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In the House 'Twas the night after Christmas ...
I've got the image in my mind. 'Twas the night after Christmas and you've just gotten back from the mall, having exchanged that tie your Aunt Gertrude sent you from Des Moines, and the kids have just come to you for the umpteenth time because that robotic dog won't stop barking. You need just a brief respite, and suddenly Vince Carter and Kevin Garnett appear in your living room on TBS. It's Game 1 of a doubleheader with two of the most electrifying players in the NBA. After the Raptors and Timberwolves, the Grizzlies host Jason Kidd, Shawn "The Matrix" Marion (Kenny Smith pays me every time I use the nickname he conjured up, by the way) and the Phoenix Suns. How tough is the West? At this writing, the Suns had a .625 winning percentage, and that was only the seventh-best record in the conference.
We'll see the Indiana Pacers Wednesday on TNT, as they travel to Miami. Indiana made the Finals a year ago, but right now Reggie Miller and his mates are No. 8 in the East, right behind the Heat. Neither team has been able to generate any kind of hot streak. Sounds like a New Year's resolution for Isiah Thomas and Pat Riley. We'll wind up the week with Thursday night's TNT duel in Salt Lake City, and this should be good: The Blazers and Jazz. We caught Utah's act on TNT last Wednesday in a dramatic win over the best team in the East, the Sixers, and it was in Philadelphia. John Stockton and Karl Malone are just like Prancer and Vixen. Year in, year out they show up and get it done.
Ernie Johnson is in his 11th year as the studio host for TNT and TBS Superstation's NBA telecasts, as well as TNT's live coverage of the NBA Draft every June.
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