The Toronto Raptors overcame a 15 point, second half deficit and led by Kawhi Leonard, “6’d” the NBA top seed, Milwaukee Bucks (now 2-7 in semis and sans a final round appearance since 1974), to advance to their first NBA final, in this their 24th season.
Toronto will host a final round opening game for just the second time in 55 years, (the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the ’64 NHL final round opener and titled in game 7 at home with goaltender Johnny Bower getting a shutout, while the Blue Jays opened the World Series at home in ’93, eventually winning it on Joe Carter’s home run a week later), when they host the Golden State Warriors in game one of the NBA final, Thursday night.
Golden State is a near three to one series favorite and a one point favorite, on the road, in game 1.
The city of Toronto is in its first final series since the aforementioned 1993 World Series, as the Maple Leafs have not been in a final since 1967.
One bright note for Toronto in that regard is that they have won six straight final round entities, having not lost since the greatest of the great, the 1960 Montreal Canadiens, swept the Leafs in the 1960 final. That victory gave Montreal, the last of 5 straight NHL titles (’56-’60).
Toronto won their last 4 NHL final series (’62-’64 and ’67) and the Blue Jays won in their only two World Series appearances (’92 and ’93).
Kawhi Leonard, pictured above.
The incredible final round history between Boston and St. Louis teams will begin to “write anew,” as its eleventh such entity commences Monday night, when the Boston Bruins (6-13) in NHL final round play, entertain the St. Louis Blues, who are (0-3) and in a final, for the first time in 49 years.
There will be more facts in the days to come, for now consider the great players that have been a part of Boston/St. Louis major North American sports league’s final round play.
Four greats named Bob are on the list, Boston’s Cousy vs St. Louis’ Pettit in all four Boston Celtics/St. Louis Hawks final round clashes in ’57, ’58, ’60 and ’61. Cousy is 90 years old while Pettit is 86.
St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching great Bob Gibson won 3 games, including #7 at Fenway Park as St. Louis 7’d the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 World Series.
The remarkable Bobby Orr scored in overtime of game 4 in the 1970 NHL final for the Bruins vs the Blues, giving Boston its first NHL crown in 29 years.
Certainly Orr is at or near the top of the list, as the subject of the NHL’s greatest player is considered.
Additionally, so are Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, each of whom played in Boston vs St. Louis final rounds.
Nobody has as many NBA titles as a player nor such Super Bowl wins as Mr.Russell (11) and (Mr. Brady is Robert Reed and Tom is still playing) Brady (6).
Add (so many others and apologies to those not cited) two all-time baseball players, Stan Musial of the Cardinals and Ted Williams of the Red Sox, who clashed in the 1946 World Series, another Red Sox player, Carl Yastrzemski, another awesome great, whose performance right through the 1967 World Series, is one of the best ever in a season.
Sam Jones with 10 titles for the Celtics, Lou Brock of the Cardinals, David Ortiz of the Red Sox, and Phil Esposito of the Bruins, all won more than one title, are all-time great considerations in important categories and of course, part of the storied final round history between the great sports and otherwise cities of St. Louis and Boston.
Among the great coaches/managers in the storied final round Boston/St. Louis history is Bill Belichick, pictured above.
Belichick won the first of his six Supe crowns as New England coach, vs the St. Louis Rams in the 2001 season Super Bowl.
Arnold “Red” Auerbach won the first of his 9 NBA titles as Celtics’ coach, vs the St. Louis Hawks, coached by Alex Hanumn in 1957.
The Celtics won an incredible 11 crowns in 13 seasons and only two Hanumn coached teams, one the 1958 St. Louis Hawks (the great ’67 Sixers, the other) denied them.
Eddie Dyer (1946 Cards), Red Schoendienst (’67 Cards), Harry Sinden (’70 Bruins) (vs Scotty Bowman, who went on to coach more NHL title teams than anyone), Terry Francona (’04 Red Sox, ending an 86 year title drought) and John Farrell (’13 Red Sox, the only home title clincher for the Red Sox in 100 seasons, 99 of which had a World Series and the first in 95 years) also guided their teams to titles in this great final round history.
I was tremendously moved as Fred Guttenberg spoke from the heart and against the National Rifle Association lobby last night at The Center For Jewish History, (15 West 16th Street– quite an impressive place in which one can lose oneself in their superb archives section).
Perhaps you are one seeking perspective, reality, emotion— consider that a rabbi satisfied him with a “reason,” his brother Michael Guttenberg, one who helped during the events of 9-11, died from cancer, age 50 in 2017 as a result.
Mr. Guttenberg, a passionate, eloquent driven advocate for gun control whose passion is to break the National Rifle Association lobby, however, can not find a “reason” for his daughter Jaime, being taken in a mass shooting.
As I watched and listened, my own emotions and life on the “endless loop,” Fred endures involving Jaime’s death, I do see a process in this because the man Fred Guttenberg, has his/the cause.
He will keep going, fighting for what he believes, history to be on his side and not those who “take to rake” the earth’s spoils.
As you do, Mr. Guttenberg– love your wife Jennifer and son Jesse. Another “J,” Jaime is watching and Fred will get his “J,” it is called justice, if in addition to any political reality involving senseless guns violence and use, we all improve in the category, of caring for others.
Center for Jewish History • 15 West 16th Street, NY, NY 10011
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense In America
Orange Ribbons for Jaime | #orangeribbonsforjaime
After six full weeks (the last 21 days of April, first 21 days of May—April games “shower” and “flower” more games in May) of at least one playoff game each day in either the NBA or NHL, there were none last night.
Three of the four final round participants in the two leagues are known as Golden State (Warriors) will be in their fifth straight NBA final, while the Boston Bruins are in their third in nine seasons.
Meanwhile the St. Louis Blues, last in the final 49 years ago when they were swept by the Bruins (Boston went (2-6) in 8 final round appearances, in the 47 completed seasons in which the Blues failed to make the final ’71-2018) will be Boston’s opponent, as the two great sports cities meet for the eleventh time in a final (Boston has won 7 of the 10).
Action in the one “semi” still going, resumes tonight (no game in either league tomorrow, Sunday and Tuesday) as the Milwaukee Bucks (2-6) in previous “semis,” host the Toronto Raptors (0-1) in such series, in the seemingly pivotal fifth game of a (2-2) series.
This is the first of nine Bucks’ semi-final series, in which the home team has won the first four games, just the second to be (2-2) and only the fifth not to be (3-0).
Toronto, where the first ever NBA, then the BAA game was contested between the Toronto Huskies, in their lone season (’46-’47) and New York Knicks, is bidding for their first road semi-final round win (0-5).
TV/(Why even call it the tail at this point?!) “Wags” 10 off days for the Bruins, 9 for the Warriors and 5 for the Blues!
The St. Louis Blues advanced to their first NHL final series since 1970, when they represented the expansion division, NHL West, winning their semi-final series vs the San Jose Sharks, in 6 games.
As was the case in 1970, the Blues will meet a “streaking” Boston Bruins’ team in the NHL final, this one not beginning until Monday night, which is 5 days hence.
In ’70 the Bruins won their last 10 games en route to their first title in 29 years, the last 4 vs the Blues.
This season the Bruins, who also swept the Blues in the ’72 semis, also en route to another Bobby Orr led title, go into the final with seven straight victories and will be decent sized, series favorites.
However, the Blues have already written quite a story in coming from last place in the whole league, to this final round appearance.
I will have many more notes in the days ahead and look forward to what I believe will be an intriguing NHL final.
The Golden State Warriors advanced to their fifth straight NBA final series, winning (119-117), as 3 point favorites at Portland (Trail Blazers) last night, completing a 4 game sweep, in their semi-final series.
Steph Curry and Dray Green led the way as the Warriors joined the legendary Boston Celtics, who advanced to the NBA final, double the number the Warriors have achieved, from (1957-1966), winning 9 of the 10 final series.
Golden State is (3-1) in the 4 final series, all vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, going (12-3), winning titles in ’15,’17 and ’18 and dissipating a (3-1) series lead, losing in seven games, in 2016.
Steph Curry, pictured above.
This past weekend I saw the affable, talented Kenny Kramer (“The Real Kramer”) and host /proprietor of “The Kramer Reality Tour,” which is a fantastic, reasonably priced choice in New York City entertainment.
The meeting rekindled my fond memories of “The Tour,” as well as giving me a chance to speak with the “cut above,” Kenny Kramer.
If you are a fan of the seminal show “Seinfeld,” “The Kramer Reality Tour” is as the Seinfeld network (NBC) coined regarding Thursday night shows past (I believe including “Seinfeld”), “MUST SEE”/MUST DO!
There is so much information about the show, a great tour on a comfortable bus, many great sights and a chance to savor that legendary delicious soup.
The 3-hour tour starts at The Producer’s Club Theater (358 West 44th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenue).
Book online at Kenny Kramer’s Home Page (by the way, an incredible site maintained by Kenny Kramer). Reservations are a must!
Tours are also available for private parties and corporate events.
Click Here for Kramer’s Reality Tour
Information and On-Line Booking
Kenny Kramer and that famous diner outline (take the tour and find out/pass the diner’s location) are pictured above.
Tim Conway, a comedic great, died this past week, at the age of 85.
Among other tremendous achievements, he was part of the outstanding “Carol Burnett Show.”
Last night, I saw Mr. Conway seated next to another comedy legend, Richard Pryor on the Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson. That was truly great television.
Much has poured in regarding Tim Conway’s career. What I will add from a moment in time when I met Mr. Conway, is something, I hope and know will add to that which Tim Conway was as a person.
Some years back at “The Book Expo” in New York City, Conway had signed books, taken pictures and spent a long full day promoting his excellent book, “What’s So Funny.”
I hoped for a few words from Mr. Conway, but was told by others that he was finished talking/doing and other.
In a calm, yet firm voice, that I will never forget, this brilliant man said “I think we have time for one more.”
Thank you Tim Conway for that kindness and all your wonderful work.
Tim Conway and Andy B.
There is a ways to go, however, with original NBA “semis”series, big favorites, Golden State (Warriors) and Milwaukee (Bucks) ahead (2-0), it is very likely to be a Warriors/Bucks NBA final, in 2019.
The franchises at one time together in the NBA West, (the Warriors, originally in Philadelphia, were once in the NBA East, but left to the west 7 seasons before the Bucks entered the league in 1968-1969) met in three consecutive NBA quarterfinal rounds, from (1971-1973).
The first two series were 5 game(s) Bucks’ victories (one can only hope for that money losing number of games for Disney, if and likely when, the teams clash in the ’19 final.) In 1973 the Warriors won the quarterfinal series in 6 games.
Milwaukee, an incredible (10-1) (10-1), the latter vs the spread, in these ‘offs, won their lone title going (12-2) in the ’71 playoffs. Both the Bucks and Warriors lost semis to the Lakers, after their series victories vs the other, in ’72 and ’73.
The only other post-season meeting between the Milwaukee and Oakland areas was in the second Super Bowl, that after the 1967 season and more specifically the Green Bay Packers classic “Ice Bowl” win vs the Dallas Cowboys.
In that second Super Bowl, the Milwaukee area Packers ripped the Oakland Raiders (33-14), in what was Vince Lombardi’s last game as Packers’ head coach.
Click below to view, among other video highlights, Travis Williams’ (#23) touchdown run vs the L.A. Rams, in the 1967 Western Conference title tilt, which was played in Milwaukee.
Eventually, ’twas Milwaukee/Green Bay vs Oakland in the final.
Tonight in St. Louis, the home team, Blues will attempt to even their NHL semi-final series, vs the San Jose Sharks.
Logan Couture, who has been brilliant and leads NHL ‘offs goal scorers with 14, tied game 3 with a goal in the last minute, before Erik Karlsson’s disputed goal, his second of the game, won it for the Sharks, who have home advantage and a (2-1) series lead.
San Jose 6’d the Blues in the ’16 semis, the only time in the team’s 26 completed seasons, in which they made the NHL final. Pittsburgh (Penguins) 6’d them in the subsequent final series, winning the first of back to back crowns.
The Blues have not made the NHL final series since making them in their first 3 seasons, all as a member of the expansion NHL West, whose winner was granted a final series berth automatically.
St. Louis had some gallant efforts, but lost all 12 of its final series games (’68-’70).
They have lost in their 4 semis since that time, all in a different number of games— in 4 straight to the eventual champion, Boston Bruins in ’72, in 5 to the eventual champion, Colorado Avalanche in ’01, in 6 to the Sharks who as cited above lost the ’16 final series to the Penguins and in 7 to the Calgary Flames in ’86. Montreal (Canadiens) won the ’86 final series vs Calgary.
The legendary Blue Note jazz club in New York City, pictured above.
Click below to view Elton John perform “That’s Why They Call It The Blues”
Elton John – I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
Andy B Sports 