Despite getting a boost from the return of Manu Ginobili, the Spurs went down to the Grizzlies in Game 4 and now trail in the Western Conference first-round series 3-1. Since the NBA expanded to 16 teams in the playoffs, the eighth-seeded team has only beaten a top-seeded team three times. The Grizzlies would like to make it four.

Zach Randolph buried a critical 3-pointer late in Game 3 to help the Grizzlies win 91-88. It’s the second time in this series a Memphis player hit a huge 3-point shot to bury the Spurs. The Spurs were clipped by the Grizzlies in Game 1, thanks to Shane Battier’s 3-pointer and the unclutchness of Richard Jefferson, who missed a wide-open 3-point shot from the top of the arc that would have sent the game into overtime.

So which higher seeded team is in big trouble? The Magic? Spurs? Or the Lakers?

Fourth-seeded Orlando trailing fifth-seeded Atlanta, 3-1, is not that shocking, although seeing Dwight Howard score 46 points and watching the Magic still lose is a bit of a surprise. But during the regular season, the Hawks defeated the Magic three out of four times so their victories in Game 1, 3 and 4 can’t be considered a stunner. The Magic-Hawks series should be a competitive one, and it could very well go seven games. The Magic can still recover because Howard gives them a chance every night. However, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson need to step up their game and start knocking down shots.

The Lakers’ loss to the Hornets on Sunday can be described in one word: aberration. The Lakers demolished the Hornets in the Game 3 and have regained home-court advantage.

You can’t put too much stock into the Hornets’ victories in Game 1 and Game 4 because the Lakers are still the better team and, for whatever reason, the defending champs looked a little sluggish in the last game and were caught off guard by the pesky Hornets and the rebirth of CP3. Look for the Lakers to rebound in Game 5 and travel to New Orleans with a 3-2 lead in the series.

However, the same can’t be said about the Spurs. The Grizzlies have stood toe-to-toe with the Spurs so far and have not played like a No. 8 team. Memphis’ frontline of Marc Gasol and Randolph have dominated the paint, and unless the Spurs frontcourt players have a growth spurt, the Grizzlies will have the upperhand inside as long as they keep feeding Gasol, who has outplayed Tim Duncan so far, and Randolph in the low block.

The Spurs can still win this series, but it could go six or seven games, which can’t be good for Old Timmy Duncan’s legs and Ginobili’s sprained elbow. And the longer this series goes, the more confident the Grizzlies will get and they’ll start to believe that they can actually pull off the upset.

Photo credit: US Presswire – Spurs forward/center Tim Duncan reacts after a foul call during Game 1 of the Spurs-Grizzlies playoff series in San Antonio.

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Since the NBA All-Star break, the heaviest talk revolved around what was wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Is this Phil Jackson’s last dance in L.A.? Does Kobe Bryant have dead legs? Is Kobe’s finger injury hindering his shooting? Is Derek Fisher on his last legs? Is Pau Gasol still too soft? Can Andrew Bynum return from another injury?

Though all those questions are legit and can be concerning for Laker Nation, the defending champs still finished with the best record in the Western Conference and are still the class of the Western Conference despite all their health problems.

Can the Lakers repeat? Yes, but it is not going to be easy. All eight West playoff teams won 50 games and just seven games separated No. 1 and No. 8. OneManFastBreak.net predicts the winners of each round in the Western Conference playoffs:

FIRST ROUND

(1) L.A. Lakers vs. (8) Oklahoma City Thunder: Phil Jackson recently got fined $35,000 for comments he made about how the refs give 21-year-old scoring champ Kevin Durant of the Thunder the benefit of the doubt on a lot of foul calls. Durant fired back and said he was disappointed with Jackson’s claim. Nothing like some trash talk to get the playoffs started. Score one for the Zen Master. The Thunder may have youth on their side, but the Lakers’ experience and size will prevail. Lakers in 5.

Former NBA scoring champion Kobe Bryant goes head-to-head with new scoring champ Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Utah Jazz: Despite not having their head coach and their starting power forward still hobbled, the Nuggets still have enough firepower to knock off the Jazz, who may or may not have a healthy Carlos Boozer, center Mehmet Okur has a strain Achilles’ injury and Andrei Kirilenko is nursing a strained calf muscle. The return of Kenyon Martin to the starting lineup allows Nene to save all his energy on offense, and K-Mart also fortifies Denver’s defense. Utah will have troubling matching up with Carmelo Anthony, who could average 30 points in this series. Nuggets in 6.

(2) Dallas Mavericks vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs: This could be the best matchup in the first round in the West. The Mavs seems to always draw the Spurs in the playoffs, but they don’t seem to mind. Gregg Popovich is running out of defensive schemes to stop Dirk Nowitzki, and this year Dirk won’t have to worry about dealing with Bruce Bowen and his dirty tactics. Dallas eliminated San Antonio last season, but the Spurs didn’t have a healthy Manu Ginobili, who has turned back the clock and is playing his best ball. Ginobili, 32,  could single-handedly make this a seven-game series, but watch for the burnout factor. The Mavs know how to attack the Spurs defense, which hasn’t been the same all season. Mavericks in 7.

(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers: I would give the Blazers the nod if Brandon Roy were healthy. But he’s not. Phoenix led the league in scoring (again!) and Amare Stoudemire seems to be in a happy place right now and should be able to counter Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge. Blazers’ defense is good enough to keep this a competitive series but not enough to advance. Suns in 7.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) L.A. Lakers vs. (4) Denver Nuggets: This matchup should have been the conference finals, but the Nuggets lost their mojo down the stretch when K-Mart went down and George Karl was hospitalized. The Nuggets won the season series 3-1 from the Lakers and don’t fear the defending champs. Chauncey Billups is the key. Through four games in last year’s playoff series against the Lakers, Billups controlled the tempo and absolutely killed the Laker guards. But then his legs went dead the final two games and the Nuggets were eliminated. If he can sustain a high level of play for an entire series, the Nuggets could clip L.A. At 33 years old, with the added responsibility of being the player/coach of the Nuggets, I don’t think Billups has enough left in the tank. Lakers in 7.

(2) Dallas Mavericks vs. (3) Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash gets to play against his BFF Dirk Nowitzki, which bodes well for Phoenix because Nash loves to show Mark Cuban that he made a mistake in trading him to Phoenix. Shawn Marion should also be motivated to play against his former team, and he knows what Nash and Stoudemire love to run on offense. This is the series the Mavs get their money’s worth out of Caron Butler. He should be able to score at will against Grant Hill or Jason Richardson. Dallas could potentially have a finishing lineup of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion and Nowitzki late in the fourth quarter. Mavericks in 6.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) L.A. Lakers vs. (2) Dallas Mavericks: It’s hard to get a complete scouting report on this matchup because the Mavericks retooled their team after the All-Star break. Lamar Odom can match up with Nowitzki, but I’m not sure if the Lakers can rely on LO for an entire series. The health of Andrew Bynum becomes a big story here. If Bynum is healthy, the Lakers should be able to roll in 5 or 6 games because the Mavs can’t handle both Bynum and Pau Gasol in the paint. The Mavs don’t have an answer for Gasol if he plays power forward. However, if Bynum struggles, Gasol then moves into the center position where he, at times, gets pushed around. This is the series where we find out if Kobe still has that fifth gear. The Mavs have Butler, Marion and Jason Kidd to throw at him defensively and Bryant will have to find a way to score despite the injured finger. I think he will, but the Mavs will push the Lakers to the max. Lakers in 7.

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Chris"Birdman" Andersen, Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot" Billups, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza add color and character to this year's NBA playoffs. (GETTY IMAGES)

In Detroit, Zeke, Lam, The Worm, Buddha Edwards and Spider Salley helped form the Motor City Bad Boys. In Los Angeles, Magic, Coop, Big Game James, The Captain and Riles were the core of the Showtime Lakers. Golden State’s dynamic, high-scoring trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin were better known as Run-TMC. Then there was The Jordannaires, Michael Jordan’s famous “supporting cast” with the Chicago Bulls.

Throughout its rich history, the NBA has had its share of colorful characters from unforgettable teams with distinct nicknames that leave a lasting impression on hardcore basketball fans.

The 2008-09 Denver Nuggets currently does not have a moniker, but badly needs one. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently tried to brand the Nuggets by calling them a bunch of “thugs” for the physical abuse they dished out to Dirk Nowitzki and Co. But thugs may not be the politically correct term to use here. Even though some of the Nuggets players, covered with in some of the most impressive tattoos in the Association, look like extras in “Menace II Society” they still do not deserve the thuggish label.

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin wears the image of his son on his right bicep. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

One thing is for sure, the Nuggets are not short on individual nicknames. All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony goes by “Melo.” Denver fans refer to sharp-shooting guard J.R. Smith as “J.R. Swish.” Power forward Kenyon Martin is “K-Mart.” Bench player Chris Andersen, with his noticeable fro-hawk and his arms stretched like a condor’s wings with each block, has become a fan favorite at the Pepsi and is known as “The Birdman.” And starting center Nene is from Brazil, so he only needs one name.

With all their colorful body art and their newly found swag, this year’s Denver unit is one eclectic group. They’re so colorful they put the old Denver Nuggets uniform – the same one that Alex English, Fat Lever, Blair Rasmussen and Dan Issel were rocking during the 1980s – to shame. And ever since acquiring Chauncey Billups (aka Mr. Big Shot), they’ve been playing with great energy and passion that electrifies their home crowd. Eclectic? Electric? Hmm. That’s it! The Denver Nuggets are The Eclectic Company.

The Eclectic Company will take their show to Hollywood after earning a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

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Joakim Noah (middle) made a great defensive play for Chicago late in Game 6 and Rajon Rondo (right) could not deliver the game-winning shot for Boston.

Overtimes, buzzer-beaters, late-game heroics, flagrant fouls and one bloody nose.  Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls was an instant classic. The whole series has been one for the NBA archives. Four of the six games have gone into overtime (seven overtimes total) and five of the six games have been decided by five points or less. In the words of the great lyrical poet Kanye West, this series has been “So amazing … So amazing … So amazing.”

You have to go back to the early 1980s to make a comparison. The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers waged a seven-game Eastern Conference war in 1981 and again 1982, with the Celtics winning in ’81 and the Sixers winning in ’82. Those two battles produced many, many memorable plays and earned Sixer guard Andrew Toney the nickname “Boston Strangler” for his penchant for silencing the Boston Garden crowd.

The only difference between this season’s Boston-Chicago showdown and the epic battles in the ’80s is that the stakes were higher for Boston and Philly. The 2009 Boston-Chicago matchup is being played out in the first round, whereas Larry Bird’s Celtics and Julius Erving’s 76ers went head to head in the conference finals. But that should not minimize the greatness of this year’s playoff series.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, the 2008-09 rookie of the year, got the party started with a 36-point performance in Game 1 to briefly steal home-court advantage away from the Celtics. Game 2 saw a UConn shootout between Ray Allen and Ben Gordon. Despite Gordon’s 42-point effort, it was Allen who had the last say when he buried a trey over 6-11 Joakim Noah for the game-winner. After Boston wrestled home court back with a blowout victory in Game 3, the Bulls tied the series at 2 by winning Game 4 in overtime.

Things got heated in Game 5 in Boston as Rajon Rondo gave Brad Miller a dose of his own medicine but smacking him so hard on the face that Miller’s head was still ringing when he missed both free throws, and the Celtics escaped with a 106-104 win.

But the first five games were all trumped by Game 6. There were not enough superlatives to describe Thursday night’s game at the United Center in Chicago.

John Salmons channeled his inner-Jordan, dropping 35 points on the C’s despite logging 59 out of a possible 63 minutes of court time. Miller, the goat of Game 5, scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench. On the other hand, Allen played like a God in Game 6, channeling his inner Jesus Shuttlesworth, swishing two miraculous shots in two of the three OTs just to keep the game going. Ray-Ray lit up the Bulls for a record-tying nine 3-pointers en route to a 51-point performance in 58 minutes, and STILL his supernatural effort was not enough to save the Celtics. Rondo – who has been nothing short of brilliant in the series, averaging a triple double entering the sixth game – had 19 assists and played another solid all-around game. But Rondo could not deliver in the clutch as his potential game-winning shot was blocked by Rose to secure the Bulls’ 128-127 triple-overtime victory.

Allen said he wished he could have done more. “When you are on the losing end, you think about all the (plays) you missed,” Allen said. Hard to blame a guy who just dropped 51 points and hit the 3-pointer that sent the game into a third OT. If there is blame to pass around, it should be pointed at Celtics coach Doc Rivers for not giving Allen the ball in the Celtics’ second-to-last possession that resulted in a blocked shot, and at Paul Pierce for his costly mistake.

Pierce, Boston’s go-to guy and the hero of Game 5, had a rough Game 6. He took an inadvertent shot to the nose in the third quarter and briefly left the bench area to have it mended in the locker room. His fatigued legs also failed him late. With the game tied at 123, Pierce coughed up the ball to Noah, who then outsprinted Pierce for an and-one dunk to give the Bulls a three-point lead and send Pierce to the bench after committing his sixth foul.

Game 7 wasn’t so special since both teams looked absolutely gassed. The Celtics were saved by their bench, mainly Brian Scalabrine and Eddie House, to finally eliminate the pesky Bulls and advance to the conference semifinals against Orlando. Though the ending did not live up to the hype, the seven-game series was still one for the history books.

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