The Playoffs are Coming! The Playoffs are Coming! | Epoch1's Blog

It was a great weekend of NBA action for fans everywhere. Despite great seasons by the favorites, the Cavs, Celtics and Lakers, this playoff season seems open to all comers. As to just who will make the Finals, the possible matchups have fans everywhere making predictions that would scare the willies out of some of us more sober fans. To many a Denver/Mavericks showdown isn't unreasonable... if you think about it... a lot.

The Celtics keep plugging along pulling out wins while waiting for the return of KG. They suffered a lot of dings and dents, but with a little luck it looks like most of the roster will be available and ready to go. "Big Baby" keeps getting better and could be the "Big Difference" between winning and losing if the Celtics reach the Finals. They made it clear to Atlanta that they wouldn't need KG to beat them in an opening series

The Cavs had a roller coaster ride as far their games. A close loss to the Bobcats, who always seem to play them tough, stopped their 12 game win streak. The loss was the first against two tough teams. A major league blow-out/tank job, that included a 40 point lead by the Magic, followed on Friday.

The Cavs went down early and never came close. The white flag was out before half time. They looked tired and downright disinterested in the second of back to back games. It was like the worst loss in the LBJ era I think. But they didn't have a lot of time to lick their wounds. They had a game on Sunday with the San Antonio Spurs, a potential finals opponent. Three losses in a row was far from out of the question.

But they were back at home. A place where they've been nearly perfect all season. The karma played it's role. They responded by troucing the San Antonio Spurs by 20 points in a solid, game-long effort. The kind of rebound one sees in championship caliber teams. They kept their chance of going 40-1 at home and tying a record held by the 86 Celtics alive while setting the stage for a showdown game that will be a must see for fans everywhere.

The Celtics will have a say as to whether that record gets broken. They play the Cavs in Cleveland this week. Whether KG will play is yet to be known. With or without KG, If they can stop the Cavs at home AND save the record it will be the kind of win that generates a lot of positive energy and confidence in the homestretch. The Celtics would hold a 3-1 regular season edge and prove that the Cavs won't be able to count on HCA if they want to get past them. A Cavs victory would have to weigh heavy on the minds of Celtics fans everywhere. But not necessarlily on those of the Celtics

In general, all the talk is of a finals featuring either the Celtics, Cavs, and Lakers. But this season is ripe for a dark horse team rearing it's head and making a run. An upset could change the plans when it comes to who makes the Finals. For a fan of basketball the upcoming playoffs are full of promise and the potential for suprise.

All I know for sure is that the suspense is killing me. These last few game are pointless for the most part and the playoff wait is a drag.

In other Weekend NBA News, the A.I. drama being played out in Detroit has come to a head. Allen Iverson has been lost to the Pistons for the rest of the season because of a "bad back". An injury that mysteriouly maninfested itself just as AI was declaring that playing only 18 minutes was an insult and he was being underutilized...

...And then there was this banana peel and the next thing you know... workmans comp. It's a sad situation all around and I hope the Pistons recover from the loss.

But hey, that stuff is getting old... Let get things started.

The Playoffs are Coming! The Playoffs are Coming!