Usually, I give Bill Walton the benefit of the doubt. But his defense of Bruce Bowen mystified me.

During Game 3 of the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, Walton chided Amare Stoudemire for calling Bowen and the Spurs “dirty.” It wasn’t just the bulletin-board material that Stoudemire unwisely provided the Spurs – Walton claimed the statement itself was false.

Then Bowen kneed Steve Nash in the groin.

I hate to say it, but the bad blood between the Spurs and Suns has been the highlight of the second round. Sure, the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors have provided plenty of drama (and questionable behavior) on the Left Coast, but they don’t have the same talent level. And the two series in the East are about as fun as getting punched in the kidney.

Or are they? Forget about the awful Cavs-Nets debacle; the Detroit Pistons have dominated the Chicago Bulls so badly, I think it’s made people change the channel rather than enjoy the carnage. Hard to imagine overlooking the Pistons with Chris Webber in the middle. It’s a travesty to all concerned to call this series a referendum on Ben Wallace, but the way things are going right now, Joe Dumars is yet again smelling like a rose. If you had the Pistons a couple of weeks ago at 5-1 to win the NBA title, you must be feeling pretty good, too. Those odds had shrunk to 9-5 by press time.

Let’s say, hypothetically of course, that the Spurs beat the Suns and advance to the Western final against Utah. That will make it three very physical series in a row for San Antonio, with Denver’s interior defense doing a number on Tim Duncan in Round 1. Theoretically, the Pistons would come out of the East like vultures, picking away at whatever is left of the Spurs. Three titles in a row for the East? That would blow even Bill Walton’s mind.

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