NBA Playoff Impressions: Your Reliable Veterans.

Spurs 108, Suns 101 - Guess that Kurt Thomas defending Tim Duncan could only work for so long. Timmy went off for 33 points in the game, and Manu Ginobili had 24 (10 of those in less than 2 minutes). The Suns offense would get into it at times, but Steve Nash didn't play like his usual self, going scoreless in the first half and committing turnovers he normally wouldn't.

Nets 96, Cavaliers 85 - The Cavaliers are alwats vulnerable, even though they hadn't lost a game this postseason (that made for a 10-game winning streak) until this one. Never, ever count out Jason Kidd in a playoff series; with today's game, he now owns second place in playoff triple-doubles by his own self after sharing it with Larry Bird for a while. LeBron James had only 18 points. Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson all had 23 points a piece. Despite being down 2-1 still, the Nets have a damn good chance to steal this series if they can keep that level of play up.

(Photo: AP/Eric Gay)

The Black Baron's Air Assault on AK-47.

When you get Mike Tirico unleashing his inner Gus Johnson, you know you've seen a great dunk. Call it what it is, and give the man his respect:

Boom goes the dynamite, indeed.

Yet another dominating performance from Baron Davis (32 points, 9 assists) and 25 points from Jason Richardson led to a severe can of whoop-ass. I don't think the Warriors are capable of losing in Oakland, not with the decibel level that high (ESPN put up a meter to record the noise level), and especially not when they're raining threes like that (11 in the game).

Golden State 125, Utah 105 [Yahoo Sports]

Can We Start The Eastern Conference Finals Already?

Pistons 81, Bulls 74 - I could have sworn Chicago was ahead for a portion of this game and even looked relatively into it, ready to compete, had a double-digit lead in the game. But, they let the Pistons right back in, and now the Bulls are in a hole they won't be able to dig themselves out of. The only question now is whether Chicago can save face by not getting swept. Wonder if a team has swept its first round series and then got swept in the next round.

(Photo: AP/M. Spencer Green)

You Do Not Talk Ish In The Playoffs.

Things you do not do in the NBA playoffs as a player in a crucial series:

1) Bitch about the refs. The coach does that for you. Stay out of it.
2) Say anything less than complementary about an opposing player.

Amare Stoudemire has now given the Spurs some bulletin board material, accusing the whole team of being dirty and in particular, Bruce Bowen, whom he believes tried to injure him in Game 2 by kicking him as he went up for a dunk. Nevertheless, you don't call this out in the middle of the series as a player. It's one thing as a coach to do it; it's an entirely different thing to do it as a player.

Stoudemire said he didn't react at the time because he didn't want a suspension or a technical foul that would hurt his team.
"I know it's the playoffs. I understand a hard foul," Stoudemire said. "But that wasn't a hard foul at all. That was just a purpose kick trying to injure someone."
No foul was called on the play.

His coach, Mike D'Antoni, had the right reaction -- it's so minor to him that it doesn't matter. Most of you know where I stand on the Spurs: they play on the edge of fouling at all times. The reason it works is because they dictate what gets called by playing physical. The only way you fight that in an officiating climate that favors the team dictating tempo and pace is to make them play your game and attack in response. However, Bowen has been fined for something like this before on the Sonics' Ray Allen.

Amare's made a bit of an error -- he just displayed a crack in the Suns' armor, and this will either get the refs' attention or backfire spectacularly. Fortunately, the FanHouse has found some video, so judge for yourself:



Looks pretty gnarly to me. If the NBA gives Kobe a game for throwin' bows, this should probably get a suspension or a heavy fine.

Stoudemire Calls Bowen, Ginobili Dirty Players [AP via ESPN]
Amare Stoudemire Says Bowen and the Spurs are Dirty [AOL FanHouse]

(Photo: AP/Paul Connors)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Rallying Around A Teammate.

Jazz 127, Warriors 117 (OT) - The things Derek Fisher and his family are going through with his 10-month old daughter (she has a rare form of eye cancer) are so tough, that no one could have blamed him if he hadn't made it back to the SLC to play tonight. He only hit one three-pointer, but the presence was something the Jazz needed, especially after Dee Brown went out with a neck injury when Mehmet Okur fell on him in the first quarter. Despite the declarations from both coach Jerry Sloan and starting point guard Deron Williams, the Jazz are still playing the Warriors' game -- they're just doing it better. Williams didn't outscore Baron Davis (he had 17 points to Davis' 36), but he's matching up with him in ways that Jason Terry and Josh Howard couldn't. The Warriors had this game late, holding the Jazz FG-less for over four minutes, but allowed them back in to tie and win based on bad free throw shooting, and now they face an 0-2 hole going back to Golden State.

Oh, and the Jazz needed that three from Fisher -- it just happened to be a big shot in OT.

(Photo: Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: That's A Response.

Suns 101, Spurs 81 - Boy, guess chewing out your team works; Nash and D'Antoni ought to do it more often. D'Antoni makes a necessary adjustment by placing Kurt Thomas on Tim Duncan for the game, and the Suns took over in the second period and didn't really look back after that. So, we leave Phoenix with a split, and the question is whether the Suns can take one near the Alamo come Saturday. Amare Stoudamire had 21 of his 27 in the second half.

Cavaliers 102, Nets 92 - Yes, LeBron popped in a big-time 36 points tonight (25 in the second half) and 12 assists, and Sasha Pavlovic scored 17 while playing some lock-down D. But here's the stat that probably makes the difference right now, and why an experienced Nets team is down 2-0 when they should be able to get a split on the road: they were outrebounded 49 to 32, with only 3 offensive rebounds the whole game. That won't just get you beat; that's likely to get you swept if it keeps up.

(Photo: Garrett Elwood/NBAE/Getty)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Sweet and Lowdown.

Jazz 116, Warriors 112 - This may shape up to be just as good a series as Spurs-Suns. I thought both of them would go seven, but I didn't think both teams would be cracking triple digits in game one of this series easy. Be happy if you bet the over. As I feared, the Warriors may not have the presence to deal with Carlos Boozer pounding the boards inside; while he only had 17 points tonight, his 20 rebounds were much more important. Deron Williams threw in 31 points, besting Boom Dizzle (I'm stealing this nickname for Baron Davis from Golden State of Mind; hope they don't mind) in their first matchup. The Warriors need to get their split in the next game.

Pistons 108, Bulls 87 - I thought this series was supposed to be competitive. Did the Bulls just blow their wad on beating an old Miami team or are the Pistons that good? Clearly, the Pistons are the class of the Eastern Conference, but I didn't think they were "beat every opponent by double digits damn near every night" good.


(Photo: AP/Jeff Chiu)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Blood On The Dance Floor.

Spurs 111, Suns 106 - A nip-and-tuck game determined ultimately by a collision on the court, as Steve Nash's nose burst and the Suns staff couldn't stop the bleeding in order to get him back in the game, and without Nash, the Suns on the court looked confused, running around with their head cut off. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker went big for the Spurs, each clocking over 30 points. Nash was on fire with 31, but those 45 seconds he had to sit out meant the game. Hopefully every game in the series is as close as this one was.

Cavs 81, Nets 77 - Hm. It seems Cleveland can play defense. The Nets shot only 37 percent for the game, and Vince Carter had the game he has at least once every playoff series, where he can't hit a thing. However, those games are usually followed up by ones where he explodes. LeBron had 21 points, but a crucial block near the end of the game helped out.

(Photo: Garrett Elwood/NBAE/Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: The Hurdle Is Still There.

Jazz 103, Rockets 99 - It's like we're watching that sort of old magic that Stockton and Malone would work, sure, Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams need to do this on a more consistent basis, but this is Jerry Sloan's tried and true system, much as some of us hate it in terms of boring old halfcourt offense. Tracy McGrady still has that first round playoff hurdle to get over, and while Shane Battier should be kept to assist McGrady and Yao Ming, the rest of the parts (maybe save Rafer Alston) could be scrapped in order to add for another role player to spread the floor out. It's certainly not as if McGrady didn't give it his all; it just wasn't enough, yet again.

Pistons 95, Bulls 69 - This whole series got off on the wrong foot for the Bulls to begin with, getting whistled for five cheap fouls in the first few minutes (with two of those on Ben Gordon in about three minutes, and they need him to score early and often to have a chance at the upset), and Detroit just owned this game from the beginning. Of all the teams that play in the old slow-down, half-court offense, Detroit is possibly the most exciting because the front court of Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber, and Tayshaun Prince is similar in size and passing skills to what would be optimal for say, the Suns, if a more solid defensive version, as Max noted in his series preview at the Starting Five.

Western Semis Picks: I think both of these matchups will go seven, so let's get that out of the way.

Spurs vs. Suns - The obvious problem for the Suns, as viewed in prior years, is that the Spurs can play run-and-gun with the Suns, but this team of control freaks will be looking to slow down Phoenix after an initial attempts to beat them at their tempo. What San Antonio does is beat you at your tempo, then shift to the pace they want to play at. The wrinkle in the whole series this time will be the play of Amare Stoudamire. This Suns team is vastly improved with him in the line-up, and he's gained more skill in his absence. Tim Duncan will need to push the post, get Amare in foul trouble early, and let's see if Nash can put up a defensive fight against Tony Parker. I think this Suns team squeaks through this time.

Warriors vs. Jazz - Carlos Boozer will do to the Warriors inside what Dirk Nowitzki either could not or would not -- pound the post. We need to see how Don Nelson will line up his squad to prepare for that. Hopefully he doesn't do what Avery Johnson did, and change up the lineup that got him to the second round. The Warriors have a decided advantage when the games are at Oracle Arena, but they will need to take one in Salt Lake City. Can they do that? I think they will be able to steal a road game, so Warriors in the full number of games, as long as Baron Davis' hamstring holds up.

(Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: The East Semis Are Set.

Nets 98, Raptors 97 - New Jersey pulls off the upset in six games that damn near everyone was expecting: no one really looked to this Toronto team to advance past veterans like Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson, despite their utter lack of a post presence. Despite that, this was the one Eastern series that provoked any sort of excitement or close play, and Game Six was the same way: won a Richard Jefferson shot with eight seconds left in the game. Enjoy it while you still can, Jersey fans.

Now, let's have a look at the Eastern semifinals and make some blissfully uninformed picks:

Bulls vs. Pistons -- competitive series, to be sure. The way Ben Gordon and Luol Deng have come on so far is nothing short of incredible to watch. However, that was a decrepit Miami team on the court (despite my thought that the Heat would win in six), and it showed. This is the first real test, and while they'll give the Pistons a really good workout, this series will be over in six games, in Detroit's favor -- due to experience, and the way they spread the points around to all five starters, plus Antonio McDyess.

Nets vs. Cavaliers -- If there is anything I have harped on more and more with these recaps, it has been the Cavaliers' miserable attempts at defense. Despite sweeping a Wizards team that is a shadow of itself without Caron Butler or Gilbert Arenas, none of those four Cavs wins were what anyone would call dominating. Antawn Jamison was repeatedly allowed to score 30+ points in those four games. The Nets lack a post game, but unless Zydrunas Ilgauskas somehow makes them pay for not having an inside defender and LeBron James has another performance like last year against Detroit in the semis, I'm giving this series to playoff experience. Nets in five, but I would love to be wrong.

(Photo: NBAE/Getty Images/Jesse D. Garrabranth)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Yay Area.

Warriors 111, Mavericks 86 - Sheer, utter, and complete domination of an opponent, pummeling into submission, even through injury to the driving force of the team. Stephen Jackson emptied everything in his arsenal, with 21 of his 33 points total coming from outside the arc, and Mr. Playoff Beard himself, though hurt, still chipped in 20 and made the Mavs play him seriously. Double figures from Andris Biedrins, Jason Richardson, and Matt Barnes just kept piling on. After games three and four, you had an idea that Golden State had this series, but you never imagined the clampdown looking like that, with an utterly dejected and somewhat lifeless Dallas team looking at 20+ point leads in the third quarter. Are the Warriors a championship team? Don't know. Doubt it. Can they make some serious noise in the rest of this playoff season? Fuck yes, and I'll be happy to cheer them on while they do it.

(As for Dirk, enjoy your MVP as you're awarded it somewhere besides in the middle of a playoff game. Eight points and eight points only, in a game you needed to show up for again.)

Jazz 94, Rockets 82 - Victories by the home team only remain the rule in this series. Something has to break -- either T-Mac will shake off his playoff exit streak come Saturday, or the dull, old pick-and-roll style will survive for another round, and the fear of a Jazz-Spurs series at any point down the line is absolutely devastating to even consider. Houston, please win, if only for the sake of those of us who have no particular rooting interest, yet would still like to see a Western Conference finals worth watching.

(Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Two Years Later, Same Damn Result.

Spurs 93, Nuggets 78 - Goddamnit. I thought the whole point of dealing for Allen fucking Iverson was to avoid shit like getting slapped down by the Spurs in the same way we did in 2005, and losing in 2006 to a Clippers team because we didn't have that other star player. Well, George Karl can't help this team play defense, and waved the white flag after deciding to bench J.R. Smith (yeah, he fucks up a lot, but if he's 18 of the 33 [!] bench points your team scored in the first four games, you probably don't bench him.) The Spurs bench remains lethal, as Michael Finely just went off with eight three-pointers and 26 points total.

"It turned out that way with the series being over 4-1, but as for the level of play, I can't really say they're a better team than us," Denver's Marcus Camby said. "Each game was close and could have been flip-flopped to our advantage. I still feel confident in our team and what we can build here."

Don't kid yourself, Marcus: the Spurs are a better team than you are. The reason it didn't flip-flop to your advantage was because the Nuggets coughed up leads they shouldn't have.

Suns 119, Lakers 110 - The Lakers never led in this game, despite good play from Lamar Odom and Kobe grabbing his usual 30+, which now appears to be insufficient for this Laker team to ever win with. He'll now have to score 40 or more on a regular basis, and even then, it won't get them close next year with their roster as it stands. Kobe wants to see what GM Mitch Kupchak and owner Jerry Buss do to improve the team:

"Do it and do it now," he said. "Personally for me, it's beyond frustration -- three years and still being at ground zero. This summer's a big summer. We have to see what direction we want to take as an organization and make those steps and make them now."

The Lakers are not exactly in good shape as far as the salary cap goes. Unless they pull off some blockbuster trade (and they will have to ship out Andrew Bynum to pull it off), expect a first-round departure next year, too.

(Photo: D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Never Say Die.

Mavericks 118, Warriors 112 - Avery's little outburst must have worked, as the Warriors had this game in the fourth quarter and up by nine, but the Mavericks decided that this game belonged to them, and acted appropriately, much like any team should when it's up against the wall. Do we call this a momentum shift? Possibly. Let's see how the Mavs come out when facing another Oakland crowd in Game Six, but for right now, you can't accuse them of not having the will to play like any 68-win team ought to. Dirk finally cracked the 30-point barrier, scoring 12 points during a 15-0 run in the last three minutes. You know, that's what MVP candidates have to do. Now let's see him do it again, and then in Game 7 after that, and we can talk MVP.

Raptors 98, Nets 96 - This series totally could have gone seven before tonight. That's how these teams are. The Nets are utterly dependent upon the play of Kidd, Carter, and Jefferson, and the Raptors need Bosh and Jose Calderon, along with T.J. Ford. Problem is, tonight's game cost the Raptors both Ford and Calderon; Ford left in the first and Calderon pumped in 25 points in his absence. Hopefully they're ready for the next game in Jersey, because if not, this series ends in East Rutherford.

(Photo: AP)

MVPs Don't Talk Like That.

Down 3-1 against the Warriors, and with their backs against the wall heading into tonight's contest, Avery Johnson will not be hearing any sort of crap from his star player or anyone else about being frustrated:

"I'm tired of hearing about how they've taken him out of his game and any lack of confidence. You're just not supposed to have that, all right," said Johnson, perhaps the team's most intense player even though he's no longer playing.

"I wasn't the best of players and didn't have the best of skills, but you were not going to shake my confidence. We need all of our players to be confident, to be resilient, to be persistent and that's what I want to see tomorrow. If I don't see it at shootaround, I'm going to be highly upset ... because I need to have it going into that game tomorrow night. We've got to be confident and really sure about what we're doing."

I gotta say this for Avery: he sounds like he never took that uniform off his back when he retired. As for Dirk, reading the quotes in that piece, it reads as if Dwyane Wade was completely, 100% correct when he called him out earlier this season as not having the drive and focus to dominate the game at his leisure.

"They really go smaller and really sit down on my legs, don't let me put the ball down on the floor the way I want to and get to my spots," Nowitzki said.

Well then, don't you MAKE them play your game? Charles Barkley has absolutely assaulted Dirk for not going in the post and making the small Warriors lineup take him there, and I get it. If you are seven feet in height, no matter what your skill with a jumper, you'd better have a solid post game and the will to dominate. Nowitzki sounds resigned to not having it, and that's fatal to a team. MVPs don't talk like that. Champions don't talk like that.

NBA Playoff Impressions: Home Is Where The Wins Are.

Rockets 96, Jazz 92 - T-Mac scores 26 and adds 16 assists; Yao has 21 and 15; the Rockets are back on point in a 3-2 series where the home team has won every game so far. This means either both teams are matched up fairly well (given that this is a 4-5 matchup, that's likely), or neither team is very good on the road for the playoffs and shouldn't be trusted come the next round against the eventual winner of Mavericks-Warriors. Carlos Boozer had the Jazz team high with 26, but only had eight rebounds.

Spurs 96, Nuggets 89 - Especially frustrating as a Nuggets fan, because they had a lead in the third quarter and then kept coughing it up. You do not get up by 10 points on San Antonio in the second half and then proceed to let them right back into the game. Here comes the repeat of 2005: win the opener, lose the next four.

Cavaliers 97, Wizards 90 - The Cavs pull off the shakiest sweep of the three that took place in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Again unable to hold Antawn Jamison to under 30 points, the Cavaliers' defense must be called into question at every opportunity when they get the eventual winner of the Nets and the Raptors soon. This team doesn't put opponents away.

(Photo: AP)

NBA Playoff Impressions: The Badass Power Of Baron's Beard.

Warriors 103, Mavericks 99 - Golden State is one win away from a massive playoff upset, and got a 3-1 lead in fantastic style. It looked bad early, as Dallas got up and Baron Davis got two quick fouls, but the Black Baron and his Magnificent Beard would not be denied, and when he hit that 40-foot 3-point shot to end the first half, you knew it was ON. The Warriors kept mounting comebacks, and when it came time in the fourth quarter, took the game over by hitting threes and making Dallas miss 10 of 11 shots late in the game. There were over 20,000 fans packing the Oracle Arena, and the best part of that telecast was when those 20K yelled "BULLSHIT!" repeatedly after Jason Richardson got whistled for a blocking foul in the third quarter. Baron finished with 33 points, Richardson threw in 22. I want to see more playoff beards in basketball.

Oh, and SUCK IT, SIR CHARLES. (Dumbass had the balls to say the only place worth living in CA was Los Angeles during the halftime report.)

Nets 102, Raptors 81 - Man, you think this team has no shot, and then Jason Kidd and Vince Carter just open two 40s of pure whoop-ass as soon as the starting whistle blows, including some damn near telepathic alley-oops and a stretch in the first half where Carter was incapable of missing a shot. Carter had 27, Richard Jefferson had 23, and Kidd was two rebounds away from another triple-double. If you are LeBron James and the Cavs, this team should scare you, despite its lack of any inside game.

(Photo: AP)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Bulls In A China Shop.

Bulls 92, Heat 79 - So I guess you really can't just turn it on for the playoffs, despite the pre-conceived notions surrounding the Miami Heat. What should have been the most competitive first-round matchup on paper turned ugly quick and was over today, with Luol Deng and Ben Gordon picking up their 20+ apiece to get the Bulls past the first round of the playoffs since Jordan retired again in '98. Funny enough, coach Scott Skiles has been here before -- he coached the Suns when they knocked off a defending champion Spurs team in 2000. Chicago plays the Pistons in the next round.

Suns 113, Lakers 100 - Now, this was the close, fast exciting game to watch -- well, at least for the first half. Come 3rd quarter, Phoenix said, "Enough of this shit," and started just smoking a Lakers team that doesn't have the talent, outside Kobe, to compete with the top tier of the Western Conference. Nash shot poorly, but his 17 points weren't the number to focus on -- those 23 assists would do it. Amare Stoudamire grabbed 27 points and a Rodman-esque 21 off the boards, Shawn Marion had 22 and 11 boards, and Leandro Barbosa popped in 16. This Laker team is maddeningly frustrating -- flashes of brilliance, in the triangle and out, offset by more prolonged periods of poor ball-care and turnovers.

More to come after the night games. If you aren't watching Mavs-Warriors, you're probably going to be missing out.

(Photo: Getty Images.)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Control Freaks.

Spurs 96, Nuggets 91 - The reason San Antonio has won multiple championships with Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich in recent years is because they are control freaks. They want to control how the other team plays to an almost obscene degree, and the way you do that is by making it impossible for a team like the Nuggets to actually establish any form of offensive consistency from the second quarter on. Then, you capitalize on the turnovers and frustration plays that occur as a result, as evidenced by the third-quarter inbound that Robert Horry stole and took for a 3, sparking a 13-3 run that essentially said, "This game is out of reach for you, no matter what the final score will be."

(Edit: As D-Wil notes, you also work the refs a lot -- Manu is hated in Denver for being a flopper, and the Spurs flop like the Azzuri in the World Cup.)

Jazz 98, Rockets 85 - Jerry Sloan is as much of a control freak as Popovich, running the same old pick-and-roll based offense since the Stockton-Malone heyday. Again, it puts a premium on defense so Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur can operate. Utah took the two games on their home court by absolutely shutting down Tracy McGrady early, and holding him to 18 points for the game before Jeff Van Gundy ceded defeat by yanking the starting lineup.

Cavs 98, Wizards 92 - The sad part of this stretch for the Wizards is that Antawn Jamison is playing absolutely out of his head; he had 38 points today, and it doesn't bode well that the Cleveland defense can't limit that. However, if there's no supporting cast to help with Butler and Arenas out, Jamison's 38 doesn't mean much. LeBron tossed in 30, nine assists, and six boards.

Pistons 97, Magic 93 - Orlando actually had a lead to cough up this time, and that's the only remarkable thing you can say about this series. Dwight, Hedo, Grant, Darko -- thanks for playing.

(Photo: Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Kobe Takes Over.

Lakers 95, Suns 89 - A very nice comeback over the second half, as Kobe puts in 15 of 45 in the last quarter to give the Lakers at least some semblance of respectability as a team in this series. Whether it will carry over to Game 4 is anyone's guess. The Suns should have locked down on that double-digit lead. No reason not to bring down the hammer there. What I can tell you: Kwame Brown is not getting 19 again like that. Someone else on the Lakers is going to have to step up to help Kobe out.

Jazz 81, Rockets 67 - Utah shot badly at the Delta Center, Houston just shot worse. Outside of McGrady and Yao, there were 17 points scored by the rest of the Rockets roster. Good defensive work by the Jazz.

Pistons 93, Magic 77 - Wait a minute, this series isn't over already? Too much talent in Detroit against too much youth and inexperience in Orlando.

(Photo: Getty Images)

NBA Playoff Impressions: Be Cool.

Mavs 112, Warriors 99 - One of the big rules of the playoffs: DO NOT LOSE YOUR COOL. Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson both violated this (and their arguing was not necessarily unjustified, but you still gotta keep it in) as Dallas played a better game in Game 2 to tie it up. Davis got tossed before the end of the third quarter and Jackson got his walking papers with under 5 minutes left. Nowitzki still hasn't quite put it together, shooting 7 for 15. Jason Terry led the way for the Mavs, with a 15-2 run in the third quarter being the crucial difference.

Cavs 109, Wizards 102 - Cleveland is still letting this series be way too close for comfort with a depleted Wizards team. Antawn Jamison had 33 for D.C., and if the Cavs are just going to let him go off every night, they're going to lose a game when they shouldn't.

Spurs 97, Nuggets 88 - If you can get a split in San Antonio, it's still a good thing, and the Nuggets should be okay with how they played as long as they don't cough up homecourt in the next couple games. Manu Ginobili poured on 15 of his 17 points in the second half, and Tim Duncan had his usual 20+ night. Now, Denver knows the real part of the team it has to deal with. I'm still hoping they can pull it off.