Almost Perfect...

The PGA Championship doesn't start for another two weeks. But last Saturday, three buddies of mine and I, played a little tour championship of our own.

The stakes? A round of beers. Hardly the multi-million dollar purse the pros will be playing for in two weeks. But there was pride on the line as well. And the underlying theme of the match? Well, it was eerily similar to the three Majors we've seen thus far in 2009.

The matchup:
#1 Gervino & #4 Talbot vs. #2 Pascarelli & #3 Peo (rankings are subject to argument)

Lowest combined team strokes takes the match. Gervino & Talbot start the match five strokes back.

Gervino is the only player with true golf experience. In fact, three years ago, he was a handicap of just over 1. Since losing touch with the game at college, he's fallen back a step, but he was easily the best player of our group, and worthy of a 5-stroke penalty.

Player comparisons:

For Gervino, Tiger Woods seems the most fitting. But he's a lefty, so we'll go with Phil Mickelson.

Pascarelli is the John Daly of the foursome. The man can power the ball down the fairway and throw a few beers back in the process.

Peo addresses the ball like Tony Batista at home plate, knowing full well his shot will fade 60 yards to the right on his drives. He's the Jasper Parnevick of the group, although the rest of the guys will tell you the shorter distance the slice gives his drive makes him look more like Annika Sorenstam.

Myself? Well, I'm the Sergio Garcia of the group. I take too many practice swings, think too long about my shots, and shoot too many shots over par.

Here are the highlights:

1st Hole
My whole life I've been fighting a psychological battle with the opening tee shot. And much like the Yankees versus the Red Sox this season, I've lost every time. But even with that fact looming and all the pressure of the match hanging over my head, I still felt confident I was going to blast my first shot.

And I actually did. I crushed the ball with a nice draw towards the center of the downhill fairway on the short Par 4. I was thinking birdie. Until I realized I should be thinking bird's nest. This stupid tree on the right side had the longest branches looming over the right edge of the fairway. My ball didn't draw fast enough, and my 250 yard drive looked to be doomed, catching the last edge of the branches and leaves. But you figure a smash like that would still go another 60 yards, right? Nope. Those must have been some thick leaves, cause my ball went straight down into the wood chips. 250 yards to 80 in a moment. This is my golf game.

2nd Hole
After taking an early one stroke lead on the first, Tiger and I had a great opportunity to capitalize even more on the second. Tiger was on the green in one on the short par 3. I was in a small bunker to the right of the green. Parnevick duffed his drive. And Daly was hiking in the woods. Now I'm all for taking lessons from superior players. It's great for your game. But never take lessons in the middle of a round. Doing something right on your first try rarely happens on the golf course. Gervino explained to me that I should aim an inch behind the ball, and swing through the sand as hard as I could. I swung as hard as I could alright. But I came through the ball cleanly, and hit it 70 yards over the green into the woods. Right over Pascerelli actually.

I never recovered. Gervino and I found ourselves in the water on the next hole, and would spend the next 10 holes convincing ourselves that the next one would start our heroic comeback.

14th Hole
With only five holes remaining, Gervino and I had dug ourselves into a 12-stroke deficit. At this point, I was mentally "shook", convinced there was no way I would ever hit a good shot the rest of the way.

But Peo found his ball at the edge of a pond, somehow floating on the water (there had to be mud and muck under it). So we convinced him to hit the ball out of the water - a free stroke of course. The ball went four feet into the pond, Peo almost went with it, and came up with nothing but a face full of mud. Mud he wasn't aware was on his face. Mud we weren't about to tell him was there.

He then proceeded to reach his hand into the murky water and pulled out nine golf balls. I kid you not. Nine golf balls. From less than a square foot of the pond. There must have been thousands in there. He was never able to recover from the fiasco down by the water's edge. After his free drop, he hit the ball straight into the same pond. Joe and I took two strokes on the hole, now down 10 with four to play.

15th Hole
Peo continued to fall apart, and Gervino and I jumped all over the opportunity to mount a comeback. Pascarelli and Peo began arguing. Meanwhile, Gervino and I put together a nice string of shots, taking back seven strokes from the deficit. Three down, three to go.

17th Hole
After cutting their lead down to just one, we came to the par 3 17th. Peo struggled, Pascarelli overdrove the green, Gervino put one on the fringe, and I landed mine on the green. A few putts later, and Gervino and I had completed the greatest comeback in golf history! We haven't confirmed that with any golf historians yet, but I'm 85% confident it was. Overcoming a 12-stroke deficit in four holes? Unheard of.

What a story this was.

We were now on par with Kenny Perry winning the Master's at 46, Phil Mickelson winning the U.S. Open against all adversity for his wife, and Tom Watson winning the British Open at 59. If only any of these stories had actually come to fruition on the 18th hole.

18th Hole
You really have to see this hole to understand it, but I'll do my best to explain it. The hole's roughly 360 yards. The fairway extends 150 yards dead straight, before the last 210 yards dogleg to the left. There's a way to cut the fairway, putting you within 100 yards of the flagstick, but there's one problem. There's a huge tree right where the fairway doglegs left. There's a gap to the left of the tree, maybe 40 yards long. But if you miss left, you're in the heavy woods.

Since Gervino and I were in the lead, we decided to play conservative. After all, all we needed to do was match Pascarelli and Peo shot for shot. And that didn't seem like a difficult task at the time. Gervino took the safe route, but crushed his iron past the fairway and into the woods. Peo aimed for the difficult route, but naturally sliced his ball into the woods past the fairway, 40 yards behind Gervino. Pascarelli took a chance on the woods and hit the shot of his life - a 250+ yard smash between the giant tree and the woods, leaving him about 100 yards from the pin. Then I stepped up with a 4-iron (perhaps too lengthy, but the only club I trusted), and drilled the ball down the center of the conservative route. The club was too lengthy, indeed. I hit it over the fairway, into the deep woods.

Gervino punched out, Peo punched out, Pascarelli waited, and I prepared my shot. My ball was resting on dirt so hard I was practically hitting off a countertop. I had a clear opening to the hole though. Here goes nothing. For all the marbles, or free rounds of beer and pride I guess. I hit the ball hard enough, but not straight enough. The ball went flying right into a tree, that propelled it off another tree, and another tree, until it landed ten feet behind me, deeper in the woods.

I believe my exact words were, "What the f****************ck." Common golf etiquette at it's best.

I then gained my composure, convincing myself that Peo was playing so bad right now I could still beat him. Took a nine iron (smart golfers would know otherwise). Took another hack at the ball. And watched as my ball sailed straight up into the tree 20 feet in front of me. I heard it hit bark six times. It must have been going back and forth between trees. It finally came down, hitting the tree 20 feet in front of me, only to bounce back into the woods ahead of me.

That my friends, is collapsing under pressure. Gervino and I lost three strokes on the hole, losing our bet by two overall.

I felt like Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson all at once. To do the improbable, and feel like you've already won, only to lose it all on the last hole.

To quote Tom Watson:
"It would have been a hell of a story."

Images taken from espn.com, usopen.com & masters.com

Draft Diary...

The other night, I was privileged enough to attend my first live NBA Draft. Taking a Bill Simmons approach to the experience, I decided to document my thoughts. I'm gonna keep it under 17,000 words though.

Here goes.

4:47 pm - All aboard the train to New York Penn Station. Air-conditioned -- beautiful. I was worried I'd be sweating to death in my Dockers and button-down. I had been advised to dress nice, against my wishes, in case my girlfriend's aunt could take us into some VIP action.

5:15 pm - I realize I'm holding the smallest notebook in the world. Keeping it under 17,000 words shouldn't be a problem.

5:16 pm - I realize I brought a notebook to the NBA Draft. Not exactly one of my "cooler" moments.

6:01 pm - Sat down to a lovely dinner at Nick & Stef's Steakhouse outside the garden. Filet - quite good. Caesar salad - average. Saw ESPN's very own, Chris Broussard in a private room interviewing somebody. It bothers me I have no idea who it was. It was here, I also learned from a drunk woman that she thought Michael Jackson might be dead. I thought she was two apple martinis past her limit, but it sadly turned out she was right.

6:37 pm - I see Anthony Mason signing autographs outside the stadium. This is going to be a pretty cool night.

6:43 pm - Good ole' Craig Sager walks right by me. He's rocking an outrageous orange suit. The man knows how to stand out in a group of thousands.

6:45 pm - VIP action turns out to be the second to last row on the left side. The side Stuart Scott and the gang were reporting on. The side with the giant cameras capturing Scott and the gang, obstructing my view of the stage.

7:33 pm - Draft time. After David Stern announced that the Clippers had five minutes on the clock I was expecting him to immediately turn around upon entering his door to announce that the Clippers had selected Blake Griffin. I guess the Clippers wanted to wait the full five minutes for dramatic effect.

7:39 pm - "With the first selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select... Blake Griffin". Shocking.

7:40 pm - I notice everyone in the section next to me is leaning over the railing leading to the nearest Exit. Why would they do this? They seem loyal to the Draft. Could the players be coming this way?

7:46 pm - I thought they only had five minutes to make a pick. Hasheem Thabeet. He's even taller in person.

7:47 pm - From this point on, I become increasingly nervous David Stern is going to say Stephen Curry before the Knicks are on the clock.

7:49 pm - Suddenly there's quite a commotion to my left. As I glance over, I see Blake Griffin walking up the aisle towards our back corner. I knew those kids were leaning over the railing for a reason! Fortunately for me, I had an aisle seat right next to the railing. Unfortunately for me, I was still in the second to last row. As Griffin made his way through the exit trail below us, I took a quick picture of the security guards in front of him and reached as far as I could over the railing for a high five. Let's start the DAP count. I was on the left, at the highest point above the walkway to the exit, but I was thinking, "Ya know, I'm 6'2. I could pull this off." Sadly for me, the players exit out the right door into the hallway. So the guy before me was basically the last DAP recipient before the players avoid the people on the left (me), DAP the last guy on the right (the guy across from me), and make way to the interview rooms for the next two hours. DAP count: 0.

7:52 pm - Anyone but Curry. Anyone but Curry. James Harden. Yes!!! I don't think Oklahoma City could have picked anyone better from the perspective of a Knicks fan.

7:53 pm - Did I just admit I was a Knicks fan?

7:57 pm - Please don't be Curry. Please don't be Curry. Tyreke Evans. This might just happen!

7:59 pm - Focused too much on taking a blurry picture of Thabeet. Didn't spend enough time trying to get some DAP from the tall man. He's 7'3". What was I thinking? That may have been my only chance. DAP count: 0.

8:03 pm - The T-Wolves take Ricky Rubio. We're getting so close here.

[Let me take the time to say that I think Ricky Rubio is highly-overrated. He averaged 4 points and 3 assists in the Olympics. Why do stats like that in Europe make you a lottery pick? I will never understand that.]

8:10 pm - As long as the T-Wolves don't take Flynn or Curry, I'm satisfied. And why would they? They already have a point guard and they need size. Their starting power forward last season was an undrafted Free Agent out of Providence. Jonny Flynn. You selfish bastards! The Knicks are screwed.

8:15 pm - Agony is about to strike. There's no escaping it. But I can still hope. Stephen Curry. Ah, it sucks to be a Knicks fan again. Talk about sucking the life out of Madison Square Garden.

8:21 pm - Alright. Surprise me with something. Anyone but Jrue Holiday or Jordan Hill. Jordan Hill. That's just not fair. I think it's time I officially put the Hornets ahead of the Knicks as my favorite team. Ehh, I guess I'll wait until the Knicks manage to blow signing anyone significant from the loaded free agent class of 2010.

8:31 pm - Jordan Hill gets a welcome "wish you were Stephen Curry" from our section, as he extends my DAP Count to zero. It's gonna be a rough few years Hill.

I spent the next 30 minutes reflecting on the fact that the Knicks had put me through a miserable season just so, come draft time, they could get a guy like Jordan Hill. Thanks guys.

9:02 pm - Austin Daye goes to the Pistons. At this point I had moseyed my way down a few steps, and was ready to be denied in my quest for DAP once again. Now I wasn't quite sure who Austin Daye was, but I quickly became a fan when my outstretched arms grazed his fingertips as he walked down our aisle. DAP count: 1!

9:02 pm - I realize Austin Daye is probably the last player at the draft, and that my DAP count may very well be over already.

9:19 pm - Oh man. Here we go again. The T-Wolves. Why don't you go for another point guard guys? Ty Lawson is still available. Ty Lawson. Now that's just ridiculous. This is sabotage.

9:45 pm - Darren Collison gets drafted by my future favorite team, the Hornets. And he's here! Easy DAP.

9:55 pm - Now that I have my prime DAP spot, I easily get a solid high five from Collison. It's amazing how good it feels to get DAPped by a player you're not even that big a fan of. DAP count: 2. Hey, I wonder when the players will be returning from their interviews to go see their families again? Maybe they'll come back this way?

10:00 pm - Three minutes after I left my DAP spot to have a seat, Hasheem Thabeet comes right past my spot, returning from an interview. Talk about bad timing. He gave the only kid there an emphatic high-five. That could've been my DAP.

10:01 pm - I'm ready to wait here all night for some DAP.

10:02 pm - Okay, maybe just until my train.

10:04 pm - Rodrigue Beaubois DAP. I'm just as unsure as you are.

10:15 pm - The Knicks have made a trade. Come on Curry, Flynn, heck I'll take Rubio. Quentin Richardson for Darko Milicic. This has to be a nightmare. Wasn't he the guy that helped Lebron off the stage and helped Carmelo onto the stage a few years ago at the draft? It's only fitting he's a Knick on this night.

10:17 pm - At this point, my DAP count officially begins. Starting with Tyreke Evans.

10:17 pm - After giving up cash considerations to the Lakers, the Knicks were ready to make their second pick of the first round. I was expecting them to trade it away for the rights to Ronaldo Balkman after everything else they had screwed up on this lovely evening. But they took Toney Douglas. Not bad. Not bad. Could've been worse.

10:22 pm - Jonny Flynn DAP.

10:26 pm - Ricky Rubio.

10:28 pm - Jrue Holiday.

10:30 pm - DeMar DeRozan

10:40 pm - The #1 pick himself, Blake Griffin, walks through the door. As he walks down the aisle he gives me a look that says, "Yeah, I'm gonna give you some DAP". We both knew exactly what was up. Griffin emphatically slapped my hand, accepted my congratulations, and I'm assuming at that point knew, it was time to embark on his NBA career.

10:45 pm - I might as well stick around five more minutes for Curry, since my train isn't until 11:12. Why not?

10:48 pm - The doors open, and out comes Curry. The should've been New York Knick himself. Curry DAPs me. I ask if there was any chance he could take a quick picture with me. He tells me he can't and that he's sorry. I accept his apology, and with that, my first NBA Draft experience comes to a close.

10:51 pm - One last look at the stage as I walk towards the exit. DAP count: 10.

Maybe next year New York.

Image taken from espn.com

The Taste of Redemption...

Last night, for the second time this year, Kobe Bryant tasted a glass of redemption. And judging by the smile the size of Texas on his face, it tasted pretty good.

Roughly one year ago, a dejected Kobe Bryant walked off the court at the Staples Center, in arguably the toughest loss of his career, as it rained green and white all around him. But there was no time to sulk. It was on to Olympic training. There were less than two months for Team USA to make its final preparations for the Olympics, and the clock was ticking. Even after the tragic loss, Bryant didn't miss a beat. In fact, his work ethic impressed 11 of the greatest players in the NBA. By late August, he and his teammates were the Redeem Team.

There was no time for Bryant to rest at that point in time either. The NBA season was starting in two months. 82 Regular season games. 23 playoff games. One more feeling of redemption. And Kobe can finally rest.

Last night, the Lakers left no doubt in the eyes of NBA fans -- it was clear LA was the best team in basketball. In a battle of the last two heavyweights standing, Orlando fired its last punch at the start of Game 5, jumping out to an early 15-6 lead. But Los Angeles weathered the storm, chipping away at the lead in the first, before unleashing an onslaught of punches in the second, which would ultimately lead to the final knockout blow that sent the Magic to the locker room with their heads down.

It was pretty obvious from the second quarter on that the Lakers would have an answer for everything the Magic could throw at them. No one could deny the Lakers. No one could deny Bryant.

It took Bryant quite some time to realize the secret to success. It must have been hard to imagine for him that as the best player in the NBA for all these years, the key to success wasn't him making all the shots. It was him making the right decisions. The right reads, the right shots, the right passes. His coach and teammates made him realize that. And that's when redemption became a reality.

Bryant couldn't have won his first three titles by himself. He didn't. And he definitely didn't win his fourth title by himself either.

Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Trevor Ariza were HUGE in this series.

Gasol shot 60% from the field, averaging over 18 points and 9 rebounds per game. He also drew fouls on Dwight Howard on both the offensive and defensive end. He showed the toughness and strength he lacked in last year's Finals, vindicating all the hard work and time he spent improving his physicality throughout the year.

Derek Fisher hit two of the most clutch shots in NBA Finals history in Game 4, destroying any confidence Orlando had, and closing the door on any hopes of a championship for Orlando as well. He played solid defense throughout the series, and was always there to deliver a dagger on offense.

Lamar Odom proved to be the perfect match for Rashard Lewis. He saw a lot of time off the bench, and made the most out of every minute. He played confident, made huge plays, and hit big-time shots the entire series. Orlando had no answer for him.

Trevor Ariza was probably the most valuable player in my eyes. His defense was phenomenal. His energy, unmatched. It didn't seem like anyone on the Magic wanted it as much as this kid. He out-hustled everyone, shot lights out from three, and made so many big plays in big moments. I also believe he sparked the turning point in Game 5 for the Lakers.

With the game still close in the second quarter, Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu got into an altercation before a timeout. After the break, I watched their matchup to see how they would react to the fight. Right off the bat Turkoglu went at Ariza, but Ariza's defense picked up tremendously. He forced Turkoglu to take an off-balance shot, then came down and hit two threes on the next few possessions. Turkoglu would continue to try and one-up Ariza, but failed everytime, because of Ariza's great defense. Before I knew it, the Lakers had gone on a 16-0 run, and they never looked back. The Lakers can thank Ariza for that. I truly believe it's one of the main reasons the series isn't going back to LA right now.

With the victory, the Lakers added to their legacy of excellence, winning their 15th title in franchise history. Phil Jackson separated himself from the great Red Auerbach, winning his 10th career title -- a feat unmatched in any of the four major sports. He has to be considered the greatest basketball coach of all-time. He won't admit it. But it's an unbelieveable, and unparalleled accomplishment. The numbers don't lie.

Speaking of numbers, Bryant now has 4 NBA titles, 1 without Shaq (had to mention it), and ties O'Neal, Duncan, and Fisher for the most among active players. Bryant's legacy rivals the best in the history of the sport, but I don't think it's fair to compare him to his Airness, Michael Jordan. In eight years, Jordan went 6-6 in the Finals, and did things that can only make us dream to be "Like Mike". Bryant will forever be one of the best players in my eyes, though. I never thought he needed to prove his legacy on his own, but it's nice that he did. I don't think anyone could help but feel happy for Kobe last night. The joy on his face showed every ounce of effort he put into reaching this accomplishment. He truly deserved it.

As for the Magic, they truly didn't deserve it. They blew golden opportunities, showed inexperience and flaws throughout the series, and seemed overmatched from the get-go. There's definitely a lot the Magic can improve on, which is pretty scary if you think about it. Howard has so much potential. Nelson can be so good when healthy. They have a lot of young players with a lot of growing to do. This can be the team to beat for years to come with a lot of effort. They just have to stay together and really work on improving their flaws.

Only time will tell if the Magic will stay together though. Just a day after the Finals, Turkoglu has already opted out of his contract, and may not be returning next year. Turkoglu was their go-to player in the clutch, and might arguably be their best player. This would be a catastrophic loss for the Magic.

Orlando also has to decide what to do with Rafer Alston. It obviously didn't work having Jameer Nelson and Alston split minutes. It was a poor decision to bring Nelson back at that time, and may be one that will haunt them forever. These two need to be split. You can't have two starting point guards on one team, and expect to keep them happy.

As for now, the only players happy are the ones on the Lakers. And the only question that lies ahead is: If this team sticks together, can the Lakers do it again next year? If history has anything to say about it, they will. Phil Jackson has three 3-Peats to his name. Everytime he goes through a gap of not winning a title, he comes back and wins three in a row.

Hey Kobe. Can you do that without Shaq?

Image taken from espn.com

Let the Festivities Begin...

Now that Vitamin Water's dreams have been crushed by Dwight Howard and the Magic, it's time to accept that the Lakers will not be playing the Cavs in the Finals. Like most of America, I'm disappointed to see Lebron's un-Earthly season go, but hey, he gave us some good times. It's time to appreciate the quality matchup ahead.

The matchups between the Cavs and the Magic, were anything but quality. Rashard Lewis vs. Anderson Varejao? Come on. I think I could write another article on the problems with that matchup alone. Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs. the most athletic center in recent history? Yeah right. Ilgauskas looked like he was running in quick sand. But even unfathomably worse than the matchup choices for Cleveland, was their defensive scheme. Honestly, what was Mike Brown thinking?

Gee, let's double and triple team Dwight Howard all game when his four teammates are unconscious from three. In the first four games the Magic shot 43% from deep. Rashard Lewis shot 58% in that stretch, which literally isn't real. Imagine if Jameer Nelson had been healthy for the series. He shot 45% from behind the arc this year. His replacement, Rafer Alston, shot only 38% for the series. It could've been ugly for the Cavs. Well, uglier I guess.

In the Conference Finals, the Magic demonstrated that their offense was lethal. Possibly even illegal. They hit 17 threes in Game 4. How is Cleveland supposed to compete with that? There was no amount of money David Stern could have paid the refs to help the Cavs win that game, or even that series. Cleveland made no adjustments and no open looks. And it seemed like every time Delonte West or Zydrunas Ilgauskas bricked another shot, the Magic would come right down in transition and bury an open shot to add insult to injury. Nothing was going to stop the Magic from trouncing the inferior Cavs, not even Lebron James.

So now the Magic roll into LA riding high and as confident as ever. And all of a sudden, people are beginning to question whether the Lakers are still the best team left in the postseason, and whether or not they can matchup with a seemingly un-matchable offense.

Defense usually win championships. But offenses usually aren't as good as Orlando's. It's been said that there are teams that live and die by the three. More often than not, those teams die. But Orlando might just be the healthiest three-point shooting team I have ever seen.

Speaking of health, I hear Jameer Nelson is trying to pull a Terrell Owens. After missing 40 regular season games and all of the playoffs with a shoulder injury, Nelson is trying to make a magical (so witty) return for the Finals. Is this a good idea? I really don't think so. I understand he averaged 27 points per game against the Lakers this season, and elevated his game to an all-star level, but he can't expect to return to playoff form after missing all those games. Alston has proven he can carry the load at point, and there's no need to risk causing controversy at this point on such an important stage. It must kill Nelson to watch his team embark on this remarkable run without him, but he needs to understand that it's not the time or place for him to return.

Nelson or not, the Magic will bring an unselfish offense with an onslaught of pure shooters and a powerful force in the paint. The Lakers will counter with a deep and athletic team of their own. They've got the experience now, as well as the best closer in the game. They also have the Zen master himself at coach, Phil Jackson. Don't expect him to double and triple down on Howard. He knows where the true threats on Orlando lie -- 23 feet 9 inches away from the basket. I expect the Lakers to use Gasol and Bynum interchangeably on Howard. This allows them to use the series' key player, Lamar Odom, on Rashard Lewis. Lewis is 6'10" 230, with a strong ability to take defenders off the dribble. Varejao was 6'11" 260, with no mobility whatsoever. Lamar Odom on the other hand, is 6'10" 230, with a strong ability to take defenders off the dribble as well. They're pretty much identical in body type and athleticism. Now that's a matchup. If Odom plays aggresive, and wins the point and rebounding battle with Lewis, there's no way the Lakers should lose. Kobe will be Kobe. I expect Fisher to be clutch as always. And Ariza's size, athleticism, and defensive prowess, should be an extremely valuable asset against the Magic as well.

My Finals Prediction:

Lakers 4-2: All in all, I think the 2-3-2 format for home-court advantage plays in the Lakers favor. I see them stealing one on the road, and protecting home court all the way. Odom will be the difference and Kobe will steal the show.


Unless Odom has a sweet tooth before the games.

Images taken from espn.com

Don't Stop Believing...

Just when things seemed bleak for the Cavs last night, Lebron James took the team on his back, and carried them to victory. He spread the ball around in the first few quarters, got his team involved (except for Wally Szczerbiak, because that seems near impossible), and helped the Cavs mount a big lead early. But the Magic missed the panic button again, and slowly worked their way back to a 1-point halftime deficit.

After a 9-0 run from Orlando to start the third, it didn't look good for the Cavs. But Lebron proved his shoulders could carry the weight of his teammates, the city of Cleveland, his sponsorships, and his salary once again, leading the Cavs back and past the Magic on Thursday night. He had a hand in 32 consecutive points for the Cavs (between points and assists)!! He also had a game high, 37 points, 17 of which came in the fourth. James also added 14 boards and 12 assists to his un-Earthly stat package. Vince Carter was 1/2 man, 1/2 amazing. James might just be all amazing.

With one win in the books, the Cavs still have two more to go to pull off one of the amazing comebacks in NBA Conference Finals history. It's a daunting task for a man who seems all alone in the fourth quarter. Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Daniel Gibson carried their own weight for most of the game, but it was Lebron James, alone, that carried the team in the closing minutes. If Williams and Gibson can keep their shots flowing, and West, Ilgauskas, Wallace and Varejao can continue to play their roles well, the Cavs could pull this thing off. One win in Orlando, that's all they need. Lebron won't let this team lose in front of its home faithful. If Cleveland can pull off the upset over O-town in Game 6 (no I'm not talking about the boy band), the Cavs can, and I think will, take this series.

All we can do is witness and believe.

Image taken from espn.com

Where is the Love?

Like him or not, Kobe Bryant deserves some love. It's not that he isn't "dapped" on a regular basis, it's that he isn't dapped enough. Lebron James is the league's MVP. He's done some spectacular things this postseason. No one, but Skip Bayless, can deny that. But it seems to me that the world's obsession with Lebron James has clouded the greatness that is, Kobe Bryant.

I watched Lebron James' game-winning shot in awe on Friday night, 164 times on Sportscenter. Then I watched it another 200 times the next day. I agree, it was the greatest shot of Lebron's career, and I could've watched it another 200 times. However, the very next night, Kobe Bryant hit clutch shot, after clutch shot, after clutch shot, and then another clutch shot, and received very limited air time on ESPN. Instead, everyone chose to credit the Lakers' win to the boneheaded Nuggets and move on to the next story about Lebron's game-winner two nights before.

Did anybody see Kobe's go ahead three with a minute left? It was a pretty big deal.

The man had 41 points, 40 in Game 1. He's shooting 93% from the line this series. And his team is up 2-1 against a team that's playing unbelievable as of late. Denver had all the momentum, a 16 game winning-streak at home, and a soaring confidence. Yet Kobe and the Lakers still managed to steal home-court advantage back from them.

While it appears Lebron James is playing all alone against the Magic, Kobe hasn't exactly had much help as well. Fisher isn't shooting well. Bynum is nonexistent. Gasol is softer than Charmin Ultra, spending more time complaining than playing. Odom is struggling. Vujacic forgot how to shoot. Meanwhile, Bryant has overcame every obstacle en route to a 2-1 series lead. He's taken the ball-in-hand for every big-time possession, and come through time and time again. He's been battered and beaten by a much stronger Carmelo Anthony, dislocated his finger, and yet still fights through the pain in hopes of a healing swish.

Just because he isn't the MVP this year, doesn't mean Kobe's fallen off from his MVP status of last year. The Lakers are winning, and Kobe is excelling once again. Lebron James may have the most recent game-winner, but Kobe Bryant is still the best closer in the game. Just because it's a trend when Kobe comes through in the clutch, doesn't mean it should be less appreciated.

Lebron's not the only player we need to Witness.

Image taken from espn.com

Unfamiliar Waters...

Just as I predicted, the Nuggets stole one from the Lakers last night. A little more to my surprise, the Magic stole one from the Cavs as well two nights ago. This leaves both Cleveland and Los Angeles in unexpected and unfamiliar waters. Meanwhile, the Magic and Nuggets sit fastened in the driver's seat.

. . .

Kobe and the Lakers ran into the Nuggets at the wrong time. Not so lucky for them, that time is the Western Conference Finals. Denver is confident and fearless. And that's just their small forward. The rest of the team is playing focused and with passion.

Denver turned the tables on the Lakers in Game 2. They made the right decisions late in the game and came up with the big defensive stops when they needed them. Carmelo edged Kobe in points this time, and big-shot Billups stayed true to his name (with mostly big free throws), en route to victory.

The win means the Nuggets possess home-court advantage for the time being. But don't expect the NBA's best road team (Lakers: 29-12) to roll over in Denver. The Lakers are a team of resilience. When they feel they have something to prove, they always seem to perform. See 40- and 19-point victories last series.

Expect another great game, as one of the prematurely proclaimed best series ever continues this weekend in Denver.

. . .

Lebron James sat atop his throne Wednesday night, putting on a show for the ages. Only it was ruined by a shameful performance from the King's royal court. LBJ was an unstoppable force. His jumpshot was en fuego, which meant he could pretty much do whatever he wanted. And he did. He drew double and triple and quadruple and quintuple teams, leaving teammate after teammate after teammate wide open for shots. The team must have been taking shots of whiskey before the game though, because they couldn't get a shot to fall for the life of them. James even playfully criticized Moe Williams at halftime, saying he was missing some of the easiest shots of his life.

Playful criticism quickly turned to disappointment when the Cavs saw their 15-point lead disappear in the third quarter. Rashard Lewis found his stroke, Hedo Turkoglu digested his pregame pizza and decided to join the game, and before you knew it, the Magic were back in it.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, Lebron didn't realize he needed to take every shot before it was too late. And even then, he was forced to give Delonte West the game winning shot, which he could have used to polish off the brick house he assembled all game.

It must have been tough for Cavs players to look Lebron in the eye after he scored 49 points on 67% shooting, and yet no one could muster up one made basket to ease the load on his shoulders. As always, Lebron will be humble and blame no one for the loss, but he deserves to be able to chastise his team for their pathetic play.

It's inexcusable for NBA players to miss that many wide open shots. Especially wide open shots in their comfort zone. Ilgauskas, Williams, and West put on forgettable performances. I think Daniel Gibson should have been given a chance. At least Cavs fans know he can hit big shots in the clutch. Either the Conference Finals are too big for these young stars or the aliens from Moron Mountain must've stolen most of the Cavs "game". It's tough to say for sure.

Lebron's supporting cast needs to show up. Let's face it. Lebron is the chosen one. But he doesn't shoot lights out every game. When he does, even the littlest margin of help wins Cleveland that game, but when he doesn't, he needs his role players to hit the big shots he sets up for them. Lebron may be an unstoppable force, perhaps a greater being, but you can't win championships 1 on 5.

Even Jordan had Bill Wennington.

Image taken from espn.com