Archive for April 23rd, 2012

WATERCOOLER CHAT: HUMBER’S PERFECT GAME, LAKERS EDGE THUNDER, KINGS ADVANCE OVER CANUCKS

BASEBALL

We’re very early in the season, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t see amazing feats of greatness.  On Saturday, the Chicago White Sox visited the Seattle Mariners with Philip Humber taking the mound.  The Mariners are not a good team, and this was supposed to be just a routine start for Humber, a pitcher that most people have not heard of.  So nobody expected him to throw a perfect game, but that’s exactly what he did.  For those who don’t know, a ‘perfect game’ is when a pitcher doesn’t allow any hits or ANY body on base (as opposed to a no-hitter, which means just that ‘no-hitter’, but walks are still allowed).  A perfect game is one of the most crowning achievements in sports.  It’s the best thing a pitcher can possibly do.  In the 143 years of major league baseball, there are only 20 official ‘Perfect Games’ on record.  Humber threw the 21st.  It was purely amazing.  Just yesterday, Humber was just another major league pitcher.  And now, he will have his name on a plaque in the Hall of Fame.  It’s a great story, and Humber deserves all the accolades he’s receiving.  Chicago 4, Seattle 0.

BASKETBALL

 

Kobe and the Lakers played host to the #1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Lakers have been an up-and-down team this season, so this was a real test to see if they could beat the best in the West.  After all, these two could meet in the playoffs.  The game was a back and forth battle the whole way, that even got a little physical with Metta World Peace elbowing the Thunder’s James Harden in the side of the head to take him out of the game.  Pau Gasol had an amazing night for the Lakers with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists, helping the Lakers rally from an 18-point deficit to bring the game to overtime.  In OT, the battle continued, and Russell Westbrook had a chance to ice the game with a 3, but it falls just short.  We’re headed to double-overtime.  And Kobe is not going to lose a game in double-overtime on his home court.  He hit some clutch jumpers to maintain the lead, and the Lakers officially edge the Thunder.  Can they do this in a seven-game series?  LA Lakers 114, Oklahoma City 106.

HOCKEY

The superstar team of last season was easily the Vancouver Canucks.  Even though they lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, they were still dominant during the regular season.  This year they re-entered the playoffs as the #1 seed, but would take on a pesky #8 Los Angeles Kings team.  Now, the Canucks were without one of their best players, Daniel Sedin, but the Kings are hot right now, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are always ripe for upsets.  This was Game 5, and the Canucks did have Daniel Sedin playing again.  And the Canucks would need him.  The game required an overtime, but in OT, the Kings Jarrett Stoll got a beautiful goal to win the game and knock Vancouver out of the playoffs.  Now the Kings advance to play the St. Louis Blues in the next round.  Can the Kings go all the way to the Cup as a #8 seed?  We’ll see.  LA Kings 2, Vancouver 1.

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