It’s probably not the new Dream Team — I mean, how can you beat Hakeem, Clyde, Charles, Scottie and MJ? — but it’s as formidable a crew as the U.S. has put together in a long, long time. The 12 man team was named today, and it lists some pretty good names.

The team is headlined by the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, but joining them will be Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, and Carmelo Anthony.

Though I’d leave a few of those off — there’s got to better player than Redd, Prince, and Kidd — it’s a solid squad. The starting five will more than likely be Paul, Kobe, D-Wade, LBJ, and D. Howard. That leaves guys like Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, and Chris Bosh coming off the bench, which is about as good a sixth, seventh and eighth man as it gets.

Oddly, not a single player from the World Champion Celtics. No one in LA’s complaining about that one.

They probably won’t shock the world, but in this weekend’s playoff viewing, the game that means the most to me is the one at 8:30 EST tonight. The Pistons are down 20-16 against the 76′ers right now; here’s the finals from earlier today.

Toronto Raptors 100, Orlando Magic 114: The Magic were blowing out the Raptors early, and then Toronto snuck its way back in, only to fall apart in the final seven or eight minutes. Anthony Parker led all Raptors in scoring with 26 points, and Chris Bosh struggled, scoring 21 but going only 4-11 from the field. Dwight Howard had a monster game, getting 25 points and grabbing 22 boards. The Magic were 13 of 29 from beyond the arch.

Denver Nuggets 114, Los Angeles Lakers 128: Denver had a ten point lead early on, but that defense that’s struggled all year long struggled again today. The Lakers shot 50 percent from the field, 45 percent from three-point land. Pau Gasol had 36 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, and Kobe Bryant did his Kobe Bryant thing, scoring 32 points and having a remarkably high one assist. ‘Melo and AI both scored 30 points and Linas Kleiza had 23 off the bench.

Carmelo Anthony was pulled over and charged with DUI just the other night, but now more details come trickling out on the story. As fate has it, ‘Melo wasn’t just drunk — he was apparently ridiculously impaired.

When he was asked to take nine steps, heel to toe, then turn around and take another nine steps, he forgot to perform the second half of the maneuver, according to police. CBS4 has also learned that when he was asked to stand on one leg, he swayed, put his foot down and “gave up,” telling an officer, “I don’t have good balance.”

Later, when police were interviewing Anthony, they asked him if he knew where he was. “No clue,” he told police.

The way I see it, he’s a basketball player. And as we all know, basketball players and other major athletes all have terrible balance. It’s a perfectly legitimate excuse.

I’ll cut straight to the point: Carmelo Anthony was charged with a DUI, shortly after one of his worst games of the season.

The Denver Nuggets forward was arrested on Interstate 25, police said. He was alone in the car and pulled over for weaving and not dimming his lights.

Detective Sharon Hahn said Anthony failed a series of sobriety tests. He was charged with DUI and then taken to police headquarters before being released to a “sober responsible party,” Hahn said. Anthony is due in court May 14.

It’s a great message to all children out there of what to do when you have a bad night — go to a bar, get bombed, then drive wrecklessly down the road.

Ironically, his driving was better than his shooting just hours earlier.

San Antonio Spurs 85, LA Lakers 106: Well, they didn’t really win the West, but they put themselves in damn good position to do so. The Lakers defense was downright nasty, holding the Spurs to 33-79 shooting from the floor, but take something into consideration: The Spurs didn’t have Manu Ginobli and, as crazy as the guy is, he completely changes that offense. The Lakers put in an all-together team effort, getting 20 from Kobe, 17 from Odom, 14 from Gasol and Fisher, and a combined 21 points from Jordan Farmar and Ronny Turiaf.

Miami Heat 76, Cleveland Cavaliers 84: The Cavs avoided being embarrased. The Heat increased their chances of getting the first pick.

Toronto Raptors 84, Detroit Pistons 91: My feeling here was that the Pistons would actually throw the game, assuring that they would play Philadelphia in the first round and not the Raptors. If you think about it as a coach, who would you rather play? A Raptors team that has some playoff experience as well as a marketable player (Chris Bosh), or the 76′ers, who don’t have any experience, and whose best player’s name you can’t spell (Iguodala)? Chris Bosh scored 30 points and grabbed 10 boards for the Raptors, and Rodney Stuckey led the way for the Pistons with 18 points off the bench.

Houston Rockets 94, Denver Nuggets 111: With this win, the Nuggets are one win away from assuring their spot in the playoffs. The Rockets came out flat, and the Nuggets scored triple digits for the 21st straight game, led by Allen Iverson’s 33 point performance. A Nuggets win or Warriors loss will clinch their bid to the playoffs.

The Red Sox/Yankees is about the only Can’t Miss MLB game today, but there’s some NBA that may be worth watching.

Toronto Raptors @ Detroit Pistons (LIVE): It’s 38-34 right now, and both teams are in the playoffs, but this could be a glimpse of what the first round may look like. The Raptors currently have the six spot, and are set to face Orlando, but with Philadelphia only a half game back, this could very easily be a first round matchup for both teams. The score’s currently 38-32, Detroit.

San Antonio Spurs @ LA Lakers (3:30): This game may very well decide who’s the top of the West. The Lakers and Hornets are tied, the Spurs a half game back, and each team has three games left. Outside of being the top spot, the winner will likely face Denver/Golden State, while the loser will get Dallas in Round 1.

Houston Rockets @ Denver Nuggets (9:00): Denver will need this one. The Warriors looked dead, have won a couple, and the Nugets have slumped. Suddenly, both teams are tied for eighth again (with the Nuggets taking the tie-breaker, though), and every game for Denver is important right now.

Charlotte Bobcats 107, Indiana Pacers 103: This probably isn’t the highlight of everyone’s NBA Saturday, but it was mine. With the Hawks gripping a two game lead in the East for the final playoff spot, their last three games are against Boston, Orlando, and Miami. Indiana, who’s two games back, has Charlotte at home, at Washington, and New York at home to close the season. The Hawks lost to Boston, and beating Orlando will be tough. Thankfully, though, Indiana seems to be worse down the stretch than the lowly Hawks. The Pacers had Charlotte at home, a perfect opportunity to gain one on the Hawks, and choked it up. Danny Granger had 37 points for the Pacers, but it wasn’t enough to stop a well balanced Bobcats team (that almost sounds like an oxy-moron), who were led by Jason Richardson’s 26 points. Jermaine O’Neal played 20 minutes for the Pacers, getting seven points and five rebounds. The Hawks magic number is now down to one.

Boston Celtics 99, Hawks 89: When you look at their final three games, and figure how they’re going to clinch, you don’t really chalk this one up as a W. I’m a Hawks fan, and I’ve been stuck with many, many years of terrible teams, so this year I’m not getting any hopes up for the playoffs; that said, I can’t blame them for losing to a team that has far better talent and players. All five Hawks players scored in double digits, led by Joe Johnson’s 21, but KG had 24 points for the Celtics, and Sam Cassell came off the bench to add 20. It was Boston’s 64th win of the season.

Denver Nuggets 97, Utah Jazz 124: A couple of days ago, Denver had a two game lead after beating the Warriors. A couple of days later, their tied with the Warriors, and what was looking like their playoff spot to be had suddenly looks like something they’re losing their grip on. It was a three point Jazz lead at the half, but Utah outscored Denver 62-38 in the second half, showing why they’re one of the best teams in the NBA when they’re playing at home. Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Mehmet Okur all finished with 20 points for the Jazz, and Deron Williams finished with 19. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson combined to score 50 points in the losing effort.

New Orleans Hornets 91, Sacramento Kings 94: The loss puts the Lakers and Hornets tied for first, and the Spurs are only half a game back. I can’t remember the last time three teams were this close to winning the West this far into the season, but it’s making the NBA season fun to watch.

LA Clippers 116, Golden State Warriors 122: Read above about the Warriors and Nuggets: They’re now tied for eighth place, though Denver does take the tiebreaker. Let me ask you this: If you’re LA, New Orleans, or San Antonio, and you finish first in the West, who would you rather play: The Warriors, who beat the Mavs in Round 1 last year, or the Nuggets, who often choke in the playoffs?

Denver Nuggets 114, Golden State Warriors 105: When you play the Nuggets, you can pretty much assure yourself of scoring in triple digits. Unfortunately, you can also assure they’re going to score in triple digits. It was the Nuggets’ 20th game in a row scoring 100 points or more, and of those twenty games only twice did they hold their opponent under 100: They held the Spurs to 96, and the Clippers to 99. Allen Iverson, JR Smith, and Carmelo Anthony all combined for 82 points for the Nuggets. With the loss, Golden State allowed Dallas to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Utah Jazz 94, Dallas Mavericks 97: The Mavs were scared there for a minute, but with the win and the loss of the Warriors, Dallas has stamped its way into the playoffs, and will probably be the seven seed. Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points and had hte game winning three, and Jason Terry chipped in with 21 points. I said it before the trade, I said it after the trade, and I say it now: Jason Kidd was a rip off. He scored seven points and had seven assists, and you have to start wondering: Was he partially responsible for the Nets slide? VC and Richard Jefferson can score, and at some point, we just have to face facts — maybe Jason Kidd isn’t very good anymore.

Los Angeles Lakers 106, Los Angeles Clipppers 78: There was a time where it was thought the Clippers were on their way up. That was two years ago. What a difference time can make.

Atlanta Hawks 98, Indiana Pacers 112: Mike Dunleavy dropped 28 points for the Pacers, and Jermaine O’Neal had 10 points in his return, as the Indiana Pacers beat the Hawks to help avoid playoff elimination. Both teams have four games left; the Hawks play Boston, Orlando, New York and Miami, and Indiana faces off against Philadelphia, Charlotte, Washington and New York. It’ll be hard for Atlanta to blow this, but don’t put anything past them. They are, after all, the Hawks.

Utah Jazz 77, New Orleans Hornets 66: Chris Paul had four points and nine assists on 2-11 shooting. Peja led all Hornets players with 15 points. The Hornets shot 36 percent from the field, and only 21 perecent from beyond the arch. With the loss, the Hornets still hold the best record in the West, and can avoid having to play Dallas in the first round, which, I assure you, will give San Antonio serious problems should they meet then.

Boston Celtics 107, Milwaukee Bucks 104: Go, Boston, go. Next up for the Celtics: Chewing through the Hawks in Round 1 of the playoffs like they’re some kind of super buzzsaw.

Phoenix Suns 127, Memphis Grizzlies 113: The Suns are starting to win with Shaq, and like the ongoing theme in the West, are going to make the third ranked team seriously mad that they’ll have to play these guys in Round 1. If you’re the No. 1 seed, you play Denver. No. 2 seed, you play Dallas. No. 3 seed, you play Phoenix. Compare that to out East, where the No. 1 seed gets Atlanta, the No. 2 seed gets Toronto, and the No. 3 seed gets Philadelphia. The question of “Who’s more battle tested?” when they get to the Finals won’t be a hard one to answer.

Sacramento Kings 132, Golden State Warriors 140: Nelly’s still alive, and so are his Warriors. The game didn’t feature a whole ton of fundamental defense, but it did feature a lot of up-and-down game with multiple guys scoring multiple points. Both teams featured six players in double digits, led by Baron Davis’ 33 points. Golden State is tied with Denver, but the Nuggets hold the tie-breaker.

Denver Nuggets 117, LA Clippers 99: Keeping pace, Denver. Keeping pace.

Dallas Mavericks 105, Phoenix Suns 98: The Suns would have to do a lot to blow their lead and miss the playoffs, but if such an event did occur there would be a lot of people pointing to this game as the reason they’re not in. The Suns held a 12 point lead heading into the fourth, but only managed nine points the entire quarter, therein losing the game. Even in victory, I’ll hate on Jason Kidd, and how little he contributes to this team: In 38 minutes of action, he had eight points and seven assists.

Golden State Warriors 96, New Orleans Hornets 108: Golden State is doing their best to survive and push their way into the playoffs, but the gas tank is on E, and the car is starting to sputter. Monta Ellis had 35 points, but Baron Davis only came up with 17 and Stephen Jackson fell flat with only six points on 3/11 shooting. New Orleans holds a 1 1/2 game lead over the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio Spurs 72, Portland Trail Blazers 65: Tim Duncan provided most of the offense with 27 points, and the rest of the Spurs decided they’d play lights out defense and hold their opponent under 70. Brandon Roy led all Blazers players with 18 points.

Denver Nuggets 147, Seattle Seahawks 151: Like I said about Phoenix: If Denver doesn’t make the playoffs, this is the game they’ll point to. Kevin Durant dropped 37 points, had nine rebounds and eight assists, and Denver dropped one to the second-worst team in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson combined for 64 points for the Nuggets.