Spurs Swept! Suns On The Rise!

Wow. I did not see that coming. I've said time and time again this season that the Suns couldn't go any further than the second round. Well, not only did they prove me wrong, but they did so in convincing fashion as they swept the Spurs en route to their first appearance in the conference finals since 2006. After having been eliminated by San Antonio four times in the playoffs since 2003, with Nash on three of those four teams, the Suns have finally overcome the Spurs.

Although they completed the sweep, they didn't leave San Antonio unscathed. Halfway through the 3rd quarter with the Suns up 64-57, Steve Nash caught an inadvertent elbow above his right eye from Tim Duncan who was pulling up for a shot. Nash returned after having six stitches, with the Spurs taking the lead at one point during his absence. The Suns recaptured the lead though, heading into the fourth up 72-71.

Upon his return, Nash's eye was swollen shut and it took on a shade of purple darker than the Suns' jerseys. It looked disgusting to say the least. Despite only being able to see through his left eye, Nash showed incredible poise as the Suns continued to outclass San Antonio. He scored 10 of his 20 points in the decisive fourth quarter, including a huge three-pointer on a fast break that gave the Suns an 80-77 lead. Nash also dished five of his nine assists in the fourth as well. The Spurs had no answer for Nash and Stoudemire's pick and roll offense, as Amare hit a few long jumpers to help seal the win.

The Spurs nearly made a game of it in the final two minutes, as they overcame a 10-point deficit. George Hill was fouled by Amare on a converted three-pointer with under 30 seconds left, and he would hit the free throw to bring the score to 103-101. But the Suns would hang on to win after two Grant Hill free throws, a missed Ginobili three-pointer, and two more free throws from Jason Richardson.

Playoff Picture: Bottom of the West

The Suns are in the midst of a 5-game winning streak and hold the 5th seed in the West, just a game behind the Jazz. They could easily extend their win streak to ten games, as the rest of March is against teams currently out of the playoffs. April could be a tough month for them with games against the Bucks, Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets, and Jazz.

It's definitely possible that the Suns make it out of the first round, but I doubt they can go any further. Despite having the best offense in the league, they're still a lousy defensive team, ranking 22nd in the league. They also rely heavily on their three-point shooting, which will be hard to maintain throughout an entire seven-game series. It will be interesting to see if this team's core remains intact after this season, as their championship window is closing if it's even open at all anymore. Steve Nash is still one of the best point guards in the league at age 36, but I get the feeling he might be moved for younger talent if they're bounced in the first round. As for Amare, who knows what'll happen with him.

Projected Record: 52 - 30

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Utah Jazz

The Spurs sit two games behind Phoenix, tied with the Thunder for the 6th seed. They have a rough schedule ahead of them, so the Thunder could squeeze past them. In March, they face the Lakers, Cavs, and Celtics. In April, they have games against the Magic, Lakers, Suns, Nuggets, and Mavs. They also will face the Grizzlies in April, who could be fighting for their playoff lives.

Tony Parker's broken right hand at the beginning of March was a big set back for the Spurs, but they were struggling after the All-Star break even before he went down. George Hill has filled in capably and Ginobili has also taken on some point guard duties in Parker's absence. Parker is expected to return before the end of the regular season, which is good news for San Antonio, but I still have trouble seeing them as a real threat in the playoffs. They just aren't the same team they used to be. They haven't been the same on defense since Bruce Bowen retired, and Richard Jefferson hasn't seemed to fit in their system. They still have Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker though, so you can't count them out.

Projected Record: 49 - 33

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Dallas Mavericks

The Thunder are tied with the Spurs for the 6th seed and have a chance to pass them up. They'll have to close the season strong though, as they have a difficult schedule down the stretch. In March, their toughest games will be against the Lakers, Blazers, and Celtics. In April, they'll face the Mavericks, Jazz, Nuggets, Suns, Blazers, and finish the season against the Grizzlies. They'll have to do it largely without injured rookie James Harden, and his beard. The beard is clearly the bigger loss.

Everyone knew the Thunder would eventually be good, but nobody knew they'd be this good this soon... except for Teenage Mustache, of course. Many people have compared this year's Thunder to last year's Blazers, who made the transition from talented bunch of youngsters to playoff threat quicker than expected. Portland went into the playoffs last year with a "nothing to lose" mentality, and were put in their place by Artest and the Rockets in the first round. I think the Thunder will have more of a collective focus than last year's Blazers, but will ultimately have the same fate. They'll need a better bench and a more imposing presence at center than Nenad Krstic before they take that next step. I'll still be watching and hoping they prove me wrong (if they play someone besides the Nuggets).

Projected Record: 50 - 32

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Denver Nuggets

The Blazers sit just a game behind the Thunder at the 8th spot, with the Grizzlies four games behind them. I'm going to assume that the Grizz won't sneak in the playoffs, but it ain't over 'til it's over. Portland has a road heavy schedule ahead of them, which isn't a huge concern since they've been decent on the road. In March, their toughest games are against the Mavs and Thunder. They're schedule in April is manageable other than games against the Nuggets, Mavericks, Lakers, and Thunder.

It's been a tough year for Portland, as injuries have taken out several important players. Not long after losing Greg Oden for the year, center Joel Przybilla also had a season ending injury that has forced them to use 37-year old Juwon Howard at center. Not only is Howard old, but he's also not a center. Despite these and other setbacks, Portland has maintained playoff positioning throughout the season. Unfortunately, they'll probably end up getting bounced in the first round yet again at the hands of the Lakers or Nuggets. Even if everyone was healthy, I still think they lack the type of gritty, hard-nosed player you need in the playoffs.

Projected Record: 49 - 33

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Los Angeles Lakers

All Good Things Come to an End

One by one, the Thunder's streaks have both been stopped. On Tuesday, their 9-game winning streak was brought to an end at the hands of the Suns (without Steve Nash) after a last second floater by Jason Richardson. Jeff Green nearly hit a desparation three with under a second remaining, but it just missed.

And last night, Kevin Durant's streak of scoring at least 25 points or more was ended at 29 games in a 95-87 loss to the Spurs. Durant appeared to be on track to keep his streak alive as he finished the half with 17 points, but in the second half the Spurs held him to just 4 points.

Despite not reaching 30 games of 25 points or more, KD's streak puts him in good company. Allen Iverson (ok, maybe A.I.'s not the best of company) had a streak of 27 games with 25 points or more, while Jordan managed two 40 game streaks in his career.

I have a feeling KD's name will end up near the top of that list again.

To add insult to injury, with just under three minutes left and the Spurs up by one, Manu Ginobli somehow managed to do this:

Ginobili is so sick

Just sayin...

'Melo's 41 topples Blazers, Bulls surprise Spurs

Nuggets 97, Blazers 94

After watching the Nuggets first two games against Western Conference threats the Jazz and Blazers, this team seems poised for a big season. The division rival Trail Blazers nearly closed the game out, but Carmelo Anthony's offensive attack proved to be too much as he scored 19 of his 41 points in the 4th quarter. 'Melo was excellent, consistently banging bodies in the paint for points. Chauncey Billups had another strong game with 22 points and 6 assists. I do have to question Chauncey's shot selection, who shot just 5-14 from the field. He has proven in the past to be one of the best pull-up jump shooters in transition, but he wasted several possessions on quick shots. Rookie point guard Ty Lawson saw less action tonight, as he struggled on defense against Rudy Fernandez, which landed him on the bench. No one else had big games for the Nuggets, but everyone showed up when needed, particularly Nenê who had a huge play in the closing moments. After getting an offensive board, he put up a miss, hustled after his own rebound, and made a nice hook shot over Greg Oden. But it was ultimately 'Melo, who got them the W on the road. One last thought before I move on to the Blazers. It will be big for Denver when J.R. Smith returns from his suspension, so that George Karl can stop playing two point guards at the same time. Plus, J.R. Smith = buckets… sometimes.

The Blazers struggled from the field, shooting just 34%. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was the only Blazer to have an all-around good game posting 22 points on 6-9 shooting. He was also perfect from the line on all 8 shots. Brandon Roy managed to score 30 points by getting to the line 18 times. Despite poor shooting, Roy did have some great plays including a buzzer beating three-point bank shot to close the 3rd quarter. Martel Webster started out strong with some big plays, but would finish with only 10 points. Portland's going to need their young big men Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge to step up if they want to take that next step into the Western Conference elite. I still think they're a few years and possibly a few roster adjustments away from being true contenders.

Bulls 92, Spurs 85

I hardly watched any of this game, but this block on Richard Jefferson by Derrick Rose is worth a look. This kid has serious ups. Rose had a highlight worthy offensive play too, but it hasn't made it's way to youtube yet.