It’s sometimes difficult to separate emotion from prediction but I’m willing to try when thinking of the NBA Finals.

Even though I’ll be pulling hard for Orlando to BEAT LA, I see this one breaking the Lakers way.

The matchups all favor the Lakers and the only real edge that the Magic have is at the center position with Dwight Howard. I can’t see Phil Jackson allowing Howard to roam the key unfettered, instead using his cadre of big men to hack and frustrate the big man into relative oblivion.

Howard struggles from the free throw line and I fully expect Jackson to roll out DJ Mbenga and others to employ the Hack-A-Shaq approach in defending the young star.

The Lakers won’t allow the Magic’s three-point snipers to get loose and Kobe will not be stopped. Thus, against my best wishes it’s going to be Lakers in 5.

UNIT GOES FOR 300

First of all, I was quite incorrect in my analysis about the Giants potential struggles this year. The team has done very well in the early going, avoiding the pitfalls that could lead to a 100-loss season.

One of those bad news scenarios I posited was the long drawn out quest for Randy Johnson to get 300 wins. He gets his first crack at that milestone tomorrow night against the ultra-hapless Washington Nationals.

Even though Johnson (5.71 ERA) has not pitched well, he has racked up 4 wins, getting him close to the milestone ahead of schedule.

He’ll get two starts on this road trip to try and reach the milestone but if he falls short, you can catch his third try June 13 at home against the A’s.

It’s always very convenient to use the phrase “Best Ever” when talking about a playoff series or championship event but I shy away.

That said, this NBA conference championship season has been incredible and maybe worthy of the “Best Ever” moniker.

Denver hosts the Lakers tonight in Game 6 and if form holds, the Nuggets will win and force the all-important game 7 Sunday back in <Los Angeles.

I fully expect the Nuggets to handle the on-again, off-again Lakers tonight in Game 6 to force the series back to L.A. I have become a bandwagon Nuggets fan, even donning my Earl Boykins Nuggets throwback jersey at work on two occassions.

I’m calling a 112-105 Denver win in Game 6 but I’m standing by my earlier prediction of Lakers in 7, despite my hopes that the lakers get knocked out.

The Eastern Conference finals have been even better than the West, with all six games being hotly contested down to the wire affairs.

Lebron found a way to get his teammates involved last night in the must-win game 5 and he’ll have to get the same amount of help if they’re to win Game 6 in orlando Saturday.

Even though I had Cleveland winning in my earlier post, I think their dream ends tomorrow in orlando. The Magic have become a really good team; using as many as 10 players in a balnced fashion to stun the Cavs and the league at large.

If Cleveland and Denver force game 7’s then maybe this conference championship season is the best ever.

CAIN GETTING JUST DESSERTS

Really glad to see Matt Cain pitching so well and actually getting some personal rewards for it. He’s 5-1 with a great 2.40 ERA and he’s finally getting some run support that has him and the team thriving.

The past few years have been futile for Cain from the standpoint of wins. the team offered little to no run support and despite his good outings, he had a losing record.

Suddenly the team is delivering for him and he has a good chance of earning his 6th win of the year tonight. Thanks to his solid pitching and the enlivened offense, he has a chance for a spot on the All-Star team.

It took five games and almost 20 quarters to happen but the Los Angeles Lakers big men finally woke up and stepped up.

Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, and even Andrew Bynum all played like tough, grown men in the Lakers huge come-from-behind 103-94 win over Denver in Game 5. The trio combined for 42 points and 26 rebounds, most of which came from a rejuvenated Odom.

This was a tight game throughout (tied after each of the first three quarters) that was broken open by the big-time play of Odom in the fourth. He actually dunked off a contested play (over BirdMan) and played with a passion not yet seen in this series.

That said, this is setting up for a big time Game 6 letdown for Los Angeles. I’m not hating, it’s what the Lakers have shown all postseason. They have been alternating a good game with a stinker, setting the Nuggets up nicely for a Game 6 win at home.

I called a Lakers in 7 endgame for this series so for that reason, I’m quietly pleased with what has taken place. In my heart though, I’ve been pulling pretty hard for the Lakers to gag this away.

CLEVELAND’S LAST STAND

Really, really surprised at the fact that Cleveland is down 3-1 in their best of seven with Orlando. I was one who was expecting the Magic to put up a good fight but this is far better than anyone could have expected.

Considering it’s the NBA and the Cavs have the game’s biggest star, you have to expect Cleveland to win Game 5. For some reason I can’t see the refs, the league office, or the great state of Ohio letting the Cavs bow out after just 5 games in the Eastern Conference finals.

I fully expect the Magic to finish this improbable run on Saturday in Game 6.

ROWAND ROLLING

Just about to hit the sack, watching the Giants-Braves game and I can’t help but notice the old Aaron Rowand back in the mix.

Ever since he had that great day at the leadoff spota couple weeks ago, Rowand has been on fire. His two-out RBI double in the sixth hopefully is a harbinger of things to come for him.

I’ll be asleep before this one ends but I hit the pillow with the hopes that the Giants will finish a sweep of Atlanta and the Big Unit will have career win #299.

Go the family in the car (including my legendary sister Hurricane Gail) and before we shove off, I have to share my favorite things about making the drive down to L.A.

Because it will be six hours to Monrovia (best-case scenario), I thought I’d offer a half-dozen reasons I actually enjoy the drive. Each reason reps one hour we will be happily (hopefully) rolling down I-5.

1. Ipod shuffle set on shuffle- Like most, we have over 2,000 songs on Itunes so we don’t come close to touring the catalog. Here are the first 10 that came up on the home unit (yes) prior to leaving.

Aaliyah- Rock The Boat…Peter Gabriel- Salsbury Hill…Boston- Something About You…Faith Evans- All Night Long…Digable Planets- Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies)…Led Zeppelin- In The Light…Kem- Heaven…Damian (Jr. Gong) Marley- Pimpa’s Paradise…Seal- I’m Alive…Rahzel- Southern Girl

2. Sunflower seeds- No better time (other than a ballgame) to work your way through a bag of  David’s Low Sodium sunflower seeds.

3. Cruise control- When I drove down with Prime Time Smith to watch the Sharks spit-the-bit, I used CC almost exclusively. Really frees up the legs and helps keep a consistent slightly above the limit clip.

4. Baseball on the radio- Our timing today is not ideal considering a 7:05 Lincecum start but we’ll get a healthy piece of Giants baseball tonight. Nothing helps the miles click by like baseball on the radio.

5. Travel Yahtzee- I was raised in a dice-friendly family so taking the leap to Yahtzee was natural and easy for me. I played as a kid and now as I parent, I won’t leave home without the travel version. Nothing spices up a trip like a large straight. BOOYAH!!!

6. Windmills and Grapevine- It doesn’t feel like a road trip until you’re over the Altamont and past the windmills. Similarly, it doesn’t feel like you’re close to arriving, no matter the Southland destination, until you’ve crested the Grapevine and begin the final descent.

The fam and I are going to Monrovia, Chatsworth, and Lost Hills, in no particular order. Good friends, good times.

Wednesday has become one of my favorite days of the week. Well, that’s not entirely true. Choosing between Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Hump Day is clearly my favorite.

Now that Wednesday is properly ranked behind Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Thursday TBD), I can enjoy what is a veritable cornucopia of sports on the slate.

MICHAEL VICK RELEASED FROM PRISON

The embattled, felonious quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons has served his time after being convicted of heinous crimes related to a dogfighting ring.

The details surrounding this case are beyond grisly and some people will not be able to forgive Vick for the things with which he was connected and involved.

He must show genuine remorse and a willingness to atone for his crimes and actions. If he does that, I’m all for allowing him to return to the NFL in 2010.

I think that denying him the chance to play football would amount to double prosecution for the same crime. I realize that playing football is an honor and not an inalienable right but if he’s truly been rehabilitated then I say let him play.

ALL EYES ON SANCHEZ

With the exception of Randy Johnson, the Giants starting staff has been down right awesome this year. That is, aside from Jonathon Sanchez.

Will he ever be consistent? That is the eternally burning question surrounding the left-hander. He has had good innings but not many good starts.

With Joe Martinez getting ready to come back and young studs looming in the bullpen, it’s time to deliver or go to the ‘pen for Johnny.

LEBRON MVP CREDENTIALS ON THE LINE

King James clearly deserved the Most Valuable Player award for his performance in the regular season, but that’s a thing of the past now.

It’s all about being the postseason MVP, and that quest starts tonight against Orlando.

I think the Cavs roll tonight but the Magic will not go quietly in the series. I like the Cavs in 6.

SANTA CLARA COURTING NINERS

The city council of Santa Clara met regarding the Niners stadium plans in their city and resolved to meet again.

Nothing makes the needle move like a meeting to set the stage for a future meeting. The PTA at my kids’ school has more political muscle that that.

Wake me when the moving vans arrive.

The NBA is down to it’s Final Four teams with one conference Final best-of-seven clearly stealing the spotlight from the other.

With all due respect to the Flying Lebrons, aka the Cleveland Cavaliers, and so-called Superman (Dwight Howard) and the Orlando Magic, most of my interest lies out West.

The Lakers and Nuggets emerged from the regular season as the top two seeds in the Western Conference and from all the pre-series chatter, this looks to be very competitive and hard-fought.

Los Angeles has the home-court advantage, although I see them giving it away by losing one of the first two games. The Lakers have shown a propensity to not show up this postseason.

Matchup-wise, Denver will have to get big efforts from its’ big players. I think the series will turn on Nene, Birdman, Kenyon Martin, and even the underrated Linas Kleiza.

If the Nuggets’ interior players neutralize Pau Gasol, intimidate Andrew Bynum, and frustrate lamar Odom with their athleticism then they have a much better chance at winning.

Kobe Bryant is more than an X-factor; he’s the A-Z factor. He is their alpha and omega and there will be times in all games that he will take over. He’ll single-handedly win 2 games by himself.

Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony will play well and carry Denver to three wins. I see the series coming down to a game 7 showdown in L.A. and the experience of the Lakers will win out.

That said, it’s all Denver all the time in our house, hoping against hope they can beat L.A.

As we head into the weekend, here’s 10 things. Noteworthy, unimportant, trivial, profound, etc. 

This “life” we are all living is too fast and too temporary to let even the smallest details slip by. Here’s to a weekend of “basking in the moment”.  In no particular order, the things…

10. Battle of the Sexes -  Nothing against the distaff side but I don’t see Rachek Alexandra winning the Preakness on Saturday. Too much comp for the little lady. Go with Pioneer Of The Nile, Papa Clem, Friesan Fire and the filly in your Superfecta. 

9. Don King’s hair - Just caught a piece of a Tyson bout on ESPN Classic and saw the grey wisps rising like smoke off a $10 cigar. All-time bird’s nest.

8. Lincecum mania -  It’s obviously not newsworthy but a Lincecum start is so good that you have to plan your schedule around it (to an extent). Gotta be in place (wherever) before first pitch.

7. Palm Springs -  I’m going there in about 6 weeks for a golf tournament. Even though it will be about 100 degrees, still a great spot for a weekend sojourn.

6. Game 7 - Sunday looking like a great TV day with two NBA Game 7’s on the docket. Boston is 17-3 alltime at home in Game 7 and the Lakers look to be even more of a “lock”. That said, Go Rockets and Magic.

5. Mario Kart Wii - Anybody who has played the Nintendo Wii video game system can speak to the intuitive controls. This cartoonish driving game is off-the-charts good (and addictive). Yoshi Falls anyone? Rainbow Road?

4. Miniature golf -  This sport (recreational activity?) stands the test of time. Going to play at my kid’s birthday and I’m really looking forward to playing 18.

3. Wayman Tisdale dies at 44 - Hard to think about a man dying at such a young age, especially as I approach the same number. Really scares me to be honest. Puts it all in perspective. Gotta keep living, doing, and learning. The man lived a lifetime in those short years. Godspeed!

2. May Madness - March madness gets all the run but the step-child of NCAA tournament time is here. Lacrosse is down to the final 8 and the softball regionals have begun. Can’t talk NCAA softball without shouting out my neighbor (what up Bread Man) who will have it on all day.

 1. ManRam- Full disclosure, I have Manny Ramirez on my rotis team. That said, the guy is a bad guy. Took him a week to apologize to the team he ostensibly screwed. Bad teammate showing selfish behavior. I need to resolve my conflicting interest in his success.

There’s just something magical about being at a baseball game during the day that I sometimes take for granted.

Yesterday provided me a good reminder of just how much I enjoy watching baseball during the daylight hours. It doesn’t even have to be a Major league game to satisfy me, although an game at AT&T park always does the trick.

Feeling the sunshine, hearing the chatter of the game, rising and falling with the rhythm of the game, these are a few of my favorite things about baseball.

Even though Barry Zito got cuffed around at the end of his stint, he pitched a tight, quick ballgame while he lasted. The game was moving along at a nice clip, which can enhance the enjoyment for me.

I like being able to walk out of a daygame and still have light and life left in the day. Maybe it’s because I get up at the ctack of dawn but night games kinda depress me.

With a 7:05 start when the game ends ostensibly, the day is over as well. The time after a daygame is rife with possibility.

Sadly, there are only 6 midweek day home games left on the schedule. This is not counting Memorial Day and Labor Day. The next one is not until June 17 when the California Angels come in.

I’m off that day as I’ll be hosting Camp Dad for my two kids. That day game will be a centerpiece of my week with the kids and I’m looking very forward to it.

I have always believed that it’s better to get ahead of a story before it becomes breaking news. Dispel the rumor before it grows bigger than the truth.

With that in mind I’m here to come clean about perhaps the worst day of my athletic life, an ignominious day that happened Saturday.

I bowled a 79. One game, ten frames, 79. No strikes, no spares, 79.

I consider myself an above average athlete; able to compete at virtually every sport at somewhat of a competitive level.

Bocce? No problem. Polo? Get me my pony. Billiards? Don’t make me bust out the bridge. In all my exploits, never have I perfomed so poorly.

Perhaps it was the pressure of being watched by the cognoscenti at Albany Bowl that led me to such depths.

Could be the fact that I didn’t have my regular ball, glove, and resin bag to help me pick up those difficult spares that caused my failure.

I would also like to add the fact that they released a huge plume of “fog” from the groovy machine and the lanes were a bit sticky for my liking.

Bottom line, I absolutely sucked. No other way to break it down. I was outscored by five of the kids celebrating our good friend’s 5th birthday. Ouch.

I thought about hiding the79, taking the ostrich approach and burying it in the sand but I didn’t want it to come around and haunt me.

So I’m doing what all the steroid users, point-shavers, and illegal recruiters should do; admit that I’m guilty.

My name is Dan Dibley and I bowled a 79. I tried on every shot and wasn’t under the influence of any agent.

Hey, maybe that’s the real reason for the failure…

It’s very easy to distill the entire Steroid Era in baseball to the most rudimentary elements. The ultimate choice made by the juicers, injectees, and head-swelling sluggers has only to do with a basic human desire.

Instant gratification.

Much like a radio personality with a “cookie problem” who repeatedly raids the cupboard for Candy Cane JoJo’s, an egomanaical athlete turns to the needle that will lead to instant gratification. I seek an innocent sugar rush, they look for immortality, regardless of the unfair advantage they receive.

This cheating ultimately leads to shame and less fulfillment than what would be attained through good old fashioned hard work and persistance. The “shortcut with a cost” will earn riches and success (no guarantee) but ultimately the accomplish will feel comprimised and tainted, no matter the method of the cheat.

Enlightenment and true fulfillment is atained through delayed gratification. Accomplishing a difficult task by working hard, staying persistent, and obeying the social code therein gives a much better feeling at the moment of completion as well as upon reflection.

The best example I can offer is the story of my middle-of-the-pack finish in the Dick Collins 50 mile running race.

I trained for 3 years to try and compete this ultra-marathon and had many steps to accomplish along the way to properly prepare for the race. I had never run more than 10 miles at a clip so I had much work to do.

Much as a wanted to avoid long training runs and the litany of long races ahead of me, I chose to put in the work. When I finished the race in October 2007 in just under 11 hours, I was happy to have not skipped steps.

Do yourself a favor and try a delayed gratification exercise  this weekend. Pick something you really like and something that is really difficult for you. Take the good thing and put it off until you are able to complete the difficult task.

Doing difficult things leads to further success. Don’t cheat yourself of the joy of the experience of working hard for something.