Heat and Sun (s?) go together and both the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, each a conference top seed, have (2-0) quarterfinal series leads.
Miami (6-1) so far in the ‘offs, (4-0) at home–only they and the Warriors have not lost at home and the NBA is just 2 games into its “quarters”) has ko’d the Embidless Sixers’ teases in each tilt. Will (Joel) Embid play tomorrow night as the series moves to Philadelphia.
The Suns covered and all teased the Dallas Mavericks in the opener and ripped them in #2 last night.
Both franchises have lost 3 NBA final series, however, the Heat with Dewayne Wade on all of them, have won three while Phoenix has an (0-3) final round record, including a six game loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last year.
The Heat player, Tyler Herro, was named the NBA 6th Man of the Year winner.
The two New York baseball teams are off to excellent starts. Their combined record is (32-13).
In the American League, the Yankees, amidst one of their worst periods of winning pennants or World Series in any roughly 20 seasons period in their great history, have won 9 straight games, “St. Louis Browns-ing” it, vs the poor teams and 11 of 12 games overall.
Their record is (16-6) and they lead the Toronto Blue Jays by one and a half games. The teams clash tonight in Toronto, going opposite the home town Maple Leafs ‘offs opener vs the two time champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meanwhile the New York Mets have won every series they have played, sweeping none and are (16-7).
Their lead is 2 games over the Marlins but a larger 5 and a half and six and a half game leads over more likely challengers, the Phillies and Braves respectively.
The St. Louis Browns insignia above. One year the Yankees won 21 of 22 games vs the Browns, who became the Baltimore Orioles in 1953.
It seems (check the records) they also “feast” vs the Orioles.
The NHL playoffs finally get started tomorrow night May 2nd with four games. Earlier I posted some notes about the 8 NHL East qualifying teams as that was set for quite a while. Among them, only President’s Trophy winning Florida (Panthers) has never won a title. (By the way Florida/Miami is the NHL top seed as cited above while the NBA Miami Heat are the Eastern Conference top seed and only Phoenix (Suns) had a better “reg” record).
In the NHL West, six of the 8 teams have previous titles. The Edmonton Oilers have 5, none since they won an incredible 5th in 7 seasons (ode to Vince Lombardi’s Packers who did the same), in 1990, while the L.A. Kings, the Oilers’ first round opponent, as they were in a memorable best of 5 “such” series forty years ago, and West top seed Colorado Avalanche have 2 titles each. (The ‘Lanche’s first round opponent, the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild are the two NHL West teams that have not won a title).
St. Louis (Blues), Dallas (Stars) and the Calgary Flames each have won one title. Oddly (NINE is an ODD number), those 3 teams’ lone crowns came in years ending in “9,” the Flames winning in 1989, the Stars in 1999 and the Blues in 2019. All 3 clinched the title on the road, the Flames and Stars in 6 games while “St. Loo” won at Boston in #7, after failing to clinch in a home 6th game.
Lanny McDonald, pictured above, was a member of the 1989 Stanley Cup Champion, Calgary Flames’ team.
Today, a Saturday and no ‘offs action on April 30th as the NBA is on to the quarters with no 7th games in their prelims while the NHL playoffs finally are upon us as the endless “reg” has just the meaningless, make up Seattle at Winnipeg tilt tomorrow.
“We” previewed and noted Celts/Bucks where the Middleton injury is an “odds key.”
Now Miami has moved from just under a 2 to 1 series fave to just under 4 to 1 as Sixers’ key player Joel Embid is out indefinitely.
Oh the injuries and do they ever realize the longer the ‘offs season (it ended on this date in ’71 with the current champion Bucks’ first title) goes, the more likely there will be injuries. It is about attrition more and more and less and less about the best or even better team.
In the Western Conference, Devon Booker is seemingly back and top ranked Phoenix (Suns) are a nice favorite vs the Dallas Mavericks.
The Warriors will be nice favorites vs the Memphis Grizzlies, I would think.
The great player, Oscar Robertson, pictured as a Cincinnati Royals player, won his lone title in his first season with the Bucks.
Milw (118-106) on a Friday night, 51 years ago on this date to clinch the crown.
One of the four NBA quarterfinal series is set and it will match the East “2” seed Boston Celtics and the defending NBA champion, East “3” seed, Milwaukee Bucks.
A Bucks star Khris Middleton is injured and Boston is nearly a 2 to 1 series favorite.
Even before this, what will be their 4th “quarters” clash, the Celts and Bucks had the rare distinction of meeting at all 4 levels of playoffs series competition, as they met in a memorable NBA final in 1974, when the Bucks were housed in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Boston won that series in 7, winning thrice on the Bucks’ home court including #7 on Mother’s Day (Milw won twice in Boston) and are (5-2) in previous ‘offs series vs Milwaukee.
The Celts won both semis clashes, each in route to the title, going (8-1) in such wins vs the Bucks in ’84 and ’86.
Milwaukee has the edge (2-1) in previous quarters, winning the last 4 and the ’19 quarter in 5 and sweeping Boston in ’83. Boston won in 7 in ’87.
In the lone prelim clash, the Celts prevailed in 2018.
It will be (1-1) and (2-2), a tough series, but I will “go” fair sized “chalk,” and say Celts in 6. (None of the previous 7 Celts/Bucks series, all best of 7, ended in 6 games).
The great John Havlicek, pictured above was the 1974 final series MVP.
That series was on CBS with Pat Summerall, so much better known for football, as the lead broadcaster.
In the American Basketball Association’s nine seasons, the Indiana Pacers (3) and then New York Nets (2) combined to win more than half of the league’s titles.
They and the Denver Nuggets, three of the four teams “absorbed” into the NBA, beginning with the ’76-’77 season, have never won an NBA crown.
Only the San Antonio Spurs, who have an impressive five, none in their first 22 seasons, among the four “absorbed” teams have won an NBA title.
Click below to view a nice piece narrated by Bob Devorshak about the ABA’s first title team, the Pittsburgh Pipers led by Connie Hawkins.
Three teams took (3-0) NBA preliminary round series leads, the ’67 NBA final opponents, the Warriors and 76ers and last night the Celtics, in every final from (’57-’69) except the one in ’67.
Philly still leads Toronto (3-1) while Golden State today at Denver, and the Celtics tomorrow at truly underachieving Brooklyn, will attempt to complete 4 game sweeps.
Likely “quarters” opponents for the Sixers and Celts, are the Miami Heat and defending champion, Milwaukee Bucks, each with (2-1) series leads vs Atlanta (Hawks) and Chicago (Bulls) respectively.
Why do I feel there will be yet another Sixers/Celtics semi. There is still a long way to go before that manifests, if it ever does.
The following players, coaches and officials involved in the referenced 1967 NBA final, won by Philly in 6 games, vs the then S.F. Warriors, made the “Hall.”
| Hall of Famers |
76ers:
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Trust me, this is not easy or fun, however, perspective manifests, thinking how the truly great player Guy Lafleur, who died too young at age 70, exceeded the great expectations regarding him, ones I recall “Ike,” (Dr. Howard Eichenstein) stating one long ago day on a stairs landing when we were still in high school.
As the (Montreal Canadiens) team’s superb netminder, Ken Dryden stated and as I cited regarding such as Bill Russell, Joe DiMaggio and another Canadiens’ legendary superb player, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur was the best player on the best team.
The (’76-’79) Canadiens, who titled in each of those seasons, were no ordinary “best team,” they were as I have opined in past posts, close to the best hockey team ever and on a short list of any sport’s greatest teams.
Lafleur led that team, scoring 50 or more goals in all 4 Cup winning seasons, 6 straight overall (he also was on the ’73 title winning team coached by Scotty Bowman, who coached 5 title winners in his 8 seasons as Habs coach).
Those Canadiens teams, especially the ’76 and ’77 vintage were so dominant and almost made all others including excellent Bruins, Flyers, and Islanders teams (the Isles would have their day and it is so sad that we lost greats, Mike Bossy and Mr. Lafleur within a week) playing for second best.
Guy had the Cup winning goal at Philadelphia, breaking a tie fairly late in the third period of game 4 in ’76.
Lafleur was my choice as “Athlete of the Year” in 1977, as the Habs had an incredible 60 wins, 8 losses, 12 ties (remember ties and I add the juxtaposition of that Canadiens’ team and the current one’s awful mark is truly sad) in 1976-1977 and again won the title, this time losing 2 ‘0ffs games, one more than they lost going (12-1) in the ’76 playoffs.
Lafleur had both assists including an overtime set up of the superb player, Jacques Lemaire, who finished the series with a goal in overtime of game 4, at Boston, as Montreal swept the final series.
It took 6 games to win vs the Bruins in ’78 and it was Mr. Lafleur that ruined Gerry Cheevers great effort in goal for the Bruins, with a goal in overtime of game 2, as I fruitlessly rooted for Boston, watching on a little television in my room with my father and a man named Pasquale “Pat” Bartolone.
We all were effusive in our praise of the one and only “Flower” or “Le Demon Blond” (oh how his hair moved, as he skated with increased speed, evoking memories of “The Golden Jet,” Bobby Hull) after the tilt.
My most special memory and I believe the greatest of all Guy’s moments came in the following playoffs season, one in which the Canadiens would again prevail, but not without a real struggle.
They did not get the league’s top mark (it went to the Isles, who were semi’d in 6 by the Rangers, a crushing low point for the “still no crowns or even a final round appearance Islanders–oh how that changed in the next 5 seasons!) and in the semis, Boston led Montreal by a goal (4-3) late in the third period of #7 at the fabled Montreal Forum on a Thursday night in May 1979.
Yes, Montreal got a break when Boston was penalized for having too many men on the ice but as is often the case the media dwells on the negative and not the fact, it was a perfect shot by Lafleur that got by Gilles Gilbert, who played one of the greatest games ever for a goaltender, albeit in defeat when Yvon Lambert won it for Montreal in overtime, to tie the game in the last minute or so.
I know Guy was nearly killed in a car accident, what over 40 years ago, but his death took a man that was too young, and too soon.
Somehow, the three other Canadiens honored with statues outside the Bell Centre (let’s not sugarcoat, Montreal has not “titled” since moving from The Forum, the Celtics have but one post Boston Garden crown and even the Yankees have just one World Series win, that in their only pennant winning season since moving Yankee Stadium’s location another stop north on the 4 train), Howie Morenz, who died tragically young at age 37, Maurice “Rocket” Richard and the classy Jean Beliveau, the only one of the four I met, will greet Guy Lafleur welcoming him to their “place,” a different concept of one Guy shared with them on earth and in Montreal Canadiens annals, as the greatest player on an era’s greatest team.
The 8 NHL East ‘offs participants have essentially been known for quite a while. There is still major uncertainty involving the positions, however, the eight teams are known.
Five of the eight have won The Stanley Cup since 2006 (The T.B. Lightning having won the last two, Pittsburgh Penguins won in both ’16 and ’17 as well as ’09, the “Wash” Capitals won their first and only crown as recently as 2018, the Boston Bruins won it in 2011 and the Carolina Hurricanes took the title in 2006.
The other 3 East ‘offs qualifiers have won but one title in 133 possible seasons (’68-2021 with no season in ’05, the Panthers’ first season was ’94) since the Toronto Maple Leafs won one in 1967. (As stated here before, the late Alex Trebek narrated that year’s Stanley Cup highlights film).
That crown was won by the New York Rangers, a 2022 surprise team that is battling Carolina for the “reg” Metropolitan Division title and the 2 seed, behind the Florida Panthers in the East, having done so in “same calendar” 1994.
Florida has never even won a Cup Final game having been swept out by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 final. Do not look now, (I will look at the West down the road) but the ‘Lanche and Panthers will almost certainly be conference top seeds, which however, has meant very little in terms of ‘offs success.
Joe Sakic, pictured years back as a player, helped lead the ‘Lanche to titles in ’96 and ’01 and is now a team executive.
This is truly a terrible year for the New York Islanders. Terrible for them is their disappointing “miss the playoffs” season. Virtually tragic, is the fact two greats from their glorious past, Clark Gilles and now the superb/ all-time type goal scorer, Mike Bossy have died far too young.
I knew Bossy was sick and though news of his death was not a shock, it resonates in hurt/lost time and “oh so much loss,” ways.
His great glory was exhibited on so many occasions, one I believe a Saturday night when he hit the 50 goals scored mark in his fiftieth game. The feat electrified the Nassau Coliseum crowd!
Even greater glory to me anyway, watching in ’82, with Dad and Ike, none of us really or even “at all,” Islanders’ fans and seeing Mr. Bossy grab the Conn Smythe Trophy as outstanding ‘offs performer, as the Islanders clinched their third straight title, completing a 4 game final round sweep, on a Sunday night in Vancouver vs the Canucks.
Bossy was an incredible goal scorer and the Islanders were an incredible team, winning 4 straight titles (’80-’83), reaching 5 straight final rounds (’80-’84) and making at least the “semis” nine of ten times from (’75-’84).
39 years have passed since title #4 in same calendar 1983. Gillies and Bossy have died, next year the same “40 years” derision aimed at the Rangers’ failures can be aimed at the Isles.
Alas, that and any of the derision is not my CUP (pun intended) of choice. Those Islanders rank with any team and one might choose them over any, save the greatest of the Montreal Canadiens’ teams.
Mr. Bossy born in Montreal may not have been the greatest goal scorer ever, but it sure does not take long to call his name on that list.
Another true great gone. So sad, but some solace in having seen his goal scoring, sniping, brilliant play.
Click below to view Mike Bossy matching the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard with his 50th goal in 50 games. Jiggs MacDonald an excellent broadcaster makes the call, Ed Westfall a fine player and decent analyst adds some words.
Andy B Sports 