After Hours

For all of their talk about being more physical with the Nuggets, the Lakers got pushed around again in the first half. Turnovers, bad shooting and foul trouble to Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum didn't help either. These two are always expected to give the Lakers an advantage inside against the smaller Nuggets, but they sat with long faces from the bench.

The Nuggets, who like to talk a good game too, were running the same game they had in their two previous lopsided victories over the Lakers. Oh, was it working well too. They led almost the entire first half, built double-digit leads and controlled the tempo. Maybe George Karl was right, I started thinking. Maybe Denver did indeed have L.A.’s number.

But the Lakers turned up the pressure in the third quarter, forcing Denver into seven turnovers and some cold shooting. You could tell the Nuggets’ bravado wasn’t as bold, looking as wide-eyed as a 6-year-old on the first day of school instead of their confident strut in the first half. A nine-point Nuggets' halftime lead quickly evaporated, and by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Denver seemed to be running out of steam.

"They slowed our offense down," Karl to the Associated Press. "They picked up the pressure on us in the second half and we didn't have the perseverance to pass the ball or penetrate before the pressure came."

But they made a game of it before falling, the end coming when Carmelo Anthony got whistled for an offensive foul, his sixth, a questionable one at a critical time and one that wasn't called all day.

Still, the Nuggets have to be pleased about a few things. One, they forced Kobe into his roughest day of the season. He managed just 14 points on 3 of 17 shooting (he was 1 of 10 at one point), but he dished out 12 assists when he figured out he couldn’t hit the side of a barn.

Thankfully, for him and the Lakers, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Gasol picked up the slack. Artest had 17 points, but more importantly, made 6 steals and harassed Anthony into a 7 of 19 shooting outing and 8 turnovers before he fouled out with 21 points. Odom finished with 20 points, 9 in the fourth quarter, 12 rebounds and 4 steals. He and Artest also set the tone on the physicality issue when it counted most.

Still, the Nuggets have won 2 of 3 from the defending champs. And they'll be amped to make it 3 of 4 when the two teams meet again April 8 in Denver. Who knows, that might set the tone for the playoffs because these two are surely headed for a classic Western Conference shootout.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.

They don't generate the same wattage as the Lakers or the Nuggets, but the Oklahoma City Thunder is making as much noise as any club in the Western Conference.

The hottest team (along with the Suns) in the NBA and winners of their last nine before the Suns burst their bubble tonight, the Thunder continues to be one of the league’s biggest surprises. They are a half-game back of the Suns for the No. 5 spot in the hierarchy of Western Conference playoff contenders and just two games back of the fourth-place Mavericks.

Before their went on a nine-game winning streak, the Thunder weren’t even within sniffing distance of a playoff berth. They were 11th in the competitive West. Though some experts believed they were capable of making a run for the playoffs, the Thunder’s inconsistent play initially prevented their rise. But now Oklahoma City is performing as well as any NBA team though it isn’t taking its recent success for granted.

“It’s satisfying that we’re improving. But we have a long way to go,” Thunder Coach Scott Brooks told the Daily Oklahoman this week.

True. But this season’s club is a much better one than last year’s, which lost 59 games. Several reasons point to the Thunder’s dramatic improvement. One is their ability to capture more close contests. Second, despite being one of the league’s youngest ball clubs, it’s a talented bunch that keeps getting better. Of course their best weapon is one of the NBA’s leading MVP candidates, All-Star guard Kevin Durant.

Durant, the No. 2 pick in the 2007 draft, is playing on the same high level as LeBron and Kobe. He is the only active player to record 29 straight games with at least 25 points or more. Not even LeBron or Kobe can stake such a claim. You’d have to go back to 1988, when Michael Jordan ruled and was on a similar scoring binge.

For the season (entering the contest against Phoenix), Durant is averaging 29.8 points per game (second behind LeBron’s 30) and 7.5 rebounds. He is shooting almost 48 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free throw line. And when it comes to delivering a victory in tight games, Durant frequently delivers. None of this surprises Brooks.

“KD is as consistent as a worker as we have on our team,” Brooks told the Oklahoman. “It’s based on his consistency, his preparation, his approach to the game. He prepares himself every day to be a better player. It doesn’t surprise me that he has success.” But for all of Durant’s success, defense has been another significant factor for the Thunder. Oklahoma City ranks third overall in defense and second in the Western Conference behind the Lakers.

Another reason for their success is the development of point guard Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 16 points and 7.7 assists and had a triple-double in a road victory last Saturday over the Knicks. Jeff Green and rookie James Harden have also played well. And Nick Collison, Thabo Sefolosha and the high-flying Serge Ibaka have been key contributors in clutch moments.

If there is one weakness of this club, it’s the lack of a quality big man, which could spell trouble down the stretch. But the Thunder aren’t worrying about that now.

They continue to chase their lofty expectations, which will be tested by their tough schedule and their youth. Though 15 of the Thunder’s 27 remaining games are at home (including a March 26 contest against the Lakers, who have beaten them in all three meetings), they’ve got some rough road spots to navigate. They visit the Spurs, who they’ve split two earlier meetings, on Wednesday. They also have upcoming trips to Denver, Charlotte, Toronto, Boston, Dallas, Utah and Portland.

Still, barring injuries, I can’t see them not making the playoffs. Whether its the No. 8 spot or higher, their fans, who are quickly becoming some of the bests in the NBA, will be ecstatic.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.

With the NBA All-Star break and its record-breaking game (108,713 served) in the rear-view mirror, we can focus on the second half of the season, which tips off Tuesday. Plenty of plots are emerging as several contenders try to unseat the Lakers as NBA champs.

One of the most significant storylines is whether Cleveland is the destination of All-Star forward Amar’e Stoudemire, whom the Suns are trying to trade. With or without Stoudemire, the Cavs, owners of the league’s best record, are the frontrunners for the crown. Adding Stoudemire to their mix would significantly enhance their chances.

But there are other clubs with legitimate shots at the title. We offer our two cents on the eight contenders — four in the East and four in the West — and which ones have the best opportunities to win it all. We start with the beasts in the East.

1. Cleveland: The Cavs already have swept the Lakers in their season series and have fared better than anyone despite playing stretches without Mo Williams and Delonte West because of injuries. If they acquire Stoudemire, they would become a heavy favorite to win the East and beat the Lakers, who most believe will come out the West, for the championship. Regardless, it’s difficult not seeing the Cavs make a trip to the Finals. Imagine Shaq returning to L.A. and trying to get LeBron his first ring in a showdown with the Lakers.

2. Atlanta: The Hawks have been flying as high as any club except the Cavs and they should continue in the second half. They’ve already swept Boston in their four meetings and we believe they have the best shot of any club to stop the Cavs’ title bid. Jamal Crawford, whom the Warriors gift-wrapped to Atlanta in a lopsided off-season deal, has been the major reason for the Hawks’ rise. He’s averaged 17 points coming off the bench and he’s a cinch for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

3. Boston: Age and injuries have hurt the Celtics and many doubt they’ll recover. Boston also has been dangling Ray Allen as trade bait, so a deal could either enhance or hurt its run. Much depends on forward Kevin Garnett remaining healthy and returning to prominence as one of the league’s top defenders. If he doesn’t, we could see the C’s being eliminated in the conference semis, where they might have to face the Cavs or Magic.

4. Orlando: Dwight Howard hasn’t played his best this season as foul trouble and the Magic’s frequent habit of becoming a jump-shooting team in the clutch instead of using their best asset has cost them. Speaking of assets (or the lack of), Vince Carter hasn’t been enough of one and Magic fans are longing for the departed Hedo Turkoglu, who bolted to Toronto as a free agent when the club traded for Carter. Add the hysterics and sometimes-questionable strategy of Stan Van Gundy into the equation and we don’t see Orlando getting past the semis.

The best of the West:

1. L.A.: Early on, practically everyone and their mama crowned the Lakers. There also was the insane talk of them beating the Bulls’ record for regular-season victories. But that nonsense has been silenced by injuries and the Lakers occasionally falling asleep at the wheel. And with the Nuggets drilling them twice this season, it isn’t guaranteed they’ll take the West as many have predicted. Health is the major factor for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant has all sorts of ailments though he has fought through them for the most part. Though he missed the last three games (and the All-Star Game) because of an ankle injury, the Lakers were able to prevail in all three, including a key win in Utah before the break. In another statement game, the Lakers host the C’s on Thursday.

2. Denver: It's no secret that the Nuggets are the biggest threat to the Lakers’ repeat bid. Recently, George Karl even went as far as saying they had the Lakers’ number and knew the secret in beating them. The Nuggets backed up his talk with an impressive 126-113 victory in L.A. earlier this month without Carmelo Anthony. In November, they pounded the Lakers with a 26-point blowout in Denver. Mental health issues will be the biggest test for Denver’s cast of characters. But if Chauncey Billups can keep the meltdowns to a minimum, the Nuggets are a good bet to advance to the Western Conference Finals and possibly a trip to the NBA Finals. In a possible preview of the Finals, Denver visits Cleveland on Thursday.

3. Dallas: With the Wizards being their new best friends and giving them Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, the Mavericks have elevated themselves into the West’s upper echelon. Butler provides them another much-needed scorer and a good defender, while Haywood gives them bulk in the middle and some additional offense, both of which could benefit the Mavs against Denver and L.A. Much will depend on how quickly the Mavs mesh and whether the new additions make Dallas a better club defensively.

4. San Antonio, Utah or Oklahoma City: Don’t be surprised if the latter slips into the No. 4 spot. Kevin Durant and the Thunder might be a surprise to many, but not to us. Their ability to close games this season— games they frequently lost last season — has given them a substantial boost. They've got talent, too. They are two back of the Jazz (32-19) in the Northwest Division, but their 30-21 mark is identical to the Spurs, who have appeared a step slow all season. The Richard Jefferson experiment has been a failure so far, but the Spurs’ brass is preaching patience. It rings hollow on our ears. The Jazz, who had a nine-game winning streak snapped by the Lakers in its last game before the break, would be the favorite to clinch the fourth spot based on experience. But the trade winds could blow through Utah, too, with the Jazz desperately trying to deal forward Carlos Boozer. Depending whom they get in exchange, dealing Boozer now could hurt them down the stretch.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.

Logic says the Colts will win Super Bowl XLIV. They’re the better team. But logic has never been one of my strengths. Look no further than the folks who have much better heads than me, the oddsmakers in Vegas, who are picking the Colts. That means plenty. They opened as a three-point favorite, but they’ve doubled that. Tony Dungy says it won’t even be that close. And what better authority is there than Dungy? After all, it took Peyton Manning less than a half to figure out the Jets, the league’s best defense. Midway through the second half, it was game over.

The Saints’ defense isn’t the Jets. It isn’t close. It ranked No. 25 in the league (Colts were 18th). And it’s why many believe Peyton will have a field day with it and the Colts will win their second title in four seasons. Be prepared for the greatest of all time arguments. And how many commercials will he have then?

But in my convoluted logic, I still believe offense is the best defense. N.E. Quinn and Bill Standford taught me that. So whatever Jonathan Vilma, Darren Sharper and the Saints’ unit lacks, Drew Brees and the offense can make up. They're the league’s best, averaging more than 400 yards per game. A good defense stops offense you say?

OK, consider this: The Saints have one of the better rushing attacks in the NFL (they rank sixth) and the Colts were last in the league. It hasn’t meant much so far (unless you’re a Chargers’ or Jets’ fan) in this pass-happy era, but ball control means plenty for the Saints, particularly if they can keep Manning and his offense off the field and dictating drive after drive. Pierre Thomas will be a factor.

“It is very important to be balanced, to be able to run and pass and have each of those set the other up, because you can’t be one-dimensional against a team like the Colts," Brees said earlier this week. "They’ve shown with their pass rush and their ability to bring a safety down in the box to stop the run, if you are one-dimensional, they can eat you up. You have to be able to mix both the run and the pass and be effective at it.”

Here’s another stupid reason we’re picking the Saints: Isn’t Peyton due for a bad game and maybe the other Payton (Sean) is due a big one? And what about Dwight Freeney? Yeah, what about him? The Saints aren’t buying his story (so why should we?), obviously believing he’ll play. But will he be a factor? We say no. Or it won’t be positive if you’re a Colts’ fan. And that’s another reason we like the Saints.

How can Indy win if it doesn’t pressure Brees? The Vikings had the best front in football, and though the Saints struggled with it, they came out on top.

They’ll win this game too. Why ruin a good story and an awesome party?

Saints 33, Colts 31.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.

After the 26-point beatdown in Denver in November, the Lakers flicked their lapels, saying it was a bump in the road, didn’t mean anything, just one of those nights. But after the Nuggets manhandled them again tonight in L.A., they’ve surely shattered that notion. Rivalry? Duh. Despite getting knocked around in the Western Conference championship last season, Denver proved to be a worthy foe. But try telling that to the Lakers. Not on their level they said. But as Shaq said in a classic post-game comment years ago after AI and Philly beat the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, “We’ve got a series now.”

Oh doctor do we. The Nuggets made it two in a row over the Lakers, blowing them away in the second half like they did in Denver. While Chauncey Billups went for a career-high 39 points, J.R. Smith was a smooth backup with 27. The Nuggets bombed away from three-point land, nailing 15 of 22 attempts, and clearly were the quicker team. Billups, who was nursing a sore ankle, hit 9 three-pointers. He took a break in the third quarter and Ty Lawson continued bringing the heat. He blew by the Laker guards for 13 points and 3 assists in 19 minutes. Phil Jackson wasn’t a happy camper.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.

Laker broadcaster Joel Meyers couldn’t restrain himself. “The greatest player in franchise history ...”

Greatest player in Laker history? I don’t think so. There is no disputing Kobe Bryant is one of the Lakers’ best and one of the NBA’s finest players. But the greatest Laker he’s not. Much of the effusive praise and non-stop babbling about Bryant, who broke Jerry West’s Laker scoring record in a loss Monday night to the much-improved Memphis Grizzlies, has become nauseous. It’s a significant milestone, but it surely doesn’t vault him to the top of Laker legends. Coincidently, Bryant finished with 44 points (West’s number), but that wasn’t enough for the Lakers to avoid a trap-game loss to Memphis a day after they beat an ailing and aging Celtics’ team on Sunday. Still, Bryant has been all the rage in L.A.

The numbers paint a different picture. If you compare the stats of Bryant and West, you’ll note that it took Bryant 65 more games to top West’s mark of 25,192 points. Add into that equation that West played without the benefit of the three-point shot, which significantly boosts Bryant’s totals by 3,807 points.

Magic Johnson doesn’t come close to either as a scorer, but his overall game trumps both. His five NBA championships, the total of West and Bryant combined, speak volumes too, particularly when you factor in Johnson’s career was practically history when he revealed he was HIV-positive in 1991. But Johnson, who annually led the league in assists and is among the all-time leaders, dominated with his passing skills. It helped him dish and elevate the games of Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy and even more when he created for Byron Scott.

But even Magic wasn’t as dominating as the two best to don a Laker uniform. Wilt Chamberlain was the NBA’s greatest player (Bill Russell was second in our book for all of you Michael Jordan fans scoring at home), but it’s difficult to put him on top as the greatest Laker because Chamberlain played only five seasons in L.A. Still, the Lakers were a magical team during his era, their record 33-game winning streak being just one example. If not for Chamberlain, West wouldn’t have earned his lone NBA ring in 1972.

And consider this: Both West and Chamberlain (which only enhances his stature) led the league in assists. Kobe will never accomplish that. It’s not in his DNA.

But if there were any player to wear the crown of the greatest Laker, Abdul-Jabbar is the one. No player (Chamberlain being the exception), particularly any Lakers past or present, dominated offensively like the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He also has six NBA championship rings, more than any Laker. Bryant has his sights on Kareem’s record of 38,387 points. Good luck with that dude.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.

For all the praise heaped on Rex Ryan since the playoffs began, little love has been shown to Jim Caldwell. Why is that? Well for starters, Ryan is a walking quote book and a sportswriters’ dream. His face has been plastered on ESPN and practically every other sports outlet across the country with his latest bold statements, quips and predictions. And being the life of the party in the media circus of New York, Ryan was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Or at least he was the best thing in New York since Joe Namath and the Jets shocked the world in Super Bowl III 41 years ago. And the fact that Ryan was a spitting image of his father, retired defensive genius Buddy Ryan, who also was never shy about voicing some choice opinions, only enhanced his stature.

Caldwell is the opposite. He doesn’t brag or boast or pencil in parade routes down the streets of Indy. He just goes about his business quietly, which in this case resulted in him guiding the Colts to the Super Bowl in his rookie season as head coach. Still, Caldwell hasn’t come close to sniffing the glorification of Ryan. Actually, next to President Obama, Caldwell had been the most second-guessed man in America before the Colts grounded the Jets on Sunday and advanced to their second Super Bowl in four seasons.

That’s all grand now. But a month ago, that wasn’t the case. Critics pounded him for pulling the plug on the Colts’ unbeaten season at 14-0. They couldn’t believe he’d practically tank two games (one of them a loss to the Jets, keeping their playoff hopes alive) to prepare and rest his team for the playoffs. Writers, broadcasters and fans screamed bloody murder. And many of them were hoping it would all end Sunday for Caldwell and the Colts, giving way to Ryan and the Jets, and if luck would have it, a Super Bowl showdown with Brett Favre and the Vikings.

Of course it didn’t happen that way. Caldwell, not Ryan, is heading to the Super Bowl. While everyone raved until Sunday about Ryan’s top-rated defense, the irony is that Caldwell, an offensive guy, had the better unit, blanking the Jets in the second half.

Wouldn’t you know he and the Colts would play second fiddle again. This time it’s to the Saints, who are in the Super Bowl for the first time in their long history. They’re the feel-good story of the season.

But give Caldwell credit. His plan has worked like a charm so far. And if he and the Colts can march past the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, he’ll look more like a genius than Ryan. He might not get the love, but winning cures that.

Read more of Forrest Lee at Blak4rest.com.