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San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan Makes Sure the West Stays Beneath
It’s about making sure teams know who the best team around is with the playoffs so close. Tim Duncan knew it was on him, with the Denver Nuggets focusing so strongly on Tony Parker. So he came up with another impressive, almost vintage-like performance on both ends of the floor to keep the San Antonio Spurs on top of the Western conference.
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New York Knicks – J.R. Smith Stealing the Spotlight From Carmelo Anthony
The New York Knicks began the season with unselfish ball movement, unstoppable three point shooting and excellent defense. It was too good to last for a very long time, and are once again at the mercy of individual performances – usually those of Carmelo Anthony, but for a second straight game, J.R. Smith coming off the bench is the one who steals the show.
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Boston Celtics – The Losing Had to Stop at Some Point
If the Boston Celtics are going to get anywhere this season, which means beyond a first round berth in the NBA playoffs, it’s going to be up to guys like Jeff Green and Brandon Bass to start playing like NBA stars or close to that, instead of hoping Paul Pierce plays like it’s five years ago while Kevin Garnett somehow miraculously heals from his injury problems and most of all, old age.
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Chicago Bulls – The Perfect Team to Stop LeBron James & Miami Heat
It wouldn’t be accurate to say that the Chicago Bulls stopped LeBron James; they just made life difficult for him and the rest of his teammates with their notoriously good team defense, some exceptional offense from Luol Deng to stop the Miami Heat and their almost NBA record breaking win streak at 27.
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Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks & Portland Trail Blazers Fighting For Last Playoff Spot
Four left in the race, only one of them comes out. While things are set and done in the East except for a few positions, the final eighth spot for the postseason in the Western Conference is up for grabs, as the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and even the Portland Trail Blazers (yes, still) are fighting for the final playoff ticket left to hand out.
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Dallas Mavericks – Dirk Nowitzki Still Isn’t Out of Clutch in the Tank
Somehow, someway, the Dallas Mavericks are still alive in the Western Conference playoff chase, mostly because Dirk Nowitzki and the gang of bears are playing their best basketball of the season, finally not letting late game collapses and tense moments fall the wrong way. They still need some things to happen besides taking care of their own destiny, but things are looking bright for possibly the first time in 2013.
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New York Knicks – Carmelo Anthony Enjoys Finally Dominating the Rivalry
It’s been quite a while since the New York Knicks have been the dominant team in their traditional rivalry with the Boston Celtics, but time, injuries and ability, especially that of a superstar like Carmelo Anthony, have changed the balance of power between the two teams, in what looks like a preview, going in favor of the Knicks, for the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
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Golden State Warriors – Stephen Curry Loves Ruining Playoff Hopes
For a moment, it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers found the right formula to put their season back on track. But that was only a mirage, and the losing crept back to their recognized pace, despite a healthy and scoring Kobe Bryant. The Golden State Warriors have their own issues and standings to worry about, and Stephen Curry made sure they kept their distance from the biggest disappointment in the NBA.
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Miami Heat – Getting Easier as the Streak Grows Longer
After surviving a couple of close calls in their attempt to tie and break a 40 year old NBA record, the Miami Heat are finding that later wins are coming a little bit easier, with LeBron James pulling more and more “almost” triple doubles, his personal expertise, as the group around him, even without Dwyane Wade, continues to more than make up for the superstar taking another rest to heal his hurting body.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – When Kevin Durant is the one That Follows Russell Westbrook
All it took was for Scott Brooks to get a technical foul, and we suddenly saw the Russell Westbrook the Oklahoma City Thunder need to win the NBA title. A responsible point guard who leads his team by scoring and passing, doing his best to make the team look better, including his co-star Kevin Durant, instead of trying to prove to everyone just how big of a star he is at the moment.