The Basketball Diaries

Denver Nuggets 111 Houston Rockets 94

And that will just about do it, the Nuggets should be the final team in the west to make the playoffs. Thanks to Allen Iverson's 33 points and J.R. Smith's 23 off the bench, the Nuggets basically dominated the Rockets from the opening tip to the final buzzer. The win puts Denver a half-game up on Golden State, and all they have to do is beat Memphis at home on Wednesday and they're in. Seems easy, but remember, the Nuggets have lost to Seattle and Sacramento in recent weeks. I was a bit surprised by how lackluster the Rockets played on Sunday considering they still have an outside shot at the top seed out west, but whatever, seeds won't really matter much in the west anyway.

Los Angeles Lakers 106 San Antonio Spurs 85

Speaking of the top seed out west, it's no longer held by the Hornets, as the Lakers' victory over San Antonio on Sunday moved them to the top. One more win against the Kings on Tuesday, and they get home-court advantage. Kobe Bryant had 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Lamar Odom had 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Lakers team over a Spurs team that played like it has nothing to play for at the moment. Which I guess they don't.

Orlando Magic 104 Chicago Bulls 84

So what if the Bulls lost, there are only two games left in this miserable excuse of a season, and then the playoffs will start and I can start enjoying basketball again. It's a celebration, bitches!

Elsewhere...

• Pistons 91 Raptors 84
• Cavs 84 Heat 76
• Sonics 99 Mavs 95