Believe me I did not know that the great player, Bill Walton, who died too young at age 73 was suffering with cancer.
Look and see I put a picture of Bill in my post, a scant 2 days before, as he was a big contributor to a great 1986 Boston Celtics title team.
Yesterday, I engaged in conversation with a man named Kyle from St. Louis, advising ordering Dr. Brown’s soda at the famed Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City. Then it happened, the ubiquitous mobile phone (his) and it/he said Bill Walton had died.
Beyond the coincidence?–Walton, when healthy was as great as any NBA center and in college, only his friend Kareem Abdul Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor was better.
Bill’s incredible title game performance in 1973 vs Memphis State, continually taking lob passes, most? from Greg Lee or turning and hitting time after time, off the glass, (44 points, 21 of 22 shooting) is certainly the best in a college title game. (That game was in St. Louis, see the third paragraph, where 5 years later Jack Givens had an all-time great title game, hitting for 42 points in Kentucky’s win vs Duke).
That ought to stop me right there and reflect, however Mr. Walton his usual outgoing and friendly self when I interviewed him very close to the end of the last century in 1999 and when on a Saturday, I called him at a New York City hotel and knew he was listening to his beloved “Grateful Dead,” was so great/”grate,” at not so important basketball, I “cite” on.
’74 with its same calendar was a “downer” for Bill, in that the great David Thompson and the North Carolina State Wolfpack (see their surprising “run” to the national semis this year) overcame a 7 point second overtime deficit and ousted the two time champion U.C.L.A. Bruins with Bill, the then Keith, later Jamaal Wilkes, and coached by the great John Wooden.
Bill’s first 2 NBA seasons, marred by injuries that would continue and inhibit a still great 2 titles pro career, were tough, but oh 1977!! Oh that Sunday #6 title clinching win in frenetic Portland, for the home team, Trail Blazers, still their lone crown.
My call: Julius Erving, Lloyd (before he was World Be) Free and George McGinnis, who as cited here at least twice-we lost within the season, all missed, Bill knocked the ball out, fans stormed the court and Bill was seen sans shirt. I am still upset CBS switched to the Kemper Open (Golf) denying us the Portland team celebration.
In 1978 Portland was even better, an incredible (41-4) but Bill got hurt. The team, a great one one of the greatest from the ’77 ‘offs until Bill got hurt ended up “quarter’d” out by an upcoming SeattleSupersonics team.
Finally just 2 days and 1 post before, I pictured Bill Walton, recalling his immense importance to a great ’86 Celtics title team.
There is much to process here–St. Louis, Memorial Day juxtaposed with Bill protesting that insane war, how about no war, rather than remembering those who died in humanity’s sick, perhaps inherent need?!
One more, maybe the straight laced, truly good human being and Bill’s college coach John Wooden will be more outgoing and hanging out with Bill in heaven.
It is all happening too fast, but on we go and I am glad, Bill Walton was and perhaps is a part of it.
Click below to view Bill’s beloved “Grateful Dead” perform “Truckin'” in a live 1980 performance.
Left to right, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and his friend Bill Walton.
While both NBA “semis” stand at (3-0) (a first ever Boston vs Dallas playoffs matchup, no less in the title round, is imminent) for the second straight year, the NHL series are as close as possible after 3 games played in “el” East and two in the West.
The New York Rangers, with a second consecutive overtime win, lead the Florida Panthers 2 games to 1 in the Eastern Conference Final, while the Edmonton Oilers head home for games 3 and 4, having split the first two games in Dallas, vs the Stars. (The game 1 Stars’ loss was their 7th straight in a series opener).
After Barclay Goodrow had the overtime winner in #2 at New York, Alex Wennberg scored in O.T. , lifting the Rangers (5-4) in game 3, and into the aforementioned (2-1) semis lead.
Igor Shesterkin, pictured above, despite Florida tallying 4 times, was brilliant in the Rangers (5-4) game 3 win.
Sure it is/was an almost unprecedented “paved road” (read that easy) to the NBA final round (it would not quite be The Red Sea parting, but close, if Indy comes back) for the 23rd time, having gone (17-5) in previous such entities.
However, they were once (15-1) and (16-2), and have only one crown since their 16th was won in 1986.
That great ’86 Celtics title team and the next year’s ’87 Lakers’ such, went undefeated at home in the playoffs, but only the ’96 Bulls and ’18 Warriors have accomplished that feat since then.
Now 31 of the 32 NBA and NHL ‘offs teams have lost at home.
Only the Orlando Magic, who lost an all home team wins/7 game first round series to Cleveland (Cavaliers) did not.
A truly great player, Bill Walton, pictured above was a tremendous addition to those ’85-’86 Celtics, who went (50-1) at home that season.
They were (37-1) at Boston Garden (remember they have but one title since leaving that hallowed ground, the Canadiens have none, in fact no Canadian team has titled since ’93 when still playing at the great Montreal Forum, the Habs last won the crown. Meanwhile the Yankees won it all in ’09 their first season at the third Yankee Stadium but first up the Bronx geography, but have not even a pennant since), (3-0) at Hartford Civic Center in the “reg,” before winning all 10 home tilts, one despite 63 points by Mr. Jordan, at Boston Garden in the playoffs.
Both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, respectively overwhelming pre series favorites and winners of the first two games on the road, making them 5 to 1 series faves, after being say 8 to 5 pre series underdogs, have (2-0) “semis” leads making a first ever Boston vs Dallas playoffs clash in the NBA final, somewhat likely.
After he hit THE shot, a tough tying 3 pointer in game 1 with 3 seconds left in an eventual Celtics’ overtime win vs the Indiana Pacers, Jaylen Brown hit for 40 points as Boston, (-9) won (126-110) in game 2 and lead a semi (2-0) for just the 12th time in this their 35th best of 7 semi-final series (’58-2024).
Meanwhile again Luca Doncic, with help from the team’s other star, 2016 title team member with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving, was the star, hitting a decisive “3” with 3 seconds left (see Brown in #1 for Boston and now the likely Boston/Dallas final but remember the final does not commence until June 6th-) lifting the Mavericks (+6) (109-108) and handing the Minnesota Timberwolves (0-5) all-time in semis home games, a fourth home loss in their last 5 home ‘offs tilts.
A great playmaking guard, 5 time NBA champion (4 times with the Minneapolis Lakers and one time with the St. Louis Hawks), Slater Martin is pictured above.
Unofficially but pretty well documented or researched (well documented said on NPR “as” I typed), the Minneapolis were (13-3) in NBA semi-final games (’49-’59).
In their next semi with Martin playing his last NBA game in #5 for the Hawks, (a Lakers’ road win), the Lakers lost 2 of their home games, #’s 3 and 6, in a 7 game series loss, after having lost both home games in the ’59 final vs the Celtics.
Adding it up, Minnesota NBA teams are (1-9) at home in their last 10 semi-final and final round home games.
Dallas is the only city area with a team in both the NBA and NHL semi-final round.
Last night, the NBA Dallas Mavericks, (in their 6th “semi”–(2-3) in previous such) “opened” the Minnesota Timberwolves (in just their second semi and it is also only the second time the team won a first round series), winning (108-105) (+4 plus) at Minnesota, a third home loss for Minne in their last 4 home ‘offs tilts.
Tonight the NHL Dallas Stars open their semi-final series vs the Edmonton Oilers.
The Stars hope to end a 6 game losing streak in playoffs series openers.
Last night’s Mavericks win was the first in 6 series openers under coach Jason Kidd.
Luca Doncic, pictured above was great in the Mavericks’ game 1 win.
Three of the 8 NBA and NHL semi-final round qualifiers have never won its league’s crown, two have won it only once, while the other three have a combined 1 title in the last 85 aggregate, seasons.
Let’s cite 1984, and years ending in 4, as this one does.
In 1984, both the Edmonton Oilers (slight series u/dogs vs the Dallas Stars) and Boston Celtics won it all. That was the only year that both the NHL and NBA title was won by teams still going in the 2024 ‘offs, whose semis commenced with top heavy, series favorite Boston (-10) winning (133-128) in overtime, at home, vs the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics are actual plurality and roughly 3 to 2 “faves” to win a fourth, “4” year crown, as they won NBA titles in 1964, 1974 and aforementioned 1984.
Edmonton, which as with the situation regarding the Celtics, whose incredible 11 titles in 13 seasons with greats such as Bill Russell and Sam Jones, on all but one of those teams, had a great “dynasty type run” of 5 crowns in 7 seasons (’84-’90).
However, the Oilers have gone 32 completed seasons sans a crown, while the Celtics, who once had an incredible 40 percent of the NBA’s 40 crowns (16 in the league’s first 40 seasons, ’47-’86) have but one title (’08) in the 37 seasons since.
Meanwhile the New York Rangers whose last title was in a “4” year, (1994) and it ended a 54 year title drought.
New York again is a series underdog, roughly 7 to 5, despite having home advantage vs the Florida Panthers, last year’s final round losing team and looking for their first title in this, what is to be their 30th completed season, their first being 1994.
Two NBA semis qualifiers, the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves have never won a crown and have but one NBA final round appearance combined, that by “Indy” in 2000. (The Pacers, who won 3 ABA titles are in their 48th NBA season, the Wolves are in their 35th.
Minnesota is a decent sized series “fave” (say 8 plus to 5), vs the Dallas Mavericks, who as is the situation with fellow Dallas team, the NHL Stars, has one crown in their franchise history, the latter’s going back to its 25 years as the Minnesota North Stars.
Certainly, Bob Cousy, pictured above, an integral member of the first 6 Celtics’ title teams and 95 years old, ought to be cited along with Bill Russell, Sam Jones and many others, part of what “The Cooz” called the greatest of the sports dynasties, 11 titles in 13 seasons (’57-’69).
Yesterday, both road teams, first the Indiana Pacers, who ripped the New York Knicks and then the Minnesota Timberwolves who ousted the defending champion Denver Nuggets, prevailed in a game 7 to move into the NBA semi-final round.
It is likely only I “link” it as a repeat of a #7 played in the first season of the current 50 season span (1975-2024).
That ’75 game 7 was in the ABA West final and the Pacers, who have never met the Nuggets in the (each team has been in the NBA for 48 seasons) NBA ‘offs , won in Denver for the third time in that series, as the Timberwolves did vs the Nuggets last night.
The current Pacers, playing with a tribute to the great George McGinnis on their uniforms, won 3 ABA crowns, with McGinnis the most important of many excellent players on the repeat title teams of 1972 and 1973.
Indiana, now a huge series underdog vs the top ranked Boston Celtics, and the T-Wolves, a decent fave con home advantage vs “the sent to the foul line/semis,” Dallas Mavericks, have never won an NBA title and only Indy in 2000, when L.A. 6’d them in the final, has a final round appearance, in the two team’s combined 82 completed NBA seasons.
Aaron Nesmith, pictured above as a Boston Celtics player (the Celtics are say 9 to 1 series “faves” vs Indy), hit all 8 of his shots from the field, as the Pacers made it 5 of 6 wins in their last 6 series vs the Knicks, with incredible 67% shooting the key factor.
Many more notes ahead, but back to ’75, when the Pacers won 3 games at Denver including #7, as Minne did, completing such yesterday.
The Nuggets were an incredible (44-2) at home (regular season and playoffs, including a game 1 win vs the Pacers, before losing their last 3 home tilts and getting ousted by “Indy” in those ABA semis).
Three of the four NHL “quarters” ended with road team wins in game 6.
On Thursday past, Chris Kreider had a “natural hat trick” in the New York Rangers series clinching (5-3) win at Carolina in game 6.
Last night, Gustav Forsling scored in the last two minutes of regulation time, lifting Florida (Panthers) (2-1) at Boston, their 6th straight ‘offs win at Boston over the last 2 years, thus eliminating the Bruins (the Bruins have but one title in 51 completed seasons ’73-2024 after winning 2 titles in 3 seasons, doing so in ’70 and ’72. They also won 2 crowns in the first 3 seasons of best of 7 NHL final rounds, doing so in ’39 and ’41, before not winning another until 1970) for the second straight season.
Last season, Florida was a huge underdog vs a record breaking Bruins team. This year with home ice a factor, they were pretty big series favorites vs Boston.
Meanwhile the Dallas Stars also won (2-1) in a series clinching road game 6, their win at Colorado (Avalanche), in 2 overtimes, on Matt Duchene’s goal.
6 of the 8 NHL “quarters” entrants have/had lost in their last NHL final and now all 5 remaining teams have final round loss skeins.
Carolina (’06) and Colorado (’22) won in their last final round series and in fact are a combined (4-1) in final round play with Colorado (3-0).
Neither Florida (0-2) or Vancouver (Canucks) (0-3), the latter leading Edmonton (Oilers) 3 games to 2, with #6 at Edmonton tonight, has ever won the crown.
The Panthers failed to “title” in their first 29 completed seasons (’94-2023) while “Van” failed to raise the Cup in their first 52 completed seasons (’71-2023).
Twice the Canucks lost the final in 7 games (the other final round loss was to a third straight New York Islanders title team in ’82), those to the Rangers in ’94 and the Bruins in 2011.
Both the Rangers and the now eliminated Bruins lost in their most recent final rounds, the Rangers in 2014 and the Bruins in both 2013 and 2019, the latter in a home game 7 vs the St. Louis Blues.
Edmonton “sandwiched” 5 Cup wins (’84,’85, ’87, ’88, and ’90) in between final round losses in ’83 and 2006, the latter in game 7 at Carolina.
Current Dallas Stars player, Matt Duchene, pictured above as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, scored, as cited above, to end Colorado’s season.
It is noteworthy that both the Stars and Panthers won all 3 road games in their quarterfinal series. The Rangers went (2-1) in “quarters” road games with “Van” hoping to do the same in tonight’s game 6 at Edmonton.
“Patriots,” currently playing at the legendary, beautiful and named honoring a great, Ethel Barrymore Theatre through June 23rd, is an outstanding, largely true depiction of events in Russia nee The Soviet Union nee Russia.
Certainly the events are historic, particularly so, concerning Russia, as is the situation involving another excellent Broadway show, “Lempicka” and the Showtime series, “A Gentleman In Moscow.”
In Patriots, the acting is superb from all and beyond so, from the leads Michael Stuhlbarg (speaking of “Showtime” “Jimmy Baxter” on Your Honor and Arnold Rothstein on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire) as Boris Berezovsky and Will Keen as Vladimir Putin.
I cite four more terrific performances with again the whole cast bringing the largely true story to life very effectively.
Luke Thallon, Stella Baker, Rosie Benton, Jeff Biehl, are the four additional, excellent performers cited.
The play was written by Peter Morgan and directed by Rupert Goold.
Click below for tickets information, including that which details how to purchase such.
Patriots on Broadway | Official Broadway Tickets
Left to right, (interesting terms regarding Russia) are Michael Stuhlbarg and Will Keen, each brilliant, as Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Putin respectively.
Five games into both Dallas current playoffs teams quarterfinal series, the (Great Friday night CBS show with Larry Hagman’s seminal performance as “J.R.”) teams lead 3 games to 2.
In both the Dallas Mavericks/Oklahoma City Thunder NBA “quarter” and the same round, NHL Dallas Stars/Colorado Avalanche, the first 5 games were played on the same day, with only the Saturday May 11th, third games having complete time separation.
Contrast that with the 3 other cities with a team in both the NHL and NBA playoffs, (New York, Boston and Denver,Colorado/Denver/Colorado) whose team’s 10 quarter, minimum 12 and maximum 14 games have all been or would be, contested on separate nights/days from the city’s other ‘offs team.
The ‘Lanche (3-0) in final round play (an ad said “finals” as), which I believe, is second only to the Chicago Bulls, (remember Mr. Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman/Horace Grant among others including 13 time NBA champion, (11 as a coach, 2 more than Arnold “Red” Auerbach) Phil Jackson) made 6 NHL semi-final rounds in their first 7 seasons in Colorado as they moved from Quebec where they were the Nordiques, for the ’96 season, but only one in the 20 completed NHL seasons (’03-2023, with no season in ’05).
That “semis app” was in 2022 when they won their third Stanley Cup, having done so in ’96 and ’01.
I believe there have been two “semis” clashes between the Avalanche and Stars (they were in ’99 and 2000), each resulting in 7th game, home Stars’ wins.
The ‘Lanche (2-4) in those 6 semis from ’96-2002, lost to eventual Cup winning Detroit (Red Wings) twice (’97 and ’02) while the Stars “titled” in ’99 but lost in the 2000 NHL Final.
The video above pays tribute to a great Avalanche player, Joe Sakic as well as the legendary “Hockey Night In Canada,” broadcaster, Bob Cole, (it is his play by play, with I believe Harry Neale providing commentary) who died recently at age 90.
Andy B Sports 