Joakim Noah May Go On Vacation Sooner Than He Thinks

Frank Doyle looks back on a wild start to the NBA Playoffs.

So the playoffs have started, and nearly all the series are offering us something to talk about. Even an open and shut series like Bulls and Cavaliers has the added spice of the trash talking that’s going on. Joakim Noah wasn’t shy about expressing how little he cared for the city of Cleveland as a vacation destination, and the Bulls trashed-talked LeBron all during Game 2.

Didn’t save them though. The Cavaliers have a 2-0 lead in the series and, where-ever Joakim Noah does decide to go on vacation that isn’t Cleveland, he’ll be going pretty soon.

Dirk Nowitzki put on another bravura performance for the veteran Mavericks on Saturday, lighting up the Spurs for 36 points in 12-14 shooting from the floor and a perfect 12-12 from the charity stripe. Notwitzki has stellar numbers in the playoffs, and was even able to turn it for the Mavericks last year when a personal relationship with a volatile young woman going nuclear just in time for the playoffs was surely a distraction for him.

Game 2 between the Spurs and Mavericks will be fascinating. The Spurs have been showing their age this season but while the Spurs might have lacked glamour during their years of success, they never lacked pride or heart. How much would it sting them to be knocked out of the playoffs by Dallas two years in a row? It would sting them lots.

Miami’s series against Boston is suddenly beginning to revolve around Kevin Garnett. Garnett’s suspension from Game 2 tonight in Boston saw the NBA betting line slashed on the matchup, and if Boston lose at home they’ll have a big problem in Miami for the subsequent games. Not least as the Heat supporters will be on Garnett’s back all night.

The Thunder and Bobcats are hanging tough so far against last year’s Conference Champions, the Lakers and Magic respectively, but it doesn’t look good for the dogs in those matchups. Utah came back to last night to remind the Nuggets that the road is long and the struggle difficult, Phoenix is unlikely to get punked at home again before Game 3 in Oregon and Atlanta, unloved Atlanta, is slowing taking care of business against the Bucks. Playoff basketball betting. You gotta love it.

XVIiI: Gabriel Morency previews the weekend’s big NBA Playoff games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY6Zj_TuCNM