Joe Johnson (photo. Zach Wolfe)
The ‘94 Nuggets. The ‘07 Warriors. The ‘08 Hawks? A monumental playoff upset can do a lot to legitimize a franchise and its star player, which is why Joe Johnson (or Josh Smith) is one game away from putting himself on the mainstream map, just like Baron Davis did last year […]

Standing Tall and Ticked (photo. Mannion)
Cue another summer of the Phoenix Suns (secretly) and their fans (very publicly) blaming the refs and whatever other straws they can grasp onto while trying to come to grips with another heartbreaking playoff exit. You could say last night’s game hinged on a few crucial calls/no-calls, most of which […]

Carmelo Anthony (photo. Mannion)
Is Carmelo Anthony destined to become the next Tracy McGrady? Same lead-the-League-in-scoring type offensive ability, same game/personality that’ll keep him a superstar as a player and endorser for the long haul, and — well, we’re in Year Five of Carmelo’s pro career, and he’s now looking at a fifth straight first-round playoff […]

Photo. Marc Morrison
Anyone who’s actually watched the Rockets/Jazz series (not just the highlights) can tell you this much: Tracy McGrady didn’t play any differently in last night’s Game 3 win than he did in the previous two losses. But because he knocked down some shots in the fourth quarter and found a way to shake […]

Kobe (photo. Chris Sembrot)
As crazy and unpredictable as the ‘07-08 NBA regular season was, already in these playoffs we’ve seen some pretty predictable events. For example, was there any doubt the Wizards would lose their collective heads and starting acting a fool once LeBron and the Cavs started embarrassing them? Did you ever question whether […]

Gilbert Arenas (photo. David Deal)
You saw it coming. After getting out-bullied when they tried to be bullies in Game 1, then getting blown out last night and staring an 0-2 series deficit right in the face, the Wizards began falling apart. Leading the charge, naturally, was DeShawn Stevenson. With his team trailing by 19 in […]

Photo. adidas
As good as this past NBA regular season was, Day 1 of the playoffs topped everything by giving us the best single game we’ve seen all year on any level. We don’t care who you love or who you hate, Spurs/Suns was an amazing display of ball that included a virtuoso performance from one […]

Chris Paul (photo. Mannion)
Breaking from tradition, the final day of the NBA regular season wasn’t totally useless, as there was still some playoff positioning left to be done in the West. And one of the few games that meant something for both teams involved was Mavericks/Hornets. If Dirk Nowitzki and Co. won, they’d secure the […]

Kobe Bryant (photo. Chris Sembrot)
Kobe took another step toward locking up his first MVP, as the Lakers grabbed sole possession of first place in the West by blowing out the Spurs. Keeping that top spot is another thing: L.A. has a home date with Sacramento left on the schedule, while the Hornets have the Clippers […]

Shaq (photo. Chenoa Maxwell)
Defense wins championships and blah blah blah, but the Spurs still need to score points if they’re gonna get that fifth Larry O’Brien. Last night’s loss to the Suns makes it three straight games where San Antonio has failed to crack 80 points, not to mention two of their last three have […]