What Goes Around (Sometimes) Comes Around.

Looks like some things do work out in the end.

To these eyes, in the modern era (post 2000), there have been four teams that have been tragically unlucky in the postseason. First, the Sacramento Kings. The early 2000s saw them as tops in The Association. They steam-rolled through the first rounds of the 2002 playoffs until they met the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. There, through a combination of choking, unlucky breaks and poor officiating (don't deny it; you know it's true) the world saw that transcendent Kings team fall in an epic 7 game struggle.

Second is the Portland Trail-Blazers. If the Kings choked against the Lakers in 2002, then not only did the the Blazers choke, they also tripped, stumbled and wandered into oncoming traffic in the 2000 postseason. In the Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, with the series on the line, the Portland Trail Blazers collapsed like a stack of cards. Up double digits with less than 10 minutes to play, the Lakers, spearheaded by a young Kobe and an in-his-prime Shaq, undressed and dismantled them in humiliating fashion.

Third, and easily most tragic are the Dallas Mavericks. Behind their floppy haired, long-ranged assassin Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have posted 50+ win seasons for the entire decade. They have always been almost there, every year. Of course, "almost there" is nothing but a consolation prize. Among other tragic events in their (un)storied postseason run, two stand out with stark clarity. First was the heartbreaking 4-2 series loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in 2006. Through a combination of choking, unlucky breaks and poor officiating (familiar story?) the Dallas Mavericks suffered a brutal fate as D-Wade and company lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the season. Second was the massive choke job in 2007, where the Mavs, seeded first with an amazing 67-15 record in the stacked Western Conference, lost in six games to the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors. Ouch.

The last team in this faltering foursome is the Phoenix Suns. If the Lakers are the Kryptonite to the Kings and Blazers, then the Spurs are that to the Phoenix Suns. Since 2003, the Suns and Spurs have met in the postseason on four separate occasions. All four times the Spurs have won. Most notable was the 2007 series between the two, when Amar'e Stoudemire was suspended for a game because he got off the bench to protect his teammate (and unquestioned team leader) Steve Nash when Robert Horry hip-checked him into the scorers table.

They say life is unfair, and they are probably right. But sometimes, the Universe has a way of correcting itself. Three out of these four teams, for the time being, will have to endure at least another season before they can exorcise their demons. But one team, the Phoenix Suns, has that opportunity right now. After last night's convincing win over the Spurs to put them up 3-0, it looks like they'll finally be able to get that monkey off their back.

We don't know how long they'll last after that (as them playing the future-champion Lakers seems to be all but guaranteed), but Phoenix fans should take comfort in the fact that at least they beat that one team that had its number. After all, the Kings, Blazers, and Mavs can't even say that much.

Go get 'em, Los Suns.