‘Offs: Knicks “6” the Celtics, Leafs Force A home 7th VS The Florida Panthers

Last night was not a good one for the defending champions, (much worse for the Celtics as the Knicks advanced to the semis for the first time in 25 years, ripping the Tatum-less Celts (119-81) as the Leafs of Toronto, routed in a home 5th, forced a 7th in Toronto tomorrow night with a (2-0) win at Florida vs the defending champion Panthers in #6).

The winner of tomorrow night’s #7 will face the Carolina Hurricanes in one NHL semi-final round while the Edmonton Oilers await the winner of the Dallas Stars vs Winnipeg Jets “Qtr,” which Dallas leads 3 games to 2, with #6 in Dallas tonight.

In the NBA, the Knicks and Indiana Pacers will be meeting in the “semis” for the fourth time while Minnesota (Timberwolves) will journey either to Oklahoma City or Denver for the NBA Western Conference Final opener Tuesday, depending on the outcome of tomorrow afternoon’s deciding game between the homestanding (68-14) Oklahoma Thunder (that record did not help the ’73 Celts) and the 2023 NBA champion, Denver Nuggets.

Dikembe Mutombo, gone too young at age 57, was a vital member of the ’94 Denver Nuggets, who pulled a shocking best of 5 prelims upset over the then Seattle SuperSonics, who became the Thunder of “Ok” in ’01.

Then ’twas (42-40) Denver winning the last 3 to oust the top ranked (63-19) SuperSonics. this time there is almost as big a discrepancy and already in these quarters, two by far lower ranked teams, the Pacers and Knicks pulled upsets, the former vs (64-18) Cleveland (Cavaliers), with Oklahoma City an aforementioned (68-14) and West 4 seed Denver at (50-32).

By the way the Knicks were (51-31) while “Indy” was (50-32).

Among the “else” who would have home advantage in an unlikely, but possible all ex ABA teams final between Indy and Denver? Maybe I will “Dick Tracy” it and get on it, however, not right away.