goddfather40

Wow. It took long enough but the playoff scenarios weren't fully set until 10PM Pacific / 1 AM Eastern when Kobe hit a miraculous three to give the Lakers the second seed and Sacramento the four seed.

Kobe showed why he is the BEST clutch player in the NBA by hitting the three to force overtime and the three to win. Still the Lakers are stumbling into the playoffs, as are the Kings. The team to beat is definitely the Spurs going in.

As for the East, only Indiana and Detroit are worthy of any discussion. This is the best chance since the Bulls Dynasty that the East has a chance to win it all, albeit a small chance still.

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Mojo_PeiPei

The Team to beat are the Top Dawgs in the West, the Wolves. They have shown that they can rock it this year. Not to mention tonight couldn't have gone anymore perfect. With Sac losing and LA winning, the lakers are now in the bracket opposite the wolves, so it will be all the more sweeter when we beat them in the Western Conference finals.

Ticket + The Alien and Predator > *

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Jesus Malverde

The team to beat is the Spurs, unless the Wolves can get out of the first round. They've been just terrible in the postseason for the past several years.

I hate to say it, but never count out the Lakers. They've been there before.

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Halx

Kobe.. amazing.. I'm still speechless.

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Spartak

Agreed.

I don't know which clutch shot was better... the one to force OT, or the one to win the game.

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Kurant

I'd be worried about making it out of the first round before assuming your going to beat the Lakers.

Lakers are the best team in the west. Kobe hitting 2 clutch threes, or scoring 45, hardly "stumbling" into the playoffs. The Kings are a team "stumbling".

Mojo_PeiPei

The Wolves of the past have struggled, but KG didn't have any help then. We now have a solid core of playoff veterans, not to mention we are going against the 8th seed nuggets, who are more inexperienced then us.

Any idea how long Malone is out for after rolling his ankle last night?

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SAM821

Heat beats the #2 seed NJ nets and Bucks lose to the raptors; Heat Clinches #4 seed... that was pretty exciting!

Dont count out Miami just yet, they have the best record in the NBA since beginning of March (17-4)

frolichoek

Sorry, but team to beat means that people have a reason to believe they can't beat them. The T-Wolves haven't proved ANYTHING yet...

Kurant

Malone says he will play Monday. But who knows...

Halx

he says he'll play SATURDAY

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Nimbletoe

Lakers are going to come out of the west as long as they stay healthy. Kobe is playing amazing, Shaq is well... Shaq, plus payton and malone REALLY want a championship. Sacramento might not even make it out of the first round. The wolves and spurs are both playing well though, so you can't count them out. But I still think the lakers are the team to beat.

As for in the east, my Pistons are going to lay the smackdown on Indiana. Just watch! As for Miami, true they have been playing well, but they don't have much of a bench or no inside threat. Can't have that against either the pistons with the wallaces, or indiana with oneill.

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cas305

West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, West, ...... does anybody else getting tired of everyone jocking the west so much!

All I ask is when the Pacers when the championship that you at least acknowledge their existents. If you actually gave them some props that would be nice too.

Ok proceed in the flaming and you blind cock sucking of the west now.

Nimbletoe

I'm a big big pistons fan. That being said...


If you think that the east is even slightly comparable to the west as a conference, you're ignorant and know nothing about basketball. True, indiana has the best record in the NBA, and are 20-8 vs. the west. But, they're 3-5 vs. the spurs, lakers, mavs and kings, which are basically the teams that matter in the west. There is no way in hell they would still have the best record in the NBA if they were in the west. The same goes for any east team, if any of them were in the west, their records would be worse. The east is full of suck this year, minus two teams. NJ is still the most overrated team in the NBA, and Indiana's depth is an illusion. They are a more shallow team than most play them out to be. Just because you have a 6th man of the year doesn't mean you have a good bench. The pistons can't score well enough. Had they drafted Melo... but thats a different topic.

Watch a few games of the first round of the west, then, if you can stomach it, a few of the east, and tell me the east is anywhere as good as the west.

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Kurant

Actully, they are 4-4 vs those teams, and 5-5 with the T-Wolves in that equation.

But, it doesn't matter. I agree with all of it.

Nimbletoe

Err, I meant wolves in place of the mavs. Or something, I dunno. The point was that it wasn't impressive :P

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