As January shifts to February and the amount of snow increases, you might have read into less NBA headlines. In that case, you might have missed some, so I put a list together that highlights the biggest stories of the week.

1. Heat’s Whiteside gets triple-double, 12 blocks

Sitting in a YMCA in North Carolina, Hassan Whiteside thought that his NBA career was a finished event. However, the Miami Heat signed him, hoping for a little boost. Well, he delivered big time.

Whiteside got 12 blocks, and finished his unusual triple-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds to lift the Heat over the Chicago Bulls on January 25 with a 96-84 win.

Whiteside got all of his blocks within a six-feet radius of the basket. In addition, he managed a triple-double in less than 25 minutes. Furthermore, he increased his career high in blocks from five to 12. Also, he became the second player behind Russell Westbrook to net a triple-double in 25 minutes or less.

For the Heat (20-24), Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, and Chris Bosh had 20 points. Luol Deng and Mario Chalmers had 15 points each. This was Deng’s first game at Chicago’s United Center since the Bulls traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2013-2014 season.

Pau Gasol secured a double-double with 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls (29-17). Derrick Rose had 19 points, and Aaron Brooks had 17.

In an extra note, Bosh scored his 1,6000th point in the first quarter of the game.

Whiteside has averaged 8.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in 20 games played this season.

If Whiteside keeps getting these type of box scores, he might be with the Heat for the long run.

2. Jennings out for season due to Achilles injury

The Detroit Pistons have had a rough season. Between spurts of winning and losing, and injuries to their star players, they have had trouble with grabbing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Well, they got some more bad news served on their breakfast plate.

Guard Brandon Jennings suffered an Achilles injury against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 24. After examinations, it was discovered that he ruptured his left Achilles tendon. This caused him to have surgery on the 27th to fix the broken ligament. The surgery forced him to sit out the rest of the season.

According to Jennings’s tweets, he should be back in six to nine months, which is the start of next season.

This is a huge loss for the Pistons (17-30). Jennings was averaging 15.4 points and 6.6 assists per game this season. Let’s hope the team can find something that can replace the void left by this superstar’s absence.

3. Irving scores 55 and game winner

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been up and down this season. Even with LeBron James, they have struggled to keep a winning record. This is especially troubling, since James is partnered with young phenom Kyrie Irving. Well, Irving showed why he can be a force to be reckoned with, even without James.

Irving scored 55 points, a career high, on January 28 to help the streaking Cavaliers beat the slumping Portland Trail Blazers, 99-94.

Irving scored 55, which is one under the team’s record for most points scored in the game. This was set by James with 56 points in the 2004-2005 season. However, he was able to break other records and such. For example, he scored the most points in a game by a Cavalier at their home court, Quicken Loans Arena. Also, he netted a franchise record 11 three point shots. He also finished 10 of 10 in free throws.

Though, his most important shot was with less than seven seconds on the clock. With the game tied at 94 all, Irving sunk a three pointer to give the team a 97-94 lead. Then, he was able to get the defensive rebound off of the Blazers’s Damian Lillard’s miss. After he was fouled, he made two free throws to seal the victory for Cleveland (27-20). He was able to do all this without LeBron James, who was out with a wrist sprain.

The Trail Blazers (32-14) were helped by LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored 38 points and 11 rebounds, and Lillard, who had 14 points, but could not make the shot that mattered the most. The Trail Blazers have lost six of seven games.

Irving has averaged 22.1 points and 5.2 assists in 45 games this season. With his latest performance, though, he could have solidified his status as a Cleveland Cavalier.

4. Bryant has rotator cuff surgery, out for season

Kobe Bryant has had a couple of bad seasons. In the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, he has suffered injuries that have caused him to get season-injury surgery. Well, his injury streak has continued.

In a game against the New Orleans, Kobe hurt his shoulder while dunking. It was discovered that he tore his right rotator cuff. This caused him to have season ending surgery. To recover from the two hour surgery, Kobe will need about nine months of rest, which would let him play in the 2015-2016 season, his twentieth season in the NBA.

The 37-year-old veteran is expected to return, and he will most likely be wearing the Lakers’ purple and gold.

This season, Kobe has averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. His season was paired with a field goal completion rate of 37.3%, worst of his career. One of his lone high spots in the season was when he passed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list to take the third spot on the list. In addition, he was chosen to be in the All-Star Game, his 17th in 19 seasons.

In 2013, Kobe tore an Achilles tendon right before the playoffs, causing him to miss the postseason. The next year, Kobe played less than ten games before breaking a bone close to his left knee, which led to season ending surgery.

Due to the fact that Kobe is unable to play in the All-Star Game, he will be replaced by Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins.

Kobe’s injury comes in the middle of the Lakers’s nine-game losing streak. In addition, Kobe joins Steve Nash, Xavier Henry, and rookie Julius Randle on the bench for the season. This is a trail of bad luck for the Lakers, who can hopefully rebound, or end up with a top-five pick in the 2015 draft.

5. Lakers, Kings break seperate eight plus game losing streaks

The Lakers and Sacramento Kings have hit a rough patch in the last few weeks. Both teams have each lost nine in a row, while suffering from big loses due to injuries and poor play. Well, the Lakers were tired of leaning on Kobe’s back, and only having 12 wins to show for it. Friday, they were going against the Chicago Bulls, who had just beaten the Golden State Warriors. And, the Lakers showed their inner prowess with a stout victory.

Jordan Hill had a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds, and hit a jumper to force a second overtime to assist the Lakers in a must needed win, a 123-118 victory over the Bulls in two overtime periods.

The Lakers had a 15-point lead in the second half, but the Bulls were able to bring it to a 98-89 score with less than 90 seconds left. Then, Jimmy Butler hit a three point shot, two free throws, and a dunk. Pau Gasol, in his return to Los Angeles, then was able to tip in the ball after Derrick Rose missed a shot to force a first overtime. Rose then hit a three-pointer to start the first overtime. Unfortunately, Rose tried a jumper at the end of the first overtime, but the ball hit the rim.

Hill was able to get his jumper to go through with less than a minute left to get the score from 106-104 to 106 all. That was the score at the end of the first overtime period. Hill was able to redeem himself after missing a hook shot at the end of regulation.

Wayne Ellington added 23 points, and Jordan Clarkson, a rookie, had 18 points for the Lakers (13-34), who were able to stop themselves from getting their tenth straight loss and tying the 1994 squad for the longest losing streak in the franchise’s history. Los Angeles was also assisted by Carlos Boozer’s 16 points.

For the Bulls (30-18), Jimmy Butler had 35 points and seven rebounds, and Gasol had a double-double with 20 points and ten rebounds.

It was found out that Jimmy Butler was chosen as an All-Star Game reserve for the Eastern Conference.

Pau Gasol had played seven seasons and had won two championships with Los Angeles before joining Chicago as a free agent.

With so much young talent, the Lakers might have found their replacements for Kobe and Nash.

Meanwhile, the Kings were expecting a big season after getting some good players in the off-season, like Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. However, they only had 16 wins to show for what was expected to be a winning season. Gay wanted to show that he was worth the effort for the Kings, and he showed what a beast he can be.

Gay had 31 points, including some late free throws to seal a 99-94 win over the Indiana Pacers. The win ended the Kings’s eight game losing streak.

Gay also added five rebounds and tree assists for the Kings (17-29). Darren Collison had 23 points, including 12 in the first quarter. Cousins had 20 points and 19 rebounds to earn a double-double.

The Kings got most of their early points on free throws, but then started shooting the ball effortlessly. They led 34-21 after the first period, and held their largest lead of 23 points after Cousins converted two free throws. This made the score 55-32.

Late in the game, the Pacers (17-32) cut the score to 93-89, and then 97-94 after George Hill came off the bench to get a three point shot to go through the net. However, Gay sealed the hard-fought victory from the free throw line. Hill finished with 14 points, while David West had 17, and Roy Hibbert had 11.

Since Kobe Bryant is out for the season, Cousins will replace him on the All-Star Team squad.

Even though the Kings started the season 5-1, they sunk significantly. Now, they can get back into the playoff race with some more wins.

6. The Hawks and Cavaliers cannot stop winning

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks had big expectations for this season. The Hawks barely made the playoffs last year, and wanted to improve on their efforts. The Cavaliers had just secured LeBron James for the season, so they were the clear favorites for the NBA championship. Well, both teams have showed why they should be feared in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers have won nine games in a row, and have not lost since since January 15. They have beaten the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Portland Trail Blazers, among other teams. This streak has also shown what the team can do even without LeBron, as Kyrie Irving has risen up from the depths to carry the team. This streak is especially special, since it followed a six game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the Hawks can boast even louder than prouder. They have won nineteen in a row. In addition, their last loss was on the day after Christmas, last year. They have compiled wins against the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and other great teams.

These teams are almost an automatic seed in the playoffs. The only question is how high seeded they will be.