There's nothing better than a sunny day in the Northwest. Sure, we may wait 8 months before the sun finally decides to grace us with its presence, but for those of us that have lived here for a while, we know that it's worth the wait.

Now, a sunny day in March may be rare, but having three teams in the Western conference all post win streaks of 9 or higher? That's just ridiculous.

Fans who have followed the NBA all season long know that this year is one for the record books. At one point during the season, we had three, not just one, but THREE teams chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan's 95-96 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games, including the Mavericks, the Suns, and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Suns and the Mavericks have nearly bogarted the national media's attention because of the growing drama in this year's race for MVP. Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks is a big favorite in this year's race, and not only because he stands 7 feet tall, but Phoenix's Steve Nash, a two-time MVP already, has been nipping at the heels of the German-born center.

However, one team has remained, for the most part, under the radar, which is ironic because they are the only team of the three that's actually won a NBA championship in the last five years. The San Antonio Spurs head into tonight's contest with the momentum of a 9 game winning streak and NBA analysts from around the league agree that any team expecting to walk away with a NBA championship will have to find someway around San Antonio.

During their win streak, the Spurs have held opponents to 80.3 points per game and an even more daunting 40.3 percent from the field.

A big part of Portland's success hinges on the play of the Trail Blazers front line. Zach Randolph has been averaging a very Duncan-like 23.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season, but his ability to score on The Big Fundamental will very much be a factor in tonight's contest.

Portland also needs a strong effort out of rookie center LaMarcus Aldridge, who continues to feel the ups and downs of a NBA season. If Aldridge can find his mid-range game and put in work on the defensive end, we might not just be celebrating sunny weather at the end of this one...

We'll be celebrating the end of San Antonio's 9 game win streak and a big W for a team aching for a late season playoff push.

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