Celts And Panthers In (3-0) Command

Both the Boston Celtics, now on the precipice of a record-breaking 18th title and the Florida Panthers the same in a bid for a first crown, in this their 30th completed season, built commanding game 3 leads and then “held on” to win said games and took (3-0) final round entity leads.

Jayson Tatum led with 31 points while Jaylen Brown had 30 including a “folla” (ode to the great Robert Shaw in the great movie, “The Sting”) and 20 foot “2” (remember those) that respectively increased Celts’ leads from 1 to 3 and 2 to 4, helping Boston avoid dissipating a 21 point, 4th quarter lead.

Derrick White added 16 points, including a big “3” (way too much of those in this NBA and have no problem with the paucity of semis and hopefully final games this year, even last year, as the “3” and other makes this NBA much “<“

However, hail these Celtics, who almost certainly will pass the Lakers’ combined L.A. and Minneapolis total of 17 crowns with their 18th. This is just the second time in 23 Celtics’ final round series, one team or the other has a (3-0) lead. (Perhaps appropriately the only other time was in ’59 a 5/0 years, 65 ago when they swept Minne and first year great, Elgin Baylor, 2 years before the great Jerry West debuted in ’61.

Meanwhile a goal and an assist each for the long reach, I suppose great Aleksander Markov and Sam Reinhart, who “opened” plus goals by Sam Bennett and Mr. Tarasenko (a likely Cup winner after being acquired during the season for a first time champion as was the case with the ’19 Blues—remember “Gloria” as that team’s inspirational song—) had Florida ahead (4-1).

Edmonton cut the lead to (4-3)

In the end, Florida as did the Celtics, held on, with Sergei Bobrovsky making a big save on Ryan McLeod, who earlier cut the Florida lead to (4-2).

It evokes (4-1) Habs in ’86 vs another Canadian team, the Flames, who would reverse the result beating the Habs and me (big time) in ’89, when Montreal needed a late Patrick Roy save to (4-3) Calgary in a game 5 clincher with Ken Wilson, the U.S. market tv lead announcer.

That was on a Saturday night. This series could end Saturday night if Florida wins. Edmonton won their first title on a Saturday night in ’84.

Sam Reinhart of the Panthers, then with the Buffalo Sabres, pictured above.