter on an 18-2 run. From that Butler and-one to the 8:27 mark of the fourth quarter, the Heat outscored the Bulls 62-20 to put the game well beyond reach. The final score of 115-78 makes it the worst loss in Bulls playoff history and the biggest win in Heat playoff history.

New York Knicks scorer J.R. Smith is not having a very good time right now. Since winning the Sixth Man of the Year award on April 22, Smith has done pretty much everything wrong, from getting suspended for elbowing Jason Terry in the head to not playing adequate basketball at a time when the Knicks need him badly. In his four games since returning from suspension, Smith has shot a combined 15-for-57 (26.3 percent) from the field and 7-for-24 (29.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Many Knicks fans want his minutes cut drastically, and he appears to be doing serious damage to his market value as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

It's enough to make you want to yell at him. So, during Tuesday night's Knicks win in Game 2 of their series against the Pacers, head coach Mike Woodson did just that. Near the end of the first quarter, Smith took a pass from Tyson Chandler near the rim with a very good chance to score. Unfortunately, he let his pivot foot wander and was rightfully called for

Derrick Rose sits between Joakim Noah and Luol Deng in March (Ron Hoskins/ Getty).

One of the biggest stories of the last two months of the NBA season has been Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose's decision not to play despite being medically cleared for action. At first, Rose's decision was met with understanding, but criticism has ramped up as his absence stretches longer and the Bulls continue a very surprising playoff run without him (and many other key players). There have been various arguments against Rose's decision, such as the claim that he's hurting his team's chances at a title, references to the standard set by players who have soldiered on through immense pain, and the less severe assertion that his refusal to rule himself out of the postseason is annoying and manipulative.

The Bulls, for their part, have been more than fine without him, exceeding all expectations for a Rose-less season despite having several other things go wrong. Yet they have not forgotten Rose or his importance to the team. Joakim Noah, the team's vocal leader, stood up for his teammate's decision not to play after Monday's Game 1 win over the Heat. From Nick Friedell for ESPNChicago.com:

The New York Knicks entered Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Indiana Pacers in need of an inspired performance after Sunday's Game 1 home loss. On at least one play Tuesday night, they got just that.

With just under 8:30 remaining in the first half, Chris Copeland launched a three-pointer from the wing that rimmed out back towards the paint. While the shot initially appeared to deflect far enough from the basket to result in a long rebound, Iman Shumpert had different ideas. Shumpert timed his jump perfectly, reached back to grab the ball with his right hand, and threw down a massive tomahawk follow-dunk in one movement. It was a massive highlight, and it also gave the Knicks a 38-26 lead.

After the jump, check out a GIF of Shumpert's incredible slam.

Although the Pacers cut that lead to 47-42 at halftime, the Knicks were able to bounce back in the second half with an overwhelming 30-2 run from 3:28 in the third quarter to 4:48 in the fourth to put the game out of reach. The Knicks ended up with a 105-79 win, with the Pacers effectively conceding the game and subbing in their bench near the midpoint of the fourth quarter. Game 3 is Saturday, which gives

Michael Beasley (Garrett Ellwood/ Getty)Phoenix Suns forward Michael Beasley has done very little to convince NBA fans of his usefulness over his five NBA seasons. Despite entering the league with the hopes of being a very productive scorer and rebounder, Beasley has alternated isolated moments of greatness with long stretches of woeful, directionless play in which he appears to have little sense of his role within the team or what the coaching staff would like him to do. He also hasn't been a model citizen, dealing with a perceived marijuana problem and getting cited for flagrant speeding in February 2013. There is a common and largely accurate perception that Beasley is not a particularly helpful presence on a professional basketball team.

Ultimately, though, those issues are far less severe than the news coming out of Phoenix on Tuesday. As reported by Alex Ferri of ABC15, Beasley is under investigation for an allegation of sexual assault: