This was a great game to watch on Thursday night in what easily turned out to be the best first round series in the Eastern Conference. Unlike the West, which has already had its No. 3 seed the LA Lakers ousted, and No. 2 seed Houston on the ropes versus the Warriors…this series was the only one in the East with any competitive drama.
Now we get Boston vs the NY Knicks and Cleveland vs. the Indiana Pacers. The four best teams in the East without dispute. Detroit has nothing to be ashamed of as they showed the NBA world they should be a team on the rise with valuable experience gained for a young guy like Cade Cunningham. Cade had multiple chances down the stretch in Game 6, but just wasn’t able to deliever as did Mr. Clutch Jalen Brunson.
This is what Jalen Brunson does better than anyone else in the league currenty…including Steph Curry. But what we’ve never seen from Jalen with the Knicks is if his late game magic can get the Knicks past the Celtics and into the Eastern Conference Finals…and possibly beyond to the NBA Finals.
We’re going to find out if Karl Anthony-Towns in place of Julius Randle is the piece which has been missing from the Knicks’ puzzle of reaching a NBA Finals.
I was wrong. We get Game 6 of the Warriors and Rockets tonight. I do not envision this Warriors’ team being able to win a Game 7 on the road against these young, physical Rockets. Saturday night on the Bay…Steph, Jimmy, and their mates need to end this series if they want to play the Timberwolves in the conference semi-finals.
Personally…I’ll take the TWolves over either the Warriors or the Rockets in the next round. I like what I’m seeing from the TWolves. They play both ends of the court with a great deal of intensity and physicality, and unlike the Thunder or the Rockets… they played in the Western Conference Finals last spring. Plus…Julius Randle seems to be finding his way with these guys somewhat.
Then on this week-end.. we get the Denver Nuggets hosting the LA Clippers in a Game 7 for the right to face the OKC Thunder.
Gregg Popovich’s retirement from the San Antonio Spurs was announced today. I love Gregg Popovich and what he has brought to the NBA during his 29 seasons as the Spurs’ head coach.
He’ll still be team president. But still…this is a moment all NBA fans should take the time to reflect upon given how rare it is in the era of collective bargaining for any coach in the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to last with the same franchise….for 29 years.
Have a nice week-end.
MJ