5. Orlando Magic (4): Can you imagine if, somehow, Kevin Love ended up playing alongside Dwight Howard? I’m sure that’s what most people were thinking when Orlando and Minnesota squared off on Saturday night. Until then, the Magic just have to keep playing with what they have – which isn’t a bad thing considering they have the league’s best center and a plethora of deadly shooters waiting for him to kick it out.
4. Los Angeles Lakers (5): Seven wins in a row was great to see, and during their string of victories, the Lakers played some of their best team basketball in the last decade. Was being dropped by their little brother Clippers a bad loss? Not a horrible one, but that Blake Griffin was shooting one for nine with six rebounds mid way through the third quarter and still managed to finish with 18 points and 15 rebounds is unacceptable.
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3. Miami Heat (1): Just as the Heat were not going to keep losing, they were never going to keep winning. A loss (or two, or three, or four, or five, or six, or seven) was inevitable, and with LeBron out, the ‘Heatles’ are just better than an average team (like how the Beatles would just be an average band without Lennon. Don’t worry LeBron, I understand your logic…). With an easy finish to January and an even easier month of February, the Heat aren’t going to fall far from this territory anytime soon.
2. Boston Celtics (3): They’ve benefited from an easy first-half schedule, but they did what every team needs to do in order to be successful – which is beat up on the bad teams and win early. Now, with KG returning to the lineup tonight and the return of Kendrick Perkins looming, it’s time to see if the C’s are ready for another run at the finals.
1. San Antonio Spurs (2): After starting off the new year 1-2, the Spurs have used an easy schedule to regain form, and have now won six straight. It’s scary to think how rested and ready to go Tim Duncan is going to be come playoffs, as he has only been on the court for 29.4 minutes a night this season.