In the blue corner, led by Dirk Nowitzki and a feisty defense are the Dallas Mavericks. They took their 11th straight game last night, routing Seattle 112-88 at home and are a game away from equaling an even longer winning streak from November and December. Herr Nowitzki had 31 points and 15 rebounds and has spent the entire season on a level that could net him an MVP award when all is said and done.
In the red corner are the six pack known as the Phoenix Suns. No team can match the offensive exploits of the top half of the Phoenix roster. Leandro Barbosa, the probable sixth man of the year, nailed a three with a second and a half to play to cap a comeback from 16 points down in the first half and bring the team a 97-96 victory over the Bulls in Chicago. Amare Stoudemire had 24 points and 18 rebounds, Steve Nash doled out 13 dimes and Shawn Marion notched 22 points and three steals but it was Barbosa and Boris Diaw who hit late threes to balance out the winning effort.
In the end, though, I give the nod to the boys from Dallas. Nowitzki is unstoppable and the supporting cast of Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Devin Harris, et al, all fill their roles with the experience gained from last year's run to the finals. They may only give up the third fewest points in Texas but neither the Spurs nor Rockets can match the variety of their offensive blueprint.
- The Spurs should probably still be in the discussion of course but after being shut down by Cleveland's defense last night the focus is on the other two Western frontrunners. LeBron scored 19, Larry Hughes had 18 and the Spurs shot just 38% en route to an 82-78 loss at the Q. Gregg Popovich got ejected for arguing and Tim Duncan couldn't seem to stop getting on the refs either, robbing the Spurs of their vaunted focus and allowing the Cavs to win on a night that saw them score just 44 points through three quarters. Damon Jones scored all 11 of his points in that final, explosive quarter. Whoever does win the West may have to solve Cleveland come June and the Spurs haven't been able to do it in either game the two teams have played this season.
(AFP/Getty Images/File/Tim Heitman)
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