Last night's NBA docket had two games on the schedule. Many had presumed the series between the New york Knicks and the Miami Heat would be a marquis match-up. Though it does have star presence, it has thus far disappointed as far as being competitive. The game was close at the end of the first half, as the Knicks were stingy on defense and looked like they might have been capable of taking game 3 at home and breaking their playoff win-less streak, which as of last night is the longest in NBA history, at 13. What occurred next was a 2nd half blowout, as Miami closed it out in dominant fashion in the 4th quarter and won by a 17 point margin, 87-70, which constitutes a blowout. The Knicks once again appear to be defeated and will most likely be swept for the 2nd straight year in the first round of the playoffs. It is safe to say that in the off-season, Knicks management will have to reconsider the composure of their roster, and the whether the dynamic between their two star players Carmelo Anthony is healthy enough to succeed in the playoffs. I personally believe they were two stars forced into a bad basketball situation; building a great team is not as simple as getting the two best players you possibly can afford and the rest falls into place. Nevertheless, the Heat seem to be on there way to another Eastern Conference Championship, as Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose out of the playoffs. I still like my Celtics chances to knock them off, if we are fully healthy (Ray Allen playing at his best) but short of that, the Heat may be inevitable in the East.
On the western side of the bracket, the defending champion Dallas Mavericks were in action last night, but like the Knicks there were defeated and are now in danger of being swept down 0-3 in the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the first two games of the series were highly entertaining, close, competitive games that were both decided by the last shot, it seems the Mavs are simply out of gas, with a depleted roster in comparison to their championship squad last year. Tyson Chandler, the highly valuable defensive center was traded to the Knicks in the off-season, yet ironically both teams find themselves in identical positions. Chandler may have been better served, and provided a better chance to get back to the finals had he stayed put. Then again, it doesn't appear that either teams are championship ready at the moment, and I'm sure off-season restructuring will occur, after both teams inevitably lost their 4th game and get bounced from the playoffs. No team has ever come back from a 0-3 series deficit to win the series. The Knicks ain't gonna go it. If the Mavs were to make history, that would be really cool. However, Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook are destined for the next round at least, I'm quite sure. That matchup will presumably be against the Lakers, which will be a must-see series for any sports fan, especially given the last time they met was a double overtime thriller that also involved Metta World Peace's notorious elbow to the head of James Harden. That should be a good one.
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