"The sons of Wake Forest are unrivaled."

Here's an article from the GNO that I enjoyed: "Wake alumni shine."

The first weekend of NBA playoff games belonged in large part to Wake Forest University.

While there were several standout performances, including a few by former Duke and North Carolina stars, the combined output of ex-Deacons Tim Duncan for San Antonio and Chris Paul for New Orleans was sensational.

In a double-overtime 117-112 win over Phoenix and Shaquille O'Neal on Saturday, Duncan had 40 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in what had to rate as one of his better games ever, which is saying something.

Predictably, Duncan downplayed his statistical line and pointed to the importance of winning at home in the opening game in the first-round Western Conference series. Since his days as a freshman at Wake Forest, Duncan always has been an unassuming, team-first player. There were times early on when he was visibly embarrassed by the public praise he got from then-Wake coach Dave Odom.

Duncan has aged with such grace that it's difficult to believe that he will turn 32 on Friday. For an NBA big man who rarely takes a prolonged game rest, much less an entire day off, Duncan has logged a lot of miles. He's at a career stage where a good many NBA players are past their primes and beginning to consider retirement.

When San Antonio made Duncan the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, which was held in Charlotte, the Spurs were a 20-62 team and under some fan pressure to skip Duncan in favor Utah's Keith Van Horn, another big man who was rated as a potentially better mid-range shooter.

Obviously, the Spurs made the correct call. Van Horn is nearing the end of an average career. Duncan already has Hall of Fame credentials and may yet play on a fifth championship team.

New Orleans can see a similar career path for Paul, a third-year player who is on the verge of becoming the league's best point guard. He began the playoffs with 35 points and 10 assists in the Hornets' 104-92 win over Dallas, which got 17 points from its own ex-Deacon, Josh Howard.

Although Paul went fourth in the 2005 NBA Draft, he's beginning to look like a steal. That draft began with Milwaukee and Atlanta taking big men: Utah sophomore Andrew Bogut to the Bucks and Carolina freshman Marvin Williams to the Hawks. The Utah Jazz picked third and took Illinois guard Deron Williams.

Like most young big men, Bogut and Marvin Williams are taking a while to adjust to the NBA offensive flow. Deron Williams quickly has emerged as an integral part of Utah's lineup.

But no one in that 2005 draft has made more of an impact than Paul, who won the top rookie award and was the most important factor in the Hornets improving from 18-64 in 2004-05 to 38-44 in 2005-06.

The Hornets didn't reach the playoffs in Paul's rookie season and came up just short in his second, but this season there wasn't a more consistent team from the start of the regular season to the finish. With former Garner High standout David West playing another key role, the Hornets are the quickest team in the NBA.

Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, a former NBA player, went so far as to say that Paul's elusive moves will dictate a quick change in defensive strategy. "We've got to find a way to stay in front of him," Johnson said.

Each team has played only one playoff game. Duncan's legs may yet tire, and Paul could have trouble dealing with Dallas' defensive adjustments. But one weekend into the marathon playoff grind, the sons of Wake Forest are unrivaled.