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Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 5.23.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: MLB, NBA, NHL, Scoreboard,
To continue the trend, I will begin this edition of TSTC with the NBA. Whew! Watching this season’s playoffs is TIRING! Last night’s San Antonio Spurs/Dallas Mavericks overtime game was a classic. With the Spurs trailing the whole way, even by much as 20 points, the Spurs finally got a lead late in regulation, but thanks to some quick production from DeSagna Diop and clutch free-throw shooting from Dirk Nowitzki, the game went into overtime where the Mavericks just pulled away for a 119-111 win. The Mavs move on to the Western Conference championship.
They will be facing the Phoenix Suns who beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 127-107 in a rout that highlighted the team’s two superstars - Steve Nash (29 points; 11 assists) and Shawn Marion (30 points; 9 rebounds). I’ll applaud Elton Brand for his 36 point effort and the rest of the Clips for showing that they have the strong potential of being serious playoff contenders next season. But that will depend on what they do in the offseason, particularly with Sam Cassell.
The Western Conference Championships begin tomorrow night when the Mavericks host the Suns.
*Tonight the Eastern Conference championship round begins when the well-rested Miami Heat travel up to Detroit to face the Pistons, who barely averted a Cleveland Cavaliers playoff upset. The Heat will look to avenge a series loss in the conference championship to the Pistons last season. The question is, will the new pieces acquired during the offseason - Jason Williams, James Posey, and a bit more importantly, Antoine Walker - pay dividends this time around?
In MLB, there was much ado about nothing when Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols’ teams faced off in San Francisco. Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double, as Bonds went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk. Let’s see what unravels tonight.
*In other games, the Yankees got absolutely crushed in the first game of their series with the Boston Red Sox last night, losing 9-5. The Yankees scored four ninth inning runs off of ineffective former closer, Keith Foulke, which skews how badly the Yankees lost. Jaret Wright looks to get the Yankees on track, facing highly-effective knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield.
*Chicago Cubs pitcher, Kerry Wood, makes his second start of the season against the young Florida Marlins lineup. Wood who missed most of the season up to this point, went five innings, giving up four runs on three homers, as well as striking out six while walking none against the Washington Nationals. If Wood can chill with the long ball, he’ll go a long way.
*When the Baltimore Orioles take the field at Seattle facing the Mariners, rookie pitching prospect, Adam Loewen will take the hill for the O’s. Loewen is one of the prized proscpects in the organization and it will be interesting to see how the lefty will do as he could possibly stay up in the Big Show with Daniel Cabrera hurt and the other pitchers on staff, aside for Kris Beonson, have been underachieving.
*In Kansas City, Detroit Tigers pitcher, Kenny Rogers, looks to become the league’s first eight win pitcher as he deals to the anemic Royals, who actually are almost 100% better when hitting at home due to the gaps of Kauffman Stadium.
In the NHL, we go up North as the Western Conference series moves to Edmonton. The Oilers have a 2-0 lead and look to push the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to the brink of elimination. Dwayne Roloson has been amazing in goal for the Oilers and has been holding the Ducks offense to a mere one goal per game.
Well, folks, enjoy the games!
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With the Eastern Conference championship series all set between the battle-weary Detroit Pistons and loungin’ for a week Miami Heat, the two combatants for the Western Conference championship will be determined today. Considering both series have gone to Game Seven, you know that tonight’s games are going to be slobber-knockers!
*The first game of an NBA playoff doubleheader will be the Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs, who amazingly came back from a three games to one deficit to tie the series up at three apiece. Tim Duncan and company come back home where they will look to stop Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavs to take another step towards repeating as World Champions. Jason Terry, suspended for Game Six, looks to make a difference tonight in trying to shut down Tony Parker and bring some offensive punch (not real punches) for the Mavs. But, let’s see if it’s, in fact, Michael Finley who can help knock out his former team.
*The Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers has been a great matchup between the power inside and the speed and accuracy from outside. Elton Brand continues to bring some overdue respect towards his game, but so has everyone else in the Clip Joint. It’ll be tough to slow down Steve Nash’s will to win and to get the best out of his teammates, let alone in Phoenix, but the Clips have shown to be more than worthy opponents. It will be a reversal of fortune if it’s the Clippers, and not the Lakers, representing Los Angeles in the Western Conference championship round. However, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, Raja Bell et al. may have something to say about that.
In MLB, Interleague play is over and done with, but will return in the middle of June. In the meantime, now that things are back to normal, there are a couple of games to keep an eye on.
*A Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees contest is always a good thing to watch. There’s the potential for high drama every game. Curt Schilling will host a hurt Yankees batting order with both Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield on the mend. But, Schilling isn’t crying for anyone, having gone through his injury woes all of last season as he played hurt and was, for the most part, ineffective.
*The St. Louis Cardinals are on the road and take on the San Francisco Giants. This game is somewhat symbolic in that a former N.L. MVP and owner of MLB’s single season homerun record, Barry Bonds, will “face” the current N.L. MVP and potential player to break that single season record this season, Albert Pujols. Let’s see if the balls come flying off the bats of these great power hitters. If Bonds does go yard - “Babe Ruth, how does third place feel?”
Let’s not forget about hockey. The NHL isn’t as popular as the other sports (great, now I’m going to get tons of comments and/or e-mails from Canadians), but it deserves its due.
*The Eastern Conference round continues as the Buffalo Sabres, owner of a 1-0 lead, takes on the Carolina Hurricanes. The last time, the Sabres beat the Hurricanes on their home ice, 3-2. Look for another highly contested matchup.
Enjoy the games!
I have to admit, I haven’t been this proud of being an NBA fan in a long time. It’s hard to argue that this season’s playoffs haven’t been anything short of magnificent. It seems every game is either going into overtime or is thisclose until the end. I’ve been losing sleep watching the West Coast games and have needed about five cups of coffee every morning to get stuff done at work! However, the caffeine rush and subsequent addiction has been well worth it.
*Today’s the day. Will the defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons move on to face a well-rested Miami Heat club? Or will LeBron James continue to add to his legend by leading his Cleveland Cavaliers into the next round of the playoffs? The start of the answer to these questions tips off at 3:30pm EST. If we learn anything from recent history, this will be another classic and very tight matchup.
Well, he did it. San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds tied the Bambino yesterday with his 714th homerun of his career. Today, he tries teeing off against the Athletics to get number 715, which would move him to second place on the all-time homerun list all by himself as Bonds pursues Hank Aaron’s 756 to become the all-time best MLB homerun hitter.
*Young Lefties Duel It Out… Florida Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis tries to get his season in gear when he faces the Tampa Bay Devils Rays, who have a lefty of their own taking the hill, Scott Kazmir. Both are quality pitchers and this should be a good one to watch. I can’t believe I just said that about a Marlins/D-Rays game.
*The Thrilla In Chi-Townilla… I wonder which fighters we have on the card today? After yesterday’s brawl, today’s game could be interesting to watch, especially with fiery Carlos Zambrano taking the mound for the Cubbies.
*The Rubber Match In New York… After splitting the first two games of their Subway Series, the Yankees and Mets play tonight to claim supremacy of New York.
The NHL Playoffs have been almost as exciting as the NBA’s, and I’ll admit I’m biased, but I don’t think they’ve been quite on the same level… but somewhat close.
*The Anaheim Mighty Ducks look to even the series against the Edmonton Oilers in tonight’s Eastern Conference matchup. The Ducks’ offense needs to get rolling, particularly Teemu Selanne and the Brothers Niedermayer, Scott and Rob.
Well, folks, enjoy the games!
There are no NBA games today, but the NBA Playoffs certainly have not disappointed its fans. Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers barely missed pulling off the incredible of ousting the defending Eastern Conference champs, the Pistons of Detroit. However, luck was on the Pistons side as a nearly-tipped ball by Chauncey Billups on an intentionally missed LeBron James free throw at the end of the game did not go in. As much of a heart attack the Motor City may have had collectively, Billups and company eeked out an 84-82 victory, bringing the series back to Detroit for the deciding Game Seven to be played tomorrow afternoon.
In the West, down 3-1, the San Antonio Spurs have won two in a row, including last night’s 91-86 win in Dallas, thanks in part to clutch free throws by Manu Ginobilli and Tony Parker. With the series now tied at three games apiece, the series goes back to San Antonio. Don’t be surprised by the Spurs’ comeback… to borrow from a great man… as L.L. Cool J said in “Mama Said Knock You Out,” the Spurs have been here for years! Game Seven will be played on Monday.
Today’s baseball games are the same as yesterday with Interleague play in full effect. The one game to keep an eye on is the Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants where Barry Bonds is still looking to tie Babe Ruth’s 714 dingers. He’ll be trying to tee off on A’s starting pitcher, Brad Halsey whom he’s never faced.
In the NHL, last night’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks (gag) found the Oilers beating the Ducks 3-1, with the game-winning goal scored by Ales Hemsky. The Oilers take a 1-0 lead in the Western Confernce Championship.
*The Eastern Conference Championship gets under way today when they drop the puck in Carolina with the visiting Buffalo Sabres trying to be bad guests as they face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. Both finished with 52 victories during the regular season, tying for the most wins in the East, along with the Ottawa Senators. Look for a great fight.
Enjoy the games!
It’s a good time to be an NBA fan. The playoffs have been nothing short of AMAZING!!! And that should continue tonight with two excellent games on tap:
*Have to start with my man, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers trying to be as least hospitable as possible to the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs lead the series 3-2 and can close it out with a win tonight to move on to the Eastern Conference Championship. BUT I’m jumping the gun, so let me chill. (GO CAVS!).
*With their backs up against the wall, the San Antonio Spurs visit Dallas to hopefully stave off the Mavericks, as well as elimination from the playoffs and defending their title. The Spurs will have a bit of an advantage as Mavs’ PG Jason Terry is suspended for tonight’s game as he didn’t want to share the ball with former Mav and current Spur, Michael Finley. So, what did Terry do? As any four-year-old would do, he punched Finley and said, “Nooooo, it’s MY ball.”
This afternoon, MLB’s Interleague play begins with a matchup between the Chi-Town teams - the Cubbies and the ChiSox. Other notable matchups:
*The Fight for New York as the Yankees come down from the Bronx to visit the Mets from the best borough in New York, Queens! And, yes, I am being subjective as I was born and raised in Queens.
*The Baltimore Orioles travel to the country’s capital as they face the Washington Nationals. You can bet that Peter Angelos is hoping to destroy the Nats the same way George Steinbrenner wants to crush the Metropolitans. The guys just can’t share a backyard with anyone.
*Surprise! Surprise! Two of the more surprising teams matchup in Motown as the Queen City’s Reds visit the Tigers, hoping to tame the beast.
*Futily in Florida… yeah, ho hum. The Florida Marlins visit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
*The Heat Is On In Houston! The Rangers matchup against the Astros in Orange Juice Park.
*The Battle of the Bay is on as Barry Bonds and the San Fran Giants cross the bridge to play the Athletics of Oakland. Let’s go Danny Haren! Sorry… had to show my A’s Love.
*The Real Versus The Fake. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (HUH?!?!?) with former Dodger, Jeff Weaver taking the hill for the Angels. I smell the scent of revenge.
In the NHL, the Western Conference Finals begin tonight when some Canadians invade America… you see what happens? You piss off Canadians enough and they will kick butt. At least that’s what the Oilers of Edmonton hope to do when they face off against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (c’mon, guys, just change the name already or else I’m always going to associate your team with Emilio Estevez… and believe me, that’s not a good thing).
Enjoy the games, all!
Anaheim Mighty Ducks Take A Commanding 3-0 Series Lead
Posted by Jeff Chan Categories: NHL, Playoffs, Rumors, Scoreboard,
Quack! Quack! Quack! The Mighty Ducks hockey team is on a roll and coach Gordon Bombay couldn’t be happier. The Ducks won in overtime defeating the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. The Ducks can close out the series on Thursday night with a win in Colorado. In the unpredictable NHL Playoffs, all four lower seeds advanced to the Western Conference semi-final round. The Ducks play is led as usual by long time star Teemu Selanne, but what sparked them this season was the off-season signing of premiere defenseman Scott Niedermayer. The Ducks had perks the New Jersey Devils couldn’t provide, such as great weather and the opportunity to play with his brother Rob. Niedermayer signed a 4 year, $27 million dollar contract, and was later named team captain. Niedermayer has the championship experience and gave Calgary Flames captain, Jarome Iginla fits throughout their first round match-up.
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| George Johnson
I realize we don’t give the hockey fans enough attention around here, but this is a series I have been keeping my eye on with a lot of interest. After the game two war of words between the two coaches, this is a series with the potential intensity of the old Colorado Avalanche/ Detroit Red Wings rivalry. Tempers flared in game two during the blow-out win by the Sabres with the Flyers making a number of questionable dirty hits throughout the game. The tactics seemed to have motivated the Flyers to get back into the series. The series will now be decided by a best of three games, with games five and seven at Buffalo. In the NHL Playoffs the teams reseeded following each round.
Long Ass Thread Thursday
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Editorial, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Playoffs, Rumors,
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears… actually, your eyes and fingers.
Every Thursday, I’d like to get as many comments as possible on this “Long Ass Thread Thursday” post talking about sports, primarily, since this IS a sports blog, but if you want to talk books, movies, or the merits of Velcro, let’s do it!
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END blatant butt-kissing of my boss.
So, let’s do this people! And because I’m such a nice guy, let me throw out some topics:
- Barry Bonds… he’s getting closer to the Babe and he looks like he’s in pain doing it.
- Brett Favre… FINALLY he decides to bring his ball and play again.
- NBA Playoffs… who are you guys liking?
- NFL Draft… Reggie Bush, Mario Williams, Mario Cantone. Who will be the first overall pick?
- NHL Playoffs… educate me.
Let’s make this successful so that my boss doesn’t fire me for introducing this wacky idea!
With the Rangers losing three straight games, they could end the season by losing out on being division champs with Philadelphia and New Jersey just 3 points behind and two games left to play. The Rangers will face off against the Philadelphia Flyers today at 2 p.m. on NBC. With a win, they can clinch the division and head to the playoffs back with some confidence. Hopefully this game will deliver and help the casual NHL fan to tune in. This would be the first division title in twelve years, the first since the magical ‘94 season when the Rangers broke their Stanley Cup curse.
Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin Is Sixth Rookie to Score 100 Points
Posted by Jeff Chan Categories: Athletes, Kudos, NHL, Scoreboard,
Alex Ovechkin scored the game winning goal for the Capitals last night in OT and made history at the same time by scoring 100 points in the season. With 49 goals scored this season and four games left to play, Ovechkin has a chance to join Teemu Selanne as the only NHL rookies to score 50 goals and 100 points in their season. With 100 points, he is joining a list of greats including Joe Juneau, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Ovechkin was the #1 overall pick in the 2004 draft but is debuting this year because of last year’s season long lock-out. Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have been rookie sensations and have generated a little bit of new life into the NHL.
Read More | ESPN
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