I'm going to borrow a Dickens line to recap this weekends NBA playoff games; "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."  So there were two really great games this weekend, and a bunch of really bad ones.  I'll start with the bad ones because they're more fun, in chronological order.  Kings-Spurs game 6 on friday started out pretty good.  It was competitive, and you have to hand it to the best fans in the NBA.  I can guarantee there weren't any thundersticks in that arena.  But the little engine that could finally ran out of coal.  The kings were just overmatched in the series.  Had it still been a 5 game series they might have been able to steal it, but not 7.  They were this years version of last years Denver Nuggets, way to good to be that low of a seed and scared the living daylights out of San Antonio.  Sacramento will be good next year and should give Phoenix a run for it's money for the Pacific Division title.  By the start of the second half it was obvious that the enevitable was happening and the young Kings wilted under the SA pressure.  Great series for Bonzi Wells, but I don't think he'll be back.  Kevin Martin is a much better shooter, and put some bulk on him, and get the guy a modern day haircut, he could be a very good player. 

Saturday's game 7 between Phoenix and the Lakers was over before it began.  Kobe tried to keep his team in it, but Phil Jackson got outcoached in this series.  I know he'd been out of the game for a year or two, but somebody should have reminded him that the first round is a best of 7 now, not best of 5.  And was there ever a more disinterested or more unliked player then Kobe Bryant in the second half of that game?  Maybe during the offseason he can spend some time with Bill Cartwright and learn how to make all those elbows he throws actually hurt people.  I was actually quite pleased that he finished 4th in the MVP voting, having 1 unbelievable game (81) and another pretty good 3/4ths for a game, doesn't make an MVP. 

The final stink bomb of the weekend was the Cavs-Pistons game 1.  Who would have thought that Detroit would be such an offensive buzzsaw.  Welcome to the real playoffs Mr. James.  The king and his court played less defense then the lawyers for that terrorist guy.  I mean if you can't stop Lindsay Hunter, you have some problems.  All that joy and elation from Damon Jones and Lebron after their win at Washington, was gone with a 30 point halftime deficit.

That leads me into the best games of the weekend.  Dallas-San Antonio game 1 turned out to be all that was advertised.  Although I do miss the free-wheeling scoring that the mavs used to provide.  Bog down half court offense with stifling defense just isn't fun to watch.  Dallas lost this game because they didn't make Tim Duncan run the court. You have to know the other team's weakness and exploit it.  Looking at this series, it's pretty much even, a coin flip.  I give the edge in the end to the Spurs, basically because Avery Johnson isn't quite there yet as a playoff coach.  And that last play, there was a ton of time left why not set a pick for Nowitzki, why not run a play where he gives up the ball and gets it back.  Was Stackhouse trying to be Damon Jones in the corner?  Take it to the hoop and at least give your team a chance. 

The best game of the weekend though was the Cavs-Wizards game 6 friday night.  Gilbert Arenas is unbelievable.  The man is from another planet.  Any GM who didn't think that he was worth the money he asked for as free-agent should be relieved of his duties...oh yeah the one in Denver who passed on Gilbert was let go.  Not only did he constantly keep his team in the game, did you see the shot he made to force overtime?  What was Eric Snow thinking.  "Ok, they're down 3, under 10 seconds to play, he's not going to shoot from way out there?"  Of course he is, that's what superstars do, they make plays that make you say "WOW".  The only problem is that wasn't the last "wow" he had of the game.  Hopefully those two freethrows he missed at the end doesn't discourage him.  I'd hate to have another Nick Anderson in the NBA.  Remember when he missed the FT in the Finals with the Magic.  He was an 80% shooter prior to that, afterwards he finished his career hovering around 59% or so.  And what was with Lebron and his "psyche out".  Ok Lebron that was cute, very sportsmanlike.  Did he get in the guy's head?  Maybe, but is that the image you want to portray, leave that to Kobe and Gary Payton.  You want to be liked in this league don't you?  Finally, Damon Jones shot was huge, coming off the bench cold and knocking it down was amazing.  The perfect end to a great series.  But the celebration was lacking.  It was like Phil Mickelson's first master's victory.  Lebron went all "brokeback mountain" on Jones.  I think he even said "I don't know how to quit you".  Anyway, Lebron act like you've been there, even if you haven't.  Other then that, great series, great game, so/so weekend.