NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference 2nd Round

Lots going on here. I have been loving these games, with two issues with two teams (1 East and 1 West). Let's talk about the Eastern side of the playoff brackets.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks

I'm with Charles Barkley on this one, the Hawks were admiring LeBron as he was destroying them. LeBron has scored almost a point per minute he has played this entire series. He doesn't even have any bruises and he put up 47 points in Game 3. The Hawks just disappointed this year. I for one thought that they would have given the Cavs some run, but I guess after Horford got hurt, it was pretty much over. The Cavs are waiting to see who they play next. I had the Cavs winning in 5 games, but they mercifully ended this series early.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic

This is one team that I have issues with. The Magic are a more talented and better team than the Celtics (with KG and Leon Powe out), but they don't know how to play the game. They have been up for the majority of the games in this series but have had problems closing out the reigning champs. My biggest issue with them is around their biggest player. Stan Van Gundy, please pay attention, I have a game plan for you: GIVE DWIGHT HOWARD THE BALL. The Celtics don't have anyone who can cover Howard. I mean I like Perkins, but he is struggling with a hurt shoulder and he's rather foul prone. When Howard is tired of shooting (he should have 25 attempts each game) then you go to Rashard Lewis. Let him post up whomever wants to cover him. By heeding this advice, the Magic would end this series quickly but now they are heading back to Orlando down 3-2.


Is anyone else wondering why the Magic aren't killing the Celtics? The Celtics are short handed and they still find ways to beat the Magic. Is it coaching? Is it toughness? What's the problem?

Yao Out

The Lakers got a great Mother's Day gift. Yao Ming has a hairline fracture in his foot and will miss the rest of the playoffs. The Lakers and the Nuggets should be meeting in the Western Conference Finals in a few days.

NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference 2nd Round

The Eastern conference playoffs are pretty much sewn up for Cleveland. The only drama in the east is how long is it going to take the Celtics to beat the Magic. LeBron got his MVP trophy and he's aiming to get some more hardware this year. Let's take a look at the East.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks

Prediction: 4-1 Cavaliers (I'm hedging my bets against Atlanta, they could win 1 game)

Well, I don't have much to say about this. The Cavs are clearly a better team and LeBron didn't do like most MVP candidates the night they receive the trophy (they normally go out and play a stinker of a game). The Cavs are balanced and if worse comes to worst, they have LeBron. The Hawks are just perplexing. I love the talent they have, but for some reason they just don't bring it on a nightly basis. I mean they have Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and they have a decent bench, but these guys are too relaxed. Maybe it's coaching, maybe it's desire, but they have some things to work on this summer. This summer being something that they'll be starting in 3 more games.


Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic

Prediction: 4-3 Celtics

I don't get this series. The Magic race out to a 20+ lead in Game 1 and they survive to win. In Game 2, they just let Boston beat them. I mean they didn't even put up a speed bump against the Celtics. Eddie House had 31 pts. That pretty much says it all right there. The Magic are clearly better in the paint, but for some reason they continue to shoot a lot of 3's and jumpers. Didn't they see what the Bulls did in the earlier series? Note to Coach Van Gundy: Pound the Celtics, if you want to win. I still think the Magic are a year away.

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers vs. Celtics

NBA Playoffs - Western Conference 2nd Round

The first round wasn't that exciting with the exception of the Rockets vs. Blazers series. With the Hornets, Trailblazers, Jazz, and Spurs at home, we have some better matchups in the semis. Here's my take on the series for the 2nd round, and yes, I have already had the opportunity to see two Game 1's, and some Game 2's but this won't effect my predictions.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

Prediction: 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers

Well, it's 1-1 and there was a lot of bs going on in the game last night. The Lakers may be with out Derek Fisher for Game 3 and the Rockets have to watch the combustible Ron Artest (who shouldn't have been thrown out last night). This series is going to go 6 or 7 games because the the Lakers have yet to show me that they can consistently play defense. They can outscore anyone, but they better get a few stops or it's going to end like it did last year, a loss in the Finals.

Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks

Prediction: 4-1 Denver Nuggets

This series is 2-0 Nuggets and I expect more of the same. The Nuggets are just too good for the Mavs. The Mavs were able to beat the Spurs, but let's admit this, the Spurs had no Ginobli, 1/2 of Tim Duncan, and an on fire Tony Parker, but that's it. Dirk has picked up his play, but the Nuggets have the bigs that at least make him scoring that much more of a chore. Billups is running this team like a well oiled machine and when you add in Carmelo and JR Smith, the points just keep coming. I said this a while ago, but I'll do it again. The Lakers don't want to see the Nuggets in the playoffs. The Nuggets are 2 games away, what are the Lakers going to do?

West Conference Finals Prediction: Lakers vs. Nuggets and it'll be a barn burner.

Catching Up with the Western Conference

Yes, it's been a few days since I talked about the NBA playoffs, but let's just catch up with the Western Conference since the first round is basically over.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz

Did we expect anything different? We knew that Kobe wasn't going to allow the Lakers to play around for too long. They are at home now and they should be watching the Nuggets play and they should be getting worried. The Lakers still haven't shown me their want to play defense. That may hurt them in the future. My take on the series was 4-1 Lakers, and it ended 4-1.

Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Hornets

I don't know how you lose a game by 58 when you have a chance to get back in your series and you are playing at home. I think the Hornets just quit. They lost all of their mojo in a year. Last nights game sealed. They at least made it a game but Melo finally gets to the 2nd round of the playoffs. My take on the series was 4-2 Nuggets, but it ended 4-1.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks

The Spurs are just old. I don't think that this is the end of an era, but the Spurs have to retool, somehow. Duncan needs a young beast in the paint like he was to David Robinson and some help on the wing (which I thought Udoka would be able to provide, but he hasn't done that yet). We'll see if Pop can do something to spruce up this team. Dallas was the better team in this series and they showed it. This is the scary team that may cause Denver some problems. My take on the series was 4-2 Mavericks, but it ended 4-1.

Portland Trailblazers vs. Houston Rockets

This is the most exciting series in the West. The Blazers are showing their youthful side as they seem to play every other game. They haven't been able to consistently win the matchups that they should win (LaMarcus Aldridge, that means you against Scola), but they are only down 3-2 and they get a chance to go into Houston tonight to try and even the series. The Rockets are playing extremely well, without T-Mac. They are one game away from getting out of the 1st round of the playoffs. That would be a success but again another knock on T-Mac since they would have done it without him. Yao is showing that he is the most consistent big man in the league and possibly the best. I had the Blazers winning this series 4-3, so the Blazers have a lot of work to do.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks

There's not much you can say that's good about this game unless you're a Mavs fan. For the Spurs, I just have the following: 16 - total number of Spurs points in the 1st quarter, 14 - total number of Spurs points in the 2nd quarter, 12 - total number of Spurs points in the 3rd quarter, 4 - total number of points by Tim Duncan, 12 - total number of points by Tony Parker, 0 - total number of points by Michael Finley, 2 - total number of points by Matt Bonner, and 7 - total number of points by Roger Mason. Coach Pop sat his starters mid way through the 3rd quarter and even he admitted that he this was one of the worst games that he's been a part of.

The Mavs came out with that energy from being home and feeling as though they can win this series. The surprise start of JJ Barea actually worked for the Mavs. He's been the only person that has seemed to bother Tony Parker so far in the playoffs. Barea ended the game with 13 pts and 7 asts. Dirk Nowitzki got his first 20 pt (7 rebs, 2 asts, 1 blk) game of the series and Josh Howard chipped in 17 pts (8 rebs, 2 stls, 2 blks). The Mavs rolled and the crowd loved it. The only thing missing was Erick Dampier knocking Tony Parker to the floor. That's what I was waiting for.

Key facts:

- Dirk is on. He's feeling it and he's hitting a lot of his shots. He's dangerous when he's like this and I think the Spurs are done.

- The Mavs and the Celtics both had 32 point leads at the same time last night.

- Gerald Green got his first extended meaningful minutes and twisted his ankle, what's up with that?

Mavs are up 2-1 and I think they go up 3-1 in the next game. Are the Spurs done or is it just me?

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls

Wow, talk about turnaround. The Boston Celtics finally showed up in this series. Paul Pierce came out smoking and hit his first 6 shots, ending the game with 24 pts. Rajon Rondo continued his stellar play this series with a 20 pts, 11 rebs, 6 asts, and 5 stls performance. The Celtics showed that they are the reigning champs and what that really means. They came out with that killer instinct and once they put their foot on the Bulls neck, they didn't let off. The crowd at the United Center came to party, but it sounded more like a funereal at the end.

The Bulls came out tight. After winning game 1, the Bulls probably succumbed to expectations. Many thought that the Celtics were a wounded aging team and the young upstart Bulls have a chance. The series was tied 1-1 and the Bulls were coming home on a night that Derrick Rose was given the Rookie of the Year award. After the tip off everything went terribly bad for the Bulls. The Bulls were led by Ben Gordon with an uninspiring 15 pts. The only plus out of this game was that Kirk Hinrich actually played well off the bench with 14 pts and 3 asts.

Key facts:

- I'm sorry Doc if you had been reading here and decided to give Perkins a few more touches. He played terribly last night and when given the opportunity he was allowing Noah to play him tough.

- Stephon Marbury played great last night. He played 24 minutes, shot 4 of 10 (yes, I can forgive that) and ended the game with 13 pts, 3 rebs, and 5 asts. This may be a the light that the Celtics needed to see from Marbury. He looked comfortable out there.

- It was great seeing Scalabrine on the floor last night, but what kind of headband was that? Did it have airbags or something?

This was a devastating loss for the Bulls. Can they bounce back and even the series or is it over for the Bulls and this season?

Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers

I don't know if Stan Van Gundy is going to make it out of this series. His team continues to run up big leads (18pts in each game) and they lost the first one and were dangerously close to losing this one. The Magic had 6 players in double figures and were led by Courtney Lee (24 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast, 3 stls). Lee continues to keep J.J. Redick on the Magic bench by his play. The rest of the Magic looked, again, like they were sleep walking. Turkoglu and Lewis both chipped in with 16 pts, but the Magic are in trouble. Dwight Howard got 11 pts and 10 rebs, but fouled out the night he was given the Defensive Player of the Year award.

The Sixers are playing with house money. They are playing loose, but last night they struggled a little. They start slow and get behind, and have been able to claw back out of the hole, but they can't keep playing like this. Andre Miller had a monster game with 30 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts, and 2 stls, but between Louis Williams and Willie Green (a combined 3 of 15) the Sixers had no backcourt production. They have a nervous Magic team on the ropes and then they let them slip away and get this win.

Key facts:

- Donyell Marshall must have been packed up for the season after his performance in game 1. In game 2 he had none of those heroics and ended the game with 1 stl and 2 fouls.

- The Sixers had 12 pts from their bench, not going to win many games like that.

- Marcin Gortat got on the floor and gave the Magic some solid minutes as a backup, after roasting his coach, with 6 rebs, 1 stl, and 2 blks.

I still think that the Magic are in trouble. They aren't playing well and they are lucky that they aren't going against a veteran team that can take advantage of them. Who do you think takes the series lead in game 3?

Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat

D Wade finally showed up and he got some help from his teammates to knot this series at 1-1. Wade had 33 pts, 7 asts, 5 rebs, 1 stl, and 2 blks. More importantly he got 20 pts from Daequan Cook, 19 pts from Jermaine O'Neal, and 12 pts from the rook, Michael Beasley. The Heat seemed to control the tempo of this game and made it more of a half court game. They were able to play better defense against the Hawks and they pulled out this much needed win.

The Hawks did end up with 6 players in double figures, but they never really seemed into this game. They got down early and made a run late in the 3rd that cut it down to an 11 pt deficit. But Joe Johnson's foul trouble really hurt the Hawks. The Hawks were led by Mike Bibby (18 pts) and Josh Smith (17 pts). Flip Murray dropped in 15 pts from the bench and helped a late rally. The Hawks let an opportunity slip away from them. They are playing a one man team in the Heat and they are better than that team at almost every position. If they lose this series, they should look no further than this game.

Key facts:

- The Hawks have got to get out and run more. Their halfcourt sets are too predictable and they seem to bog down and not score at times. If they run, they are good.

- The Heat owe this win to Alonzo Mourning. Mourning addressed the team, and D Wade prior to the game and provided them with the inspiration that they needed.

Is this now a series or do you think the Hawks will pull this one out? I have a feeling that the Hawks win game 3 in Miami.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz

This game picked up where Game 1 ended. When will some defense be played in this series? The Lakers started off this game by shooting 63%. The only thing that makes that a little questionable is that the Jazz shot 60% from the floor. The Lakers were led by their big 2, Kobe (26 pts, 9 asts, 6 rebs) and Gasol (22 pts, 6 rebs, 2 blks), but they ended up with 7 players in double figures. Lamar Odom was the biggest part of that bench with 19 pts. The layups and dunks that the Lakers got early in this game was ridiculous. It's like a grown man playing against a 10 yr old.

The Jazz, just don't have it. As I watched this game, at no point did I say to myself, the Jazz have a chance. Deron Williams (35 pts, 9 asts, 4 rebs, 4 stls,2 blks) had another great game and Boozer (20 pts, 10 rebs, 2 stls) contributed too, but the Jazz really have no chance. Unless,....they just start beating people up. Most Jazz teams of the past (yes, Karl Malone and John Stockton are somewhere crying) would have NEVER let the Lakers get that many open looks in the paint without drawing blood. This team, by it's coach's admission isn't nasty enough. With Okur out, they can't stretch the floor and that really highlights the limitations of this team (no one outside of Korver or Williams can hit a 3) and makes it easy to guard them. I hope the Jazz have at least one win in them.

Key facts:

- Shannon Brown has taken Jordan Farmar's spot in the rotation. Brown contributed 12 pts off the bench and has played solidly on both sides of the ball. This may have been a steal for the Lakers.

- Kobe is still showing patience and this is doing nothing but helping the Lakers. As you watch the game, you can tell that Kobe could take over at any moment, but he waits patiently to do that. 7 Lakers in double digits shows how much he has bought in to trusting his teammates.

This one is pretty much over. Call me when some blood is drawn or some heart is shown by the Jazz. What is your take on this one?

Portland Trailblazers vs. Houston Rockets

This may turn out to be the best series in the opening round of the playoffs. The Blazers were trying to bounce back from the butt whuppin they received in game 1. At least we we saw a better Blazers team last night. Brandon Roy went off for 42 pts (7 rebs, 1 ast, 1 blk) and LaMarcus Aldridge reminded us that he still has a mismatch over Luis Scola with 27 pts, 12 rebs, and 3 blks. The Blazers knew they had to win this game and it was pretty much even throughout with both teams making and giving up runs. Rudy Fernandez provided, as usual, a nice spark off the bench with 11 pts.

The Rockets were led, surprisingly by Aaron Brooks. Who would have thunk it? He had 27 pts in game one and 23 pts in this one. The smallish Brooks has shown a propensity to get to the rim at will and run this Rockets team. Yao Ming finally missed a few shots and ended with 11 pts (8 rebs) on 3-6 shooting. Von Wafer came off the bench with his best Vinnie 'The Microwave' Johnson impersonation with 21 pts. Artest hounded Roy a little bit but on the offensive side of the ball, he struggled with 19 pts (on 20 shots).

Key facts:

- On a sad note: Dikembe Mutumbo's knee just gave away and he fell to the ground. It looked eerily similar to Alonzo Mourning's injury that made him retire. Deke announced after the game that he was retiring and that this would be his last game. Big ups to the finger waving big man.

- LaMarcus Aldridge had his mojo back. He used every post move that he's ever learned to abuse Scola (at least this game). He finally got that jumper to go in too. That jumper makes him a hard cover because he has range to about 20 feet.

- Where did Von Wafer come from? I mean I remember him with the Lakers, but I didn't think this kid could play like this. He's quietly given the Rockets some punch off the bench. With a team that doesn't score a lot of points, his 15 or so a game are a lot (yes, he only had 6 pts in game 1, but towards the end of the season Wafer was ballin).

What do you think about this series? Is this going to be a good series? Can the Blazers win this one?

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons

Well this game started the same way the last one ended, with the Cavs running out ahead. The Cavs showed us why they are the #1 team in the East. They had a 24 point lead at the end of the 3rd quarter and that's when it got scary. The Pistons' bench brought them back to within 7 points, but after Mike Brown re-inserted LeBron and the Cavs starts, they were able to seal the deal. LeBron had 29 pts, 13 rebs, and 6 asts. Mo Williams (21 pts, 7 asts, 2 rebs) and Delonte West (20 pts, 4 asts, 3 rebs) carried the load for the Cavs backcourt as the Cavs, for all intensive purposes, won this one easily.

The Pistons looked horriawful again. Only two starters scored in double figures, Rodney Stuckey (14 pts on 15 shots) and Richard Hamilton (17 pts on 16 shots), and the Detroit bigs, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess (both with 8 points) looked like they were a step slow all game. I never thought that I'd say this, but this Detroit team needs to just forfeit the last two games of this series because it's over. I mean it's really over for this series and for the team next year. I guess the Pistons can continue to blame Allen Iverson for this one too?!?!

Key facts:

- You know it's bad when your back up center and starting power forward intentionally foul LeBron and he sends both of them stumbling away (one even went to the ground). Bill Lambier is crying somewhere today.

- The Cavs bench can't play like this again. Without that 24 point lead, this would have been an 'L'. You can't go scoreless for 9+ minutes and win too many games.

Can a team forfeit games in the playoffs? Should the Pistons? Do they even have a chance to make a game close? Do they get a win in Detroit as this series goes to game 3?

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks

This game started the same way the last one did, the Spurs ran out to a big lead. It didn't end the same way. The Spurs ran out to an early lead, ignited by the French Assassin, Tony Parker (38 pts, 8 asts). Parker got into the paint and finished like he was a power forward or a center. As I would have predicted, the Spurs got several home cooking calls and really blew the Mavericks out of San Antonio. Tim Duncan chipped in a modest 13 pts, 11 rebs, and 5 asts, while the Red Rocket, Matt Bonner had a great game for the Spurs with 11 pts and 7 rebs. If hustle stats were official, Bonner would have been close to a triple double.

The Mavericks big three, Terry (16 pts), Jason Kidd (14 pts) and Dirk (14 pts) had a terrible game. Dirk, at least had an excuse for his game due to a jammed left thumb and a thigh bruise from Bruce Bowen's knee. Everyone else pretty much sucked too. Josh Howard did a great disappearing act from his game 1 performance and ended the game with 7 pts. I'm glad, and I think they are glad, that they won game 1. We'll see how good the Spurs are in Dallas.

Key facts:

- Drew Gooden had a good night. He had 13 pts off the bench and was a spark on offense for the Spurs. With Duncan's knees causing problems, this is a welcomed sight.

- Roger Mason Jr. continues to show up for the Spurs. He'll have to take and hit a few more shots for the Spurs to get deep in the playoffs.

- Brandon Bass continues to play well off the bench for the Mavericks. He ended with a quiet 8 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts, 1 blk and 1 stl.

Okay, it's tied at 1-1. The Spurs bounced back, albeit with some home cooking (refs). We're heading to Dallas to see if the Mavericks can rebound. I still think the Spurs are in trouble in this series. What do you think?

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls

Well, I was right, at least sort of. Derrick Rose didn't have the same type of game that he had in Game 1 of this series, but he proved to me that the Celtics best chance at winning this series is if he gets hurt. That may sound a bit harsh, but no one on the Celtics team can guard him. The Bulls came out with a lot of fight in them and despite picking up two early fouls, Rose had a decent game (10pts, 7 asts, 6 rebs, 2 blks). The difference in this game was that Ben Gordon got 'en fuego'. He dropped 42 pts (not much else) and seemed to be on one of his famous 'you can't guard me' moments late in the game. Salmons (17 pts, 2 rebs, 2 asts, 1 blk) and Brad Miller (16 pts, 9 rebs, 2 asts, 1 blk) both paid dividends in this game and they really pushed the Celtics in this game.

The Celtics got lucky on this one. They had to be happy that Ray Allen was able to throw one or two in (30 pts, 3 rebs, 5 asts). Glen Davis chipped in a much needed 26 pts and 9 rebs. Paul Pierce doesn't seem to be in this series yet as he struggled and ended with 18 pts and 8 rebs. The Celtics may have won this game, but Rondo tweaked an ankle (I don't think he did he was just trying to sell a foul call, even 5 minutes after the play ended), Leon Powe got hurt, and the Celtics bench chipped in 9 points. That's usually the recipe for disaster. The Celtics tie up this series and head to Chitown for game 3.

Key facts:

- Joakim Noah must still think he's at Florida because he is playing ball. He's running the floor and finishing for the Bulls. He ended this game with another solid output with 13 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls, and 4 blks.

- Rajon Rondo followed up his great Game 1 performance with a triple double: 19 pts, 12 rebs, 16 asts, 5 stls.

- Where is Austin Powers? He's got to help Stephon Marbury find his mojo. He looks lost, but he has the skills that can help the Celtics. Last year we waited intently to see Rondo get his mojo and he finally did. The same thing needs to happen for Marbury for the Celtics to win.

- The Bulls team set a record for blocked shots during this game. As a team they had 14 blocked shots. Tyrus Thomas had 6 by himself.

- I know Kendrick Perkins doesn't scream consistency in the paint for the Celtics, but that's two good games for him and he only had 9 touches. He ended the game with 16 pts and 12 rebs. Doc, get this guy some more touches.

The Celtics still seem to be sleep walking, at least Paul Pierce is, but if they don't wake up soon, they will be home for good. Are the Bulls going up 2-1 in Chicago? Who is going to step up if Leon Powe is out for an extended period of time?

Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Hornets

The Nuggets started slow, but were up 8 at halftime. After that, the Nuggets started pouring it on. This was a big night for Chauncey Billups (36 pts, 8 asts, 2 stls, and a record setting 8 threes) as the Nuggets blew this open. J.R. Smith came off the bench with 19 pts and both Carmelo and Kleiza ended with 13 pts. The Nuggets also got great production from their bench with the aforementioned Kleiza and Smith, but also add Chris Andersen to that list (9pts, 4 blks).

The Hornets looked bad as they lost by 29. It seems that only Chris Paul (21 pts, 11 asts, 5 rebs) decided to show up and play. Tyson Chandler, by his own admission is 75% and he played like it. The rest of the Hornets just couldn't sustain a run to stay close to the Nuggets. Just chalk this one up to a bad game by most and an opportunity to get better.

Key facts:

- What's going on with Carmelo? He seemed rushed at the beginning of the game and had a terrible shooting night. It's almost like he was too geeked up to play.

- David West can't shoot 4 of 16 since he's the only big man of note for the Hornets.

- Dahntay Jones played decent defense, rather physical I might add, on Chris Paul. He seems to play that agitator role very well. He does this against both Paul and Deron Williams.

This is going to turn into a good series. Who do you think wins? What can you glean from the first game?

Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat

Surprise, the Hawks can play defense. The Hawks came out of the gate and ran. It seems like everyone on the roster scored for the Hawks. Josh Smith led the team with several dunks and a nice stat line (23 pts, 10 rebs, 2asts, 3 stls). Smith really got the Atlanta crowd in the game and at one point neither team could hear what was being said in their huddles during a timeout. The rest of the Hawks starting 5 also scored in double digits with Horford (14 pts, 9 rebs) and Johnson (15 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts, 1 stl) leading the way. Their defense is what won the game for them.

The Miami heat have been a one man team and yesterday really highlighted that. The Heat only scored 64 points and Wade had 19 of those, on 21 shots. No one else even showed up, not even Michael Beasley who was the second leading scorer yesterday (10 pts, 10 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls, 2 blks). The Heat really looked bad last night. Unless the Heat get someone (anyone) to show up, this is going to be a quick series.

Key facts:

- None. This was just a butt whuppin.

- I thought T. I. was in jail? How is he introducing the Hawks prior to the game? Is this a new work release program?

The Heat are in trouble. We know that the Hawks play great at home, but they showed me that they learned from that series with the Celtics last year. They are playing defense.

Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Orlando Magic had the look of running this score up on the Sixers, but then something went horribly wrong. Dwight Howard had a monster game with 31 pts, 16 rebs, 2 asts, and 2 blks, even going 9-12 from the free throw line. Courtney Lee also stepped up with 18 points, but the other two of the Big Three, Turkoglu and Lewis were no shows. Even with that the Magic went up 18 on the Sixers and maybe that was a bad thing. It looked as though the Magic thought that lead itself would just make the Sixers quit.

The Sixers stunk it up early but came back and won this one in the end. They were led by two great performances from Andre Iguodala (20 pts, 8 asts, 8 rebs) and Andre Miller (15 pts, 7 asts, 7 rebs). The performance of the night had to go to Donyell Marshall. After dusting off the moth balls, Marshall came on and hit 3 big threes for the Sixers. He ended up playing on 11 minutes but dropped 11 points. I will agree with Barkley that the jumper that won the game for the Sixers was a lucky shot, but sometimes it's better to be lucky rather than good.

Key facts:

- The Magic got 13 pts from their bench the entire night. That's not going to win you many games. Even scarier is Anthony Johnson had 9 of those 13.

- The Sixers are up for this one. They came out and started slow, but they never backed down to the Magic. Just imagine if this team still had a healthy Elton Brand.

Are the Magic going to be the first higher seed to go home? Can they get more out of their ailing stars in Turkoglu and Lewis? Can Howard continue to perform at the line like he did?

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz

After the Lakers watched the Cavaliers destroy the Pistons, I know that they wanted to come out and make a statement against the Jazz. Statement made. The Lakers came out with a balanced attack and went on to beat the Jazz. Derek Fisher picked up two early fouls and Shannon (no Van Gundy, not Chris Brown) Brown came in and played mostly mistake free ball. Between Brown (9 pts, 3 asts, 2 rebs, and 1 stl) and Trevor Ariza (21 pts, 4 rebs, 2 asts) all of the x-factors came through for the Lakers. Kobe had 24pts, and Gasol had 20 pts and 9 rebs (before fouling out) and the game never really seemed to be in reach for the Jazz after halftime. They got the lead down to 9 but never really threatened from there.

The Jazz came out and played horriawful. No, that's not really a word but it explains how they played. Boozer (27 pts, 9 rebs, 2 stls, 2 asts) and Williams (16 pts, 17 asts, 3 rebs) both had great stat lines, but that was it. The Jazz were down, made a run but couldn't get over the top. The second half of this game got a lot more physical than the first which is in the Jazz's favor. I don't know what they can do win this series, other than make it a slugfest.

Key facts:

- Kobe really let his team play and put up numbers and didn't force anything. When the Lakers are playing like this, it's dangerous.

- I loved Matt Harpring at Georgia Tech, but it seems as though his game is really just more of a hackman (I know that's harsh) with a jumper. Yes, he plays hard and you like to see that, but I expected more out of this guy.

Do the Jazz have a chance? Is this series going to become more of a fight than a basketball series from here on out?

Portland Trailblazers vs. Houston Rockets

This was a butt whuppin from the beginning. The Rockets came out and shot 80% from the floor for almost an entire quarter. Yao Ming went 9-9 from the floor (24 pts, 9 rebs, and 2 blks) for the game and didn't attempt a shot in the 2nd half and didn't play in the 4th quarter. As I watched this game it really looked like a video game for a while because every shot that went up was going in. For a moment or two the Blazers were keeping up with them on made baskets, although that didn't last long. Aaron Brooks made the most of his first start in the playoffs and he dropped 27 pts, 7 asts, and 4 rebs. He was a blur on the court and made Steve Blake look like he was treading water. Artest (17 pts, 4 asts) and Luis Scola (19 pts, 8 rebs)chipped in with good games to make this laughable shortly after halftime.

If this was a heavyweight fight the Blazers got hit with every combination and power punch that the Rockets had. The only good thing, is that they didn't knocked out. They lost on a TKO, but never lost a tooth or got their mouthpiece knocked out. No one played well for the Blazers except Greg Oden (15 pts, 5 rebs, and 1 blk). Roy had 21 pts, but he took 23 shots. Although this was a huge loss, I think the Blazers now understand what it takes to win in the playoffs. I'm betting that this series gets a lot tighter.

Key facts:

- What are these old guys drinking? Dikembe Mutumbo looked like a spry 37 year old last night. He ended the game with 9 rebs and no points, but he helped that Rockets bench get stops against the Blazers.

- The Rockets finally cooled off and hit only 59% of their shots for the game. Can they keep that up? If Battier, Wafer, and Hayes hit 5 shots between them, I think that puts the Rockets easily over the 60% for the game. When's the last time that happened in the playoffs? (Stat guy, can you work on this?!?!?)

We definitely saw the Rockets red glare in this game, but can they replicate this performance again? I think the Blazers bounce back. What do you think?

San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks

Wow, all I can say is that the Spurs played the game the way they wanted and got all of the calls and lost at home. The Spurs came out hitting on all cylinders. Tim Duncan looked like the rest really helped his knees and he was hitting his patented bank shot. Tony Parker was getting to the rim and the Spurs were able to get Nowitzki in foul trouble and things didn't look good for Spurs. This looked like the Spurs would just pile it on. Duncan ended the game with 27 pts and 9 rebs, while he got help from Tony Parker (24 pts, 8 asts, 4 rebs) and Mike Finley (perfect from 3 land for 19 pts and 4 rebs).

At that point in the game when all hope was slowly going out the door, enter JJ Barea. Barea was able to get to the lane and hit shots and was the spark plug that turned the game around for the Mavericks. He only had 13 pts and 3 asts, but they were big for this team. Josh Howard had a great game with 25 pts, 4 rebs, and 3 asts. Dirk had a rough game as he got in foul trouble early, but I noticed two things. Dirk whines way too much and he was able to collect himself after some dubious calls went against him (attn NBA refs: You can call a foul on Bruce Bowen, really). Dirk ended with 19pts, 8 rebs, and 2 asts. Please continue to run that isolation play for Dirk at the foul line, that's money.

Key facts:

- Jason Kidd really doesn't have to score too much for this Mavericks team to win, and that's probably a good thing. He ended the game with 4 pts, 8 rebs, 5 asts, and 2 stls.

- The player of the game for the Mavs was Erick Dampier, yes Dampier. He quietly played Duncan tough (yes Duncan had 27 pts, but it didn't seem like that at the end of the game) and he had his own double double, 10 pts , 11 rebs, 1 blk, and ONLY 1 TO.

- The player of the game for the Spurs was Roger Mason Jr. I knew this kid could shoot when I watched him at Virginia, but he needed to go to the right team and guess what, he did. He hit some tough 3's last night to keep giving the Spurs their lead or to catch back up to the Mavs. He ended with 13 pts, 5 rebs, and 4 asts.

I know it's one game, but I think the Spurs are in trouble. They don't have Manu over there on the bench to come in and save them anymore.