The Phoenix Suns, as is the case with their final round opponents, in their 53rd season, are now over 3 to 1 “faves” to cop their first NBA crown.
Chris Paul, now a favorite, in this his 16th season to not only win a title but also to be final round MVP, hit for 32 as Phoenix won (118-105) (in an) over the Milwaukee Bucks in the final round opener.
The Bucks do have one title, that clinched in a (118-106) win on April 30, 1971 (this series is so extended, which of course is TV driven, with Tues, Thurs, Sunday, Wed. Sat, Tues and Thurs,) and also clinched its first final “app” in 47 years scoring 118 at Atlanta last Saturday, but are on the wrong end of a 118 for the winner in this final round opener.
The home team is now an incredible (16-1) counting the bubble designation of L.A. as the home team last year, (15-1) not counting it and (15-2) vs the spread or (14-2) in the last 17 final round openers. The lone loss by Miami, which eventually Ray Allen’d and Leb James’d the Spurs in 7, in ’13.
By the way, “Horse,” aka Brent Musberger, touted a Bucks/under wease, which lost bucks for those who backed Brent. Maybe for old time sake, I can “inform” Phil Mushnick of this “tidbit/nugget,” when he is the guest on the New York Giants Preservation Society “Zoom” tomorrow night.
The Suns broke a 4 game home final round loss skein and are now (3-4) in home final tilts. The Bucks fell to a still very good (4-2) road final record. Normally, I would root for 4 straight and certainly (2-0) but I so messed up the Suns and their opposition injury aided run to a likely, but far from certain title, that I hope “Milw” makes it at least a bit tough for the Suns (likely it is Lightning then Sun(s)), by winning game 2.
Only 9 times in now 75 NBA final series, has the home team both lost game 1 and the series (’04,’95, ’93 when the Suns did, ’82, ’75, ’74 when the Bucks did, ’58 when the Celtics did, ’50 and ’48).
There will be a 5th game, meaning ‘offs tilts at least 4straight nights as the NBA final opens Tuesday with game 2 Thursday.
The Canadiens in OT on Josh Anderson’s second goal of the tilt, the second time he had 2 goals in a Habs’ win including one in overtime (the other after the Fleury give away, #3 semis vs Vegas).
Thus no NHL final sweep for a 21st consecutive season after there had been sweeps in 4 straight (’95-’98).
Speaking of ’95, that was the first of 3 New Jersey Devils’ crowns, the first two clinched on a Saturday matching Chicago’s first two, each a Tuesday in ’34 and ’38 before their next on a Sunday in ’61.
The Lightning won their first two titles on Mondays in ’04 and 2020, but failed to Monday clinch tonight.
I will put a link to a nice article about the current Toronto Maple Leafs title drought.
As for ESPN and its sickening, but oh so popular, sports highlight show (I will not dignify it by name) the Clippers nee Buffalo Braves now have a 51 year not 50 title drought, encompassing the seasons from (’71-2021). They “graphic’d” 50.
https://fansided.com/2021/07/03/nhl-when-last-time-toronto-won-stanley-cup/
Khris Middleton hit for 32 points and the Milwaukee Bucks scored 118 points, the same number they scored in game 4 of the ’71 final, to claim their lone title, winning (118-107) over the Atlanta Hawks, to advance to their first final since 1974.
When the Bucks titled in ’71, it was in an eerily similar, (118-106) win vs the then Baltimore Bullets.
Now they face, the also now (3-7) in semis, Phoenix Suns, the latter a 6 point and 9 to 5 series “fave,” in a final between the two ’68-’69 expansion teams, who had the famed coin flip won by the Bucks, who gained the great player Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Only me: There have now been 64 seasons of two best of 7 semi-final series and this year and ’92 (Bulls over the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers over the Jazz) are the only one in which both were clinched in road team game 6 victories.
Khris Middleton, pictured above. The Hawks, a truly good story and a good, non bet by me, wagering proposition in 2021, remain a woeful semi failure at (0-4) in series and the “reverse Ron Perranoski ’63 record,” of (3-16) in semis games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning by virtue of a second straight year Friday night final round win that was their third in the entity, are almost certain to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions and a 7 to 5 favorite to complete the first Cup final sweep since 1998.
Tyler Johnson, somehow with the excellent T.B. coach, Jon Cooper for 10 straight seasons, had 2 goals while greats, Nikita Kucherov and last year’s Conn Smythe winner, Victor Hedman each had a goal and an assist in the Lightning “doubling” of the Montreal Canadiens (6-3) in #3, giving the defending champions a truly commanding (3-0) final round lead.
Last year in the “Edmonton bubble, the Lightning won a game 4 Friday night final round tilt on Kevin Shattenkirk’s (he is no longer with T.B, however, Pat Maroon still is. Mr. Maroon is almost certain to play on a third Cup winner in 3 seasons, the first with the Blues and the next 2 with the Lightning. I know Bill Skowron, with the somewhat similar sounding to Maroon, nickname of “Moose,” played on 2 straight Yankees’ title teams and then on the ’63 Dodgers who swept the Yankees in the W.S) overtime goal to take a (3-1) final round lead. The “tail wags the dog” schedule called for a game 5 the next night, which Dallas won to force a 6th game, on the following Monday.
The Lightning won their second title that Monday night, each won on a Monday. They will seek a third “Monday clinched title” 2 days hence as this year, “wag the dog” yielded an extra day off, though #4, as was the case with #3, will be played before 3500 fans in Montreal.
Tyler Johnson, pictured above.
The Milwaukee Bucks, hoping to join the Phoenix Suns with a (3-7) semis record in the upcoming NBA final, took a (3-2) series lead in a semi or final for the first time in 5 such tilts last night, easing vs the now (3-15) in semis, Atlanta Hawks, in a home tilt last night.
They lost #5 of a (2-2) semi at L.A. vs the great ’72 Lakers (the Bucks were also a tremendous team that season and essentially in Lew Alcindor/Kareem’s first 5 seasons ’70 -’74) and to Toronto (Raptors) just 2 years ago. Both the Lakers, arguably the NBA’s greatest champion and the Raptors, quite the opposite 6’d the Bucks and went on to their first titles in that still current venue.
In both the ’01 semi vs the Sixers of Philly and the ’74 final vs the Celts of Boston, Milwaukee lost 35 of a (2-2) series and were beaten in game 7.
The #6 loss to the Lakers on April 22, 1972 coincided with an Astros at Giants tilt, in which Fran Healy the Giants’ catcher withstood a collision with Doug Rader, to apply the tag for an out, denying Tom Helms an rbi single.
Healy was born 2 years after Rader in 1946 and hit .250 lifetime while Rader, who once won 5 straight Gold Gloves for N.L. third baseman, hit .251 for his career.
Last night Chris Paul, in his 16th season and now to his first final, hit for 41 points as the Phoenix Suns 6’d the first time ever in the semis, L.A. Clippers, nee Buffalo Braves with a devastating (130-103) rout in a “Catholic School” Breen tilt.
Phoenix will be making its third NBA final appearance, each in a same calendar year (’76 and ’93 were the others) and will meet the winner of the extend Marv Albert’s career semis between the opening series heavy favored Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks, whose game 4 home win was just their third in 17 NBA semis tilts, which is tied at two games apiece.
On a night Tampa or “Champa” Bay became overwhelming favorites for a third city/area title amidst its 3 teams’ four straight final round appearances, L.A. denied in hockey and “pig” after baseball and basketball “bubble” or non venue crowns last year, has now been denied in basketball.
Meanwhile the Suns, like the Canadiens, in their first final since ’93, are now a slightly high, as they are there vs a still undetermined opponent, (-210) “fave,” juxtaposed with the Canadiens (also a finalist in ’76 and winners in said final rounds in ’76 and ’93, going an incredible (28-5) in tilts while the Suns (0-2) in previous final rounds were 6’d each time, first by the Jo Jo White led Celtics in ’76 and by the Michael Jordan vs the king of over rated Charles Barkley and the Suns in ’93. A little less vitriol will spill, as the names “Jo Jo” and “Bailey” for Joan’s family dogs evoked Jesse’s Celtics’ reference to White and Bailey Howell), who down (2-0) to “Champa” Bay are say 10 to 1 underdogs.
Chris Paul, pictured above, as a Clippers’ player.
The defending champion, Tampa Bay Lightning rode the brilliant goaltending of Andrei Vasilevskiy (40 saves on 41 Montreal shots) and a perhaps even more brilliant goal by Blake Coleman, a “backbreaker vs Montreal,” with ONE SECOND remaining in the second period, to (3-1) Montreal and take a (2-0) final round lead.
Per the headline, the Lightning, in their first (2-0) final as the other 3 were (1-1), have won the first two and now are say 12 to 1 “faves” (I gave in as always, called “Bell” Oh I can’t understand it “Mr. Watson” as to why others have, some worthy, but most not, while I HAVE NOT–and he and Ms. Alvari have TB and over 6 to 1 to “title”) to strike again, in the form of a repeat crown.
Anthony Cirelli, who OT’d the Isles out with an overtime in #6/2020 semis and assisted on Yanni Gourde’s “only and shorthanded goal” that 7’d them in this year’s semis, “opened,” a terrible sign for the low scoring Canadiens (they had squared their last 4 final round openers with game 2 wins, going on to win 3 of those series, all 3 series wins with 4 straight wins after the opening game loss) and their good but vastly over rated netminder Carey Price (Charlie Hodge, Rogo Vachon, not to mention Lorne “Gump” Worsley, Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and Jacques Plante have titles, Price likely never will get one even if NBC and its “not allowing Canada” policy/fix, will relinquish its telecasts, unfortunately not before “allowing” “Lucky Sperm Club,”Kenny Albert to call one, after this one).
After the Habs, who before involvement in the 4 straight (1-1) final rounds, had been in 7 straight and 9 of 10 that were (2-0), tied the tilt on Suzuki’s goal, Coleman, who had the insurance goal in last year’s title clincher, with help from Barclay Goodrow, who made a great pass, scored his incredible goal. Game over, likely series over, Bell wins, I lose!
“B”lake Coleman, pictured above. Another “B’ as in “B”rayden Point, Tampa “B’ay’s “B”rady and “B”ucs. Add “B”iden as President (he likely will win his “bet” on the final with Mr. Trudeau, also what a betting winner this current President is!),”B”ama and “B”aylor as college champions and others.
It was clear and in front of me, though I tried not to watch, that a crime and wrong doing was done, in the case of George Floyd’s death.
However, though I feel the verdict was just, I take no pleasure in seeing the man go to jail.
Today people seem upset Bill Cosby, a truly talented, bright entertainer, but, as with all of us flawed human being, about whom my aesthetic fluctuated, seeing him as so cool (Cosby yes or no, nada is “cool” on this sweltering day) on “The Bill Cosby Show,” but as an unrealistic, sweater wearing, “rake it in” on the Cosby Show. (By the way, Phylicia Rashad, his TV wife who stuck by Mr. Cosby, as did his real life wife Camille, is beautiful, talented and classy.)
I know nada or little about the case, maybe G-d/force does and again got no pleasure from seeing Cosby in jail and react with hope of good, upon his arrival home. So many innocent have been found guilty and I espouse the better a thousand guilty go free, than one innocent suffer. Many people do not.
Trust me in the case of certain people, who combined with the horrible system that limits our long term care or even basics, as we grow old in this, last I looked or smelled–highly industrial country, and killed my mother 5 days less than 20 years ago, I still try not to hate. This is made far more difficult as they offer no contrition and do not even deem to pick up an incoming call, no less, make an outgoing one.
Back to the sweaters on the Cosby Show. Of course they were nice, but since my incredible memory, “punches up” that the evil aunt praised said sweaters, I do not like them.
Phylicia Rashad with Andy B. now too many years back.
My father worked hard. Perhaps I could/ought to have. We can not all get paid to endorse jello. I love jello, but it is a (-) when we get too commercial!!
Andy B Sports 