Four of the eight NBA first round playoff series begin tomorrow. My predictions on the outcome of those series follows.
In the first game the Brooklyn Nets take on the Toronto Raptors. Though the Raptors are the third seed and the Nets the sixth seed, the Nets are almost nine to five series favorites. I will go along with the oddsmakers and pick the Nets to win in six games.
In the two Western Conference playoff series opening tomorrow, I will pick the prohibitive favorites. The Oklahoma City Thunder in five games vs the Memphis Grizzlies and the L.A. Clippers in six games vs the Golden State Warriors.
Mark Jackson is the coach for Golden State. A friend of mine roots for Jackson, hoping he will remain as coach, rather than return to his former job as a Disney NBA commentator–a role he was not good in.
Last, I predict the Eastern Conference top seed, Indiana Pacers to dispatch the Atlanta Hawks in five games. Tomorrow my predictions on the four remaining first round NBA playoff series.
Arizona sports teams, (there is one in each of the four major North American sports leagues) have either just missed the playoffs or started the season in miserable fashion.
The football Cardinals actually had a fine, unexpected season but lost out for the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC on the season’s final day.
Similar misfortune befell the Arizona winter sports teams the NBA Suns (their (48-34) record was topped by only two teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference) and the NHL Coyotes.
The Suns finished ninth in the NBA West as did the Coyotes in the NHL Western Conference. The top eight teams qualified for the playoffs.
The worst performance is by the Kirk Gibson managed baseball Diamondbacks, who have started the season (4-14) and were just swept in a three game home series by the (8-7) New York Mets. The D/Backs still have a long season ahead of them but it sure does not look good for them right now.
Tomorrow night the NHL first round continues with four series openers. One series opens Friday night. My predictions on those five series follows.
In the Eastern Conference on Thursday, the 11th playoffs series between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers begins. The Flyers have won six of the ten previous ones. I pick the Rangers to win this one in five games.
Also in the Eastern Conference, beginning Friday, I pick the top ranked Boston Bruins to win in five games vs the Detroit Red Wings. These two “original six” NHL teams are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 1957.
In the NHL Western Conference, my picks are the St. Louis Blues to win in six games vs the Chicago Blackhawks, the Minnesota Wild to upset the Colorado Avalanche in a tough 7 game series, while my third choice is San Jose (Sharks) to avenge last year’s all home 7 game loss to the L.A. Kings, by winning in six games.
The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begin tomorrow night with three preliminary series games. Here are my predictions on those series.
The Eastern Conference team with the second most points, the Pittsburgh Penguins, are my choice, but in a tough series (say six games) vs the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets.
The other Eastern Conference series beginning tomorrow night is between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. My pick: Montreal, a slight underdog, in six games.
Out in the Western Conference the top points team, the Anaheim Ducks, take on the Dallas Stars. My upset prediction is the Stars to win in seven games.
Although the St. Louis Blues’ six game loss skein that cost them the NHL Central title is one of the great season ending collapses in a long time, the Blues are still a viable Stanley Cup contender. They finished with the third best record in the NHL West.
Before looking forward, let’s recall the Blues had a 7 point lead in the Central Division after their last regular season win vs Buffalo on April 3rd. They proceeded to lose weekend games to Colorado at home and then at Chicago. Next a home loss to Washington, road losses to Minnesota and Dallas and yesterday’s home loss to Detroit. Six games, no points, and instead of a likely one seed in the West and possibly in the league, they are third in the West.
However, the real season–the playoffs–begin on Wednesday (Thursday for Blues/Blackhawks), and I predict the Blues will “right the ship,” and defeat the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs.
Last year the San Antonio Spurs lost the seventh game of the NBA finals on the road to the Miami Heat. If they are involved in such a game this year, it will be in San Antonio.
The Spurs clinched the NBA’s best record with a comeback win at home vs the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
San Antonio set a torrid pace to get the best record and coach Gregg Popovich and the team deserve a great deal of credit for doing so.
They will likely face a number of good opponents in the playoffs so it will be very interesting to follow the Spurs’ quest for a fifth NBA title, their first coming in 1999.
Greg Popovich
The Dallas Stars clinched their first post season berth since 2008 by beating the slumping St. Louis Blues last night.
The Stars will be the NHL West “8” seed and likely meet the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the NHL playoffs beginning next week.
The Blues now will need help to win the NHL Central Division title. They are tied with the Colorado Avalanche in points but Colorado, not St. Louis has the tiebreaker advantage. ESPN’s web site in its preview of the Blues/Minnesota Wild game two days ago incorrectly reported the Blues had the tiebreaker advantage.)
Tomorrow St. Louis hosts the Detroit Red Wings at 12:30 pm Eastern time while Colorado visits Anaheim in a night game and hence will know what it needs to do to win the division title, if anything, well before game time.
It is truly sad news that Lou Hudson, a tremendous player with the NBA Hawks in both St. Louis and Atlanta passed away at the age of 69.
He was as good an outside shooter as there ever was and was nicknamed “Sweet Lou.” Hawks’ greats Bob Pettit, Dominique Wilkins, who did it twice, and Hudson share the one game team scoring record with 57 points.
I remember keeping an “Athlete of the Day” book in 1969 and though regrettably the book is gone, I know Lou won the “award” three times in November that year, including November 10th, 1969 when he had those 57 points in a game.
Though the fact there is “only one basketball” caused friction between them, I would like to think former Hawks’ teammates Pete Maravich and Lou Hudson are shooting baskets together in some form of heaven. It certainly was a piece of heaven watching each do so on earth.
“Satchmo at the Waldorf,” is a riveting, revealing, often humorous show about the life and inner thoughts of the great entertainer, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong.
John Douglas Thompson is the star of this one man show.
He received two standing ovations for his great performance and they were richly deserved. Mr. Thompson not only portrays Armstrong, but his long time manager, and other roles as well. His voice, timing and presence are all superb.
“Satchmo at the Waldorf” is written by Terry Teachout, an acclaimed Armstrong biographer. The director is Gordon Edelstein.
To paraphrase one of Mr. Armstrong’s greatest hits, people including me left “Satchmo at the Waldorf,” saying “what a wonderful show!”
The venue is the Westside Theater/Upstairs at 407 West 43rd Street. I strongly suggest doing yourself a favor and seeing this marvelous show.
There are still four days to go in the NHL regular season but 15 of the 16 playoff teams have been determined.
Only one spot, the 8th seed in the NHL West, is up for grabs. In that race the Dallas Stars have two more points than the Phoenix Coyotes, however the Coyotes have three games remaining, the Stars have two.
Three of the four divisional races have been determined. After last night’s Anaheim Ducks home game win over the San Jose Sharks, the Ducks join the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins as divisional winners.
In the sole divisional race still up for grabs, the St. Louis Blues, have slumped as of late, but still hold a two point lead over the Colorado Avalanche. Each team has three games remaining.
Andy B Sports 