What Have We Learned?

Wow... what a crazy start to the conference finals. Apparently if your team has the game looking pretty much locked up-- then that's the death knell. They're going to lose. This is just bizarre. Take a look at this...

Lakers vs. Nuggets, Game 1:

Nuggets take a thirteen point lead, control the entire game. Wind up losing in the waning moments.

Cavs vs. Magic, Game 1:

Cavs take a fifteen point lead at the end of the first half after Mo Williams' beyond half court three, maintain in control for almost the whole game... take a 2 point lead with 25 seconds left following LeBron's amazing three point play. Wind up losing by 1 on a Rashard Lewis three with 14 seconds left.

Lakers vs. Nuggets, Game 2:

Lakers take a thirteen point lead, control the first three quarters of the game. Play a back-and-forth final quarter... and wind up losing in the waning moments. By the way, it warrants mentioning that the Nuggets were up 31-23 at the end of the first quarter in Game 1. The Lakers were up 31-23 at the end of the first quarter in Game 2. Both end up losing. Very, very odd.

So what's the lesson here? Is the new winning gameplan to play possum for most of the game and then strike at the end? Should you start to panic if your team gains a double digit lead during the game?

...Here's what I'm taking away from all this. We have some highly competitive teams fighting tooth and nail every step of the way-- and basketball is, after all, a game of runs-- so we'll most likely be seeing a lot of games like this. I'm loving these conference finals.

Now I think there is one thing that has become abundantly clear in these two matchups: you cannot EVER, even for one second, let up. Because the other team will absolutely punish you. There is no room for complacency on a championship team. So in the coming days we will see which teams rise to the challenge, because none of these four teams can be taken lightly.

I can't wait.