Yesterday I cited the two NBA East, so called “play in” games.
I add the two now set in the NBA West. In Tuesday’s 7/8 tilt, the once and current Lakers’ home cities clash, with the L.A. Lakers (-6 plus) vs the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers amassed 5 Minneapolis titles.
On Wednesday, the 9 seed/home team, New Orleans Pelicans are 4 plus point(s) “faves” vs the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 7/8 loser hosts the 9/10 winner for a berth in the ‘offs as the “8” seed in Friday’s later game.
Some high series lines in the 4 round of 16/prelims that are set.
“3” seed Philly (76ers) are 7 plus to 1 “person to person” (remember when long calls cost so much?) “faves” vs the Brooklyn Nets, while the Cavs are up to 9 to 5 favorites vs the Knicks, in the East 4/5 series.
Out West, “4” seed but Western Conference plurality favorite, Phoenix (Suns) are huge 5 to 1 “person to person” faves vs the L.A. Clippers.
Meanwhile the “6” seed and defending champion Golden State Warriors are roughly 2 plus to 1 series favorites vs the 3 seed Sacramento Kings, who won the “figurehead” div (Pacific) at 200 to 1.
Guess who, in this year, so sadly, Sac’er Linda died, had a measly one “little” dollar on it?!
In just over a week, both the NBA and NHL regular seasons, each virtually meaningless, will be over (so many “overs” in the “3 shot” dominated, NBA, which I wish would go away!–Once with names such as Oscar, Wilt, Magic and Larry, it was so good).
One round of 16 series in each league is set, the NHL redux of last year’s Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto #7 win, having been etched in stone, some 3 weeks before it will commence, say in 10 days.
In the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers will meet the New York Knicks in one round of 16/ prelim series.
“Cleve” and “Tor” are respective 8 and a fraction to 5 and 7 to 5 series favorites in those entities.
In something called a play in round, the 7 vs 8 and 9 vs 10 East tilts are set.
On Tuesday, “7” seed Miami is (-5 plus) vs Atlanta, the winner to be the East “7” and be a big series underdog vs the “2” seed Celtics.
The loser of the 7/8 game will host the winner of the 9/10 Wednesday night tilt, in which Toronto is (-5) vs Chicago.
That 7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner game for the “8” seed and entry as a big u/dog, vs overall top seed Milwaukee, will take place on Friday night.
The great writer, William Somerset Maugham, pictured above.
A number of times, “morning pills” being dispensed have landed on a side, evoking a great “Twilight Zone” episode, starring Dick York, better known, as “Darrin Stephens” opposite THE Elizabeth Montgomery, on Bewitched.
In the “Zone” episode, York as Hector B. (I note the middle initial) Poole flips a coin toward newspaper payment, it lands on its side, seemingly enabling “Poole” to hear other people’s thoughts.
Early this morning, awake (no sports, once little else) I saw and now note York had a scene with Hayden Rorke, who played Dr. Bellows on another show, a la Bewitched, with a female “power,” in this case a Jeannie named Jeannie, played by the also fabulous and now 90 plus, Barbara Eden.
On Bewitched, though in love, York’s “Darrin” is often troubled/in trouble, via the fact Elizabeth’s “Samantha” is a witch.
Rorke as “Dr. Bellows,” a psychiatrist in the space program wonders obsessively about the strange “Jeannie caused” doings of Larry Hagman’s “Anthony “Tony” Nelson.”
Alas, as Rorke (spell check “questions” this the correct spelling almost by definition not ? ing my original notation of “Rourke”) sat with York (Rorke and York are not only linked but rhyme) a few years before “Jeannie” or “Bewitched,” I note their similar SIT(uations) these many years later, with a heartfelt praise for shows such as “The Twilight Zone,” “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Bewitched.”
Sadly no “twitch” or “blink” on this (not so) Good Friday/Michael Santasieri’s 68th, can bring back time.
Left to right Hayden Rorke and Dick York on a Twilight Episode from 1961.
‘Bewitched” premiered in September 1964, “I Dream of Jeannie” did so a year later.
The University Of Connecticut secured a 5th Men’s NCAA Basketball crown (The women’s program has amassed a (by far) record 11), easing (76-59), vs San Diego State, in last night’s title game.
Oh the juxtaposition and what I could say about “positions,” (not sports related), taken by “last game” tournie CBS “leads,” Brent Musburger and Jim Nantz 33 years apart.
However, you know what mothers say.
I can say, (doubt others have), but maybe, as this is not all that “out there,” in ’90 UNLV ripped Duke, which had a fine guard and eventual 2 time champion player named Bobby Hurley, as a starting player.
That game was the final CBS event for Brent Musberger, a dominant fixture on (nowhere near Tiffany) coverage for 15 or so years.
Last night, in Nantz’ last, another rout, this by 17 points and in favor of Connecticut coach, Dan Hurley, Bobby Hurley’s brother.
Adama Sanogo had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the final game and was named the tournament’s outstanding player.
U.Conn went (6-0) (6-0), respectively the obvious “straight up” to title and vs the spread.
They were dominant in the tournament, beating the spread by at least 7 points in each game and winning the six games by an average of 20 points (I guess 120 points aggregate. Another thing my mother said was look it up, which is much easier, but I doubt better, these days with the “it will get us and essentially aready has” technology available).
It was a paved road, however, as “Conn.” took out three “5” seeds (St. Mary’s California, and both Miami Florida and San Diego State in the last 2. (By the way, San Diego with its great weather and not so great military presence, still does not have a major title. Kudos to this Aztecs team, too bad war and dare I say the military or at least the ridiculous amounts spent on it, do not go the way of “another” Aztecs and the dinosaurs, and disappear).
They also sent 13 seed Iona and 8 seed Arkansas home. They avoided Kansas in a potential regional semi and U.C.L.A. in a potential “quarter,” however did beat perennial “not quite,” Gonzaga, which was a 3 seed.
On the other side of the bracket, all eight (1-4) seeds fell before a potential final vs U.Conn.
That said, you can only play and beat the teams put in front of you and in this not so hot tournament, Connecticut did so with some of the most overwhelming play in the 84 such events (1939-2023, no event in 2020).
Adama Sanogo, pictured above.
L.S.U. under Kim Mulkey (4-0) in title tilts, (3-0) with Baylor), won its first national title, easing (102-85) vs Iowa, in the first title tilt for each team/school.
Angel Reese had 15 points and 10 rebounds as 3 plus point(s) u/dog LSU captured the crown.
L.S.U. was a three seed and in tonight’s men’s title game (sorry but Jim Nantz does not deserve a standing ovation) a four seed, Connecticut is favored by 7 plus vs San Diego State, whose Butler did it, (Lamont “Cranston-ing” the winner as time expired, in a no cover win vs Florida Atlantic).
U.Conn (5-0) (5-0) in the tournie is bidding for a 5th crown, the four they won, all with Nantz.
More on L.S.U.–
Final score: LSU 102, Iowa 85
DALLAS — Jasmine Carson scored 22 points off the bench — in just 22 minutes — and third-seeded LSU rolled to a 102-85 win over tournament darling Cinderella Caitlin Clark and Iowa to claim the 2023 national championship.
Angel Reese, then with Maryland, pictured above.
It will be Iowa vs L.S.U. in tonight’s N.C.A.A. Women’s Basketball title tilt.
Each team/school will be making its first appearance in either the men’s or women’s NCAA Basketball final game.
Caitlin Clark had 41 points in Iowa’s upset (5 to 1, but as always “dogged,”) win over top ranked, undefeated and defending champion South Carolina.
Meanwhile L.S.U. , a semis game loser in their previous 5 “such,” all from (2004-2008), (-2 and a half’d) higher seed Virginia Tech, to reach the title game.
That title game, surprisingly, in this “thing of sports greed,” not only will be available on over the air A.B.C, but in the day (3:30-I guess it is Daylight Saving’s Time).
Congrats to “real life” Janice and Eddie on wedding anniversary #44.
This fact, in sharp contrast to the fictional Brenda and Eddie, in Billy Joel’s “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant,’ which one can hear “co”H”n” lyrics, by clicking above.
The pictures in their beautiful apartment also are in sharp, better contrast to the “couple of paintings” from Sears in the song.
Alas, relating to above, per Janice, they hopefully are watching and would be glad those of us gathered.
Yesterday while the Boston Bruins “foregone conclusioned” the NHL’s top “reg” record (not usually a big deal), the Boston Celtics kept their still longshot chances alive for such in the NBA, (one would think a bit, if not discenibly more important as related to’offs, specifically achieving titles success), routing the top mark, Milwaukee Bucks.
No city/region has ever won both the NBA and NHL crowns in the same Fall-Spring-Summer Year.
The Bruins have a superb 58-12-5 mark, not to be rated with the ’76-’77 Montreal Canadiens, who finished 60-8-12 with ties allowed then but not now as the “5” regarding the Bruins’ record represent overtime losses.
Meanwhile the Celtics gained on both the Bucks (Mil. is up by one and a fraction as the Celtics have the tiebreaker) and the Denver Nuggets.
2021 champion Milwaukee, which lost a tough 7 game “quarter,” sans home advantage, to Boston last year, has a magic # of 4 vs Boston and 2 vs Denver, to get the top mark.
Unofficially, as I think Denver has the t/bker vs Boston, the Celtics have a magic number of 5 to secure a better record than Denver.
The great player, Hakeem Olajuwon, cited by me in a dollar store yesterday, for playing through despite fasting for Ramadon, is pictured above.
Mr. Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to titles in both’94 and ’95, the former denying the closest bid for one city/region winning both the NBA and NHL crowns.
In ’94, a year my father, who endured my “anti,” died–the New York Rangers won their first title in 54 years while the Rockets denied the Knicks in both games 6 and 7 in Houston, to win their first title.
Here is a surprise, kudos to Jim Nantz and whomever/whoever garnered the Jim Larranaga note put forth, as Miami under Larranaga, duplicated George Mason, also coached by him.
They did so by gaining national semis entry, exactly 17 years apart on Sunday March 26th.
If I had known ….. and better spirits, regarding this upsets filled tournament.
I did know, cite here, yet completely “dogged” Miami/Texas.
The fact that Miami vaulted to the college pig title forty (a 5/10 number)years ago passing, among others, Texas on 1/2/84 as noted here last week.
The ‘Canes also defeated a Houston team, albeit one nowhere near as highly regarded as the hoops team it “regional semi’d” last Friday, in the regular season, in that memorable title run in ’83.
Finally, regarding Miami/Texas, the former ripped the latter in the ’90 season Cotton Bowl telecast on CBS, with you guessed it Nantz, as the lead announcer.
Jim Larranaga, pictured above, also guided an even more unlikely team, George Mason to the national semi-finals.
Then in ’06 after “regional final-ing” Connecticut, eventual first of two straight national titles team, Florida beat them in the semis. I did not watch it, perhaps as I recall being in one of the late, great Joe Franklin’s named establishments.
Their 2023 semi opponent is Connecticut a team, now a 3 to 2 “fave” to win the crown.
Busses and subways with delays, could not take away the fact I saw, admired and derived pleasure from the outstanding production of “This G*D Damn House.” (Playing at the Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street through April 8th).
It was poignant, definitely relatable to many, even most and certainly to both my friend and me.
Written by the talented, via Scotland/Florida and New York, “triple threat,” Matthew McLachlin, the play sizzles with emotions that brilliantly stagger in time, before being fully revealed. That made great drama.
The director is Ella Jane New, who among other works, brought us the provocative “MACBITCHES.”
There is a superb five person cast in ” This G*D Damn House,” that includes Kirk Gostkowski, he being so outstanding in the so relevant and magnificent “Garbageman.”
Sachi Parker, playing “Angie,” the “complicated,” hoarder mother is magnificent. She looks like her great performer mother, Shirley MacLaine, additionally evoking great memories with some similar, seriously good “acting chops.”
Again the whole cast is magnificent. Gabriel Rysdahl, Rice de Ocampo and Christina Perry all give inspiring performances.
I highly recommend seeing “This G*D Damn House,” presented by The Chain Theatre.
The presentation moved me and thoughts of it kept me moving and alert, as I sojourned back home.
Click below for more information, including that involving tickets purchase.
www.chaintheatre.org › this-gd-damn-houseThis G*d Damn House — Chain Theatre
Three teams, all from either southern Florida (Florida Atlantic and Miami) or southern California (San Diego State) are in their first national “semi,” joining Connecticut, which is (-125) to “take” a 5th crown.
On Saturday, Florida Atlantic won (plus2) by 3 vs Kansas State followed by 2 plus point(s) “fave,” U.Conn ripping Gonzaga.
Yesterday a Trammell (no San Diego team has ever won a major crown, the Chargers won the ’63 AFL such while it was the Tigers’ Alan Trammell, who was World Series MVP, in one of two S.D. Padres W.S. losses, that in 1984), San Diego State’s Darrion, who “split the pair,” (ode to the great broadcaster Joe Tait) making the second, tied at 56, with one second plus remaining, getting S.D. State to the national semis, having opened (-2) vs Florida Atlantic.
In the pre 60 Minutes, last “quarter,” 4 point underdog, Miami Florida came back to sink Texas.
Andy B Sports 