HERO OF THE WEEK
One match and 27 minutes on the court is negligible to mark an ordinary basketball player. But not Dwayne Wade. The outbreak is again in the ranks of “Miami”, and the alignment of forces in the East before the playoffs is changing again. Yes, “Hit” lost to “Bobcats” in overtime, and last year’s MVP made 6 losses, got only 3 of 9 shots from the game and 6 of 12 free throws, in the last seconds got under the “pot” of Emeka Okafor and oiled one of the “fines” " Who doubts that for the decisive matches Wade will have time to gain star form?
TEAM OF THE WEEK
A peculiar western analogue of “Miami” today is “Denver”, an early meeting with which even the favorites are afraid. True, Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony have now gained such a good pace that these very favorites are given a sigh of relief. “Nuggets” confidently crawled upstairs, winning six games in a row, and are likely to gain a foothold in sixth place, having received themselves as rivals, “San Antonio”. Not the most pleasant option, given that the “spurs” also obviously took shape on the eve of the playoffs.
LEGIONARY OF THE WEEK
The Brazilian Nene did nothing extraordinary, but his reliable work under the shields allows the Nuggets to feel confident. Last week, the striker scored 15.4 points and made 7.8 rebounds - very good numbers along with Iverson, Anthony and Marcus Cambie that dominate the protocols. Nene and the Lithuanian “shooter” Linas Cleise became a good help for coach George Karl, reliably closing the gap that arose after the injury to poor fellow Kenyon Martin.
CONFUSES OF THE WEEK
On Monday, Houston flew to Seattle without Bonzie Wells. The attacking defender “Rockits” simply did not appear on the flight, causing bewilderment by the club management - there were no obvious reasons for such a decision. When they began to sort it out, it turned out that Bonzie had left a message on the answering machine of the physical training coach, they say, fly without me, I’m just bothering you, violating the integrity of the team. And gone. “I hope everything is all right with him,” the coach could only say Jeff Van Gundy.
Texans should have known what kind of goose they signed last offseason.
TOPIC OF THE WEEK
Now, when the composition of the eights in both conferences is not so obvious, it’s not at all interesting to follow the crush over the last trips. The intrigue of the ending of the championship remains the race of “Chicago” and “Cleveland”, which incredibly win in the most difficult matches, and then suddenly stumble in fights with outsiders. Last week, the “bulls” still caught up with the “gentlemen” in the standings, and so far have come first. At the finish with the same performance, the first “tie-breaker" is the meeting in person. But here the teams have a draw - 2: 2. Then success in the division counts - and they are better for Chicagoans.
What is at stake? Who is the second, and who is the fifth in the East! Number 2 will almost certainly avoid meeting with Detroit and Miami before the conference finals. The finish line promises to be interesting. The schedule for applicants is simple. The main thing is to avoid mistakes.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
04/09/2007. This look, or rather, its absence, says too much. The main idea is that one cannot live on like that. In a recent ESPN interview, they tried to spin Kevin Garnett into revelations, but he, as an exemplary professional, did not talk about his desire to leave Minnesota. Hinted only at the expectation of a big change. One defeat after another now, at the finish of the championship, when many outsiders freed themselves and began to collect scalps, they only add sadness and hidden determination in the depths of KJ's eyes.
Chasing the week
Rather, this nomination should be renamed "loser of the week." That, of course, is Utah. “Jazzmen” squandered 17 points of the benefits achieved in the third quarter of the Friday match with “Sacramento”, and the next day - even worse - they lowered 20 points into the pipe at the start of the final twelve minutes. Both times this happened without the participation of Andrei Kirilenko, who injured his thumb on Wednesday.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Just a little while, and we'll turn a great season into a mediocre one,” said Jerry Sloan, Utah head coach in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune.
FIGURES OF THE WEEK
Vince Carter and Jason Kidd have been and remain a dangerous pair of defenders. This was felt by “Washington”, which received from triple-double double superstars - 46 points, 16 rebounds (personal record!), 10 Carter assists and 10 points, 16 rebounds (repetition of personal record), 18 Kidd assists. The last time the two partners made a triple double on January 3, 1989 - Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen excelled, of course. And the NBA last saw Carter’s 46 + 16 as part of the triple-double the last time, even in 1977, when the central “Phoenix” Olvan Adams chalked up 47 + 17 + 12.
MOMENT OF THE WEEK
“Wizards” and so you will not name lucky - Gilbert Arenas guys lost before the end of the season. So to complete the misfortunes, the balls also fly into their ring. You can work out - all the same, you will not succeed as Daryus Songaila does.
WAITING FOR THE WEEK
Doctors advise Andrei Kirilenko to go to the floor before the start of the playoffs, but the Russian decided to wait another two or three days and see what happens when the tumor on his finger subsides. “While it is as if stuffed with needles,” the AK-47 shared its feelings.
In addition to the battle in absentia between “Chicago” and “Cleveland” we do not forget to follow the fights on the verge of the playoff zone. It is not easy to have the “Lakers”, who on Thursday will meet with neighbors (geographic and tournament) from the “Clippers”, and the next day they will play in the “Phoenix”. Theoretically, some of the most important matches may fall on the last day of the regular season - April 18, after which our final weekly review will be released. For example, next Wednesday, “New Jersey” will take “Chicago”, “Indiana” - “Washington”, and “Clippers” - have not left the chase “Hornets”.
Nikolai TSYNKEVICH