Wiz-Cavs III

As we head into the final minutes, let me just note that there's something a bit odd about a rivalry that's this intense -- driven by three-straight first-round playoff matchups -- between teams that are basically unimpressive. I mean, it would be a genuinely shocking Black Swan event if either of these squads won a championship. Probably nobody outside of DC or Cleveland really cares about this matchup, but we care a lot.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2008/04/wiz-cavs-iii/44461/