51? 51 points, are you kidding me? A few days ago I didn't think the Pacers could beat a high school team by 51. Granted the Bulls aren't the cream of the NBA crop but still, beating another professional team by 51 points (during what I am now calling a drought, not a slump) is unheard of. It is the biggest margin of victory in a NBA game this year. And almost more impressive it was done mostly by the bench, as each starter only played between one and two quarters. So how did this happen, and more importantly, what does it mean? Is this all Tim Haraway's doing? Will the Pacers get two win for their effort? Okay probably not, but it may be the final shove to get them back on track for one last run this season. Tonight the Pacers won again against a playoff team from "dominant" Western Conference, even though they were basically out played for most of the game. The Pacers won the hustle points as they got every loose ball and they played extraordinary defense. Eric Strickland stuck to Stephon Marbury like white on rice, in what possibly was the best defensive effort Marbury has ever faced (he scored only 10 points). Ron Artest finally showed us why he IS worth having on the team as he basically set the tempo on both ends of the court. The Pacers are beginning to look like the team that was once 33-13 (seems like along time ago doesn't it) the way they have played defense and have played unselfishly on offense. They are getting healthy, with the exception of Reggie who is still playing injured, and Tinsley who is having family problems; and seem to be getting a new spark of the bench from Tim Hardaway. Yes, there is finally some optimism for the Pacers, and isn't ironic the on the night they begin to look like their former selves, they clinch a playoff berth? Is it an omen, I hope so. Weekly Predictions: The Pacers are hot, this may be fun again! Last Week:2-2 Season Total:17-15 VS. Kings: This will show us what the Pacers are really made of. A win would be huge for both teams but the Pacers are at home where they seem to thrive. Pacers by 2. @ Cavs: Pacers don't "thrive" as much on the road, but the Cavs have basically mailed in the season and are looking for losses ? hey you would be too if it meant a chance at Lebron. Pacers by 1300(okay not really but you get the idea) @ Pistons: If the Pacers win the two aforementioned games this game will be the biggest to this point in the season. I'm sticking with Pacers even if it is on the road. Pacers by 1 (a Reggie Miller three, hopefully)

In 1999, Antonio McDyess was a highly coveted free agent with a decision to make. Stay with Phoenix or leave to Denver. More than 4 years later, McDyess still regrets the decision he made reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

"I blame it on how young and stupid I was," McDyess said. "There was a lot of pressure on me. Honestly, I was young and I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't look back to see what we had. I wasn't thinking what we could do and how far we could go. I just made a silly mistake.

"I always look back at that and think what could have and should have happened. I try to let it go and put it in the past but it's kinda hard when you see how well he's playing now with the Nets and I think about how good we played together when we were at Phoenix."

How good is right. McDyess averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on 54% shooting in 1997-1998, their only season together. It was the only season McDyess has made the playoffs as well.

"That was great," said McDyess, who is expected to re-sign with the Knicks when his contract expires next summer. "I still kinda think about why I left because I think we had something special."

Now Kidd faces a similar situation, so what will he do Antonio?

"Honestly, I don't know," McDyess said, laughing. "He doesn't really say anything about it."

On Tuesday night, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan wondered aloud just how important a game against the Phoenix Suns would be to his unpredictable band of playoff-seeking road warriors.

On Wednesday night, he found out.
     
Important, it seems. Very important.
     
Utah beat Phoenix 99-86 at America West Arena, marking the Jazz's second straight win and capping a stretch in which they went 6-7 while playing 10 of their past 13 games on the road.

Suns coach Frank Johnson shook his head, still in disbelief that his team had just been taken apart by Greg Ostertag.

"He's a 59 percent free-throw shooter and we should have been taking his arm off," said Johnson. "Instead, we let him lay it up. You don't give bad free-throw shooters layups."

Ah, but they did, and the Suns paid a stiff price for it in a 99-86 loss to the Utah Jazz that cost them the season series.

Once the Utah Jazz began running their offense the way it was designed, Karl Malone took control.

Malone scored 20 of his 34 points in the second half to lead the Jazz to a 99-86 victory Wednesday night over the Phoenix Suns.

"We executed more in the second half," said Malone, who finished 11-of-24 from the floor and 12-of-13 on free throws. "Coming down the stretch we kept pressure on them the whole time without getting caught up in all the other stuff."

On a night when normalcy was turned inside out -- when halftime was the serious business and the basketball game was the meaningless diversion -- the Jazz turned themselves upside down, too.
   
They played with intensity on the road, for the first time in a while. They played with offensive precision, a trait noticeably missing lately. And they took a giant step toward cementing a playoff spot, after weeks of slipping and sliding toward a spot in the lottery.

It's a situation that perfectly fits John Stockton, a great player who has flown fast and low under the radar of the NBA's bigger superstars.

Much ado is being made about Michael Jordan's final appearance at America West Arena on Friday night, but there is little or no fanfare over the fact that Stockton might be making his final appearance at AWA tonight when the Suns host the Utah Jazz.

Stockton, who turns 41 next Wednesday and is thought to be leaning toward retirement, has said he will announce his decision quickly after this season as to whether he'll return next year for a 20th season.

"Nah, he's not retiring," Suns coach Frank Johnson said. "He's going to play until he's 44. Haven't you heard about that? He might stay until he's 45. With the modern medicine and equipment, the guy could go on forever. I just hope he doesn't."

Looking ahead is a cardinal no-no for most NBA teams, especially the one from Utah.
     
But with a 99-81 Delta Center victory over Denver well in hand Tuesday night, who could blame the Jazz for having the Phoenix Suns in their front window even before the Nuggets had disappeared from their rearview mirror?

Heck, even coach Jerry Sloan reacted with enthusiasm when asked about tonight's game with the Western Conference's ninth-place Suns, who at 35-31 are just two games behind the 37-29, seventh-place Jazz in the race to secure a playoff berth by finishing among the conference's top eight.

Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovic underwent a 30-minute procedure to test some abnormalities found on his bladder reports Jonathan Feigen, of the Houston Chronicle.

Tomjanovic underwent tests last month when he had a bladder infection. It wasn't until Friday that he learned of the abnormalities the test results showed.

After the Rockets win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, Tomjanovic gathered his team and told them of his condition.

Tomjanovic will miss tonight's game against the Seattle Sonics, but is expected to return to the team as early as Wednesday, when the the team will begin it's five-game road trip in Portland.

In an unofficial poll Houston's Yao Ming appeared to be the runaway winner of the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year award, Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

In an informal poll of 28 voters for NBA postseason awards, Yao was named as the choice for Rookie of the Year by 20 voters, with Phoenix rookie Amare Stoudemire getting the other eight.

"That shows how much of an impact he has on our team and on the NBA," Rockets forward Glen Rice said. "You've got guys constantly talking about how they want to dunk on him, how they want to try everything to stop him. That there alone pretty much says it all."

"Yao's the best rookie in the league," Rockets forward Maurice Taylor said. "Of course they would say it's Amare, but that's because they're biased. I'm not biased. That's an educated vote. But I just think Yao's the best rookie in the league. You can talk about records, what our record was last year (28-54) as opposed to this year.

"There's just his sheer presence. He has more of a presence on the court. Stoudemire is going to be a great player. But I think now, Yao has more of a presence, more of a feel for the game. Stats-wise, it's close. But statistics don't always say who's the best player."