Please enjoy this lovely, nostalgic, Hollywood-ending alternative to totally-not-ever-rigged* NBA Playoff basketball.
Via the always-on-point Cosby Sweaters.
*Remind me again why I want anything to do with that crooked operation?
Showing posts with label playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playoffs. Show all posts
Monday, May 21
Thursday, April 30
Great Moments in Sonic Playoff History: April 30th
1978 – Portland pulls to 3-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals with a 113-89 win in the Rose City. The Sonics take the next game in Seattle to win the series.
1980 – A year removed from winning the title, the Sonics lose 111-105 to Los Angeles as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 38.
1982 – Seattle falls 97-99 loss to San Antonio as George Gervin hits 15 of 31 shots.
1987 – A 129-98 triumph over the Mavericks caps a miraculous first-round upset of 2nd-seeded Dallas.
1989 – 109-97 win over the Rockets gives the Sonics a 2-0 lead in the Derrick McKey series.
1991 – Benoit Benjamin makes 14 free throws and Sedale Threatt pours in 29 (!) points as Sonics narrow series to 2-1 with a 102-99 win against Portland. Pete celebrates in Eugene by forcing all Blazer fans in Carson Hall to buy him a beer.
1992 – Kemp dunks on Lister, grabs 20 boards, Eddie Johnson scores 26 off the bench, and the Sonics beat the Warriors 119-116 to clinch a first-round win.
1993 – Kemp grabs 11 offensive boards, a Sonic playoff record, to go with 29 points and 17 total rebounds and Sonics upend Utah 99-85 to open their first-round series.
1994 – Seattle’s 97-87 win over Denver puts Sonics up 2-0 in first-round series. Things go sideways after …
1996 – After losing at home to Sacramento in Game 2, Sonic fans are anxious about falling behind in the series in Game 3, but Sam Perkins comes off the bench to score 17 and the Sonics capture a 96-89 win and begin their drive to the NBA Finals.
Tuesday, April 21
Classic Sonic Playoffs
It’s funny how certain parts of a team’s history fall through the cracks, forgotten by most fans and remembered only by die-hards.
Close to 30 years ago last night, April 20, 1980, the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks were matched up in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, in a series so close it could have gone 70 games.
It is a forgotten parcel of Sonic history, but shouldn't be.
It was a clash of two superb teams, including names like Williams, Johnson (4 of them! John, Marques, Vinnie and Dennis), Sikma, Silas, Brown, Lanier, Bridgeman, and Moncrief. True, it wasn’t a Boston-LA epic involving dozens of Hall of Famers, but it could possibly be the greatest almost Hall of Fame Game ever.
The two head coaches involved – Lenny Wilkens and Don Nelson – now stand first and second in wins all-time, and are both members of the Hall.
Game 5, in Seattle, had an announced attendance of 40,172, the largest in 41 years of Seattle basketball.
In seven games, the two teams combined to score 1,424 points; 716 for Milwaukee, 708 for Seattle. Of the seven games, two went to overtime and six (!) were decided by five points or fewer.
Milwaukee had won the Midwest Division that season, while the Sonics were second to the Lakers in the Pacific. Fresh off a title the year before, the Sonics drew 890,713 folks to their games that season, which ranked first in the league.
By a lot.
The next closest team – Boston – saw 596,349 attend their games, nearly 300,000 fewer than the Sonics.
Neither team was loaded with popular stars, and neither team had a league leader in any NBA category. True, Dennis and Marques Johnson earned spots on the All-NBA second team, Jack Sikma, DJ and MJ made the All-Star team, and Dennis Johnson (first) and Quinn Buckner (second) both played their way onto the All-Defensive Team, but this wasn’t Kareem, Magic, Bird, and Dr. J. Not by a longshot.
What this was, though, was a classic series. The Sonics, buoyed by Gus Williams’ 30 points, beat Milwaukee in overtime in Game 1 – by one point. The Bucks matched them in Game 2 with another overtime win – by two points.
The Bucks would go on to win two of the next three games, meaning the Sonics, down 3 to 2, faced a must-win contest at Milwaukee in Game 6.
And win they did, earning a nail-biting 86-85 win before 10,938 at MECCA Arena. With the series now deadlocked at three apiece, it was back to Seattle for Game 7. With Mike Parrott dueling Pete Redfern at the Kingdome, the Sonics returned to the Colisseum, meaning they would not have the benefit of 40,000 green and gold-clad fans to cheer them on.
With the Lakers waiting in Los Angeles for the victor, the Sonics finally put an end to the series with a 98-94 win, as Gus Williams poured in 33 points and Lonnie Shelton grabbed 15 rebounds.
And, that, essentially, was the last glory day for the late 1970s Seattle SuperSonics. The team which earned consecutive trips to the Finals would never again advance to the Conference Finals, not until the roster had been completely purged, the coach let go, and all remnants of the Brown/Sikma/Williams/Johnson/Wilkens era completely dissolved.
For one night in April 1980, though, they were still a talented team, one capable of returning to the promised land one more time. A Game 1 win over the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals proved to be an illusion, however, as the Sonics dropped four straight and watched the championship series on their television sets.
That summer, Paul Silas retired, Gus Williams held out for the entire season, and Dennis Johnson's continuing problems with Lenny Wilkens proved to be too much for the Coach/GM to handle, prompting a trade to Phoenix for Paul Westphal.
That season, with their defensive stalwart now long gone, their spark plug point guard holding out, and their conscience in retirement, the Sonics failed to qualify for the playoffs, and the glory days of the greatest professional sports team in Seattle's history were over.
Close to 30 years ago last night, April 20, 1980, the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks were matched up in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, in a series so close it could have gone 70 games.
It is a forgotten parcel of Sonic history, but shouldn't be.
It was a clash of two superb teams, including names like Williams, Johnson (4 of them! John, Marques, Vinnie and Dennis), Sikma, Silas, Brown, Lanier, Bridgeman, and Moncrief. True, it wasn’t a Boston-LA epic involving dozens of Hall of Famers, but it could possibly be the greatest almost Hall of Fame Game ever.
The two head coaches involved – Lenny Wilkens and Don Nelson – now stand first and second in wins all-time, and are both members of the Hall.
Game 5, in Seattle, had an announced attendance of 40,172, the largest in 41 years of Seattle basketball.
In seven games, the two teams combined to score 1,424 points; 716 for Milwaukee, 708 for Seattle. Of the seven games, two went to overtime and six (!) were decided by five points or fewer.
Milwaukee had won the Midwest Division that season, while the Sonics were second to the Lakers in the Pacific. Fresh off a title the year before, the Sonics drew 890,713 folks to their games that season, which ranked first in the league.
By a lot.
The next closest team – Boston – saw 596,349 attend their games, nearly 300,000 fewer than the Sonics.
Neither team was loaded with popular stars, and neither team had a league leader in any NBA category. True, Dennis and Marques Johnson earned spots on the All-NBA second team, Jack Sikma, DJ and MJ made the All-Star team, and Dennis Johnson (first) and Quinn Buckner (second) both played their way onto the All-Defensive Team, but this wasn’t Kareem, Magic, Bird, and Dr. J. Not by a longshot.
What this was, though, was a classic series. The Sonics, buoyed by Gus Williams’ 30 points, beat Milwaukee in overtime in Game 1 – by one point. The Bucks matched them in Game 2 with another overtime win – by two points.
The Bucks would go on to win two of the next three games, meaning the Sonics, down 3 to 2, faced a must-win contest at Milwaukee in Game 6.
And win they did, earning a nail-biting 86-85 win before 10,938 at MECCA Arena. With the series now deadlocked at three apiece, it was back to Seattle for Game 7. With Mike Parrott dueling Pete Redfern at the Kingdome, the Sonics returned to the Colisseum, meaning they would not have the benefit of 40,000 green and gold-clad fans to cheer them on.
With the Lakers waiting in Los Angeles for the victor, the Sonics finally put an end to the series with a 98-94 win, as Gus Williams poured in 33 points and Lonnie Shelton grabbed 15 rebounds.
And, that, essentially, was the last glory day for the late 1970s Seattle SuperSonics. The team which earned consecutive trips to the Finals would never again advance to the Conference Finals, not until the roster had been completely purged, the coach let go, and all remnants of the Brown/Sikma/Williams/Johnson/Wilkens era completely dissolved.
For one night in April 1980, though, they were still a talented team, one capable of returning to the promised land one more time. A Game 1 win over the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals proved to be an illusion, however, as the Sonics dropped four straight and watched the championship series on their television sets.
That summer, Paul Silas retired, Gus Williams held out for the entire season, and Dennis Johnson's continuing problems with Lenny Wilkens proved to be too much for the Coach/GM to handle, prompting a trade to Phoenix for Paul Westphal.
That season, with their defensive stalwart now long gone, their spark plug point guard holding out, and their conscience in retirement, the Sonics failed to qualify for the playoffs, and the glory days of the greatest professional sports team in Seattle's history were over.
Thursday, April 16
Lost vs the NBA
Admit it, Sonic fans – you’ve spent more time watching Lost this season than you have NBA basketball.
And, with the grotesque aftertaste of the Bennett Era still lingering in our mouths, who can blame us for not following the league all that closely this year? Sure, all sorts of folks are pointing to the last couple of years as indications of another golden era of NBA basketball, but you’d have a tough time selling that line of crap in Seattle these days.
Anyhow, assuming that you, like me, have allotted more of your evenings to watching the Oceanic Six than you have to following the Western Conference in the past few months, you’re probably a bit nervous about Saturday-afternoon-BBQ banter in the coming weeks. Hey, no self-respecting man wants to be in the dark about the NBA when talk turns to hoops. Sure, those smart-aleck remarks about Rousseau and the Hydra Station are all well and good for the office metrosexuals, but they won’t cut the mustard on your overcooked hot dog when you’re holding a sweating can of PBR in your hand.
So, allow me to compare the 16 contenders for the NBA title with their most closely identifiable companion on Lost. We’ll start with the characters most likely to survive until the end of the series and progress to those least likely to survive. Then stir, apply NBA teams, measure for likelihood of winning the Finals, bake, and voila, you’ve got space-filler for a Thursday afternoon.
Los Angeles - Jack Shephard
Clearly the most important person/team, but neither are sans flaws. Further, no one really wants them to succeed outside of their devoted, bandwagon fans. Like Jack, the Lakers have seen a paradigm shift this season: Bynum’s absence seemingly had little effect on the team’s record, and now he’s back. Can he, like Jack, take a secondary (or even tertiary) role? Plus, is Phil Jackson really Christian Shephard?
Cleveland – Hugo ‘Hurley’ Reyes
A surprising comparison, but bear with me for a moment. Think of all the title contenders, then ask yourself this question: As a neutral fan, for which would you be the most likely to root, assuming your team’s front line was waylaid by a batch of infected hookers? Cleveland, right? It’s the same with Hurley – everybody likes the guy. No, he doesn’t have the depth of the other leading players, but neither do the Cavs, and, yet, here they are. Plus, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Hurley have the same time in the 40.
Boston - John Locke
Amazingly, both are equally likable – for determination - and detestable – for annoying righteousness. Granted, it’s not Paul Pierce’s fault his fans are holier-than-thous who believe the NBA only exists as a pedestal to prop up their glory, but who else are we going to blame? You could also add that KG is as beat up as Locke, but, like Locke, the team seems to have some all-knowing powers that keep them afloat. Finally, I ask you, whose resurrection was more surprising this season: John Locke’s or Stephon Marbury’s?
Houston - Sayid Jarrah
Perfectly efficient, and perfectly content to lurk in the shadows – an apt description of either the Houston Rockets or Sayid. Houston’s most famous player is an enigma who we simultaneously know everything and nothing about. Their most cult-like fan favorite (Battier) earned his fame from a piece in The New York Times, not exactly SLAM magazine. They’re smart, mysterious, and dangerous. Hey, I’m not saying that the Rockets have someone on their roster who would be an ideal assassin, but who would you rather see at the end of a dark alley, Sayid, or Ron Artest? Yeah, “none of the above” for me, too.
Orlando – Sun-Hwa Kwon
No one expected much from either of these two, but they’re slowly making believers out the skeptics. You can never underestimate: 1) a shot-blocking behemoth or 2) a woman looking for her husband. And while I would probably bet on Sun in an offensive rebounding contest with Rashard Lewis, he’s probably prettier.
Denver – Kate Austen
The sexy pick, but one that is routinely driven to self-destruction. Kate is completely capable of running the show on Lost, but she always manages to screw things up for herself. Likewise, the Nuggets have a great starting lineup, an interesting bench, have risen to the second-best record in the conference … but is anyone really expecting Denver to make it to the Finals this season? Put it this way: Faced with two options on which to bet $100, 1) Denver making the Western Conference Finals or 2) Denver losing in the first round, which would you take?
San Antonio – Benjamin Linus
For the longest time, both the Spurs and Ben dominated the scenery, but this season the world has changed, and they’ve both had to accept the fact that the younger fellas are running the show. Oh, sure, San Antonio might scare someone in the first round, and, yes, Ben is always capable of manipulating certain events to his benefit, but, ultimately, neither of them are the Alpha Dogs anymore. And, honestly, no one’s crying about it. Don’t forget, too, that Popovich looks like he’s spent the last few years hanging out at the Orchid.
Portland – James ‘Sawyer’ Ford
Not so much because of the con man elements, but because both Sawyer and the Blazers seem to be having a helluva good time. If you add in the fact that the only thing as multi-faceted as Sawyer’s fake identities is Portland’s roster, it becomes pretty simple.
Dallas – Jin-Soo Kwon
I’m punting on this one, with this caveat. Neither Dallas nor Jin are all that relevant to what happens at the end of the season.
New Orleans – Walt Lloyd
Forgotten despite freakish abilities, Walt and New Orleans are primed to punish. Granted, this season may not be the time for either of them to reach the pinnacle of their abilities, but that time is coming very, very soon.
Miami – Miles Straume
Not especially well liked around the country, but incredibly talented nonetheless. As an added bonus, given his ability to converse with the dead, perhaps Miles could do the Heat a favor and conduct an interview with Jermaine O’Neal.
Atlanta – Juliet Burke
Young and intriguing, but not going to be around much longer.
Chicago - Desmond Hume
My favorite character on the show, and one of my favorite teams in the league. You’ve got to love Rose’s incredibly abilities, and while the Bulls haven’t exactly set the league on fire this season, they – like Desmond – are intriguing regardless.
Philadelphia - Daniel Faraday
Because this season, while promising, has left Philly fans with more than their share of bloody noses. Plus, I’m guessing at least 75% of those fans would like to invent a time machine which would take them back to 1982.
Utah - Richard Alpert
Because both Alpert and Jerry Sloan are apparently ageless.
Detroit - Charles Widmore – Detroit
At one time, they were both crucial players. That was a long, long time ago, though. Now, they’re just watching and waiting for the end of the season, with hopes that next year will bring an opportunity for increased relevance.
And, with the grotesque aftertaste of the Bennett Era still lingering in our mouths, who can blame us for not following the league all that closely this year? Sure, all sorts of folks are pointing to the last couple of years as indications of another golden era of NBA basketball, but you’d have a tough time selling that line of crap in Seattle these days.
Anyhow, assuming that you, like me, have allotted more of your evenings to watching the Oceanic Six than you have to following the Western Conference in the past few months, you’re probably a bit nervous about Saturday-afternoon-BBQ banter in the coming weeks. Hey, no self-respecting man wants to be in the dark about the NBA when talk turns to hoops. Sure, those smart-aleck remarks about Rousseau and the Hydra Station are all well and good for the office metrosexuals, but they won’t cut the mustard on your overcooked hot dog when you’re holding a sweating can of PBR in your hand.
So, allow me to compare the 16 contenders for the NBA title with their most closely identifiable companion on Lost. We’ll start with the characters most likely to survive until the end of the series and progress to those least likely to survive. Then stir, apply NBA teams, measure for likelihood of winning the Finals, bake, and voila, you’ve got space-filler for a Thursday afternoon.
Los Angeles - Jack Shephard
Clearly the most important person/team, but neither are sans flaws. Further, no one really wants them to succeed outside of their devoted, bandwagon fans. Like Jack, the Lakers have seen a paradigm shift this season: Bynum’s absence seemingly had little effect on the team’s record, and now he’s back. Can he, like Jack, take a secondary (or even tertiary) role? Plus, is Phil Jackson really Christian Shephard?
Cleveland – Hugo ‘Hurley’ Reyes
A surprising comparison, but bear with me for a moment. Think of all the title contenders, then ask yourself this question: As a neutral fan, for which would you be the most likely to root, assuming your team’s front line was waylaid by a batch of infected hookers? Cleveland, right? It’s the same with Hurley – everybody likes the guy. No, he doesn’t have the depth of the other leading players, but neither do the Cavs, and, yet, here they are. Plus, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Hurley have the same time in the 40.
Boston - John Locke
Amazingly, both are equally likable – for determination - and detestable – for annoying righteousness. Granted, it’s not Paul Pierce’s fault his fans are holier-than-thous who believe the NBA only exists as a pedestal to prop up their glory, but who else are we going to blame? You could also add that KG is as beat up as Locke, but, like Locke, the team seems to have some all-knowing powers that keep them afloat. Finally, I ask you, whose resurrection was more surprising this season: John Locke’s or Stephon Marbury’s?
Houston - Sayid Jarrah
Perfectly efficient, and perfectly content to lurk in the shadows – an apt description of either the Houston Rockets or Sayid. Houston’s most famous player is an enigma who we simultaneously know everything and nothing about. Their most cult-like fan favorite (Battier) earned his fame from a piece in The New York Times, not exactly SLAM magazine. They’re smart, mysterious, and dangerous. Hey, I’m not saying that the Rockets have someone on their roster who would be an ideal assassin, but who would you rather see at the end of a dark alley, Sayid, or Ron Artest? Yeah, “none of the above” for me, too.
Orlando – Sun-Hwa Kwon
No one expected much from either of these two, but they’re slowly making believers out the skeptics. You can never underestimate: 1) a shot-blocking behemoth or 2) a woman looking for her husband. And while I would probably bet on Sun in an offensive rebounding contest with Rashard Lewis, he’s probably prettier.
Denver – Kate Austen
The sexy pick, but one that is routinely driven to self-destruction. Kate is completely capable of running the show on Lost, but she always manages to screw things up for herself. Likewise, the Nuggets have a great starting lineup, an interesting bench, have risen to the second-best record in the conference … but is anyone really expecting Denver to make it to the Finals this season? Put it this way: Faced with two options on which to bet $100, 1) Denver making the Western Conference Finals or 2) Denver losing in the first round, which would you take?
San Antonio – Benjamin Linus
For the longest time, both the Spurs and Ben dominated the scenery, but this season the world has changed, and they’ve both had to accept the fact that the younger fellas are running the show. Oh, sure, San Antonio might scare someone in the first round, and, yes, Ben is always capable of manipulating certain events to his benefit, but, ultimately, neither of them are the Alpha Dogs anymore. And, honestly, no one’s crying about it. Don’t forget, too, that Popovich looks like he’s spent the last few years hanging out at the Orchid.
Portland – James ‘Sawyer’ Ford
Not so much because of the con man elements, but because both Sawyer and the Blazers seem to be having a helluva good time. If you add in the fact that the only thing as multi-faceted as Sawyer’s fake identities is Portland’s roster, it becomes pretty simple.
Dallas – Jin-Soo Kwon
I’m punting on this one, with this caveat. Neither Dallas nor Jin are all that relevant to what happens at the end of the season.
New Orleans – Walt Lloyd
Forgotten despite freakish abilities, Walt and New Orleans are primed to punish. Granted, this season may not be the time for either of them to reach the pinnacle of their abilities, but that time is coming very, very soon.
Miami – Miles Straume
Not especially well liked around the country, but incredibly talented nonetheless. As an added bonus, given his ability to converse with the dead, perhaps Miles could do the Heat a favor and conduct an interview with Jermaine O’Neal.
Atlanta – Juliet Burke
Young and intriguing, but not going to be around much longer.
Chicago - Desmond Hume
My favorite character on the show, and one of my favorite teams in the league. You’ve got to love Rose’s incredibly abilities, and while the Bulls haven’t exactly set the league on fire this season, they – like Desmond – are intriguing regardless.
Philadelphia - Daniel Faraday
Because this season, while promising, has left Philly fans with more than their share of bloody noses. Plus, I’m guessing at least 75% of those fans would like to invent a time machine which would take them back to 1982.
Utah - Richard Alpert
Because both Alpert and Jerry Sloan are apparently ageless.
Detroit - Charles Widmore – Detroit
At one time, they were both crucial players. That was a long, long time ago, though. Now, they’re just watching and waiting for the end of the season, with hopes that next year will bring an opportunity for increased relevance.
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