With 10 days left in the NBA regular season, it’s time we recognized the Hornets for what they’ve been all season – the most consistently effective team in the Western Conference.

Their 12-point win over the Warriors Sunday afternoon told us everything we need to know. MVP candidate Chris Paul had the fourth triple-double of his career -- 16 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, plus 5 steals -- and hit a 3-pointer with just less than eight minutes left that broke a tie and allowed the Hornets to end the game with an 18-6 run.

To better reflect what Paul was about Sunday (and the entire season for that matter), consider that he fired an airball that turned into an assist and a lob pass that actually went through the hoop. Consequently, the 54-22 Hornets have equaled the most wins in franchise history, have a two-game lead in the loss column over the Spurs and the Lakers for the top seed in the conference, and their 17-10 mark against the other eight playoff contenders in the West is also the high-water mark in the West. The 54 wins also mark the most ever for coach Byron Scott, now in his eighth season overall as a head coach and fourth with the Hornets. He never won that many coaching the Nets to the NBA Finals twice.

Most impressively is they’ve been hanging with the big boys all season. Aside from a 2-4 stretch in late February, they haven’t wavered. Even that was predictable, considering the toll Paul and forward David West took from their first NBA All-Star appearances (not to mention their added responsibilities with New Orleans as the host city). Besides, they’ve bounced back even stronger since then, with a 15-3 burst, including the last four in a row and 11 consecutive wins at home. And speaking of at home, they’ve sold out 10 of their last 15 games (11 for the season), so the energy from the team has managed to ignite the hurricane ravaged Big Easy.

So why is there so much reticence to buy into the Hornets as legit contenders to win the West?

It begins with inexperience. Paul is a virtual lock to be first team All-NBA, a byproduct of leading the league in assists and steals, and has led the Hornets all season. But he’s in just his third season and has no playoff experience. Neither does West, the 6-9, 240-pound power forward in his fifth season. Nonetheless, he too put on a typical show Sunday with 25 points and nine rebounds, making his last nine shots from the field. He’s equally effective inside and outside. They are outstanding players individually and together, with a limitless potential together. Center Tyson Chandler, averaging 11.8 points and 11.9 rebounds while leading the NBA in offensive rebounds per game, has come a long way the past two years but has no starts among his 12 playoff appearances.

The other two starters – Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson – have experience. Stojakovic had 59 postseason games from 1999-2006, 57 of which were in Sacramento when he was an All-Star. Peterson played in 19 playoff games in three different years for Toronto. Peterson, though, remains an average starter at best, capable of running the floor and decent streaks of outside shooting. More intriguing is Stojakovic, who seems to have revived his game at the age of 30 despite four consecutive years of a declining scoring average.

His role with the Hornets is a perfect fit. He averages 16.2 points, leads the league by making 93 percent of his free throws and is second in 3-point accuracy at .455. Sunday he had what appeared to be an easy 25 points – spotting up around the perimeter with Paul or West finding him wide open.

The biggest question is their depth, or at least it was until Sunday, when they outscored the Warriors reserves 26-5. Guard Jannero Pargo scored 15 points during a six-minute span in the second quarter for the Hornets and has experienced 18 playoff games in his career. Bonzi Wells provides them a strong post-up scorer from the wing and is also very effective anywhere on the baseline. The mercurial Wells has also had some big postseason numbers in 36 career games. But they really haven’t gotten any serious contributions in the power positions to help Chandler and overall, they are tied for last with the Charlotte Bobcats in offensive bench productivity.

They sorely need recently resigned Chris Andersen to support Chandler where Hilton Armstrong and Melvin Ely have not. But Andersen has been back for only five games following a two-year hiatus for failing to adhere to the NBA substance abuse policy, and is a far cry from being prepared for the physical and mental intensity for this point of the season and the playoffs.

So where does that leave the Hornets? They still sit atop the West, and despite four of the final six games on the road, they’ve got the best shot of anybody to retain the top seed when the playoffs begin.

But with so little playoff experience and really being only seven deep is a problem whether they play the Nuggets or Warriors as it appears it would be in the first round. Ultimately, if Paul fails to win the MVP award, which is far more likely to go to Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett, he’ll have to be the de facto postseason MVP for the Hornets to be just as competitive in the playoffs.

The game becomes much more physical and with the brute force of the West, it is doubtful Chandler will be capable of keeping up his stats and staying out of foul trouble. And yet, with so many run-and-gun teams, it may not be as much of a factor for the Hornets as some would lead you to believe.

Actually, it may just be another excuse not to make them one of the favorites. Then again, the only group that has to believe is the Hornets themselves. And considering the first 76 games … that may very well be enough.

 

 

With less than a quarter of the NBA season left, it’s time to get serious about the awards voting. Some are easier than others.

We won’t get into those yet because, well, they won’t require the hemming and hawing that voting for the Most Valuable Player Award generally does. Sometimes, it’s obvious, most of the time, it’s not — and that comes from more than 20 years of experience.

This year is no different. Voting for five is no problem because there are five great candidates. Moving from East to West, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come up with Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. Some people can even make a case for others. Manu Ginobili comes to mind as a sleeper for the top five, and the same may go for Tracy McGrady if the Rockets continue on their amazing pace … but don’t count on either one to jump into the fray.

Now that we’ve settled on a quintet, let’s break them down.

Garnett has already won the award (2003) in the middle of a historic run of six consecutive seasons of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. This is different, because this is about leadership and presence that has changed the persona of the Celtics. However, they did very well when he was injured before the All-Star break. His stats — 18.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists — are modest by his standards, and more reflective of involving his teammates while doing what it takes to have the best record in the league.

. The Magic would be nowhere without Howard, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocks — all career-highs — and tops the league in rebounding. He has become the most dominant center in the game, averaging 21.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. The frightening thing is he just turned 23 and is getting bigger and better.

That takes us to James, whose is leading the NBA in scoring at 30.8 points to go with 8.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists — the latter two career-highs. The combination of stats makes him worthy of comparison to the greatest player in history, also at the ripe age of 23. Remember, too, he has missed six games plus was injured early and did not return in a blowout loss to Detroit; the Cavs were 0-7 in those games. He also leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring and the Cavs lead the league with 15 wins when trailing going into the fourth quarter.

Paul has exploded this season with career-bests in all the vital categories (including shooting percentages) with 21.3 points, 11.0 assists and 2.7 steals. He leads the league in steals and is second in assists, and has controlled the tempo in virtually every game they’ve played. Conversely, when he suffered through ankle problems last season, the Hornets did not make the playoffs. They’ve been near the top of the West since November.

And that brings us to Bryant, who has led the Lakers to the No. 1 seed in the West, which is rather stunning when you consider he wanted out of the organization almost up until opening night. But he stayed focused, the team started well and then the Lakers stole Pau Gasol in February to start a 15-3 run. In fact, it’s even tempting to make Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley and general manager Chris Wallace the co-MVPs for handing the Lakers a potential title on a silver platter.

Nonetheless, the story is Bryant, who despite a torn ligament in his right pinky that will require surgery is averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals — right on his career marks.

With about 20 games left, things won’t change much for the leading candidates, short of injury. And upon further review, the Celtics’ 7-2 mark without Garnett hurts him more than the others. As for Howard, the fact that the Magic probably can’t be serious contenders in the East may take him out of the MVP picture, too.

Paul and the Hornets are in a very similar situation, although New Orleans is a better team overall. That pushes Paul to third.

And that leaves us where we figured to be anyway — the impossible decision between Bryant and James. Bryant is a newer, bigger model of Michael Jordan, and James is a newer, bigger version of Bryant. Bryant is a better pure shooter and defender, but James is a more natural passer, much stronger and a better rebounder. James taking the Cavs to the Finals last year doesn’t factor into this season, though that 0-7 mark when he’s out is like a neon light.

But the Lakers are nowhere without Bryant either. It’s almost as if his conniption fit over the summer slapped sense into him, and he’s showing leadership like never before. He’s not only playing through the hand injury, but playing so well that the injury is scarcely remembered anymore.

Because of the transition he’s made and where the Lakers are today, he’s earned his first MVP. James will have his day soon enough; and he might win the award anyway.

But from our vantage point, that leaves us with this:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Chris Paul
4. Kevin Garnett
5. Dwight Howard

In this odd NBA season where the New Orleans Hornets stare down the forthcoming All-Star break with the best record in the Western Conference, is the next step awaiting “The Birdman” to cometh?

As the clock ticks loudly and the Feb. 21 NBA trade deadline approaches, the biggest player transaction may not be a trade at all. It may be the Hornets re-signing forward Chris Andersen, a.k.a. The Birdman, if all the i’s are dotted properly and the t’s are crossed just right.

And it very may well be the final piece that makes the Hornets absolutely legitimate contenders to win the West -- as if they aren’t already.

You see, the jury is still out on the future of Andersen, both figuratively and literally. Andersen was banned and disqualified from the NBA on Jan. 26, 2006 after testing positive for “drugs of abuse,” which include amphetamines, opiates (codeine, heroin, morphine and PCP), cocaine, LSD and methamphetamine. Since he hadn’t tested positive for any other drugs, it is likely the positive test came from one of the aforementioned drugs of abuse.

Nicknamed “The Birdman” because of his wild, aggressive style attacking the ball and the boards, the 6-10, 230-pound Andersen has apparently followed all the rules and is going through all the steps necessary with both the commissioner’s office and the players association to gain a speedy reinstatement. Although his four-year contract was revoked by virtue of the banishment, the Hornets, who have the best record in the Western Conference at 31-12, would have a 30-day window to sign Andersen if and when he is reinstated. However, it could be weeks before a conclusion has been reached by the two offices.

If he is restored to eligibility and re-signed by the Hornets, it would be huge despite what’s on paper. His numbers have never been sensational and he is not a refined athlete by any means. His last full season in the NBA he averaged 7.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.49 blocks -- providing the kind of energy off the bench that Anderson Varejao provides the Cleveland Cavaliers. And the Hornets need it.

They have an exceptional starting five that has carried them to this point, but that was never the question. They have a terrific young coach in Byron Scott, who twice coached the New Jersey Nets to the Finals, and was the starting shooting guard for Pat Riley with the Lakers on three championship teams. So the fiber is there.

With Chris Paul and Morris Peterson in the backcourt, along with a versatile and talented frontcourt of Tyson Chandler, David West and Peja Stojakovic, Scott has a nice balance of shooting, defense and quickness. Whereas perimeter players Bobby Jackson, Jannero Pargo and Rasual Butler blow hot and cold individually coming off the bench, collectively they contribute. It’s much more of a struggle to get significant help up front from Melvin Ely, Hilton Armstrong, Ryan Bowen and rookie Julian Wright.

That has been patently obvious whenever one of the frontcourt starters gets hurt. It killed them last year when both Stojakovic and West were out for significant stretches. Then Paul’s ankle sprain virtually wiped them out of the playoff picture for good. Nonetheless, that’s where Andersen comes in.

Instead of a downgrade up front as soon as West or Chandler need a blow, Andersen brings a different kind of energy for the Hornets. It may include silly fouls for climbing over someone’s back or diving into a pile late. But it is the infusion he brings that kicks everybody into another gear.

Of course, that’s presuming the Hornets want to gamble on him being clean for good.

Should they?

If he doesn’t have the requisite tests and other proof that he has remained clean, then this is a waste of time and space. But if he has, should the commissioner’s office and players association rubber stamp his return?

Andersen is the first banned player to apply for reinstatement since Roy Tarpley did it in 2003 -- a full eight years after he was given the boot for violating the substance abuse policy. Tarpley, who was 37 years old and hadn’t played since 1995, was summarily rejected.

This is different. Andersen reportedly has been working out under supervision and adhering to every nuance of the NBA policy because of his age and the realization of how quickly his career his career is slipping away.

Provided he has answered all the questions the right way and can provide proof he has remained clean, why wouldn’t the Hornets want him back? His pro-rated $3.5 million contract would still keep them below the luxury tax limit, and the depth he brings would be significant.

Even more to the point is why wouldn’t the NBA bring him back? Considering the issues of spousal abuse, guns, fights and any number of other issues that have produced extended suspensions followed by the return of those players to the court, this is hardly a more significant matter to the league.

That’s not to minimize drug usage. Andersen was damaging himself, nobody else and the two-year ban that cost him millions of dollars severely spoiled and possibly ended his NBA career. If he proves that this was a period of awakening and maturity as opposed to convenient contrition because the two-year period allowed him to apply for reinstatement, then bring him back.

Everybody deserves a second chance and Andersen’s story in New Orleans could be a special one. The league already has the All-Star Game coming in attempt to help this horribly blighted city. Allowing The Birdman to swoop in would just be one more. 

The NBA Finals start tomorrow, and you are the general manager/coach in this fantasy series.

In an excruciating turn of events, you lost your point guard in yesterday’s massive media session. He got his leg caught in the mass of wires from television cameras and fell in the throng of media members as he was coming down off the podium in the corner of the gym (if you’ve ever seen this mess, you’d understand how this could happen). The consequence was a torn knee ligament in his knee.

Everyone is irate and the NBA humiliated.

Consequently, you get your choice of point guards for the series from all the non-competitors.

Two future Hall of Fame vets – Jason Kidd or Steve Nash; or two stars on the rise, Chris Paul and Deron Williams are on the list. Granted, Williams and Paul are only in their third season, but both are on the brink of greatness, and both Kidd (35 in March) and Nash (34 next month) are close but not quite on that slippery slope.

It’s tough to justify Paul (22) or Williams (23) due to their lack of experience, but both are so explosive and do so many things well, it’s worthy of discussion. Paul is smaller, slicker and quicker with his hands and the ball for the Hornets – similar to Nash – averaging 21.1 pts., shooting almost 49 percent from the field, 36 percent from long-range and .884 from the line, plus 10.4 assists and 2.4 steals. Meanwhile, Williams is bigger and stronger like Kidd, with a better long-range stroke than anybody but Nash – averaging 19.3 points, 9.2 assists, while shooting .517 from the field, .396 from 3-point range and .782 from the line.

It’s a tossup between the two youngsters in a lot of ways because it’s so early and they’ve yet to establish substantial playoff profiles. Would you pick one of them instead of the vets?

There’s plenty to think about in the case of both Kidd and Nash. Kidd has played in 100 playoff games, including the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals with the Nets. Nash has played in 97 postseason games, but has yet to make it to the NBA Finals has been to the conference finals with the Suns twice.

They are still the premiere passing point guards in the game today, making passing the ball on the break not a skill but an art form with either hand.

But they reach those moments from divergent angles and skill sets. Kidd is the triple-double king of this era with his ability to clean the boards, find his teammates and score when necessary. And while he has hit 3-pointers at a tolerable .333 pace, he has barely been a 40 percent field goal shooter in his career. What makes him special is his defense – strength and hands – better than any other point guard of the era with the exception of his childhood mentor Gary Payton.

Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006, taking the run-and-gun Suns to a new level of play and really creating an accelerated style the NBA hadn’t seen in years. He is not only a spectacular passer, but one of the best shooting point guards in NBA history – shooting better than 50 percent from the field the past four seasons, nearly 47 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line. And while Kidd’s Achilles’ heel is his shooting and his knees, Nash is a sieve on defense with a reluctant back and shoulder issues. Oh, he has great hands, but his feel for the game is built for scoring, not preventing it.

My first reaction is to take Paul, having the best year of any point guard and leading the surprising Hornets to first place in the Southwest Division.

Or I could take Kidd because of his extraordinary ability to get the ball in so many different ways, and then make things easy for his teammates to score. The problem is what happens when he has to shoot it.

Or there's Nash ... if he can’t get the ball to a teammate for an easy score, he can do it himself.

That leaves the ultimate question -- do you go with offense or defense? In most cases I’d go with defense, but in this one, at this moment, I’ll take Paul. He has no playoff experience, but he has to start somewhere.

You are the coach in Game 7 of the 2008 Finals, no time left on the clock, and you’re down two, but your point guard got fouled hard driving on the final play of the game, landing on his shooting shoulder.

 

He can’t go to the free-throw line.

 

You need two free throws to extend the game.

 

And we’ll give you the unique opportunity to pick any player in the game today to take that game into overtime.

 

Who’s it going to be?

 

There are lots of ways to look at it. There are players who thrive in those situations, although not particularly great free-throw shooters, and great free-throw shooters who suddenly get leaden elbows as the clock ticks down.

 

Just looking at this year’s percentages, Peja Stojakovic, Ben Gordon and Ray Allen are the top three with any number of attempts. Although Stojakovic is on the low end in free throws taken, and he’s faded so dramatically from being considered a big-time player, it’s hard to put him in that category. Gordon is really streaky, and Allen, although consistently one of the all-time greats overall, has had his moments of shooting blanks in clutch.

 

The next two on the list for this year’s numbers, and not coincidentally – any numbers career-wise, really – there are Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash. They may just be the top two on everybody’s list, although Nash has never been to the Finals, while Billups has excelled in the Finals twice.

 

Or you might even consider a guy who has never been a star and probably wouldn’t even be in the discussion unless looking at the numbers this season. He is certainly tested over time in the Finals and always a supreme free-throw shooter in the clutch – ageless Derek Fisher. Two others bigger stars in a comparable shooting range under those circumstances would have to be Richard Hamilton and Manu Ginobili.

 

A couple of rising talents are also high among this season’s producers from the charity stripe, Caron Butler and Chris Paul. Butler has shattered the myths about his inability to hold up physically in this league, with his physical and mental toughness taking his talent to All-Star level. Paul is simply becoming a star in every aspect of the game, but has no postseason experience, which will change this season provided the Hornets stay on course.

 

Although it’s a ridiculous reason to even consider them, the two best-shooting big men ever – Dirk Nowitzki and Yao Ming -- are right there statistically. But Dirk has gotten pulverized for postseason struggles, and Yao never gets far enough to see it through. Nonetheless, they are great, great shooters from the free-throw line and otherwise.

Then you have the three best perimeter players in the game – Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.  Bryant is clearly the best of this bunch, if only because he’s the best pure shooter and so unflappable. James’ free-throw woes have been well documented, and with so many other choices, he’d be tough to justify. The same goes for Wade, particularly since he’s shooting free throws at a career low this season.

 

That’s a top 10, and just for good measure, and a purely competitive standpoint, it would be tough to ignore Allen Iverson or Baron Davis. Iverson is much more battle-tested in the postseason, while Davis is certainly approaching that status. Statistically speaking, though, Iverson is just a better free-throw shooter.

 

As for me, well, I didn’t have to go very far down the list. I’m going with Mr. Big Shot – Billups. He’s been there, done that, and he’ll do it again. He’ll take you into overtime every time.

So much is being made about this battle within the battle – comparing third-year point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul – that maybe we should slow down a little on both guys and let this play out.

It was easy to get excited about Williams coming into this season. He was spectacular as last season progressed, while Paul battled ankle problems a good portion of the season – validating the decision by the Utah Jazz select Williams third and leave Paul for the New Orleans at No. 4 in the 2005 draft.

After all, Williams averaged 29.5 points and 9.3 assists in his first four Western Conference finals games against the Spurs last season before tiring in Game 5 as the Jazz were eliminated. And he started the same way this season, but his recent numbers have been very curious. He’s averaged 14.8 points and 9.0 assists in the past five game while the Jazz are tumbling in the midst of having lost seven of eight. In the previous five, Williams was averaging 31.6 points and 8.8 assists.

Meanwhile, Paul has been the model of consistency over the last 10 games averaging 27.4 points and 8.6 assists while the Hornets have split those games. Essentially, this tells us it is just way too early to make any big-picture assessment on either player or team. The Jazz appear to be a strong team for the long run because Williams has All-Star Carlos Boozer as a sidekick, while Paul’s help has come from a variety of sources, none of whom are as prolific as Boozer to remove some of the heat.

But we are hungry for the fresh faces from teams other than ones we’ve been consumed with since the turn of the century. The Jazz and the Hornets – Williams and Paul – are worthy of our focus. But they’ve still got a lot to prove.

Speaking of familiar teams, the Suns and Spurs matched up Monday night in a tight one, and the Suns became the first team to beat the Spurs at home in a 100-95 win. It was only the second game back for Spurs star Tim Duncan, who had missed two weeks with an ankle sprain, but he still had a monster game with 36 points and 17 rebounds. He even made it tough on Amare Stoudemire, who had the sub-par numbers of 17 points and 6 rebounds. And even with Tony Parker out for the Spurs with an ankle problem of his own, the Spurs held Steve Nash in check for the most part with just 10 points and 10 assists against the less-than-imposing Jacque Vaughn.

More interesting is the guy who had the clutch 22 points for the Suns – one ankle-challenged Grant Hill. It’s so easy to forget the Suns got him, and how badly he wants to win a title at the age of 35, but the reality is he’s averaging 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists and has failed to reach double-figures in scoring only twice this season. With so much hand-wringing going on lately in the Valley of the Sun over the lack of toughness inside and defense, they are 18-7 and trail the Spurs by just a half-game for the best record in the West.

And as for the lack of toughness inside and defense, what else is new? They haven’t had it the past three seasons as they’ve gotten closer and closer to winning the West. And while the 6-8 Hill is another finesse player, he has special qualities that could supersede the five ankle surgeries in four years that nearly crippled him. It’s way too soon to give up on Hill or the Suns, whose new general manager Steve Kerr is itching to put the final piece of the puzzle together. (How would the Pacers’ Jermaine O’Neal fit in a three-way deal with the Knicks?)

While we’ve brought up the Pacers, how about the game Mike Dunleavy put together at Madison Square Garden Monday night – a career-high 36 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a 27-point blowout of the Knicks. It’s particularly impressive considering he had just 6 points, 4 assists and 1 rebound at Miami in a tight win on Saturday. Just as people are about to write off Dunleavy, this is easily his best season. At 27, it is about time he matured enough to consistently produce on a nightly basis because he is so gifted in myriad ways. With 22 points in the third quarter alone, he was just the latest opposing player to incite the caustic MSG crowd into taunting their once-beloved Knicks.

For the first time in this nightmarish season, Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas blasted the heart and pride of his team, and it came upon the return of mercurial point guard Stephon Marbury, who had been away from the team following the death of his father. The only real issue right now is when owner Jim Dolan finally concedes this team has quit on Thomas. Everybody else knows they have.  He’s just being the stubborn cowboy he’s always been, and you would think since he loves the Knicks so much he’d realize they have no chance to win as long as Thomas is running the team. Then again, who can be surprised considering Dolan is the one that got them into this mess in the first place.

We can’t help but wonder about the way suspensions are being meted out these days.  Atlanta forward Al Horford’s head shot on T.J. Ford putting in question the rest of Raptors point guard’s career, while the errant elbow of Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will require a two-month recovery period for the shattered left eye socket of Hornets forward Melvin Ely. Typically, the punishment is based on intent, and it is obvious neither Horford nor Martin meant to cause some damage. Horford, knowing Ford already has a serious issue with narrowing of the spinal column, spent much of the night at the hospital with Ford. And Martin immediately attended to Ely with  apologies.

But the movements that caused the injuries were purposeful. And once again, how do these guys get the same one-game slap as Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for getting up off the bench in last year’s playoffs?  Causing possible career-ending injury compared to marginally breaking a rule? You make the call.

It’s hard to fathom that Hawks forward Shelden Williams was the victim of carjacking outside a barber shop over the weekend, but here we go again. Has it gotten to the point that all professional athletes and entertainers must have bodyguards?

The Blazers extended their winning streak to eight games for the first time in five years, and at 13-12 are now just a 1.5 games behind the first-place Nuggets in the Northwest Division … really.  Not only have they done this after losing top pick Greg Oden to knee surgery, but having dealt leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph for marginal Channing Frye, who now is making an impact. Besides, LaMarcus Aldridge hasn’t even played the past five games with plantar fasciitis. With Brandon Roy flourishing, Travis Outlaw coming of age, and the defense toughening every night, it’s obvious that general manager Kevin Pritchard has succeeded in building a team that perfectly suits the tough, defensive-oriented style of coach Nate McMillan.

The Dallas Mavericks are beginning to gain steam, and struggling star Dirk Nowitzki had a breakout game with 31 points and 11 rebounds, as the Mavs edged the Magic by three. It’s the first time in three weeks Dirk has had at least 20 points in two games in a row, as the Mavs now have won five of six. Watch out, Spurs … here they come again.