Warriors' Game 2 Win Shows They Can Win West

Klay Thompson put on a shooting clinic as he scored 34 points in the Warriors' Game 2 win over the Spurs. (Ronald Martinez)

In Game 2 of their second-round playoff series, the Golden State Warriors once again opened up a big lead. The San Antonio Spurs again rallied for second-half comeback. It would not be enough this time. Instead, the Warriors held on for a 100-91 victory on Wednesday night.

Klay Thompson's 34-point performance will stand out in the box score, but his backcourt counterpart was the one who sealed the deal tonight. Of course, Stephen Curry had 44 points in Game 1, but he was a non-factor as the Spurs went on their run and through the two overtime periods. Curry finished with only 22 points in Game 2, but he had the Warriors' final five points to hold off the Spurs.

Golden State's series-evening victory snapped the Warriors' 30-game losing streak in San Antonio, which dated back to February 14, 1997. Additionally, they won a road playoff game after the first round for the first time since 1991. The win isn't only big as the series heads to Oracle Arena. It is significant because I believe it shows that the Warriors are capable of winning a wide-open Western Conference and earning a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1976.

Here are five reasons why I believe the Warriors are capable of winning the Western Conference:

1. Mark Jackson is an innovative coach and an excellent motivator. Jackson has been preaching the message that his team has already overachieved expectations. He believes the pressure belongs on his opponents. Jackson is not afraid of defending his players, even if it means being fined by the league. The former point guard and commentator is well known as a great motivator. He will use the Game 1 collapse to push his young team.

2. Stephen Curry has emerged as a bona fide superstar. Curry loves the postseason spotlight. We all remember his March Madness heroics as the star of the Davidson Wildcats. He has shown that the NBA playoffs are his place to shine as well. While scoring is a huge part of his game, Curry has been contributing across the board. Entering tonight's Game 2, he was averaging 27.1 points, 9.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Curry's closing out Game 2 proved he is capable of leading his team to victory in the clutch as well.

3. Rather than fold when All-Star David Lee was lost for the remainder of the playoffs, the Warriors have had surprising contributions from across the board. As good as Curry has been in the playoffs, the Warriors have proved they are more than a one-man show. I have already made mention of how good Klay Thompson can be shooting the ball. He finished eight-for-nine tonight from beyond the arc and is always a danger to get it going from there. Rookie Harrison Barnes is averaging 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a starter. Former top pick Andrew Bogut has seemingly discovered the Fountain of Youth. The Aussie is averaging 8.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Finally, Jarrett Jack has brought energy off the bench. In the conference semifinals against the Nuggets, he average 18.8 points, 7.0 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. As you can see, the Warriors are getting contributions from throughout their lineup.

4. The Warriors' high-tempo offense is surprisingly well-balanced and efficient. Everyone knows that the Warriors love to push the tempo and get the ball up the court in a hurry. They also think all they do is shoot the ball from three. That part simply is not true. The Warriors are very good from beyond the arc. During the regular season, they connected on a league-leading 40.3% of their three-pointers. Despite shooting at such a high percentage from deep, they’re surprisingly conservative and selective with it. In fact, only 23.9% of their shots were threes, which put them roughly middle of the pack across the league.

5. The Warriors may be known for their offense, but they have been getting it done of the defensive end as well. The exploits of the Warriors' offense are well-documented. Their discipline on the other side of the ball goes widely unnoticed. During tonight's Game 2 win, the Warriors held the Spurs to 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc. This defensive discipline that the Warriors have been showing actually plays a significant role in their offense. Getting consistent defensive stops and rebounding allows the Warriors' offense to push the tempo.

I hope that you realize that this young Warriors team should not be overlooked. They are far more than a high-scoring offense led by Stephen Curry. Instead, they are a team that is fully capable of making a run at the NBA title. If you don't believe me, just ask the San Antonio Spurs think after two tough games at home.

Miami's Larranaga and Michigan's Burke Win AP Awards

In just his second season at Miami, Jim Larranaga was named The Associated Press' Coach of the Year. (Brendan Maloney)

On Thursday, The Associated Press announced their Coach of the Year and Player of the Year. Jim Larranaga, head coach at the University of Miami, was selected as Coach of the Year. Trey Burke, point guard for the University of Michigan was chosen as Player of the Year. In both cases, I believe that The Associated Press got it right.

In his second season at Miami, Larranaga led the Hurricanes to a school-best 29-7 record. The team won the first Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles in school history. The Hurricanes were ranked as high as a school-best No. 2 in the AP poll. They were also the first to beat a No. 1 when they crushed Duke by 27 points. In the NCAA tournament, the Hurricanes reached the Sweet Sixteen before getting knocked out by Marquette.

From a 65-member national media panel, Larranaga received 29 votes . The next highest vote-getters were Jim Crews of Saint Louis (19 votes) and Mark Few of Gonzaga (11 votes). Crews' Saint Louis team was impressive this season. They were the Atlantic Ten regular season and tournament champions. Despite their difficult conference schedule, the Billikens won 15 of their last 16 heading into the NCAA tournament.

Mark Few's Gonzaga team boasted an excellent resume as well. Despite playing a difficult non-conference schedule, they only lost two games all season prior to the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs also finished the regular season as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. All three teams and coaches were impressive. What put Larranaga over the top is what he acomplished in such a short amount of time at Miami. Additionally, the ACC is viewed as far superior to the Atlantic Ten and West Coast Conference.

Sophomore point guard Trey Burke joins Cazzie Russell (1966) as the only Michigan players to win the award. He often times had four freshmen on the court with him, but he showed wisdom beyond his years as the team's leader. Burke averaged 19.2 points, 6.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds a game. He also shot 40.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. Burke led the Wolverines back to the Final Four for the first time since 1993.

From a 65-member national media panel, Burke received 31 votes. The next highest vote-getters were Otto Porter Jr. of Georgetown (16 votes) and Victor Oladipo of Indiana (10 votes). Porter averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He helped lead the Hoyas to a share of the Big East regular season title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Oladipo averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He has vastly improved over his time with the Hoosiers and is always the player giving it all both on and off the court.

In my opinion, Burke gained his edge due to his performances in big games and the lack of experience of his teammates. He was the glue that held Michigan together more so than any of player on any other team. I am convinced that Larranaga and Burke were the proper choices here. I have presented the facts to support this, but is your decision whether or not you agree or disagree.

 From a 65-member national media panel, Larranaga received
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Top Winners From The NHL Trade Deadline

The Columbus Blue Jackets hope that trade deadline acquisition Marian Gaborik will help them return to the playoffs. (Al Bello)

The trade deadline in any sport can make a significant impact on a team whether they are buyers or sellers. Many NHL teams were looking for that one or two pieces that might push them over the edge in the quest to lift Lord Stanley's Cup. I have determined which teams I think are the top three winners at the trade deadline as they make a push for the postseason.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins - The Penguins were one of the most active teams throughout the trade deadline window. They got things going early on and were still in the mix for some deals right before the deadline. The Penguins began by acquiring three in a span of four days (March 24-27). Veteran forwards Brenden Morrow and Jarome Iginla will help provide the Penguins with scoring depth and playoff experience up front. Douglas Murray gives the Penguins another defender who can deliver hits and block shots when needed. Just when it seemed the Penguins might be finished, general manager Ray Shero added one more piece to the puzzle in Jussi Jokinen from the Hurricanes. Jokinen will likely start at center while the Penguins wait for captain Sidney Crosby to recover from a broken jaw. Additionally, Jokinen brings valuable playoff experience for the Hurricanes' run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2009. His presence adds yet another depth piece to an already stocked front line.

2. Minnesota Wild - The Wild have been one of the Western Conference's best teams the past several weeks. As they look to prove that they are Stanley Cup contenders, they acquired one of the best players available at the deadline in Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville. The Wild did have to give up quite a bit in return. This included highly touted prospect Johan Larsson, goaltending prospect Matt Hackett, a first-round pick in 2013 and a second-round pick in 2014. The Wild did also receive the Sabres' fourth-round pick in 2014. That is a lot to give up, but for what a player like Pominville could mean to a playoff run, it is well worth it. He has reached the 30-goal plateau twice and recorded at least 20 goals in six straight seasons. Pominville adds the kind of scoring depth that the Wild need for a playoff run. He is a leader with the character and experience that is such a benefit to the team as a whole. The Wild are going to be battling the Vancouver Canucks for the Northwest Division crown the remainder of this month. This deadline move could prove to be enough to help them secure home-ice for the first round and possibly beyond.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets - After years and years of selling at the trade deadline, the Blue Jackets were actually buyers this season. The shocked everyone by acquiring three-time 40-goal scorer Marian Gaborik from the struggling New York Rangers. Just like the case was with the Wild acquiring Pominville, the price was heavy for Gaborik. The Blue Jackets gave up three of their key role players in Derek Dorsett (currently injured), Derick Brassard and John Moore. That is a significant amount to give up, but when you consider that this is team that has been to the playoffs just once (and were swept by Detroit in that lone playoff visit), the fact that they are in the hunt for a surprise postseason berth, makes Gaborik definitely worth the cost. Gaborik fell out of favor with the Rangers due to tension between him and head coach John Tortorella. The trade though reunites him with former teammates Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, who ended up with the Blue Jackets in the Rick Nash trade last summer. Gaborik can definitely be an impact player with a fresh start from a team desperate that is desperate for his scoring help. The Blue Jackets currently rank 29th in goals per game and 27th on the power play. They will need Gaborik to help spark their offense if they hope to secure a return to the postseason.