Just a few short weeks ago the Dallas Mavericks were in the top half of the division, seemingly ready to have at least home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Now they are tied with Denver for the last place in the playoffs.  They are actually seventh because they lead the season series with Denver, but if they finish the season with a worse record the Golden State Warriors are right there to take over, who also hold an identical record with the Mavericks.  Dallas is just 5-5 in their last ten, picking one of the worst times of the year to go on a little slump. 

The Phoenix Suns are in fifth place in the Conference.  After the trade for Shaquille O’Neal it appeared the Suns might fall out of the playoff race altogether.  O’Neal didn’t seem like the right fit for the run and gun style of the Suns, and their record immediately after the trade showed it.  A major turnaround has taken place lately, as the Suns have won eight out of their last ten games, and appear to be one of the hottest teams in the league.  O’Neal might not have the fastest legs, but he is a huge plus on defense, something the Suns haven’t always been the best at.  O’Neal can play with the other big men in the league, which gives them something to hang their hats on going into the playoffs knowing they are going to play some of the best centers out there.

The Golden State Warriors have held on to the eight and final position of the playoff standings for the better part of the year, but they have finally dropped right behind the Denver Nuggets.  Despite having identical records, the Nuggets hold the series advantage over the Warriors, so technically the Warriors have to finish with a better record, not a tied one, to take home the eight place in the league.  The Warriors have showed that they are a dangerous team if they can make it to the playoffs.  As I have mentioned many times in these stories, they defeated the Dallas Mavericks as an eight seed last year and the Mavericks had the best record in the league.  Every game is now vital in the Western Conference, especially for the Golden State Warriors.  They have a young nucleus that is led by a solid point guard in Baron Davis that would be a blast to watch in the playoffs, but first they have to get their, and their test on Saturday won’t be easy.

Chris Paul in the New Orleans Hornets have seemed to appear out of nowhere.  They are currently in first place in the Western Conference, but five other teams are only 1.5 games out of that same position.  To be able to hold on to that stature would be great, as the first place seed would give the Hornets home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.  With the parity at an all-time high in the NBA, to have home-court advantage would be huge.

I favor the Hornets ever so slightly in the game, mainly because of them being the home team for this contest.  I expect it to come right down to the wire with Chris Paul having to hit a big shot, or create something in order for his team to sneak away with the victory. 

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