Top 10: Players Looking To Steal Kobe's Title

Los Angeles Lakers star  Kobe Bryant  figures the 2011 NBA Championship is his to lose -- and he doesn’t intend on losing it.   

That’s why he went back on the court in Miami after the Heat beat the Lakers 94-88. While his teammates dispersed for dinner and assorted extracurricular activities in South Florida, Bryant went back to work on his jump shot.   

Losing to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and company didn’t sit well with him. So he had ball boys feed him the rock for an hour while he launched shot after shot into the mostly empty American Airlines Arena.   

“There were a couple of my shots, my pet shots, that I didn't feel comfortable with, so I had to get back out and work on them,” Bryant told reporters afterward. “It's my job. I got to work at it. This is what you're supposed to do. If you're uncomfortable about something and feel like you can tweak some things, you got to work on them. It doesn't matter when you work on them. You got to get it done. You got to figure it out.”   

Later, he sent Yahoo! Sports this text message: “I want what all men want. I just want it more.”   

But other NBA players want it, too. Here are the top 10 players aiming for Kobe’s crown.

No.10 Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat

While teammate LeBron James gets more attention in Miami these days, Wade seems more than comfortable taking the last shot. His ability to attack the rim and earn free-throw opportunities makes him one of the league’s most dangerous scorers in playoff scenarios.

Bryant regards him as one of the top “closers” in the game -- one of those select players who thrive on the last-minute pressure of close games.

“I’ve played against him, and I’ve played with him on the Olympic team, and I know this: He’s really good at it,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports. “He’s not afraid of those moments. I think the world of him. His game, his competitive spirit… He’s great.”

No.9 Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

How do you defend “Superman” in the paint? You beat him up and take your chances at the free-throw line, where he lacks superhero power.

This tactic tends to frustrate and/or anger Howard. If he can learn to channel his emotions and attack back, he could become an insurmountable match-up for most teams in the league. LeBron saw that first hand when Howard scored 40 to finish off the Cavaliers in their 2009 playoff series.   

The challenge for Howard is to lock in every night and fight through the adversity. “The biggest thing for me is that I have to learn how to play hard on a consistent basis,” he once told Sports Illustrated. “I do it for five or six games, and then I might take one game off. Not that I take a game off, but I might take some possessions off, and I'm not as aggressive as I can be.”

No.8 Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder has come of age this season. This team has learned how to finish off victories, making it a dangerous playoff team in the Western Conference bracket. “One thing we’ve gotten better at is closing games out,” Durant told reporters earlier this season. 


Key to that is Durant’s rapid development. His ability to take over games has earned him the “Next Kobe” label from a lot of experts. 


The Los Angeles Times asked Bryant what he thought of that. “It depends how he develops and if the coaching staff he has around him will tell him what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong,” Bryant said. "A lot of coaches get scared to tell players what they're doing wrong. I didn’t grow up like that. 


“I grew up with Tex [Winter], and Tex would tell you that you stink, you know what I mean? If you had to work on something, he would tell you, and I think that helped me.”

No.7 Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs

This well-seasoned team knows how to win NBA Championships. And the Spurs have operated at peak efficiency this season with Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan still playing at a high level. 


“They're tough,” Lakers forward Lamar Odom told the Los Angeles Times. “They know what to expect out of each other. They know how to play with each other. They play well off each other. They're disciplined offensively and defensively. They stick to their guns. They do the same thing over and over again. They make it work.” 


Ginobili hits clutch shots, helps on the boards at critical game moments and makes timely steals. Best of all for San Antonio’s playoff hopes, he can aggravate Bryant to no end. The annoying Ginobili has prodded Kobe into committing flagrant and technical fouls. That could become a major X-factor should these teams meet in the playoffs.

No.6 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Once again, Mark Cuban’s team is headed toward postseason play. But will the Mavericks ever have a group tough enough to finish off playoff victories? 


Will their star, the multi-talented Nowitzki, ever learn to be a Kobe-caliber closer? “Dirk wants to and he should be,” Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. "It's more a question of 'Could he?' 'Could we allow him to?' The second unit has to not lose leads. They [the backups] have to increase leads, have to get stops. And we didn't do that last year. You've got to be able to hold onto a lead. You can't be giving up leads.” 


Jason Kidd believes Nowitzki could be a clutch player at the end of games if his supporting cast gives him that opportunity. “He's always had the ability to be a closer,” Kidd said. “But it's up to the rest of us to help him out.”

No.5 Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

While James, Wade and the rest of the “Heatles” grabbed most of the headlines in the Eastern Conference, Rose moved the Bulls into contending position. Experts believe he is emerging as a Bryant-like force -- and Kobe agreed.

“I can tell when a player truly wants to be better and does what it takes to improve,” Bryant told ESPN. “It was a quality I had when I was growing up… I admire that about him. I could really see it from last year to this year.”

By improving his shooting range (as Kobe did), Rose gained the ability to take over games. He can score every which way, which is why he may be the league’s MVP this season.

“He's got a long-range ball now,” Bryant said. “He can pop behind the pick and shoot the jumper. He can pull up off the dribble and shoot it, and him getting to the rim goes unquestioned. He's putting the time in the gym, and I certainly respect that.”

No.4 Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers

He is getting his wheels back. After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on both knees, Roy is working back into top shape. His ability to play full-tilt again could make Portland a dangerous playoff team.

“That team played as well against us as any team has played in a long time,” 76ers coach Doug Collins said after a late-season loss to the Blazers.

How good is a healthy Roy? Bryant went on The John Thompson Show and told the radio audience that Roy is the hardest player to guard in the NBA -- tougher than Durant.  “Roy, 365 days, seven days a week,” Bryant said. “Roy has no weaknesses in his game.”

No.3 Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

For much of the season, Paul looked weary from carrying this so-so team. “I put too much pressure on him to carry us every night,” Hornets coach Monty Williams told The New Orleans Times-Picayune. “The bottom line is, to play at this level for 82 games is impossible. He’s one of the great ones. I feel like I put too much pressure on him at times.”

Paul pulled out of a scoring funk in time to boost his team’s playoff profile. “It’s winning time,” he told The Times-Picayune. “You can’t wait and hope other teams lose to get in position.”

A string of mesmerizing performances reminded NBA fans that he could make the Hornets dangerous in a playoff series. And research by NBA.com shows how Paul has transformed a .500-caliber team into a squad that is difficult to beat in close games.

“In general, the Hornets have been about average offensively and a little better than average defensively over the last five and a half seasons,” NBA.com observed. “But late in one-possession games, they've been exceptional on both ends of the floor.”

No.2 Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

If these old warriors have one title run left, Pierce figures to lead the charge. The MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals loves to compete, particularly against Bryant. Remember when he declared that Bryant wasn’t the best player in the world?

Remember when he guaranteed the 2010 Finals wouldn’t return to LA? Pierce isn’t always right with his proclamations, but his swagger is contagious in Boston.

He re-signed with the Celtics after Boston lost to LA in seven games last summer.

“It’s been driving me crazy just knowing we could have had a second title in the last three years,” he told reporters during a conference call. “I’m using it as motivational for the next four years, next year for extra motivation knowing how close we were to winning another title. It’s difficult to go through that. I haven’t thought about one game for so long, and I know it’s not going to erase any time soon.”

No.1 LeBron James, Miami Heat

The "decision" really wasn’t all that difficult. James joined the Miami Heat to improve his chances of finally winning an NBA title. He wants to take a run at Kobe -- with the help of his new friends Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Kobe would love to see LeBron in the finals. “There's a deep competitive fervor going on between them, and that's natural,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said earlier this season. “That's just the way it's going to be.”

That fervor reared its head when the Heat drubbed the Lakers on Christmas. During the end-of-the-game trash talking, Bryant had a reminder for James.

“I`m a champ,” Kobe said. And LeBron, to this point, is not. That will make the 2011 NBA Playoffs so much fun to watch.

Kobe Bryant fined $100,000 for Homophobic Slur

The San Antonio Spurs were in LA last night against the Lakers. The game was a must win for L.A. to secure the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs rested their 3 stars (Duncan, Ginobili, & Parker), but still the Lakers weren't able to pull off an easy win against the Spurs' reserves. It was a grind until the last 2 minutes of the game where the Lakers took control. It was a Laker win but a costly one, Andrew Bynum hyperextended his surgically repaired right knee in the second quarter and didn't return to the game. At the heat ofthe game, Kobe Bryant was called for a personal and a technical foul by referee Bernie Adams and had some choiced words for the ref. Well, it found to be personal & discriminatory for a certain community and also for David Stern, which is why he was fined $100,000. Here's the clip.

Kobe said he wasn't directing it to the Gay and Lesbian community and it shouldn't be taken literally. I guess substituting it would be much more appropriate even if it's still obvious, like shoot for sh*t. So next time he argues with the refs, he should probably replace it with "fu#*ng Fart". Peace.

Meralco Stuns Smart Gilas Pilipinas in Tacloban City

I got a chance to witness courtside the game between the Meralco Bolts and Smart Gilas Pilipinas. It was a very entertaining match that lasted for 53 minutes because it had an overtime period. Both teams went back and forth, giving their all. Eventhough, Gilas team captain Chris Tiu didn't accompany the team because of a shoulder injury, Smart Gilas never backed down against the Bolts. Spitfire guard Jv Casio led the surge with 20 points and scored the game tying basket which sent the game to overtime. But the Bolts was too much for Gilas. Sol Mercado led the way and Champ Oguchi did the finishing touches in the overtime period sealing the game for the Bolts. The Bolts won 91-89.

 Smart Gilas Pilipinas' JV Casio guarded by Meralco Bolts' Sean Weinstein

Inside the Huddle of Smart Gilas Pilipinas

Smart Gilas Pilipinas' JV Casio looking to pass.

Japeth Aguilar with the Jam.

Meralco Bolts' Sean Weinstein tries to bother Barrocas shot.

Meralco's Sean Weinstein trying fight a screen set by Mac Barracael for Mark Barroca

Gilas Coach Rajko Toroman questions the Referee.

Merlaco Bolts' Center Asi Taulava jumps for the ball.

11 Tips for Getting Over your Ex

1- Take Her Off That Pedestal

First things first: Stop acting like your ex was God’s gift to men. She wasn’t perfect. If we’re being honest, she probably wasn’t even close. Make a list of her annoying traits. Let your buddies bad-mouth her. Do whatever you have to do -- just take her off that pedestal.

2- Get Closure

Step two for getting over your ex: get closure. If you’re going to end this thing, end it. Make sure you’re both on the same page. This is a breakup, not a “break.” The two of you are moving on, which means potentially seeing other people. If you feel the need to do a relationship postmortem, do it now. You won’t be seeing her again for a while.

3- Don't Contact Her

This may be the most important of our 11 tips for getting over your ex. After you’ve gotten closer, don’t contact her. Go cold turkey. Seriously. Maybe you said some crap about trying to stay friends, maybe you made some idiot vow to “always be there for each other,” but forget it. By staying in touch with old flames, you’re asking for months (if not years) of on-again-off-again uncertainty. So, throw out her phone number, stop texting her and unfriend her on Facebook. Imagine how freaked out you'll be the first time you see some strange dude in her profile picture, and you'll see why a clean break is essential.

4- Work Out

Without a girlfriend gobbling up hours out of every day, you may be wondering what to do with yourself. Now that you’re single, we suggest hitting the gym or taking a jog. It’s a healthy way to work out all of that post-breakup frustration. Getting in shape is also a good way to boost your self-esteem. And don’t forget: The gym is a great place to meet women (plenty of reasons why working out makes our list of 11 tips for getting over your ex).

5- Avoid Her Friends And The Places She Hangs

If you want to avoid the temptations that come with bumping into an ex, you might have to make some sacrifices. You might have to cut ties with some of your mutual friends. You might have to avoid some of your favorite haunts (because they’re her favorite haunts, too). Trust us, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.

6- Throw Away Anything That Reminds You Of Her

That dopey-looking teddy bear she gave you for your birthday, the sappy love letters she wrote, the adorable pictures of the two of you -- chuck ’em. Throw it all away. The sooner you get all that junk out of your house the sooner you’ll get over her. 

And before you ask, yes, it’s fine to keep items that don't evoke any emotional connections. If she bought you a copy of Call of Duty 2, keep it. But clothes, jewelry, keepsakes, and the like should be ditched. 

7- Don't Try To Get Your Stuff Back

By the same token, you don’t want to try to get your stuff back. You can’t have a relationship relapse if you don’t allow yourself to see your ex. Forget about all that stuff you left at her place. Consider it gone. The $50 you’re going to have to spend to replace a few DVDs is a small price to pay to avoid an ex-girlfriend who could be either desperately needy or irrationally angry.

8- Hang Out With Your Friends

One of the things you had to sacrifice when in a committed relationship was time with your friends. Girlfriends are notorious time-bandits, always greedy for more and more of your attention. But now that you’re single, you can reconnect with the buds you left behind. Not only will it be fun, but it will also be therapeutic because hanging out with your friends is one of the most rewarding of our 11 tips for getting over your ex.

9- Exercise Your Newfound Freedom

Relationships are about compromise. Being single should be about doing whatever the hell you want. Look, you’ve ditched the ball and chain. You’re free. So stay out until four in the morning, hop on a plane to Vegas with your brother, or just sit on your ass and watch basketball all day. Taking pleasure in all of those things that you couldn’t do as a boyfriend is a great way to get over your ex.

10- Remember The Bad Times

It’s pretty common for guys to idealize their significant others after a breakup. You’ll just be going about your business, and then, suddenly, you’ll remember an inside joke or a great date. Then you’ll grin, thinking about a cute personality quirk she had, and before long, you’re fantasizing about how great your sex life used to be.
 
Snap out of it. One of the most important of our 11 tips for getting over your ex is to remember the bad times. Focus on the fights and the problems. Recollect her bad habits and shady behavior. It’s like taking a cold shower. 

11- Sleep With Another Girl

The most foolproof method for getting over your ex is to sleep with another girl. It’s the fastest and most efficient way to get an ex-girlfriend out of your system. One of the reasons we equivocate about leaving an ex behind is because -- no matter how confident we are -- we worry we won’t find someone new. That’s what sends us crawling back to our familiar, comfy, dysfunctional exes time and time again. Finding a new love interest, even for one night, is the best method of countering all those self-defeating thoughts.

Bonus: Make Sure Your Next Girlfriend Is An Upgrade

One last thing you want to be certain of is that your love life is moving in the right direction. If your rebound girlfriend is a train wreck, you could end up moving backward and reconnecting with your ex, only to waste another year or two of your life on a relationship that’s doomed to fail. So be sure that your next girlfriend is an upgrade.

Banish Her From Your Mind

If you follow these 11 tips for getting over your ex, we’re certain you’ll be back in the saddle in no time. It’s never easy, but with a solid plan and a lot of willpower, you can forget the past and focus on your future.


-credits to www.askmen.com

Gadgets You Should Get Rid Of (or Not)

The common rap against technology is that it leads to an accumulation of devices. But the nature of technology is changing. Fewer products are doing more tasks — all accomplished by countless lines of massless software code.


And so we no longer need to accumulate products. If anything, we can cut down. The question is, Which can be replaced and which are fine, or even preferable, to keep? It is plain as day that paper maps and Rolodexes have given way to their digital counterparts. But what else can you get rid of? Here is a list of common consumer technologies and products and a somewhat opinionated judgment on whether to keep or pitch it.


DESKTOP COMPUTER Lose it. You may have one now, but are you really going to replace that deskbound PC when it becomes out of date? Assuming you are not a hardcore gamer or a video editor, laptops have all the necessary computing power the average user needs. If you want to replicate that desktop experience, you can always connect your laptop to a larger display and keyboard.

HIGH-SPEED INTERNET AT HOME Keep it. With the advent of devices like theMiFi, which converts a 3G mobile signal into a Wi-Fi cloud for multiple devices to share, you might be thinking about giving your Internet service provider the boot and using your cellphone as your Internet connection, even when at home. That would work — provided that you get a strong data signal where you live; that you never intend to stream video from Netflix, YouTube or Hulu; and that you have an unlimited data plan from your wireless provider. Given all these caveats, it probably makes more sense to stick with your I.S.P.

CABLE TV Depends. While you may and should hold on to a good broadband connection at home, it is debatable whether you need to pay for cable TV. Sports fans probably will want to keep it, as many leagues restrict online content, but casual viewers who mainly want some shows and movies to watch could get by with a good Internet connection and some low-cost subscriptions to services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video.

POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA Lose it. Yes, a dedicated camera will probably take a better picture than the small lens and image sensor of a smartphone, but it will not be that much better. And a point-and-shoot has limitations of its own. It is hard to share photos until you have transferred them to your computer, and there are no apps for cameras, as there are for smartphones, that allow you to quickly apply cool filters and treatments to the shots you took. Perhaps most important, a camera may or may not be close by when a photo-worthy moment arises, but it’s very likely that your phone will.

CAMCORDER Lose it. Camcorders get squeezed at both ends of the video spectrum. On the low end, smartphones can capture video, and while it may not be Imax quality, many people do not care. At the high end, new digital S.L.R. cameras (like Canon’s EOS Rebel T1i, which costs around $750 with a lens) can shoot full-HD video while taking advantage of all the interchangeable lenses that were created for still photography. That camcorder you have now is probably the last one you will own.

USB THUMB DRIVE Lose it. File sharing does not require hardware anymore. In almost any case you can think of, you can move files around digitally via the Internet. That could mean signing up for a service like Dropbox, which creates a private, shareable hard drive in the cloud, or by simply e-mailing yourself attachments and storing them in the drafts folder of Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. A USB drive is just something to misplace or break.

DIGITAL MUSIC PLAYER Lose it (probably). Do you have a smartphone? Then you have a music player. Why load yourself down with an extra gadget? Apple popularized the music player with its iPod, but when was the last time you saw that iconic white box with the dial on the front? Music is data, and many multifunction devices can handle it along with many other kinds of data (like video, e-mail and apps). The one exception may be if you enjoy music while exercising. In that case, a tiny player like the $49 iPod Shufflemight be a better accessory than a larger, heavier smartphone.

ALARM CLOCK Keep it. Smartphones can be terrific alarm clocks. They can ramp up the volume gradually, display weather information and awaken you to your favorite song. And when on the road, they are still light-years ahead of the incomprehensible alarm clocks in hotel rooms. But a recent daylight time glitch in iPhones that fouled up the clock could give some early risers pause. Furthermore, setting and resetting smartphone alarms may require a dive into one submenu too many; turning a little knob on the back of a clock and flipping a switch is still simplicity itself.

GPS UNIT Lose it. The least expensive GPS units cost around $80. But your smartphone can do the same thing, if not more, for half that price, or even free. Android smartphones already have Google’s turn-by-turn navigation app built in. And earlier this month,Google announced that the company would be including live and historical traffic data in route planning, so you hopefully get to where you are going faster.

If you have an iPhone, you have several options for GPS apps, including Navigon’s MobileNavigator (which starts at $30) and ALK’s CoPilot Live ($20). Renting a car? Decline the optional GPS; if you have a smartphone, you already have one with you.

BOOKS Keep them (with one exception). Yes, e-readers are amazing, and yes, they will probably become a more dominant reading platform over time, but consider this about a book: It has a terrific, high-resolution display. It is pretty durable; you could get it a little wet and all would not be lost. It has tremendous battery life. It is often inexpensive enough that, if you misplaced it, you would not be too upset. You can even borrow them free at sites called libraries.

But there is one area where printed matter is going to give way to digital content: cookbooks. Martha Stewart Makes Cookies a $5 app for the iPad, is the wave of the future. Every recipe has a photo of the dish (something far too expensive for many printed cookbooks).

Complicated procedures can be explained by an embedded video. When something needs to be timed, there’s a digital timer built right into the recipe. You can e-mail yourself the ingredients list to take to the grocery store. The app does what cookbooks cannot, providing a better version of everything that came before it.

Now all Martha has to do is make a decorative splashguard for a tablet and you will be all set.

---Article courtesy of The New York Times

Who's your pick? I made mine

Last week, we all just witnessed one of the craziest, if not the craziest trade deadline in recent years. A ton of movements made by different teams. This only goes to show that teams are looking forward to rebuild or get ready for a serious playoff push. Power is already shifting to the eastern conference with all the trades, which only means that it'll be much harder for the Celtics, Heat, Bulls to come out of the Eastern Conference. But it doesn't mean that there is lack of competition in the West. If anyone is forgetting, let me remind you that the San Antonio Spurs holds the best record in the league. Dallas has become efficient on defense and OKC got something to say with the addition of Kendrick Perkins. Oh, let's not get started with the two-time defending champions, the Lakers. With less than 25 games left, the playoff picture would be pretty much the same until april. So if the playoff started right now, who's your pick to come out in the East and West? I made mine.

The Eastern conference is very much stacked right now. The top four teams may have a sure shot in the second round regardless of positioning. Competition is lacking for the top four teams in the first round, yes I mean it, even if Stat and Melo are already in NYK. They may be one of the highest scoring duo but with MVP candidate D-Rose in the helm for the Bulls, it would be difficult for the Knicks to get past these guys. Oh, the Bulls play defense and the Knicks are sporadic in it. The second round would give the Bulls problems though, especially in the middle. They are facing D12 and the up-and-down Magic. The Magic have showed that they're a team who haven't found their identity yet. It has been up and down so far for this team this season. Howard is only the bright spot on this team which would be easier for Rose & company to dissect. If the Magic doesn't play good basketball for two halves, evidently showed in their 2 come from behind wins lately, it would be an early summer for them. The other half of the 2nd round is what interests me the most. The Super friends from South Beach will be facing the new look Celtics.
LeBron & D-Wade will surely be looking for redemption against the team that sent them packing last season, this time together. I've been very much skeptical with the trade of Kendrick Perkins. The Celtics were built on defense and Perkins was one of the reason why these Celtics were good on it. When they traded him for Green, it was like taking away a critical piece. I guess the C's were confident with the 2 O'neal's down low and also Kristic, who showed that Serbian's are tough with the infamous brawl in the Fiba World Championship. Maybe Danny Ainge was right when he said that he doesn't want to lose in the offseason seeing Perkins go without a clear substitute to fill his void. But if the trade was a pure gamble, I think the C's may be lucky enough. Perkins never suited in the 3 wins against the Heat and  they won't be facing the Magic which means no D12. The Celtics will make a run for the Heat's money and in the end the Heatles will be sent back to the beautiful beaches of Miami wondering what went wrong. Which leaves the Bulls & Celtics as the two teams buying for a seat in the NBA Finals. Doc Rivers against Tom Thiboedou. Rose versus Rondo. Remember two years ago when this teams balled for 7 games. This is going to be a heck of a match up. I'm not counting the Bulls out on this one. D-Rose is playing MVP basketball, they got Boozer and Noah down low which would be nightmare for KG and Big Baby. They play good defense too. But I still like the chances of the Celtics. Yes, you read it right, the Celtics will be back in the NBA Finals for the 2nd straight year, 3 times in 4 years. The Bulls may be young and athletic but nothing fuels a team more than a game less of being crowned champions. The Celtics were a game  close of being champions, had they not lost Perkins to injury, it would have been a different scenario. Plus, the C's are healthy. KG is playing good, Pierce is still Pierce, Allen is still clutch beyond the arc and do I need to mention their best player in Rajon Rondo.

The Western Conference has a little bit of flavor in their playoff picture. The question is can the two time defending champions make their fourth straight appearance in the finals and threepeat? Currently they are 3rd place in the conference and if it stays that way, they would be forced to play home court disadvantage in two or three series depending if they make it to the finals. The only series that they'll be playing with home court advantage is against the Hornets which is a no brainer for the end result. So the road to a threepeat would be very much difficult if they play a lot of road games in the playoffs. Especially when they have a potential 2nd round opponent in the San Antonio Spurs. Owner of the best record in the league, the Spurs have emerged as a championship team once again, having lost 11 games only so far. They got their own big three playing healthy and better in recent years. Plus the got youth in Blair, Neal, Hill, etc. This team is ready to wreak havoc in the playoffs and maybe in the finals too. Having to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round would be a walk in the park for this team. A dogfight against the Lakers would be anticipated and this would really be a good series. Guess what, the last team to dethrone the Lakers in their quest for a fourth straight finals appearance was the Spurs. So far this season, the Spurs have beaten L.A. twice, so they have their number. But I wouldn't count the Lakers yet, not Kobe. This team was built to win, and win now. Kobe is on his quest for his sixth title that would tie him with MJ. I'm sure he wants to give Phil his fourth 3peat if ever he leaves the game after this season. A lot can be said about this series, but I still like the defending champs to emerge in this round. I say in 6 or 7 games, L.A. would win even if they have to do it on the road. The Dallas Mavericks is the hottest team right now in the NBA. With the addition of Tyson Chandler, this team have already added a dimension lacking in years, Defense. This Mavs ain't no fluke. They are for real, beating top teams in both conferences. While they're 2st round opponent, the Blazers, have something to say to that, the Mavs are heading to the 2nd round in this one.

Facing a team that can impose problems, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, KD, Westbrook, and Perkins are going to make life miserable for Nene and the Nuggets, as well as the Mavs. Moving forward, Nowitzki will be harrassed by Ibaka, Perkins down low which could make life miserable for him. Let's face it, Jason Kidd will be beaten at every aspect by Westbrook. What about KD35? Scoring champion period. As much as Mark Cuban will hate me for this, I'm putting my money on the Thunder. Which would give us an exciting Western Conference finals showdown between the Lakers and the Thunder. Remember last year? Well, expect more of it this year. The Thunder are poised to make it to the finals with the addition of Perkins. Good thing they won't see the Spurs because that's the only team not intimidated by Perkins. As for the Lakers, Bynum and Gasol crumbles in the presence of Perkins. They got also Ibaka the shot blocka, so I expect a fight underneath with these big men jocking for position. But that's all I can say about the Thunder. Westbrook will be a nightmare in the perimeter as usual but he can't take this team past the Lakers. Durant can but guess what, Ron Artest will always be under his skin and it's pretty much documented that Durant struggles when Artest is in his jersey. I still feel the Lakers will win because number 1 they got Kobe and number 2, they got home court advantage against the Thunder.

So for the 2nd straight year, the Lakers and the Celtics will face in the finals. The Rubbermatch. Ain't that a good story to build on? Kobe vs Shaq. The Celtics looking for revenge from last year's defeat. The Lakers looking for a 2nd three peat. Kobe chasing Jordan's 6th title. Shaq tying Kobe's 5. The Lakers tying the Celtics for most NBA titles. So much on the line but I ain't predicting who's gonna win, not just yet.

Postscripts to a Bloodbath

This is from someone by the name of Bang Lu Min who commented on the yahoo article. I got excited to post this that I accidentally closed the browser. You see, I've been waiting for some survivors to open up and apparently, one has posted his/her view on the comments. If you ask me, I think this is true. If you follow the situation, the comment is quite accurate. The slashing of the throat is also there. Postcripts To A BloodBath Mr. Mendoza was already upset even before he saw on television what the policemen did to his brother. The other tourists who remained inside the bus were complaining. Wei Ji Jiang wanted to go to the bathroom. Dao Chi Yu was hungry and the rest were just groaning and whining like they have forgotten that our lives rest in Mr. Mendoza's hands.

The hostage taker, as you know him was really nice. He treated us okay and even let the elders and the children leave the bus. He said your policemen treated him unfairly. He was a policeman too and was accused of doing something he had no knowledge of. But your government didn't listen so he used us to get everyone's attention. Things would have never turned for the worst if he didn't see how his family was dragged out of their house and taken into custody. He was watching the news all the time as we huddled around each other behind the bus. He shouted some words in your language then started shooting in the air. A girl about my age started screaming. Mr. Mendoza demanded her to stop but she didn't understand English. God, he had to slash her neck with a knife just to put her to rest. Her boyfriend who tried to hit him was shot in the head. Tension was rising.

You can see in his face how scared and confused he was. The bus driver ran away leaving him alone with strangers from a distant land. I can see him walking across the aisle, sometimes pointing his machine gun to one of the tourists. But he tried his best not to hurt us, especially those who really cooperate. I guess its in your nature not to inflict pain on others unless it was necessary. I remember him saying that he will free us before sundown and implored us to forget everything when we return home. But his words don't matter now. The policemen were trying to force their way in, while we all lied down to shield ourselves from bullets. Mister Mendoza blindly shoots at his enemies which I think kept them from rescuing us. I hear sobs under the chairs. Some were even shouting the names of their loved ones even when the air merely eat their words. Kevin Tang tried to escape when the glass door was was shattered, but one shot and he slumped on the floor with blood gushing from his mouth. Heavy rain pitter-pattered on the rooftop. In old Chinese saying, it means an end to a struggle. Finally, somebody was able to open the escape hatch at the back of the bus. Freedom. But I knew Mister Mendoza was still alive. I knew he was just waiting for a chance to strike back at his enemies. So I told those around me not to escape. Let the authorities come for us instead.

Then there was gunfire. He was firing at his enemies with a machine gun. Those who were at the escape hatch fled abandoning us once again. It's like a nightmare with no end and to wake up means a certain death. Then somebody from outside the bus threw a canister. It forced out a black smoke that is so painful to the eyes and putrid smelling to the nose. People started screaming. We cannot breathe. Some ran in front of the bus but Mister Mendoza warned them of stray bullets. It was too late. One was hit on the head, the other was hit on the shoulders. Bullets were now flying. Its like the authorities thought we were all dead. Mister Mendoza finally admits his mistake and said sorry to everyone, dead or alive. He then ran towards the front of the bus where he would meet his maker. As he passed by my chair with bullets whistling overhead, I clutched my hand on the velvet curtain and wrapped it around my face. All I could think of was to stay alive - for my child who is waiting for me back in Xinjang. I know I will survive, I will come home. 

-Bang Lu Min Survivor, Quirino Bloodbath