Sudden Impact

The postseason feels like it grinds on forever. But the guys in it know they have only a short time to buckle down and make a lasting impression

CRASH AND BURN

The Suns' defense won't do them in; their offense will. "It depends on their first quarters and how they shoot," says Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy. "If they don't have cold spells, they're tough."

Let's see if we've got this right: If Phoenix doesn't fall behind early or miss too many shots in a row, it can win? That's not too reassuring, especially at a time when pace slows and easy points evaporate. Yes, if the Suns continue to hit 40% from the arc and more than 80% from the stripe, they'll be fine. FYI: No champ has put up numbers like those in the playoffs.

The Suns run loose and fast when they face a different team each night. Nobody is ready for that Nash-revved, one-of-akind drag race. And all those made baskets give them the chance to hustle back. But the Lakers, and whoever comes next, will have ample time to prepare a transition D that starts at the arc instead of the lane. And that's when Phoenix hits the wall. -RIC BUCHER

CRASH TEST DUMMY

Lakers fans will remember this season for Kobe's jawdropping 81 and the league's highest scoring average (35.4) since MJ in 1986-87. Kobe's all-around dominance made a strong case against past perceptions, not to mention a case for MVP. But if the Lakers don't advance to the second round, the faithful will be forced to recall-and none too fondly-Kobe's boneheaded flagrant foul of Mike Miller midway through the fourth in a December game. He says he threw the elbow to make a statement. Miller made two free throws and, oh, the Grizz won by a point in OT. Worse yet, Kobe was suspended for a couple of games. The Lakers lost both to the Jazz. So how many games behind the Clippers did they finish in the race for the sixth seed? Two. That meant their crosstown rivals had home court against the Nuggets, a team the Lakers beat two out of three, and Kobe started off against the Suns, who won the season series against the Lakers 3—1. Some statement. -MATT BEARDMORE

CRASH COURSE

Bruce Bowen hacks! They're smacking Shaq! So begins the annual public whinefest of coaches eager to be heard on the subject of who is getting away with what, in hopes of putting pressure on the officials and getting them to call it their way when it matters most. Many refs consider Pat Riley the routine's godfather, for famously waiting until this time of year to cry for justice for his big man du jour, from Kareem to Patrick to Alonzo to O'Neal. "He's won with it," says one ref, "so people believe it works."

It's no stretch to think newspaper quotes or a TV clip can shift the way a series is called. More often, though, change comes when officials themselves recognize things have gotten out of hand. They prepare for upcoming games by studying a detailed report from the previous crew and watching tape of missed calls. Of course, no one notices when a coach complains and the refs do nothing different the next time around. Take a look: That happens too. -R.B.

CRASHIN' THE BOARDS

The guys who say you have to outrebound an opponent to win must just like to see big men knock heads. Because the numbers sure don't back up their fetish: Seven of the 16 playoff teams have negative rebound margins. "The stat is a bit misleading," explains Suns coach Mike D'Antoni. "You can get five offensive rebounds on one play and not score." Now, D'Antoni's rationalization is no shock. Phoenix had the league's third-worst differential (-4.08 rpg). But the fact is, nine of the past 20 NBA champs were outrebounded in the Finals. Even this season's Ben Wallace-led Pistons grabbed fewer caroms than their foes (-0.34 pg). On the other hand, the Suns and Pistons have the two best assists-to-turnovers ratios in the league and, not coincidentally, were top-five in point differential. As Pistons coach Flip Saunders says, "Good teams take turnovers and convert them right away." And the big men to clobber each other for fun. -JORDAN BRENNER

A PLACE TO CRASH

No promises for the long run, but the best on-the-fly addition of the regular season was clearly the Kings' January pickup of Ron Artest. Sac-Town was 18—23 before he arrived, 26—15 afterward. The Kings are tougher defenders and rebounders for it, and rock a playoff swagger that's been missing for the past two seasons. But Denver also had some key guys drop in. Ruben Patterson and Reggie Evans have bolstered the once-soft Nuggets with a hard edge. Since they've moved in, Denver has held foes to a buck a night and swung a -1.9 rebounding margin to +2.3. With Evans down low and Patterson fending off guards, it's almost too easy for Melo. "The ball just seems to fall into my hands," he says.

And while Melo's boy LeBron gets the MVP talk, it was Flip Murray who nailed a go-ahead shot that sealed a game over the Bulls in March, a win that halted a five-game skid and turned around the season. The Cavs are 18—10 with Flip, who could turn out to be the spring's top sixth man. A guy like that is always welcome. -ELENA BERGERON

MARKET CRASH?

A few contenders made moves in the off-season that seemed like good investments at the time. That time seems forever ago. Now these three guys have a fresh chance to prove their value. Antoine Walker: The infamous gunner averaged a career-low 12.2 ppg in greatly reduced minutes as he struggled to grasp the Riles style. But Wade and Shaq can't go it alone. Versatile Toine can relieve the pressure. Nick Van Exel: After a career of never meeting a shot he wouldn't take, NVE got gun-shy in San Antonio and sputtered to 5.5 ppg. But in his last playoff run, in 2003, he scored 19.5 per. If the 'tude returns, he may yet fill it up. Larry Hughes: After a career-high 22 ppg with the Wiz last season, Hughes dropped to 15.5 with the Cavs. Plus, after breaking a finger, he played just 36 games. A 26-point, 13-board game late in the season says maybe his wind is back in time. -JERRY BEMBRY

SYSTEM CRASH

They shoot for perfection, settle for good enough and pray no one finds the flaw that blows up the whole operation. Sorry, guys, secrets aren't safe with us. PISTONS: Keep 'em guessing. Utah, the one team to sweep the season series, constantly switched from zone to man. NETS: Hit the front line. Can Nenad Krstic and Jason Collins survive a war? HEAT: Ignite an all-out, run-'til-you-drop attack. The Heat gave up 101.1 ppg in their 30 losses. SPURS: Get rough. Although TD and Manu were banged up all year, nobody out West went at them. MAVS: Force Jason Terry to make choices. His 3.8 apg was 41st in the league. NUGGETS: Deny Melo. Don't let one of the best end-game performers get in a groove. LAKERS: Kobe can get his, if Lamar Odom doesn't. -JERRY BEMBRY

Print Article . Email Article. Subscribe to The Magazine