(Momentum) Shift Happens

It's going to take more than a hand job to slow down Elton Brand.

Unlike March Madness or presidential elections, the NBA playoff system demands that you soundly beat your opponent in order to come out on top. While admirable, the resulting one-sided seven-game series are usually about as exciting as watching Tom Tolbert's hair grow. But this year, everything from shrewd coaching moves to dominant X factors have led to lower seeds exerting confidence. Let's look at what the underdogs have done to get even with their superior competition. Then let's look at another spot for The Closer—I just can't get enough of that adorable Kyra Sedgwick!

Spurs–Mavs
Avery Johnson threw Devin Harris in the starting lineup and Dallas hasn't slowed down since. Surprisingly, Gregg Popovich has reacted to the small-ball lineup with his own diminutive rotation—one that looks absolutely nothing like the frontcourt-heavy group he used to amass the best record in the league during the regular season. Because he's not mandating the style of play with his own adjustments, the pace continues to fly and the Spurs look less like "well-seasoned veterans" and more like "pants-soiled octogenarians."

Suns–Clippers
After failing out of the Phil Jackson school of slowing the Suns down to a Hubie Brown–like crawl, the Clipp Show kept tinkering. Sure, Chris Kaman's shoulder injury forced them to go small, but they used it to their advantage. Elton Brand is still eating up the Suns' interior defense, while the smaller group can stay in front of the Suns' three-point shooters on the other end of the court. It also should be noted that the athletic Clippers' long arms are bothering Steve Nash—and that the Canadian's long hair bothers me.

Heat–Nets
On second thought, this one's going exactly as planned by David Stern's Nielsen ratings…um, I mean the seeds.

Pistons–Cavs
Tighter post defense by the Cavs has limited Detroit to the perimeter on offense, and besides Rip Hamilton, no one's hitting jumpers right now. Sure, LeBron's playing well, but he's still jacking up fadeaways in crunch time instead of getting to the rim—which he can do whenever he wants. Two victories in the series is admirable for the Cavs, but once the jumpers start falling again, I'm with Rasheed on this one: There ain't no way Cleveland is taking this series. (I think he used a couple more curse words, but you get the idea.)