March Madness belongs to the NBA

by ZombieMonta on Mar 17, 2008 3:55 AM EDT Comment 0 comments

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Many people consider March Madness to be the greatest time of the year sports-wise. However, last year's NCAA tournament was dry, stale, and failed to produce a single upset (and no, VCU beating Duke wasn't an upset). Maybe it's because the tournament is starting later and later, but the NBA's schedule is far more appealing. Take a gander at the awesome games rolled out for this week:

Monday, March 17th:
Boston @ San Antonio - Sam Cassell's first real test as a Celtic comes in a potential Finals preview. The Spurs have dropped three in a row and fell from first to sixth in the span of a week. San Antonio is just 7-12 in their last 19 games against above-.500 teams.

Cleveland @ Orlando - Don't think the Orlando Magic aren't pissed that they've been left out of the "Eastern Conference contenders" list. They may have a guard problem, but their front court of Turkoglu, Lewis, and Howard is as formidable as any in the East. The winner in this game becomes the East's bronze team behind Boston and Detroit.

Tuesday, March 18th:
LA Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks have won five (make that six) in a row and have clobbered every bad team since the Kidd trade. The Lakers will be without Pau Gasol, and if the Mavericks want to solidify themselves as a contender, they need to win this game, especially after that close loss to the Lakers two weeks ago. Kobe does have a history of torching the Mavericks though...

Boston @ Houston - A Spurs/Rockets back-to-back is a tough obstacle for Boston. However the Celtics have what appears to be an enormous advantage on paper. Since Yao went out, Houston has been insanely lucky. David West was injured, Dirk Nowitzki was suspended, and Pau Gasol was hurt. However they can't avoid a healthy Kevin Garnett, who will be the Rockets' biggest challenge to get to 23 in a row. The streak could end on Tuesday.

Wednesday, March 19th:
Denver @ Philadelphia - Allen Iverson makes his return to the city of brotherly love after a decade in a Sixers jersey. The love stops there though. Phili has all but secured a postseason spot, while #9 Denver is desperate for any win they can get. The Nuggets need a strong finish or else they can kiss their postseason chances goodbye.

Houston @ New Orleans - If Houston survives the Celtics, winning in New Orleans will be the next difficult task. The Rockets have fared very well against the Hornets though, and if David West is absent again -- which it appears he will be -- their odds of winning go up. This could be the first appearance of "Birdman" Chris Anderson in two years, though that's still to be seen.

Detroit @ Cleveland - Is Cleveland really a contender in the East? This is their only real shot at proving it before the playoffs begin. As long as Flip Saunders isn't completely brain dead, Detroit's going to force the newly acquired Cavs to make shots instead of King James. However if Cleveland has any chance of winning, LeBron (like always) will need to play amazing. Something's got to give.

Thursday, March 20th:
Boston @ Dallas - Boston finishes off their brutal three game Texas road trip in Dallas, where the Mavs will either be depressed or energized after the loss or win against LA. If Boston manages to win in San Antonio, in Houston, and in Dallas, you can pretty much lock them to be in the Finals.

LA Lakers @ Utah - The Lake show heads to Utah, where the Jazz have the best home record in the league at 28-3. Gasol is scheduled to sit for another game, meaning that Kobe Bryant will have to single-handedly carry the club to victory over Jerry Sloan's hostile defense. Big ups to LA if they can pull off this stunner. No Andrew Bynum for at least another month.

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Friday, March 21st:
Houston @ Golden State - By now, Houston has probably forfeited their winning streak. If they haven't, a win in Oakland would give them 25 in a row, not to mention respect as a legitimate threat. The Warriors have something to play for too, and a raucous Oracle Arena might give the Warriors the edge. Don't expect to see a whole lot of Dikembe Mutombo in this one.

Saturday, March 22nd:
Boston @ New Orleans - The Celtics will be mighty glad to return to New England following their harsh west coast swing. The Hornets are the only team Boston has yet to play, who will come out on top?

Houston @ Phoenix - Mutombo on Shaq is a trade-off. But Amare? He'll be poised to score 30 without Yao Ming guarding the paint. The Suns have too many weapons. McGrady will have to have a great game for them to have a realistic shot at winning number 26 in a row, or 1 in a row, or whatever they're on.