TOP NBA GAMES: 3/30 - 4/05
March 30, 2009 by B. C.
In the blink of an eye, a once dominant sports franchise can fall into mediocrity. It happened to two teams this season, one from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference. I’m talking, of course, about the Detroit Pistons and the Phoenix Suns. It’s kind of sad actually, that up until just a year ago, these two teams were always mentioned as championship contenders. Age, changing systems, and departing point guards have all led to the rapid decline of these once-proud franchises. Seeing this, you really can’t give enough credit to the San Antonio Spurs organization, who has basically kept the same team for the past 10 years and somehow maintained their championship caliber level of play.
Tuesday //
Utah Jazz at Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers are currently just a half game ahead of the Jazz for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. Being the No. 6 seed may actually be a blessing in disguise as it would eliminate any potential match-up against the Los Angeles Lakers until the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately for both teams, they have almost identical losing records on the road this season, so entering the playoffs without home court advantage in any round will be a tough hill to climb.
Wednesday //
Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns. Shaq versus Yao is always fun to watch, but this game has major playoff implications as well. The Suns remain three games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs, but time is running out. The Suns will really need to get hot and stay hot for the remainder of the season to have any chance of catching the Mavericks.
Friday //
Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets. With the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, the Lakers have fallen even further behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA. The Rockets have also stumbled recently, dropping from second to fourth within a week. With so only a few games left in the regular season, this will be a measuring stick to see how the Lakers perform in this potential second round match-up without the services of Andrew Bynum.
Sunday //
San Antonio Spurs at Cleveland Cavaliers. The Spurs have climbed back into the No. 2 spot behind the Lakers and appear to have a lock at this point. Their two-game lead in the loss column over the third-seeded Denver Nuggets should be enough given that they finally have their big three back together. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers continue to roll. Their current 12-game winning streak has made them the first team to 60 wins this season, and with just a few more victories they’ll be able to lock up home court advantage throughout the playoffs and Finals.
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