Yesterday was yet another example of why watching the Western Division in the playoffs has been much more enjoyable than watching the East. While the Detroit Pistons were running the Bulls into the hard wood, the Jazz and the Warriors played a fantastic shoot out that culminated in a 116-112 Jazz win.

Before hyping the Jazz up anymore, I just want to throw out that Golden State is probably the most exciting team most people have never seen. It seems to me that Don Nelson took Phoenix’s style of run and gun and boosted it on steroids. The high octane three point shooting rotation that the Warriors have is outstanding to watch. The only unattractive part of their game is that tool Andres Biedrins playing down on the low post. Has anyone else seen his attempts at free throws? Pathetic.

The Jazz, all the while leaving Matt Harpring in the game and pissing me off in the process, got help from Carlos Boozer on a put back with 17 seconds left to put the Jazz ahead. While Boozer dominated the boards, point guard Deron Williams continued to excel in just his second pro season, posting 31 points and 8 assists including 4 of 7 from three point range. Mehmet Okur also had a nice game for the Jazz, putting up 21 points including a couple patented Eastern European three point shots.

If the rest of the series is going to shape up like game one did, it could arguably be the best series of the entire playoffs. The Jazz have shown against the Rockets and now the Warriors that they can keep up and aren’t going to give up, and it’ll be interesting to see how Golden State responds. Sorry Eastern Conference, but you’ll have to do better if you want to hang with the West.

I would classify myself as an avid NBA fan, I love the game of basketball, but there are times when I just can’t deal with the ego-mania that surrounds the NBA. I don’t have a favorite team, but I’ll watch basketball when it’s on. With that background, I now have to admit that I have jumped on the Golden State bandwagon, and jumped on it hard.

I didn’t particularly care for Golden State before the playoffs, but when the eight seed upsets the one seed they almost always become the team I root for. It’s underdog stories like this that make people really love sports, and I honestly think that Golden State going on this unprecedented run could be very good for the sport of basketball. People like me, who feel like the playoffs are way too long (they are, who the hell thinks seven game series the entire way is a good idea?) are intrigued by the possibility of a team as historically bad as the Warriors winning in the playoffs. This team has everything that average fans want to see, an all-star who can work at McDonalds, an absolute psycho who I would want on my side in any fight in Stephen Jackson, and the token big white guy.? Their success will be huge for the NBA and average fans like me.

The Warriors are a great storyline, and I will be rooting hard for them in their upcoming series against the Jazz. Are they outmatched by the Jazz? Maybe. But they were outmatched by the Mavericks and that didn’t stop them. If this team could somehow make a run to the Western Conference Finals, or maybe even the NBA Finals, I think the world might implode. The Bay Area would surely riot, and I think we all want to see that.

Dirk Nowitzki might be named the MVP of the 2006-2007 season but if his playoff performance is any indication, he belongs on a milk carton before attending an MVP Ceremony. With the Mavs on the brink of elimination, Nowitzki scored eight points on 2-13 shooting. The 8th seeded Warriors, inspired by a raucous crowd at Oracle Arena, eliminated the 67 win Mavs with a 111-86 beating.

TNT commentator Marv Albert frequently called this result “the biggest upset in the history of the NBA Playoffs.” But it’s not like the Warriors got a few lucky bounces their way. Fact is, they were simply better than the Mavericks. If it wasn’t for a chaotic three minutes in game five, this series would have never even returned to Oakland. Is it really an upset when the better team wins? The Mavs, despite their 67 wins, never solved the Warriors this season. Their 2-8 record against the Boys from the Bay shows that.

Baron Davis’ injury late in the first quarter had to have worried fans and teammates alike. But once he returned, he inspired everyone around him. Steven Jackson, known for his criminal record, stepped up with 33 points and seven three pointers. Davis ended up with 20 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds, despite playing on one leg. For all the courage that Davis showed, for all the passion that Golden State showed, Dallas showed neither.

The likely league MVP was passing up shots to pass to guys like Austin Croshere and Devean George. With about 10 minutes left in the game, the Mavs had completely given up. Sure, they were down 20 but how about some pride? Despite an incredible year with 67 wins, the Mavs are now a footnote in the NBA Playoffs. All of that is down the drain. Meanwhile, a team that hadn’t won a playoff series since 1991 is playing on.

Is anyone else aware of what is going on up in the Bay Area? I’m not talking about the scuffling A’s or Barry Bonds quest for the home run record. I’m talking about the Golden State Warriors who, as of last night, are now up three games to one on the supposedly unstoppable Dallas Mavericks behind the resurgence of point guard Baron Davis.

Watching the Mavs and Warriors play last night was truly an inspiring event because as I argued with a friend of mine as to whether Baron Davis was a better player than Devin Harris or not (he is, and I still don’t see the argument otherwise), Davis put on an absolute show. The best team in the NBA is currently facing elimination in game five because Baron Davis single handedly picked this team up and carried them to a victory last night. His 33 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists propelled the Warriors, who were down as much as 10 points in the fourth quarter, to a 103-99 win against the defending Western Division Champs. And can we please not overlook how great his lumberjack beard is, especially considering he has no hair on the top of his head. I love it.

I’ll admit that I was one of the many who jumped on the Mavs wagon this season and truly felt that, in a seven game set, nobody would come close to touching this team. Now I am just one of the many who is enjoying eating my words for making those fallacious statements. I’m not saying the Mavs are done, not by a long stretch. Game five will be in Dallas, and a huge win could be all that Dallas needs to get the ball rolling and sweep out the last few games of this series to restore order in the universe. On the other side of the coin are the Warriors, who just need to survive the trek to Dallas and can close the deal in a game six win at Golden State. The fourth win for Golden State will undoubtedly be their most difficult, but if there’s a team that can defeat the Mavs, it’s them. Over the course of the last five months, the Warriors have beaten the Mavs more than any of the other teams in the league combined. Outrageous. While this series isn’t over yet, the Mavs are facing their destiny and I can’t wait to watch Dirk-Bot throw it into high gear while Baron Davis continues to prove to me just how special he is.

In a typical final week game in the NBA, there was one team with nothing to play for against a team with everything to play for. Facing a Dallas Mavericks team that rested four starters, the Golden State Warriors inched closer towards their first playoff berth in 13 years. In doing so, they gain a large mental edge over the top seeded Mavericks. The Mavericks are 66-15, with three of those losses coming against the Warriors.

Down the stretch, this team has played some of the best basketball in the entire league. They’re 7-1 this month with their lone loss coming on the road against San Antonio. Their win over a depleted Mavericks’ squad might mean little to Dallas. But for an upstart team like the Warriors, it means the world.

Here’s why the Warriors have a pretty good fighting shot in the first round of the playoffs, assuming they take care of business tonight in Portland. Their uptempo style is perfect for combating Dallas or Phoenix. Don Nelson took over the job this past offseason with the intentions of turning the Warriors into the fastest team in the league. Acquisitions of athletes like Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington have been perfect for their style.

Personally, I’m rooting for the Warriors to finish the job tonight. They have great players like Baron Davis and Jason Richardson that deserve their time to shine in the postseason spotlight. They’re certainly not going to be an easy out. Their 30-11 home record is 4th best in the Western Conference; their scoring average of 106.3 PPG is 2nd in the NBA. It should make for an exciting series. A win tonight will ensure that series happens.

While looking for something entertaining to write about for the NBA, I came across a real solid video over at YardBarker. Remember when Mark Cuban worked a day at Dairy Queen? Well, he’s got nothing on Baron Davis, who recently put in some work at McDonald’s. It’s a hilarious video. He calls out people for ordering too much, he simply refuses to make food for other people, and he’s only recognized by a couple fans in the process. The Old Baron would simply eat McDonald’s all day, but this year’s version would rather just fill orders.