NBA Finals Set
The Spurs and Heat are set to meet for the second year in a row in the NBA Finals, with the Spurs seeking revenge after having the title within their reach, only to have Ray Allen snatch it away from them. I think the script will be a bit different this time. The first reason you have to like the Spurs actually comes from looking at last year's Finals. Yes they lost, but they were up 3-2 in the series heading back to Miami, including a 113-77 beat down of the Heat in Game 3. In 2013, the setup for games was 2-3-2, meaning the team with home court advantage were home for the first two and the last two. Even with a 3-2 series lead, the Spurs had to take one in Miami to win the whole thing. In 2014, the setup is 2-2-1-1-1, like all the other rounds of the playoffs. Would 2013 have turned out differently had this been the format? Hard to say, but having two home games to close out a series is quite the luxury.
Looking at the teams this year, the two cores are still intact. Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and James for the Heat, and Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker for the Spurs. There are two big x factors in this series however, both of them dealing with the Spurs. The first one is Kawhi Leonard. Leonard, in his third year out of San Diego State, has really improved his game and become a big reason why the Spurs are in the Finals. He brings athleticism and length to the floor, which will be helpful on both the offensive and defensive ends against the Heat. The second x factor is Tony Parker's health. The Spurs get a break because the Finals don't start until Thursday, so Parker will have plenty of time to rest. Although the Spurs won last night with Parker sitting out in the second half and overtime, they won't be able to pull that off against the Heat. If he misses any time, I think the odds swing heavily in favor of the Heat pulling off the three-peat.
When it's all said and done, I think the Spurs will take this series in six. They're hungry from last year, get production off their bench, and have home court advantage this year. They have only lost one game at home this postseason, and took a game in Rip City (Portland) and Oklahoma City, both tougher places to play than Miami. Again, Parker's health will drastically swing the series to the Heat if he can't go, but I think they get it done.
Bright Futures
For the two NBA Conference losers, just remember that it's always darkest before dawn. Both teams have solid young cores to build around, as well as good, young coaches. The Pacers have the benefit of playing in the East where the road is much easier to get back to the Conference Finals and possibly the NBA Finals. With Larry Bird calling the shots, I believe he will surround that core with some solid pieces and they'll be back to the Conference Finals sooner rather than later.
The Thunder have an even brighter future. Unlike the Pacers, they've been to the big dance before, only to be beaten by the Heat 4-1. That was expected given that it was Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's first appearance in the Finals. Now those two are much better than they were two years ago, as Durant has the 2014 MVP to show for it. They have two first round draft picks in this loaded, upcoming draft, and it will be interesting to see if they stay where they are, or package those picks to move up. The thing that really did them in against the Spurs was their lack of production off the bench. Their starters were fine, but the Spurs kept rotating guys in and out and the Thunder couldn't match that. If they can get some depth on that roster, look for the Thunder to be frequent visitors to the Conference Finals, and possibly even NBA Finals for years to come.
Put Him Back In Or Ride With The Backup?
That was the question facing New York Rangers' coach Alain Vigneault halfway through the second period of Game 5. With the Rangers up 3-1 in the series, the Canadiens stormed out of the gates at home and were up 4-1 just seven minutes into the second period. Henrik Lundqvist, one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the league, had a terrible night and gave up four goals on 19 shots. The Bell Centre was rocking, so Vigneault decided to pull his star goalie, roll with the backup Cam Talbot, and live to fight another day. The thing was that the Rangers wanted to fight this day, not another one. The Rangers proceeded to rattle off three goals in a span of about five minutes to tie the game towards the end of the second period. Unlike a pitcher in baseball or goalie in soccer, Vigneault had the option of putting Lundqvist back in to try and wrap up the series.
It's not like Talbot was some scrub, however. Talbot had gone 12-6-1 in the regular season with a 1.64 goals against average. Pretty good for a backup rookie. There is really no comparison though, between Lundqvist and Talbot. Lundqvist is much better than him. The issue is whether Lundqvist would be too cold or too mentally shaken to go between the pipes later in the game. The Canadiens scored one more goal in the second to make it a 5-4 game heading into the third, still within reach for the Rangers. The intermission could give Lundqvist time to prep and get ready to come out and play in the third.
All things considered, however, I think the move to keep him out was the right one, even though they wound up losing the game 7-4. Even if Lundqvist had come in and stopped all the Montreal shots in the third period, they still lose 5-4. Also, although you never want to let another team back in a series, the Rangers didn't really need this game. They would still have a 3-2 lead with a loss with a game back in Madison Square Garden, and a game back in Montreal where they already won Games 1 and 2. The decision seemed to have paid off as Lundqvist recorded a shutout in Game 6 to close out the series.
Who Will Face The Rangers?
With the East set, we get to find out how the West was won tonight. Ironically, the Blackhawks are doing to the Kings what the Kings did to their first two postseason opponents. With the Kings up 3-1 in the series, they dropped a close double overtime game at the United Center to make it 3-2. Game 6, however, is the one they will be kicking themselves over. Back in L.A. where the Hawks dropped Games 3 and 4 earlier in the series, the Kings had a 3-2 lead midway through the third period. Two goals and two Patrick Kane points later, and the Kings and Hawks were headed back to Chicago.
The one thing that might give Kings' fans some hope is that their team is probably the most unflappable team in the NHL. They've already won in Chicago thanks to a furious third period in Game 2, and have clinched both of their previous series on the road in Game 7s. Maybe this team just hates being in front in a series unless it's 4-3. Unfortunately for them, I think the Hawks buck the trend, as their offense is simply too much for Jonathan Quick, who hasn't had the best of all postseasons. This will set up an Original Six matchup in the Stanley Cup Finals, which is always special.
In Like A Tiger, Out Like A Lamb
Tiger Woods will never win another major. This seemed outrageous at the turn of the millennium, but it is slowly becoming a possibility. The question of whether he would break Jack Nicklaus' major wins record of 18 seemed more of when, rather than if. Tiger currently sits at 14, so it's certainly tempting to say that he will break that record considering Tiger is only 38, relatively young for a golfer. Given his recent struggles, however, I'm beginning to have my doubts. It's easy to say, "Well, if he wins just one major every four years, he'll tie the record." The problem is that five years have passed since his last major win, and people were saying the same things. During those five years, he has been cut twice, had five where he didn't even play, and eight where he finished outside the Top 10. Now, he was declared himself out of this year's U.S. Open due to a back injury.
Looking at his age and how close the gap is, the odds are certainly on his side to break the record. After what Peyton Manning did this past year, it's hard to doubt any athlete coming back from injury to be as good or better than they were before. I just don't see it. Not with the consistent back pain and guys like Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, and old rivals Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia still in the game. I would love to see him pull it off, but he isn't getting any younger and the game isn't getting any easier.
NFL Double Standard
A player takes a performance enhancing substance to use as fertility assistance. An owner is arrested for a DWI and having possession of a controlled substance. Which of these requires more immediate action? Unless you are vehemently against people having babies, you'd have to go with the latter option. Robert Mathis was the player and Jim Irsay was the owner, both from the Indianapolis Colts. Mathis was swiftly punished and suspended for four games, while the commissioner has yet to hand down a punishment for Irsay, even though his arrest came back in the middle of March. It is still possible that the commissioner will hand down a harsh punishment to Irsay, but the wait in doing so has many people questioning if there is a double standard with the NFL's policy.
Should Mathis still be suspended? Sure. Some debate whether or not he really took the substance for fertility or not, but that is of little concern to me. He did it, got punished, it is what it is. To allow Irsay to continue without a punishment and run team operations is pretty insane considering the severity of his actions. Commissioner Roger Goodell may be waiting for the June 19th hearings concerning Irsay's charges, but that doesn't mean he can't still punish him. It seems pretty clear at this point that he did something wrong, yet nothing has happened yet. Goodell needs to either issue a punishment or public statement justifying why he has taken zero action yet. If he wants to wait on handing out punishments, fine, but have this leniency with the players as well.
Matty O
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