The NBA just ain't what it used to be

On Sunday night during Game 5 of the NBA Finals I found myself watching the College World Series and Fox News. I would flip back and forth between the two and occasionally watch a few minutes here and there of the NBA Finals.

The NBA just ain't what it used to be. I remember watching it non-stop when I was a little boy.

I remember watching Hakeem "The Dream" and his Rockets dominating and winning titles in 1994 and 1995. I remember Michael Jordan's ridiculous performances night after night. I remember Penny Hardaway and Shaq going toe-to-toe with Jordan but continually coming on the losing end. Who can forget Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, Jalen Rose and the Pacers trying to do the same? The NBA's glory years have come and gone...

Really, I have no idea what it is. I just couldn't get myself to watch more than 5 minutes of a game in the playoffs unless it was my Spurs or close to the end of the game. If the Finals was Lebron vs. Kobe I probably would've watched more of it, but it wasn't. To be honest, I really can't tell you what has happened.

Is it the selfishness and self-centerdness of a lot of the players now days? Is it the lack of team play? I really can't tell you, I just can't watch it like I used to. It used to be one of my favorite things to watch and now I find myself preferring to watch many other things before it.

If anybody has an answer I would really like to know, because I can't tell you exactly why.

Why the Lakers Won't Beat the Nuggets

When this series started I really viewed the Nuggets as the underdog. With the series now 2-2 I have realized that it is the other way around. The Lakers will not beat the Nuggets because they lack the killer-instinct needed to win a championship (or get there for that matter).

We all know what Kobe can do. I myself consider him the best closer in the game. I do believe that Lebron James as surpassed him as being the best player in the league. However, Kobe is the best closer in the league. But when you get deep enough into the playoffs you need more than just a superstar player. The Nuggets have all the pieces and the Lakers don't. The Lakers have good pieces but they haven't been playing well on a consistant basis this playoffs. Whereas it seems to me that the Nuggets have great pieces that are really playing well together. Don't get me wrong the Lakers are a good team but they lack that killer-instinct playoff intensity. We've seen this show multiple times in the playoffs. The Lakers come out and win a big game and then respond by getting blown out the next. They are just way too inconsistent right now and you can't play like that when you get deep in to the playoffs.

The Nuggets are playing much better as a team than the Lakers are. The Nuggets are playing great and are getting tons of much needed help from their bench. If they continue to play like that they will beat the Lakers and advance to the NBA finals. It very well may take 7 games but they will do it. Their team chemistry and bench play will be the difference. Even the best closer in the game can't close out a Western Conference finals all on his own.

Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?

I just cannot get enough of the NBA "Amazing" Commercials. There's a few different versions of them and I love them all. Everytime I watch them they send chills down my spine. Here's some of my favorites for you to enjoy so you don't have to look them up yourself. Enjoy...

2008-2009 NBA Preview: Atlantic Division

East

1. Boston Celtics

They're the defending champs and still have the playmakers to get it done once again. The "Big 3" are back and should be the favorite to win it all. After what Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen did last season there's no way you can question their age. The Celtics play the best defense in all of the NBA and it truly showed last season. It wasn't just all the "Big 3", PG Rajon Rondo stepped up and made plays. Kendrick Perkins is a capable presence at center but if his shoulder doesn't get any better they can still play Leon Power or Garnett there. Tony Allen and Bill Walker could contribute off the the bench. It should come down to defense and the role players if the Celts wanna win another title.

2. Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers can definitely contend with Boston in the Atlantic. They picked up Elton Brand over the off-season and he is as healthy as he's been since being injured from the beginning. Look for Andre Igoudala to improve even more, he has tremendous upside and is truly becoming a superstar. Andre Miller is the veteran PG that they need to help them get over the top. Thaddeus Young is young but should improve. Philly should also have a solid bench lead by Willie Green, Reggie Evans, and rookie Marreese Speights. Look for the Sixers to be improved this season. 50 wins is not out of the question.

3. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have the potential to be one of the top teams in the league. They have a dominant front court in Chris Bosh and newly acquired Jermaine O'Neal. Jose Calderon is a solid PG and Anthony Parker can shoot the trey, but the one thing that this team lacks is bench depth.

4. New York Knicks
Isiah Thomas gone... check. New coach that will get this team in the right direction... check. Stephon Marbury gone... no check. Knicks will make the playoffs this year... no check. There's no doubt this team has the talent but they've lacked the coaching and chemistry. Now with Mike D'Antoni at the helm they can definitely turn it around. Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, and Jamal Crawford can get this team to compete again.

5. New Jersey Nets

This looks as a rebuilding year for the Nets after trading Richard Jefferson over the summer and are now looking to deal Vince Carter. Gone are the veteran superstars of this team, other than Vince Carter (for now). If Carter isn't gone before the season starts, he'll be gone somewhere throughout the season. But this is still a very formidable team with Yi Jianlian, Josh Boone, Bobby Simmons, Devin Harris, and Sean Williams. But all in all, look for this to be another down year as the Nets look to rebuild.

NBA Playoff Thoughts

Here's some playoff thoughts thus far from an ordinary guy:

-The Spurs-Lakers series is closer than it indicates. In game 1 if the Spurs hit a few more buckets and make one or two more defensive stops, they steal game one.

Also, in game 4 the Spurs could have won this one too. The Spurs just couldn't get over the hump. Poor shot selection when they had a chance to tie or go ahead. Plus, Brent Barry easily got fouled by Derek Fisher at the end.

I am an advocate for refs not deciding games, mainly at the end, but man this was a blatant foul. The Spurs could easily be the ones up 3-1, but you have to give Kobe his dues, he is finally winning without Shaq (No pun intended).


-The Celtics will win the NBA Finals. Sorry Detroit fans, but there is no way you will win any more games in Boston. The Big 3 are just unstoppable there and the fans are right there behind the Celts. Boston just seems to be on their game when they're at home. Now that they have shown they can at least steal a game on the road I think they can top the Lakers (or Spurs for that matter).

-I am finally enjoying the NBA Playoffs for the first time in probably 6 years. Although I am a Spurs fan and it is great to see them win it all, but in all seriousness I have not enjoyed watching the NBA at all since they left NBC and stopped playing defense. But I have to give the players, top teams, and even David Stern some credit for the enjoyable 2008 season and the playoffs. The NBA hasn't had this quality of play in a longtime.

Western Conference Finals Preview

Once again the Spurs and Lakers meet in the playoffs. Although they haven't played since 2004, there's been some great match ups between the two and the winner usually ends up winning the NBA Finals.

Both teams have combined to win seven of the last nine championships, the Spurs won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 and the Lakers won from 2000-02. They lost in the NBA Finals in 20o4 to Detroit.

This one should be a dandy once again. The Lakers are a different team then the past few years. Kobe Bryant is his normal self and he finally has teammates that can back him up and trust. This Laker team has been the most impressive team thus far in the playoffs. They've been so consistent and they're getting balanced scoring night in and night out.

As for the Spurs, they've been a little inconsistent. The first two games against the Hornets they looked lost. But in game 7 they looked like their old championship selves.

This should be a great series, which I am expecting to go seven games.

Analysis

Frontcourt
The Lakers are deep and talented with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf. Pau Gasol can hold his own down low against Tim Duncan, plus he can score and help Kobe out on offense if he's off his game. Odom must be consistent offensively if the Lakers want to win this series. The Spurs forwards play great defense. Tim Duncan can take over a game anytime and Kurt Thomas has done the little things whether it's defense or rebounding. But the Spurs are not as deep here as the Lakers.

Backcourt
The Lakers are solid in the backcourt with MVP Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, and Jordan Farmer. They're fast and can score. The Spurs are loaded in the backcourt, Manu Ginobli doesn't even start for them. Tony Parker is so clutch when it counts most, especially in the playoffs, Michael Finley provides depth and some scoring, and Bruce Bowen is the defensive stopper and can occasionally knock down the three ball. With the Spurs talent and depth here, I will give them the advantage in this department.

Coaching
This is pretty much a toss-up. Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich know what it takes to win, especially championships. Coaching in this series is going to come down to in-game adjustments. You know both coaches will have specific plans on how to stop each other's best players in Kobe and Duncan, but it's going to come down to adjustments, which I think Popovich is a mastermind when it comes to this. I'll give the Spurs a slight advantage here.

Prediction:
This should be a great series. NBA fans are in for a great Western Conference Finals. I expect each and every game to be a hard-fought, defensive, down to the wire battle. I really like the Lakers individual talent and offensive game, but the Spurs have all the intangibles. Their defense has been very good thus far and they seem to always play as a team. Plus, you have to give credit to Gregg Popovich, he always has them ready and prepared. I'll take the Spurs in seven.

NBA Playoff Predictions

Sorry this is a little late but I still wanted to get an NBA Playoff post in. Here's some brief playoff predictions.

Western Conference

LA Lakers over Denver Nuggets in 7
Too much Kobe and Gasol down low

Houston Rockets over Utah Jazz in 6
Rockets play great defense and Luis Scola has filled in great for Yao Ming

San Antonio Spurs over Phoenix Suns in 6
It's tough to beat the Spurs in a 7 game series. Too much defense, team play, and Duncan and Parker for the Suns.

New Orleans Hornets over Dallas Mavs in 7
The Hornets are for real and Chris Paul won't let their chances slip away.

2nd Round
LA Lakers over Houston Rockets in 6
Kobe will keep Tracy McGrady in check

San Antonio Spurs over New Orleans Hornets in 6
I'll take Duncan and Parker over Paul and West

Western Conference Finals
San Antonio Spurs over LA Lakers in 7
Once again, I'll take team basketball and defense over Kobe and Co., plus it always seems Tony Parker brings it in the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Boston over Atlanta in 5
KG, Pierce, and Allen will dominate the Hawks

Washington Wizards over Cleveland Cavs in 7
Gilbert Arenas is back and I don't think the Cavs will make another run this year.

Toronto Raptors over Orlando Magic in 7
I had to pick some kind of upset. Raptors were here last year, Magic weren't.

Detroit Pistons over Philadelphia in 5
Pistons have the best defense in the league

2nd Round
Boston Celtics over Washington Wizards in 7
I think Arenas, Jamison, and Butler can take it to 7 games but the Celtics have too much fire power in the end.

Detroit Pistons over Toronto Raptors in 6
Pistons have been here before

Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics over Detroit Pistons in 7
This should be a great series. Both teams play great defense but I still like the Celtics' overall talent.

NBA Finals
San Antonio Spurs over Boston Celtics in 7
I'm gonna stick with my gut and my pre-season prediction. This is like last year where everybody was doubting the Spurs and they won it out of no where. They still have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker and Bruce Bowen can still shut people down. As always, team basketball and defense usually prevail in the NBA.

Can you say Dynasty?

The San Antonio Spurs are your 2007 NBA champions. After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in 4 games, many have disputed that this is yet the best of all the other Spurs championship teams.

This definitely is one of the greatest organizations, not just in the NBA, but all of professional sports. They have an amazing front office, one of the best head coaches in the NBA, along with P.J. Carlesimo as your assistant coach for crying out loud, and one of the best players of all time in Tim Duncan. That's 4 championships in the last 9 years. Pretty impressive!

With their fourth championship since 1999 - and third in five years - the Spurs joined the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as the only teams in NBA history to win four titles.

While I say the Spurs are a dynasty, "The Neutral Site" has a different point of view: San Antonio Spurs - Not a Dynasty

Now to talk about the series, Tim Duncan took the Finals MVP on the first three championship teams, but this year it was Tony Parker; which I definitely agree with. Parker does everything and anything to win. He'll find the open guy, hustle after loose balls, play tough defense, and can hit the shot whenever he needs to. When the Spurs needed a basket in the finals (and the rest of the playoffs) he found a way to get to the hoop or knock down a key outside shot. His Finals MVP award was well deserved. After game 2, I was thinking Tony Parker deserved to be the MVP when they end up winning the series.

As for next year, even as the oldest team in the league, the Spurs should be the favorite again for next year. Everybodys back and hopefully they can pick up some kind of young kid to help fill in as these guys get older; because pretty soon Horry and Finley won't be able to play anymore and they will need to bring in some young talent.

Switching gears, I would have loved to see LeBron James win a title. But it just happened to be they were playing my Spurs. LeBron James will definitely win a title (probably even multiple) in his tenure. The Cavs are one or two good players away from winning a title. They are a fairly young team and could win a ring down the road if LeBron is there to stay for awhile.

NBA Finals Predictions

Are the Cavs ready for their biggest test yet?

Well it's NBA Finals time and this year we have the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers. We all know who the favorite is here but no one can leave out King James and Co.

Individually, the Spurs have a huge advantage. The only place where the Cavs have an advantage is with Lebron at SF and a slight advantage at center with Zyndrunas Illgauskas over Fabricio Oberto. But Tim Duncan makes it up at PF. Other than that, the Spurs have a huge advantage at the other three positions.

It will be tough for the Spurs to stop Lebron; it will be interesting to see how Bruce Bowen will play on Lebron. I think this is a very intriguing match up. But it doesn't matter who is guarding him, he's still going to put the points up and dominate you all over the floor.

Also, the Cavs have no one to stop Duncan. This series will be similar to the Spurs-Jazz series in the Western Conference Finals. Duncan absolutely dominated and no one will be able to stop him inside. Lebron single handily got the Cavs into the Finals, but the Spurs are just too much for the inexperienced Cavs. One of the best professional sports organizations will add yet another championship to it's resume when it is all said and done.

The Pick: Spurs in 5

If You Wanna Win Put Boobie In

So after my dislike for the NBA cost me to miss the regulation of Game 5 I could not risk a repeat. So, after work I headed over to a buddies house and tuned in for Game 6 in it's entirety, just hoping that LeBron could show even a sliver of the passion that he displayed in Game 5.

Although LeBron did not turn in a historically epic performance he played a good well-balanced game (20 pts. 14 reb. 8 asst. 2 stl 2 blk) and unflappable rookie Daniel "Boobie" Gibson was electric scoring 31 pts and 19 of those in the fourth quarter. I was rooting for Cleveland all along (I predicted Cavs in 7 but I'll take 6) and I couldn't be happier for the Cavs and the city of Cleveland. As the Cavs pack up their bags and head south for San Antonio they carry the whole city on their backs.

As the Finals begin Mr. Daniel Gibson will be trying to prove me wrong. My knack on the Cavs is that I've viewed it as the "LeBron Show". I've said throughout the playoffs that I thought the Cavs were 1 or maybe 2 players away from being a championship team. If Mr. Daniel Gibson can keep this up he can definitely prove me wrong.

I was so impressed with his play I think he may be able to solve a majority of the Cavs problems. If I were in charge I would start him over Hughes for sure. Now, I don't know if this kid has been great all year or if this was maybe a fluke because I don't really watch the NBA at all. I only watch sparingly in the playoffs. However, this kid looked amazing and I love his game. I think he's for real and that the Cavs should go ahead and trade Hughes in the offseason and try to get some worth for him because this kid deserves to start and I think he'll be a star. He'll be that counterpunch that LeBron needs. He'll be the Robin to LeBron's Batman. They seem to have good chemistry together. It's wierd because to me LeBron seems so much older than him when really he's only a year older. You see him hugging and talking to Gibson like a mentor does. That's probably a good thing if you're a Cavs fan, and if you're Daniel Gibson King James ain't a bad mentor.

I'll be rooting for Cleveland all the way in the Finals due to the fact that I hate the Spurs and I'm sick of them winning. I know it's going to be tough and I predict that the Spurs will indeed be crowned champs. I predict that Spurs win it in 6, however I'll be rooting for the Cavs wholeheartedly. And I honestly feel like with Hughes injured and being such a dud in the playoffs Cleveland should try and ride this and start Boobie. I feel like he gives them the best chance to win. However, all this might not matter if the Cavs don't figure out what they're going to do with Tim Duncan. I'm sure they'll try to double team him somehow, probably with Ilauskas and Gooden or something.

Some other things other than Gibson's shining performance and LeBrons solid game that really stuck out to me were:

-I don't like that patch of hair on the back of Drew Gooden's head at all. C'mon you're a Jayhawk!
-Tayshawn Prince is ice cold. The kid can't finish at all right now.
-Varejao for the Cavs might have big hair and be kind of slow but I like his game. He's a great hustler and plays really hard I think
-Sasha Pavlovic needs to tone it down a bit when he gets the ball and avoid lowering his shoulder and treating himself like a human batteringram everytime he touches the ball.
-The Cavs are probably a better team than people give them credit for -me included- due to the "LeBron Show" mindset.

-How absolutely disgusting could Texas have been if they had players staying all 4 years!? (Think Durant, Aldridge, Gibson, etc.)

Finals start Thursday night....Go Cavs! What stuck out to you about game 6? What are you predictions for this year's Finals and do you agree with me in that Gibson should start to give the Cavs the best shot at winning? And what is the Cavs' best bet to stop Tim Duncan?

Spurs and Cavs advance

The San Antonio Spurs closed out the series Friday night with a 114-106 victory of the Phoenix Suns.

Manu Ginobili (inset) lead the way for the Spurs with 11 of 27 shooting from the field and finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds.

Once again, the Spurs looked impressive in a win without swing man Robert Horry. You should be hard-pressed not to have the Spurs as your NBA champion right now.

As for the Suns, Amare Stourdemire tried to make a statement as he lead all scorers with 38 points and 12 rebounds of his own.

This was an entertaining series to watch. Seems like these two teams have started a rivalry now after this controversial series.

Both teams seem to hate each other more than ever and I am sure we will be seeing more from both of them in the near future in the post-season. I am sure this will end up being the best series of all the playoffs once it is all said and done.

San Antonio will host the Utah Jazz on Sunday in the opening game of the Western Conference finals. It's the Spurs' third trip to the conference finals in the last five years and they won the title the other two times.

Now to the east, the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the New Jersey Nets 88 to 72 as Lebron James continued to impress with 23 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds. Donyell Marshall (I have his autograph) provided a spark off the bench with 18 points.

The Nets couldn't get things going and had a rough 4th quarter as they shot a lowly 13% from the field. Jason Kidd put up 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists and Richard Jefferson scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the loss.

Cleveland won the series 4-2 and heads to Detroit on Monday night for its third appearance in the conference finals and the first since 1992.

Conference Finals Predictions

Spurs over the Jazz in 5
Cavs over the Pistons in 7

Suns look done and Bison inching closer to deal with Florida

Game 5 of the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns continues tonight. Game 4 was awfully ugly as 3 players have been suspended due to some altercations in the game. Robert Horry has been suspended 2 games for his hard flagrant foul on Steve Nash and elbow to Raja Bell. Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw are out for tonight's game after leaving the vicinity of the bench during the incident.

I may be a Spurs fan, but I think the suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw are definitely unnecessary and wrong. I don't think they left the bench to get at Horry. I believe they did it because that was their star player who Horry completely took out. The rule was designed for guys coming off the bench meaning to throw punches; which wasn't the case for Diaw or Stoudemire.

Rules are rules, yes they did break one, but I think this is a dumb rule by the NBA and it needs to be changed. Look how much this will effect the series. I gotta believe the Spurs will win game 5 now. The Suns had some momentum after their game 4 win and now these suspensions will no doubt change the outcome of this series.

As for Horry, his suspension is well-deserved. His cheap shot to Nash was definitely un-called for and his elbow to Raja Bell finalizes the 2 game suspension. He just lost his head. But his suspension won't effect the Spurs as drastically as the Suns.

Do you think the suspensions were handled well and fairly?

NDSU oh so close to deal
A report from the Fargo Forum states that North Dakota State is close to signing a contract that would have its men’s basketball team play two-time defending national champion Florida next season.

“We are on the very, very ending stages of negotiations,” said Bison head coach Saul Phillips. “I’m confident it will get done. It’s a matter of sending and revamping faxes to each other.”

Phillips is working with a sports marketing group based in New Jersey that plans to host the Blue Ribbon Classic – a five-team round-robin tournament that will be held at multiple locations.
In a span of two weeks, the Bison would play two high-major teams on the road. Phillips confirmed that would include a game at Florida, which won the 2006 and 2007 NCAA tournaments. The Bison would also play a mid-major team on the road and would host a mid-major team.

In other notes, the Mid-Continent Conference has announced a name change which will now be the Summit League.

NBA Playoff Thoughts

The NBA Playoffs haven't been too bad thus far. I mean, I'll continue to watch as long my Spurs keep winning. But I don't watch it nearly as much as I did back when they were on NBC. I watched just about every game when I was younger. And now I only watch when my Spurs are on. But anyways, here's some thoughts on the playoffs so far.

Spurs top Suns in Game 1
The Spurs came out with a big game 1 win in Phoenix. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were very impressive with 33 and 32 points apiece. Parker pretty much was the main factor in the win, he hit some key shots to keep San Antonio ahead for much of the game. It was basically a back and forth game the whole way, but Parker kept the Spurs alive with his performance.

One main factor was Steve Nash had to sit out about the last 45 minutes or so after colliding with Parker. It initially looked like Parker took it harder than Nash did, but Nash got a huge cut on his noise and it would not stop bleeding. They tried to stop the bleeding but it just kept gushing, which was a huge difference in the Spurs win. The Suns were without their floor general for those last critical seconds and the Spurs took advantage.

Nash did return for the last 9.1 seconds but it was too late as the Spurs were up 110-106. The Spurs were 5-for-9 at the foul line down the stretch, just good enough to win.

Warriors stun Mavs
Boy was I happy when Golden St. knocked off Dallas. Nothing is better for a Spurs fan than to see the Mavs get knocked off.

I mean this is one of the greatest things ever to happen in the NBA Playoffs. And I can thank Baron Davis for it. Davis finished with a total 150 points, 37 rebounds, and 34 assists in 6 games; not bad despite being hobbled with a strained hamstring.

If it wasn't for his injuries, just think what could have been for Davis. He was very impressive in his years with the Hornets and he still can put up amazing numbers with all the injuries. If it wasn't for his injuries, the Warriors may have the best current point guard in the league.

Golden St. became only the third eighth seed to upset the No. 1 seed and the first since the opening round went from best-of-five to the current format. The Denver Nuggets (1994) and the New York Knicks (1999) are the only other teams to win a series.

NBA Finals Prediction

You can call me a homer, but I am going with the Spurs over the Cavs in 6. I'll agree with Complete Sports on the impressive Cavs. After watching them in the first round and today vs. the Nets, I have to take them. Lebron James and Co. won't be stopped in the east. But in the end, the Spurs will prevail. With the combinations of Duncan in the post, Parker wheeling and dealing, Ginobli's and Horry's smooth shots, and their defense; it leads me to think the San Antonio Spurs will be your 2007 NBA Champions.

Week Review in Sports

NBA
The playoffs got underway Saturday as Lebron James and Co. defeated the Arenas' less Wizards 97-82. Oh Wizards, what could have been...

Larry Hughes had an impressive night with 27 points and 7 boards. While Antwain Jamison paced Washington with 28 points and 14 boards of his own. With no clear-cut favorite in the East, don't be surprised if you see the Cavs in the finals.

Nets 96 Raptors 91
Richard Jefferson scored 28 points, Kidd nearly had a triple-double and the Nets stopped a late rally to beat the Raptors 96-91 on Saturday in Game 1 of the series. The former Raptor Vince Carter was not welcomed on a return trip to Toronto. Carter scored 16 points but shot just 5-of-19 from the field. But Jefferson stepped up to make 11 of 21 shots.

Bulls 96 Heat 91
Chicago stuck it to Miami late in the game to steal the win. Luol Deng scored 33 points, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni each hit two free throws in the final 19 seconds, and the Chicago Bulls held off the Heat Saturday in Game 1 of their opening-round rematch. The Heat trailed 92-91 after Dwyane Wade found Udonis Haslem for a layup with 38 seconds left, but Gordon hit two foul shots with 18 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Wade missed a 3-pointer and Nocioni hit two more free throws with 9.8 seconds left for the final score.

Rockets 84 Jazz 75
Tracy McGrady finished with 23 points. Before his outburst, the Rockets relied on Yao Ming, who finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Utah led by nine at halftime and was ahead 49-41 before Houston went on an 8-2 run, fueled by seven points by McGrady to get within two. A jump shot by Deron Williams made it 53-49 before a 3 by Shane Battier put Houston within striking distance. Houston then when on to control the rest of the game and never looked back.

MLB
Indians get one hit, still top Contreras, White Sox.
C.C. Sabathia pitched 8 powerful innings as his Indians took down the White Sox 2-1. Oh and by the way they got one hit. Sabathia had 5 IP and gave up 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, and 10 K.

Meanwhile, Jose Contreras was even more impressive and still lost. He threw 5 IP gave up 1 H, 5 BB, and had 3 K. The Indians' only hit was Grady Sizemore's double in the first off Contreras. Cleveland took advantage of three errors and some walks to take two of three in the series.

Mark Buerhle no-hits Rangers
The Chicago White Sox left-hander faced the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 victory over the Texas Rangers. Working quickly and efficiently in a dominant performance, Buehrle allowed only one base runner. He walked Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth inning, then promptly picked him off first base. I was very surprised with this as Buerhle has not been his near self in about 2 seasons. Before this last appearance he's been too jittery with his pitching and K to BB ratio.

Barry Bonds inches closer to Aaron
Bonds hit his 4th, 5th, and 6th HR's of the season against the Cardinals and Diamondbacks. He moved within 15 HR's of the record. Bonds has been as healthy as he's been in about 3 seasons now, which leads me to believe he will hit at least 35 HR's this season.

D-League
Just thought I'd mention the NBDL because of my hometown team Dakota Wizards, who defeated the Sioux Falls Sky Force 115-113 Saturday night. I attended the game myself and I thought they were going to fall after the way they played throughout the game. The Sky Force had a 7-12 point lead for most of the game and whenever the Wizards would get within 5-6 points, Sioux Falls would go down and score again. The Wizards finally tied it up with about 2:48 left in the 4th quarter and held on as Renaldo Major scored 29 points in the win.

The Wizards now advance to the NBDL Championship to take on the Colorado 14ers, which will be held Sunday, April 29. I'll be there and will do a recap of the game right here on The Sports Flow as the game concludes.