BEST OF 3

Throughout the playoffs I have been going back and forth comparing the NBA and NHL playoffs, and which was a better watch. Before the ongoing playoff series', I thought that the NHL was by far the better sell. A Canadian team matched up with an Original Six team both rich in tradition, physical, with underlying story lines every where. Through four games, they haven't disappointed. In game one and two, Vancouver edged out the Bruins in two slug fests -- a physical game one, followed by a thrilling OT win in game two. As they did in the Sharks series, The Canucks seemingly had an answer for everything Boston was doing. Change of scenery, change of mind though. In games three and four, the Bruins outscored the Canucks 12 - 1, and have dominated every facet of the game. You would expect Vancouver to regain some steam as the series shifts back to their home ice, but so far the series has been everything it seemed coming in.After game one of the NBA finals, it seemed like the Mavericks were simply over matched against the Heat. Three puzzling games later, the series is tied at two games a piece with one more to play in Dallas tonight. I've never been witness to a series where, through four games, there are so many reasonable outcomes and the current one is perhaps the most perplexing. 2-2, 3-1 Heat, 3-1 Dallas, and 4 - 0 Heat are all viable counts thus far. From everything that's been seen on the court, a Heat sweep would have made the most sense. Two late, blown leads though and Dallas is very much alive. As much talent as the Heat have, it's definitely top heavy and seems to be their demise at times. For all intents and purposes, the Heat are two and half to three and a half players every night they take the floor. Lebron and Wade plus some times Chris Bosh or Bosh and player X. It was clear that in game one their egos allowed them to take their foot off the gas and ultimately lose, and in game four the depth issues were their undoing. Win tonight though and all is forgotten, as they're almost a lock for the title. (To think the Heat would lose two straight at home, in the only building in the league that shows them support, is absurd.) Should they ultimately lose though, the critics, media, pariahs, etc. will be relentless. Either way, how the series has played out thus far has been excellent from a drama standpoint. Lebron James no show in the Finals doesn't cause for a dip in ratings, it creates opportunity for more as there are more games to be played, and if I were David Stern I would be doing back flips in my office. A series that seemed destined for a sweep, has brought life to a NBA playoffs that never really hit its full potential. The NHL has been strong throughout, and thus still carries a small edge in how captivating it has been, but NBA is a Heat blowup away from going down in the history books.