-
Dallas Mavericks – Dirk Nowitzki Does Too Much A Little Too Late
It’s gotten to be a thing of norm for the Dallas Mavericks to be rescued into victory by some late game heroics not to mention clutch shooting, from Dirk Nowitzki. In the 2013 version of him and them, it doesn’t seem to be enough to keep their NBA playoff streak alive.
-
Utah Jazz – Mo Williams Might Get Them to the NBA Playoffs After All
Never count out anyone in the NBA. Not a player, not a team. The Utah Jazz looked on their way towards a lottery pick thanks to a late-season collapse and having no reliable point guard. So Mo Williams comes out of nowhere in a very inconsistent season from him, aided by finally a big game from both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, inching the Jazz towards what might look like another playoff season.
-
San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan Rises Above Dirty Clippers Antics
The San Antonio Spurs have been pulled by Tony Parker for most of the season, but Tim Duncan has been their man over the last few weeks, keeping his excellent form and even improving it with a game winning 3-point play, that almost makes it a certainty the San Antonio Spurs will finish on top of the Western Conference for a second consecutive season.
-
Minnesota Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio Loves Spoiling the Party
What’s left for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season? Spoil it for other teams, while trying to get as much cohesion and clarity regarding the guys who’ll still be with the team next season. The first name on that list is Ricky Rubio, who played his part as giant slayer, denting a huge and possibly final blow to the Oklahoma City Thunder, still trying to win the number one seed in the Western Conference.
-
Miami Heat – LeBron James This Good Isn’t Fair on the NBA
The normal state of things in the East, in the NBA, for the Miami Heat – LeBron James putting on a show that is special on the eyes and on the stat sheet, while his team rebounds effortlessly from their nearly-record breaking winning streak being cruelly shattered.
-
Boston Celtics – Paul Pierce Takes Matters Into His Own Hands
He didn’t lead the scoring – that was Jeff Green, helped by Jason Terry. Paul Pierce did a little bit of everything, leading the Boston Celtics to their second straight victory in a season that has been about winning and losing streaks while getting over too many injuries that almost had him join their ranks.
-
Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin Shouldn’t Be Cast Aside for James Harden
There isn’t a doubt about who is the player Kevin McHale has given the reins to this season to take the Houston Rockets into the playoffs. It’s James Harden, the untouchable, undoubted star of this team, which comes with a lot of benefits the Rockets didn’t have in previous season, but comes at a price, which part of it is costing them the best of Jeremy Lin.
-
Los Angeles Lakers – An Old & Lazy Bunch of Players, Not a Team
Any time the Milwaukee Bucks really needed a shot, they got it. Larry Sanders played like an NBA All-Star with the amazing defensive duo of Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol guarding him, while the perimeter defense of Kobe Bryant, who left the arena on a crutch, helped Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis look like the best backcourt duo in the NBA
-
Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin & James Harden Taught a Lesson by the Indiana Pacers
If recent wins suggested that the Houston Rockets are going to be more than just a 7 seed no one is really afraid of in the Western Conference, the ongoing slump of Jeremy Lin on the offensive end and a demonstration by the Indiana Pacers in how to stop James Harden, it’s quite clear that they are still a fair distance away from becoming a postseason force to be reckoned with.
-
Los Angeles Lakers – Kobe Bryant Cheats His Way to Victory
Ricky Rubio was right to claim he was fouled by Kobe Bryant on the final play. The Los Angeles Lakers almost let another one get away from them with some more horrendous defending, but their star player, along with a dominant performance from the rest of the “stars” – Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and yes, even Pau Gasol, helped them escape with a win and a playoff ticket still in hand.