FreeDarko Pick: For the Good Times

There's really not much point in our doing this on Thursdays, since the league only runs 2-4 games out there. If ever there was an evening on which the League Pass Revolution was quashed, it's this thinnest day of the weekly schedule. I suppose I could urge you to check out NOOCH/Golden State, if nothing else so that our collective praise of Chris Paul could catch up with our time logged watching him. However, I find the Warriors so vexing that this will not be the way; I would rather you take the time to revisit my riveting exchange with the Recluse on the matter.

Instead, let's go with Phoenix/Dallas. Sure, this won't be what TNT had anticipated, with both teams sharply floundering. But Amare's climb back is proving far more lively than we could've possibly expected, and a back-and-forth with Dirk might further his sheen of legitimacy (cf. his breakout versus Brand). Whether it charges up his confidence, or allows us to see things that aren't there, this is a potentially spine-tingling episode of The Comeback. I'm also hoping that Marion won't stump Dirk too much, so the Teutonic Heron can breathe his well-know brand of pale fire.

I, for one, still remember when Simmons wrote:

Has there ever been a one-on-one matchup quite like "Dirk Nowitzki vs. Amare Stoudemire"? Neither guy has any chance of stopping the other, nor will they care. It's going to be like watching the best Rucker Park showdown ever.