Lakers Survive Suns Run, Artest's the Hero

The defending champs Lakers are 1 game closer to returning to the NBA finals. The game finished on a high not after an ugly ass finish by the Lakers who allowed the Suns to come back from 18 points and almost send the game to overtime while riding momentum. The Suns clawed back behind superb play by 2 time MVP Steve Nash who had 29 pts, 11 dimes and some sweet rainbows over Pau Gasol in the 4th. Unfortunately for Nash his fellow All-Star buddy Amare was not as aggressive and needs more than the 19 pts, 4 rebs, to give his team a chance. Jason Richardson almost made one forget his bad game of 5/12 shooting, 1/6 from downtown, if it wasn't for his late tying desperation bank three at the end of the game, he however forgot a very important basic in the game of basketball, boxout. The Suns bench had a lack luster performance except for Frye who has regained his touch back, but Dragic,Barbosa,and Admundson did not bring the energy they usually bring. Tough loss for the Suns. On the opposite side the Champs still refuse to do anything without drama, but hey looks like they finally figured out how to attack the zone defense, 'bout damn time. The Lakers startes had 3 players with more than 20 points with Lamar chipping in 17 from the bench. 'Drew did not have a strong offensive game but did have 7 rebounds, and more importantly 4 blocked shots. There was even a Machine sighting as he was brought in to piss Dragic off and it worked as Dragic had a subpar game. Ron Ron a terrible game with 2/9 shooting even having Laker fans cringe on his every brick, then all was forgiven. Ron Ron stepped in on Kobe's potential game winner which was short caught and threw up a prayer that was answered as time expired. 5 more games baby.

Player of the Game: Black Mamba one assist short of a triple double, 4 block shot, yet another 30 points, adding yet to his legacy as a Laker and one of the greatest ever.

X-Factor: Lamar Odom had a great game 17 pts, 13 rebs, 4 assists, but this title goes to his New York buddy Ron Artest while only 2 shots, he hit the most important one, the last of the game. Phil Jackson said he didn't know why he had him on the floor in the first place, this is exactly why, for the little plays that play huge.

Should Have Been Benched: Shannon Brown contributed just 2 points, but he continues to be a defense liability and is not using his great athletic ability to help his team.

Laker Hater: After being a no show for 3 games Channing Frye has decided to join the series and has become a thorn on the Lakers ass, 14 pts, 10 rebs, this is the first time in the playoff that Frye gets double figures in rebounds and the first time since 3/26.

Overtime: The Lakers have now won 11 home games in a row, all they have to do is win every home game from now on, and they will claim their 15th title.

Leprechauns Lose Big Men, Limping to Game 6

Not as fun when you're getting hit back is it? The most physically intimidating team in the NBA is getting a dose of it's own medicine by Orlando's man of steel, and they're not liking it much. Four total Leprechauns winced in pain, 2 of them did not return and are questionable for game 6. Drama Queen Paul Pierce again layed on the floor after receiving a follow through on the shoulder by the before mentioned Superman, no wheel chair was required this time around, maybe due to the fact that it was not a Finals game, he came back though finished with 18 pts, 10/10 from the stripe in 42 mins. Big Baby took the worst as the got smashed in the face by the same Superman giving everyone flashback of Douglas/Tyson '90, Davis stumbled, would not return and is questionable for the next game. Marquis Daniels ran into a wall of Magic head first, not a good idea and he suffered a concussion, you know I've been watching NBA for 23 years and have never seen 2 concussion in 1 game, like Van Gundy said "NBA where soft happens". Last was 'Sheed who looked like he was about to have an accident on the floor but turned out to be a tweaked back, damn, ol' Leprechauns are starting to resemble the GS Warriors. Back to the game, the Magic defended their court as they should and found the 3 ball back hitting 13 of them and taking advantage of some terrible work by the refs. I don't care one bit for the Leprechauns but I prefer they lose fairly rather than to bad calls, while Kendrick Perkins deserves most T's he gets, the second one he got was total BS, this is from a hardcore Laker fan than wants nothing more than to see Boston fail but it takes away the joy when the refs screw up like this, c'mon NBA you need to get this fixed. With their best Superman defender grounded, Howard still only had an ordinary 21 pts, 10 rbs, 5 blks, but the team came in and took advantage of below 50% shooting from the "Big" Three earning them one more trip to Boston.

Player of the game: Jameer Nelson continues his great play 24 pts on 6/10 shooting 5 assists and 5 rebounds.

X-Factor: The X-factor for the Magic has been J.J. Redick, who really should be starting as once superstar Vinsanity cannot seem to handle the bright lights of the NBA's final four, speaking of which.

Should Have Been Benched: Vince Carter went 3/10 for 8 points, he was brought here to score when the Magic needed buckets, hell he can't even score when the team is on fire. Carter was the only Magic player who shot under 50%.

Overtime: If Perkins technical holds, he will not be available for the next game, which would be great for Celtic haters, but not right, the refs clearly got that wrong, and I hope it is rescinded, I'd hate that to be used an excuse.

Suns Bench is Back, Series Tied

Oh Sasha from '08 what we miss thee. Sasha's long distance accuracy is the perfect zone buster, but with him shooting even worse than his team mates from down town Lakers have a lot of homework to do. The Suns still use zone and while the Lakers shot right under 50% they cannot seem to keep the suddenly scorching Suns from scoring, much to the dismay of the Lakers the difference is the Suns ARE hittiner their 3's. The Suns only made 11 3's but it was more when they made them than how many they made, in the first half they hit 5 straight, and used 3 straight to overtake the Lakers lead in the second half. On top of that the Suns continue to go the line 32 times compared to 13 for the Champs. The once Bench Mob had a decent 20 points, to bad the Suns benched almost tripled that amount with 54 lede by a resurrected Frye who regained his touch and hit 4 from downtown. the Brazilian Blur also chipped in 14, and Dudley had 11, Dragic only had 8, but also had the same in assists, 8. The Suns were not required to score huge and were led by Amare who finished with 23 and had yet another big game from the stripe going 12 times. The Lakers frontline was better and only Fisher did not hit double figures for the top six on the team. Gasol had his lowest output of the series and has yet to get a double double, he like all the Lakers front line were beat this time on the hussle board. The undersize Suns outrebounded the taller Lakers by 15 including 18 offensive, they just wanted it more time and time again, totally inexcusable by the Champs. Kobe was on fire the 2nd and 3rd quarter, and was 3 rebounds short of triple double, he's doing his part. Again the Lakers hung around the 3 once too often,this time they took 28, still too many for a team full of good post players including 3 damn good post players (Gasol,Odom, Bryant). The Lakers better hope to figure a way to beat the zone defense, Suns didn't get here by accident and they are not gonna just step aside as the Lakers go to their 31 first title bid, c'mon Phil aren't you supposed to have at least a back up plan for situations like this? Damn Lakers just can't do anything simple have to make it interesting, I hope it doesn't bite them on their ass.

Player of the Game: Channing Frye came out of his slump and of the sudden it was contagious, his 3 were huge in keeping his team mates and the fans in the game.

X-Factor: Suns bench, their stellar gave the starter a breather and were actually more effective, their all around hussle embarrased the Lakers.

Should Have Been Benched: Shannon Brown went 1/7 and insists on shooting from outside, while not the best ball handler, he is a great athlete and should be cutting trying to get into the lane tiring his defender in the process. Is not rocket science people, use your strengths, you want to cool down a scorerer, make him play defense.

Laker Hater: The Brazilian Blur has as many double figure games this series than both previous series combined, Lakers really are a team fans and players love to hate.

Overtime: Kobe Bryant moved to 4th place in the all-time playoff scoring list trailing only, The Big Has Been, The Captain, and His Airness.

Magic Still Have a Pulse Outlast Leprechauns

Everyone in the pregame showed predicted a sweep, hell I said sweep if Boston took a 2-0 lead, fail! The Magicians played with their season on the brink, which actually it was and prevented Boston to celebrate their 21st bid to the Finals and now will have to win in Orlando again to close the series in 5, with the reigning East Champs maybe getting momentum a return to Boston for game 6 is likely. Rashard Lewis still shot awful but at least chipped in 13 points including 2 from downtown, Matt Barnes also hit 2 3's for 10 points and 7 boards, Superman tied a game high 32 points, 16 Rbs, and 4 rejections, but the hero was mighty mouse Jameer Nelson who outplayed his counter part the "Best All Around Point Guard" Rajon Rondo, who's poor play is being credited to ovary spasms, isn't it strange that when a player has a lousy game they suddenly develop a nagging injury, I'm actually shocked he wasn't taken on a wheel chair. Jameer had 23 points and 9 dimes, hitting 2 huge 3's in overtime to put the Magic up for good.Reliable season reserves Gortat and Pietrus did not have a single point, maybe a trip back home will be good for them. The Leprechauns were led by Pierce who also had 32 points with 11 rebs, Ray Ray kept in the game late with 22 points 15 of them coming from 5 3's, KG was the only other Celtic in double figures with 14. Their bench combined for 12 points which was as many points the most consistent Magic players so far J.J. Reddick had by himself.

Player of the Game: While Jameer was the hero, Superman was the best player, getting to better positions and finishing strong he made 13/19 field goals, the time Boston made a run was with him on the bench with the usual foul trouble.

X-Factor: Rashard scoring is greatly needed, even a low 13 points made a difference, the Magic need him if they want to continue staying alive.

Should Have Been Benched: Vinsanity had as many points as turnovers, never a good sign. It makes no difference if he can create his own shot if he is shooting 1/9, at least with Hedo you knew he had what it takes in the clutch. He should continue to start but JJ should play the most minutes as long as he continues to be effective and play without fear.

Zone Screws up Lakers Game Plan, Suns Win

With the team the reigning NBA champs possess 2 things should never, ever,ever happen. 1: They should never get outrebounded for the game, with Gasol,Bynum, and Odom that is inexcusable. 2: They should never rely on the 3 pointer as the main shot selection. It is a proven fact when Lakers resort to launching 3's, they lose. Game 3 was such a game where the supposed defensless Suns surprised the Lake Show with a zone defense that held on and forced them to take a ridiculous 32 treys, 12 more than the Suns, are you kidding me? Mamba was his deadly self finishing with a near triple double, Fish was in playoff form and finished with 18 points. The frontline was very ordinary though and were time and time again punished by Amare Stoudemire who had a game high 42 points. Amare would take 18 of the Suns 42 Free Throws, while officiating not consistent, you can't blame them for the discrepency, the Suns attacked the rim, frustrated the Lakers big men, and forced the issue, while the Lakers who employ 5 possible threats in the post kept launching 3's, obviously it failed and now the Suns are back in the series. Too many free throw were given away and Lakers did not play up to their strengths, we'll see what game 3 brings. Dissapointing finish.

Player of the Game: Amare Stoudemire, 42 pts, 11 rbs, 14/18 FTs, the much critisized All-Star played as such and had only 5 points less than the 4 Lakers front men combined, no kidding.

X-Factor: Robin Lopez has come back from injury and impacted this series, is not crazy to think that if not for Robin, this series would be very different as he has brought much needed size up front. Game 3 contributions were more than just size though as he finished with 20 points hitting 8/10 shots and 4/4 from the line, together with Amare they destroyed the Lakers front line.

Should Have Been Benched: Bynum might as well have stayed in LA, he played 8 minutes and had as many fouls as points and rebounds combined, c'mon!

Laker Hater: Robin Lopez last 20+ game was 2/26 vs. the other LA team when he went for 30, without his presence, the Suns are on the verge of being swept.

Overtime: Channing Frye has missed 17 straight shots and has yet to make a 3, I believe Sam Cassell own the record with 19 in 2008.

Leprechauns Dish Out a Can of Royal Ass Kicking

After an 8 game winning steak in the playoffs (14 counting regular season) the Orlando Magic are one loss away from going fishin'. The Leprechauns beat the living hell out the Magic dominating them in every aspect of the game, it was down right embarrassing. Clark Kent forgot to suit up or turns out is affected by the presence of Krypto-Nate on the Boston bench for he had a pathetic showing of 7 points 7 rebounds. The high scoring Magic managed only 12 points in the 1st and 13 in the 3rd, the lead grew as big as 30 points before I quit seeing it, what was the point? It was like watching a varsity team play a middle school team who had just been pulled out the crapper, given a uniform, and did not completely grasp what game they were playing. I mean damn, I don't think anyone wanted to shoot the ball for fear of it blowing up or hitting someone in the stands. Multi millionaire Rashard Lewis is costing Orlando huge buckets of cash with his abysmal contributions he has yet to make more than 2 field goals this series and is now 1/13 from threes. 3 Magicians too 10 or more shots 2 of them mad 5 and each scored 15 pts, as a team they shot right under 37%, the question now is? Are the Lakers gonna match the sweep? Leprechauns had 6 players in double figures led by Big Baby Davis and his 17 points and of course Rajon Rondo who continues to make big plays for the Leprechauns he finished with 11 points, 12 assists, and 4 steals. The big 3 combined for 39 points and 'Sheed chipped in 10. Get them brooms ready!

Player of the Game: Rajon Rondo, while only 11 points, Rondo set the pace and showed more desire than any of the Magicians.

X-Factor: Big Baby who lead the Leprechauns in scoring for the first time this season.

Should Have Been Benched: The whole Magic staff.

Overtime: No team in the NBA has ever come back from 3-0.

Balanced Attack Leads to 2-0 Lakers Lead

While not a total ass whupping by the Champs the Lakers still ran 124 on the under size Suns with Kobe being more a facilitator dishing a playoff career high 13 assists. The Suns came back from 14 and hung around but in the end just do not have the size to compete against LA, at least not in the first two games. The Suns shot 49% 41% from the 3 point line, dished out 29 assists had 7 steals, lost the rebound battle to the tall Lakers by only 5, how in the hell can they lose? Well Lakers shot over 56% in from the floor, including from downtown, where is the D. It was a much better game overall for the Suns Jason Richardson scored a team high 27 points, Grant Hill turned back the clock and scored 23, Nash had a double double including 15 assists and Jared Dudley found his touch and hit 5/5 from downtown for 15 points off the bench. The key for the Suns before the series started was supposed to be the bench, but they were outscored again in game 2 by the Lakers biggest weakness, their reserves. "Lucky" Lamar had another double double this time 17 and 11, Farmar hit all 3 of his 3 and finished with 11, and Shannon Brown contributed 8 in limited minutes. The starters sans Fisher did well as they were dared to shoot and time and time burned the Suns, Ron Ron chipped in 18, Bynum was 5/5 and the dynamic duo of Gasol and Kobe combined for 60 pts. The scene now shifts to Phoenix where the Suns should shoot better, but where the Lakers won the last meeting. The Lakers cannot get into a shooting contest against Phoenix, they must continue to pound the ball inside and take advantage of their size, I like the Lakers chances to steal a win on Sunday especially with Mamba continuing to get rest, about the only negative thing for the Lakers is the health of Andrew Bynum who will be needed when the inevitable rematch against the Celtics is official.

Player of the Game: Pau Gasol continues to be as important as Mamba for the Lakers success. Pau tore it up in the 4th scoing 14 of his game high 29 pts pulled down 9 rebounds and dished out 5 dimes.

X-Factor: Ron Artest smart shot selection and hot shooting made the Phoenix plan to make Kobe a passer fail.

Should Have Been Benched: Mr. dependable quiet leader Derek Fisher had an off night hitting only 2/7 for 7 points he did dish out 5 assists.

Laker Hater: Grant Hill took at least 15 shot only 1 other time this season. While very capable of scoring he is no longer the explosive offensive force he once was, on game 2 though he single handley led a big 3rd quarter by Phoenix, it's cool to see him healthy again.

Overtime: 20 Yrs ago I witnessed the Lakers not making to the final four for the first time in 8 years also against the Phoenix Suns. I boycotted basketball after that out of disgust and did not see another game until the Finals. The particular '90 team was the last team coached by Pat Riley and the first without hall of famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 16 Yrs. The had the best record in the league and were favored to win the west. The quick Suns led by Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers used their speed and athletism to dismiss the last declining Showtime Lakers. Laker great and fan favorite Michael Cooper would play his final season with the team and future Laker fan favorite and later nemesis Vlade Divac impressed hoop fans in his rookie season. Magic Johson scored over 40 points in the last three games, all losses. The fastbreak finishing trio of Worthy, Scott, and Green had a very disspointing series. The Suns won the next 3 series against the Lakers ('93,'06,'07).

Celtics Survive Magic Take Commanding 2-0 Lead

The defending East Champs Orlando Magic picked a hell of a time to lose consecutive home games for the first time this season. Boston bullied themselves to a hard fought game 2 surviving a monster game by Superman to go home leading the series 2-0. Paul Pierce found his offense and torched the Magic for 22 first half points finishing with his second highest point total this playoffs. Ray Allen was awful with 1/6 shooting but the other 3 starters got into double figures including a huge game by Rondo who chipped in 25 pts, 8 assts. The Magic are falling straight into Boston's plan in letting Dwight be the offensive force taking away their 3 point attack taking Superman's crew out of the game and frustrating the East champs. A few bad calls went Boston's way, but they still had a chance to take momentum but made some bad decisions. When they were not doing bone headed plays they were out hustled. Time and time again they failed to get the defensive rebound allowing the Leprechauns a second chance. They lost the rebound battle by only 2, but it wasn't the overall nu mber that killed them it was the timing of the missed rebounds. J.J Reddick who is supposed to have a great game IQ had a mental lapse and cost his team good position and forced them to take a horrible half court prayer that didn't get to the rim. The ghosts of past Magic line failure continue as Vinsanity showed this stage is too bright for him when he clanked two free throws that would have cut the lead to 1, he is a 84% shooter this season. Rashard Lewis continues to be among the most over payed players, Jameer Nelson has come back to earth, and Matt Barnes limped through a better game and provided much energy, too bad his team mates didn't pick up on it. According to reports Paul Pierce twitted "Does anyone have a broom?", a sweep looks possible, Dwight Howard says he still believes and all both games have been closed and Magic could have won either one of them, they have to see it that way and not get discouraged if not it will be a sweep and a very long summer for them.

Player of the Game: Paul Pierce doing most of his damage in the 1st half, he looks to have gotten his stroke back while punishing the Magic's front line repeatedly going to the line and getting them in foul trouble.

X-Factor: Rasheed Wallace hit two huge 3s but most importantly used 5 fouls to prevent easy layups while continuing to get into Howard's skin.

Should Have Been Benched: Over payed Rashard Lewis is averaging 5.5 points this series after 17 vs. Atlanta and 15 vs. the 'Cats. As close as this series has been any double figure contribution from Rashard would help, he's really letting his team mates down.

Overtime: The Magic have had 2 memorable free throw chokes in their playoff history. Last year in game 4 of the Finals when Superman bricked 2 free throws giving the Lakers a chance to tie the game and eventually lose the game. In 1995 also in the Finals vs. the Houston Rockets, Nick Anderson missed FOUR consecutive free throws that would have iced it for the Magic, instead allowed Houston to tie and steal the game in route to a 4 game sweep.

Suns Set Early in LA

After a ridiculous stint off the Western Conference Finals finally get on their way. The Suns jumped early with a 7-0 only to get torched for 35 first quarter points. Super sub Lamar Odom may have had lots of candy before the game as his energy level was high finishing the game with 19 and 19. After LO had his moment, Mamba came out on fire in the third, scoring 21 of his 40 pts, hitting jumper after jumper, classic Kobe. With LO stealing the front court spotlight Gasol and Artest quietly combined for 35 pts, 9 rbs, 10 asts, 3 blks, even the bench was productive this time around outscoring their counterparts 43-35. The Suns are a very explosive offensive team and Lakers took that away from that in game 1, this a a four game series though. We'll see what game 2 brings.

Player of the game: The Black Mamba hit 40 pts for the 11th time in his career along with 5 asts and 5 rbs.

X-Factor: Said it before when Odom uses his God given All-Star level talent, Lakers are very good and rarely lose. LO was ridiculous going for 19 and 19 and 3 dimes as a bonus, shooting 9/15.

Should Have been benched: Sure he's playing hurt, but when you're as tall as a damn tree it shouldn't be hard to pull at least 6-8 rebounds in 19 minutes. Man, if Bynum had the rebounding desire of LO, Lakers would be almost unstoppable.

Laker Hater: Robin Lopez who had yet to see playoff action came in and had 14 pts in 6 rbs in his first game back, so much for being rusty.

Overtime: Kobe needs 72 pts to move past former Laker and all time Jazz great The Mailman Karl Malone for 4th on the all-time playoff scoring list trailing Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan. Of the top six players on that list only MJ did not suit up for the Lakers in his career, the logo Jerry West sits on 6th.

Magic's Spell Fades, Celtics Win

The reigning Least Champs tasted defeat for the first time in 15 games at the hands of the previous Least Champ. The way the game went it's hard to believe Boston is the old team. The Leprechauns took it to the Magic harassing all afternoon long forcing Superman to become an offense threat while keeping the long distance bombers in check. Leprechauns led my as many as 20 pts against a team that had not trailed by double digits this post season, this is not the Bobcats or Hawks. The Magic did make several runs but could not get the stops and in the end just ran of time. For the most part it was a clean game except for 'Sheed trying to get under Superman's skin, does he need to be an A$$hole to be productive? 13 pts, 2/5 from downtown 5/6 free throws, you gotta wonder. Even with Crabs out, the commentators somehow managed to still kiss King Crabs ass giving credit to his defense for Paul Pierce's fast start. Leprechauns got what they wanted at least a split, Orlando has to bounce back and considering how crappy they played they only lost by 4 and on two occasions took a huge bite from the Boston lead. Will not be surprised if game 2 is a rout.

Player of the game: Ray Allen led Boston with 25 pts, dished out 3 asts, pulled down 7 boards and just 1 turnover. Remained aggressive, if he continues this kind of play, Boston looks very favorable to return to the big dance.

X-Factor: 'Sheed. Several "experts" picked Boston to win it in the pre-season mainly due to the addition of Wallace. As bad as he was during the regular season, it's a big plus when he contributes. Besides his 13 pts off the bench he helped harass Superman and made him work for his points.

Should've Been Benched: Rashard Lewis was a no show 2/10 shooting, 6 pts, none from downtown, he was pretty much non-exitent.

Keys to next game: For Boston, they need to hold on to leads, during the regular season, no team gave up more double figures leads than them. They're D has been good and the bench has to continue to contribute.

Orlando has a little more work to do, Dwight and Rashard need to step up, if the 3 isn't there, Rashard should still have quickness advantage over KG or Big Baby. Dwight needs to be patient and not force it if not in good position, which is another key point, those getting the ball to Superman must give it to him in a good position, time and time again he caught it at a bad spot made worse when instead of resetting he forced it. And also by all means cut down on the turnovers, Dwight had 7 all by himself. I say Magic win game 2.

East Finals

Only hardcore Celtics fans could have predicted the current outcome. The Leprechauns make a return to the final four after dispatching the favored Cleveland Crabs in six games in what some call an upset. Their opponent is undefeated Orlando Magic who have been resting for a few days now and are on a mission to dethrone the Los Angeles Lakers from their pedestal, this is how they got here.

Before the season started they were on a collision course to meet in the the semis, but Boston's season ending slide had them fall to the fourth seed and meet King Crab and company instead. The reigning East Champs swept away playoff debut Charlotte Bobcats in convincing fashion before historically annihilating the 3rd seeded Atlanta Haws beating then with an average of 25 per game. The Hawks were pushed to the limit by the surprising Bucks but after their no show versus the Magic left fans wondering if Buck should have advanced. As mentioned the Magic have yet to taste defeat this post season.

The old slow not as good Boston Celtics silenced their critics as true to their coach's words are playing their best basketball now. Coach Doc Rivers had mentioned that seeding was not important as they feel they can win anywhere and so far look pretty good. They first eliminated the inferior Miami Heat keeping Dwayne Wade in check dropping only 1 game even though their inspirational leader KG sat out a game due to suspension. They next got the much anticipated match versus the chosen one and his crabs. After a close game 1, Celtics stole the 2nd game only to get bitch slapped into the franchise history hall of shame in game 3, they came and tied the series and dished out their own ass kicking in game 5 also rewriting the Crabs hall of shame records. The final game had its close moments but in the end it was the Leprechauns not the Golden child who will get a chance at coveted NBA trophy.

The Celtics have just taken out the "best" team in the league and are playing with renewed confidence and should surprise no one if the return to the Finals, after all they just took out the "best" player on the planet. The Orlando Magic unlike the Crabs are playing with only 2 new faces and a balanced attack which includes deep bench rotation of blue collar workers. I also believe they have a much better coach who will expose mismatches and is trusted by his players. When they met last years KG and reserve energizer Leon Powe were unavailable, still the series went seven games and Boston lost a 3-2 advantage losing the 7th at home. KG is back and while not the same of 2 years ago is playing some of his best ball of the season. Will Rashard still blow by him during the series? Rashard is instrumental to the Magic's success if KG can neutralize him it will be a huge factor for the Leprechauns. At small forward the "Truth" will be checked by feisty Matt Barnes who is an underrated role player and will also be harassed by Pietrus off the bench, Pierce did not have a good series vs. the Crabs but hit timely shots, he will be working for every point again. The center battle should be interesting, Perkins mentioned after the Christmas game that Dwight Howard cannot handle being physical against him, now is the chance for Superman to prove he is not intimidated by the Celtics enforcer, the Magic will get nowhere without Howard on the floor, this is not the Bobcats where they were able to pick up the slack without their big man, Celtics will run them off the floor if Howard gets in foul trouble. Both Carter and Allen can explode for quick points, both have led their teams in scoring, both however have had less than stellar games in the post season, Allen stays healthier but when healthy Vinsanity can create his own shot, we'll see if he has what it takes to shine in the brightest stage he's been so far. Missing in action last year was All-Star Jameer Nelson who has been sensational this post season, this is not Mike Bibby or Raymond Felton though, Rajon Rondo will prove to be a tougher matchup both defensively and will put pressure on him as well, we're gonna find out how good Nelson is. The Celtics bench came up big at times versus the Crabs, Rasheed, Allen, and Big Baby should be on the normal rotation and must be productive to give the C's a chance to also upset the Magic. Don't know if little used Finley, Daniels, and Kryptonite will see playing time. Contrary to popular belief Crabs did not have the deepest bench, Orlando does. Pietrus and the Polish Hammer, Gortat have stepped in and played huge dating back to last year, much improved Reddick is one of many downtown threats the Magic posses and former White Chocolate has matured to be a valuable asset to Orlando. Anderson is another big body who can burn you from the three and has played well enough to make key off season addition Brandon Bass ineffective. The Celtics are on a mission to prove they were undermanned last year and have the talent to take back the East Crown. Orlando have youth and also something to prove, which is that last year was not a fluke and did not get an easy pass by beating a KG less Celtics team. Both teams look very strong even though my senses and Laker fan in me have me pick Orlando, the Leprechauns seem to have hit their stride and may just return to the finals to face their bitter rival yet again. Celtics in six.

West Finals

30 Teams start, 16 continue, 8 more are dismissed early, 4 more a little later, and 4 remain. The long awaited LeBron/Kobe Finals has again been put off for another year if ever. Here's how they got here.

The Phoenix Suns return to the Conference Finals for the third time in the last six years under Steve Nash point guard direction. They arrived after a dismal first game against the undermanned Blazers but took the next 4 in ass kicking fashion blowing the Blazers away in three of them. They then renewed one rivalry against the San Antonio Spurs fresh from dismissing a very disspointing Mavericks and shocked the basketball world by sweeping the aside to earn a long deserved trip to the Conference Finals. The top West seed Lakers make their third consecutive time and their insane 40th trip to the final four in 62 years, 30 times they have advanced to the Big Dance. New kids in town OKC Thunder led by scoring sensation Kevin Durant gave the defending champs a tough series even embarrassing them in game 4 before bowing out to them in six games on a Gasol tip in. Next was an old nemesis Utah Jazz who got rid of the George Karl less Denver Nuggets in yet another disappointing showing by a west top seed. Utah fought hard in typical Jerry Sloan fashion but in the end lacked the size without Okur and less than 100% AK47 to prevent a four game sweep for the first time in their franchise history.

The Lakers have a score to settle against the Suns for the ousting back in '06 and '07, while not the same rosters, the 5 hold backs from those teams still have a bad taste. Lakes have home court and dominated them in the regular season. A couple of games though were on the 2nd night of a back to back and Lakers smoked the Suns whose only victory was scored against an Artest less Lakers team, also in big fashion. The Lakers are not 100% but look better than they had in the last month of the regular season sans Bynum who still looks injured sometimes. The Suns have 2 key members past their mid 30s even though they are currently not playing like it and still have decent big body Robin Lopez without playing in the post season. For the most part neither have no significant injuries, yet. The 3 pointer is key for the Suns offense and even though I keep reading the Lakers defend the 3 better than anyone, I beg to differ as time and time again Lakers get burned by open 3s or 3s in transition. For the Suns to pull an upset, Nash and Amare must play like the All-Stars they are and Richardson must be one of their top 3 scorers in every game. The bench has to continue to be productive as they have been and keep the offense rolling and win the hustle battle. Without Lopez the Suns are undersized and are gonna have their hands full if the Lakers go that rout. Both Gasol & Bynum can wear you down with their length and frustrate them with easy point blank buckets. Stopping Kobe is probably gonna fall on Grant Hill who has been Suns best defender, but if the Lakers role players due their job and hit their open shots it will be a long series for the Suns. The Lakers to advance for the 3rd straight finals a feat they have done 5 times before they must pound the ball inside and try to get Amare in foul trouble. The Bigs must come out and contest the 3s if they want to remain on the floor. If the Laker run the offense through Gasol it should be a pretty smooth attack if everyone moves and hits their open shots. The ability of the Lakers to go small with Odom in the lineup negates the Suns fast paced attack as LO can match their speed but also has strength and height advantage. The reserve guards have got to be effective as they will match against the young combo of Dragic and Barbosa both who shoot the ball well and are very quick, contain them and Lakers can wrap up the series fast. The Lakers have the personnel to counter any attack the Suns come up with, will they have the mindset? If so, Lakers will close out and head back to the NBA Finals in 5.

King Crab, Big Has Been Done in Cleveland?

For the second consecutive year as the top overall seed the Cleveland Crabs fail to make it to the promise land and could be in rebuilding mode again if King Crab decides to seek greener pastures. The rejuvenated Leprechauns dismissed the hugely favored Crabs in 6 games demoralizing them in the closing minutes and starting many questions from coaching to roster changes. Gone was the joyous silly bunch on the sidelines for the Chosen One's team replaced with a disappointing look of repeated failure in the post season. Even though they faced off against my favorite team's nemesis, I was hoping for the Crabs season to end like this, harsh I know, but the sideline antics were annoying, the constant ass kissing to the chosen one by all media and blind followers alike, the ridiculous scam to land Jamison for chump change (I am so glad that failed and hope the league fixes that by next season), and finally for having the Big Once Was in their roster. While I am grateful for what the Diesel did while in a Laker uniform, the constant bad mouthing of the organization turned me against him and I am delighted he will not get that fifth ring before Mamba and at worst will end with the same count, Kobe's work is still not done though and may just eclipse Shaq's total, which would be SWEET.

As far as the closing game goes, the Leprechauns survived a barrage from Mo Williams who sliced for 20 1st half points to help his team stay close. The Celtics were lucky as they also had to contend with foul trouble for Pierce and Perkins but got great production from Tony Allen. Crabs managed to take the lead at 1 point but the Celtics showed poise reminiscent of the '08 run and clamp down to King Crab and friends answering every run the Crabs made with one of their own. At the end the King's number were not bad at all 27 pts 19 rbs 10 ast 3 stl but 9 turnovers. Mo came back to earth and scored just 2 points in the 2nd half. Shaq was the only other player in double figures for them with 11. The other starters were atrocious Jamison had 5 pts on 2/10 shooting and Anthony Parker contributed just 7 pts in 4 shots. The bench which was supposed to be a factor was non-existent 13 pts on 4/13 shooting, 9 rbs, 6 turnovers as a unit, regular season members like Hickson played less than a minute while former Celtic Leon Powe did even step on the court, he always had high energy for the Celtics and could have helped. At the end the Crabs seemed to have given up and stood by as the clock winded down ending their season prematurely again.

The Leprechauns were not all great offensively but made up in defense forcing Cleveland to 22 turnovers, they were led by KG who turned back the clock finishing with 22 points, 12 rbs. Series MVP Rajon Rondo continued his stellar play 21 pts, 12 asts, and 5 steals. Pierce, Perkins, and Allen shot poorly but the "Truth" hit some timely shots key during a Celtic run. The big difference was the 23 pts from the bench who stepped up while Pierce was in foul trouble. Tony Allen had 10 pts in the 1st half along with 3 stls and Rasheed still trying to make amends for a lousy season chipped in 13 pts and also 3 stls, including 2 big treys and hustle plays.

So, what now? Are we looking at awaited Lakers/Celtics rematch? Will Orlando finally lose as they face a superior opponent compared to the last 2. Is this the final year for King Crab in his home state? Is gonna be interesting. All is not lost in Cleveland, and with Shaq's contract coming off the books they have a nice amount to bargain with. There several names that can go to the Crabs and have more of an impact than Shaq did. Amare, Boozer, Bosh, Wade, Nowitzki are all nice sidekicks available who are also seeking a shot at the ring. What about Diesel? Is his career done? At 38 years old, slower, and more prone to injury it would be bone headed for any team to over pay him at this stage. He had career lows or right at career lows for ALL categories. I recall him saying he did not want to finish his career being a shadow of what he once was like Kareem did. Well, 'Jabbar was 42 at time of retiring and yes his number were all career lows, but what about at Shaq's current age of 38? His numbers were superior to Shaq and he was still the focal point of the Lakers offense, Kareem turned 38 during the 1984-85 season similar to Shaq this year. He was the anchor of the Laker team that finally beat the Celtics in the Finals with Kareem becoming the oldest player to win Finals MVP. His season awards included being an All-Star,All-NBA 2nd team, 4th on MVP voting, 4th FG%, 10 in blocks, 5th PER, and led the team in scoring, rebounds, FG%, and blocks, was third in minutes played and steals for the Lakers. So yes, Shaq was right he will not leave the game as Jabbar did when he laces his shoes for the last time as a player, he will leave with worse numbers and still ranked behind the top centers in history. As for King Crab his legacy is still being written, will he catch that elusive ring? Time will tell, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Julius Erving, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson are among the top 50 greatest ever played who got rings late in their career. I think King Crab is too great of player to not win at least 1 or get another crack at the ring, but to say he's going to form a dynasty is premature, competition is too fierce nowadays and more and more teams are thinking mini runs instead of long term dominance. We'll see if King Crab will be another Logo or Big O, or end up being another Baylor, Barkley, Ewing, Stockton or Malone.

Lakers Tune Out Jazz, Prepare For Suns

For the third consecutive year the Lakers dismiss the Jazz this time in convincing fashion with a four game sweep. I can't help but feel bad for the hard working Jazz organization who unfortunately were fighting injuries and faced a healthier Laker Team. Lakers still would have won the series, but with Memo and AK47 healthy is hard to believe they would have been swept. Game 1 had the Lakers give up a double digit lead and trail by 4 before Mamba took over scoring 7 straight points to secure the win. The three headed big man monster of the Lakers all got 10+ rebounds and the bench while giving up the lead did score 22 pts to Utah's 25 led by Milsap's 16. Utah had 5 players in double figures but the 1-2 punch of Kobe and Pau were too much Gasol had 25 pts, 12 rbs, 5 blks, and 4 dimes. In game 2 Lakers continued to exploit their height advantage and destroyed the Jazz frontline with a combined 50 pts 44 rebs and 9 blks shots between the 3 of them. The Jazz played well, but were no match to LA's size and were swatted away 13 times. Milsap continued his stellar bench play and led the Jazz with 26 pts. Booze had another double double and rookie Wesley Matthews swiped the ball again 3 times and chipped in 14 valuable points, they still went down 111-103. Game 3 switched over to Salt Lake where the Jazz were superb shooting better from the floor and downtown than the Laker, going to the line 12 more times, out rebounding and out assisting them and their bench clobbering the Lakers by 24 points and at the end the Lakes did just enough to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Kobe was his usual self with 35 points and two cold hearted 3's in the 4th while dishing out 7 dimes, Artest and Fisher came up strong with 20 a piece, Ron ron goin g4/5 from downtown, the dominating front line was average that game with Paul having his lowest point total, Bynum laying an egg and Odom contributing only 8 and 8. Pau did have 17 boards including the most important one at the end of the game stealing the game from the Jazz. Game 4 is how good teams close out a series, even though they had a let down in the 3rd, the Lakers responded and took command of the game eliminating any chance of late surge. The Jazz again had 5 players in double figures but only got 10 pts from Booze in their biggest game of the season. The All-Star duo of Gasol and Bryant both scored over 30 pts and got some much needed bench scoring from Shannon brown with a dozen and Odom with 10. Pau would average 23.5 pts, 14.5 rbs, and 2.8 blks for the series. For Utah Deron Williams average 22 pts with 8.8 assists, but needed more from Carlos Boozer whose 15.5 pts and 13 rbs is not bad but was not enough to be their #2 scorer, Milsap averaged 19 pts for the series.

Now the Lakers take a LONG break which absolutely ridiculous before they face off against division rival Phoenix Suns.

West Semis

LA's two supposed biggest threats have been eliminated, so it should be a cake walk right? Ha!

Suns vs. Spurs - The 3rd best team record wise in the west faces off against the "7th" seed who upset the Mavs. Can it really be called an upset though? Now the "low" seeded Spurs will again start on the road and rekindle the friendship with the boys from the desert, the Phoenix Suns. If there is a team besides the newly booted Mavs that has suffered against the boys from the Alamo it the Suns. Three of the last four times that Suns have been dismissed has been at the hands of the Spurs, including one during the last title run that could have easily gone the other way hadn't it had a controversial finish. Nash and A'mare are back with a brand new group of supporting players and I'm sure would love to send the Spurs packing. The boring but highly effective Spurs seem to have hit their season peak finally and look again like legit contenders and will not surprise anyone if they reach the west finals again. This should be a great series and will more than likely go the distance and although I don't like to bet against Timmy, I have a feeling Suns get their due this time around and will finish off the Spurs in 7 games.

Lakers vs. Jazz - Man, I was looking forward the Tattoos getting slapped by the Lakers again, too bad they didn't keep their end of the deal and failed to advance. I do hope both Coach Karl and Nene recover and really feel Karl's absence was key in them exiting early. The no excuses Jazz get a date with the defending champs and will have to face them without key members AK47 and center Memo Okur, two huge losses, on top of that their best player Deron Williams seems to be banged up too, which is a shame as I would have loved to have seen this series with both squads healthy. This still will not be an easy series, they are still coached by Jerry Sloan who will demand everyone that steps on the floor for him give 120% and make sure the champs have bruises the next series. The Lakers cannot get lackadaisical and expect the Jazz to just roll over and die, they have to exploit mismatches and take advantage of the Jazz being short handed. If Bynum continues his annual injuries, it will be a closer series as LA's bench just cannot get going and be productive consistently. With Bynum doing minimal damage the Lakers should win in 6 games, if the Lakes have to rely on the bench more due to his absence, it may just go the distance.

East Semis

Magic vs. Hawks - The second seed vs. third seed should be a highly contested series, although sometimes is not the case as several 3rd seeds have been upset in the past. The Hawks matched up well vs. Celtics this year and no question belong among the top 4, but they are clearly below the Crabs and Magic. Orlando dominated the regular season series beating the Hawks by an average of 20+ pts. Don't know if that will carry over to the post season but I don't expect Orlando to take more than 5 games to eliminate the Hawks. Hawks have no answer against Howard and don't move the ball enough to compete against a team of Orlando's caliber.

Crabs vs. Leprechauns - The hardcore Laker fan in me, has me automatically go against them, but for the first time in my 23 yrs of cheering the Lakers, I can't bring myself to cheering for a Boston opponent. I could care less who wins the series and hope they both pummel each other and are drained by the time they face the Magic. Cleveland is the obvious favorite and do have advantages, which include renewed crowned MVP King Crab and a more reliable bench, I bet Eddie House is sorely missed right now. The so called "big" three will have to show up every game now to make up for the lack of help, it used to be one could take the night off and the others two would combine for a big game and that was enough, but with key members like House,Posey, and Brown gone, they no longer have that luxury. This Rasheed's last chance to redeem himself in fans' eyes for a disappointing season and could be the key factor in Celtics upsetting King Crab and company. The Crabs are playing with great confidence, are on a clear mission, and have vengeance in their minds against all their upcoming opponents, all they have to do get to the final four now is continue playing the way they have been to get here. Crabs in 7.