Celtics must deal with more injuries

Celtics, Powe out for rest of playoffs with torn ACL

It looks like Kevin Garnett will have some company on the sideline as backup forward Leon Powe will be out for the remainder of the postseason.

Powe tore his ACL in his left knee in the second quarter in last nights win against the Chicago Bulls. Powe who was out for almost all of March due to a right knee problem will now have sit out to rehab his other knee now.

The Celtics were able to still beat the Bulls 118-115 last night to even the series at 1-1. They were led behind Ray Allen who scored 27 points in the second half. The Celtics were depending on Powe and Glen Davis to fill the void with Garnett being out. Now they will have to rely even more on Davis and rarely used Mikki Moore.

The Bulls who have surprised a lot of people by keeping games close with the defending champions have a lot of people thinking that the baby Bulls can actually win this series. With Powe going down the Bulls should be able to win the rebounding battle which can give them a realistic shot at winning the series.

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It has begun!

Rose sets record in playoff debut

The Chicago Bulls went into the Boston Garden today to play the defending champs and the baby Bulls were given no chance, they shocked the world today behind there youngest bull.

Derek Rose tied Kareem Abdul-Jabaar's record for the most points by a rookie in his playoff debut today with 36 points and 11 assists. Rose was able to lead the Bulls to a win over the defending champs 105-103 in overtime.

"He doesn't need playoff experience," Bulls guard Ben Gordon said. "He's poised beyond his years. He already carries himself like a veteran out there. He had a phenomenal game tonight, to say the least."

Just like last year, the Celtics played down to there competition going seven games with the Atlanta Hawks in the first round last year. This year the Celtics are without Kevin Garnett, their biggest inspiration. Without Kevin Garnett the Bulls have a real chance of upsetting the defending champs in the first round. This series will be very interesting in the upcoming week.

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Garnett possibly for the playoffs

The big three in Boston is now the big two as the defending champion Celtics are losing the big ticket for the first round of the playoffs and possibly the entire postseason.

Kevin Garnett knee is still giving him problems and his own coach is saying that he is not ready for playoff basketball. Garnett is the backbone for the defending champion Celtics, he is their inspirational leader and the center piece of that tough defensive front.

"It's not official that he's out for the entire playoffs, but it's official as far as I'm concerned," said Doc Rivers, head coach of the Celtics before practice at the team's workout facility. "I just don't see how. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see it."

If KG is out for the playoffs more than the big two in Ray Allen and Paul Pierce will have to step up. Role players such as Rajon Rondo, Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Leon Poe will have to contribute and fill the void of the big ticket. The Celtics will get past there first round match-up against the Bulls, however, after that, it does not look good for the champs.

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Mavs beat Rockets Clinch 6th Seed

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Spurs beat Hornets in OT, Clinch 3rd seed in West

Hornets get redemption on Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks were looking to gain sole control of the sixth seed in the Western Conference this afternoon when they tried to win their second straight game over the New Orleans Hornets, however Chris Paul decided otherwise.

The Hornets were able to get the win over the Mavericks in the big easy this afternoon by beating the Mavericks by a score of 102-92. The Hornets were led by Paul who was a rebound shy of a triple-double. Paul had 31 points 17 assist and nine rebounds. The win gives the Hornets control over the sixth seed in the West with two games left to play

"Obviously, you want to be seeded as high as possible, but it's all about us playing well," Paul said. "Whatever seed we get, I think we'll be fine."

The Hornets will travel on the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets while the Mavericks will return home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Rockets. This next week will be a fun one to watch in the Western Conference


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Suns are done

Mavs crush Jazz, tied for 7th seed

The Dallas Mavericks played their biggest two games of year on Sunday and last night, both nights they were able to step up to the challenge.

The Mavericks crushed the seventh seed Utah Jazz last night in Dallas by a score of 130-101. The Mavs were able to kill two birds with one stone last night, they are now tied for the seventh seed in the Western Conference with Utah and they officially eliminated any chance for the Phoenix Suns to make the playoffs.

"Knowing the importance of each game and the sense of urgency, we treat every game like it's a Game 7 playoff game," said Mavericks guard Jason Terry, who scored 21 points last night.

The Mavericks have a chance to move up to the sixth seed in the West as they will play the sixth seed New Orleans Hornets on Friday and then again on Sunday. The Mavs are currently only one game back of the Hornets with four games left to play in the regular season.

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Mavs crush Suns end any playoff hopes in Phoenix

This was the biggest game of the year for the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns, if the Mavericks win the Suns season is all but over, if the Suns win they have a legitimate chance to sneak into the playoffs, it looks like the sun has set Phoenix.

The Mavericks crushed the Suns 140-116 and now the Suns chances of making the playoffs are slim to none, and that is an understatement. With five games remaining in the regular season if the Suns lose one game or the Mavs win one game, Phoenix is eliminated from playoff contention.

"We're not holding our breath," Suns guard Steve Nash said.

The Mavs now have a chance to do what they have been wanting to do for a while now and that is move up to the seventh seed to avoid a first round playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavs have a chance to do that when they play the seventh seed Utah Jazz at home on Wednesday.


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Best in the West Battle

Best in the West, Lakers beat Spurs 102-95

In a match-up between the two best teams in the western conference the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio last night by a score of 102-95.

The Lakers started off hot and lead the Spurs by 18 points in the first quarter. The Spurs were able to come back however they were not able to mount enough of a comeback on the west best team.

"It's difficult to spot the best team in the league 18 points and then go play," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It was a really tough first quarter. They played great and didn't miss many shots. They made shots and we played badly."

This could be a preview of the western conference finals as the Lakers and the Spurs know what it takes to win down the stretch as both teams have won a combine seven championships since 1999.

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Suns Struggle

Suns continue to slip away from playoff contention, lose to Spurs 103-98

The Phoenix Suns are in a position where they cannot afford to lose a lot of games coming down the home stretch of the regular season if they want to make the playoffs. They did not help their cause tonight.

The Suns lost their fourth straight game today losing to the San Antonio Spurs 103-98. The Suns, who are still without Amare Stoudemire, had everyone else available but they still were not able to pull out a win against their arch rivals the Spurs.

"We're in desperate position," said Steve Nash "Let's do our best, not panic."

The Suns are now four games out of the eighth seed in the western conference with only 19 games left to play. The Suns have a huge match-up against the Dallas Mavericks next week who currently control the eighth seed.

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Saturday Night Ball

LeBron gets triple-double as top seed Cavs beat Wade and Heat

In a match-up between arguably the two best players in league lived they up to their reputation in what could be a potential playoff match-up in a month.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavilers beat Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat tonight 99-88. James recorded a triple double with 14 points 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Wade almost did the same as he had 25 points 12 assists and 8 rebounds. The win puts the Cavs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

"It's something we've been able to do this year," James said. "It's something we really haven't been good at in the past, but we've been able to bounce back from certain losses and games where we thought we could play a lot better."

This match-up could be a possible first or second round playoff series when they start in a month from now. James and Wade facing off against each other in a seven game series would be one of the greatest playoff battles in recent memory.


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Potential Playoff Match-Ups

Mavs beat Spurs in potential first round match-up

In what is arguably the best rivalry in the entire league the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs battled once again to show who was the superior in the Lone Star State.

The Mavs were able to beat the Spurs by a score of 107-102. This match-up is a potential first round match-up between the two playoff experienced teams. The Spurs are currently in second place in the Western Conference and the Mavs are in the seventh seed.

"If we play hard every possession like we did tonight, we can beat a really good team," said Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavericks, "Now it's up to the guys to keep on doing it. ... I knew what we were capable of."

The Mavericks who have struggled all season needed to prove to themselves and their fans that they are still capable of beating good teams. Will they be able to continue there strong play in the last third of the season. Only time will tell.
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