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//  Saturday, July 31, 2010

NBA Stocking Stuffers

Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Posted by Andrew Pistone

Looking for a reason to hang out near the new flat screen you received for Christmas?

Mad about not having the NFL Network, or a go-to bar that has it?

College bowl games not doing the job?

It’s ok, really. Santa Claus left five goodies in our stocking this holiday season. There’s no reason why Christmas 2009 won’t be the best one yet!

Miami Heat at New York Knicks

So the Knicks are back playing on Christmas day…I thought this holiday was only for good teams with superstars? There must have been a mistake. Nonetheless, the Big apple Ballers will be there bright and early to take on the Heat, and should give fans across the country a reason to think that they’re on the rise. Their defense in the month of December had been much improved, leading to their recent hot streak. Danilo Gallinari won’t remind anyone of Dominick, the Italian Christmas donkey. He’s the rooster, and will look to show the basketball world he can turn into something special. The Heat, conversely, have been inconsistent in recent weeks after an impressive start. This team starts and ends with Dwyane Wade, but Michael Beasley has stepped his game up in the scoring department. Quentin Richardson has also regained his three point stroke, and will look to nail some from downtown in the city he called home last season.

 

Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic

The players fans see at Amway Arena on Friday will be strikingly different from the ones they saw last season in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Hedo Turkoglu is north of the border, and Glen Big Baby Davis won’t be on the floor in crunch time to convert buzzer beating jumpers. Paul Pierce will also miss this game, but Kevin Garnett will be in the lineup after missing a game earlier in the week. The interesting matchup to keep an eye on in this contest is Dwight Howard vs Kendrick Perkins. Usually, Howard is able to get his way with most centers in the league, but Perkins has the strength to keep Superman from backing him down underneath the rim. If this game is close down the stretch, look for Rasheed Wallace to leave his mark on the post or from beyond the arc.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers

The late afternoon Christmas Day time slot is becoming old news for the Lakers, who have played on December 25h seemingly every year after Vlade Divac was their starting center. The main event obviously pits The King against the Black Mamba, but there are other players to watch closely as well. Both teams have a tremendous amount of size on the frontline, which should somewhat negate the advantage the Lakers have had so far this season. Zydrunas Ilgausksas and Shaquille’ O’Neal, at the very least, will take up the space that Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are used to occupying. Also look for Mr. Kardashian, aka Lamar Odom to have a big game; the Cavaliers don’t have anyone(like most teams) that can hang with him consistently. The Kobe-Shaq plot line has been played out in this new millennium, but it’s hard to forget when they stand in close proximity at center court.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns

This might seem like a bit of a mismatch on paper, but whichever team imposes their will on this game will come out victorious. The Clippers have about 14 feet worth of skills in the starting lineup, with Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby playing together. The Suns’ Amar’e Stoudemire and Channing Frye may have a hard time stopping Kaman, who has blossomed into a very talented low post scorer. On the other end, however, the Clippers big men might not be able to influence Phoenix like they would other teams, because of the perimeter shooting ability of Frye and Stoudemire. The Suns might have super-sub Leandro Barbosa for this game, who has slowly but surely been making his way back since being out in November.

 

Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers

It may not feel like it now, but these two teams might be the Lakers’ two biggest challengers for a Western Conference title. Denver gave the Lakers a good run last year, and Portland continues to get better with each passing day with more experience. However, the trail Blazers have been walking wounded for over a month now, losing Greg Oden for the season and Joel Pryzbila a few days ago. This has thrust the ageless wonder Juwan Howard into the starting lineup, who is showing that he might still have a little Fab Five magic left. With the black hole in the paint, Denver will probably look to find Nene on the block, and try to penetrate to the hoop early and often without anyone standing in their way.

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