The fingerprints of rookie general manager Steve Kerr are all over the Phoenix Suns now, in fact, bubbling over with hot grease that has strangely taken on the shape of 330 pounds worth of Shaquille O'Neal.

Ah yes, the deconstruction of the Suns.

In the wake of their five-game playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Suns as we knew them are finished ... virtually all the undoing of Kerr as the henchman for owner Robert Sarver. Coach Mike D'Antoni (232-96) is likely through, clashing philosophy with Kerr from Day 1 of this season, the effect of unloading Kurt Thomas in a preposterous trade to start the season, the dealing of Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami for O'Neal, and it all came to a head in a first-round knockout - the only time that has happened in his four-plus seasons as the Suns head coach.

It's easy to point to O'Neal, the Big Cactus, as an even bigger target. He was presumably brought in just for a series like this with the Spurs - to clog the middle defensively and be a problem for Tim Duncan. Well, Duncan averaged 24.8 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in the series. And point guard Tony Parker treated the lane that O'Neal was supposed to own as his own personal crash pad, averaging 29.6 points and 7.0 assists.

And on the offensive end, The Big Cactus was the Big Target, as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich took advantage of O'Neal's legendary free throw bricks by fouling him continuously to disrupt the Suns whenever they did get on a run. O'Neal may contend he makes them when they count, but are we being presumptuous by saying the 32 he missed in this series meant even more than the 32 he made?

And while Kerr is being portrayed as the villain (how can the incredibly affable and bright Steve Kerr be a villain?), it all really started nearly four years ago.

You see, this whole thing was inevitable as soon as Sarver bought the team from Jerry Colangelo in the summer of 2004 and president/general manager Bryan Colangelo fled to Toronto in March of 2006. They were the guys that brought in D'Antoni, allowed him to build a new model of NBA basketball around the group of Marion, Steve Nash, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire. They tweaked it with defensive additions Thomas and Raja Bell.

They created a new era of "fun-and-gun" basketball, with three consecutive Pacific Division titles, and other teams emulated what they accomplished. It took the NBA back to the 1980's with a new version of Showtime, and rejuvenated flat television ratings for the league.

But Sarver began to break it down with a controversial sign-and-trade of the magnificently talented Johnson to Atlanta that brought Boris Diaw and draft choices. Sure, Johnson claimed he wanted to be the guy, but so did Marion and Stoudemire always complained about shots. That's what coaching and being a general manager are all about. You deal with the egos, but at the end of the day, it's all about performance and they performed at a high level for D'Antoni, the irrefutable NBA Coach of the Year in 2005.

They lost to the Spurs in the conference finals in 2005 and the Mavericks in 2006 ... clearly knocking on the door. And then last season in the semifinals against the Spurs and the series tied 2-2, there was the controversial issue of Stoudemire and Diaw getting suspended from Game 5 for leaving the bench in the Game 4 Suns' win when Robert Horry took a cheap shot at Nash that sent him flying into the scorer's table. It killed the Suns' momentum. They lost Game 5 and Game 6, setting up Kerr to take over the personnel department from D'Antoni and David Griffin.

The handwriting was on the wall at the start of the season when they dumped Thomas - a key figure for interior defense last season - and two first-round draft choices for a conditional second-round pick. It was about the last year of his $8 million contract, so wouldn't that have been invaluable this summer? He was replaced by the much cheaper and less talented Brian Skinner.

The bigger deal came in February, of course, for O'Neal. D'Antoni put on a happy face for the trade, contending he pushed for the deal. And in some ways it helped them run because he added some rebounding. But Shaq didn't help defensively because the big man never steps out on the screen-and-roll, which Parker and Manu Ginobili jumped all over in the series. He didn't help the screen and roll with Nash on the offensive end either. It opened up the game for Stoudemire in a lot of ways, but O'Neal's presence also inhibits others. It always has and always will.

So it pushed D'Antoni into a corner, often confused the brilliance of Nash, and now they're done. We know this love affair between Sarver, a Tucson native, is tied with Kerr, illustrious alum of the Wildcats. And he owns the team. Well, so be it.

With coaches about to play musical benches - beginning with jobs in New York and Chicago as starters - it won't take long for D'Antoni to start anew. It's all a matter of how this is finessed. But with O'Neal 36, Nash 34 and Grant Hill 36 in October, this team has Stoudemire, Diaw and Leandro Barbosa to build around.

The bad news for the fans is the most fun team in the league to watch is history.

The good news for the Suns is Sarver and Kerr have a much longer offseason to figure out what to do next.

On the surface, this was sheer torture for Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets.

McGrady was brilliant for three quarters Monday night. Despite lacking All-Star center Yao Ming and resurgent point guard Rafer Alston, they were right there with the Utah Jazz - seeking a split of the first two games on their home floor.

But as is always the case, the Jazz pounded the boards, stayed in their face on defense and tormented them with offensive execution. The result was a 90-84 victory to take a commanding 2-0 series lead back to Salt Lake City for the next two games.

McGrady finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, but had just 1 point in the fourth quarter and was clearly dead on his feet down the stretch. He got help in spurts from backup point guard Bobby Jackson and rookie Aaron Brooks. Actually, Jackson's 3-pointer apparently tied the game in the final minute only to have it waved off on a contentious off-the-ball foul called on Luis Scola, with Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko accused of flopping.

And that was the end of that for the Rockets, who now have lost four consecutive playoff games to the Jazz dating to last spring.

Point guard Deron Williams led the Jazz with 22 points, while center Mehmet Okur added 16 points and 16 rebounds. Okur, Kirilenko and Carlos Boozer combined for 31 rebounds to lead the cause in a game so close there were 10 lead changes and 16 ties.

Despite McGrady's efforts (16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the first half), the Rockets couldn't establish enough offensive punch to hang on to the lead even when they got it. Jackson finished with 18, Scola had 14 and Brooks added 11, but it was never enough. Even a pair of Shane Battier 3-pointers in the final minute of the third quarter merely served as a temporary tease for the Rockets.

In the end, there was little the Rockets could do and it's only going to get worse now. The Jazz have been vulnerable on the road all year, finishing 17-24. But now the teams head back to Salt Lake, where Utah was an NBA-best 37-4 during the regular season. And with an exhausted and depleted Rockets team, this series looks over.

Sure, Williams has a badly bruised tailbone that took another serious jolt when Brooks flattened him on a screen, forcing him to hobble back to the locker room. Nonetheless, young backup Ronnie Price made big plays - including a clutch 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter - to keep the Jazz in order. And Williams was running the show down the stretch, doing whatever it took to keep the Rockets at bay.

The question now is whether the Rockets have anything left to extend this series beyond the next two games. They were losers in the conference finals to the eventual champion Spurs last spring, and the next two games will show how much the Jazz have matured.

If they complete the sweep, it will speak more of their execution - not of the battered Rockets - and they'll meet the winner of the Lakers-Nuggets series. Meanwhile, the Rockets will just have to take it - drip, drip, drip ...

Quotebook

Jazz guard Deron Williams on winning both games in Houston:

"It's great for us to come out the way we did and not settle for the one victory. We wanted to get both of them, get greedy. We've just got to go back now and take care of business."

The stud

Cavs All-Star forward LeBron James just missed a triple-double in their 116-86 win over the Wizards to take a 2-0 lead in the series. James had 30 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal. In the two games he's averaging 31.0 points, 8.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds.

The dud

Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, also known as Agent Zero or Mighty Mouth depending on your preference, had more turnovers than field goals. Making just 2-of-10 shots, Arenas had just 7 points, 3 assists, 4 fouls and 3 turnovers in just less than 24 minutes. In the first game he had 24 points.

Statbook

The Cavs now have beaten the Wizards in eight consecutive playoff games. ... Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in the two games. ... Wizards All-Star Antawn Jamison went from 23 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1 to 9 points and 9 rebounds in Game 2. As a team they are 60-of-154 (.390) from the field and 9-of-40 (.225) from 3-point range. ... McGrady is 16-of-43 from the field and 1-of-9 from 3-point range in the first two games. ... Battier took seven shots in each of the first two games, making all seven in the first game to finish with 22 points, but hitting just three in Game 2 and totaling 7 points. ... The Rockets are 10-of-41 (.244) from beyond the arc in the series and 34-of-55 (.618) from the free-throw line, while the Jazz are 12-of-27 (.444) from 3-point range and 27-of-40 (.675) from the stripe. Not coincidentally, Yao is their best free-throw shooter and Alston led the team in 3-pointers. Yao is out with a fractured foot, but Alston is a possibility for Game 3, battling a strained groin.

Tuesday

Now we'll find out just how serious the Dallas Mavericks are about regaining their mojo and competing to win the Western Conference. After having fallen apart in the 2006 Finals, and getting upset by eighth-seeded Golden State in 2007, the Mavericks blew a 12-point lead at New Orleans Saturday and seem ill-equipped to come back from a 2-0 deficit.

Tonight in New Orleans, the Mavs must deal with their demons and gain a split.

Also, the Phoenix Suns will try to bounce back from their crushing double-overtime defeat at San Antonio, and the Toronto Raptors must figure out how to deal with the Orlando Magic's monster in the middle, Dwight Howard.

Mavericks (0-1) at Hornets (1-0)

Chris Paul was brilliant in the 104-92 victory, with 35 points, 10 assists and 4 steals to lead the Hornets, who also dominated the interior thanks to the 10 points and 15 rebounds from Tyson Chandler. And after a sluggish start, forward David West had 23 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for the Hornets. Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 for the Mavs, but Josh Howard (4-of-16) and Jerry Stackhouse (2-of-9) were a combined 6-of-25 from the field and Jason Terry produced just 6 points.

Suns (0-1) at Spurs (1-0)

Clutch 3-pointers from Michael Finley and Tim Duncan forced the two overtime periods in the remarkable 117-115 victory in Game 1. Duncan had a game for the ages with 40 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Manu Ginobili added 24 points for the Spurs, including the game-winning basket on a drive to the glass, and Tony Parker added 26 points and 5 assists. Amare Stoudemire had 33 and 7 rebounds before fouling out for the Suns, with Steve Nash adding 25 points and 13 assists.

Raptors (0-1) at Magic (1-0)

The Magic hit 16-of-20 shots, including 9-of-11 from 3-point range to take a 43-23 lead in the first quarter and never were really challenged on the way to a 114-100 win. Most of the reason was Dwight Howard's intimidating 25 points, 22 rebounds and 5 blocks. Jameer Nelson had 24 points and 7 assists for the Magic, with Hedo Turkoglu adding 21 points and 6 assists. Anthony Parker scored 24 for Toronto and Chris Bosh added 21.

Lost in the wonderment of the spectacular individual performances from veterans Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol and the stunning upset of the Detroit Pistons by the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening weekend of the 2008 NBA playoffs, the other prevailing characteristic was the impact of the 25-and-under stars.

It's tough to get past Duncan's 40 points, 15 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks and shocking 3-pointer in the Spurs' 117-115 double-overtime victory over the Suns. And then there was Gasol's 36 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks in the Lakers' 128-114 win over the defenseless Nuggets. Then again, we've seen how special the 32-year-old Duncan can be in the playoffs. Not so for Gasol, basking in the glow of his first playoff win at the age of 26 after an NBA-record 0-12 mark in the postseason for the Grizzlies, who have never won a playoff game.

But another big story of the weekend was Chris Paul's spectacular second half to lead the inexperienced Hornets back from a 12-point deficit at halftime to roll by Dallas 104-92. Paul, just 22 years old, had 35 points, 10 assists and 4 steals - emphatically proving that all the hype about his MVP consideration is well-founded. And his 25-year-old teammate, 7-1 center Tyson Chandler, also continued to lay claim as the top offensive rebounder in the game today, with seven of his game-high 15 boards coming off the offensive glass.

It went to an entirely different level, though, when the Sixers came from 15 down to upset the second-seeded Pistons to pull out a 90-86 win in Detroit. Front and center was 24-year-old swingman Andre Iguodala sinking three of four free throws in the final 11 seconds to clinch the game. But there was also the huge jumper from 21-year-old Louis Williams in the closing minutes and the early impact of starting forward Thaddeus Young, who is the second youngest player in the NBA at 19 years old.

Again, this is just a reminder to the older stars like Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant that the youngsters are fearlessly taking a stand.

Sure, Bryant, Paul and Garnett are the top choices for the MVP balloting. But it's ridiculous to ignore LeBron James, who had 32 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the Cavs' 93-86 win over the Wizards to commence the playoff weekend. People forget that LBJ is still only 23. And then there is Dwight Howard, the 22-year-old center of the Magic. We can't ignore the spectacular perimeter shooting of the Magic to start the game (16-of-20 field goals - including 9-of-11 from 3-point range - to score 43 points in the first quarter). However, consider Howard's 25 points, 22 rebounds and 5 blocks - completely dominating the paint. He must be fifth among the MVP ballots.

And they're not the only young'uns to play dominant roles. Deron Williams, 23, had 20 points and 10 assists to lead the Jazz to an 11-point win over the Rockets on Saturday, and Duncan also had point guard Tony Parker pouring in 26 points and doling out 5 assists. As hard as it is to believe considering he has three championship rings, Parker is still only 25.

So is Amare Stoudemire, who had 33 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks before fouling out against the Spurs. Also putting up big numbers in defeat were Carmelo Anthony, with 30 points, and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets; and Chris Bosh with  21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals in the Raptors loss to the Magic. Bosh is but 24, 'Melo, 22.

And even though the Celtics trounced the Hawks by 23 Sunday and this is the Hawks first playoff appearance this century, keep in mind that Joe Johnson is only 26, Josh Childress 24 and Josh Smith 22, with Marvin Williams and Al Horford just 21.

Granted, we're only eight games into the playoffs, but already youth is being served as we approach May. The big games have only just begun, and you never know how well anyone will react as the noose tightens each game, but before we get to the Finals in June, at least some of the veteran stars will be worn down by the youngsters ... and maybe even knocked out.

 

 

SEATTLE - The vote was 28-2, the pain runs deep, and is getting deeper by the second. Now that the NBA Board of Governors approved the apparently inevitable move of the Sonics to Oklahoma City, the reality is sinking in at a fast and furious rate.

This takes me back to that empty feeling my senior year in high school when it became official that my Cincinnati Royals of 15 years were moving to Kansas City.

There were villains then - Bob Cousy, for destroying the franchise by dealing Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas for virtually nothing. Do the names Flynn Robinson, Charlie Paulk, Jim King or Bill Turner ring a bell? I didn't think so. Neither did the fans in Cincinnati. That's why Cousy still resonates 36 years later.

Maybe it will change now that there are new villains. Foremost is former owner and Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz, who betrayed the city and its fans when he sold the team to a group of Oklahoma City led by Clay Bennett - refusing to allow any local owners in the group. Now Schultz is claiming the sale was breached by bad faith. Yeah, he should know about bad faith. The only reason he's threatening a lawsuit is a publicity stunt to help his flagging persona and Starbucks stock.

Sure, Bennett is part of the bad stuff as well, but at least he did say in the opening press conference there was a year to get a new building in motion and nobody helped. There is also commissioner David Stern, who brokered the whole thing and had to know this was inevitable. And perhaps more than anybody, Washington governor Christine Gregoire and her flock with their elitist noses in the air are the reason the Sonics will be gone in just a matter of time. They've done nothing but suppress the process to improve KeyArena, let alone a new building.

Never mind the lawsuits filed by the city to have them finish the final two years of the lease, or Schultz's pathetic attempt to stir things by his attorney. We can only say thank you to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Blazers owner Paul Allen for having the dignity to respect the local Sonics fans by voting against the move.

Having moved out here in 1986 to become a newspaper beat writer covering the Sonics, I knew all Sonics history and the championship run of 1979 as an NBA fan from afar. So when I landed, it was important to engage with Lenny Wilkens, Jack Sikma, Slick Watts and the late Dennis Johnson from the era gone by. The Sonics were the first professional franchise in the Pacific Northwest and still own the only major professional sports championship in the Seattle market.

My first year, with coach Bernie Bickerstaff, the Sonics won 39 games and came out of nowhere to march into the Western Conference finals before getting swept by the Lakers on the way to their 1987 NBA title. It was Bickerstaff, along with president Bob Whitsitt, who latched on to the leadership of Nate McMillan, and the talent of  Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp to start an explosive era that transitioned into an elite time when George Karl became coach and averaged almost 60 wins a season.

To this day, every time I hear the Nirvana song, "Smells like teen spirit," I think of the Sonics coming out of a timeout ... Payton and Kemp talking, with Payton's jaw jutted out daring anyone on the other team to encroach.  The characters that were Dale Ellis, Ricky Pierce, Eddie Johnson, Olden Polynice and Derrick McKey, linger. The workmanlike approach of Detlef Schrempf and the unflappable cool of the Big Smooth - Sam Perkins - was vital in their success. It was a special time in Seattle, one that culminated with a six-game loss in the 1996 Finals in the raucous and renovated KeyArena. They remained highly competitive for two more years, but ultimately, relationships deteriorated, Schultz bought the team and everything went downhill from that point on.

Now it has come to this. Sure, Seattle mayor Greg Nickels is clinging to the city's lawsuit to enforce the final two years of the lease. Both Schultz and a class-action suit by fans based on being misled by bad faith could stand in the way. But with the belligerence exhibited by the local politicians for so long, do you really think they'll turn down a financial settlement of, say, $80 million from Bennett to let the team go?

No way. And that's why the anger and frustration has overwhelmed me. In other words, it's time for Bob Cousy to wake up in the doghouse and make room for Schultz, Stern, Bennett, Gregoire and every member of the Washington legislature whose indifference has allowed this sad day to happen.

Sadly, the fans suffer the consequences. It just didn't have to be this way.

While NBA big-wigs and their corporate partners froth at the mouth over a possible Lakers-Celtics meeting in the Finals for the first time 21 years, there's that other possibility they don't want to see.

You know what I'm talking about ... Spurs-Pistons.

Of course, everyone has their eyes on the top-seeded Celtics. It has been an amazing transformation after falling off the map for so long. This had to be their year. President Danny Ainge took his young roster and high draft choices, turned it upside down, shook it out and presented All-Star Paul Pierce with brand new teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Girded by Garnett, coach Doc Rivers turned them into a defensive-oriented unit (2nd in points allowed, 1st in defensive FG%) and they've rolled to the best record in the NBA with ease.

And the Lakers have come together in stunning fashion for coach Phil Jackson. Obviously built around MVP-favorite Kobe Bryant, the return of Derek Fisher at point guard, the theft of Pau Gasol from Memphis in February, and Lamar Odom becoming the versatile force up front everyone expected him to be, they have weathered the knee injury to young center Andrew Bynum. With the Pacific Division in their hip pocket, they are on the verge of the No. 1 seed in the West. 

Always lingering, though, is the potential rematch of the 2005 Finals, a defensive struggle between the Pistons and the Spurs. In this era of rejuvenated offenses, that is not high on the NBA agenda for postseason drama - particularly on the heels of the Spurs sweeping the helpless Cavs last spring. Granted, the Celtics have really been the best defensive team, but they are a fresh look -- especially with a popular superstar like Garnett finally on course for a legitimate shot at his first title.

In the West, all anybody has been talking about is, well, everybody. For virtually the entire season, nine teams have been on track for 50 wins and none will reach 60 -- that's how close it has been. Heck, the Warriors are going to be in the lottery with 48 or 49 wins. For varied periods of time, the Spurs, Hornets, Rockets and Lakers have held the conference lead and even today, only two games separate the top six seeds.

And yet the Spurs are the defending NBA champs, with three titles in five years and four in the past nine. Their terrific trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are still arguably as effective as anybody when healthy. Health has indeed been an issue because their depth has aged rapidly, and at the moment, their major concern is the groin strain that Ginobili is dealing with on a daily basis. On the other hand, young Ime Udoka has come on as a young version of Mario Elie with great toughness on the defensive end and clutch shots. Plus they received the gift of veteran Kurt Thomas from Seattle at mid-season for depth up front defensively, rebounding and a deadly mid-range game. Clearly, their consistency and ability to turn up the heat defensively down the stretch will be a factor come playoff time.

The same goes in the East. Despite the omnipotence of the Celtics over the past six months, the Pistons still loom. They've made six straight Eastern Conference finals, twice winning the conference. They won the 2004 NBA title. Although they have not seriously threatened the Celtics for the top seed for months, they still enter these final days with the second-best record in the league for coach Flip Saunders. They still have Mr. Big Shot - Chauncey Billups - running the point, with Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess forming the most experienced and consistent starting lineup in either conference.

The question is whether or not reduced minutes across the board and more production from the bench this season will prevent the postseason burnout the Pistons have suffered the past few seasons. Billups, in particular, hasn't been as sharp, and were it not for the broken hand suffered by top draft choice Rodney Stuckey during the exhibition season that set him back significantly, Billups would have been even fresher. Still, Stuckey has come on strong late as both a backup point and shooting guard, while Jason Maxiell and Jarvis Hayes have also been solid contributors all season. Youngsters Aaron Afflalo and Amir Johnson also play, although not as consistently, and can help in the long run.

What we won't know until it happens is how deep Saunders will go into his bench for the long playoff haul because if we've learned anything about these guys the past couple of years it's been that they did get tired and became vulnerable late in the second round. That has been the issue since he became coach in 2005, but there are plenty of people who believe they've still got the goods to halt the Celtics' march.

And even if the Spurs look old and slow so often, particularly against the Lakers and Suns, they are still in the foreground as that mountain that must be climbed before reaching the next level.

So while the NBA front office, the networks and a large portion of the sentimental NBA fans would love to see the Celtics and Lakers back at it again to rekindle history, the Spurs and Pistons haven't left the building ... yet.