It's time for the contenders to make the final push and the pretenders to start their annual flop. Contenders?  Washington and Memphis.  The potential floppers?  Cleveland, Philly and Milwaukee.    

? What I learned this week: Highest scorer in the League in February?  My man, P2. Plain and simple, he is a man possessed.  

If Mike Miller is a 6?9 SG, why does he have no post game to speak of?  

Andre Iguodala can fly, man.  He?s a nightmare on D too.  If only he could dribble the ball.  

The Rockets are winning less than 7% of their games when T-Mac is out.  

Did you know that the Mavericks are just 2 games behind Detroit for the best record in the NBA?  They might not even win their division either.  

? The Cleveland LeBrons are in a free fall, losing 5 in a row and 7 of their last 10. They?re hanging onto the 4th playoff spot but are only 3 games in front of 8th place Milwaukee.  You mean Flip Murray isn?t what you need to turn this thing around?  I?m shocked.  Peeps in Cleveland have even taken to booing LBJ.  They must be huffing paint in the parking lot before games.  This is not good.  Someone get Isiah on the phone.  

? Worst Team Tracker: 2-21 in the last 23.  Another 5 game losing streak.  I don?t think they could beat Hofstra right now.  Blah, blah, blah.  This is getting boring. Until?

? The Musings heard this week that, to a man, no one on the Knicks can stand Stephon Marbury.  With dudes like Jalen Rose, Qyntel Woods and Jerome James, that?s really saying something.  Even the docile Q-Rich had to be held back while the Coney Island native was escorted out of MSG before getting a beat down.  Apparently, Richardson refused to leave practice until he could get his hands around Starbury?s neck.  This guy might as well get on the F train.  Next stop, Jay-Z?s Brooklyn squad.  

? Leaving Allen Iverson off of Team USA?s Olympic and World?s roster is a disgrace, plain and simple.  This guy carried the 2004 team, has the heart of a Mammoth and is just what the team needs.  AI has toned down the anti-establishment rhetoric and makes practice a regular routine these days.  What, he doesn?t dress the way you want him to?  Fact is, since becoming a father, AI is a role model.  Check it:  1 team, 10 years.  Never held out, never appeared in court, never demanded to be traded or bought out.  Never signed a deal so egregious he had to be moved, never complained about a teammate and never, once, got picked by the fans to play in the All-Star game and begged out of it.  But you?re going to have Luke Ridnour, Adam Morrison and J.J. Redick here?  This stinks of Kryszewski.

? This just in: The Bucks, everyone?s darling team 8 weeks ago, are falling faster than President Bush?s approval rating.   Thank you, thank you.   Seriously folks, after peaking at 17-11 Milwaukee has gone 12-18 and are clinging to the final spot in the East.  I fully expect them to be out of it once Chicago gets its act together and quits playing Kirk Hinrich and Chris Duhon at the same time.  

? The Celtics are getting better, I swear.  Team Green is 3-2 in their last 5, including a 3-1 West Coast roadie.  The only losses were @ PHX and last night against the Heat.  All of this without their new ?nucleus? down low of Al Jeff and the Perk-o-lator.  Pierce hit the game-winning FT?s (something he usually doesn?t do) against the Kobes on Sunday then D?d up on the Bean and forced an off-balance shot.  Lakers lose by 1.  Delonte West is getting better still at the PG position.  Consecutive games of 22, 23 and 30 points, combined with under 10 turnovers combined.  But this man needs a nickname, send me suggestions.  

? Quote of the week:   Employee No. 8, Antoine Walker, to Paul Pierce in Wednesday?s 103-96 Heat win in Boston: ?I?ve got some playoff tickets set aside for you to come down to Miami.? Ha, Ha, ?Toine.  How did Pierce react?  ?I wanted to slap him.?  Walker got the last laugh, hitting two 3-pt shots in the closing minute to push the heat past the C?s.  Asked if he thought eventually AW would get hot, Pierce said ''Not really. I've seen him miss all night, too."  Haven?t we all.  

Stay tuned to the Weekly Musings to see who?s in and who?s out of the playoffs.  With about 25 games to go, it?s getting down to the wire.  We?ll dissect the East next week and give you our 8.  

Until then, I?m Nate Robinson asking you to remember the dunk contest, ?cause you ain?t seein? me for a while.