THE PLAYOFF PUNCH-WEEK 3

It's been a crazy seven days in the NBA as the third week of the NBA playoffs saw the end of a potential three-peat as we edge closer to the finals decisive third round. Time for another hit from 'The Playoff Punch'...

...there will be a new NBA champion this year as the Dallas Mavericks swept the Los Angeles Lakers season and Phil Jackson's (good luck and thank you for everything to the master of zen and winning) career away four games to nil. Kobe, Gasol, Odom, Bynum and Artest struggled to get it together as Dirk, Peja and Terry tore them apart. I guess the only three's L.A. believe in this year are the Mavericks three-balls...

...after ending San Antonio's reign Memphis are pouring and now weathering the storm of the Oklahoma City Thunder 2 games to 1. They where once a Cinderella team but now Randolph, Gay, Mayo and the Gasol known as Marc are looking to make pumpkins out of the orange, white and blues. Expect this series to be close and go down to the wire between these serious stacked squads. These teams are the future of the Western Conference showing that this playoffs it's no country for old men...

...in the East it's least cut and dry as the West. Right now you could cut the tension between the Hawks and the Bulls. There is no gap right now between Chicago and Atlanta as they are all drawn at 2 games a piece. Expect more thrills from an already exciting series. The MVP led Chicago look like new favourites for the title but those pesky Haws are swooping the boards too. Years ago the Hawks where that team that always did bad. Now their a postseason mainstay...

...while the new Eastern Conference rivalry between the big three's of Boston and Miami are hating up. After three games the Celtics trail 2 games to 1 after Miami took the first two down south. Still the Celtics are showing their pride getting back in the series and avoiding the Lakers syndrome. The reigning Eastern Conference champions are still in it, thanks to the play of Rajon Rondo. Still, right now he's playing through the pain of injury, will he and his team be able to keep going?

Find out all this and more in the next installment of 'The Playoff Punch' next week as the NBA playoffs moves into it's first month and what a month it's been. Oh and just if you where wondering about our choice for champion. Right now nobody deserves it more then the Chicago Bulls, but it'd be sure nice to see Oklahoma, Memphis, Dallas or Atlanta go far. TIM DAVID HARVEY.