There is such a long way to go, however, I believe if home advantage teams win the rest of the way, dare I say the “so long without titles,” Toronto Maple Leafs and swallow hard, as it still requires more, New York Knicks would win crowns.
Start with the Leafs, who had a better “reg,” (the (51-31), “3” seed, Knicks in these “qtrs,” have topped anybody, scoring 2 incredible comeback wins, at Boston vs the defending champion (61-21) Celtics) winning their “div,” and ranking fourth in the NHL overall standings, trailing only the top ranked/President’s Trophy winning, Winnipeg Jets, East top seed, Washington Capitals and the West “1,” the Las Vegas Golden Knights, all of whom lost home quarterfinal series, opening games.
“Tor” trailed (1-0), and (2-1) led (3-2) and held on to win (4-3) in game 2, with Mitch Marner’s third period tally scored just :16 after defending champion “Fla,” tied it, decisive.
Somewhat incredibly, only one of the 11 Knicks/Celtics ‘offs clashes starting in ’67 stood (1-1) after two games, that the year the Knicks 7’d the (68-14) Celts and me, in route to their last crown.
On paper, neither Tor/Fla or Knicks/Celts is over and neither up (2-0) team is that big a fave, however I “see” (I guess ode to Marv Albert), both Tor and the Knicks (ex Villanova player and ode to Lynn, Mikal Bridges, has delivered game saving steals, up 3 in #1 and only 1 last night in #2, for the Knicks) winning these series.
Mikal Bridges, when playing for “The Vill,” is pictured above.
I still doubt it is “curtains” for the three, higher ranked, series and game big favorites, who/whom in a seemingly unprecedented result, all lost their quarterfinal series opening games, however those victories by the Indiana Pacers at top East seed, Cleveland (Cavaliers), New York Knicks at defending champion Boston (Celtics) and Denver Nuggets at top ranked (68-14) in the “reg,” Oklahoma City (Thunder) moved some needles of perception and finance.
This is the 16th ‘offs clash between the only two original NBA/BBA franchises that have been in one city for all 79 years of play, (the Warriors once in Philadelphia seek to be the 4th underdog 2025 “quarters” opener road winners tonight at Minnesota vs the Timberwolves) and 11th since the Celts’ dynasty began in ’57 and 12 years passed between the team’s ‘offs meeting 5 straight seasons (’51-’55) and their next in ’67.
Boston leads the all-time series just (8-7) (3-2) pre ’57 with those #’s 9 and 11 showing as 9 of the 11 ‘offs meetings between the teams have opened in “Beantown,” with 8 resulting in Celtics victories. The former, but not the latter, in game 1 last night, a 3 points overtime win for the Knicks.
Elsewhere last night, Aaron Gordon who stuffed in the winning hoop just before time expired in the ’23 season champion Nuggets’ series squaring, #4 win vs the L.A. Clippers in the prelims, “hit”– changing plus 1 Oklahoma City to plus 2 and a Denver win at “Ok.” City, after Chet Holmgren, truly inexcusably missed a pair of free throws, to complete an at least 64 to 1 parlay with the three road teams, the Pacers, Knicks and Nuggets all scoring more points than their opponent in games 1/”Qtrs.”
Emmette Bryant, 86 years old, pictured below, contributed mightily to the Celtics’ incredible 11th title in 13 seasons in ’69, notably scoring 20 points in the title clinching winner take all 7th at L.A. and playing a standout opening game, at New York vs the Knicks, in the “semis.”
Only then and in 2013, the latter the only post ’55 series between the “originals” in which the Knicks won a home opening game, that opened in New York.
After last night’s results that ended the prelims and began the “quarters,” the latter per our title is/are set, with NHL top ranked Winnipeg (Jets) nee Atlanta Thrashers, having pulled out #7 vs the St. Louis Blues, tying the tilt with 3 seconds to play, the prelims highlight, in either the NHL or NBA.
Both the Jets and Dallas Stars, trailed by 2 goals in the third and final period of their 7th game, before rallying for respective incredible and quite unlikely, home 7th game wins.
Next they face each other with Dallas the series “fave,” though Winnipeg after an all home team 7 game series win vs the Blues (they won their last 15 home tilts) have the home advantage.
Else where in NHL “Qtrs” play, both Carolina vs East top seed Washington and defending champion/2 time finalist Florida, are also series favorites, sans home ice advantage.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights have home advantage and are slight favorites vs last year’s league runner-up, Edmonton Oilers, in their quarterfinal series.
NBA: Already an upset, as Indiana (Pacers) walked into Cleveland (hard to fit Indiana into Cleveland) but at least ’twas the significant game and series underdog Pacers, “semis” losers to Boston last season, winning game 1.
Tonight the Celtics and Knicks begin their series, as do the Thunder and Nuggets.
Tomorrow night, the Golden State Warriors who won twice at Houston vs the Rockets, including #7, in their prelim, open at Minnesota vs the Timberwolves, who denied their once twin cities dwelling, Lakers in 2 of 3 road tilts, in what was a 5 game Minne prelims win.
Adam Lowry, pictured above, had the series winning goal for the Winnipeg Jets.
A “Colorado split” (ode to Elliott Gould, who was in better films, but I liked him and “California Split”–alas no split, as all three L.A. winter sports teams were ousted within 4 nights of first round play) resulted in one “quarter” matchup (top ranked Oklahoma City (Thunder) vs the Denver Nuggets (they ripped the L.A. Clippers) being finalized, while Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen’s led, (4-2) home win, overcoming a (2-0) 3rd period deficit, advances the Stars to a “Qtr,” either to start at top ranked Winnipeg (Jets) or at home in what would be an 15th ‘offs series, between the Stars franchise either in Dallas or Minnesota and the St. Louis Blues.
Rantanen scored 2 goals that tied the tilt, Wyatt Johnston had the goal that put them ahead to stay with less than 4 minutes to play before an e-net goal by Rantanen, which meant what it meant, with less than a minute to play.
Dallas, whose coach Peter DeBoer is a record (9-0) in #7’s but has never titled, made the final round after winning 7 game series from the ‘Lanche (their coach Jared Bednar is (0-4) in game 7’s, but won it all in 2022 and “Col” also won crowns in ’96 and ’01) in ’99 (Dallas won the franchise’s lone title that season), 2000 (the Devils 6’d them in the final round) and in the 2020 “bubble qtr’s” before losing to the Lightning of Tampa Bay in the final.
Mikko Rantanen, pictured above was traded by the ‘Lanche to quarters qualifier Carolina (Hurricanes) who in turn, dealt him to the Stars.
Maybe Rantanen and the Stars vs another team, the Hurricanes, who traded him, in the NHL Final? Odds vs it, but it is not that big a longshot.
NEW YORK CITY — Hoops Cabaret in New York City (48 West 33rd Street), featuring dozens of sexy Hoops exotic dancers, and called “the sexiest sports bar,” will show UFC 315, headlined by champion Belal Muhammad against Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday night, May 10.
UFC 315 goes down from Bell Centre in Montreal, headlined by a pair of title fights. In the main event Belal Muhammad defends his welterweight strap against Jack Della Maddalena.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko defends her women’s flyweight title against Manon Fiorot. Already a surefire Hall of Famer, Shevchenko reclaimed her featherweight title with a dominant decision win in her trilogy bout with Alexa Grasso at UFC 306. Now “Bullet” begins the second title reign of her illustrious career against the surging Fiorot, who has won seven in a row since joining the UFC.
At Hoops Cabaret, fans can view the UFC matches on the club’s giant Mega-Tron Video Wall and numerous HD TVs, giving every seat a clear view of all the action.
Hoops girl Anna said, “It’s going to be a great night, and the after-party here with so many sexy dancers is going to be off the hook. Hoops Cabaret combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a gentlemen’s club. Sports and beautiful girls: it’s a win, win. And be sure to check out the club’s VIP Man Cave.
Beautiful Entertainers
Drink Specials
VIP “Man Cave”
Private Suites
Next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC
Both leagues, with current ‘offs being contested, got a second 7th game in its first round last night, as the Houston Rockets upset Golden State on the road, yielding #7 at home tomorrow while the St. Louis Blues eased at home, (all home wins in that series, so far– thus if top ranked Winnipeg wins #7, as a favorite tomorrow an undefeated, albeit in just one round, team emerges—remember almost no teams have gone undefeated at home through the ‘offs in many years), forcing #7 in Winnipeg tomorrow night.
Only the top ranked, in each NBA conference teams, overall top Oklahoma City (Thunder) and East “top” Cleveland (Cavaliers) swept opening round series.
Six teams, three in each league won their best of seven prelim series in 5 games, two the NHL East top seed Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes, to meet in the “quarters.”
The NHL defending champion Florida Panthers, doing so vs the 2020 and 2021 title winners and 2022 finalists, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who now are (1-9) in their last 10 home tilts (that evokes “Arthur Ralph” on free picks), NBA defending champion Boston Celtics, already cited here Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers also 5’d their first round/prelims opponents.
Four teams won in six games, the NBA Knicks riding Ja Brunson’s shot and 40 points at Detroit on Thursday night past, while also that night, 3 NHL teams, the ” reg div” winning Las Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs plus the Edmonton Oilers, who “first rounded” the L.A. Kings for an incredible fourth time in as many seasons (2022-2025).
Tonight it is Denver (Nuggets) hosting the L.A. Clippers in their 7th (L.A.’s Lakers were ousted last Wednesday, their Kings as cited, on Thursday, a night the Clips in their “joint,” forced a 7th, but to be played in Denver’s home.
Speaking of Denver, which houses the baseball worst record, Rockies (6-26), (the White Sox, (41-121) last season are (9-23), tonight their Colorado Avalanche play #7 at Dallas, vs the Stars.
Dallas won the previous three #7’s vs Colorado, reaching the NHL final round each time, the first two “by definition,” as the 7th games occurred in the semi-final round.
An early NBA/BBA great, “Jumpin” Joe Franklin Fulks (ode to TV talk show great/pioneer, Joe Franklin), who was high scorer in the first NBA/BBA 7th game, that for the Philly Warriors at the St. Louis Bombers in a 1948 “semi.”
The Warriors win in #7 at Houston in the 2018 semis on their way to a third crown in four seasons, was their first road #7 win since that above referenced one in ’48.
Since they 7’d the “Sac” Kings at Sacramento in a 2023 first round series.
Last night’s first round series clinching 5th game wins by the far from historically great Washington Capitals and Minnesota Timberwolves, “took out” a pair of gloried franchises, still the NHL’s most glorious, though it is now 32 years and counting sans a crown for Les Canadiens and the team second in NBA titles won behind the Celtics, the L.A. Lakers who a la Lucy have some “Splaining” to do as they were pretty significant series “faves.”
Elsewhere, while the top three record and title choice teams, top ranked Oklahoma City (Thunder), East top seed Cleveland (Cavaliers) and the defending champion Celtics, who minimum will remain one title ahead of the Lakers even counting L.A.’s 5 crowns as “Minne,” have advanced (ditto the Indiana Pacers), three NBA prelims stand (3-2).
Golden State goes home for #6 up (3-2) vs West “2” seed Houston (Rockets) while both the Knicks (at Detroit vs the Pistons) and Denver (Nuggets) (at the L.A. Clippers, L.A.’s Lakers are out and the Kings trail Edmonton (3-2) while the defending champion Dodgers at (21-10) “dead heat with the Mets for most wins through April) “hit the road” (jacks are more than high as they might be needed in such an activity) for #6 with a (3-2) prelims series lead.
Significant and emotional basketball history abounds, when recalling the career of Dick Barnett, who achieved things so much more than those in basketball, before dying days back, at age 88.
Barnett played on the two New York Knicks’ title teams, the most recent in ’73 when even as a little used reserve he hit a big shot in the epic game 4 Knicks’ home win vs the (68-14) Boston Celtics in the NBA semi-final round.
He was a far more integral part of the Knicks’ great, best record 1970 title team, starting in the backcourt with Walt Frazier (“listen closely” or imagine John F.X. Condon’s “at the guards” ……), Dick getting 21 and Frazier 36 as the Knicks eased in #7 for the title, handing the Lakers a 7th final round loss (the first 6 to the Celtics) in that many appearances as L.A.
Speaking of L.A. look up Mr. Barnett, albeit in defeat in two of the title round games in which the Lakers were ousted (’63 and ’66), doing some scoring when he played for the Lakers, which he did for 4 seasons as he was injured for one entire one (’63-’67).
It was the injury that spurred Mr. Barnett’s efforts into education leading him to being Dr. Dick Barnett and somewhere or at least once a card indicating such and a chat with me.
“Fall back,” Dick–hopefully to a better place where Chick Hearn who named your unique shot and Bob Wolff, who Channel 9’d that #3 ’70 NBA final round tilt, when you (vs me as I was a Lakers’ fan, who so often “suffered” painful losses) hit a big shot in an overtime period that manifested when the great Jerry West, another you might see and once part of a fine Lakers’ backcourt with you, hit a say 63 foot shot as “reg” time expired.
Also maybe and hopefully there, my mother who at say 1:30 A.M. came into my room to lower the TV volume and in doing so more or less blocked “el” screen” as Dick hit that big shot!
I would think that is Dick Barnett with the ball as a member of the great Tennessee A and I team(s) that won 3 consecutive N.A. I. A. crowns.
Barnett also was a member of the 1962 A.B.L. title winning Cleveland Pipers, whose owner was someone named Steinbrenner.
The NHL and NBA ‘offs are well into first round play with one team NBA 68 wins/top ranked Oklahoma City (Thunder) having swept Memphis (Grizzlies) with 2 routs and 2 tough wins while after 5 of the 7 games involving a series not tied, resulted in a series trailing team win, yesterday 6 of 8 teams took seemingly commanding (3-1) series leads with road victories.
Thus in the NBA, certainly it is very likely to be top East seed Cleveland (Cavaliers) vs the Indiana Pacers and a 12th ‘offs clash between the only 2 original NBA teams that have stayed in one city (the Warriors of both Philadelphia and the San Francisco/Oakland area are the other NBA franchise that has played in all 79 seasons (1947-2025) and in fact have a (2-1) series lead vs Houston (Rockets) in a slower scheduled ‘offs first round entity) as both the defending and altogether 18 time champion Boston Celtics and New York Knicks (handing the Detroit Pistons a record tying 9th straight home ‘offs loss, tying a far better 4 year run of Philly Sixers teams, their streak starting with home losses in #’s 5 and 7 in 2 of the last 3 Wilt Chamberlain games as a “Philly” player as the Celtics down (3-1) overcame the Sixers on their way to a 10th crown in 12 seasons) took (3-1) first round series leads with road wins yesterday.
| 1968 Eastern Division finals | Boston Celtics | Philadelphia 76ers | The Celtics won two games on the road during the comeback, and also won the NBA Finals.[16] |
Then as I told the great director Chet Forte who did such for ABC/NBA telecasts, on my cable tv show in ’91, none of the last 3 games of that epic Celts/Sixers–Bill Russell vs Wilt were shown.
Now all ‘offs games are on and believe me none “hold a candle” to what the above referenced rivalry and history, (most (as in Johnny) in Boston’s favor), meant and the intense great action that manifested.
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the death of the great reporter/journalist, Edward R. Murrow, a scant 2 days after I enjoyed a great program hosted by Paley Center For Media curator, Ron Simon, about Murrow, 117 years after his birth.
Simon, mixing notes, anecdotes and superb audio and video (available to be viewed at Paley Center) gave the audience great insight into Murrow and his great reporting achievements.
Murrow set and upheld standards in journalism that so sadly are severely lacking today.
He was in London when that city endured heavy bombing during a war, his reporting praised for its quality and by both Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt for helping morale.
Murrow took on the evils perpetrated by the “Junior Senator from Wisconsin” Joseph McCarthy, hosted programs such as “See It Now” and the “lighter,” “Person to Person.”
Clips were abundant in Mr. Simon’s presentation, including lighter more humorous ones, with Edward “Duke” Ellington, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra.
Also included in the program that recalled some of what Murrow accomplished, was the documentary “Harvest of Shame” that he produced and voiced.
It was a truly inspiring, nice tribute/recap of Mr. Murrow’s greatness conducted so well by Mr. Simon.
The great Edward R. Murrow is pictured above.
There is so much to see at Paley Center. I highly recommend a visit there.
Click the link above for more information.
Andy B Sports 