At the break: NHL and NBA at the halfway point
Basketball
As the NBA takes a breath during the upcoming All-Star break, the hype of the “Decision” and South Beach has waned, and new faces in new places have answered and abandoned pre-season questions, like Amare Stouduimire in New York, Blake Griffin in Los Angeles and of course, Kobe and perhaps another ring.
With all the hype surrounding the “Miami Thrice” — Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh — early on during the season the three superstars struggled to find a rhythm, but as the season progressed, James, Wade, Bosh and the rest of the Heat found a chemistry that now has them in second place in the Eastern Conference. While the cameras focused on the superstars in Miami, teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder are making a splash as they enter the All-Star Break.
The Spurs comfortably lead the NBA in victories with 42 wins, thanks to a solid bench.
Along with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs have finally seen the full potential of backup guard George Hill who is averaging 11 points per game off the bench. Their 42-8 record breaks their record of 40 wins before the All-Star break, and it is eight wins behind their win total of last year.
The Celtics hold a slim Eastern Conference lead with a 37-12 record. The additions of centers Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal help give the Celtics more depth on their front line, something they lacked last year.
Twice this season, the Celtics have beaten the Heat because of team effort, not depending on just their stars to win the game. Glen Davis has been a key component, especially with Kendrick Perkins out due to injury throughout most of the season. Davis has taken advantage of his opportunity of more minutes by scoring a career-high 12 points per game and averaging five rebounds off the bench.
There has been an abundance of excitement in Los Angeles. The Lakers have a winning record and are third in the Western Conference, but it is the other Staples Center team creating the buzz. The Los Angeles Clippers and the rest of the NBA have finally seen the emergence of Blake Griffin.
Griffin is averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds per game — performance that earned him a spot on the Western Conference All-Star team. The Clippers are eleven games under .500 and most likely won’t make the playoffs, but the team puts on a show night in and night out. Griffin is making SportsCenter’s top ten plays almost nightly.
Hockey
Entering into the second half the NHL season, the win margin among the top teams of both the Eastern and Western Conferences is tight.
In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks hold the conference, as well as the NHL lead with a 34-10-9 record and 77 points, nine points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings. The Canucks posses a balanced attack led by Daniel Sedin, who leads the team and the NHL in points, and Ryan Kesler, who leads the team in goals.
The Dallas Stars, which are one of the youngest teams in the NHL are third in the Western Conference. The team’s youth can either help or hurt them in the last two months of the season.
The Philadelphia Flyers are on top in the Eastern Conference. With the attack of Claude Giroux, Danny Briere and Mike Richards, the Flyers are going to be difficult to defeat, especially if they get hot in the second half of the season. Not far behind is the Tampa Bay Lightning, home to the NHL’s goal leader, Steven Stamkos, who is having an MVP-caliber season. In fourth place, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a five-game winning streak. Throughout most of the season, Sidney Crosby has been solid, leading the Penguins in points, goals and assists.