Nine of the twelve ‘offs series are (2-2) with all six of tonight’s game 5 tilts emanating from (2-2) series.
Last night while Colorado completed a prelims sweep of Nashville, only the Penguins, among the 5 teams up (2-1) “got the cash,” as they routed the New York Rangers.
Meanwhile Golden State (5-0) at home and (7-2) overall in these ‘offs, no covered Memphis (Grizzlies) to lead their “quarter” 3 games to 1. So it was a bad night for the two Tennessee playoffs teams.
Elsewhere the top ranked, President’s Trophy winning Florida Panthers got an all important tying goal from Sam Reinhart before riding Carter Verhaeghe’s second goal of the game at just under the five minutes gone point of overtime, to (3-2) Wash and square their prelim.
The Flames won at Dallas to tie their prelim, while the Celtics won at Milwaukee to tie their “quarter.”
An interesting note: The 2022 Celts/Bucks “quarter” has followed the same home win/road win pattern of the team’s memorable 1974 NBA final as it has been r/home/home/road and also the Bucks have won the games (1 and 3) that Boston won in that ’74 final.
Carter Verhaeghe, pictured above
Yesterday as the NBA “quarters” and NHL prelims progressed at the same point, namely game 4, all six lower seeded teams, by definition playing at home, won at least easily, to square their series at 2 games apiece.
Tonight 6 more tilts and only Colorado (Avalanche) up (3-0) vs Nashville (Predators) are assured of being up at least 3 games to 1 after tonight’s action.
The Bruins, Blues, Lightning (17 straight times they have won a playoff game after a loss–15 such in route to consecutive titles in limited or no fans 2020 and 2021 seasons and all 17 with the superb netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal) and Kings all squared their NHL prelims with wins vs the Blues, Wild, Leafs and Oilers in that chronological order.
Those games and the 2 NBA tilts were NOT offered on over the air television.
Both Dallas (Mavericks) and Philadelphia (76ers) won at home vs top ranked Phoenix and Miami (I cited each of those conference top seeds had “held serve” to go up (2-0) to even their quarterfinal series.
For the record also yesterday, both the Mets and Yankees, each off to excellent starts (cited here last week) split doubleheaders and none of those 4 tilts were telecast over the air.
Only an 11:30 Eastern Time White Sox win at the Boston Red Sox was shown over the air in New York.
The brilliant goaltender of the two time current Stanley Cup Champion, Tampa Bay Lightning, Andrei Vasilevskiy, pictured above.
Today, marks fifty years since that Sunday night May 7, 1972, when the Los Angeles Lakers led by Wilt Chamberlain, playing with a cast on his arm, FINALLY won their first Los Angeles NBA title, winning (114-100) vs the New York Knicks to win the ’72 final in 5 games. (Two years earlier, the Knicks defeated the Lakers in game 7 at New York’s Madison Square Garden by an eerily? similar (113-99) tally).
That ’71-’72 Lakers team was “my” team and oh how much I put into that quest, a misplaced manifestation of obsession, however, unlike today’s only “anti,” (working on correcting it), I really “loved” that team, which won, what is still a major North American sports league record 33 straight regular season games and finished with a then NBA best record (69-13).
There is too much pain period and certainly the “butchering” of the far from perfect, but admirable, great player/executive, Jerry West in a current series based on a book by Jeff Pearlman (maybe the stories are true, but in his book about the ’86 Mets–there were glaring factual baseball errors), adds to it.
Though both Jerry and I often, if not always, have “Peggy Lee/ Is That All There Is,” reactions to victories, that ’72 title (oh do I wish I could see the whole game, but the last 8 or so minutes are not available. WHY NOT?!!) means a great deal.
Though Wilt and his teams had been denied many times, he did win an overwhelming title, with another great team, the (68-13) 1966-1967 Philadelphia 76ers. Jerry had never won one.
That is why more than any other reason, I wanted that Lakers’ crown.
So today, fifty years later, hail Wilt, Jerry, Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillian, Harold “Happy” Hairston, the great, “each had a purpose and tremendous skill,” starting five, that manifested in great team play, under coach Bill Sharman and assistant K.C. Jones.
The reserves were Pat Riley, the first of his 9 titles, six with L.A. (4 as head coach), Flynn Robinson, LeRoy Ellis, John Q. Trapp, Jim Cleamons, Keith Erickson and for the first few games, the great player, Elgin Baylor.
As cited here before, Elgin, whose “moves” were celestial on the court made another great one by retiring.
Jim McMillian was then inserted in the starting lineup and the Lakers immediately won those incredible 33 straight games and eventually, finally a title.
I still feel good about it, these (somehow, yet inexorably), 50 years later.
A champion player in college at U.C.L.A. and with the ’71-’72 Lakers, the great Gail Goodrich is pictured above.
Since I am not sure, I will not speculate on the comedic great who warned of the negative aspects of the television remote control.
Last night I did use it during a commercial on MeTV during a season 1 episode of the Andy Griffith Show, now at least sixty years after it first aired on television.
The show’s theme involved an eventual “no wedding bells,” result between Andy Taylor played by Mr. Griffith and pharmacist Ellie (called Miss Ellie, a precursor to Barbara Bel Geddes’ “Miss Ellie” on Dallas, by future director Ron, then Ronnie Howard) portrayed by Elinor Donahue.
Switching to Showtime’s “The First Lady,” Eleanor Roosevelt is being played by Gillian Anderson.
Don’t fret and certainly do not attack me on “stage” (really that is no joke and is despicable) as I add Ms. Donahue portrayed Betty ANDERSON on the great show, Father Knows Best, nearly seventy years past.
The iconic Eleanor Roosevelt, pictured above.
On this rainy Friday night, sans cable/Optimum TV sports, I checked on Yankees’ games 13 years apart.
In 1961, specifically on Tuesday 9/19, the Yankees won the second game at Baltimore, to clinch at least a tie for their incredible 11th A.L. Pennant in 13 seasons (it would “balloon” to 14 in 16 seasons (1949-1964).
That day, Jim Kaat, pitching for the Minnesota Twins, in their first year as the Twins, after being the original Washington Senators, won a game. (The Washington Senators expansion team, now the Texas Rangers, began play that season).
On another Tuesday, a great night for “real races baseball,” October 1, 1974, the Dodgers and Orioles clinched division crowns, while the Pirates went up 1 game with 1 to play, in route to their “one fourth/had to finish first” division title.
After Baltimore won (7-6) at Detroit in the day and on WMCA, the Brewers, on George Scott’s base hit up the middle, won (3-2) vs the Yankees, to eliminate them, giving Baltimore its 5th A.L. East crown in 6 seasons (1969-1974).
That day, Jim Kaat, then with the Chicago White Sox, secured his 21st win of the season.
Jim Gentile, pictured above and 87 years old as I type this, hit 46 home runs and drove in 141 runs for the Baltimore Orioles in 1961.
Heat and Sun (s?) go together and both the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, each a conference top seed, have (2-0) quarterfinal series leads.
Miami (6-1) so far in the ‘offs, (4-0) at home–only they and the Warriors have not lost at home and the NBA is just 2 games into its “quarters”) has ko’d the Embidless Sixers’ teases in each tilt. Will (Joel) Embid play tomorrow night as the series moves to Philadelphia.
The Suns covered and all teased the Dallas Mavericks in the opener and ripped them in #2 last night.
Both franchises have lost 3 NBA final series, however, the Heat with Dewayne Wade on all of them, have won three while Phoenix has an (0-3) final round record, including a six game loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last year.
The Heat player, Tyler Herro, was named the NBA 6th Man of the Year winner.
The two New York baseball teams are off to excellent starts. Their combined record is (32-13).
In the American League, the Yankees, amidst one of their worst periods of winning pennants or World Series in any roughly 20 seasons period in their great history, have won 9 straight games, “St. Louis Browns-ing” it, vs the poor teams and 11 of 12 games overall.
Their record is (16-6) and they lead the Toronto Blue Jays by one and a half games. The teams clash tonight in Toronto, going opposite the home town Maple Leafs ‘offs opener vs the two time champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meanwhile the New York Mets have won every series they have played, sweeping none and are (16-7).
Their lead is 2 games over the Marlins but a larger 5 and a half and six and a half game leads over more likely challengers, the Phillies and Braves respectively.
The St. Louis Browns insignia above. One year the Yankees won 21 of 22 games vs the Browns, who became the Baltimore Orioles in 1953.
It seems (check the records) they also “feast” vs the Orioles.
The NHL playoffs finally get started tomorrow night May 2nd with four games. Earlier I posted some notes about the 8 NHL East qualifying teams as that was set for quite a while. Among them, only President’s Trophy winning Florida (Panthers) has never won a title. (By the way Florida/Miami is the NHL top seed as cited above while the NBA Miami Heat are the Eastern Conference top seed and only Phoenix (Suns) had a better “reg” record).
In the NHL West, six of the 8 teams have previous titles. The Edmonton Oilers have 5, none since they won an incredible 5th in 7 seasons (ode to Vince Lombardi’s Packers who did the same), in 1990, while the L.A. Kings, the Oilers’ first round opponent, as they were in a memorable best of 5 “such” series forty years ago, and West top seed Colorado Avalanche have 2 titles each. (The ‘Lanche’s first round opponent, the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild are the two NHL West teams that have not won a title).
St. Louis (Blues), Dallas (Stars) and the Calgary Flames each have won one title. Oddly (NINE is an ODD number), those 3 teams’ lone crowns came in years ending in “9,” the Flames winning in 1989, the Stars in 1999 and the Blues in 2019. All 3 clinched the title on the road, the Flames and Stars in 6 games while “St. Loo” won at Boston in #7, after failing to clinch in a home 6th game.
Lanny McDonald, pictured above, was a member of the 1989 Stanley Cup Champion, Calgary Flames’ team.
Today, a Saturday and no ‘offs action on April 30th as the NBA is on to the quarters with no 7th games in their prelims while the NHL playoffs finally are upon us as the endless “reg” has just the meaningless, make up Seattle at Winnipeg tilt tomorrow.
“We” previewed and noted Celts/Bucks where the Middleton injury is an “odds key.”
Now Miami has moved from just under a 2 to 1 series fave to just under 4 to 1 as Sixers’ key player Joel Embid is out indefinitely.
Oh the injuries and do they ever realize the longer the ‘offs season (it ended on this date in ’71 with the current champion Bucks’ first title) goes, the more likely there will be injuries. It is about attrition more and more and less and less about the best or even better team.
In the Western Conference, Devon Booker is seemingly back and top ranked Phoenix (Suns) are a nice favorite vs the Dallas Mavericks.
The Warriors will be nice favorites vs the Memphis Grizzlies, I would think.
The great player, Oscar Robertson, pictured as a Cincinnati Royals player, won his lone title in his first season with the Bucks.
Milw (118-106) on a Friday night, 51 years ago on this date to clinch the crown.
One of the four NBA quarterfinal series is set and it will match the East “2” seed Boston Celtics and the defending NBA champion, East “3” seed, Milwaukee Bucks.
A Bucks star Khris Middleton is injured and Boston is nearly a 2 to 1 series favorite.
Even before this, what will be their 4th “quarters” clash, the Celts and Bucks had the rare distinction of meeting at all 4 levels of playoffs series competition, as they met in a memorable NBA final in 1974, when the Bucks were housed in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Boston won that series in 7, winning thrice on the Bucks’ home court including #7 on Mother’s Day (Milw won twice in Boston) and are (5-2) in previous ‘offs series vs Milwaukee.
The Celts won both semis clashes, each in route to the title, going (8-1) in such wins vs the Bucks in ’84 and ’86.
Milwaukee has the edge (2-1) in previous quarters, winning the last 4 and the ’19 quarter in 5 and sweeping Boston in ’83. Boston won in 7 in ’87.
In the lone prelim clash, the Celts prevailed in 2018.
It will be (1-1) and (2-2), a tough series, but I will “go” fair sized “chalk,” and say Celts in 6. (None of the previous 7 Celts/Bucks series, all best of 7, ended in 6 games).
The great John Havlicek, pictured above was the 1974 final series MVP.
That series was on CBS with Pat Summerall, so much better known for football, as the lead broadcaster.
Andy B Sports 