Scores...
Rockets 70, Rockets 89
Magic 101, Celtics 82
Top Performers...
- Pau Gasol - 21 points, 18 boards, 3 blocks.
- Hedo Turkoglu - 25 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds.
- Dwight Howard - 12 points, 16 boards, 5 blocks.
Things To Think About...
- What's scarier: The fact that L.A. can smash a team, while getting just 14 points on 4-12 shooting from Kobe? Or the fact that they don't show up like that every night?
- I been doggin' 'em, but DAMN Orlando looked good last night. Skip, Hedo, Rashard Dwight, and Pietrus were all on there shit.
- The losers: How many years does Boston have left? Hearing Paul Pierce in the post-game definitely indicates that they'll be good to go for next year, and with the development of their young contingent of Rondo, Big Baby, and Kendrick "No Smile" Perkins, they should be a strong team for the net few years. Houston's made leaps and bounds this year. With their toughness, the emergence of Aaron Brooks, and the return of Yao and T-Mac, Houston's solidified themselves as a legit title contender.
Conference Finals Outlook...
- #2 Denver Nuggets vs. #1 L.A. Lakers - This will be a good one. Denver's playing the best ball in The League right now. L.A. is, 1-12, the best team in The League. Both teams have outstanding benches. Both teams have outstanding scorers in Melo and Kobe. Both teams PGs at the helm who have seen it all, in Chauncey and D-Fish. All that being said, if L.A. plays their best game, and Denver plays their best game, L.A. wins. The difference is inside. Led by Pau, Bynum, and L.O., the Lakers have a HUGE size advantage. It's a matter of whether they play with a sense of urgency, and exploit that mismatch. They should. The stakes are higher, they know Denver's playing their best basketball of the year, and, if all else fails, The Black Mamba won't let them lose. PREDICTION: L.A. in 7.
- #3 Orlando Magic vs. #1 Cleveland Cavaliers - Another great series here. The Inside The NBA guys made some great points about the Magic. Low-key, Orlando, after L.A., may have the best team, 1-12, in The League. They've got HUGE guys in Hedo, Rashard, and Mickael Pietrus who are matchup problems because they can shoot the rock so well. Then you throw in Skip, Courtney Lee, and JJ Reddick, and you're looking a GREAT 3-point shooting team. The problems occur because that's too often all they think about, forgetting they have Dwight Howard, the best center in basketball, in the post. Honestly, they are as good as or better than Cleveland at every position. All that being said, there's one important thing to remember: the Cavs have KING JAMES. PREDICTION: Cavs in 6.
Via: ESPN
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