In the all important Game 5 last night out in the desert, the Spurs got a big performance from Manu Ginobili to pull out a hard fought 88-85 win over Phoenix to take a 3-2 lead in the hotly contested Western Conference Semifinal series last night.

The valuable sixth man came up large with a game high 26 including 15 in the deciding final quarter in which San Antonio overtook a determined but shorthanded Phoenix team without Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to outscore them 32-23 and win by three.

Ginobili has been a clutch performer before in helping the Spurs win two of their three NBA titles during a brilliant professional career which also included Olympic gold for Argentina in 2004 over Serbia and Montenegro on a last second shot.

The Argentine has a knack for coming up with the goods when his team needs it most. In a game where his team struggled to find consistent offense for 42 minutes, Ginobili made some big shots and free throws to help the Spurs comeback and defeat a game Phoenix squad.

He had struggled most of this series to establish himself but a huge three with the shot clock running out at the end of the third helped slice Phoenix’ once 16-point lead to six headed to the fourth.

It would get him going. He also made two more treys from the top of the key and sank all nine free throws (almost all in the deciding qtr) to help lead his team to the crucial road win- putting them a game away from the Western Conference Finals against Utah.

In 38 minutes, Ginobili finished 7-of-15 from the field (3-for-8 from three) along with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

He also got help from Bruce Bowen. The shutdown controversial defender came up with the biggest shot of the game by connecting on a three from the right corner with 36 seconds left to give the Spurs an 84-81 lead- helping complete a 13-2 run from 79-71 down to take their first lead since early in the first quarter.

Bowen also made two other three’s for all nine of his points and added seven rebounds and four steals. His heroics were made possible by a game tying 17 footer from point guard Tony Parker. The speedy point guard struggled most of the night to find the range finishing with just 11 on 5-of-13 shooting. But his big shot with 2:29 tied it to setup Bowen’s big bucket to the dismay of Suns’ supporters who taunted him throughout and booed the Spurs repeatedly.

For the Suns, they fell just a little short as Steve Nash’s desperation heave with a couple of seconds left wasn’t even close allowing the Spurs to in bound and run the clock out at halfcourt after a 20 second timeout.

Phoenix played a brilliant first half by having ex-Knick Kurt Thomas guard Tim Duncan straight up. With Duncan off at the start, it allowed the quicker Suns to run and gun at their frenetic pace getting easy baskets in transition and some treys.

They went on an 20-2 run in the first quarter to take a 24-13 lead- holding the Spurs to a season low. With Shawn Marion on fire in the first half on a couple of trifectas and runners to the tune of a double double (20 and 11), the Suns jumped out to as much as a 16-point lead. But the Spurs were able to find their game late in the first half and cut the deficit back to a reasonable margin of 11 by halftime.

The Matrix shot a sizzling 8-for-11 in the first half to spark his club to a double digit lead on his way to 24 points and 17 boards in 45 big minutes. But in the second half, he was hardly involved in the offense. Maybe it was like the former UNLV product said during a postgame interview. That the Spurs “made a defensive adjustment” by going smaller and not allowing Phoenix many open looks from the perimeter.

But still, it was startling that the Suns hardly ever were able to get the ball to their All Star. Instead, Nash worked a two-man pick n’ roll game with Thomas most of the second half in a game of cat and mouse. For a while, it worked as the ex-Knick who wasn’t used to playing so many minutes (36 was about 16 more than his normal output) converted on some nice feeds from Nash from in close. The power forward who played center finished with a respectable 15 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He shot 5-of-13 from the field and converted all five free throws.

Thomas was truly inspirational as was his gritty D on Duncan before the championship calibre big man found the range early in the third quarter to score his team’s first nine second half points and spark them to a comeback en route to a trademark double double (21 and 12) on 7-of-14 shooting and 7-for-11 from the charity stripe. The Big Fundamental also blocked a game best five shots in 40 minutes.

When the Spurs got close in the third, Nash started to score. He hit a stepback three over Duncan and also scored a few key buckets in close to get his team back up by as much as 10. The two-time MVP tried as hard as he could in playing 45 of the 48 minutes- finishing with 19 points and 12 assists. He only shot 6-of-19 (3-for-7 from downtown) but when you consider the kind of physical defense he was up against with mostly Duncan or Bowen guarding him, it was understandable.

Mike D’Antoni basically went with a six-man rotation without Stoudemire and Diaw. Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa was elevated to the starting lineup but was mostly ineffective as he’s been much of the series finishing with only eight on 3-of-12 shooting with four turnovers in 33 minutes before fouling out. He picked up his fifth foul late in the third quarter when he carelessly ran into a Spur after setting a screen. He just never got untracked.

James Jones gave the Suns 25 solid minutes off the bench acting as the sixth man by scoring nine (4-of-6 FG, 1-for-2 FT) and adding three rebounds. The ex-Pacer certainly did his part.

Even little used backup center Pat Burke played three minutes in the second half with Duncan off the court. But the usual Suns’ fan favorite was a non-factor. There are some things you just should never try in this kind of game.

That was the problem for the Suns. They essentially ran out of gas in the final 12 minutes and it showed in their decision making. Nash started to force plays resulting in turnovers or bad possessions. Some of it was due to the Spurs’ defense. Some probably also due to the wear and tear.

They really needed to get Marion more involved like the first half. Even if that meant getting him on the block, they should’ve done it. It became too much reliance on Nash and Thomas.

Raja Bell knocked down a couple of big three’s but wasn’t much of a factor either finishing with 10.

An underrated performer in the Spurs’ comeback victory was ex-Sun Michael Finley. The seasoned vet has always been a very good perimeter shooter and came up with some timely hoops including a trifecta and 16 footer when his team needed it most. In 37 minutes, he hit for 4-of-10 (two treys) adding 13 points.

With Bowen making three from downtown, it gave San Antonio enough balance to offset a valiant effort from the undermanned Suns.

Phoenix can’t be too upset with how they performed under tough circumstances. However, they certainly could’ve prevailed. At least they know they’ll get both Stoudemire and Diaw back for Game Six Friday night. And now they know they can win in San Antonio.

I’m kind of expecting the Suns to get the job done and push this series to a seventh and deciding game Sunday. It just has that feel.

Later today, we’ll breakdown the Nets’ ugly 83-72 Game 5 win at Cleveland to extend their series back to The Swamp. It was about as disgusting a fourth quarter as humanly possible.

We’ll get into why later on.

Later today, we’ll be having full breakdown on Utah’s 100-87 Game Five win in Salt Lake to become the first NBA team to advance to the Conference Finals. It will mark the Jazz’ first trip to the Western Conference Final since 1998.

They got double doubles from bigs Carlos Boozer (21 and 14) and Andrei “Ivan Drago” Kirilenko (21, game high 15 boards and three steals). Derek Fisher also had another inspirational performance scoring 20 on a deadly four-of-five from downtown and also notching four assists. The former Warrior torched them again in the fourth quarter with a few more daggers. He became the story of this series.

The Jazz also got 14 and 10 from Mehmet Okur plus nine points and 12 rebounds from Paul Millsap in 22 big minutes. All their size resulted in a whopping margin on the glass where they outboarded their smaller opponents 59-35. That also included a 20-6 edge on the offensive glass which meant several putbacks.

The rebounding advantage offset 25 turnovers in what was a sloppy second half. But the Jazz were able to get through it unscathed due to some ill advised shots from Golden State. The Warriors shot an ice cold 20.0 percent from three making just six in 30 attempts. They weren’t much better overall from the field finishing only 28-for-77 (36.4 pct).

We’ll have much more on Golden State’s tough night as the Jazz moved on. Plus full coverage on the Bulls’ huge Game 5 blowout 108-92 win at The Palace to suddenly make that series very interesting. Can the Bulls become the fourth NBA team to force a seventh and deciding game from an 0-3 deficit? Can they even make history? Find out what we think later today!

There was a quote from Fisher which summed up what he and his teammates have accomplished so far in a turnaround season which saw the Jazz win 51 games during the regular season before coming back to eliminate Houston in seven and taking out Golden State in five to make the WCF:

“I don’t think anybody really knew, including ourselves, how good our team could be.“

When the season began, nobody could’ve predicted this for the Jazz. They had a second-year guard in Williams running the offense. Their best player Boozer was returning from serious injury which allowed him only to play 33 games in 2005-06. Much hinged on the performance of their two key players. Boozer returned healthy averaging a double double (20.9 PPG, 11.7 RPG) along with 3.0 assists in 74 games. Williams dramatically improved to become an elite point guard- hiking his scoring from 10.8 PPG to 16.2 PPG and his assists from 4.5 APG to an impressive 9.3 APG.

With Williams able to run Sloan’s pick n’ roll offense well and Boozer inside to score consistently, the Jazz’ supporting cast of Kirilenko, Okur, Fisher, Millsap, Matt Harpring, Gordan Giricek and Ronnie Brewer were able to play their normal roles and give the Utah coach the kind of balance needed to make the quantum leap necessary to become a legit playoff team.

The fact that Utah has so much size up front and enough guards with even rookie Dee Brown contributing means that they won’t be a pushover for either Phoenix or San Antonio next round. With Boozer providing the bulk of the scoring inside along with Kirilenko, the versatile Okur can step out and shoot the three. Williams can slash to the basket and either find Boozer or the open man outside. He also is capable of knocking down treys.

Kirilenko is just a very solid team player who does many things well. Whether it’s getting to the basket or making a perfect entry pass which is a very underrated aspect of his game, the lanky Russian with the Drago look is always active. He finally regained his confidence after a subpar first round against Houston. He also can step outside from about 16-17 and knock it down. But the best part of his game is his defense. He’s one of the best shotblockers in the league who usually times it well and provides a lot of energy to his teammates. He also always hustles. Whether it’s getting back for a steal or jumping on a loose ball, Kirilenko is a defensive constant. He brings a lot of intangibles which win games. The Jazz will again need him to be big next series if they want to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1998.

For the Warriors, they have nothing to be ashamed about. Especially after taking out the league’s best team in Dallas during a great opening round six-game win for their first playoff victory since 1991. It was a long time coming.

Players such as Davis, Jackson and Harrington brought playoff experience and changed the culture there. They now expect to win. They also should be pleased with how J-Rich performed in his first postseason. The dangerous sharpshooter didn’t look out of place and was an exciting scorer who contributed a lot to his team. Young second-year guard Monta Ellis also got worthwhile experience. The NBA’s Most Improved Player should only benefit from the playoffs.

Don Nelson did an admirable job turning their season around and getting this athletic team into the playoffs with 42 wins including a blowout victory in their final game to insure their first postseason since 1994. He allowed his athletic players to play to their talent by giving them free reign. It resulted in an exciting wide open up-tempo style which was a breath of fresh air for hoop fans. Very similar to how the Suns play.

Nelson’s team might’ve fallen short but the savvy coach never stopped coaching. In last night’s game, he changed his lineup going small by inserting Ellis. For one quarter, it worked brilliantly as he scored 10 of his 12. The change enabled the Warriors to take a two-point halftime lead.

The problem for Golden State was Utah wasn’t going away. Their defense didn’t allow them to get many open looks. The thing that kept the Warriors in the game was poor free throw shooting from the Jazz who missed on 12 of 33 including a few late in the third quarter after a couple of technicals on Jackson and Matt Barnes plus a flagrant.

The Jazz were also sloppy with the ball which allowed the Warriors despite a terrible shooting night to stay within range with three minutes to go. They were down one before Utah finally pulled away.

Jackson in particular had a brutal game. Though he finished with 16 points including a perfect nine-of-nine from the charity stripe, the former Pacer couldn’t put the ball in the ocean shooting an atrocious 3-for-17 making just one trifecta in seven attempts. Many of his shots weren’t even close.

Meanwhile, Davis still wound up with 21 points, eight assists and six steals. Despite being defended extremely well by ex-teammate Fisher, the ex-Bruin still got to the line 12 times converting on 10. He only made five field goals and had to work for almost all his points. Like Jackson and teammate J-Rich, he made just one three on seven attempts summing up a frustrating night.

The only Warrior who shot well from that distance was Barnes. The one-time Knick made as many (3) as his three teammates in six attempts including a very difficult off balance trey from the corner in the final quarter to keep his team alive. Barnes finished with 14 and six boards before fouling out in 26 minutes.

After the loss, Jackson gave complete credit to Utah:

“Utah was the better team this series. You know we’ve got to give them credit point blank. They beat us up inside.”

The Jazz will have a few days off before finding out who their next opponent will be. The Suns and Spurs tip off for a pivotal Game 5 later tonight in the desert. Phoenix will be without starter Amare Stoudemire and backup center Boris Diaw due to one game suspensions handed out by the NBA for violating league policy by coming off the bench during the Robert Horry-Steve Nash incident late in Game 4. Horry received two games for his role.

It’s really unfortunate that this picture along with the one game suspensions just handed down by the NBA to Steve Nash’s valuable teammates Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw could be what’s remembered most about what was a stunning turnaround for Phoenix in a 104-98 Game Four victory over the Spurs that evened their seven-game Western Conference Semi series at two apiece.

The incident took place when San Antonio’s Robert Horry clothes lined Nash into the boards, drawing a flagrant foul and ejection from the game which infuriated the Suns. Big Shot Bob got two games for his role. The problem for the Suns is that Stoudemire is their big man who teamed with Nash so well to steal last night’s game and give themselves momentum.

After trailing by a score of 97-92, they helped swing the game in their favor by finishing on an improbable 12-1 run. Nash had struggled much of the fourth quarter by having some uncharacteristic turnovers finishing with eight on the night. But after Tim Duncan’s putback, the two-time league MVP sprung to life.

First, he knocked down a 14 foot floater to cut it to theee. Then after the Spurs forced a quick shot, the heady point guard raced down court and fed Raja Bell at the three-point line. Bell changed his mind and found a wide open Shawn Marion for a dunk to slice it to one. After another bad San Antonio miss, Nash made a nifty one-handed behind the back bounce pass to Stoudemire for a lay-in to give them their first lead since 38-37 in the second quarter.

The Spurs continued to unravel. Manu Ginobili forced a banker which wouldn’t go. Nash would then make almost an identical pass to a cutting Stoudemire for another lay-in and three-point lead.
Phoenix rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to win the crucial fourth game and even the series with Game Five set for tomorrow night at America West. Nash finished with 24 points and a sizzling 15 assists. The usual awesome numbers from the great guard out of Santa Clara. But most won’t soon forget his clutch display down the stretch in crunchtime when his team faced a 3-1 deficit.

Stoudemire meanwhile dropped in a game high 26 along with nine rebounds.

Unfortunately for Amare, by getting up off the bench along with Diaw during Horry’s mugging of Nash, he and Boris violated NBA policy and will have to pay the penalty when they sit out tomorrow’s pivotal Game 5. Is this process fair? TNT’s Charles Barkley doesn’t think so. He believes this rule which first came into place after an ugly incident between his Suns and Knicks involving Greg Anthony (poke-a-dots anyone) and Kevin Johnson is a bad one.

Sir Charles feels strongly that the rule league commish David Stern put in place was meant for players who come off benches and escalate incidents with fisticuffs. Neither Stoudemire nor Diaw were close enough to throw any punches but both were restrained by the Suns’ coaching staff.

It’s hard to know that two key players won’t be able to suit up tomorrow for Phoenix in such a big game against the Spurs and for the NBA. But as guest analyst Shaq said last night to Barkley during a heated debate, “Rules are rules.”

They should’ve known better. Is it really fair? Debatable. But a rule is a rule and if the league allowed them to play, they’d be setting a bad precedent. They were put in a tough spot here and had to act properly.

It tarnishes what was a great comeback win by the Suns against a very tough team in a hostile environment. They showed a lot of heart and perseverance against the Spurs last night. You never really got the sense they could win until there were 2:00 left. But somehow, they hung around on grit and determination.

The Spurs fell apart. It was very surprising to see an experienced team who’s won NBA championships basically collapse on their own home court. They just didn’t have an answer when Duncan picked up his fifth foul. The only player who showed anything was vet Michael Finley. He made two three’s which you were certain would be enough to keep the Suns at bay.

Not Ginobili (dreadful 3-for-14 for 10 points) nor even the brilliant Tony Parker (23 pts, 6 boards, 7 assists) could make enough plays to prevent Phoenix from overtaking them.

It was a great win for the Suns, who placed all five starters in double digits and got 10 from super sub Leandro Barbosa off the bench.

So, can they still win Game 5 without Amare and Diaw tomorrow night? The odds are certainly stacked against them. They’ll at least have the home support. The one thing they can take with them into such a huge game is that they won many games without Stoudemire last year. The problem is Diaw was a big part of that.

We’ll certainly find out tomorrow night.

Well, it looks like the Warriors’ magical run might be over. If that’s the case, so be it. But don’t expect Don Nelson’s fun run n’ gun team to throw in the towel when Utah aims for their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 1998 when two guys by the name of Stockton and Malone were starring for a couple of Jazz teams which ultimately came up short against a guy by the name of Jordan in the Finals.

The Warriors know they’ll now be counted out by many after losing for the first time on their awesome home court 115-101 to Utah in Game 4. But you and I know better about this team which doesn’t have any fair. Just ask first-time NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki at home or his Mavs’ teammates.

The problem for Baron Davis and Co. is that as I concluded earlier in the series after they blew Game 2, their second round foes are bigger and stronger than Dallas was. Most of what they do hinges on big man Carlos Boozer.

Tonight, he was a man among boys putting together a dominating double double performance with games highs of 34 points and 12 boards to propel his team to a commanding 3-1 series lead with Game 5 back in Salt Lake Tuesday night.

What Jerry Sloan’s team did so well in this one aside from working the ball inside to Boozer and getting plenty of lay-ups was make Davis and Jason Richardson in particular work for every shot. By doubling Davis, they took him out of the comfortable rhythm he had when he exploded for 32 points, 10 assists and six steals in a blowout Game 3 triumph.

Davis was held to 15 points (6-for-16 FG) including 2-of-8 from downtown. The former UCLA star still got seven assists and four steals but wasn’t able to up-tempo the game enough for Golden State’s explosive transition attack.

While Davis was held in check, sharpshooter Richardson was guarded very closely and unable to launch his three-point arsenal finishing just 1-of-6 from long distance. The ex-Spartan struggled from the field shooting just 3-for-12 for only seven points in 32 minutes.

These were the biggest differences from Friday night to tonight. Let’s just give a great coach in Sloan- one of the NBA’s best all the props because this defensive adjustment slowed down the Warriors enough for the Jazz to play their more under control halfcourt game.

Amazingly enough, the game was still close because the Warriors’ supporting cast was able to score enough points to give them a three-point lead entering the final quarter.

Al Harrington knocked down four treys on his way to 24 and Stephen Jackson added three from downtown and 11-of-12 from the line to also wind up with 24 to keep their team afloat.

Second-year point guard Monta Ellis also had his first effective game of the series coming off the bench for 15 on 5-of-13 shooting.

The problem was Utah wasn’t going away and started the fourth quarter strong to go ahead. They were getting much better looks thanks to some excellent guard play from super soph Deron Williams, who teamed effectively with Boozer to take apart the Warriors. In some aspects, the magic formula was similar to Game 2 when the ex-Illinois standout made the tying jumper which forced OT before leading his team to victory.

Despite seven turnovers, Williams impacted this game with 20 points (6-of-18 FG, 7-of-9 FT), 13 assists and six rebounds. He executed the same traditional Utah pick n’ rolls with Boozer which Stockton and Malone made famous for two decades. As TNT’s Doug Collins concluded, “if you didn’t know any better, you would swear it was the same dynamic duo but in different jersey numbers.”

Amazing how that hasn’t changed now that Sloan’s got the kind of personnel to play the parts. Almost like a good Broadway play where you find the right actors and actresses to star in a famous hit like West Side Story or Phantom of the Opera. The players might be different but if they memorize all their lines and act well, the audience will still be captivated and appreciate it.

It’s the same thing in basketball. Especially Sloan’s system.

While both were doing their part, ex-Laker Derek Fisher reminded everyone why his three championships in LA mattered during a clutch fourth quarter which saw him explode for 14 of his 21 points. His experience paid off.
This guy has truly been inspirational. Anyone who has followed the Jazz the past week knows the story by now about his young daughter needing cancer surgery in New York which forced him to miss all of Game 1 and part of Game 2 before coming back to spark his teammates to victory after being with his family. The story is about as touching as it gets.

After an ineffective Game 3 in which his mind must’ve been very occupied, Fisher was elevated to a starting role by Sloan. The move proved to be genius. He drew the assignment of Davis and did a solid job on his former teammate. But in the final 12 minutes, he made some huge shots which broke the backs of the Warriors.

After Golden State had just gone ahead by one, Fisher nailed a three from his trademark spot on left elbow which put Utah back ahead for good. It was the biggest hoop of the game and helped the Jazz close the game out.

Fisher would make two other big buckets including a deep two from around the same area and a dagger trey late to salt it away. He also finished with five assists in an unbelievable performance in 42 minutes. Fisher was 6-of-11 from the field including 2-for-3 from downtown and made all seven free throws to burn his former team.

The Jazz placed all five starters in double figures. Mehmet Okur added 14 and Andrei Kirilenko contributed 12.

In the final minute with the game at hand, Okur went for an exclamation dunk but was fouled hard by a frustrated Richardson, who was then properly assessed a flagrant foul and given an early exit. It was also understandable why J-Rich gave the hard foul because the game was out of reach and he felt Okur was showing his team and supporters up. But he later agreed with the refs’ ruling.

Maybe also there was a message sent that his team might have lost but they’re far from down. I guess that depends on what takes place Tuesday night.

If the Warriors are to win on the road and extend this series, they’ll need to shoot free throws better. While the Jazz missed only six in making an accurate 37-of-43, Golden State misfired on 13 of 34 including several misses in the crucial fourth.

Maybe if they had converted more at the line, it might’ve been close enough down the stretch for a different result. Especially with that college atmosphere in San Fran.

It’s also no surprise that the bigger Jazz killed the Warriors on the glass winning the boards battle 52-36.

The Warriors will need to be better in both areas on Tuesday. We’ll see what they’re made of when it’s win or go home for good. The ball’s in their court.

You have to give a lot of credit to the Bulls. They could’ve given up after such an atrocious second half Game 3 performance and mailed it in down 3-0 against an experienced champion such as archrival Detroit.

Instead, they showed a lot of will and proved that they won’t give up against the Pistons and gave their energized home crowd something to be excited about in an impressive 102-87 Game 4 victory at the United Center.

After a strong start which helped them build an early first half double digit lead, the Bulls saw Detroit fight and claw its way back to go in front 42-39 with less than 5:00 left in the second quarter. But the Bulls then closed the half on a 11-1 run to go up by seven thanks to some big shots from leading scorer Luol Deng and point guard Kirk Hinrich.

Hinrich in particular was money making at least three big shots from the perimeter on his way to 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He also distributed the ball dropping a game high 10 dimes.

Meanwhile, Deng shot a very efficient 10-of-15 for a game best 25 and also pulled down 13 boards for a double double. The former Duke product didn’t take attempt one three-pointer- instead slicing and dicing the Pistons on an array of mid-range jumpers. Somewhat of a lost art in the NBA. This guy is a throwback and very fun to watch.

The Bulls had a very strong third quarter outscoring Detroit 27-13 to build a 21-point lead. They would need it because as usual, the battle tested Pistons made a run at them but could only get it down to nine twice. P.J. Brown had a big basket and rookie Tyrus Thomas had a nice dunk on a break to help put away this one.

Thomas came off the bench for 10 points and seven rebounds including four on the offensive glass in 13 gritty minutes.

The Bulls placed five players in double digits and also got a vintage performance from ex-Piston big Ben Wallace. The former Defensive Player of The Year wasn’t ready to go home, posting a trademark double double (11 and game high 17) and also adding three assists and two blocks. What else would you expect from the warrior?

The most encouraging aspect of this win for Chicago was that after another quiet first half, top regular season scorer Ben Gordon came alive to score 19 including a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. The former Uconn standout also hit on two-of-three trifectas.

If the Bulls are to take another run at NBA history, they’ll need even more from Gordon when the series shifts Tuesday night to The Palace.

For the Pistons, they just didn’t play the way they could. They made a couple of runs at it but were more lazy on defense and not as efficient on offense forcing up some bad shots during a pivotal 17-minute stretch spanning the end of the first half and the third quarter.

That proved to be too much to overcome.

They also were outrebounded by the Bulls by 18 (51-33). Don’t expect that to be the case in Game 5. Figure this veteran tested team to be ready from the tip to put away their younger opponents.

If they aren’t, it could get dicey. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit. Only three forced deciding Game 7’s before falling.

The Warriors cameback home to the friendly energized atmosphere of Oracle Arena knowing it was put up or shut up time in this Conference Semifinal series. If they didn’t come away with a ‘W,’ their season would’ve been on the brink literally.

To be honest, it would’ve felt wrong for the kind of special brand of ball they play to suddenly be put in that predicament. And after giving away Game 2 in Salt Lake, they bounced back with a vengeance by demonstrating the same hunger which helped them upset the NBA’s best in Dallas- posting a convincing 125-105 victory over the Jazz to take Game 3 and pull within one of tying the seven-game series.

This game can be best summed up in two words: Baron Davis!!!!!

What an absolute joy this guy is to watch. Right now, he’s the best player left in these playoffs. Dare I say better than Steve Nash and Tim Duncan. Even LeBron.

The Baron is playing in a different stratosphere right now. They’ll be replaying that facial dunk he served up on blocking machine Andrei “Ivan Drago” Kirilenko for a long time. It will make a great poster, huh? Think John Starks on Air Jordan’s Bulls.

The former UCLA standout was remarkable in finishing with a game high 32 on an efficient 12-of-20 from the field with two trifectas and six-for-seven from the line. Did we also mention he established two new career playoff highs by dropping nine dimes and notching six steals?!?!?!?!?!

Davis was beyond amazing. From a couple of the ridiculous spinning reverse lay-ups he made which defied logic to the unreal jam over an outstretched Kirilenko who was above the rim which defied gravity. Baron was just on a different level in this must have game for Don Nelson’s never say die crew which never saw a three-point shot they couldn’t make. They finished by converting on 15-for-32 from beyond the arc. It was the sixth consecutive game these playoffs they hoisted at least 30.
You want to talk about putting the fun back in basketball. Watch Nellie’s guys run and gun up and down the court putting all their athletic skills on display.

Davis had plenty of help from sharpshooter Jason Richardson, who remained hot by draining five-of-nine from downtown en route to 25 on a productive 10-for-17. The resurgent Al Harrington also made four treys on his way to 15.

They still got outrebounded by bigger Utah by 12 on the glass (44-32) but attempted two more free throws (35-33) making three more (28-25).

If there was a sign that the Warriors got a huge lift from their awesome crowd which reached decibels as high as 107 during the ESPN telecast (they only showed it 9,000 times), it was the effort on the defensive end where the undersized but athletic Golden State squad blocked five more shots than Utah finishing the night with eight.

Aside from putting six guys in double figures, they also got 32 points off the bench to offset a Utah edge in the first two games of the series. The Jazz got one more last night.

The best thing that the Warriors did was make it a frantic tempo and score at will in a great first half in which they outscored the Jazz 70-49. They made a statement and buried their opponents and didn’t let them ever think they could comeback. Not once did the lead ever get to single digits.

They also were able to slow down Deron Williams. The splendid second-year point guard finished with 14 points and six assists but most came in garbage time. He also turned it over seven times. The Jazz as a team turned the ball over 23 times as compared to 14 by the Warriors. Part of that is Golden State’s athleticism as they finished with seven more thefts (12-5).

They have to be extremely happy with how they responded to adversity. It’s very tough to bounceback after giving a game away like the other night. The Warriors showed a lot of resolve and proved one thing to themselves. That they’re not going down without a fight.

They also know that if they prevail Sunday night, they are capable of winning at Salt Lake as the close nature of Games 1 and 2 proved.

One player they’ll need more from to get this series all squared up is Stephen Jackson. The ex-Pacer has struggled thus far to establish himself. He’s not shooting it well at all from the outside (3-for-17 3-pt range in series). Last night, he got into early foul trouble picking up an untimely three in the opening 12- relegating him to the bench. He only played 28 minutes taking just four shots while scoring only eight and handing out five assists.Fortunately, his teammates helped pick up the slack.

Jackson is a very imporant player on this team. So he’ll need to be much better and find his stroke if his team is to have a shot at the Conference Finals.

After a disappointing first round postseason exit in which his top seeded Mavericks fell in six to the Warriors, it appears that power forward Dirk Nowitzki will still take home his first MVP trophy according to an ESPN report published by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein late last night.

He beat out ex-teammate and two-time MVP Steve Nash by garnering 20 more first place votes (57-37) than the Suns’ standout point guard.
In 78 games during what was a splendid regular season which saw Dallas post a league best 67-15 record, Dirk averaged 24.6 points-per-game, 8.9 rebounds and career best 3.4 assists. He also was the only NBA player to shoot better than fifty percent from the field (.502), over 40 from three (41.6) and over 90 percent (.904) from the charity stripe.

The 28 year-old former Milwaukee ninth overall selection back in 1998 (later dealt to Mavs) is set to become the first European-born player to win league MVP honors. The West German born star also was named to the league’s first team.

For Nowitzki, clearly it’s bittersweet because of his team’s failure to get out of the first round- becoming the first ever 1 seed to fall to an 8 seed in a seven-game series since the format changed.

By winning MVP, he’ll also become just the third MVP to lose in the first round, joining fellow greats Moses Malone (1979 & 82) and Wes Unseld (1969).

The official announcement isn’t expected to take place for several more days due to the Mavs’ stunning first round exit.

Our take is that while Dirk is certainly a worthy selection for MVP, it’s awfully hard to go against Nash. Maybe the people who voted didn’t want to give it to the league’s best point guard for a third straight year. Of course, you can’t just overlook Dirk’s season. He was fabulous. And it still is a regular season award. So we can understand why they chose him.

It’s still awfully disappointing how he didn’t assert himself in his team’s blowout Game 6 111-86 loss at Golden State last week- finishing with just eight points on a dreadful 2-of-13.

As TNT’s Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Magic Johnson have all pointed out since, you want your superstars to step up and carry their team in the face of such adversity. That was the case the other night during the Cavs’ 10-point Game 2 Conference Semi victory over the Nets. LeBron James made all the plays down the stretch to lift his team to victory and put them two up on the Nets.

You’ve even seen it from second-year star guard Deron Williams in Utah’s first two home wins over the same Golden State team Dirk’s Mavs couldn’t conquer. Whether the former Illinois star’s team needed a big bucket a la the tying one he got in Game 2 to force OT or a nifty setup, Williams has come through in the clutch. It’s part of why the Jazz sit two games from the Conference Finals.

In Detroit’s come from behind Game 3 win over the Bulls, their best players were their best players. Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace killed Chicago in the fourth quarter and took the fight out of them. This after their team scored just 28 first half points and trailed by as many as 19 at one point in the third quarter.

In the playoffs, you need your best performers to be money. For whatever reason, Dirk didn’t assert himself enough in defeat and shouldered the load. It’s not the only reason his team fell short. They were outplayed by a more athletic Warrior team who exploited every Mavs’ weakness.

Now, Dirk will get his MVP but it certainly won’t have the same meaning. He and his teammates must bounceback from this brutal defeat next year!

If you saw this game, then you know how wild and wacky it really was. The top seeded Mavericks were facing first round elimination against the eighth seeded Warriors.

Just maybe the way this one ended might swing the series in Dallas’ favor. Either way, we’re going to find out a lot about Golden State’s mindset when the series shifts back to their home court where they’ll again have a chance to close out the 2006 Final runner-ups.

A little friendly advice for Don Nelson’s crew: Get it done tomorrow night!

If they don’t, it wouldn’t be very good for their upset prospects.

The Mavs came out and played a great first half going up by as many as 20. But the Warriors never panicked and when Dirk Nowitzki picked up his third foul, they chipped away at it and got it down to seven by intermission.

It would be a game the rest of the way. By the fourth quarter, it was anyone’s contest which could’ve boded very poorly for Dallas. On your own home court and supposed to be desperate and you can’t blow out your opponent while facing a shocking elimination?

When the Warriors’ tandem of Jason Richardson and Baron Davis knocked down back-to-back treys to put them up 112-103 with over three to play, it looked like they were on the verge of the upset.

Then Nowitzki stepped up and saved his team from embarrassment. He made two three’s in a row to cut it to three. After Stephen Jackson forced up a difficult shot from inside the key, Devin Harris made a strong move to the hoop and scored drawing Davis’ fifth foul. Though he missed the free throw which would’ve tied it, it was now an 8-0 run.

Panic set in on Golden State as they continued to force up long perimeter shots. I have to question their strategy. It’s one thing to run down the clock but quite another not to put the ball in your best player’s hands. Davis didn’t see the ball for some reason. Instead, either Richardson or Jackson forced bad shots that had no chance.

There also was a tremendous block by Dirk on Golden State’s one good attempt from in close. The big defensive play along with the awful decisions by the Warriors helps explain why Dallas ran off the final 15 points to pull this one out 118-112.

Nowitzki scored 12 of his game high 30, including some big free throws on a night where he was 14-of-15 to give his team new life. For much of this series, he’d played second fiddle to Davis, who had sliced and diced the Dallas D. The former UCLA star was still pretty good in this one in getting 27 points and nine assists. But he fouled out late on a tacky call which sealed his team’s fate.

For Dallas, this game was a reprieve. A couple of games earlier in the series in San Francisco, they blew it and came unglued much like the Warriors last night. This time, it was their turn to steal a game and show some mettle. Maybe their experience finally came through.

All five starters scored in double digits and Jerry Stackhouse came off the bench for 15. The balance helped. Harris also had 16 and seven assists in playing very well.

So, will Golden State regret the chance they had? Remains to be seen. Either way, this is now a series. But the Warriors will still have great support from their fans in the Bay area. Maybe even Jessica Alba will be in the house!

Meanwhile up north, Toronto nearly blew a 20 point first quarter lead before hanging on for dear life to stave off elimination- taking Game Five 98-96. Nets’ sharpshooter Bostjan Nachbar had a chance to win it with a three at the buzzer but misfired, finishing off a brutal night in which he missed all seven of his three-point attempts.

The Raptors got a huge game from backup point guard Jose Calderon, who came off the bench in place of injured starter T.J. Ford to finish with a team high 25 and eight dimes.

With four starters also in double digits, it was enough to fend off 30 from Vince Carter (10-of-22 FG, 4-of-7 3’s) and 23 from Richard Jefferson. Jason Kidd also finished with 11 and 10.

The Nets will try to clinch the series at home Friday night.

We’re going to have full analysis later this afternoon on a game the Spurs pulled out 96-89 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead going back to Texas.

What was the difference other than Robert Horry AKA Big Shot Bob once again draining a big shot to finish off an opponent?

How did the defensive minded Spurs frustrate AI and Melo down the stretch outscoring them 17-6 down the stretch to take their third straight game in this series?

We’ll break it all down later and explain why Carmelo Anthony sagged in the locker room afterwards.

Edit: So what happened to turn a game around for the more experienced Spurs after they trailed by as many as 10 in the third quarter?

For one thing, they played great swarming team defense and made life very difficult for Allen Iverson and Anthony. AI, who was brought over from the 76ers to help the Nuggets in this sort of big game couldn’t overcome the suffocating D which forced him into difficult shots which helps explain an inefficient 9-for-25 performance. Though he did finish with 22 points and seven assists, he had to earn it.

The Spurs D was so aggressive in the final quarter that they were able to get a few easy transition buckets- something TNT studio analyst Charles Barkley eluded to as one of the biggest differences last night.

San Antonio outscored Denver on its home floor 29-16 in the deciding final 12 minutes. They made all the plays which helped overcome a solid performance from Nugget star Anthony, who finished with 29 on 11-of-18 shooting including two treys and five-for-six from the line. He was splendid in this one but didn’t get enough touches when the game was hanging in the balance.Iverson forced a couple of bad shots instead.

With the Spurs up three with the ball and under a minute left, it looked like the game was over. But Denver stole an inbounds pass and setup Steve Blake for a long two to cut it to 90-89. It was the ex-Maryland sharpshooter’s only basket of the night. For whatever reason, he only took six shots. Unfortunately for him, his one hoop which was uncontested came with his right foot just touching the edge of the three-point line. It proved costly.

San Antonio called timeout and then went to who else but Horry for another crushing shot. Tony Parker drove the lane and fed Big Shot Bob in the right corner, who then drilled a three to finish Denver off. Ironically, the man who never saw a big shot he couldn’t make got all six of his points in the second half. He’s been making clutch shots since helping the Rockets beat the Knicks in 1994. It never seems to change no matter what jersey he wears. Whether it was with Houston or the Lakers or the Spurs, this guy is money. That’s all there is to it.

The stars for San Antonio played well. Duncan went for 22, 11 and 6 with only one turnover. Parker had 15 (7-for-11 FG) and four assists. Manu Ginobili came off the bench for 18, five boards and six dimes. Even vet Michael Finley (9 points) made a couple of big three’s which gave his team momentum.

It was enough to offset Anthony’s performance and AI. Nene Hilario also added 18 in defeat.

The loss was so tough that TNT showed a downcast Melo in the locker room with his head buried. It was a great shot and showed that the sometimes controversial star cared. He knew his team had to get this game. They’re now in the same 3-1 hole they were two years ago against a team who likes odd years when it comes to NBA titles.

The Nuggets look done.

In the other two games, Houston held off Utah 96-92 in Game Five to take a 3-2 series lead- getting a huge performance from Tracy McGrady (26 points and career high 16 assists). The star who’s never gotten out of the first round was utterly brilliant and made all the big plays to offset another big game from Carlos Boozer (26, 8 and 4). Yao Ming chipped in 21 and 15.

The Cavs completed their sweep of undermanned Washington- winning 97-90 in the nation’s capital. LeBron James had a huge game with 31 points, 11 boards and seven dimes. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added a double double with 20 and 19.

Tonight, the Nets try to finish off the Raptors in Game Five up north while the Warriors try to become the first eighth seed to upset a top seed in a seven-game series.

More coverage later!