Celtics/Sixers and Lakers Notes

The NBA and NHL playoffs are running concurrently, (the NHL in the quarterfinals and the NBA in the first round) and the series have been very one sided to this point. 10 series are through 4 games. Only one stands at 2 games apiece. One other is (3-0) leaving at most 2 of the 12 at 2 games apiece. Eight series are at 3 games to one, one is (2-1) and there have been two 4 games to none sweeps.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, getting a big bounce their way on Kevin Durant’s winning shot in game 1, went on to sweep the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Likely they will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the quarterfinal round. The Lakers played 40 years to the night of their first LA title and won versus the  Denver Nuggets to take a 3-1 series lead. This win was Sunday night May 6th while the first title win was on Sunday night May 7, 1972. Both games started at about the same time.

Some history repeating with a bit of a stretch regarding those old rivals, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. First of all, each is up 3 games to 1 in its first round series and are on a collision course to meet in the NBA quarterfinals. Each won a Sunday game to take a 3-1 series lead. In at least 4 Boston vs Philadelphia semi-finals, games played on a Sunday left the series 3 games to 1 in favor of Philadelphia. Now Sunday’s results leave each team up (3-1) and likely to face each other in the next round. By the way, Boston came back to win two of those semi-final series in which they trailed the Sixers 3 games to 1, and lost in Game 7 in another one.