Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
June 6, 2003, Washington Post

The Race is On

The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals have begun. In the first game of the best-of-seven series, the San Antonio Spurs knocked off the New Jersey Nets, 101-89. But there is still a lot of basketball left. For the first time in years, the team from the Eastern Conference has a chance to defeat the champs from the West. Let's take a look at how the Spurs and the Nets match up.

The Frontcourt: The Spurs' Tim Duncan was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the NBA this year. He has been even better in the playoffs. Duncan does everything. He scores points, blocks shots, grabs rebounds and sets up his teammates. David Robinson and Bruce Bowen don't do much except play solid defense. That's okay, Tim Duncan has everything else covered.

I love Nets forwards Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson. They are young, strong and fun to watch. But they aren't big enough to handle the seven-foot Duncan. The Nets' center, Jason Collins, is not athletic enough to cover Mr. MVP. So look for Duncan to dominate the inside and the series.

The Backcourt: When it comes to point guards, the Nets' Jason Kidd is the best. Don't even talk about the rest. A great playmaker, Kidd has a knack of getting all his teammates in the scorebook. Kidd's backcourt mate, Kerry Kittles, could really help if he can sink some outside jumpers.

The Spurs' point guard, Tony Parker, is on the spot. He must go man-to-man with Kidd. Parker is super quick but still inconsistent. He and the Spurs had trouble holding on to big leads during their series with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Parker, who is just 21 years old, will have his hands full with Kidd and the Nets.

The Bench: The Spurs' subs might be the key to the series. They are better than the Nets' bench players. Malik Rose is the kind of hard-nosed forward who does the dirty jobs, such as set picks and hustle for loose balls, that every team needs. Emanuel "Manu" Ginobili, the Spurs' sharp-shooting forward from Argentina, can score points in bunches. If these guys play well, the Spurs should beat the Nets.

The NBA Finals should be an exciting series. The only problem is that the games usually start so late on a school night that lots of kids won't be able to stay up and see whether the Spurs or the Nets are the kings of the hoops world this year.

The Belmont: If you want to see some sports history on TV before anyone's bedtime, be sure to watch the Belmont Stakes tomorrow at about 6:30 p.m. The Belmont is the third race in horse racing's Triple Crown. (The Kentucky Derby and the Preakness are the other two.)

I know many kids are not big horse racing fans. Neither am I. But the Belmont should be a blast this year. Only 11 horses have ever won all three races in the Triple Crown. If Funny Cide wins the Belmont, he will the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

Thoroughbred racehorses are amazing animals. You think Tony Parker is fast? Funny Cide will be flying around the track at more than 40 miles per hour! That means he will finish the 11/2-mile race in just 21/2 minutes.

So check it out. The Belmont Stakes is over a whole lot faster than the NBA Finals.