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NO MORE GAME 7's PLEASE!! If Boston and Houston are any indication of what awaits us in this "Win or Go Home" contest then maybe Chris Duhon had the right idea all along. Turn your back on the inbounds play AND your team's entire season and just end it in Game 6. Who knows, maybe he did the Bulls a favor, because millions of fans in Houston and Boston will have to live the rest of their lives with the horror that was Game 7. At least Houston has an excuse (kind of) they were on the road. What is Boston's excuse? The Red Sox and Patriots just represented Boston with Championships based solely on grit and heart, and after Game 6, it looked like the Celtics might gut this series out too. However, on the flight back from Indiana the C's collectively decided to come out and play like nine-year-old girls. Red Auerbach must have been rolling over in his grave watching that game. Ummm, wait a minute....he's still alive, well he must have been sick to his stomach.

Don't think you're getting off the hook either there Doc. You were outcoached again by Rick Carlisle in the playoffs and have you not learned anything since the Orlando-Detroit series of 2003? You CAN'T just give the ball to one guy and expect him to go one on five in the PLAYOFFS!! Where was your offense? $5 million a year Doc and 13 Assistants and THAT was the game plan? Walk the ball up the floor and have Paul Pierce turn it over OR get it to Ricky Davis in the post for a fallaway, jumper off one-leg. The crowd booed and they had every right. I turned the channel halfway through the third quarter and watched a documentary on the Hindenburg Disaster, it was much less painful.

As for the Rockets, this was T-Mac's chance to shine. Finally, an opportunity to advance to the second round for the first time in his career. However, only Yao Ming was notified that there WAS a Game 7, as the rest of the Rockets stayed in Dallas. Now I know T-Mac had NO help in this one, aside from Yao, BUT you can't shoot 10-26 and turn the ball over four times in the biggest game in your career. THAT is what seperates you from joining the ranks of the elite. Where was the T-Mac that willed his team to wins in Games 1 and 2? We only saw him a few more times the rest of the series. That being said, you CERTAINLY can't pin this loss on T-Mac. If it weren't for McGrady the Rockets would have been swept and probably only scored 50 points combined in those four games. But the bottom line is this: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and on and on we can go....THEY don't lose Game 7's by 40 points, they just don't.

By the way, the following players have all outscored Kobe Bryant in the playoffs thus far: Ryan Bowen, Raef LaFrentz, Brian Scalabrine, Michael Ruffin, Beno Udrih, Steven Hunter, and Vitaly Potapenko. Kobe and I are tied.

Congrats to Steve Nash for winning the MVP trophy it is well-deserved. The Phoenix Suns improved from 29 wins the season before to 62 wins this year. You can say what you want about the other Suns players stepping up, but no one has NEAR the year they had without Steve Nash running the point. Paul Westhead told us all year that the most effective fastbreak happens when your point guard has his head on a swivel. Well, I should say that describes Nash to a tee. He is always in control, he sees the entire court and he doesn't tire. All-in-all an outstanding decision by Mark Cuban to NOT re-sign Steve Nash. Are you kidding me? Steve Nash isn't worth $60 million but Erick Dampier IS? How in good conscience can you sign checks to Tariq Abdul-Jabbar Wahad and Shawn Worthless Bradley and then decide Nash ISN'T worth the money? MasterCard should be sponsoring this guy for goodness sake:

1 Point Guard: $60 Million
1 MVP T-Shirt: $20
Tricking millions of people into thinking Steven Hunter can actually play: Priceless

I was in Daytona last weekend walking the beach and I came across Vince Carter's Journal. I'll only write what I remember, as it was snatched from my hands by a lifeguard.

October 10: "The NBA is really hard. The season is about to start and Toronto will probably want me to play a lot of games. I don't like it here anymore."

November 8: "We are leaving on a big road trip, make sure DVR is set to record 'Muppets Take Manhattan'. Fonzi makes me laugh."

December 5: "Sam Mitchell is a meaney!"

December 22: "The people in New Jersey are really nice and I can't wait to play here. I hope I get a G.I. Joe Desert Humvee for Christmas. I already sent my list to Santa."

April 20: "I thought the season ended today, then they told me we had to play MORE games against Miami. WHEN will it be OVER? I can't find my Boy Meets World DVD"

May 2: "FINALLY I get to go home! When Mom makes dessert I always get to lick the bowl. I led the Nets in scoring 48 times. I wonder if the folks in Toronto know I wasn't really hurt!

There was some other stuff too, I can't remember.

Dante welcomes your comments, questions and alternative opinions. E-mail him here.

Dante’s Speak is solely the opinion of Dante Marchitelli and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. Marchitelli has served as radio producer in the Orlando Magic's Broadcast department for seven seasons.