Suns-Mavericks running diary (April 1)

4:03 pm-Mavs @ Suns, Mavs up 3 (29-26 after one quarter) in the last regular season meeting of the season between these two powers. I've never done a running diary before so I felt like this sweet matchup was as good a time as any to get it started. For my money, these two teams are the only teams that matter in the N B A (as Bill Walton would say). With apologies to the Spurs (solid and dull as usual), Utah, Houston and Detroit, Cleveland (gotta love LeBron), the Mavs and Suns are on another level. They have been all season too. They both play an offensive-minded and thoroughly entertaining brand of basketball that the NBA lacks. Too often, the NBA revolves around star players (LeBron, Carmelo, Wade, et al.) who are fun to watch but are usually filled with well-payed, freakishly-sized stiffs. Not the case with Phoenix or Dallas. They both have stars: Dallas-Nowitzki, Terry, Howard; Phoenix: Nash, Marion, Stoudemire; and they also have some great role-players. The NBA season like all pro seasons (except for the NFL) is too long. Therefore the product is watered down with too many bad games and bad teams. Can we just let these two teams advance to the Finals? I don't think anyone would complain.
4:10pm-foul on Dallas' Austin Croshere (a fellow PC alum and white guy).
4:13pm-as much as I love March Madness, I must say it's a nice feeling to be watching a meaningful basketball game and not have the insufferable Billy "Fudge" Packer and his boy Jim Nantz giving me all the details. CBS choice of game commentators has to be one of the worst parts of this year's tournament. No Gus Johnson past the second round? James Brown, teaming up with Len Elmore? Yikes.
4:16pm-Devin Harris just swished two free-throws. If you had told me three years ago, that he'd be a starter on a great NBA team, I would have thought you were crazy. Then again, I can't stand Big Ten basketball or football.
4:17pm-some of the producers of the broadcast decided to switch the camera angle to sideways, an innovative albeit semi-nauseating view.
4:18pm-along the same lines as the Harris comment, Howard just hit two FT's as well and who would believe what an NBA player he'd be? I saw him a ton at Wake but I guess I wouldn't be a good scout since I can't objectively guess how good many college stars could be. Then again, I should probably be on the Celtics payroll, the way that they've evaluated talent the last few seasons.
4:20pm- Is their a more versatile forward than Shawn Marion? OK, maybe he's on his team and his name is Boris Diaw.
4:21pm- One of the things that has always bugged me about NBA games in the last few years is the constant blaring of rap music during the game. Don't get me wrong, I love rap as much as the next white kid from the suburbs but I feel annoyed when a night of basketball has turned into a night at the club.
4:22pm-How old is Jerry Stackhouse, who just drilled a three? I feel like he is in the Julio Franco range. Maybe not, but since he's been a fixture in the Association since my formative years it feels like that.
4:23pm-Oden or Durant? I feel like this debate consumes my life these days thanks to my beloved Celtics. I feel pessimistic about getting either one of these studs. Like either, one of them won't come out and the Celts will get the number 2 pick. Or maybe something completely dumb will transpire: the Celts fend off all logic and scouting and pick Aaron Gray #1, forcing me to jump off a bridge. If you're wondering, I'd take Durant. I think he has more upside. Oden has been so hyped but I feel like against NBA big guys, he won't nearly be as powerful. But what do I know? The media sweats him almost as bad as I sweat Sharapova.
4:27pm-just had my first Cuban sighting, behind the Mavs bench but sadly minus the Mavs football jersey-must be at the cleaners.
4:28pm-the Mavs are 22-3 in their last 25 on the road? The Celts have 22 totals wins this year, no lie.
4:29pm-Barbosa is amazing, easily the best 6th man in the NBA.
4:31pm- The Reaping? Honestly, are there any good movies that come out these days? I'm no Siskel but I like a good flick as much as the next guy. It seems like there's so much garbage coming out of Hollywood these days. At least Eddie Griffin seems to be getting plenty of work.
4:33pm-in the How the Hell Did He Make the NBA Dept: I submit Devan George. After collecting rings on the Lakers, he's now on the Mavs. Sweet life.
4:34pm-Nash hits Barbosa with the backdoor pass, that's just fun to say.
4:35pm-Hey, Michelle Tafoya is here! Wish it was Erin Andrews.
4:36pm-Stoudemire with a pick and roll, And-1 dunk from Nash. I could watch those two all day, every day.
4:37pm-It's a beautiful thing when one of the best players in the NBA is German. The US needs more prominent Germans, they're so entertaining.
4:38pm-along with Diaw's standard info, they listed his favorite tv show as the Simpsons. The Simpsons in French? Interesting.
4:40pm-Finally figured out what ex-NBA player is doing the Color-Mark Jackson. He of the constant backdown move on helpless guards.
4:42pm- Suns up 60-56 at the half.
4:48pm- Wilbon doing halftime with Dan Patrick and Jon Barry. Love Wilbon. PTI is my drug of choice, I get the shakes when I haven't seen in for a while. And it would be nothing without Wilbon. I like Tony K but Wilbon brings a whole lot more to the table (see MNF this past season). Nothing in my life is more disappointing than when Wilbon is gone and Dan LeBatard is filling in. He's awful.
5:11pm-Nash hits Marion with an unreal assist. A three-time MVP? Get used to it.
5:13pm-Jackson seemed to have gotten verbal diarrhea. He can't stop spewing about Nash. And who can blame him?
5:16pm-first lame April Fools reference, I'm surprised it took this long.
5:19pm-between "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol", I don't know where anyone has the time to live their own life these days.
5:20pm-Stoudemire is 24 years old, makes me feel like I should do something with my life.
5:23pm-Barbosa with a nice drive to the basket. The Suns are looking unstoppable.
5:26pm-Howard gets poked above the eye, causing him to leave the game.
5:28pm-Suns up 89-82 after three quarters. I can't imagine being able to watch the Suns every night, must be nice.
5:32pm-Win or lose, I hope we get the obligatory Cuban shot/interview post-game. He is must-see tv in my book.
5:34pm-back to the crazy view, someone is taking a leak.
5:38pm-wow, there's a reason nobody watches ABC outside of Lost and Desperate Housewives. The other shows look brutal.
5:41pm-Barbosa hits a 3 and simultaneously gets clotheslined. Must be Wrestlemania night.
5:42pm-Suns up 98-88 with 7:28 left, think they'll make it close?
5:46pm-the graphics jinx worked like a charm; after making its first 15 Ft's, Terry bricks one for the Mavs
5:46pm-Nowitzki out after turning his ankle
5:47pm-after the Suns scored, they cut to the shot from behind some Suns fans, who are jumping up and down? weird.
5:47pm-Think Stackhouse was bald as a kid? I do.
5:48pm-Nash hits a shot (with some player yelling "bucket!") and gets fouled. Nash is from another planet. Aka Canada.
5:51pm-Marion hits a floater in the lane. Has he ever taken two shots that looked alike?
5:58pm-Oh no, with the season-opener Sunday Night Baseball promo featuring Jon Miller, I just realized that Joe Morgan will be there too. He is unbearable. It feels like he's never gone away even though we haven't heard him since October. Worst announcers in sports off the top of my head: Morgan, Tim McCarver, Packer and Joe Buck.
6:01pm-We have a Jose Barea sighting for the Mavs, from Northeastern (yeah that one). I don't know what it is but I have a fascination with garbage-time in the NBA. I love looking at the box scores or better yet the games and seeing the has-beens, never-weres and never-will bes that I've followed for years.
6:03pm-when you shoot 11-20 from 3-point land, even James Jones is drilling 'em.
6:04pm-Diaw hits a 3 from the corner. Suns 65% from the field for the game. Final score: Suns 126-Mavericks 104. This has been fun. Don't know when I'll be at it next, probably sometime later in the week as the Sox get the season started. Go Sox.