Must See Sports - Fifth Weekend of January, 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Miami Heat at New York Knicks

The Bosh-less Heat Index comes to Madison Square Garden to take on the, still, Carmelo-less Knicks. Who knows if Melo will ever shed blue and yellow, to the East Coast be true, and don orange and blue? I will stick to sports and leave the poetry to those with talent.

The Miami Heat remain in second place in the East in spite of not having its trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh on the court at the same time in over two weeks. Wade has not played in nine days, but is expected to play tonight. In spite of the injuries, the Heat have been above .500 over their last 10 games and still lead the Southeast division.

Chris Bosh can't wait to bring his talents back to the floor. 1

The Knicks are coming off of a 10 game slate of Western Conference opponents prior to its win over the Washington Wizards on Monday. The Knicks lost seven of those 10 Western Conference games, including losses to the cellar-dwelling Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings and the sub .500, Western Conference's 11th place team, the Phoenix Suns. For the Knicks, the devil you know is better than the devil you do not know, of late.

Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire has been strong against the Heat this season, averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds in his prior meetings against Miami. The Knicks are at home. The Heat are without Bosh. This could be a trap game for the Heat (as much of a trap game as possible involving an opponent who is in second place in its division).

Advantage: Knicks

Saturday, January 29, 2011
NCAA Men's College Basketball

Minnesota Golden Gophers (18) at Purdue Boilermakers (12)

Gopher Head Coach Tubby Smith takes his Minnesota (16-4, 5-3 Big Ten) team to Indiana to take on a Purdue Boilermakers (17-4, 6-2 Big Ten) team looking to regain some if its dignity on national television (CBS) after being mercilessly pummeled by the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday. This is an important game for Purdue in the Big Ten race. A loss will pull the Boilermakers into the middle of the pack in the Big Ten and give the Gophers a season sweep of Purdue. Perhaps Purdue can explore a loophole in the NCAA rules to see if Drew Brees has any eligibility remaining for basketball?

Time to see if Purdue alum Drew Brees is interested in moonlighting. 3 

In spite of the Buckeye thrashing, Purdue senior big man JuJuan Johnson (21 PPG, 8 RPG) and senior guard E'Twaun Moore (18 PPG, 6 RPG, 3 APG) played adequately and will need to do so, minimally, to beat Minnesota. The Gophers, led by senior guard Blake Hoffarber (14 PPG, 4 APG) and junior forward Trevor Mbakwe (13 PPG, 11 RPG, 2 BlkPG), stumbled out of the gates badly in Big Ten Conference play, but have won four straight in the conference.

Minnesota is trending one way; Purdue has already lost to Minnesota and is in danger of trending the other way if it cannot regain its (what must have been) shaken confidence after the Ohio State loss.

Advantage: Minnesota

Tubby has the Gophers out of their holes, now. 2

Other games notable games on Saturday -
Louisville Cardinals (19) at Connecticut Huskies (5) - Advantage: Connecticut
Georgetown Hoyas (20) at Villanova Wildcats (7) - Advantage: Georgetown
Kansas State Wildcats at Kansas Jayhawks (6) - Advantage: Kansas

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers

Is a preview even necessary? Sunday is my birthday and this will be an additional birthday treat for me (or any basketball fan). The Lakers and Celtics meet in a rematch of last year's NBA Finals. The Celtics, with the best record in the East, have to come to the Staples Center to play the defending champs. The Celtics will get a boost from the return of center Kendrick Perkins. Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal made the trip with the team for its West Coast stand. I cannot imagine The Big Shamrock making the trip and not dishing out a little Shaq-Fu in his new team's only regular season appearance in the house of his old team. Boston is already playing well and is getting healthier.

Shaq: "Check it! Check it! you know how I be. Last time Kobe got met by my knee! ... Kobe...! Tell me how my a__ tastes!" 4

The Lakers are hot, too. The Pacific Division leading Lakers are as streaky as they have ever been, but with far more winning streaks than losing streaks, having won 8 of their last 10. Andrew Bynum is expected to return from his elbow injury tomorrow, so I assume he will be ready to roll on Sunday.

This is a difficult game to call because both teams are excellent and playing well. Both teams also have different weaknesses, but of similar impact. Traveling is difficult in the NBA and L.A. will be rocking on Sunday. Don't bet the farm on this one, though.

Advantage: Lakers


NFL Pro Bowl from Honolulu, Hawaii

The NFL feeds our football joneses in the weekend before the Super Bowl. The best of the NFC meet the best of the AFC, except for the players on the best team in the NFC or AFC. Regardless, if you would otherwise experience pigskin withdrawal before the Super Bowl, this exhibition should help get you through.

Aloha! 5

Monday, January 31, 2011

Texas Longhorns (8) at Texas A&M Aggies (11)

One traditional power and one emerging program meet in College Station, TX as these two rivals slug it out in an important Big XII match. The Longhorns beat the Aggies soundly in their meeting earlier this month and I expect no different in this return match. Texas is the real deal and the Aggies are still climbing. Hook 'em Horns!

Advantage: Texas

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Vanderbilt Commodores (22) at Florida Gators (23)

These two SEC East rivals meet in a contest that could go a long way in deciding the regular season division winner. Florida is 5-1 in the SEC, leading the East division, but has benefited by beating up some weaker, West division opponents. Vanderbilt is a bit more battle tested, having faced some tougher out-of-conference competition and playing well. Vanderbilt is in last place in the East, but with two games separating top and bottom, a Vanderbilt win would turn the division landscape upside-down overnight. Vandy is at home, in one of the most unique structures for college basketball, the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida, frankly, is unimpressive on offense and I think it will catch up to them in this game. I think Vandy takes a chomp out of the Gators.

Advantage: Vanderbilt

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

New Orleans Hornets at Oklahoma City Thunder

I am not getting my homer on. I think this is an important matchup and apparently the folks at NBATV do too, as they will carry the broadcast. The Hornets are the NBA's hottest team, winners of 10 straight, including a win over the Thunder with a last second basket by forward David West in New Orleans this past Monday. The Northwest division leading Thunder will not have short memories and, playing in front of their home crowd at the Ford Center, I expect forward Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and company to be charged. The Hornets, with the NBA's best defense, look to close the gap in the Western Conference race (2.5 games back of the Lakers and 2nd place in the Southwest Division).

The Hornets are hot, but the Thunder are not exactly cold. OKC will be at home and will have an axe to grind. I think the scales tip slightly toward the home team in this week's game.

Advantage: Thunder

David West and Trevor Ariza celebrate after West's last second, go-ahead basket in New Orleans this past Monday. I doubt that Kevin Durant has a short memory. 6

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1) Image from blogs.sun-sentinel.com
2) Image from thesportsbank.net
3) Image from linkwhip.com
4) Image from sports.yahoo.com
5) Image from faniq.com
6) Image from latimes.com