Kevin Durant And The Thunder Advance To Second Round

If I haven't had the chance to remind you in person, I've been a huge fan of the Thunder this season especially since they made the deal to bring in Kendrick Perkins from the Celtics. Last night up 3 games to 1 in the series against the pesky Denver Nuggets, Durant and company showed why. Kevin Durant brought his A-game as he dropped 41 points including the final 9 for the Thunder as they came from behind to beat the Nuggets 100-97 and move on the second round.

The Nuggets were in control for most of the game and following an 8-2 late in the 4th held a 9-point lead with only 3:30 remaining. Over the final 3:30 of the game Durant outscored the Nuggets 14-6 by himself as he almost single-handedly show Denver the door. Last night Durant was the best player in the NBA which is was probably fueled by criticism stemming from OKC's game 4 loss in Denver where Durant struggled early and it appeared his running mate Russell Westbrook attempted to shoulder the load.

I am convinced the Thunder are going to become the team beat in the Western Conference as the Spurs, Lakers and Mavericks have all looked vulnerable in their round 1 series. In addition to the scoring prowess of Durant and Westbrook the twin towers of Perkins and Serge Ibaka (who is quickly becoming my favorite player) dominated the paint on defense and denied the Nuggets time and again in the game's final stages. Ibaka posted 9 blocks including one in the final seconds with the Thunder leading by 1. Durant will find some space after an inbounds on the next possession and hit a 19-foot runner to put the Thunder ahead by 3 with 12 seconds to go. Oklahoma City must now wait for the winner of the Spurs/Grizzlies series which was extended last night as the Spurs pulled in out in OT.

Is This Real Life? Mets Win 6th Straight

After a 5-13 start to the season that can be at best described as "pretty much expected" but more likely as "pathetic" after dropping 7 consecutive games in less-than-stellar fashion, the New York Mets have somehow managed to show a little life by winning 6 their last six games and clawing their record up to respectable at 11-13. The catalyst that has ignited the team has been the return of Jason Bay as the Mets started their streak upon his return. Bay is batting .391 in his six games with a homer and 3 RBI but has stabilized the team's lineup with a veteran right-handed bat in the 5-hole and given the team some consistency.

The recent success however cannot all be attributed to Bay. 2B Daniel Murphy who failed to win the starting job in the spring has come alive in recent weeks with his bat (including going 2-2 off the bench last night with a HR and 3 RBIs sparking a Mets rally) and has played above expectations in the field. RF Carlos Beltran and his arthritic right night and continued to improve all year and he has shown consistency at the plate and flashes of his old self in the field. Ike Davis has however has easily had the most success as he is riding a 9-game hit streak that has seen his average rise to .345 to go along with 4 HRs and 18 RBI.

Even the patchwork starting rotation appears to have shaken off their early rust as starters have gone at least 6 innings in 7 of the last 8 games. The bullpen has improved as well and Francisco Rodriguez has converted his last 6 save opportunities.

Finally the Mets' front office has also played it part by being quick to remove players who have not played up to par. Guys like Brad Emaus, D.J. Carrasco and Blaine Boyer have either been sent down or sent packing after poor starts to the year and these moves have allowed players like Murphy to help the team win. Anyone one who has had the (mis)fortune of following the Mets during the Omar Minaya era knows this is quite a departure from the days of sticking with Luis Castillo and his .231 average every day.

Obviously the Mets have been getting their wins off of teams like the Diamondbacks and the Nationals but keep in mind that just over a week ago fans like me were questioning if they could beat anyone so let's have our fun while we can. The Mets look to sweep the Nats tonight before a much tougher test this weekend against the Phillies.

NFL Lockout Lifted By Judge, Now What?

U.S. District Attorney Susan Richard Nelson ruled in favor of the NFL players on Monday thereby by lifting the NFL owner imposed lockout after the players filed an injunction rooted in antitrust violations. The NFL owners are in the process of filing a motion to appeal the ruling and are also seeking a stay on Judge Nelson's ruling until the appeal is heard which would likely occur sometime later this summer. This has left players and fans in a sort of limbo as the lockout has been technically lifted yet football operations have yet to begin.

After the ruling on Monday evening many NFL players ventured to their team's athletic facilities with the lockout no longer in place however a vast majority of them were turned away. It has become clear that the owners will not commence the league year until they are forced to by the courts (or in a much more unlikely event they reach a new CBA). In response to the owners action Judge Nelson has given them a deadline of 6 PM Wednesday to make their case as to why the ruling should be put on hold and the lockout kept in place.

What this means is that by as early as this evening we could see the lockout officially lifted and football operations taking place again. This could lead to a very chaotic period as the NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday night and a number of major trades could start flying especially involving teams with QB needs and high draft picks. There are also around 500 players who are currently free agents and we could see a frenzy of activity as teams look to sign players as no one will know how long the lockout will be lifted.

Of course there is always the possibility that the stay will be granted and no player transactions can take place until much later in the summer. For now it is a waiting game.