The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA title in their 47th and 77th NBA season by posting a (94-89) no cover/all tease win at home vs the Miami Heat in game 5.
Nikola Jokic (28 points and mucho “bulling” inside) was named final round MVP, while 40 years after a Malone, (Moses) led a so often denied Sixers’ team to the “promised land,” the Nuggets got there under a coach named Michael Malone.
A Bruce Brown “sneak in”/ follow put Denver ahead to stay (90-89), while he and before that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, each made a pair of free tosses to account for the final points of the not well played tilt. (some equal time, citing Moses and Pope but alas too much “Catholic School” Breen and certainly too much Peyton “all-time get over” Manning. It would have been far better for me, anyway and Nuggets appropriate if such as David Thompson, Alex English and Dan Issel, among others had been seen).
Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. joined Jokic, Brown and Pope as double figure Denver scorers.
Miami at one point (11-2) straight up and a big betting plus, lost 7 of their last 9 games, including the last 4 played in Miami.
While nowhere near a great team, the Nuggets are a deserving champion, the Western Conference “1” seed and having compiled a superb (16-4) ‘offs record.
I suppose many more notes to follow. A sample not to be found elsewhere is Miami coach Eric Spoelstra, who did win 2 titles now joins Fred Schaus, the L.A. Lakers first coach, who lost in all 4 of his NBA final round coaching appearances (’62,’63, ’65 and ’66) going (9-16), with the record 4 NBA final round coaching defeats. His teams (8-4) in their wins, went/are (6-16 in their losses.
Unofficially, but with research and a why do it, coaches with “s” “S”tarting surnames fell to (4-17) in NBA final round play.
I have “S”chaus, who was the General Manager for the great ’71-’72 title winning Lakers at, as cited (0-4), Spoelstra, also as cited (2-4), with George Senesky (1-0), Bill Sharman (1-2), and Paul “S”eymour (0-1).
Three coaches went (0-2) in such entities, Gene Shue, Jerry Sloan and Byron Scott (he played on 3 Lakers’ title winners, going (3-1) as a player).
Nikola Jokic, a brilliant player, pictured above.
Both Iga Swiatek (her third French Open Women’s crown and she is (4-0) in Grand Slam final matches) and the great Novak Djokovic (his record breaking 23rd Grand Slam title) won French Open Crowns.
Swiatek, who struggled, but won in 3 sets vs Carolina Muchova, and Djokovic who won in straight sets vs Casper Ruud, are almost certainly to be joined by a pair of first time title winners, perhaps completing a 4 consecutive day period of title clinchers.
Tomorrow night, the home team, Denver Nuggets are 9 point and nearly 4 to 1 “faves,” vs the Miami Heat, to win their first title in this their first NBA final round series in their 47 seasons in the league.
On Tuesday night, the 6th year Las Vegas Golden Knights are about 8 to 5 favorites to win their first crown.
Both the Nuggets and Golden Knights have (3-1) final round series leads.
The L.V. opponent, the Florida Panthers are (1-7) in NHL final round games after Chandler Stephenson scored twice and Adin Hill was again stellar in goal, as the Golden Knights won (3-2) last night at Florida to lead (3-1).
Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who actually trailed (3-0), won an NHL final round series in which they trailed (3-1).
36 other teams failed to do so.
It still makes me mad, but I cite the one Adam Silver aided team, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, that overcame such a deficit in the NBA final round.
In a better place, the incredible talent Pat Cooper, who died days back at age 93, a man I met and with whom I had some great, meaningful conversations, is telling me– whatever “copy and paste,” is– do not worry about it, and thank you remembering me.
There are such good memories and hopefully the recordings and past posts will manifest.
Yet, no matter, they are in my mind!
Pat Cooper driving, pulled next to me driving on the Bronx River Parkway in October ’96 (the Yankees led the Braves 3 games to 2 on their way to their first title in 18 years) asking how to get to a restaurant called Gregory’s, in White Plains, New York.
It was Pat Cooper, I indicated to him “folla” (Ode to Robert Shaw, another great, saying such as a villain in the great film, “The Sting”) and Pat praised me for helping and I had his then 212 675 #.
Mr. Cooper, whose book “How Dare You Say How Dare Me! An Autobiography Of A Life In Comedy,” written by/with Steve Garrin and Rich Herschlag was such a great read,(reviewed here in August 2013) was always open, candid and beyond funny!
Pat advised me, cared about me, and treated a man called “Doctor.” “Dr.” and me to one of his shows plus backstage candor, at Westbury years back.
The “of course not” real Dr. occasionally “scored” with his pretense/lie, but he expressed his night out seeing Pat perform and receiving his hospitality, was better!!
Pat Cooper’s amazing performance on “The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder was groundbreaking, shocking and so great to see.
He called the Chiefs not Kansas City, but Kansas and it was unfortunately more than the 3 years since they won their first Super Bowl title in 50 years, that I communicated with Pat.
It makes me feel good that Pat’s wife Emily Connor, perhaps Conner, (by either name as we say in Italian, having done a “Mitzvah” (Pat would have pulled that attempt at humor off, perhaps by not trying it), took such good care of the man, born Pasquale Caputo, who so often astounded people with his candor, talent, hard work and ability to induce laughter.
A one of a kind brilliant talent, Pat Cooper, pictured above.
Quite possibly, even likely, (roughly it is 8 to 5 that they do) two, I guess greats, (slow it down regarding Jokic, however do not “Mark Jackson it” and leave him off your MVP ballot or some equivalent thereof), Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic, he with huge help from Jamal Murray, who he will beat out for final round MVP (does Jackson vote in that?) will win major titles
Mr. Djokovic, in a very rare underdog role, eased by 20 year old Carlos Alcaraz to reach the French Open final round to be played Sunday.
He is a huge favorite, 5 to 1 vs Casper Ruud, to win a record breaking 23rd major title.
The next night, (on a Monday night in ’96, a Colorado team, the Avalanche won at Florida to complete a 4 game NHL final sweep, right now Las Vegas leads the Panthers, in their first final since ’96, 2 games to 1) Jokic and the Nuggets up (3-1) and overwhelming 35 to 1 person to person series “faves,” are 9 point “faves” vs the Miami Heat in #5, to bring Denver their first basketball title.
If they do, unofficially, but I am pretty certain, Denver will join Boston as the only cities to win an NHL and NBA crown in either order, in back to back seasons.
Colorado won last year’s NHL crown with the Avalanche while the Celtics’ 11th title in 13 seasons, secured in 1969, was followed by the Bruins’, (clinching at home in Boston), first NHL crown in 29 years, in 1970.
The Denver Nuggets took a 2 games to 1 lead in the NBA final round, posting a (109-94) win at Miami vs the Heat in game 3 last night.
Denver, the NBA Western Conference one seed had an 8 game better record than the East “*” seed Heat and are now overwhelming say 8 to 1 “faves” to title in this their first final round appearance in 47 NBA seasons. They lost in their lone ABA final.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were brilliant in a never in doubt, not watched by me, Nuggets win.
Jokic had 32 points and 21 rebounds while Murray led all scorers with 34 points.
Once on I guess you can call it a “blind date,” “she” greeted me with you are “aces” except for your hair.
I “harken” back to that long ago, no longer the case time, not quite back to the ancient days of the word “harken” to cite the Golden Knights tremendous play, winning (5-2) and then (7-2) to lead the Florida Panthers (now (0-6) in final round play) (2-0) in the NHL Final, which resumes Thursday in South Florida, where on an unprecedented 4 straight nights (Wednesday June 7th-Saturday June 10th) an NHL or NBA final round game will be played.
Aces, I cite, as the WNBA Las Vegas Aces are the defending champions and are even $ to repeat, (the New York Liberty, given top players are 8 to 5 or so). More down the road on near 95 to 1 and conceivable 383 to 1 parlays had the Aces who were down significantly this past Sunday at the Indiana Fever, not pulled the game out.
I cite (and will not fight) that Jonathan Marchessault, one of 7 Golden Knights on the first year team that were 5’d in the final by the Washington Capitals, “opened” and had a 2 goals/1 assist night.
Adin Hill continued his fine play in goal for L.V.
Back to the parlay talk and a “plug,” I suppose for a “convenience store” follows.
This was the 35th time in 55 Stanley Cup Final rounds starting in ’68 with expansion that a team took a (2-0) series lead. That is 7/11 and Sunday past the Chi Sky (rhyme) barked at 7 to 1, “outrighting” the Liberty meaning if 11 to 1 “dog” Indiana (Fever) had held off the Aces, that 7/11 parlay (parlays are still sucker bets and the books thrive more because of them than anything else) would have paid 95 to 1.
Throw in the Heat at 3 to 1, who as I wrote here in half baked fashion, I thought would help the network and league by squaring their final round series vs Denver (Nuggets) and that parlay would have paid 383 to 1.
Alas if the queen had ,,,, ….. but Heat/Sky did pay 31 to 1. I do not take parlays but realizing the just cited, sort of rooted vs my 4/44 Indiana bet and not that I “controlled” the result, realize that was/is foolish.
Big Advice: If you do not gamble, please do not start!!
Oh the technology as I have been unable to copy/paste and thus no “Sooner or Later” or “Never Can Say Good Bye” as all teams (you check it, nobody else does and it is frustrating in this desert, but I think only the ’96 Bulls and 2018 Warriors went unbeaten at home in the NBA ‘offs in the 36 seasons (’88-2023), lose at home and though it called for it, perhaps for the better, I NEVER can “step in” big or even fairly big.
“Anywho” Miami “barked” as a roughly 3 to 1 underdog for an incredible sixth time in these ‘offs to square a “Breen” NBA final for the ninth time in his 18 (odd that it is chai, neither the Celtics or Lakers, bidding for a chai/18th title got there so all hail Breen, a product of Catholic schools).
Sorry for the paucity of details, even notes as now Denver, as I stated a too high 550/800 fave after #1 is a more reasonable (-265) series and (-2 plus) #3 in MIami Wednesday night “fave.”
One pick, though Miami resembles the 50 years ago, ’73 title winning Knicks with losses in #5 road semi and #6 home semi before winning at Boston in #7 and then losing #1 but winning #2 of the final, I doubt the Heat and likely favored Denver will win the next 3, thus Silver/ABC will get at least a 6th and maybe a fourth Breen #7.
As is so often said “always follow the $$$.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights, in their second NHL final round in their six year existence, scored three, third period goals, to (5-2) the Florida Panthers, handing them a fifth loss in as many final round games.
Zach Whitecloud had the go ahead to stay, game winning goal, breaking a (2-2) tie with 12:48 left in the third period.
“L.V.” is now (2-0) in NHL final openers, the Panthers by definition are (0-2).
After “Vegas” opened “Wash” on Memorial Day night in ’18, the Caps reeled off 4 straight wins to get what is their lone crown in 48 completed seasons. (Actually no NHL season in ’05).
This was the seventh straight win by the home team in the final round opening game, the third longest such streak in best of 7 (began in 1939) NHL final series. (The home team prevailed in a fairly incredible 13 consecutive final round openers (’53-’65), winning the title each time and 8 straight seasons (’71-’78), winning the crown 6 times).
The #1 winner became the NHL #1 in ’16 and ’17 (Penguins) and the last two seasons (‘Tampa Bay in ’21 and the geographically close to Las Vegas, Colorado Avalanche last year), while as cited, L.V. lost 4 straight to Washington in ’18 and the Bruins then under current “Vegas” coach, Bruce Cassidy, lost in 7 to St. Louis, each team doing so after winning game 1.
By the way and admittedly it is sour “cherry” to a degree, did Kenny Albert in his first full NHL final, on a day his father hailed 2 others, note what I noted? (Don Cherry is nicknamed grapes. Alas dreams and goals, especially those in broadcasting sans “pull,” do wither/hurt to an exponential power without the aid of the sun.
In a game I could have watched as the final round is beamed over the air, but did not, the phone “said” Denver first and (104-93) as 9 point game 1 “faves” at home vs the Miami Heat.
Though I still believe nobody goes unbeaten at home for the entire ‘offs and thus feel that and Silver/ABC not “chancing” another (3-0) could well yield Miami in #2 and conceivably the series, I might have to just hope Jamal Murray (26 points) and not Nikola Jokic (27 points) is the final round MVP in what appears an inevitable Denver first crown in this their 56th season (things end at 56 including Mr. Lincoln’s life and Joe DiMaggio hitting streak, among much else) and 47th in the NBA.
Regarding #2 on Sunday night in Denver (Nuggets are -8 plus, 3 plus to 1 game “faves” and though I think I see handwriting on the wall up ahead, a vigged/ 590/850 Denver favored price is too high), I will try to at least stay up.
In ’75, some research and my great recall seems to indicate Denver, in its first year as the Nuggets in what was the eighth and penultimate ABA season (they were the Rockets in their first seven) went (40-2) at home in their small arena.
However, led by the great play of a forgotten and too criticized star named George McGinnis, the Indiana Pacers who as is the case with the Nets are sans an NBA title in 47 completed seasons, (Only the Spurs, who notched 4 in 15 seasons (’99-2014) among the 4 ABA teams that remain have ever won a crown) won games 2,5 and 7 at Denver, to take their “semi. The next season, the ABA’s last, again the Nuggets had the ABA’s best record, however, in game 1 of the final round, a brilliant effort by Julius Erving led a/the series’ only road team win, at the new McNichols Arena.
The Nets led by Erving and a superb “radio only” (with John Sterling, no less), #6 on a Thursday night, by John Williamson took the last ABA crown.
Erving, a team jumper, went to Philly and for his first 6 seasons there, wearing #6, there was no Sixers/Philly crown.
Finally on Tuesday May 31, 1983 with Erving clearly behind the late great Moses Malone and before Jimmy Butler, a Celtics problem, Andrew Toney in team importance, the Sixers won their second, the franchise’s third (Dolph Schayes whose son Danny was on a Nuggets “semi” loser in ’85, led the Nationals to the ’55 title and as he said on my show as my mother was finally able to get the call through to Mr. Schayes, an exceptionally nice man–’twas George King who made the big plays in the #7 Nats’ win) and to date last crown.
Now forty years to the day of no 614, (still haunts!!), Denver gets a final round, opening game win and are (13-3), I believe (13-3) vs the spread and (9-0) at home in these ‘offs.
Very few NBA or NHL teams have gone unbeaten at home in say the 47 seasons of the Nuggets. Maybe Denver will be an exception. I still say no, but think they will “title.”
NEW YORK — Hoops Cabaret in New York City will be showing the UFC 289 event live on June 10th. Fans can view the matches while also enjoying the beautiful Hoops Cabaret girls who perform on stages and up close and personal.
UFC double champion Amanda Nunes will face Mexican challenger Irene Aldana in the main event.
Nunes (22-5) is universally considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. Aldana (14-6) is a former Invicta FC title challenger with an 8-4 record in the UFC. She has won six of her past eight.
The UFC 289 card also features a lightweight matchup between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
The live show from Rogers Arena in Vancouver will be shown on the Hoops Giant Mega-Tron Video Wall and numerous HD TVs and flat screens throughout the three-story club giving every seat a clear view of all the action.
Hoops Cabaret combines the excitement of a gentlemen’s club with the fun of a sports bar. Lots of gorgeous Hoops girls, and an exciting UFC card–sounds like fun! And, check out the VIP Man Cave!
HOOPS Cabaret and Sports Bar 48 West 33rd Street, New York City
*Next door to the world famous Rick’s Cabaret NYC
Andy B Sports 