In the NBA playoffs only the best prepared teams can make it. It is a jungle and it is indeed survival of the fittest. Last month when stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler suffered season-ending injuries, the Washington Wizards were undermanned and appeared to give up on the season. They were no match for the Cavaliers. The Miami Heat also lost, but not for the same reasons as the Wizards. The Bulls had a good offensive and the Heat could not do anything about it. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were the star players for the Bulls that really gave the Heat a rough time.

This time of year it is all about motivation and match-ups. These two factors really did it for the Orlando/Detroit series. It seemed like those two elements really favored one team. The Pistons have a veteran, experienced team. They also have the best back court in the East and a deep front court. Orlando had a weak back court and a lone ace up front in Dwight Howard. With a slew of big guys rotating in and out, the Pistons could counter Howard.

What happened out West was a surprise to every basketball fan out there. Golden State went up 3-1 on Dallas. Under Don Nelson the Golden State was super-motivated. Nellie had this to say: “I think we can win Game 4 but I don’t know if we can win the series. Dallas is just too good�?. Not only did they play well, but hey managed to recover from an 88-81 deficit and win the game.

They were close to pulling a shocking 5-game series upset of the Mavericks, too, until Dallas made an incredible 15-0 run to close out Game 5, a 118-112 victory to keep them alive. In the first half Dallas squandered a 21-point lead.

Nelson is truly worthy of our admiration. Not only did he know how to motivate his team, but he also knew to attack Dallas with his team’s small, quick lineup that can score from anywhere. Sometimes they lose, but they sure have proven their worth by holding their own against a Mavericks team that won 67-regular season games. Golden State is 7-1 against the spread versus Dallas this season.

In the Spurs/Nuggets series two other key points about the playoffs have appeared. I am talking about defense and role players. San Antonio is improving its defense, as they usually do this time of year. Allen Iverson made only 9 of 25 shots, and is now 36 of 92 in the series.

Role players may have a subtle value, but do not thing that it is not a significant value. George Karl, coach for Denver, after losing Game 4 benched mistake-prone J.R. Smith for the rest of the series. With 26.9 seconds remaining in Game 4, Smith launched an ill-advised, 26-foot shot when the Nuggets trailed by four points. George Karl had this to say: “He’s done. That shot! I have no idea what planet that came from. And, of course, the one with eight seconds to go from 50 feet�?.