The television has a treat for us this evening: An NBA Finals rematch, DAL/MIA, and a duel between two of the Western Conference’s best teams, OKC/LAL. All on TNT for all to see and, hopefully, enjoy.
Both contests could go either way, and they certainly have proved to be entertaining due to what occurred in their previous meetings.
Miami beat the Mavericks in Dallas on opening day during a game in which LeBron had 37 points and Wade added 26 of his own—they were the only Heat players even in double figures, too—and the Lakers lost in Oklahoma City, to a Thunder team lead by Durant’s 33, right before the All-Star recess.
Funny thing is: I thought (and actually wrote this down) “Metta World Peace guarding Kevin Durant—and effectively”; yet, after the final numbers came in (you know, his point total, for instance), I concluded shortly after that little notation, “Bye the way: Scratch that.”
But nevertheless, the games shall be played this evening, and maybe if the fates allow, they’ll give us the opposite outcome of the priors—what we all wanted the first time, rather.
The State of Los Angeles. Now that the Lakers find themselves quasi-comfortably atop the Pacific Division, we should take time to reflect on the status of the two NBA teams that share a city.
The only real problem with the Lakers, as of right now—other than the terrible matchup problems the two teams ahead of them in the West (and more on that later)—comes to only the most acute observer: They have a hard time winning when Andrew Bynum nets
- Photo Credit: Getty Images
They did it again last Sunday, hosting the Grizzles, when Bynum led the way with 30 points only to see his team lose 102-96 in the contest. There were good things to come of it, however, for Ramon Sessions had 18 in just his second start (in his first he had 20/6/11as the Lakers were victorious against the Blazers just two nights before that), so safe to say, he’s living it up in his rightfully deserved starting spot.
Other positives are MWP in the five at tip—for more reasons than one—because now when Matty Barnes comes off the bench, he’s got fresh legs for both offensive and defensive production.
The Clips are not having as much luck; sure, they’ll make the tournament, but they’re having a hard time making it without Mr. Big Shot, Chauncey Billups.
LAC was 15-7 when the guard went out for the season; now they’re 29-21. After you do a little math, you discover that the other team of LA residency is .500 without him. They even beat the Suns for the first time this season last night in their third attempt at doing so.
Kevin Love for MVP. I don’t have a vote, yet one can dream. If this sounds crazy just get a load of some of these numbers…
In the month of March, K-Love has gone for at least 20 points all but once, and half the time he’s gone north of 30. Furthermore, he’s one of only four players in the L to average at least 26 ppg; the other three were already mentioned in this column, but you probably didn’t need that hint to figure out who they are.
If you’re still not convinced, just think of this: Where would the T-Wolves be without him? They wouldn’t be flirting with .500 and maybe—a big maybe, I know—a playoff run. Just think about that notion when listing your MVP.
Power Rankings. Never done this before, but why not; it’s about that time to start thinking who the best is; I can smell the playoffs.
- OKC—They have two elite scorers and two legit stoppers; and—a big ‘and’ here—they won’t be tested in the postseason until they face Chicago in the finals. Add to that the feature Sixth Man of the Year, and that’ll be numero uno.
- the Spurs—With Ginobili back they’re big three is back in order—Tony Parker playing like an MVP himself, also—and with the emergence of DeJuan Blair and Kawhi Leonard in their starting lineup, they’ll be better come playoff time; they can only get better.
- Chi-Town—No Derek Rose; no matter: The Baby Bulls are still the best team in the East. Sadly, according to form, no one appears to be noticing the secret to
- Photo Credit: Charles Rex Arbogast, AP
- LAL—Kobe, Bynum, Pau, MWP and now Sessions. No one hoists a more dangerous apposing lineup during pre-game warm ups. Imagine the look of that actually on the floor before tip; I like what I see.
- el Heat—Even with their flaws as a team, Miami is a hard out in seven, and even LeBron cannot screw up his guaranteed trip to the conference final. Thank Dwyane Wade for that.
How about STP to play me out…
Adios
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