http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/powerranking?season=2005&week=19 For the interested: 6 (10) Rockets 37-25 Rockets are your proverbial Team O' The Week. Only problem with Houston's surge is that the No. 6 seed might prove more attractive than No. 5 out West, depending on San Antonio's finish. Not quite sure how Detroit is ahead of us....
I agree, I think we got robbed here. Detriot have been playing mediorce in the last 5 games or so and they didn't even make a FG in the 4th qtr against the Jazz last night while we've won convincingly. Is there something we don't know about Detroit? Oh...b/c they're the defending champ? I also like to add that I think Miami should be #1, not Phoenix. Miami are playing so flawlessly where everyone's healthy and there's no distraction goin on an 8 game win streak. Marc Stien is the biggest Suns homer out there and he predicted they would win 70 games on NBA's fast break while the other guys were laughing at him.
They probably had the list put together before the games were played yesterday. Not that it would really make a difference...
I guess I haven't been keeping up, but Miami is sick. Holy cow. 15-2 in their last 17 games? They've got to be the favorites ahead of San Antonio at this point.
Not really, but if they had watched the game yesterday, they might have been inclined to swap the two. I am pretty impressed with 6, though. Anytime the Rockets are ranked that high you know it was done grudgingly. If the Rockets lose one game this week their stock in the rankings will surely plummet.
The Piston deal is a mind bogger but the Suns still in the top spot after getting blown out by us? Huh?
look - this is not 1993 anymore, we are not looking to avoid anyone - 5, 6, 4... who cares who we play first - you win as many games as possible and you challege the team ahead of you the whole time - that is what real champions do ... if (no WHEN) we win it all I want NO ASTERKS - no, Seattle lost to an 8 ... no, MJ was retired nothing - if we go through Dallas, then SA, then the Suns .. so be it ! PS - this is a joke anyway - the Suns get run by 20 at home, but they are above the hottest team in the league (the Heat) garbage !
I'm starting to think this as well. The West is starting to shape up for a good run by the Rockets. The Spurs are banged up, the Suns are wearing down especially with Nash's constant hamstring problems, and the Rockets have proven they can play with Dallas, Seattle & Sac-town. For a while I wanted to keep the 6th spot to play Seattle but, especially after this week, I now believe they can take out anyone if they play their game and/or Yao plays like he has this road trip.
rvpals, you are right, USA Today ranks us as No.4 Link Court coverage By David DuPree, USA TODAY A look at the week that was and the week ahead in the NBA. (Related item: USA Today Top 10) Yao Ming torched the Suns for 27 points, 22 rebounds and five blocked shots. By Matt York, AP Team of the week Houston Rockets:Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming made their case for being the NBA's top duo in Friday's 127-107 road victory against the Phoenix Suns. McGrady had 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Yao 27 points, 22 rebounds and five blocked shots. The victory capped a 3-0 week in which they also defeated the Dallas Mavericks at Houston and the SuperSonics at Seattle. "If we're going to win a championship, we've got to beat the best to give us confidence going into the end of the season," guard Mike James said. For the week, McGrady averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists; Yao averaged 21.0 points, 12.3 boards and 2.7 blocks. Stepping up Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers: Averaged 36.5 points; 7.0 rebounds, shot 54.9% from the field and was 41-for-44 from the free throw line as the Lakers won three of four. Udonis Haslem, Miami: The unsung member of the Heat averaged 12.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and shot 63.2% as Miami had a 4-0 week. Thrills, spills and chills Lue's lulu:Tyronn Lue had a season-high 29 points as the Atlanta Hawks ended their 23-game road losing streak with a 116-112 overtime win Friday against the Toronto Raptors. The Hawks also ended their 13-game overall losing streak. Lue had 27 points in a four-point loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday and 25 in a four-point loss at Boston on Wednesday. "We have the worst record in the league," he said, "but we still like to win." It's not Miller time: Sacramento Kings center Brad Miller will be out 4-6 weeks after breaking his left leg during a light shooting drill Saturday in a non-contact drill. He had been out six games with a calf bruise, and the Kings had anticipated him returning to the lineup Sunday. Brian Skinner, who came to the Kings in the Chris Webber trade, has been starting in Miller's place and is expected to continue to do so. Since the trading deadline has passed, the Kings can only add players by signing free agents. One-liner Boston's Paul Pierce showed in Friday's 115-113 double overtime win against the Detroit Pistons why he is still the Celtics' showstopper. He hit the winning three-pointer, then deflected Tayshaun Prince's attempt on Detroit's final possession. His line: Min FG M-A 3FG M-A FT M-A Reb Ast Stl Blk To Pts. 51 11-25 2-4 14-15 12 3 2 1 0 38 This week's big game Seattle at Detroit: Both teams have struggled a bit lately and need to make a statement. Former Connecticut stars Ray Allen (Seattle) and Richard Hamilton (Detroit) could be the game's pivotal individual matchup. (Wednesday) This week's best matchups Kobe-Shaq III: They faced each other for the first time at Christmas and again at the All-Star Game (O'Neal is 2-0). Thursday's Lakers-Heat game (8 p.m. ET, TNT) is their last meeting of the season unless both make it to the NBA Finals. Miami is battling for the NBA's best record, and the Lakers are just trying to get into the playoffs. Kevin Garnett vs. Tim Duncan: These two have set the standard for power forward play. They are unstoppable on offense and stoppers on defense. Duncan is eager to play after missing the last two games with a sprained ankle. (Minnesota at San Antonio, Wednesday, 8 ET, ESPN) USA TODAY Top 10 (Through Saturday's games; last week's ranking in parentheses) 1. Miami (4): Shaquille O'Neal has his playoff face on. 2. Phoenix (2): Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson are the only Suns to play in every game. 3. San Antonio (1): The Spurs are 1-4 in games Tim Duncan has missed and 2-2 without Manu Ginobili. 4. Houston (7): The Rockets have made more in-season roster moves than any other team, and they are starting to pay off. 5. Seattle (3): The Sonics lost three in a row and five of their last seven at home. 6. Dallas (6): Re-signing Alan Henderson was a wise move. 7. Detroit (5): Lost four in a row on the road and gave up 102.5 points a game in the process. 8. Denver (-): Coach George Karl is getting through to Carmelo Anthony. 9. Boston (9): A tough schedule ahead as 12 of the final 19 games are on the road. 10. Chicago (-): The Bulls, winners of 32 of 50 after a 0-9 start, get the job done with energy, depth and an understanding of roles.
Personally, the only two teams that scares me right now come playoff time is Dallas and Phoenix...with Dallas being the only legitimate scare. We've shown this season that we can actually beat the Spurs (i personally think that McGrady is a thorn in Popovich's game plan) and Seattle can't keep runnin and gunnin forever. Phoenix....they're not as intimidating if Nash goes out. We all know if Nash goes down, there goes Phoenix's ship. It's just Dallas...for some reason I never feel confident when we play them. Maybe it's those years before-McGrady that has given me bad memories.
Nope, its the Diggler that you are scared of, and so am I. I mean who can we get to consistently guard him. T-Mac?....umm no, that would burn him out too much. At this point I am praying we don't draw Dallas. Maybe in the future when we get a legit power foward then we can take them on, but this year the road to the championships is all about the matchups, ie. the cards have to fall just right for us.
The Suns don't scare me either at this point. I think our efficient half-court sets will wear the Suns out in a 7-game series. Yea, the Suns will get hot for a game or 2 but thats about it. We'll adjust and crush them. But the Mavs. Bradley always steps up against us and Yao always steps down. We have nobody to guard Dirk but they do have a couple guys to put on TMac. If can escape playing the Mavs, then we got a solid chance of making it to the finals. Even if we face the Mavs, I'm still confident but I'd rather face Seattle, Suns or Kings.