Heat beat Bulls to even series

Another spectacular end game barrage.

The Miami Heat knocked off the Chicago Bulls to gain homecourt advantage on their Eastern Conference Finals series with their 85-75 victory last night at the United Center in Chicago Illinois and tie the battle at 1 game apiece.

LeBron James bounced back from a poor performance in the opener to score 29 points while Dwayne Wade added 24 markers. James exploded in the end game to turn a close contest to a break away win with consecutive baskets when the Bulls can't buy a basket.

The Heat did a better job at the rebounding department winning it 45-41 after getting pounded 45-33 in Game 1.

The Bulls started really cold, missing their first nine shots before Bogans scored 5 straight points to get them going and despite the poor shooting they managed to lead the first quarter capped by the halfcourt buzzer beater by Luol Deng 26-19.

Udonis Haslem scored 13 off the bench and he didn't disappoint his coach Eric Spoelstra when he inserted him to the lineup and called him a "warrior".

Derrick Rose score 21 for the Bulls and Deng contributed 13 after scoring nine in the first half but it was a total struggle offensively as they shot only 34 percent as compared to Miami's 47% clip and they missed 10 freethrow attempts 16-26.

Game 3 will be played in Miami where both teams will try to win a decisive 2-1 lead.

Pacquiao wins over Mosley via unanimous decision

Clearly outclassed.

Pound for Pound King Manny Pacquiao retained his WBO Welterweight Championship with authority as he methodically punished "Sugar" Shane Mosley to bag the unanimous decision victory in front of the mammoth crowd at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas Nevada.

Mosley hardly put up any kind of resistance as the judges gave it 119-108,120-108 and 120-107 for the fighting congressman from the Philippines thus giving Pacman his 14th consecutive victory since his last loss to Erik Morales back in 2005.

Pacquiao sent Mosley to the canvass in the third round after a stunning combination but the wobbly former champion held on to barely survive the round. That is only the third knockdown on Mosley's 18 year hall of fame career.

"I didn't expect him to hit with that much power. I did my best but the result is not what I expected" said the 39 year old Mosley who remained winless in 3 fights after this loss.

Overwhelming speed of Pacquiao derailed Mosley's strategy and forced him to play defensive throughout the fight especially after the 3rd round knockdown from out of nowhere that caught Mosley offguard.

Mosley was credited with a knockdown in the 10th round but the replay showed he pushed the Filipino ring icon to the canvass. Manny didn't like it and he went on to finish the fight on a strong note.

Pacquiao wore yellow gloves as he told the international media that this symbolizes his quest against poverty and a sign of unity of his countrymen. Coincidentally, yellow is also the color that President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines used in his campaign.

The 11-1 odds were clearly true to form as the speed power and overall skill Pacquiao stamped its class in this fight.

Bob Arum said he will once again try to set-up the dream match between Pacquiao and undefeated former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. but Manny said if the match does not materialize, he will not be affected that much.

Other prospects for Pacman's next opponent are Andre Berto and they might make a third match with Mexican counterpuncher Juan Manuel Marquez.

Injured Rondo inspires Celtics to win Game 3

The Boston Celtics clinched their first win in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals by beating the Miami Heat 97-81 and avoid falling to a 0-3 hole that no team in NBA history has ever overcome last night in their homecourt at "Bean Town"

Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow during a collision with Dwayne Wade late in the third quarter and had to be carried out of the court yet he came back to start the fourth quarter much to the applause of the Boston crowd.

Rondo contributed 6 points and 11 assists after playing the 4th quarter with literally one arm to compliment stellar performances from Kevin Garnett who scored 28 points with 18 rebounds and Paul Pierce added 27 for the defending East Champions.

Shaquille O' Neal saw action for the first time this series but he was a non factor scoring only two points and no rebounds in 8 minutes of play but his presence alone ignited hope in the heart of the team after losing the first 2 games in Miami.

Wade led the Heat with 23 points while LeBron James scored 15 points but they combined to hit just 14 out of 35 shots. James even missed three of four free throws in a span that the Celtics started to pull away.

Game 4 will be in Boston, Monday night where the C's will try to even out the series while Miami tries to get a commanding 3-1 lead before heading back to Miami.

Rose power Bulls to 2-1 lead over Hawks

2011 MVP living up to expectations.

The Chicago Bulls took the driver seat of their Eastern Conference semifinals match up with the Atlanta Hawks after a 99-82 road win last night at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta led by their MVP Derrick Rose.

Rose flared up the Hawks with a career high 44 points seasoned with 7 assists and 5 rebounds to regain homecourt advantage in the series and push the Hawks to a seemingly "must-win" situation this coming Game 4 to be held once again in Atlanta.

Hawks had no answer for Rose since the opening tip-off allowing him to score 17 points in the 1st Quarter, much to the dismay of the home fans as the series shifted to the Phillips Arena for the first time.

Jeff Teague was the lone bright spot for the Hawks scoring 21 points but he was repeatedly punished in the defensive end by the wide arsenal of moves Derrick Rose showed throughout the game.

Chicago's bench was exceptional for this game as they sparked a pivotal second quarter push to pad the lead to double digits while their starters rested in the sidelines. CJ Watson, Taj Gibson and Ronnie Brewer did a good job starting the second quarter from both ends of the court, giving their team the spark they needed to stay comfortably ahead.

Josh Smith accounted for a respectable 17 points and 13 rebounds but he attempted a lot of long jumpers that did not get him much success and the frustrations from the crowd mounted as Game 1 heroes Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford was limited to 10 and 7 points respectively.

The Bulls head to Game 4 hoping to get a commanding 3-1 series lead while the Hawks hope to knot the series at 2-2 before heading back to the Windy City.

Griffin unanimously named 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year

Los Angeles Clippers' Power Forward Blake Griffin received the Rookie of the Year award after getting all of the 118 first place votes from the panel of media voters to be the first one to be the unanimous pick since David Robinson from the San Antonio Spurs did it in 1990.

Griffin became only the third player in league history to be named Rookie of the year unanimously the others being David Robinson and Ralph Sampson who accomplished it in 1984. Blake averaged 22.5 points (ranked 12th) and 12.1 rebounds (4th in the league).

He thanked his teammates and said that he is looking forward to the Clippers' future.

"My teammate are a huge help. They did an amazing job helping me learn about the game" he said in a humble statement.

Another achievement for Blake Griffin this year is winning the Slam Dunk Contest after jumping over a car in a dunk made with masterful presentation.

How far can Griffin lead his team next season? The basketball world sure will be watching how this guy develop and mature as a player.

Thunder halt Grizzlies to even the series

Too much explosiveness.

The Oklahoma City Thunder clamped down on the Grizzlies' frontcourt and recieved a major lift from the bench to take a 111-102 victory to avenge their loss in the opener and tie the series at 1-1 Tuesday night in their homecourt at Oklahoma City.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 26 points and their bench tripled their Game 1 production led by James Harden with 21 to lead by as much as 21 points in the final quarter and hold off a late comeback attempt by the Grizzlies.

Game One hero Zach Randolph was limited to 15 points in a poor 2-13 shooting clip as he was bother all game long by the Thunder's double teaming defense. His performance in this game was a far cry from his 34 points in the opener.

Mike Conley scored 24 points and was a catalyst for the Grizzlies' late comeback aspiration, cutting a 21 point fourth quarter lead to just six in the final minute but the lead was just too big and they came up short.

Russell Westbrook also had a huge game for the Thunder as he scored 24 points and back-up point guard Eric Maynor added 15 markers. Power forward Serge Ibaka limped off the court with 2 minutes left in the game due to a leg injury and this could play a crucial factor as he is the main defender on Zach Randolph.

Despite the loss, the Grizz will head into Game 3 with the home court advantage after stealing the opening game on the road as both teams try to take the pivotal victory that would give the winner a 2-1 series lead.

Heat take Game 2 to gain 2-0 lead over Celtics

Miami only needs two more wins to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Behind a scorching performance by LeBron James who scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half, the Miami Heat pulled away with a late 14-0 run to secure Game 2 with a 102-91 victory over the Boston Celtics to gain a comfortable 2-0 series lead Tuesday in front of the fired up Miami fans in Florida.

James got very able help from Dwayne Wade who scored 28 points and Chris Bosh who tallied 17 points and 11 boards as they broke away from an 80-all deadlock with 7:10 left in the final quarter. Boston missed their next 6 attempts at the basket, allowing Miami to cruise along for the victory.

The embattled Celtics was led by Rajon Rondo with a double-double (20 points, 12 assists) while Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett added 13 and 16 points respectively. Ray Allen was a non-factor as he only accounted for an anemic 7 points on 2-7 shooting.

Game 3 will be on Saturday in Boston where the home team Celtics will try to avoid falling to a 3-0 deficit in which no team in NBA history have recovered from.

Rose named 2011 NBA MVP

He knew right from the start that he was on his way to being the MVP.

22 year-old All-Star point guard Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls became the youngest ever MVP in NBA history after he received the 2011 Kia Motors MVP plum last Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila Time)

after leading the Bulls to 62 wins this season, the most since the championship glory days and he joined Michael Jordan as the only 2 Bulls players to ever get the award.

Rose averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists as he led his team to being the number 1 seed in the entire league and he hopes to steer his squad to it's first ever championship since the Jordan-Pippen era. He collected 1,182 points with 113 first place votes from media voters in a land slide victory as he was followed by Orlando's Dwight Howard (643 points) while LeBron James ranked third in the list.

He stepped up his game even more in the play-offs as he led his team over the Indiana Pacers in the first round after dropping 39 and 36 points in the first two games before scoring 25 in game 5 to help his team wrap up the series.

Rose walked away with a sprained ankle in the last moments of their Game 1 loss to the Atlanta Hawks which ended 103-95 but he will try to get his team back on the right track in Game 2 as they try to even out the series.

Meanwhile, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau received the 2011 Coach of the Year Award, a testament to Chicago's success this season.

Pacquiao Vs. Mosley Pre-Fight Analysis: Weighing the Scales

One aiming to cement his legacy while the other seeks to redeem himself.

Boxing's pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao lock horns with former three-time welterweight champ "Sugar" Shane Mosley this coming May 8 (Manila Time)at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas as he continues his quest to solidify his reign of supremacy while the latter looks to get back on the winning track after losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and scoring a draw with Sergio Mora.

Betting odds shows that Pacquiao is an outright 6-1 favorite mainly due to his hot streak of impressive victories over big names like Oscar Dela Hoya,Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton,Joshua Clottey and his recent dominance of Mexican Antonio Margarito.

Mosley on the other hand, suffered defeat in the hands of the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. before he and Sergio Mora drew in a very uneventful bout so he will try to regain lost glory against the 8 division world champion Pacquiao.


SPEED AND POWER


This two things are the most notable advantages of Pacquiao over Mosley. Pacman's hand speed and lateral movements gave trouble for bigger foes as Pacquiao bombards them with heavy shots then dances safely out of the range of his opponents to wear them out constantly before going in for the kill with multiple punch combinations.

There is no doubt about the knockout power of Pacquiao as he floored fighters like Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, and who could forget about the "Lights Out" punch that sent Ricky Hatton to the canvass in a state of semi- unconsciousness. Another good thing is, he only needs a split second of an opening to deliver the finishing blow.

A RING VETERAN WHO HAS NOTHING TO LOSE.

Despite the struggles Mosley experienced recently, he is still a force to be reckoned with because he packs punching power and has tons of ring experience with him that he acquired throughout his career.He knows how to handle himself in big time title fights as he is a former world champion that waged battles with Miguel Cotto, Sergio Mora and he also defeated Antonio Margarito via knockout. "Sugar" fought in 20 world title fights, won 15 (12 KO's) and lost 5 so he has a good record in fights that matter the most.

Being the underdog can also turn as an advantage as there is not much pressure on him to win because he has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this fight. This might ignite his competitive spirit and it would allow him to put up a good fight.

Will Pacquiao be his usual dominant self? Or will Mosley score an upset that will shock the world? Only time can tell as boxing fans around the globe wait in anticipation of this big fight.

Hawks eliminate Magic to set up a showdown with the Bulls

Talk about serving ice cold vengeance.

The Atlanta Hawks avenged themselves against the team that ousted them in an embarrassing sweep last season by pushing the Orlando Magic out of contention after their 84-81 victory to wrap the series up 4-2 at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 23 points and he made a crucial play by tapping the ball to his teammate Jamal Crawford in a rebound play in the final seconds of the game leading to Crawford nailing two free throws to seal the final margin.

Orlando had two close chances to salvage their season but JJ Redick missed an open three-pointer and Jason Richardson’s desperation attempt was blocked by Josh Smith.

Hawks now advance to the second round for the third straight year and this time they will be facing the top seeded Chicago Bulls who won their series with the Pacers in 5 games 4-1.

The Magic meanwhile head to their earliest off season since 2007 and their star center Dwight Howard becomes a free agent next year so uncertainty surrounds the Orlando camp this off season.

Celtics sweep Knicks to advance to the next round

Celtics earn a short break before battling in the East Semis.

The Boston Celtics completed their dominance of the New York Knicks by wrapping the series with a 4-0 sweep after their 101-89 win in the Madison Square Garden on Sunday to advance in the 2011 East Semifinals.

Spearheaded by their veteran forward Kevin Garnett who tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds complimented by another great performance by Rajon Rondo who had 21 points and 12 assists, the Boston Celtics give themselves time to rest themselves before their anticipated showdown with the Miami Heat who failed to complete a sweep as the 76ers forced Game 5 with a late rally in Game 4.

Leading by as much as 23 points, the Celtics had to withstand a furious rally by the Knicks as the home team cut it to as close as 4 points in the 7 minute mark of the final quarter feeding off the support of the fans.

This loss ended the Knicks most successful season in the last decade and it renewed bad memories of the last time they qualified for the playoffs which was in 2004 where the team was also sent home by a sweep.

Carmelo Anthony led his team with 32 points and Amare Stoudemire added 19 markers and 12 boards but shot an anemic 5-20 clip evident of his struggles brought upon by back spasms he suffered in Game 2 which came after a magnificent opening game performance.

Knick’s star point guard Chauncey Billups wasn’t able to play for the rest of the series after straining his left knee at the final minute of Game 1.

Amir Khan retains title off controversial win

An anti – climactic ending to a lop sided fight.

Amir “King” Khan retained his WBA Light Welterweight belt via a win over crowd favorite Paul “Dudey” McCloskey in controversial fashion as the referee stopped the fight upon the recommendation of the ring physician after McCloskey sustained a cut due to a collision of heads, forcing the outcome of the fight to depend on the scorecards in which Khan won all unanimously 60-54 after 6 rounds.

McCloskey did not even put up the fight his fans were waiting for as he seemed to be intimidated by Khan who has more experience in world title fights. Although he hit Khan with several punches occasionally, the difference in speed and movement was pretty evident in the bout.

Both parties wasn’t happy with the sudden stoppage of the fight as Khan’s camp felt they were robbed of the chance to end the fight the way they wanted while McCloskey’s camp were disappointed by the fact that their fighter was robbed of the chance to mount a respectable comeback.

Even promoter Oscar De La Hoya wasn’t happy about the outcome of this much anticipated fight with both boxers carrying impressive credentials unabled to finish the fight conventionally.

Khan doesn’t seem to be interested at the prospect of a rematch though as he said in an interview that “it was too easy.” And he was vocal about his desire to challenge Timothy Bradley to unify the division.

Maidana Escapes Morales

Impressive show for both Fighters

A very worthy fight of the year candidate…

After dominating the first 4rounds of the fight, Marcos Maidana almost got overwhelmed by a determined comeback by Mexican legend Erik Morales but went on to salvage a majority decision victory to bag the WBA Light Welterweight Championship inthe jam packed MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada.

Morales hardly punched in the opening rounds which caused him to be behind by a big margin that his valiant comeback came up short but he put up a great fight that very few anticapted due to the age difference and the fact that Morales just came off retirement.

The Argentinian slugger Maidana closed the last 2 rounds in good form and that spelled the difference in this close and exciting bout but all should commend the effort of Morales because he fought 11 rounds with one eye as the other gradually closed starting the first round yet he rocked Maidana many times and made fans realize that he still have fight left in him.

A loud howl of disappointment from the pro – Morales crowd echoed throughout the arena when Maidana was declared the winner after witnessing “El Terrible” put up an admirable fight.

Many fans want to see a rematch between the two fighters.

Meanwhile, Nobuhiro Ishida shocked the boxing world by knocking out the undefeated and outright favorite James Kirkland in the first round of their undercard match while Robert Guerrero outclassed Michael Katsidis in an exciting and action packed encounter.

Cuello Demolishes Chaiyong to retain title

The careful and persistent “pursuit” brought the victory.

Denver “The Excitement” Cuello successfully defended his WBC International Minimumweight crown after an impressive 8th round TKO victory over Thailand’s Samat “3K Battery” Chaiyong Sunday (Manila Time) in front of his supportive countrymen in Angono Rizal in the event entitled “Laban ng Lahi”.

Showing great conditioning throughout the fight, Cuello showed patience and determination as he gradually cornered the former Muay Thai slugger Chaiyong after the latter tried to utilize the “hit and run” strategy against the much stronger champion.

Body shots showed great effectiveness for Cuello as he limited the mobility of the backpedaling challenger and tore him brick by brick starting from the 3rd round until the end of the fight.

Chaiyong showed notable endurance as he withstood multiple flurries from the champion but all the punishments he received took its toll on him as referee Bruce McTavish stepped in to prevent further damage thus giving Cuello the victory.

After this victory, Cuello’s camp is looking forward to bigger world championship fights for their prized fighter.

Cuello could very well be another future big time boxer that will follow the footsteps of pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao or the fast rising superstar Nonito Donaire.

Djokovic outclasses Federer to claim Dubai Crown.

Djokovic foils Federer once again.

For the second time in barely a month, Novak Djokovic proved mastery over Roger Federer, 6-3,6-3 to claim the ATP Tennis Championship in Dubai UAE.

With this emphatic win, Djokovic extended his unbeaten streak this year to 12 matches and he proved once again that he is a force to be reckoned with.

When asked what changed this year that caused him to improve this much, the Serbian replied, “I’m a different player last year. Now I have a serve.” He also added that he was aware of the challenge when facing Roger so he needed to be on top of his game.

Federer played his worst game of the tournament after relinquishing a 3-1 lead in the second set before losing the last five games.

” It was a bad game for me really” he said briefly.

Despite the loss, Federer maintained his no. 2 ranking, still ahead of Djokovic

Djokovic foils Federer once again.

For the second time in barely a month, Novak Djokovic proved mastery over Roger Federer, 6-3,6-3 to claim the ATP Tennis Championship in Dubai UAE.

With this emphatic win, Djokovic extended his unbeaten streak this year to 12 matches and he proved once again that he is a force to be reckoned with.

When asked what changed this year that caused him to improve this much, the Serbian replied, “I’m a different player last year. Now I have a serve.” He also added that he was aware of the challenge when facing Roger so he needed to be on top of his game.

Federer played his worst game of the tournament after relinquishing a 3-1 lead in the second set before losing the last five games.

” It was a bad game for me really” he said briefly.

Despite the loss, Federer maintained his no. 2 ranking, still ahead of Djokovic

New York Knicks’ very own Big Three

A freshly brought together trio looks to bring the Knicks back to it’s glory days.

It has been a crazy trade deadline for the NBA as major roster shake-ups occurred but the most notable of all is the big time reinforcements the New York Knicks acquired.

Former Denver superstars, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups has joined Amare Stoudemire in the Big Apple as the teams push for the nearing post season.

The trio showed some promising flashes of brillance in the few games they played together including a win against the tournament favorite Miami Heat and a blow-out demolishing of the Utah Jazz with Billups sidelined due to an injury.

The knicks’ trio really gave New York fans something to be excited about as the season boils down to it’s most anticipated phase, the playoffs.

It is not going to be an easy ride for the Knicks though as Boston still holds the leader spot of the East and the Chicago Bulls has been on fire lately, with D-Rose playing like an MVP and not to mention the struggling but ultimately talented Miami Heat.

How far can the Knicks go this season? Only time can tell but one thing is for sure and that is the fact that they made the coming playoffs very interesting.

Philippine Azkals – A new hope for Philippine Sports

Talk about introducing some new look for Filipino sports fans.

A bunch of new guys has been making some noise and infusing fresh blood to the country’s already rich sports culture. And they call themselves Philippine Azkals.

Following a decent performance at the recently concluded AFF Suzuki Cup in which they qualified in the semifinals, the Azkals triumped over Mongolia in the AFC challenge cup 2-0 at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod in front of the ever so supportive Filipino crowd.

Perhaps the most popular members of the squad are the Younghusband brothers namely Phil and James who always has been the first ones to be mentioned when talking about Azkals players.

But not to be outdone are the towering goalee Neil Etheridge, team captain Ali Borromeo and the newest fan favorite Emilio Calicdong who scored the “nutmeg goal” against Mongolia to give his team the 1-0 lead which they never relinquished.

The team’s future looks very bright for this squad as the support they have got from the government and private people alike is overwhelming.

The first step that those who support the team did was to make the Panaad Stadium pass the AFF standards and that is to be able to seat some 70-80 thousand people.

Football never had been an integral part of Philippine sports until now and it is good to hear that it is slowly making it’s way to being one of the country’s favorite sports.

Donaire obliterates Montiel with 2nd round TKO

There is no better way to prove supremacy than this kind of victory.

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire stunned the boxing world with his emphatic 2nd round stoppage of erstwhile champion Fernando Montiel to strip him of the WBC and WBO Batamweight belt at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas Nevada, Sunday (Manila Time).

Donaire relied on his famous left hook, the same punch that brought Vic Darchinyan to the canvass to send Montiel literally sprawling to the floor and rendering him unable to fight back, causing the referee to put an end to the fight.

The impact of the punch was so devastating that Montiel legs gave an involuntary shudder upon receiving the punch and even though he successfully made it to his feet to beat the 10 count, he was still out of it and when Donaire closed in to wrap up the fight, referee Russel Mora intervened upon seeing that Montiel is in no condition to fight anymore thus declaring Nonito’s victory.

Donaire who is almost in tears, thanked the Filipino crowd after his victory which solidified his long questioned pound for pound ranking (beating a guy who is ranked 7th pound for pound in the world should erase all doubts)

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had all praises for the Filipino star in a post fight interview after witnessing the magnificent victory.

The future looks bright for this Filipino rising star as many regard him to be “The Next Manny Pacquiao”.

The Retooled Phoenix Suns

After struggling to regain their competitive form since losing Amare Stoudemire to Free Agency, the Suns are finally starting to get their acts together fueled by new found team chemistry upon the arrival of Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mikael Pietrus as they try to make a run to qualify for the play-offs.

The big trade that sent Jason Richardson and Earl Clark to Orlando seemed to have ignited the competitive flare of Phoenix as the team is jelling just at the right time to engineer an attempt to make it the post season after an anemic start for the year.

Vince Carter wasted little time showcasing his offensive arsenal in the Valley of the Suns as exemplified by their lights out performance against the Amare Stoudemire led New York Knicks at the Madison Square Garden just this past month.

Gortat and Pietrus meanwhile, provided the defensive toughness that the team lacked for majority of the season as well as rebounding and unselfish playing style and the trio seemed comfortable playing side by side with two-time MVP Steve Nash in the open court.

Another factor in this recent brilliance is the resurgence of Grant Hill who seemed to have a fountain of youth as he took up the role of being a steady force in the offense from the outside or taking it strong to the rim. Hill made it to past the first round of the play-offs for the first time last year as the team went on to the Western Conference Finals only to fall to eventual champions Los Angeles Lakers.

Phoenix have won 7 of their last 9 games before getting stopped by the Dallas Mavericks last night but they still have to play to a higher level as they are still behind the Memphis Grizzlies who are on a rampage of their own for the 8th seed in the Western Conference.

There is still time to catch up though, as the NBA calendar comes down to the latter part of the season.