Race to June is heating up

By Mason Williams Sports Central Columnist

It only seems like the playoffs started sometime back in January, but in actuality, the games heated up so much so in the last week that the banality of the first-round remains a fading memory.

Heated rivalries, dethroned champions, forearms to the chin, 100-point Eastern Conference games, and emerging stars have all highlighted the action in the second-round.

As it stands right now, only the Los Angeles Lakers have weathered the Conference semifinal storm to bask on the Conference finals beach. Down two games to none, the Lakers found inspiration in Kobe Bryant and turned the series around in Game 3. The Lakers reeled off four consecutive wins and put all rumors about their demise to bed. Well, at least those rumors are in bed until next week in the Conference Finals.

The Spurs were favored in the series, but no one can honestly say that a Lakers victory was a surprise. Unfortunately for NBA fans, this second-round matchup might have been the actual championship series. Both the Spurs and Lakers showed moments of playing their best basketball and those moments of hoops mastery do not bode well for potential opponents down the line.

In the end, the Lakers move on and the dethroned champs walk off proudly into the offseason knowing that they carried the title with poise and class. The classiest moment of the series was when the Spurs waited on the Staples Center court and shook hands with their opponents.

Minnesota and Sacramento gird themselves for a Game 7 showdown in Minnesota. This series has been overshadowed by the other Western Conference Semifinal, but the games have been very close and the tension has been increasing with each tick of the 24-second clock. In Game 5, Derrick Martin and Brad Miller exchanged physical unpleasantries.

The tension reached a fever pitch in Sacramento during the Kings' Game 6 victory. Kevin Garnett shoved Anthony Peeler and Peeler retaliated with a well-placed elbow to Garnett's jaw. The NBA suspended Peeler for two games, but the Kings might only have one game left in this season.

Anthony Peeler, a player with a spotted history who always seems one-step this side of insane, attempted to goad Garnett into physical battle, and therefore suspension. Undoubtedly, the Kings would gladly have Peeler suspended if Garnett faced the same punishment. On the other hand, the NBA would be committing marketing suicide if they suspended the reigning MVP from a crucial Game 7.

Garnett would have had to beat Anthony Peeler and Peeler's mother with a courtside seat in order to merit suspension. Game 7 should be filled with great play, compelling drama, and the right amount of hatred that makes playoff basketball so much fun.

In the Junior Varsity Conference, excuse me, the Eastern Conference, the low-scoring barrage has produced some competitive games and some good highlights. The Indiana Pacers appeared to have the easiest rout to the NBA Finals when the playoffs began. They drew the pathetically-undermanned New Orleans Hornets in the first-round and then moved on to confront the Miami Heat.

The Heat began the season 0-7 and must be considered the surprise team of the season so far. Miami has battled the superior Pacers and need a victory in Game 6 to push the series to seven games.

Miami is replete with great stories. Lamar Odom used a change of location to fulfill the potential he has shown in his career. Coach Stan Van Gundy fell from Pat Riley's back pocket and guided his team to success. Rookie phenom Dwyane Wade provides the Heat with offensive spark and hope for the future. Despite being drowned out of the LeBron James/Carmelo Anthony hype, Wade has helped his team to go further than either of the other two.

No matter what happens during the rest of the playoffs, the Heat proved themselves as a worthy Cinderella who might get an official invitation to NBA success in the coming years. On the other hand, the Pacers' performance has only raised doubt about the validity of the NBA-best record that they posted during the regular season.

The Pistons and Nets are two enigmas boxing in a dark closet. Nobody knows what version of either team will show up on any given night and land the crucial blow. Three times, Detroit has looked strong and three times, New Jersey has looked strong. Fans can only hope that both teams will be strong during Game 7 and put on a great game.

The Pistons are fun to watch because they seem to be a team of players who really believe in and like each other. That is a rarity in today's pro sports. Similarly, the Nets play an exciting brand of basketball in which each player depends on his teammates. Hopefully, both the Nets and the Pistons better selves show up and play on Wednesday night.

The race to June has heated up and looks to be improving. Let's all hope the Conference Finals live up to their Semifinal predecessors.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.