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Jannero Pargo scored 18 off the bench
LAKERS beat NUGGETS!!!!!
LAKERS kept their hopes for the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference alive with a 126-104 rout of the NUGGETS on Tuesday at STAPLES Center. Kobe Bryant scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds in three quarters of play. Shaquille O'Neal and Jannero Pargo 19, 18 points for L.A. LAKERS, respectively.
LAKERS will finish the regular season against Golden State WARRIORS on Wednesday.
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Rick Fox scored 10 points.
LAKERS beat WARRIROS!!!
L.A LAKERS will travel to Minnesota to take on the TIMBERWOVLES in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, after a 117-111 win over the Warriors vaulted them into the No. 5 spot in the West. Kobe went off for 44 points and Shaq added 27 and 12 rebounds. Fox chipped in 10 points against the WARRIROS.
Watch out TIMBERWOLVES, here comes L.A. LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!
The Old Wizzard of the game called it a day.
MJ ends his NBA career finally in a loss to Sixers: 107 - 87
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"Now I guess it hits me that I'm not going to be in a uniform anymore -- and that's not a terrible feeling," Jordan said. "It's something that I've come to grips with, and it's time. This is the final retirement."
“ Hopefully some day, you will walk into an arena, see No. 23 hanging up there and realize what an impact he had on our sport. ”
— Larry Brown on a league-wide retiring of Michael Jordan's number
Lakers move from 6th place to 5th place thanks in large to the Clippers beating the Portland Trailblazers 107 - 93. That was a real surprise to me. Lakers looked surely headed to Dallas for first round where they would most likely eliminated the Mavs.
Minnesnowta Timberwolves have lost 6 straight first-round series but this will be the first ever they will have a homecourt advantage.
"Minnesota is our first test. Mr. Garnett has something to prove. And we have something to prove. Should be a fun series." - Shaq Diesel
FIRST ROUND
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) DETROIT vs. (8) ORLANDO
Gm 1: at Det, Sun 4/20 (12:30 pm, ESPN/RTV)
Gm 2: at Det, Wed 4/23 (8 pm, NBATV/RTV)
Gm 3: at Orl, Fri 4/25 (8 pm, ESPN)
Gm 4: at Orl, Sun 4/27 (5:30 pm, ESPN)
Gm 5*: at Det, Wed 4/30 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at Orl, Fri 5/2 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at Det, Sun 5/4 (TBD, TBD)
(2) **NEW JERSEY** vs. (7) MILWAUKEE
Gm 1: at NJ, Sat 4/19 (12:30 pm, ESPN/SCORE)
Gm 2: at NJ, Tue 4/22 (7 pm, TNT/SCORE)
Gm 3: at Mil, Thu 4/24 (8:30 pm, TNT)
Gm 4: at Mil, Sat 4/26 (5 pm, TNT)
Gm 5*: at NJ, Tue 4/29 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at Mil, Thu 5/1 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at NJ, Sat 5/3 (TBD, TBD)
(3) INDIANA vs. (6) BOSTON
Gm 1: at Ind, Sat 4/19 (3 pm, ESPN/RTV)
Gm 2: at Ind, Mon 4/21 (8:30 pm, NBATV/RTV)
Gm 3: at Bos, Thu 4/24 (6 pm, TNT)
Gm 4: at Bos, Sun 4/27 (12 pm, ESPN2)
Gm 5*: at Ind, Tue 4/29 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at Bos, Thu 5/1 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at Ind, Sat 5/3 (TBD, TBD)
(4) **PHILADELPHIA** vs. (5) NEW ORLEANS
Gm 1: at Phi, Sun 4/20 (8 pm, TNT/SCORE)
Gm 2: at Phi, Wed 4/23 (7 pm, TNT/SCORE)
Gm 3: at NO, Sat 4/26 (7:30 pm, TNT)
Gm 4: at NO, Mon 4/28 (8 pm, TNT)
Gm 5*: at Phi, Wed 4/30 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at NO, Fri 5/2 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at Phi, Sun 5/4 (TBD, TBD)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) SAN ANTONIO vs. (8) PHOENIX
Gm 1: at SA, Sat 4/19 (5:30 pm, ESPN/R/TSN)
Gm 2: at SA, Mon 4/21 (8 pm, TNT/RSN)
Gm 3: at Pho, Fri 4/25 (10 pm, NBATV)
Gm 4: at Pho, Sun 4/27 (10:30 pm, TNT)
Gm 5*: at SA, Tue 4/29 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at Pho, 5/1 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at SA, 5/3 (TBD, TBD)
(2) SACRAMENTO vs. (7) UTAH
Gm 1: at Sac, Sat 4/19 (10:30 pm, TNT/RSN)
Gm 2: at Sac, Mon 4/21 (10:30 pm, TNT/RSN)
Gm 3: at Uta, Sat 4/26 (10 pm, ESPN)
Gm 4: at Uta, Mon 4/28 (10:30 pm ET, TNT)
Gm 5*: at Sac, Wed 4/30 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at Uta, Fri 5/2 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at Sac, Sun 5/4 (TBD, TBD)
(3) DALLAS vs. (6) PORTLAND
Gm 1: at Dal, Sat 4/19 (8 pm, TNT/RSN)
Gm 2: at Dal, Wed 4/23 (9:30 pm, TNT/RSN)
Gm 3: at Por, Fri 4/25 (10:30 pm, ESPN)
Gm 4: at Por, Sun 4/27 (8 pm , TNT)
Gm 5*: at Dal, Wed 4/30 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at Por, Fri 5/2 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at Dal, Sun 5/4 (TBD, TBD)
(4) MINNESOTA vs. (5) L.A. LAKERS
Gm 1: at Min, Sun 4/20 (3:30 pm, ABC/R/RTV)
Gm 2: at Min, Tue 4/22 (9:30 pm, TNT/RSN)
Gm 3: at LA, Thu 4/24 (11 pm, TNT)
Gm 4: at LA, Sun 4/27 (3 pm, ABC)
Gm 5*: at Min, Tue 4/29 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 6*: at LA, Thu 5/1 (TBD, TBD)
Gm 7*: at Min, Sat 5/3 (TBD, TBD)
New Jersey All The Way!:k: :k: 
New Jersey 
. None of the East Coast teams are good enough to win the NBA.
From Eastern Conference, I predict PISTONS, SIXERS or MAGIC and from the Western Conference, LAKERS, SPURS or KINGS to be in the playoffs Final.
Funny, Chris Webber talked about Western Conference to be better than Eastern Conference, by mentioning KINGS, MARVERICKS and SPURS ; ignoring LAKERS. OUCH Three Times in row, LAKERS kicked KINGS butt aur aabhi say Halat karab ho rahi hai KINGS ki. :rotfl:
Good for LAKERS by keeping their low profile. Shaq, mah man, says: We are the NBA Champions, therefore, everyone is our rival. Sweet! 
LAKERS love to kick rivals butt!
Bring it down baby, bring it down!
Bring one more Trophy to L.A. town!
Anyway, here’s a good article just before the start of the playoffs. Get ready to feel the pressure!
NBA playoffs: East is least and West is best
WASHINGTON: With six 50-game winners and the most dominant centers in the National Basketball Association, the Western Conference is once more expected to produce the eventual champion of the NBA playoffs.
The two-month showdown for NBA supremacy begins Saturday after a season that saw Western clubs outshine their Eastern counterparts, none of whom won more games than the sixth-best team from the West. San Antonio, led by powerful big men Tim Duncan and David Robinson, won the regular-season title and a home-court playoff edge over Dallas even though both teams went 60-22.
The Sacramento Kings won their division at 59-23 for the second seed spot in the West but third seed Dallas, with a better record, would own the home-court edge if they meet in the second round of the playoffs. The Mavericks slid to a third seed despite a 14-0 start, the winningest year in club history and the best record in the NBA until the final two weeks. Add Minnesota, Portland and the fifth seed Los Angeles Lakers, with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant going for a fourth title in a row, and it’s no wonder the East’s best hope is if “Wild West” teams weaken one another. “The West is a lot better,” Sacramento forward Chris Webber said. “The conference is definitely (superior) one through eight. I think everyone is better. We are better. Dallas and San Antonio are better.” Eleven of 14 West teams had winning records against clubs from the East. The 16-team four-round, best-of-seven matchups begin Saturday with San Antonio facing Phoenix, Scramento meeting Utah and Dallas facing Portland. The Lakers open at Minnesota on Sunday.
In the East, the Boston-Indiana and Milwaukee-New Jersey series open on Saturday while Detroit-Orlando and Philadelphia-New Orleans begin on Sunday. The Spurs captured the home-court playoff edge but could face the Lakers, a familiar nemesis, in the second round. The Lakers have ousted the Spurs the past two seasons, losing only once in nine playoff meetings, but are 0-4 this season against San Antonio. “If you concentrate on one team when you’re playing another you’re not going to make it out of that round,” Webber warned. **“That’s why you just can’t sit and think about the Lakers. In the first round, they aren’t going to be thinking about us.” **
Phoenix, led by Amare Stoudemire, went 3-1 against the Spurs this season. But the first round was extended this year from best-of-five to best-of-seven, and the Suns used up a lot of energy just making the playoffs. “I don’t know if I can expect them to play at a premium level,” Johnson said. **“We made it, and it takes a lot out of you to play that way. What I’m afraid of is, can we get it back? I’ll find out.” **
The Kings meet Utah for the third time in five years. They went 3-1 over the Jazz this season, the same margin they won by in last year’s opening round. “Utah is a much better team this time,” Kings coach Rick Adelman said. **“We have to be ready to go. They play hard, they are smart, and they compete. We have to understand that this is going to be a physical matchup.” **
Utah coach Jerry Sloan knows his veteran club will have trouble matching the Kings’ speed. “We really can’t do much against this team when they really want to lay it out,” Sloan said. **“They run us right off the floor.” **
**The Lakers will have a fight on their hands to repeat even after a run of 39-13 since Christmas and a 7-1 stretch in April. ** Minnesota’s reward for a club-record 51 wins and a first-ever home-court playoff edge was to open against the Lakers, a club they split four games with during the season.
Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett, who has never led the club past the first round, knows his moment of truth could be at hand. “You’ve got to be able to put not only yourself but your team into a position where you shut critics up,” Garnett said. **“We have been moaning about getting home-court advantage and now that we have got it we have got to do something with it.” **
East leader Detroit’s fate depend on the health of injured Ben Wallace, who led the NBA with 15.4 rebounds and was second in blocks with 3.2 a game, and the scoring of Richard Hamilton, who led the Pistons with 19.7 points a game. Jason Kidd, the NBA assist leader with 8.9 a game, will spark the second seed Nets while number three Indiana gets 20.8 points and 10.3 rebounds a game from Jermaine O’Neal and Philadelphia has 27.6 points a game from Allen Iverson. Orlando, with NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady’s 32.1 points a game, could be an upset threat, while Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker give Boston a double threat and Jamal Mashburn leads a balanced New Orleans attack. —AFP
Here are my predictions.
San Antonio def Phoenix 4-1
Sacremento def Utah 4-0
Dallas def Portland 4-2
LA def Minnesota 4-3
Orlando def Detroit 4-3
New Jersey def Milwaukee 4-2
Boston def Indiana 4-2
Philedelphia def New Orleans 4-1
A couple of upsets today:
1. Boston Celtics over Reggie Millers's Pacers
2. Phoenix Suns stunned the team with the most momentum going into playoffs i.e. Spurs. What a game that was, if anyone saw.
Mavericks escaped a scare at the hands of Portland.
Lets see what the Lakers and Sixers do today.
Man! these playoff games are intense already :D
Off the Hook! Welcome to the NBA playoffs, Homies!
NETS vs BUCKS
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Kenyon slammed the dunk in style.
Wonderful game by Jason Kidd and Keyon Martin. NETS tipped off NBA Playoffs 2003 in style, routing the BUCKS 109-96 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round matchup. Kenyon Martin scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed 15 boards despite twisting his ankle and Jason Kidd had 14 points and a game-high 14 assists in New Jersey. Jason Collins added 13 points and 12 boards for the Nets, who led by as many as 31 points and scored 21 fast-break points while holding the BUCKS to just five.
From BUCKS, Tim Thomas led the teams with 25 points, including 5-for-6 from three-point land. Sam Cassell scored 16 points while Toni Kukoc and Desmond Mason posted 14 points apiece for Milwaukee BUCKS. Game 2 is on Tuesday. NETS leads the series of best 7 by 1-0.
CELTICS vs PACERS
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Pierce broke an NBA playoff record, going 21-for-21 from the foul line
Trailing by as many as 16, CELTICS fought back and took the lead behind 21 fourth-quarter points from Paul Pierce route to a dramatic 103-100 win at Indiana. Pierce's 40 points were a game high, and his trey with 27.5 seconds remaining gave the CELTICS the lead for good, enabling them to take over home-court advantge in the series. Paul had perfect shot from the line. 20 out of 20 free throws. The guy is simply amazing, energetic and broke NBA playoff record. Good for CELTICS. PACERS fans were shock of defeat. CELTICS leads the 7 Games series by 1-0. Game 2 is on Monday.
SUNS vs SPURS
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Celebrations for SUNS!
We are in baby! Bank on it! Stephon Marbury struggled with his jumper throughout Game 1. That is until he burried a three-point prayer at the buzzer to steal a shocking victory over the SPURS, 96-95, at SA. But Starbury wasn't alone. SUNS rookie Amare Stoudemire made his playoff debut and hit a clutch three of his own to send the game into overtime to begin with. Two miracles in one day. Tell me, how often do you see that?
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*Stunning and winning shot of the evening! *
SPURS had the game in hands throughout the game. They were offensive, defensive with great movement of ball on the court. But they missed 6+ Juicy Free Throws, which in the end let them down. Game 2 is on Monday. SUNS leads the 7 Game series by 1-0.
MAVERICKS vs BLAZERS
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Dirk Nowitzki was 4-for-5 from downtown
MAVERICKS trailed by 10 at half-time, but Dirk Nowitzki dropped in 23 of his franchise-playoff-record 46 points as Dallas crushed Portland by 10 points difference. Nash chipped in 10 points.
Portland was up by three entering the fourth quarter, but couldn't handle the MAVS, as they route to a 96-86 victory. Major setback to BLAZERS when Rasheed Wallace had to leave the court 'cause of injured leg. He had 26 points, Damon Stoudamire added 16 and Bonzi Wells chipped in with 13 points and 10 rebounds. BLAZERS will try to even up the series in Game 2 on Wednesday. MARVERICKS leads the 7 Games series by 1-0.
KINGS vs JAZZ
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*Bobby Jackson *
JAZZ came to within two points of KINGS late in the fourth, but the Kings stood their ground and route to a 96-90 victory in Game 1 of the playoff series. Chris Webber tallied a game-high 27 points and Peja Stojakovic matched his number with 16 points.
From JAZZ, Malone finished with a team-best 25 points and Greg Ostertag doubled up with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Game 2 will be played on Monday. KINGS leads the 7 Games Series by 1-0.
Went to the Nets game. It is sad to see a good team like the Nets play in the swamps of Jersey and have the crowd support was pathetic.
Somehow...Knicks will always be kings int he NYC area.
So far the results have been to my liking, only Spurs lost. :(
But lets hope Lakers get their butt whopped today.
I think it's after quite a while that the East matchups are juicier than the West.
anyway, my predicitons:
West:
Sacremento def Utah 4-0
Dallas def Portland 4-3
LA def Minnesota 4-2
San Antonio def Phoenix 4-1
probable conference winners: Sacramento.
East:
Orlando def Detroit 4-3
New Jersey def Milwaukee 4-2
Boston def Indiana 4-2
Philadelphia def New Orleans 4-2
probable conference winners: Jersey.
Good guesses. Very similiar to mine.
Celtics won
YES
Lakers proving to be too much for Timberwolves :p 88-76 at the end of 3rd quarter.
Another upset, Detroit losing to Orlando. McGrady scoring 43 points.
2 number 1 teams losing back to back days.
Lakers begin title defence with an emphatic 117-98 win over the Timberwolves. Shaq + Kobe = 60+ points again.
As Bill Walton said Lakers have made a statement for the rest of the NBA: We are back where we belong. You want the title, come and get it :D
Here are my predictions for the first round
Eastern
Detriot def Orlando= 4-3
New Jersey def Milwaukee= 4-2
Boston def Indiana=4-2
Philadelphia def New Orleans=4-1
Western
Sacremento def Utah= 4-1
Dallas def Portland= 4-2
LA def Minnesota= 4-1
San Antonio def Phoenix= 4-2
I hope that Dallas wins their next round faceoff with the lakers (if my predictions are right) and then get their asses kicked by Sacramento :D