In Win or Go Home games, the NBA playoffs have continued to provide us with quite a show. The two games played last night were both opportunities for teams to take the first round – the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 2011 NBA Playoffs have been incredibly exciting thus far, many games coming down to the last few minutes – with teams hanging on to play another game when nobody else thought they had the chance; teams pulling out the W despite injuries – this is what the Playoffs are all about, basketball at its finest.

The Thunder were able to take the first round from the Nuggets in 5 games. Kevin Durant continues to shine, a young stunner that has an incredibly bright future in the NBA. In the win over the Nuggets, Durant put the game on his shoulders and pulled out the win with a whopping 41 points – tying his playoff high point total in game 1. Despite subpar play from their other star Westbrook, the Thunder were able to triumph over the Nuggets and prevail to the next round. Taking the series 4-1, the Oklahoma City Thunder look hard to stop – healthy, and ready to play their next opponent.

But the game of the night had to be the Spurs vs. the Grizzlies. The talking heads all thought the Grizzlies would pull out the win and upset the Number 1 seed in the West with ease. The veteran star power of the Spurs was just not ready to go home. Leading most of the basketball game, they fell down to the Grizzlies, making it seem as though the predictions of the End of the Spurs Era were inevitable. But in pure star form we saw basketball at its finest – a 2 point shot by Ginobili and a last second 3 point shot by Neal that took the game to overtime. Both were improbable shots, but both went through the net. In the overtime victory that shocked many, the Spurs showed their desire to continue their playoff journey, and let the world know that they aren’t quite done yet.

The Spurs have a tough road ahead, and winning the series over the big, young, and incredibly talented Grizzlies seems a pretty long shot, but last night showed that in playoff basketball, anything is possible. With the Grizzlies leading the series 3-2 the Spurs are against the proverbial wall, needing to win the next game in Memphis, lest their playoff journey come to an end. While the Spurs have become the surprising underdog, their hopes are still alive. Can the veteran squad outlast the young talent of Memphis? Game 6 will tell the tale.

With two more Win or Go Home games tonight, playoff basketball continues to enthrall us. Many are wondering how much of an impact Kobe can have in the Lakers/Hornets game tonight, and others wonder if CP3 will come out and steal the show as he did in games 1 and 4. If Kobe can play at his finest, Gasol can have the impact he had in game 4, and Odom can continue to crash the boards, the young talent of New Orleans may have their work cut out for them. And in the Mavs and Blazers game, many are expecting the Mavs to finish the job, but is it too late to count out the Blazers given their 23 point comeback not long ago? Only tonight will tell, and I myself can’t wait!

As the National Basketball Asssociation season wears on, the Bulls top the Eastern Conference, sitting two games ahead of the likes of the Celtics, with a mere 12 games left to play in the regular season. Their roster of young stars has led to solid, all around game play on both sides of the court. Through injuries of Boozer and Noah, the Bulls have managed to attain a record of 52-19. While to many, especially those in Chicago, it is obvious that there is a lot of talent on the team, many of the players are young, and the expectations of a run like this, this year, has come as a surprise to even the staunchest Bulls fan. The young, but rising point guard, Derrick Rose, has a lot to do with the elite level of play, and sheer amount of success the Bulls have had this year.

It takes a solid, all around game, to get to the playoffs with the caliber of players in the NBA. While basketball is most certainly a team sport, and one person cannot truly carry a game, one person can certainly be a game changer, and that is exactly what Rose brings to the court. With a solid defense and a proven bench to back him up, Rose has continued to rack up the W’s, and his aggressive offensive play has brought real results to the Bulls organization. Rose is having a career season, his stats including rebounds, assists, and points per game are at a career high, and that is paying true dividends for the Bulls.

Rose is not just an all around good player, he is a game changer, a closer. and can be relied upon to get that W. In the recent game against the Grizzlies, Rose scored the last six points of the game, securing the hard fought for 99-96 victory. A pivotal 3 point shot, and aggressive offensive play to get in the paint and get the bucket when it counted, won the game. The Bulls don’t just believe in Rose, the city of Chicago believes in Rose.

Chicago is a special place for sports, and to be accepted there is a bit like making it in New York. As the season progresses, and the skill of Rose continues to shine through, games such as the hard fought win over the Grizzlies have left fans chanting “MVP!” as Rose comes off the court. Averaging 24.9 points, 7.8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game, Rose is not the only star player helping to lead the Bulls to the playoffs, and perhaps a chance at the number one seed if they continue their winning streak and can maintain their lead. With Boozer and Noah back in the lineup, and the promising talent of young center, Omer Asik, the Bulls have a good chance in the post-season, and the future in Chicago looks very bright indeed.

With 12 games left in the regular season, I expect to continue to hear Rose’s name in the highlight reels and in the game time play-by-play. He is a vital part of the Chicago Bulls lineup, but he is not the team, and the surrounding cast and crew is a testament to that understanding. Should Rose be the MVP? There is a good argument for that, but let’s see how the rest of the season pans out first.

The recent 4-game losing streak the Miami Heat find themselves stuck in, in my opinion, is indicative of larger problems that plague the team. While the Heat found their rhythm during the middle of the season, the beginning and end have been mired by poor defensive play and losing easily winnable games. The recent 4-game losing streak has seen the Heat blowing huge leads in the second half and really being off their game when it comes to communication and team play.

Winning those must win games, and staying cool under pressure are not the biggest problems facing the “Big 3″ in Miami (though they are problems). And it also seems the biggest problem facing the team is not the ability to score – we all know that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh can score points off the dribble and are always fast break threats. What they do not have is a defense, and they cannot seem to get any boards, on either end of the floor. In many ways, this makes the Heat akin to the Colts of the NBA – a lot of offense and not much else. While they will sell tickets, and certainly win a few games, it takes a complete game to win a championship, particularly when you play in the East.

The scoring percentages and all around game play of the Heat, when playing against competitive teams in the East – the Knicks, the Magic, and the Bulls – has been pathetic, and that is putting it nicely. They do not have big bodies or a rebounding threat, and attempts to generate steals to get turnovers seem to be non-existent. It would seem, when looking at the season thus far as a whole, that there really isn’t a strategy or style to the Heats game play. Whoever is hot, or is streaky, is who the game rests on the shoulders of. But without any defense, and nobody to crash the boards, this is not a good combination for long-term success against solid, playoff caliber teams.

While they may win basketball games against losing teams, or have the occasional flash of brilliance against a winning team, inconsistency has haunted the Heat throughout the season. When taking into account their being in the Eastern conference, and looking at their level of game play against these teams throughout the season, it isn’t much of a stretch to think that if they play the Knicks or Magic in the first round of the playoffs, that their road to the championship will end there. The holes inherent in the Heat lineup have continued to cause them problems throughout the season, and they have made no moves to get it together. Looks like the heat may have been taken out of Miami, making their hopes for a legitimate run in the post-season look pretty bleak.

The talent they have cannot carry the team – it is too one-sided. With three scoring threats in James, Bosh, and Wade, you have plenty of talent, but no clear leader to orchestrate the game. If you do not have big bodies on defense, rather than allowing 40 point runs, consider aggressive and fast paced defensive play whereby you use your speed and finesse to your advantage, steal the ball, stop the momentum, and find a way to get stops, or at least get some boards.