NBA update

The NCAA tourney is over--I feel robbed that Memphis didn't win the title it deserved--but the other two contests I've been following the last couple of months (see stoner: Spring Sports Excitement) are as hot as ever.

Chelsea needs to get past Champions' League nemesis Liverpool somehow in the semifinals, to face, most likely, Manchester United on a neutral court. That's an attractive prospect. In the Premier League, it's a showdown with Man U. as well; we're hoping it will come down to Chelsea's home game against them near the end of the season. The season's success will come down to those two showdowns against this supreme foe.

In the NBA, we all know the Eastern finals will be Detroit vs. Boston (perhaps 5% chance for "all others", with 4% of that being some sort of repeat shocker from King James and the Cavaliers over the Detroit Roundheads). But what about the West?

There are 2-3 games left in the regular season for the Western Conference teams, and this is what we know at this point: #7 will be Dallas, and #8 will be either Denver or Golden State (with the other the odd team looking in). The other six seeds are totally in doubt, all within a range of two losses from first to sixth. I think it's pointless to consider the matchup ramifications at this point.

I would say that San Antonio would be favored, because of its superior playoff history, but they're going in playing particularly badly. I'm rooting for Houston to win a series (Tracy McGrady's never done so), and, of course, for the Lakers to lose at some point.

We'll post odds on winning the championship once the playoff teams are finalized, but my bet would be on the Celtics to exceed whatever odds are posted.