NBA

It was a major night in Los Angeles in the sports world.

First up, it was the annual NBA Draft Lottery to determine which team gets to draft first overall.  This is a big deal because one player could turn a team around entirely.  This year’s prize is Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin.  He is the undisputed #1 pick in the draft, and many experts feel that not much is available after that.  The team with the best chance of getting the top pick was the league’s worst team — the Sacramento Kings.  The best odds for #2 was the Washington Wizards.  Well, both team lost out, as Sacramento fell to 4th and Washington 5th.  And this year’s #1 pick belongs to… The Los Angeles Clippers.  And boy do they need it.  They will almost definitely select Griffin, or possibly trade the pick for some much needed talent.  It was an upset #1 pick, but they got it.  Congrats to the Clips.

Next up, it was the opening game of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. This matchup was highly anticipated, as they Lakers haven’t been playing their best ball lately, and the Nuggets look a lot better than anyone thought.  The Nuggets got off to an early lead, and also had the lead heading into the 4th.  Carmelo Anthony played out of his mind, putting up 39 points.  The Nuggets started to pull away a little bit, but the Lakers just wouldn’t go away.

Then… came the miracle play.  With the Lakers up 2 points with just 30 seconds remaining, the Nuggets needed to inbound.  And since the Nuggets were ‘on’, there was a good chance they would tie the game.  Well, just as they threw the ball in, the Lakers Trevor Ariza read the telegraphed pass, and practically came out of nowhere to steal the ball.  It was incredible, and that pretty much sealed the deal for the Nuggets.  A tremendous effort by the Lakeshow to steal Game 1 BACK from the Nuggets — who were poised to win the game, up by as many as 9 in the 4th quarter.  Plus, Kobe was Kobe, finishing the night with 40 points.  This should be a fantastic series.  Los Angeles 105, Denver 103.

NFL

And finally, some news out of the NFL.  Michael Vick was officially released from prison yesterday, but he has told his agent that he plans to put football on the back burner for now.  This doesn’t mean he won’t play next season, or doesn’t WANT to play next season, but rather he just wants to focus on his family first.  Plus, Michael Vick needs to be reinstated by the NFL.  He can’t just CHOOSE to play.  And for this to happen, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he wants to see Vick really make amends for his crime.  He wants to see a sincere Vick looking for a second chance — not just a guy looking for some quick money and contract.  This story will continue, and it will certainly be riveting.