No Regard Daily Previews: Three's Company!

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Dallas Mavericks Vs. New Jersey Nets

This matchup is deceptively interesting despite the chasm-like discrepancy in wins and losses between these two teams. Here are some of the story lines that make tonight's featured game worth checking out:

Just one week ago, Lebron James headed back to Cleveland for the first time since joining the Miami Heat. Tonight, Avery Johnson heads back to Dallas for the first time as a coach of the New Jersey Nets. While the media hasn't been nearly as attentive toward Johnson's venture back to Texas as it was to last Thursday's hullabaloo, I am intrigued to see how this Net team defends Avery's honor. Who, as we remember, was fired by Mark Cuban just a few years ago after recording the highest regular season winning percentage in the history of the league.

This summer, former Net Jason Kidd trashed the Jersey franchise to Carmelo Anthony, essentially squashing a Melo-to-NJ move that only needed Melo's approval to be inked. If I'm a Net tonight, I'm heading into the game with that in the back of my head and possibly taking a shot at this senior citizen's knees. Also, Harris and Kidd were swapped for each other a few years back, which might add some fuel to this whole thing.

Each team is currently on a streak, with New Jersey losers of five straight and Dallas winners of ten straight. And while the Nets have lost their last sixteen of nineteen to the Mavs, including ten straight at the American Airlines Center, I have a feeling that this game is going to be close. You know, like that song? "I got a feelin', that tonight's gonna be a good night." Yeah, for me, this game is like that song. Except replace the line, "that tonight's gonna be a good night" with, "tonight's gonna be a close game!".

There Are Only Two Other Games On Tonight So We Might As Well Briefly Touch On Them, Also:

Philadelphia 76ers Vs. Boston Celtics

Here's another matchup, that on paper, looks as if it's going to be an absolute stomping. But fortunately for us junkies out there, the NBA doesn't play any games on paper. They play them in big arenas located in cities throughout the United States and Canada. (Just one in Canada...) So, if you think about it, anything can happen. Especially when a Boston team that doesn't sport all that many spring chickens is playing its second game in two nights. That might just be a factor that changes the outcome. Frankly, however, it won't be. The Celtics are rolling right now and Philly, despite a big win over the pathetic Cavs, will just be going up against way too much firepower.



And Finally...

Portland Trailblazers Vs. Orlando Magic

Imagine if these bigs were going at it tonight!

Sigh...