BIG WEST CONFERENCE

One monumental (of several) weekend out West

In a playoff race with more jockeying than Churchill Downs and with more developing plot twists and turns than an episode of ‘Lost’, this weekend is shaping up to be monumental for the teams vying for the elite eight out West. Although, really, this is going to be a statement that will ring true pretty much all the way til the mid-April finish line is crossed. In the Southwest, a mere half game separates New Orleans, San Antonio, and Houston in the standings, thanks to the Bees losing to the Celtics and Spurs taking care of Minny last night. Sunday proves to be an important game for shaking out home court advantage, as the Rockets and Spurs throwdown at the Alamo on the national broadcast, as current #5 Houston looks on from the outside for homecourt.

Los Lakers, on a 2-game losing streak after collapsing to Memphis last night and having just lost 3 of 4, are literally a beaten and battered team right now. Without Pau Gasol, still nursing the ankle injury, and evidenced by Derek Fisher’s torn tendon in his foot and Kobe’s million-dollar mug all bandaged up, karma is rearing it ugly head in Hollywood, with Bob Delaney nowhere in sight. And don’t look now but old friend Shaquille O’Neal and the revitalized Suns, just a half game behind the Lakers despite having lost 2 in a row earlier this week, can climb into a tie atop the Pacific with a win tonight in New Jersey. Gasol, however, looks to return Sunday night against the Wizards, just in time to provide more dramatics and take the load off Kobe’s shoulders.

The bottom of the playoff race is just as dicey with 3 teams, yet again, all within half a game of each other, Fight Clubbing for the last 2 spots. Seventh seeded Dallas is one game away from potentially missing out on their annual Playoff meltdown, as they remain winless against winning teams, and without reigning-MVP Dirk Nowitzki for the foreseeable future. As much flak as the Suns received early on for bringing in Shaq to disrupt chemistry, the Jason Kidd deal was not what the Mavericks needed, and team leadership remains nowhere in sight.

With the Golden State Warriors holding steady at #8 and the streaking Denver Nuggets, having won 4 straight, including Thursday’s matchup with the Mavs, right behind them, Mark Cuban has to shaking in his dancing shoes at the thought of his team topping last year’s first round exit and replacing May basketball with ping pong balls instead. The Mavericks could fall to eighth by the end of the weekend, as the Warriors head to Denver to take on the Nuggets tonight in Denver before flying back to the Bay to take on the Mavericks tomorrow.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ROLLED

Bobcats reject Lakers and refs eject Kobe

JRich or die flying

After completing 2 grueling and exhausting games in as many nights against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers returned home seeking to steamroll a less formidable opponent from the JV Eastern Conference by hosting the Charlotte Bobcats Wednesday. Instead, the Lake Show suffered their second straight home defeat 108-95, as the Bobcats cruised to a rather easy-looking victory in Southern California, led by a monster showing from Jason Richardson with 30 points and 10 boards. With the contest decidedly out of reach with 3:40 left, Kobe Bryant decided to take his ball home and check out of the game, hoping to beat the traffic rush out of Staples Center along with the countless fans decked in purple and gold who made their ways to the exits early.

The Bobcats, who lost in Utah last night in the first game of a four game trip out West, jumped out to an early lead and really never looked back. Up 10 in the first quarter before the Lakers cut the lead down, the Bobcats continued to pour on the points and took a 57-44 lead at halftime. Both teams played evenly throughout the third, and Kobe was in typical MVP form, scoring the first 15 points for the Lakers. The Staples crowd went into the final frame expecting a 4th quarter comeback much like the Lakers did, coming back from down 26 points aginst the Warriors before taking a short-lived lead on Sunday.

Sweet Carroll line: 18 pts, 3-4 3's

And, that comeback did happen, as expected. The Lakers jumped out to score the first 10 points and it looked like MJ’s team simply would be no match for the Lakers and Kobe’s will. Slashing the lead down to 3 with a dramatic three by Sasha Vujacic, the Lakers were about to grab a stranglehold on the game. But, a funny thing happened along the way, and the Bobcats played like a veteran team , weathering the Laker storm and closing out the victory. A 16-5 run led by J-Rich and a four-point play by Matt-freaking-Carroll sealed the Lakers’ fate. Bryant, who committed the foul on Carroll, and flustered by the officiating not going his way, asked to be excused early, picking up 2 technicals and the subsequent ejection before the Lakers finally went down for the count.

Kobe the nevernude hit the showers early

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NOTHING LASTS FOR-WEBBER

A requiem for the former All-American

As Ringo and Paul continue to duke it out for the last living member of the Fab Four, the fight for last remaining active player from the Michigan’s Fab Five seems to be over. With a formal announcement expected on Wednesday, C-Webb will join other former Wolverine brethren in the ranks of NBA Alumni and leave Juwan Howard as the last man standing.

Webber graciously leaves the hardwood with an impressive resume that may very well land him his own exhibit in Springfield, averaging nearly 21 points, 10 boards and 4 dimes per contest over his career, nearly identical to the numbers Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing put up in their illustrious careers. Webber also won the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1994, garnered five All-Star selections, and appeared on five All-NBA teams.

Over an injury-plagued 14-year career, Webber impacted each of the five uniforms he pulled over his head, arguably experiencing his best and near-championship years at the turn of the millennium with the Sacramento Kings, one win away from playing on the big stage before losing to the Lakers in seven games in 2002.

Webber helped revive basketball in doormant Sacramento, and for several years was the ringleader for one of the most exciting and entertaining acts in the league. But, coupled with back-to-back second-place finishes among the collegiate ranks (including his now infamous meltdown at the 1993 Final Four), Webber has developed the reputation of being a successful impact player that somehow always finished just short of the ultimate goal.

After a less-than-triumphant second stint with Golden State in 2008 (playing in 9 games and lighting up the board with a cumulative 35 points), it seems his career has come full circle as he finally succumbs to years of chronic knee problems which reared its ugly head in 2005. While many Warrior fans were excited about the idea of the prodigal son returning, his signing hardly made the impact of a Gasol or O’Neal, but somehow still seemed fitting.

Coming back to the city he began his career, with the coach he first played under, in a system his skills could have been utilized seemed almost to good to be true. And, it was. The 20 year-old rookie Warriors fans remembered for flushing down a behind-the-back on Sir Charles, making pretty passes for a big man reminiscent of Magic, and leading fast breaks huffing and puffing his way down court returned 15 years older, slower, and long past his glory days.

So Happy Retirement, Chris. I know it may be difficult to come to terms with the end of your playing days, so just think of the next three or four months as just one of your nagging trips to the IR, or just until you can truly accept your legacy. There are so many other horizons in his world for you to explore, and if Jalen can call himself an “analyst”, then so can you. May your “golden” years be relaxing, enjoyable, filled with blunts and void of timeouts.

Here-here!

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FLOP IT LIKE IT'S HOT

Bryant and Lakers seek revenge in Oakland


In what turned out to be an incredible 2 days worth of basketball, energy-filled and with enough electricity worthy of playoff basketball, the Lakers and Warriors took part in the second half of the Battle of California up in Oakland. The Lakers prevailed in overtime 123-119, as Kobe Bryant finished with 30 and 11 boards, while Lamar Odom followed up his 22 rebound performance yesterday with 21 boards tonight. Baron Davis led the way for the Warriors with 30 points with Monta Ellis right behind him with 29. However, the contest, which featured numerous lead changes and a dramatic 10-1 Warriors rally to send the game into overtime, was unfortunately decided on a controversial referee decision.

Down 2 with 4 ticks left and inbounding the ball, Stephen Jackson looked for his teammates to get open. Baron Davis, guarded at the top of the arc, couldn't separate himself from Kobe Bryant's grip. Second option Monta Ellis attempted to make his way towards the ball to receive the inbounds, but found himself tangled and brought down, along with Derek Fisher, to the floor. In what should have been a Bob Delaney no-call, according to the replays and Fisher himself, an offensive foul was charged to Ellis, much to the dismay of the sold-out Oracle Arena crowd. The Lakers escaped with the dramatic victory with a pair of KB free throws to seal the deal, and Jordan Farmer's steal at the end of overtime.

After the game, Derek Fisher spoke about the fateful call that decided the contest:

"I thought it was going to be a no-call, just two guys fall down and the play goes on,” Fisher said. "So when the whistle blew, it caught me off-guard as well. … I don't think anybody was necessarily guilty of anything, but from the angle that Bob had, it looked (Ellis) had his hands to my chest, which he did. But like I said, I wasn't trying to fall down at all in that situation.”

With the victory, the Lakers avoided losing the season series to the Warriors for the first time since the 1994-95 season. If this is indeed a preview for the upcoming postseason, it will be hard to top such an emotional rollercoaster and the flat-out exciting level of play these interstate rivals displayed the last two days. With a healthy Lakers squad with Bynum and Gasol returning, the possibility of an even greater 7 game series is something David Stern needs to figure out how to make a reality.

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OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

Stephen Jackson sinks Loss Lakers

Cap'n Clutch

Any NBA team that gives up a 26-point lead usually doesn’t deserve to win the game. More than likely, they won’t even get the chance to make it close, anyways. Additionally, any team that blows a 26-point advantage often doesn’t deserve to win the game, either. On Easter Sunday the Lakers hosted the Warriors in Part 1 of the Battle of California, in what would become an incredible and unpredictable tale of two halves. Calling this contest an epic duel might not do justice for what took place at Staples Center between these division rivals.

Jumping out to an early first half advantage, the Warriors did not look anything like the team that lost 9 of its previous meetings in Lakerland. Stephen Jackson was unconscious early on, sinking 4-4 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. Monta Ellis slashed his way through the Laker defense to compliment the outside game. The Warriors matched a season-high 72 points in the first half, or just 9 points short of Mavericks’ total points against the Spurs earlier today, and looked to be in control with a 23 point lead at the break.

Then, like a Hollywood villain who isn’t quite as dead as you thought, the Lakers woke up and took control of the 3rd quarter. As hot as the Warriors played early on and forced turnovers, the Lakers came out with grit and turned the tables on the Warriors in the furious rally. A number of defensive stops and slowing down the tempo enough to force ill-advised perimeter shots allowed Los Lakers to cut the deficit to 6 going into the 4th. Kobe Bryant came alive in the 4th, scoring 16 of his 36 in the final frame and rallying the team to completely cut the deficit and take the lead, all before the whirlwind end of the game.

With :46 left, Kobe did what he does best – draining a three from 26 feet out to cut the deficit to one. However, on the next possession, Jackson answered back with a three of his own, his first bucket of the second half. Following a timeout, the Lakers traded 2-for-1 as, who else, Kobe drained yet another three to cut the lead back to one, 112-111. As Baron Davis brought the ball up the court, and the seconds wound down on the clock, he found Jackson wide open from 27 feet out. Captain Jack drove the final dagger in the Lakers’ heart, hitting the three and game-deciding points.

The Lakers now fly up to the Bay Area where they will once again take on the Warriors with a foul taste in their mouth, and part two of this NorCal-SoCal shootout, while the Warriors seek to win the season series 3-1.

OFF TO THE SWEAT COAST

Stanford, UCLA survive scares; Duke gets dumped

Fight, Fight, Fight

While Saturday’s contests under the southern-California sun did not exhibit the Pac-10 as the most-dominant league in the country, it did showcase two storied powerhouses with intestines of steel and sub-zero IV drips. Within an hour drive for the Baby Bears and an hour flight for the Cardinal from their respective campuses, a sold-out crowd of well over 17,000 descended on the Honda Center in Anaheim to watch two teams punch their tickets to the Regionals.

It's good to see that Justin Guarini
is finally getting a taste of victory.

Down much of the game and without their leader Trent Johnson, who was inexplicably tossed with two T’s just before the half on the biggest of stages, the Cardinal’s 7-foot twin towers of Robin and Brook Lopez dominated the second frame by doing what they were supposed to do: punish the smaller Golden Eagles in the paint. Brook put up 30 points (including the game-winning shooter’s bounce on the baseline) and Robin added 18 to push Stanford to the Sweet Sixteen, barely avoiding the agony of heading back to the Bay Area and pondering why they both have girls' names.

UCLA has been no stranger to last-second drama the last few weeks of the season, and their second-round clash with the Aggies of Texas A&M was no exception. With Josh Shipp putting up a donut through much of the night, Luc Mbah a Moute walking more than Barry Bonds, and Kevin Love missing jumpers from 17 out, the first half seemed like a premonition of impending doom for the squad from Westwood, especially with A&M getting all the bounces, including a HORSE-winning bank shot off the top of the board. But Darren Collison’s Jason-Kapono-impression in the first half kept them within reach, and Love’s block party (sending back 7!) in the second half was enough to get the Bruins to Phoenix.

The Dukies were utterly outmatched in the second half by the Mountaineers, to the dismay of a flu-stricken and frustrated Coach K. Their lack of a significant inside presence and complete collapse of their outside game (including 15 straight bricks from behind the line) were too much for the Devils to overcome, as they were ousted in the second round before a raucous D.C. crowd, including a fully-dressed mountain man reminiscent of Ted Kaczynski. This marks the second straight year Duke has failed to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

KEEPIN' UP WITH THE JONES'

Titans and Jerry’s Cowboys talking Pacman

It must feel terrible to be the first NFC team to be seeded number one in the playoffs and lose on Divisional Weekend, not to mention the coarse Kosher salt rubbed into wounds at the hands of a loathed divisional rival and Super Bowl champion-to-be. Throw in a quarterback who might be attending the Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards with his girlfriend and a receiver who cries into his popcorn, what is a team to do?

America's Player

Jerry Jones is considering heading back to Convicts-R-Us to take a look at a used cornerback/returner being traded in by its current owners. After bringing in lineman Tank Johnson just months after getting out of the pen, Amerca’s team needs another role model and locker room leader. Who better than Pacman Jones?

While the Cowboys might be the current frontrunner to suit Jones up this fall, the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions have also expressed interest in the ex-West Virginia Mountaineer. However, Pacman has stated that it is every football player’s dream to wear the star, plus doing the rain dance at Dreams Gentlemens Club in southwest Dallas.

While there may be little or no issues with effort, performance, and team chemistry, will Jerry Jones bring the hammer down should off-field troubles rear its ugly, braided head yet again? Who knows, maybe Pacman will be this year's Moss and surpass every expectation.