LeBron James and the Miami Heat head to Los Angeles for a Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers.

The NBA has five games scheduled for Christmas Day with the big one being the Miami Heat taking on the L.A. Lakers in Los Angeles.

You’ve got Miami’s Big 3 going up against the two-time NBA champions with all the celebrities sitting courtside.

By the time that game comes on, I’m might be snoozing after eating my mom’s turkey and dressing, but as long as I wake up by the fourth quarter, I’m good to go.

Anyway, the other four games aren’t too shabby either, but is each one worth missing out on a meal or gift giving? Will you fall asleep on them or fight fatigue to tune in? Here’s how I see the appeal of the five games on a scale from 1-10.

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“I’m trying to do everything I can in my power to beat the Jazz. But, at the end of the day, I need some help. I’m not sitting here pointing fingers or nothing. But as a unit, we’ve got to do this together. I can’t do this by myself.” – Carmelo Anthony after Sunday’s Game 4 loss in Utah.

When Carmelo Anthony scored 40 points including the game winner to beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers back in February, the Denver Nuggets were title contenders.

He should be frustrated.

There was a time when the Denver Nuggets were a clear-cut championship contender. After their win in Cleveland, 118-116, this season in February to end a 13-game win streak for the Cavaliers, I was convinced the Nuggets were good enough to win a title.

Now they’re down 3-1 to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs and Carmelo Anthony is looking for answers.

Correction. He’s looking for help.

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The Denver Nuggets will only go as far as Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony take them.

(4) Denver Nuggets (53-29) vs. (5) Utah Jazz (53-29)

Series schedule: Game 1 – Today at Denver 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN); Game 2 – Monday 4/19 at Denver 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 3 – Friday 4/23  at Utah 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2); Game 4 – Sunday 4/25 at Utah 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 5 – Wednesday 4/28 * at Denver TBD; Game 6 – Friday 4/30 * at Utah TBD; Game 7 – Sunday 5/2 *  at Denver TBD. – *If necessary.

Series keys: For Denver: 1. Rediscover its swag (Nuggets have lost it since their head coach, George Karl, left team for cancer treatments). 2. Nene can’t settle (Denver big man must score big to keep Carlos Boozer honest). 3. Play a little defense (Nuggets allowed 102.3 points this season. For Utah: 1. Keep Denver off the line (Nuggets have made 1,924 free throws and attempted 2,487). 2. Bench must produce (With Boozer’s strained oblique and Andrei Kirilenko’s strained left calf, Jazz bench must step up). 3. Attack Denver’s heart (Carmelo Anthony is their star, but Chauncey Billups makes the Nuggets go. Deron Williams must get him in foul trouble).

Series outcome: Nuggets will win the series in six games, but somebody other than Billups – hint to Carmelo – must take over the leadership role.

Series stories:

1. Carlos Boozer to be a game-time decision for Utah playoff opener at Denver – The Canadian Press
2. Nuggets championship clock ticking – Denver Post
3. Doctor: Karl could be back for second round – ESPN

“I’ve said all along we all know how the vote is going to go. LeBron will win the MVP every year until he retires.” – Stan Van Gundy.

Stan Van Gundy has been a strong advocate for Magic center Dwight Howard winning the league MVP honor this season.

He speaks his mind. Don’t we love that?

Nod your head. You do. I know I do.

Even if Stan Van Gundy’s voice can sound a tad bit on the whiny side, you’re going to get an honest answer out of the guy.

 So when talking to the media before today’s game at Cleveland against the Cavaliers, the Orlando head coach had a few words to say about Magic center Dwight Howard’s deservement of the NBA MVP award and LeBron James being a clear cut favorite to win it for a second straight season.

On being an advocate of Dwight Howard being the NBA MVP and if he’d disappointed if LeBron James won the award unanimously: “I would never diasappointed on anything that happens on a vote type of thing. As I’ve said, look, I’ve also made very clear you can’t argue (with James getting the MVP). It’s not I’m saying somebody else doesn’t deserve it. I haven’t come out and tried to say that LeBron doesn’t deserve it. I think you can make a case for him. I think you can make a hell of a case for Dwight. I think you can make a hell of a case for Kevin Durant and what he’s done for that team. I think there are six or seven guys you can make very good cases for, but no, I wouldn’t be disappointed with anyone in the vote. I know good Dwight has been and I know how important he is to us. We know his value like Cleveland knows LeBron’s value.”  

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At 6-foot-9, the rangy Durant is the closest thing to George Gervin since the Iceman himself ripped the NBA up with his offensive arsenal. Durant, who has five 40-point games, has put himself in the MVP race.

In today’s NBA, the scoring title is a honor for the younger guns.

See, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lead the league in scoring two seasons ago, is battling it out with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant for this season’s title. Only a tenth of a point separates the two.

James is at 29.8. Durant 29.7.

If James does in fact winning the scoring title, his block on Durant in Cleveland’s 100-99 home win against the Thunder on Jan. 23  may be the deciding factor.

Now although James is just 25 years old, he’s in his seventh NBA season.

As for Durant, he’s only 21. For a player like him, he needs to win the scoring title to start making that push to becoming one of elite players in the NBA.

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Kobe Bryant called it luck.

True, but when you fade to the left and hit a straight-on 3-pointer off the glass at the buzzer over Dwyane Wade to give your team a 108-107 win over the Miami Heat to complete a 17-point fourth quarter, that’s greatness as well.

The Black Mamba is still the best player in the NBA. Not LeBron. Not Melo. Not D-Wade.

Kobe. Period.

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I told you all before about Denver.

J.R. Smith started off scoring off the dribble. Then he buried Los Angeles with 3-point shots

The Nuggets aren’t going anywhere.

J.R. Smith busted the Los Angeles Lakers up for 24 points off the bench in leading the Nuggets to a Game 4 home win, 120-101, to tie the series at 2-2.

Game 5 is Wednesday at 9 p.m. at Los Angeles.

Now the Lakers regained home-court advantage by winning Game 3, but Denver reestablished its physicality by winning Game 4 in a dominant fashion.

More importantly for the Nuggets, they won Game 4 with their main man, Carmelo Anthony, shooting just 3-of-16 from the field.

The Nuggets rely on effort and intensity to get it done, while the Lakers have the most skilled player in the game, Kobe Bryant, surrounded by a slew of other skilled players.

So it’s really skill against will.

Denver thrives when it imposes its will on opponents. Los Angeles likes to beat teams with execution and precision. So the team that can cater to its strength the best will win the series.

Kobe Bryant had that look tonight.

Kobe Bryant scored 41 points in leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a Game 3 win at Denver tonight against the Nuggets.

Ya’ll know the one. Denver saw it much to its dismay.

Bryant’s 3-pointer over J.R. Smith with 1:08 remaining gave Los Angeles the lead for good as the Lakers took Game 3, 103-97, in the Western Conference finals Saturday night at Denver.

Looking exhausted after the game, Bryant finished with 41 points, including two clutch free throws to give Los Angeles a 101-97 lead with 22.2 seconds left.

As big as Bryant was tonight, Trevor Ariza, as he did in a Game 1 win for the Lakers, came up with big steal with Los Angeles up two, 97-95, with 36 seconds left. The play took on greater meaning because Carmelo Anthony fouled out on it as he grabbed Ariza in trying to prevent him from scoring an uncontested lay up.

Ariza came back from an injury to score 16 points.

In contrast, Anthony didn’t come up with the big game Denver needed from him. After dueling it out with Bryant in Game 1 and Game 2, Anthony scored just 21 on 4-of-13 shooting tonight. Now he did attempt 14 free throws, made 12 of them, but he was just 1-of-7 from 3-point range.

Game 4 is Monday at Denver.

Oh yeah.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points in leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a Game 1 win against Denver.

The Denver Nuggets came to play tonight. So did the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the end, the Lakers pulled out a 105-103 victory against the Nuggets in Game 1 of their best-of-7 Western Conference finals series.

Carmelo Anthony (39 points) was butter. Kobe Bryant (40 points) did his thing, but Trevor Ariza made the play.

With Los Angeles up, 101-99, with 30.5 ticks left, Ariza stole an inbound pass intended for Chauncey Billups. Give Lamar Odom props for forcing Anthony Carter to throw a bad pass.

Denver didn’t help itself by making mistakes. Kenyon Martin unnecessarily fouled Bryant and the Carter turnover was huge.

You’ve got to love the way the Nuggets responded to being down late, though. Billups hit a step-back 3 from the dead corner over Ariza to pull the Nuggets within one, 103-102.

That’s how he earned the nickname, ‘Mr. Big Shot.’

However, Bryant sealed the deal by making free throws for the Lakers. He was 12-of-13 from the line for the entire game.

Can it get any better in Game 2 Thursday night?

Oh yeah.

The league MVP is set to get it started against the Orlando Magic

4-for-4

That’s how I fared in predicting the Eastern Conference and Western Conference semifinal series.

Piece of cake.

I mean, Cleveland should have disposed of Atlanta, right. The Cavaliers could have broke out the brooms from the opening tip in Game 1.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a better team than Houston even with star center Yao Ming so without him, the Rockets had no chance even though they showed tremendous zeal in extending the series to seven games.

As for the Dallas Mavericks, the way they fold on a regular, anyone who thought they’d beat Denver must either be related to Dallas owner Mark Cuban or owe Cuban money.

Orlando needed a Game 7 to finally put away the Kevin Garnett-less Boston Celtics, but they did win the series.

So now, who’s going to wind up in the NBA Finals.

Did someone say Kobe and LeBron?

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