TOP NBA GAMES: 3/9 - 3/15
March 9, 2009 by B. C.
Shaq is feuding with an ex-coach and an All-Star caliber ex-teammate. Sound familiar? In Orlando, it was coach Brian Hill and Penny Hardaway. With the Lakers, it was Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. This past week, Shaq exchanged words with former Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy and former wingman Dwayne Wade.
Van Gundy accused Shaq of flopping against Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (despite his mobility for a big man, Shaq’s no Derek Fisher - it was an obvious call). The very next night, the Phoenix Suns played the Heat and Shaq delivered a hard foul that sent Dwyane Wade to the floor, then coldly stood over his fallen ex-teammate.
Shaq is burning bridges everywhere he goes, and it’s a shame he’s still doing so at 37. His status as a future Hall of Famer is secure, but he could’ve been the most dominant center ever if he had a work ethic that matched his God-given abilities. I’m giving him a new nickname: the Big Bad Breaker-Upper.
Monday //
Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets. The Rockets continue to surprise by playing their best basketball of the season without the injured Tracy McGrady. With an 8-2 record in their last 10 games, they’re now tied with the Nuggets for the third seed in the Western Conference, just two games behind the San Antonio Spurs. A win here would give the Rockets the season series against the Nuggets, which would be huge if (and this is a BIG if) the two teams remain tied for third at the end of the season. The prize? Not having to face the LA Lakers in the playoffs until the Western Conference Finals. Despite their current record, the Nuggets have been struggling as of late. Carmelo Anthony is still a one dimensional player, and his refusal to come out of a game last week could not have been good for team chemistry and morale. With the way they’re playing, I would be shocked to see the Nuggets get out of the first round of the playoffs unless they turn things around in a hurry.
Tuesday //
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns. Neither team has been playing great basketball, but the ninth-seeded Suns are the ones who are playing catch-up to the eighth-seeded Mavericks in the race to get into the playoffs. The Mavericks appeared to have a fire lit under them after owner Mark Cuban publicly tore into the entire team following a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They responded with a gritty win over the San Antonio Spurs, only to lose by 16 points the following night to the New Orleans Hornets. So maybe the fire is more like a low burn. The Suns, meanwhile, had a great win over the Lakers last Sunday, but followed that up with four consecutive losses. A win here, though, could cut the Mavericks’ lead in half and make things very interesting.
Thursday //
Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers are in cruise control with an eight and a half game lead over the second place Spurs in the Western Conference. Home court advantage throughout the Conference Finals is all but locked up, but the Lakers understand the tough task ahead of them if they’re not able to secure home court against the Boston Celtics or the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, who are a combined 53-6 at home this season (though the Lakers are responsible for a third of those losses). The Spurs continued their annual preparation for the post-season this week by bolstering their front-court with the signing of Drew Gooden, who should provide added depth to go up against the Lakers’ trio of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum.
Sunday //
New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers. Call me crazy, but something tells me this will be a wildly entertaining game. With LeBron’s 52-point game still fresh in their memories, the Knicks will come out guns blazing with payback on their minds. Look for the trio of Nate Robinson, Al Jefferson, and Larry Hughes to execute a vintage Mike D’Antoni run-and-gun game plan. I’m going out on a limb and putting this in writing: the Knicks will hand the Cavs just their second home loss of the season.
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