The Fountain of Youth in the NBA

     The two most interesting series in the NBA Playoffs both have young teams and young stars. On Monday night, Game four of the Western Conference Semifinals became an instant classic. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies went into 3 overtime periods to decide the winner of a pivotal swing game. A win for the Grizzlies and they take a 3-1 lead. If the Thunder were to win that would even the best of seven series at 2 games apiece.

     The Thunder young guns Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 75 points in the Thunder's 133-123 triple overtime win. The win was huge considering a 2-2 tie and Oklahoma has home court advantage.

     The Grizzlies young stars Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol (Lakers Pau Gasol's younger brother) gave a valiant effort on their home floor in the heart breaking defeat. The two front court players combined for 60 points. This game featured the future of the NBA for years to come. Game 5 is tonight in Oklahoma City.

     The Eastern Conference Semifinals features the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks. The "Baby Bulls" are led by league MVP point guard Derrick Rose and front court player Joakim Noah. Rose is averaging 33 points per game in this series and Noah has pulled down 11 rebounds per game. In Game 3, Derrick Rose set a personal career high for points scoring 44 points.

     The "Baby Birds of Prey" Atlanta Hawks are trying to advance to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history. Atlanta's Joe Johnson and the suprise of the series Jeff Teague must continue to play well if the Hawks are going to make history. The duo has combined for a series average of 36.8 points per game. Johnson must play both ends of the floor to stifle the fast paced Bulls offense. Teague must figure out a way to atleast contain Derrick Rose to help keep Atlanta's hopes alive. The Hawks find themselves in a 2-3 game deficit and facing elimination on their home court Thursday night in the Philips Arena for Game 6.