Sunday (12/25)
Better:
Lakers @ Heat: Okay, so Kobe v. Shaq on Christmas isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but it’s still the best thing to watch at Christmas. What makes this game much more enjoyable than the previous game is the personality. Aside from Rasheed Wallace, we don’t have any angst or emotion at all in the Spurs game. With the Spurs/Pistons, the stars (Duncan and well, there are no stars in Detroit) are nonchalant and classy. Zzzzzz. With the Lakers/Heat, there’s a slim chance Phil Jackson could pummel Pat Riley with a feng shui book. Which is the direct opposite of the other game, where Greg Popovich and Larry Brown are the best of friends. Yawn. Plus Kobe and Shaq, what else is there to say? If that 62-point game was vs. Miami, I’m pretty sure Bryant would have played in the 4th quarter.
runner-up:
Spurs @ Pistons: While the NBA is understandably marketing the Lakers/Heat as the main matchup, they should be advertising the Spurs/Pistons game. These are the top two teams in the League, and yet they are being overshadowed by a game in which the two teams’ combined records are 30-23. If you want to see a match with better individual matchups, the following is for you. However, this is the game that we will probably see again in June. The reason Miami and LA don’t even have a chance right now in the Finals is that they are both 1-man or star connection teams. The Spurs have played most of this season without Manu Ginobili and are still the best team in the West. Detroit has made Hamilton and Billups much more productive and reliable than Rasheed Wallace. Both clubs have a strong emphasis on teamwork and continuity and should play each other more than twice this year.