While the NHL Western Conference final series, which this season is a ‘2016 redux between San Jose (Sharks) and St. Louis (Blues), is tied at a game apiece for the sixth consecutive season (’14-’19), the Boston Bruins lead the Carolina Hurricanes two games to none, in the Eastern Conference final series.
After trailing (2-1) after two periods at home in game 1, the Bruins scored 4 times in the third period to take game one and the first six goals en route to a (6-2) rout of Carolina in the Mother’s Day afternoon #2.
Thus Boston is an overwhelming favorite to reach the NHL Final for the third time in nine seasons (they won it all in ’11, their lone title in the last 45 NHL seasons and lost to Chicago (Blackhawks) in ’13).
While Carolina is returning home where they have not lost in the ’19 playoffs (5-0), I believe that also is against them, as only the Hurricanes, among the 32 playoffs teams in the NHL and NBA, has not lost at home in these 2019 playoffs.
I predict at least one win at Carolina, for the Bruins.
This Wednesday night (May15th)(7 P.M.) at Symphony Space (200 West 95th Street), the groundbreaking, highly creative and entertaining Athena Theatre Company’s “Athena Writes,” presents an evening of ten minute plays, “called” “A Deafening Silence Part 1.”
” Wednesday’s presentation of seven plays is directed by Chris Roe. The assistant director is Onyx Espri. Veronique Ory is Producing Artistic director.
I have seen previous work by the group and strongly suggest seeing this performance and others.
The names of the authors and cast follow: Authors: J.D. Stewart, Luis Roberto Herrera, Jenny Lyn Bader, Joey Masa, Yasmine Lever, Kate Thomas and Jared Michael Delaney.
Esther Chen, Kara Green, Amy Jo Jackson, EmJ Nelson, Nico Piccardo, Cyndee Rivera and John Anthony Torres comprise the cast.
Please click below for much more information, including how to purchase tickets.
A Deafening Silence | Symphony Space
The two time, NBA champion Golden State Warriors advanced to their fifth consecutive NBA semi-final, in the process, “bumping” the Houston Rockets for the fourth time in those 5, winning by 5 points in game 6.
Steph Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half, as “G.S.” won as a 7 point underdog, playing without Kevin Durant.
Today on the same day/date 45 year anniversary of the Dave Cowens/John Havlicek led (also) Mother’s Day Boston Celtics’ #7 NBA final triumph at Milwaukee (Bucks), there are two game 7’s in the current NBA quarterfinal round.
First at 3:30 Eastern Time on ABC, the Denver Nuggets are 5 plus point(s) favorites vs the Portland Trail Blazers. Next beginning around 7:00 Eastern Time on TNT, the Toronto Raptors are six point favorites vs the Philadelphia 76ers, in the day’s second game 7.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Warriors are in the “semis,” and await today’s winning teams, the Bucks having 5’d the Celtics.
45 years ago today, the recently deceased, John Havlicek, pictured above–(where by seemingly applicable standards, he would reside), was named MVP after the Celtics won their first title sans the great Bill Russell, beating the Milwaukee Bucks, on the road in game7/1974 NBA final series.
The Boston Celtics have now won just one NBA title in the last 33 seasons.
They won an incredible 16th title in the NBA’s 40th season in 1986. In fact, I recall telling the great baseball player, basketball fan and then Baltimore Orioles’ coach, the recently deceased, Frank Robinson, the news that day at Yankee Stadium.
Speaking of the Yankees, even they can not match the 40 percent of their league’s titles, the Celtics had (40 percent of the 40 titles at that point).
However, and this is about two great sports dynasties, the Yankees won a mind blowing fifty percent of the World Series played over a forty year period from (1923-1962).
Recalling greatness in sports, the dynasty Boston Celtics and New York Yankees, as well as an individual, Frank Robinson, to whom I told the Celts had their 16th title, that Sunday afternoon in 1986.
By the way, Frank was not surprised in the least bit, by the news.
Last week bicycle riders of all different skill levels took to the New York City streets, participating in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, riding to raise money for various charities.
Among them was Chelsea Noble, whose efforts will aid cancer research.
I cite Ms. Noble in particular, since her effort and results (quite a bit of “moolah”) were fantastic.
Congratulations to all those who participated. It truly is better to give than receive and all of you had that experience , with hopefully many more in the future.
Click below for more information.
TD Five Boro Bike Tour | Bike New York
Click below to begin the donation process. Thank you.
https://community.cancercare.org/chelsea
The top ranked Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, have advanced to their first NBA semi-final since 2001 and just their second in 33 (their greatest, and if you add it all up, college and pro, I believe basketball’s greatest player, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, nee Lew Alcindor wore that number) seasons, ousting the Boston Celtics in 5 games, in their NBA “quarter.”
The number 33 is also very much applicable to the Celtics and not just regarding their great player, Larry Bird, who also wore that number.
Since Bird led to the Celtics to an incredible 16th title in the NBA’s 40th season in 1986, they have won just one NBA crown in the 33 subsequent seasons.
That title was in 2008 and the final series MVP was Paul Pierce. This year, Pierce was outrageously wrong, saying on television, the “series is over” after Boston’s game 1 victory.
Milwaukee, a truly good team story, won the next four games, all of them easily.
Last night, St. Louis native Pat Maroon scored in the second overtime, lifting the St. Louis Blues (2-1) vs the Dallas Stars in game 7 and into the NHL semi-final round for the eighth time in this their 51st season (’68-’19, no NHL season in ’05).
The Stars also in their 51st season, having started in Minnesota as the North Stars and the Blues’ opponent in their first game ever, got a brilliant 52 save effort from another St. Louis native, Ben Bishop, albeit in a loss.
Earlier in these ‘offs, the current and somewhat heavy top choice to win it all, the Boston Bruins, squared their all-time ‘offs series record at (8-8) when they 7’d the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Now the Blues are (8-6) in playoff(s) series vs the Stars/North Stars franchise, (4-1) in seventh games, (5-1) in decisive games and (3-1) in decisive overtime games.
While the Eastern Conference final series is set, with the Bruins facing the Carolina Hurricanes, once their old neighbors, the Hartford Whalers–the Blues either will travel to San Jose (Sharks) or host the Colorado Avalanche in game 1 of the “semis,” depending on the outcome of tonight’s game 7 in “Jose,” between the Sharks and ‘Lanche.
I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend the movie, “The Catcher Was A Spy,” currently on Showtime.
Paul Rudd stars as Moe Berg, a big league catcher, who also worked for the U.S. government, during the second World War.
Berg was a complicated, brilliant man and Rudd does a fine job portraying him.
The film based on Nicholas Dawidoff’s biography of Mr. Berg, airs tonight at 8:15 on Showtime.
While the Carolina Hurricanes, at least a conference finalist in each of their last four ‘offs appearances (’02,’06, ’09 and ’19), won 4 straight vs the New York Islanders in one NHL “quarter,” at least one other will have a 7th game.
In their 14th playoffs clash, (each team’s first season was 1967-1968), the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars will play in that aforementioned #7 Tuesday night in St. Louis, the fifth time a series between the teams has gone to a game 7.
This is the twelfth best of 7 clash between the two teams and one of their two best of 5 series went the distance.
Elsewhere, tonight, both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche are slight favorites to make NBC, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and their fans happy, by winning #6 and forcing a/two game 7’s on Wednesday.
In those series, higher seeded, Boston (Bruins) (vs Columbus) and San Jose (Sharks) (vs Colorado) won one goal games two nights ago, to take (3-2) series leads.
In today’s NBA quarterfinal playoff round action, (the 1977 NBA finalists) both the Portland Trail Blazers after an historic 4 overtime, game 3, win and Philadelphia 76ers are seeking home wins vs Denver (Nuggets) and Toronto (Raptors) respectively, that would give them a (3-1) series lead, albeit sans home advantage.
While the Trail Blazers and 76ers have won previous NBA crowns and have a number of final round appearances, neither the Nuggets in now in their 43rd or the Raptors in their 24th NBA season, has ever reached the final round.
Portland has won one title, that in ’77, (the Nuggets’ first NBA season), beating them in the quarterfinal round, en route to that Bill Walton/Maurice Lucas led crown.
Portland lost in their other two final round appearances to repeat NBA champions, Detroit (Pistons) in ’90 and Chicago (Bulls) in ’92.
The 76ers franchise has 3 titles, two as the 76ers (’67 and ’83) and one as the Syracuse Nationals, led by Dolph Schayes, in 1955.
They are (3-6) in the final round, which includes a (1-5) record vs the Lakers both Minneapolis and Los Angeles.
George Mikan and “Minne” beat the Nationals in ’50 and ’54 while L.A. beat the Sixers in ’80, ’82 and ’01.
The Sixers lost in the NBA final round to Portland in ’77 and as cited to the Los Angeles Lakers in ’80 and ’82. Earvin “Magic” Johnson earned ‘offs MVP honors in both ’80 and ’82.
Speaking of the Nationals, they were involved in the only other 4 overtime game in NBA playoffs annals. On March 21, 1953 the Celtics clinched a best of 3 NBA “quarter” with a (111-105), 4 overtime, home win vs Syracuse. The great Bob Cousy scored 50 points, making 30 of 32 free throw attempts in that game.
Andy B Sports 