The Return of the East

Last year, the east went a whopping 154-266 against the WEST, and it was a year of improvement.
And Sunday, the east officially returned.
6-1.

Yes, you read that correctly: 6-1.

east 6, WEST 1.The first place heat beat the FIRST PLACE SPURS 96-92. The up-and-coming cavaliers walloped the DEFENDING RUNNER-UP L.A. LAKERS 103-89. A five hundred chicago team downed the FIVE-HUNDRED TIMBERWOLVES IN MINNESOTA 87-83. A struggling new jersey team destroyed STRUGGLING DENVER 94-79. A horrible toronto team outslugged PLAYOFF CONTENDER L.A. CLIPPERS 109-106 and scored only 12 in the third quarter. An undermanned and slumping indiana team held off SURGING MEMPHIS 76-73.

The other two games were mismatches, with orlando beating former east counterpart new orleans 97-94 and the WEST salvaging one when SACRAMENTO DOWNED boston 104-100.

Yes, the east hosted all but one of these games, but they won.

The east beat up on the WEST. Oh yes they did.

And now the season score sits at WEST 170, east 133. MINNESOTA is a paltry 7-14 against their cross-country rivals. UTAH, despite a borderline playoff-caliber conference record of 13-17, is an east vs. WEST-like 4-16 in interconference play. That is a worse interconference record than the bottom dweller of the east, atlanta, which sports a 4-13 record against the WEST.

What is going on with the NBA? Has there been a return to balance?

Yes, there has.

The west is still superior, the league’s best teams reside more in the WEST than in the east and the better team players sport WESTERN conference jerseys, with a few exceptions, but the east has closed the gap.

The east has earned respectability. Miami has consistently played close games against the WEST’s upper-echelon like the SONICS and the SUNS. They beat the LAKERS and SPURS. Moreover, they have dominated their conference, and have an 11-0 record against division foes Atlanta, Washington, Orlando, and Charlotte. Detroit has gone on a great run. Cleveland is winning games (seriously, this is not a joke for those who have followed my lead and ignored the NBA)!

On the other hand, the WEST has shown vulnerability. UTAH has fallen flat on their face against eastern conference teams. The LAKERS, who had dominated the east in years past, have won one more game against the east then they have lost. MEMPHIS and HOUSTON both have done equally well against the WEST as they have against the east, and both are probably playoff-bound.

The east has picked up Shaq and Jason Kidd in recent years, both great team players (unless there is a KOBE in the way). The east has had good coaching with Larry Brown and Stan Van Gundy, while the big name WESTERN coaches like RUDY T and PHIL J have retired and FLIP SAUNDERS fired. The WEST has grown older; the east has grown maturer.

But still, the WEST holds a 170-133 lead, or a .561 winning percentage. That is a huge lead. The east sniped off a portion of it, but it has a ways to go.

Miami, Washington, Detroit, and Cleveland are all serious contenders for the Eastern Conference crown and all poise a threat to the WEST, but the WEST has PHOENIX, SACRAMENTo, SEATTLE, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, HOUSTON, and MEMPHIS. Did I forget the LAKERS?

The WEST is still dominant and the beast over the east, but Sunday the east made leaps.

It is the return of the East, but there is still enough power so that it will not be the demise of the WEST.

At least right now in the NBA: East 6, WEST 1…