Shaq and the Suns vs. the Spurs. Kobe Bryant head-to-head against Allen Iverson. The Dallas Mavericks' chance to go from favored flops to dangerous 'dogs.
And that's only the first round.
Coming off its tightest playoff race ever, the Western Conference is now set for a postseason that could be even better.
"It's going to be bananas, it's going to be crazy," Dallas guard Jason Terry said. "It's going to be great for NBA fans all across the world."
When it's finally over, whoever survives the wild West will probably find Boston or Detroit waiting for them.
Saturday openers
The playoffs begin Saturday: Washington visits Cleveland for Round 3 of their postseason rivalry; Phoenix heads to San Antonio; the Hornets play host to Dallas in its first postseason game since returning to New Orleans; and Utah travels to Houston for another playoff rematch.
On Sunday, it's Toronto at Orlando; the Lakers taking on the Nuggets; Detroit entertaining Philadelphia; and Boston playing host to Atlanta.
The Celtics or Pistons are heavy favorites to reach the NBA finals. Nothing is certain out West, where the top-seeded Lakers were only seven victories better than the No. 8 Nuggets, who finished 50-32.
The Spurs are the No. 3 seed, the same spot from where they started last year's title run. They went through the Suns, who provide a more sizable road block this time in the form of the 7-foot-1, 325-pound Shaquille O'Neal, who helped Phoenix win both meetings since arriving from Miami.
"The Phoenix-San Antonio matchup is going to be an absolute bloodbath," Houston's Shane Battier said. "The Dallas-New Orleans series is going to be very, very competitive. Denver is athletic enough to match up with the Lakers; you never know what could happen in that series. And the 4-5 is always a good series. It's going to be a very good playoff race in the Western Conference this year."
Celtics-Lakers final?
Perhaps it ends with the Celtics against the Lakers, the NBA's greatest rivalry renewed on its biggest stage. Or maybe it's Boston-San Antonio, the old dynasty vs. the new.
Or, it could be Pistons-Hornets, or Pistons-Jazz, or Celtics-Suns. The finals might start in Boston or Detroit, but there's no telling who shows up from the West.
"I think it's open a little bit," Utah's Carlos Boozer said. "I think the championship still goes through the Spurs. I have a great deal of respect for them."
The Lakers clinched the top seed with a strong finish, possibly winning Bryant his first MVP award in the process. But they get a dangerous No. 8 seed in the Nuggets, with Iverson and Carmelo Anthony ranking just behind Bryant in the league's scoring race.
The eighth seed pulled the stunner last year when Golden State knocked off a 67-win Dallas team. Now the Mavericks will try to see the upset from the other side against the Southwest Division champion Hornets, who are the No. 2 seed but have little postseason experience.
The Celtics and Pistons are expected to cruise through their opening-round series against sub-.500 teams. That probably leaves the Cleveland-Washington series as the best of the first round in the East.
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