All five New York/New Jersey NBA or NHL teams qualified for the playoffs and will be involved in 4 different, largely simultaneous preliminary series.
In the NBA, in series commencing today, the 76ers of Philly are huge favorites vs the Brooklyn Nets while in another, perceived much more competitive series, the Cleveland Cavaliers are roughly 8 plus to 5/person to person favorites vs the New York Knicks.
Meanwhile in the NHL, starting two days hence on Monday night April 17th, the Carolina Hurricanes are roughly 2 to 1 series favorites vs the New York Islanders.
On Tuesday in a series considered virtually even, the New Jersey Devils have home advantage (do they? as at the Rangers the crowd is for the Rangers while at New Jersey, it has been half and half and not the kind one puts in coffee) vs the New York Rangers.
This is just the second time in 48 possibilities (that counts the Devils’ previous incarnation as the Kansas City Scouts in ’75 and the Colorado Rockies ’76-’83) that all 5 of these franchises have qualified for the playoffs in the same year. It happened in 1994 and after the Rangers “prelim’d” the Isles and 7’d the Devils in 2 overtimes in the semis, they ended a 54 year/53 seasons title drought by 7’ing the Vancouver Canucks.
Also in ’94, after “prelim’ing” the Nets and winning respective quarters and semis in 7 vs first the Bulls and then the Pacers, the Knicks lost games 6 and 7 at Houston vs the Rockets in the NBA final.
That is the closest any city or area came to winning both the NBA and NHL crowns in the same year/season.
Stephane Matteau, (his son, currently, I believe playing for a team in Germany is Stefan and started his NHL career with the Devils), scored not only the above referenced Rangers’ 7 game,2 overtime “semis” series winning goal vs the Devils in ’94, but also a game 3, second overtime “gamer.”
Tonight, the last non (real) ‘offs action will conclude with two essentially playoffs, albeit added by a commissioner who despite his name, W.J. Bryan would never respect, no less die for, tilts, called NBA “play in” games.
Meanwhile in the NHL, one meaningful and one meaningless tilt end its regular season. In the former, the defending champion Colorado Avalanche, need a win at Nashville to secure a “div” crown and home ice advantage, certainly through the “quarters.”
Yesterday, a remarkable Boston Bruins’ “reg” “downplayed by me,” concluded with their (5-4) win over the Canadiens in Montreal.
They/the Bruins “went” 65(wins)- 12 (losses) and 5 OT or (BS) shootout losses, not quite the ’76-’77 Canadiens’ 60 wins, 8 losses and 12 “legitimate/played 60 minutes, same score for the two contestants” ties, however, a great mark which includes most wins and points (135) in a regular season.
Many more notes, results and some opinions in the days to follow.
The RECORD album above reviewed the Boston Bruins’ (then “my” Boston Bruins) RECORD breaking ’70-’71 seasons, in which Phil Esposito had 76 goals and 76 assists, the Bruins scored 399 goals with 10 players scoring more than 20 goals.
Bobby Orr amassed 102 assists and still a rare feat, captain John Bucyk hit 51 goals.
Boston (Bruins) won it all in ’70 and ’72 (only in 2011, when they won #7 at Vancouver (Canucks) in the final, since) but not in their scoring record ‘770-’71 season.
Montreal, so down now and still by far the all-time NHL franchise, denied those Bruins in the “quarters” led by a not yet, rookie status goaltender named Ken Dryden.
Buyer, Bruins and Bruins “Buyers” Beware!!
Two more NBA round of 16/preliminary series are set, each involving one of the two NBA glory teams, the 17 time champion Boston Celtics and the 16 time champion, L.A. Lakers.
Five of those 16 Lakers’ crowns were amassed while they played in Minneapolis.
Speaking of Minneapolis, the current home team Timberwolves went as cold as Minne winter weather and dissipated a nice lead and lost the West 7/8 game to the Lakers in overtime last night.
The manifestation is the Wolves get another chance and will be home favorites vs tonight’s West 9/10 winner, in which the New Orleans Pelicans are hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers now face the Memphis Grizzlies, who are decent sized 3 plus point(s) favorites in game 1, but just say 6 plus to 5 series favorites.
Meanwhile on a night a “Hawks” team, the low points, Chicago Blackhawks shocked the Pittsburgh Penguins to severely jeopardize the Pens’ 16 straight ‘offs appearances streak, the Atlanta Hawks upset the Miami Heat, at Miami and now face the Boston Celtics for the 13th time in playoffs annals.
Boston, which won 10 of the 12 previous series vs the Hawks, going (3-1) vs the then St. Louis and Western Division Hawks in final round play), is an overwhelming 10 to 1, 8 plus to 1 “person to person” series “fave”and 9 plus points favorites, in #1, to be played Saturday afternoon, in Boston.
That game will be the second of the round of 16 games, beginning around 3:30 Daylight Savings Time.
In another Saturday afternoon Celtics/Hawks game, likely “overseen” by the great broadcaster, Lindsey Nelson, the Celtics prevailed (122-103), in what was the 1960 NBA finale, a game 7 for “all the marbles”
Frank Ramsey led Celtics scorers in that game with 24 points. The Celts hit 122, both Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn had 22 points.
Today is the exact 56 year anniversary of a great 1966-1967 Philadelphia 76ers team ripping the beyond great Boston Celtics (perhaps not that year, however that group still had “2 more” in them) (140-116) in #5 to advance to an NBA final, they would win in 6 games vs the S.F. Warriors.
Sixers’ broadcaster, Andy Musser called the end saying “it was one of the great moments in Philadelphia sports history.”
Mucho I could and perhaps will say down the road.
“For now” (ode to Karen Carpenter and The Carpenters) “my song” is though “Russ” (the great Bill Russell, for the first time at this time, no longer on this earth) and his teams prevailed all but that time in ’67 vs Wilt (the great Wilt Chamberlain) in ‘offs series, I do not believe the Celtics ever won vs a Wilt team, either the Warriors or Sixers (for that matter later on vs the Lakers but alas they did win and it really does not matter by how much), they never did so as convincingly as those ’67 76ers did.
Add 40 and 16, get 56, it is 56 years since that also Tuesday April 11, 1967 when the 76ers and Wilt finally advanced past those great Boston Celtics.
Click below for a really nice highlight package con “The Supremes” music of Wali Jones.
Walter “Wali” Jones had a big third quarter 56 years ago today. He is 81 years old.
5 Sixers, Hal Greer, Wilt, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and Wali combined for 131 of the 76ers’ 140 points in that tilt.
The truly great, never gave up and won so often, John Havlicek led all scorers with 38 points.
As you might know, very little about today’s big league baseball appeals to me.
There is a team to admire, however, the Tampa Bay Rays, who are off (10-0).
Yet I feel that means little and the Rays to finally win a crown after nary one despite years of really good play despite a relatively low payroll, is far away.
OK if they get a top seed or even #2 in the A.L. they still have to win 3 rounds and 11 games. Alas the (10-0) start does not anywhere near insure a top 2 or even the A.L. East crown.
In their “div,” the high payroll, consistent high wins, albeit of late post-season under achieving Yankees still loom.
Throw in highly rated, unproven Toronto and maybe surprises from Baltimore and Boston.
Keep going Rays, (they have beaten me in all 10 but again small is the way to bet and better not to bet), but the “road of going” is a long, dare I say (ups and downs) winding one.
The Lightning have 3 crowns (by the way I lose every time on the Leafs, but this season I go “limbing,” they will win vs the Lightning in an NHL prelim that will commence next week. They are roughly 7 to 5 favorites to do so), the Buccaneers won in both their Supes but the Rays are (0-2) in W.S. play, (3-8) in games.
Click above as the truly great broadcaster, Harry Kalas calls the last out giving the Phillies the 2008 crown with a game 5 home win vs the Rays.
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.
Andy B Sports 