Only Boston, by virtue of decisive game/#7 home wins 3 days apart, advanced to the quarters in both the NHL (Bruins) and the NBA as the Celtics raised their home game 7 record to (20-4), (once (10-0) overall with all the games at home, before a home loss to the New York Knicks in the semis exactly 45 years ago today), with an easy victory vs the Milwaukee Bucks, (2-8) in game sevens), last night.
Next, the Celtics renew a great playoffs rivalry with the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston will have the home advantage but the upstart 76ers perhaps surprisingly, are over three to one series favorites.The series begins Monday April 30th, the 47th anniversary of the lone Bucks’ title.
Yesterday, Boston met Tampa Bay in both hockey (the Bruins won vs the Lightning and immediately got back the home advantage they lost when they flopped as huge favorites, in the season finale/makeup game 3 weeks ago tonight) and baseball (obviously in a less important tilt, the Rays won a second straight from the Red Sox, whose lead over their very likely biggest competition in the one eighth “div,” Yankees has been cut from 7 and a half to 2 games, during the 8 wins in 8 days Yankees’ win skein).
The NBA first round finally ends today, as Cleveland hosts Indiana in game 7.
It begins at 1 P.M. Eastern Time, not a great ratings time, something Cleveland star LeBron James has rarely, if ever, experienced, in his storied, over publicized, but certainly great playoffs career.
Tonight’s decisive seventh game of their first round series is the third between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston won the previous two, most notably, in the 1974 NBA final. That game was in Milwaukee, and the Celts won there for the third time in that series.
The other #7 between the two teams was in their last ‘offs clash before this one, some 31 years ago, in 1987, when the Celtics prevailed at home.
They are 4 plus points favorites tonight.
Click below for a great post on Celts/Bucks with great details on the 1974 game for the title, played on a Mother’s Day afternoon with Pat Summerall, the lead announcer in CBS’ first year of NBA coverage.
The author is either Cort Reynolds aka “Professor Parquet” or “Professor Parquet.” In either case, I highly recommend the site.
Old foes Celtics and Bucks renew long-dormant playoff
I love the show “To Tell The Truth.”
This one, with a link below is special.
Ones are operative, Mrs. (Pat) Maris appeared a day after husband Roger hit his famed 61st home run, on October 1, 1961.
Also noteworthy is the fact panelist, Johnny Carson was one year away from hosting “The Tonight Show.”
Enjoy this episode of a great show by clicking on the link below.
To Tell the Truth – Roger Maris’s wife; PANEL: Dina Merrill, Johnny Carson (Oct 2, 1961)
The NHL playoffs system emphasizing division play, ranking teams within their divisions, has manifested in “too early”/quarterfinal meetings between the top teams in both conferences.
The top two Western and for that matter NHL/league seeds, the perhaps obscure Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will meet this season in a “too early to clash,” quarter in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile in the East, top seed Tampa Bay (Lightning) and second seed Boston (Bruins) are also clashing in “too early” quarterfinal series.
Why not rank teams by points alone?
Alas, as stated before, these “quarters” are compelling with amazing first year team Las Vegas (Golden Knights) having home advantage vs San Jose (Sharks) and another Pittsburgh (Penguins) vs Washington (Capitals) rounding out the slate.
Las Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, pictured above, was part of 3 title teams with the Penguins, most notably as the starting goaltender in 2009. He also contributed mightily, winning the first two rounds in last year’s Pens’ title run.
He allowed but three goals in 4 games (one a 2 overtime tilt, the only one of 37 first round NHL games, not in the Wash/Columbus series [4 of those 6, hence 5 of 43 total games went into overtime after a record 18 last season], that went into overtime) vs the L.A. Kings.
Football fans can watch the 2018 NFL Draft live TV coverage at New York City’s Hoops Cabaret and Sports Bar (48 West 33rd Street) on its numerous Giant Screens, Flat Screens, and Hi-Def Video Wall on Thursday night, April 26th at 8:00pm ET.
“The First Round of the Draft is super important and this year the NY Giants have the second pick and the NY Jets have the third pick,” explained Hoops Cabaret Girl Paige. “In case you don’t like who the Giants and the Jets select, don’t worry. The girls and I will cheer you up,” she promised.
The three-story Hoops Cabaret combines the fun of a sports bar with the excitement of a gentlemen’s club. Located just one block from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, Hoops Cabaret has been called “the sexiest sports bar ever!”
HOOPS Cabaret and Sports Bar
48 West 33rd Street, New York City
***Beautiful Entertainers in Sports Themed Outfits
***Court-side, Mezzanine and VIP seating
***Multiple Hi-Def TVs on all Three Floors
***Luxury Sky Boxes
***Super VIP “Man Cave”
***Full Menu, served late
***Full Service Premium Bar
***Next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC
Last weekend, there were two World Series rematches, among the 15 series, only one of which was of the interleague variety.
That interleague series was a 2002 World Series redux between the Angels and Giants.
Perhaps noteworthy is the fact that the Giants won two of the three games and Mike Scioscia is still the Angels manager.
He guided the Angels to the 2002 crown, as they beat the Giants in 7 games.
The other World Series rematch was between the current World champion, Astros and the Chicago White Sox. Later in the week, some notes and history regarding those two teams.
For the third straight season, it will be the Pittsburgh Penguins vs the Washington Capitals, in the NHL quarterfinal round.
The past two seasons, the Pens prevailed against a top ranked “Wash” team and went on to win the NHL title/Stanley Cup.
This year Washington is not the top regular season points team, but does have home advantage.
Both teams went (3-0) on the road in their first round, six game victories.
“Pitts” won games 3 ,4 and 6 on the road, to oust Philadelphia (Flyers) while Washington rallied for four straight wins vs the Columbus Blue Jackets, after losing the first two games of the series at home.
The past weekend in baseball had just less than half (7) post-season rematches, in the 15 series played.
Within the National League, Atlanta/New York Mets was a redux of NLCS played 30 years apart in 1969 and 1999.
Meanwhile one level of advancement lower in each case, the Dodgers/Nationals was a 2016 division series rematch.
Within the American League, there was a World Series redux, (Houston vs the Chicago White Sox) and three series that matched teams that had clashed in post-season entities as advanced as the ALCS.
Those were Tigers/Royals, A’s/Red Sox and Indians/Orioles.
Additionally, the one interleague series was a World Series redux between the Giants and Angels.
Later in the week, I will post more notes on the history involved concerning the past post-season battles among some of those teams.
As was the case for parts, if not all of the following calendar years, (1960, 1961, 1975, 1976, 1980, 2009) the current (2018) prelim, matching Pittsburgh, which leads 3 games to 2, with #6 this afternoon, and Philadelphia, comes at a time with each city housing a major North American sports’ league champion. They are the two time NHL title holding (Pittsburgh) Penguins and the recent Supe/NFL winning, (Philadelphia) Eagles.
One can also add Philly’s really recent NCAA basketball champions, Villanova, not only now to the Philadelphia/Pittsburgh simultaneous titles but also for parts of 2016 and 2017 as first Villanova and then the Pens took their respective entity’s 2015-2016 season crowns and reigned simultaneously as champions from roughly June 2016 until March 2017.
Sadly, wrestler, Bruno Sammartino, who held the title belt for a record 9 years, died this week at the age of 82.
The day before, I had watched the HBO documentary, a good one on the famed wrestler, “Andre The Giant,” which discussed regional wrestling.
Bruno was my region’s wrestling champion and great memories stir thinking about him, running into the ring in street clothes and at times carrying a briefcase, as part of the scripted action.
He also was a power lifting champion and a truly good man.
Mr. Sammartino spoke out against the widespread use and abuse of steroids in the wrestling association and also represented a time as a champion, yes in an exhibition, but one that had a bit more wrestling and certainly a more “contained schtick or worse.”
I interviewed Bruno along with “Hillbilly Jim,” (remember him) at the 1987 luncheon benefitting “The March Of Dimes.”
Mr. Sammartino was such a gentleman, talking in a low key way of matches he had overseas, that were the stuff of legend–perhaps literally.
No matter, he was a champion in and out of the ring, my champion, many year’s simultaneously with Muhammad Ali in boxing.
A proud resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I have included KDKA TV’s tribute to him. Bruno was a really good man, athlete and performer. Good bells ring for him now.
Click below for the CBS-KDKA remembrance which cites Bruno’s mother Emilia’s incredible bravery in hiding and feeding her children during horrible times.
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/04/18/wwe-bruno-sammartino-dies-82/
Andy B Sports 