Last night in Portland, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Blazers to wrap up their first-round series 4-2. It was a very professional performance from a team that, in the past, needed to shoot lights out to put teams away, especially on the road. This win was distinctly different in that Steve Nash had a poor shooting night (although he did hit perhaps the biggest shot of the night late in the fourth quarter) as did starting forward Grant Hill.

For 37-year-old Hill, this marks the first time in his long career that he will play in a second-round playoff series. That tag of not winning in the playoffs for many athletes has a negative connotation (e.g., Tracy McGrady). Things are different with Hill, however. The sentiment surrounding the Suns’ victory was one of genuine happiness for Hill given the obstacles he has had to overcome in his career and the dignity with which he has tackled them.

Hill is the son of a professional athlete whose prowess as a high school basketball player in Virginia led him to Duke where he put together one of the great college careers of all time. As a freshman, Hill was a major contributor to the title team that got Coach Mike Krzyzewski over the hump, and he converted a rim-rattling alley-oop against UNLV in what many consider one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. The next year, Hill was the trigger man on Christian Laettner’s buzzer beater against Kentucky that many consider the greatest single shot in college basketball history. As a senior, Hill was the go-to-guy and almost single-handedly took the Blue Devils to the championship game where they lost narrowly to Arkansas. Later that year, Hill was the third pick in the NBA draft for the Detroit Pistons.

Hill’s triple-double type ability was more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan; but his athleticism and aerial abilities led to the inevitable comparisons to His Airness. Hill did not disappoint, sharing ROY honors with Jason Kidd and eventually becoming one of the NBA’s marquee attractions. Following a trade to the Orlando Magic in the summer of 2000 (where he was ironically teamed with Mcgrady), Hill was poised to take his game to the next level of greatness. Unfortunately that never happened as a series of season-ending foot injuries and a very serious staph infection derailed what was destined to be a Hall-of-Fame career.

Hill continued to battle, although the injuries and age eventually limited his contributions to those of a role player. In 2007, after turning down an offer to play with the champion Spurs, Hill landed in Phoenix where his career has been rehabilitated. Clearly not the high flyer he used to be, Hill has used a very high basketball IQ and dogged determination to become a valued and, more importantly, a durable starter. Last night was a good example – while his jump shot wasn’t working, Hill did pull down 12 boards, defended effectively and did a number of the little things to help the Suns win. The three-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner’s professionalism has clearly rubbed off on this version of the Suns. While it must be frustrating for Hill that younger NBA fans won’t remember how great a player he once was, he appears to be at peace with it and is embracing the moment.

The feature game in the NBA Friday night more than lived up to its billing. The rejuvenated Dallas Mavericks went into Atlanta and stole an overtime 111-103 victory from the hometown Hawks in a game played at playoff-like intensity. As expected, All-Star starters Dirk Nowitzki and Joe Johnson led their teams in scoring – but this game belonged to Jason Kidd. The future Hall-of-Famer filled up the stat sheet with 19 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists. For the man who, along with Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, is synonymous with the triple-double, last night’s performance was vintage. In fact, it was the first 15-15-15+ game in the NBA since Jason Kidd did it 14 years ago.

Kidd’s night was the latest in a Renaissance season for the soon-to-be 37-year-old point guard. After leading the New Jersey Nets to multiple NBA Finals appearances, Kidd was traded in 2008 to the Mavericks in a move that sent the much younger Devin Harris to the Nets. Kidd struggled to fit into the Mavericks’ half-court, slow-tempo offense which did not allow him to exploit his tremendous open court skills.  He also had difficulty defending the young, super-quick point guards in the Western Conference such as Tony Parker and Chris Paul. The emergence of Devin Harris as a potential star with the Nets coupled with Kidd’s struggles led many to question the wisdom of the trade, particularly for a team that was a regular contender in the West. The Mavericks first round playoff exit that year at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets followed by another sub-par year in 2008-09 gave more fodder to Kidd’s critics.

The Mavericks, however, kept their faith in Kidd and rewarded him with a new three-year contract prior to this season – a move that is now paying dividends. He has successfully adjusted his previously flamboyant game to fit with the Mavericks’ style. Although he does not regularly put up the same numbers he logged in the past, Kidd, for the first time in his latest tenure with the Mavs, looks like the confident leader he had been for his entire career.

Last night Kidd played with an emotion and energy that seemed to have disappeared from his game the last couple of years. Fighting to the finish, Kidd nailed three consecutive 3-pointers in the final minutes of the fourth. And by creating contact with Hawks coach Mike Woodson, who had crept onto the court in open play shouting instructions to his players, the wily veteran even managed to draw a critical technical foul on Woodson and pick up a decisive point for his team. It is this poise under pressure that we have come to expect from Kidd over the years and that may help the Mavericks make a deeper playoff push this year.