From Deseret News archives:
NBA Western Conference playoffs preview
No. 1 SAN ANTONIO SPURS (63-19) vs. No. 8 SACRAMENTO KINGS (44-38)
Season series: Spurs, 2-1, winning two games by a total of four points before Ron Artest came to Sacramento. The Kings won by 10 at San Antonio in early April.
Storyline: The Spurs start their quest for a second straight title against a dangerous No. 8 seed: Sacramento is 26-14 since acquiring Artest in January.
Key matchup I: Tony Parker vs. Mike Bibby. Both point guards look to score without disrupting their team's offenses. Parker had his best season, averaging 18.9 points and shooting 55 percent. He is more of a slasher, while Bibby relies more on his outside shot to average 21.1 points.
X-factor: Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel and Brent Barry. Those perimeter players are supposed to give San Antonio one of the league's best benches. The Kings aren't very deep, so this could be a huge advantage for the Spurs.
Little-known fact: Though they have been two of the best teams in the West during this decade, the Spurs and Kings have never met in the postseason.
Prediction: Spurs in 6.
No. 2 PHOENIX SUNS (54-28) vs. No. 7 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (45-37)
Season series: Suns, 3-1, even though Kobe Bryant averaged 42.5 points in the four games. Steve Nash and former Jazzman Raja Bell sat out the Lakers' only victory, and Phoenix averaged nearly 112 points in its three wins.
Storyline: This series is all about offense, so it could be the most fun of the opening-round matchups. The high-flying Suns and Nash, their MVP candidate, against NBA scoring leader Bryant, who also has MVP hopes.
Comments
- Obama, Soviet's Afghan endgame 1:04 a.m.
- Victims of Bhopal demand cleanup 12:55 a.m.
- Pakistanis kill 15 militants 12:47 a.m.
- SLCC campus briefs 12:24 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 12:22 a.m.
- SUU campus briefs 12:20 a.m.
- Sports on the air 12:12 a.m.
- Editorial: Buy local this Christmas 12:11 a.m.
- Conflicting advice for wise shopping 12:11 a.m.
- Half-baked nonstrategy will not work 12:11 a.m.
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
- Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
- Mitchell said to share LeBaron traits
- BCS just keeps dirty laundry on spin
- Teen girl killed in Kaysville crash
- Utahns growing tired of Bennett
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- MWC awaits bowl destinations
- Orem pair getting a rep for crime
- Simple candies for the holidays
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
914 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
483 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
405 - Max Hall issues apology
392 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
358 - Utes won't respond to Hall
278 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
244 - Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
237 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
184 - Religion in politics is tiresome
154
Some Ute fans might be wringing their hands over still another loss,...
I arrived at the Spectrum a little more than an hour before tipoff and...
What a fun game to watch!! I love seeing the Aggs step up huge on defense. I...
Take of your Rose-colored glasses and watch the game again. Y'all got beat...
Hey guys... what does BYU and Swag have in common??......... They both get...
Way to go AGGIES!! Can't wait till UNLV comes into Provo and punks them again.
From an example of a law abiding citizen, Rodney King ..."U of U and BYU...
First, you must bleed that parched, ugly, awful royal blue, because that's...
I did not know anyone in the accident, I am not from this area; but the...
Yum...I want some now.
don't get me wrong, i have tons of respect for coach sloan and what he's done...
If we could only figure out a use ( like the presto-logs from sawdust ) for...


You can be the first to comment on this story.