Since I've spent a considerable amount of time this weekend to study for my French final today (Parle vous francais!), here are some random NBA thoughts from the weekend:

Cavs win at the buzzer: Once again, DeDoNothing Stevenson and Agent Zero's words come back to haunt them. When will athletes learn that they shouldn't upset the great players? LeBron didn't hit the game winner, but he made the plays when it counted, and that's the reason the Cavs are up 3-1 and likely to finish the series in 5.

Pistons win to even series: I've made two Pistons bashing blogs recently, and since I didn't watch game 4, I'll just say the Pistons needed the win, and hopefully, this will spring them to a series win. But, as always, we'll see if their motivation stays with them.

Spurs get clobbered in Phoenix: This was as ugly a game as you'll ever see from the Spurs. Everything that worked perfectly in game 3 didn't in number 4. Maybe they just took it easy knowing that nobody comes back from 3-0. Let me remind you that the Pistons did the same thing last year against the Bulls, and it may have cost them against LeBron. Let's hope S.A. finishes the deal in 5.

Lakers go for the sweep: Seems ironic that Kobe will win his first playoff series since 2004 in Colorado, where many of his problems began. The Nuggets "defense is optional" play hurt them against a team that can play both ends, and when they get swept, let the catfights (AI vs Melo, AI & Melo vs Karl) begin.

Hawks win first playoff game since 1999: To give you an idea of how long that is, consider this; they beat the Pistons that game, and the starting five was Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Tyrone Corbin, LaPhonso Ellis and Dikembe Mutombo. Nice to see the Hawks manage to avoid the sweep. But this may inspire the C's to start rolling again, so look out!

Houston on the brink of elimination: What a surprise. And to all you Rockets people who cried when I said in February that they wouldn't win a playoff series, I'm not the one to say... oh, never mind. This series did give us the quote of the series, when Tracy McGrady took the blame for everything (The Suns being down 3-0, people getting Budweiser instead of fancy beer), but without Yao to match up, they had no chance. And McGrady will now be 0-8 in 1st round series. What a waste.

Well, there are the thoughts. Hopefully, after today, I'll be able to watch the playoffs uninterrupted. Until then, au revior!

Last week, I openly debated whether the Houston Rockets' then-19 game win streak meant they were a legit contender. Since that time, they extended the streak to 22 before back-to-back lopsided losses to Boston and New Orleans. In light of this, I ask again; are the Rockets serious threats in the loaded West? Let's look back at something I said last week:

"The Rockets' win streak is impressive, no doubt, but look at who they've played. Only New Orleans and I think Denver... were impressive victories. During the streak, they haven't played the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Pistons, Suns or Jazz, to name a few."

Well, they since have played the Lakers and Celtics, and they did beat the Lakers convincingly, but without Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Looking futher into the streak, when they beat Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki was suspended for that game. So Houston did catch a lot of breaks in the streak. Granted, with streaks like that, you need lucky bounces, but only Chauncey Billups gets more breaks than these guys did! But look even deeper, and you'll see something very dangerous for any team; arrogance.

I saw it in both the Lakers and Celtics game. Some may call it confidence, some may call it swagger. I call it arrogance. The way Rafer Alston and Bobby Jackson celebrated making shots like Magic Johnson celebrated winning his first NBA game (by nearly choking Kareem)! Let's not forget that this team last celebrated a playoff series win in 1997! That's where the legitimacy will be determined. Showing such reactions for a regular season game shows a possible case of Piston-itis, or complacency. Can this team afford to be complacent before the playoffs?

Of course that's a rhetorical question, but if Houston showed anything from their recent failures, it's that they need Tracy McGrady to be in top form to win a playoff series. McGrady has had two off games, and the results (a 94-74 loss to Boston and a 90-69 loss to the Hornets) have been predictable. McGrady must show that he can lead a contender to at least a first-round win. And while no Western team can afford to lose many games in a row, Houston is the team in most dire need of home-court; if they drop below 4th, I guarantee they'll lose in the first round. They're only two games ahead of 7th (Dallas) so they better be careful.

In summation, is Houston filet, or baloney? They certainly tasted like filet during their streak, but if they don't put a halt to the performances (I use that loosely) of late, they'll become baloney. In my opinion, this team doesn't look like they have the parts to go very far in the West, and until the playoffs start, I firmly believe that fortune won't look as kindly on them as it did during their win streak.

The Houston Rockets may be the hottest team in the NBA right now. With an 19 game winning streak, the buzz around them has reached a new high. With that in mind, can the Rockets do something that they haven't done since 1997; win a playoff series? Right now, I can't see it happening.

The Rockets' streak is impressive, no doubt, but observe the competition they've beaten to get those wins. Only New Orleans and I think Denver (don't take me at face's value) have been elite victories. Looking at the schedule, they haven't faced the Lakers, Spurs, Celtics, Pistons, Suns, or Jazz, just to name a few. How can you really boast if you're beating the Memphises and Tiberwolves of the league? Until you beat the best, you shouldn't be considered among the best.

Secondly, we haven't seen when Yao Maing's injury will affect them the most; in the playoffs. To win in the West, you'll have to beat at least two of the following; Tim Duncan, Bynum & Gasol, Shaq & Stoudemire, Boozer & Okur. Luis Scola hasn't been through an NBA playoff, and Dikembe Mutombo is 179 years old, and shouldn't be playing as much as he has (although he has looked good). Against those elite front lines, I don't see Houston holding up for long.

Finally, here's the trump card; the history of Tracy McGrady. It sounds like a broken record, but the fact remains that McGrady has never won a playoff series. Granted, his Orlando teams (plus the one in Toronto in 2000) were never serious contenders, but he has had Yao for two postseasons (one with homecourt) and failed too. It's worth mentioning that he has had a phenomenal stretch (22 PPG, about 5 RPG and 6 ASG) but when the pressure is amped up, will he revert to vintage McGrady (i.e. shoot a lot, pass only if the sun is in the right phase)? One never knows.

In summation, the Rockets are in great position to make the playoffs out West. To win a series, they need McGrady to play like he has recently, and for Scola and Mutombo to belie inexperience and age to escape round one. If they get homecourt, the possibility of a victory goes up a little, but if I was a betting man, I'd have to bet against it until they prove their true worth.