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Shaq had it his way against Duncan and the Spurs

SI's Marty Burns surveys the NBA landscape every week with his Roundball Roundup. Check back during the week for Marty's columns, power rankings and NBA mailbag. To send a question to Marty's mailbag, click here.

Not only did he completely (and cleanly) snuff Tim Duncan on the final play of his team's 96-95 Easter thriller over the Spurs on Sunday, but he also got the added pleasure of leveling Danny Ferry, who was trying vainly for the rebound, in the process. Have it your way, indeed.

Shaq's stoning of the stone-faced Duncan (sure to be noted by MVP voters) was more than a psychological dagger to San Antonio. It also gave the Lakers a weekend sweep of two Western Conference rivals, following Friday's 91-79 triumph over the red-hot Blazers. L.A. is now 17-5 in its past 22 games and beginning to look as if it intends to pick up a third Larry O'Brien Trophy as easily as Shaq glides through his favorite fast-food joint in that TV commercial.

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant quietly enjoyed his own extra value meal over the weekend. By scoring 34 and 31 points, respectively, against Portland's Ruben Patterson and San Antonio's Bruce Bowen, he silenced all that talk about Kobe Stoppers -- at least for now. Even Samaki Walker was said to be impressed by Bryant's 1-2 punch.

Wizards' playoff hopes fading fast

With his sore knee still bothering him and seven of his team's next nine games against playoff teams, Wizards forward Michael Jordan admits he's searching for answers on how to keep his team's fading playoff hopes alive. Jordan says one option might be for coach Doug Collins to use him more at point guard, where he can conserve his energy. Jordan played mostly at small forward Sunday, looking to create his own shot, and the Wizards lost to the Mavericks 110-103. It won't get any easier for Washington, either, as Jordan's former coach, Phil Jackson, brings his Lakers to the MCI Center on Tuesday. The Wizards also have games this week at Milwaukee and Charlotte.

Are Odom's L.A. days numbered?

Has Clippers forward Lamar Odom played his last game in a Clippers uniform? That's the speculation in Tinseltown now that the third-year forward is officially done for the season. L.A. coach Alvin Gentry said Saturday that Odom, the team's leading scorer in 1999-2000 and '00-01, would not be back from the wrist and ankle injuries that have kept him out most of this season. With center Michael Olowokandi set to become a restricted free agent, it is possible the Clippers will seek to deal Odom in the offseason. Charlotte's Baron Davis or Cleveland's Andre Miller would likely be at the top of L.A.'s wish list in any deal for him.

Raptors showing they've still got fight

On Easter, the Raptors continued their amazing resurrection by winning their fifth straight, a 72-70 squeaker at Philadelphia, to climb within 1 1/2 games of Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite losing superstar Vince Carter to a season-ending knee injury in late March, Toronto has benefited from an energized defense and the return to health of Jerome Williams and Chris Childs. The Raptors also have enjoyed a relatively soft schedule of late, with their four previous wins coming over Washington, Cleveland, Miami and Atlanta. The Sixers, meanwhile, were playing their fourth game in five nights and were without their own star, Allen Iverson.

A longtime NBA scout gives the lowdown on 7-foot-6 Chinese center Yao Ming, expected to be among the top selections in the June draft. "I got a chance to see him quite a bit last summer [when he came to the U.S. to work out]. He's got great length and a pretty decent shooting touch, and he can block shots. However, he's going to struggle to learn the physical game. "I don't think he's going to be an instant success like say, Pau Gasol. He doesn't have the low-post game yet. He's also a little thin. But he runs the floor well for a big man, he's got pretty decent hands, and he can shoot the ball. "He's not a 3-point shooter like Wang ZhiZhi; he's more of a mid-range, high-post shooter, but he's got a nice touch. It's hard to get a good read on him right now because he really hasn't played against top-notch competition. I think long-term he'll be OK, but he's nowhere near a Tim Duncan yet. I hear all this talk about him being a savior, but I think it's going to take some time before he really makes an impact."

This week's theme: Play Ball!

1. Which former Boston Celtics player and big league pitcher went on to star as "the Rifleman" in the old TV series of the same name? a. Gene Conley b. Chuck Connors c. Ron Reed 2. What was the highest batting average Danny Ainge recorded during his career with the Toronto Blue Jays? a. .286 b. .269 c. .243 3. What was Michael Jordan's nickname during his stint with the Class AA Birmingham Barons? a. Swish b. Kilroy c. Buckets Click and drag to highlight Answer... b, c, b To send a question to Marty's mailbag click here.

 

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