After going up 3-1 on the spurs in the western conference final, the Lakers are 1 game away from reaching the finals for the 5th time in the past 9 years, where they won 3 of the 4. It's quite amazing to see the Lakers get this far, especially since Kobe almost left them at the start of the season. Who would have guessed?

So who will the Lakers be facing? The answer to that question is really a toss up. The opposing series with Boston and Detroit is tied up and the big game #5 is still awaiting. Whoever the victor is, the Lakers will be ready with time to watch and prepare for.

Currently there is a 3-way tie for the 7th and 8th playoff spot in the Western division. The Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors, and the Denver Nuggets all have an impressive record of 45-28 and each have 9 remaining games. Every game from here on out will be crucial for each of these teams if they are serious about making the playoffs. I will be looking forward to watching the warriors take on both of these teams, especially with last years  historic upset of the Mavs when they lost to the 8th seeded Warriors.

On Sunday the Houston Rockets were able to take down #1 seeded LA (who played without their 7 footer Pau Gasol) and claim the #1 spot in the West. Going for consecutive win #23 tonight against the #1 team in the East, the Boston Celtics, the Rockets can really make a statement tonight and show just how serious they are about winning a championship, even without their superstar Yao Ming. So, are there any teams likely to give them a loss before they can beat the '72 Lakers record streak of 33 games? Well, there's a good chance that it could happen this week, even tonight. After their encounter with Boston, they will be facing the Hornets who will be at home, as well as the GS warriors later on this week. Then later on the will face the Phoenix Suns and the SA Spurs, all worthy opponents and capable of beating them.

History was made on Sunday when the Denver Nuggets gave the Seattle Sonics one of the biggest beat-downs ever recorded in NBA history.  The first record they set was scoring 48 points in the first quarter. Then they set another when they scored 84 in the first half. And then they topped it all off by repeating those 84 points, acquiring a total of 168 points in regulation. No one on their team can believe it and it's not every day you see a team get blown out by 52 points. As much as Seattle would like to forget this game, I don't think thats possible. As for Denver, this is a game to keep in their archives and remember for a long, long time.

Tonight the Atlanta Hawks will host the red hot Rockets who are looking for win #20, which would tie them for the 2nd longest winning streak in NBA history. The Milwaukee Bucks did it in '71 and the longest winning streak ever was accomplished by the LA Lakers in '71 as well, only with a stellar 33 game streak, something I dont foresee being topped for a very long time. The Rockets are being led by MVP candidate Tracy McGrady (cousin of superstar Vince Carter) who has been averaging 32.3 points and 7.7 assists this past week. When will their streak end? Probably not tonight nor Friday when they take on the Bobcats, but I'm gonna go ahead and say this Sunday when they host the LA Lakers.           

              WEST                             EAST                 
1. LA Lakers (44-19)                   1. Boston (49-12)
2. SA Spurs (43-19)                    2. Detroit (46-17)
3. Houston (42-20)                     3. Orlando (40-24)
4. New Orleans (42-20)                4. Cleveland (36-27)
5. Utah (42-22)                          5. Toronto (34-28)
6. Phoenix (41-22)                      6. Washington (30-32)
7. Dallas (40-23)                        7. Philadelphia (30-33)
8. Golden State (39-23)               8. Atlanta (26-36)

Yesterday the Houston Rockets set a franchise record by winning 15 games in a row, lastly beating the Denver Nuggets. Even without their all-star Yao Ming (who is out for the season with a broken ankle) the rockets have been able to continue getting the "W". Talk of trading Yao Ming and T-Mac has been in the works, but nothing is for sure as of now. Too bad Yao won't be ready in time to make the playoffs; better luck next year to the Rockets.

On Thursday the LA Lakers iced the Miami Heat, leaving them in the cold with a 106-88 victory. Now LA leads the western conference by at least 2 games, while the SA Spurs trail closely behind. Who would have thought the Lakers would be doing so well this season, especially after all the talk about Kobe wanting a new team. I'm sure he's happy where he's at and is looking to win his 4th straight NBA championship.

With time winding down and the game tied, Baron Davis takes a fade-away jump-shot with 0.2 seconds left and gets nothing but net, making the warriors the 2nd western team to beat Boston this season. The warriors by far have been one of, if not the most exciting teams to watch these past couple years. It all began when they upset the #1 seed Dallas in last years playoffs, and happened again last night when they defeated the team with the best record in the NBA. I can't wait to see what they're going to do next, especially with the playoffs in the near future.

          WEST                                EAST
1. Phoenix (36-15)                          1. Boston (39-9)
2. New Orleans (34-15)                    2. Detroit (37-13)
3. Dallas (34-16)                             3. Orlando (32-20)
4. LA Lakers (33-17)                        4. Cleveland (28-22)
5. Utah (33-19)                              5. Toronto (27-22)
6. San Antonio (32-17)                    6. Washington (24-26)
7. Denver (31-19)                           7. New Jersey (22-29)
8. Golden State (30-20)                   8. Atlanta (21-26)

Note the difference in record comparisons... one side is a lot easier to make the playoffs while the other side seems to be a 'fight 'till the death'.