Denver Nuggets (9-0) At Home, “Open,” Cover, “All-Tease” Miami Heat

In a game I could have watched as the final round is beamed over the air, but did not, the phone “said” Denver first and (104-93) as 9 point game 1 “faves” at home vs the Miami Heat.

Though I still believe nobody goes unbeaten at home for the entire ‘offs and thus feel that and Silver/ABC not “chancing” another (3-0) could well yield Miami in #2 and conceivably the series, I might have to just hope Jamal Murray (26 points) and not Nikola Jokic (27 points) is the final round MVP in what appears an inevitable Denver first crown in this their 56th season (things end at 56 including Mr. Lincoln’s life and Joe DiMaggio hitting streak, among much else) and 47th in the NBA.

Regarding #2 on Sunday night in Denver (Nuggets are -8 plus, 3 plus to 1 game “faves” and though I think I see handwriting on the wall up ahead, a vigged/ 590/850 Denver favored price is too high), I will try to at least stay up.

In ’75, some research and my great recall seems to indicate Denver, in its first year as the Nuggets in what was the eighth and penultimate ABA season (they were the Rockets in their first seven) went (40-2) at home in their small arena.

However, led by the great play of a forgotten and too criticized star named George McGinnis, the Indiana Pacers who as is the case with the Nets are sans an NBA title in 47 completed seasons, (Only the Spurs, who notched 4 in 15 seasons (’99-2014) among the 4 ABA teams that remain have ever won a crown) won games 2,5 and 7 at Denver, to take their “semi. The next season, the ABA’s last, again the Nuggets had the ABA’s best record, however, in game 1 of the final round, a brilliant effort by Julius Erving led a/the series’ only road team win, at the new McNichols Arena.

The Nets led by Erving and a superb “radio only” (with John Sterling, no less), #6 on a Thursday night, by John Williamson took the last ABA crown.

Erving, a team jumper, went to Philly and for his first 6 seasons there, wearing #6, there was no Sixers/Philly crown.

Finally on Tuesday May 31, 1983 with Erving clearly behind the late great Moses Malone and before Jimmy Butler, a Celtics problem, Andrew Toney in team importance, the Sixers won their second, the franchise’s third (Dolph Schayes whose son Danny was on a Nuggets “semi” loser in ’85, led the Nationals to the ’55 title and as he said on my show as my mother was finally able to get the call through to Mr. Schayes, an exceptionally nice man–’twas George King who made the big plays in the #7 Nats’ win) and to date last crown.

Now forty years to the day of no 614, (still haunts!!), Denver gets a final round, opening game win and are (13-3), I believe (13-3) vs the spread and (9-0) at home in these ‘offs.

Very few NBA or NHL teams have gone unbeaten at home in say the 47 seasons of the Nuggets. Maybe Denver will be an exception. I still say no, but think they will “title.”