Wishing on a Star

There's a fine line between a dream and a nightmare, and it all depends on one's perspective. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's one or the other until you wake up the next morning with a bad case of the shakes -- like an alcoholic in Salt Lake City. Consider, if you will, the sequel to last year's first round playoff match up between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

After openly tanking the final regular season match up between the teams last season in order to gift wrap the seven seed for L.A., the Suns dream came true. It quickly turned into a nightmare as the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead behind the unexpected team play of Kobe Bryant, the rough and tumble physical play of the Laker front court, and a blatant non-call by referee Bennett Salvatore in game 4*. The Lakers, it seemed, were the ones living the dream.

Then Raja Bell got mad.



The would-be Tinsel Town Cinderellas suddenly were exposed as Sleeping Beauty, and by the time they woke up, they had a bad case of the shakes, like an alcoholic in Salt Lake City. Oops.

And did the N.B.A.'s resident prima donnas learn anything from that nationally televised game 7 beat down? Nope. While the Golden State Warriors were busy pummelling the lottery bound Trailblazers, the Lakers were fighting their way to a win in Sacramento. A loss would have assured Los Angeles the eighth seed and possibly a more favorable match up with the top seeded yet burned out Dallas Mavericks. But for whatever reason, Phil Jackson still believes that he has a better chance of slowing the Suns' attack, despite the fact that his team will be facing a more potent and formidable foe in Amare Stoudemire.

Come on, Phil. Your team got back-doored last year by a weaker Suns team, yet you still feel that you have a better shot against their running and passing than the one-on-one style of Avery Johnson? Seriously?

Whatever. I can almost guarantee that the rule of Hollywood will follow to the letter when the sequel fails to live up to the standard set by the original. The Suns are bigger and stronger inside, have developed a surprisingly efficient half-court game, and are not as reliant on the long ball as they were a year ago. And guess what...the Suns are a better defensive team with Kurt Thomas available 20 minutes a game.

To top it all off, the league sent a message that referees will be under tighter scrutiny than ever before, and poor officiating will no longer be tolerated.

Welcome to your worst nightmare, L.A.

You thought blowing a 3-1 series lead was bad, wait until you face a more complete and determined Suns team on a mission to prove once and for all that run-and-gun is here to stay.

Suns in 5 (but don't be shocked if they sweep).



*Authors note: To this day that makes me sick. Watching it now, I think to myself, 'What a [expletive deleted] joke.'