Close races help NBA recover

BEIJING, April 11 -- David Stern has all kinds of data showing National Basketball Association attendance is up, TV ratings are up and merchandise sales are up.

Good news, obviously, but not the evidence he'd cite first when calling this a good year.

For that, the commissioner turns to a much different set of numbers: the Western Conference standings.

That's where he finds the deepest playoff race his league has ever seen, the catalyst for a remarkable turnaround. The NBA is a week away from closing a memorable regular season, bouncing back from perhaps the worst offseason it's ever endured.

And it's happened in the best way possible to Stern, with strong play and better story lines on the court that are just too good to be ignored.

"The basketball part is what has legs because the world is watching and they're really having a good time watching," Stern said.

Are they ever.

Throw in a too-close-to-call player of the year race, the record-shattering re-emergence in Boston of the league's winningest franchise, and a flurry of blockbuster trades, and there's been no shortage of things to talk about for fans.

"The races, the Western Conference, you've got Boston back being one of the best teams, one of the storied franchises that has now come back to prominence. The Lakers are back up there again with the moves they've made. I think it's been a good year all the way around," Minnesota coach Randy Wittman said. "The more competition you have, like this year has been, the more interesting it is."

Only 2 1/2 games separated the top six teams in the West, where somebody will have the best record ever for a non-playoff team and there's seemingly an important matchup every night. Denver visits Golden State today in a game that could help determine which team claims the last playoff spot, and the Lakers host the New Orleans Hornets tomorrow in a showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul, perhaps the two strongest MVP candidates.

No wonder viewership is up 12 percent or more on the NBA's American television outlets. The league drew more than 4.2 million fans, its highest attendance ever in March.

(Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies)