BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 6 between the #1 Chicago Bulls and the #8 Philadelphia 76ers.  Coming into this series, nobody expected the Sixers to have a chance, that there was no chance they could stop Derrick Rose.  That all subsided when Derrick Rose went down with a season-ending injury at the end of Game 1.  From that point, Chicago tried to stay competitive, but the Sixers, on a red-hot streak right now, would not go down.  And last night the Sixers were going to try and wrap up the series on their home court.  Andre Iguodala had 20 points and 7 assists on the night to give the Sixers a comfortable lead.  But, the Bulls would come back to jump ahead late in the 4th.  Then, with just 2 seconds on the clock, the Bulls would foul Iguodala and send him to the line.  Andre nailed both free throws, and that’s all they would need to knock the #1 seed Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs.  Philadelphia 79, Chicago 78.
Then, it was the Boston Celtics playing host to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their series.  Atlanta started off this series with a vengeful fury.  They were tired of being afterthoughts in the Eastern Conference, and this would be the year where they rise up and show that they are a force to be reckoned with. Only problem is that the Celtics are just too smart, too strong, and too experienced to drop a series deciding home playoffs game.  The Celtics got a spectacular night from Kevin Garnett with 28 points and 14 rebounds.  He even hit the shot that gave the Celtics the go-ahead lead.  The Hawks had one more chance, but Paul Pierce blocked a shot to secure the victory.  Now the Celtics will take on the Sixers in the second round.  Boston 83, Atlanta 80.

Finally, out west, the Lakers were looking to wrap up their series in Denver.  But Kobe was forced to play ill.  He’s done this before, but it’s definitely not easy to close out a hungry team when you’re playing sick.  Denver, however, knew that the Lakers were weak, and they were going to take advantage.  Remember, the Nuggets have been extremely hot the last 2 games.  The Nuggets came out with a fury and didn’t look back… ever.  They got a phenomenal night from their lightning quick point-guard Ty Lawson who had 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Sure, the Lakers will get Game 7 on their home court (which they usually protect), but anything can happen in one game.  Will the Lakers prevail?  Are the Nuggets experienced enough to maintain their cool under pressure?  We shall see.  Denver 113, LA Lakers 96.

HOCKEY

In the NHL, the Washington Capitals were hoping to stay alive in the playoffs in a Game 6 match against the #1 NY Rangers.  The Capitals are having somewhat of a magical post-season, driving many of their games to overtime (although they have lost every OT game), but also winning in miraculous fashion.  So, in Washington, it was a must-win for the Caps.  Their superstar Alex Ovechkin got things started right away with a goal in the first period.  Then, in the second period, Jason Chimera put in another goal to give the Caps a 2-0 lead.  But, the real hero for Washington has been their 3rd string goalie Braden Holtby.  He’s had a remarkable post-season, and they’ll definitely need a strong game from him as they head back to New York for a thrilling Game 7.  Washington 2, NY Rangers 1.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA, the Miami Heat were looking to close out the Knicks in Miami.  The Knicks anticipated making a run in the playoffs, but the Heat have been just too mighty.  Plus, the Knicks have been plagued with injuries to Jeremy Lin, Amare Stoudemire, and up-and-coming rookie Iman Shumpert.  And no team in NBA History has come out of a 3-0 hole in a 7-game playoff series.  They did eek out a win in Game 4, but Game 5 in South Beach would be another story.  Carmelo Anthony did his best to keep the Knicks in the game, putting up 35 points on the night, but Wade and LeBron were just too much for the undermanned Knicks.  LeBron had 29 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists as the Heat cruised into the second round to play the pesky Indiana Pacers.  Miami 106, NY Knicks 94.

Finally, in the evening game, it was the Memphis Grizzlies looking to stay in the playoffs in a Memphis home game against the Clippers.  The Clips find themselves in a beneficial 3-1 series lead.  Everybody expected Memphis to take this game, and that’s why it was no surprise that they came out with a force.  Marc Gasol had 23 points and 7 rebounds in a night where the Grizzlies held their own.  However, the Clippers tried to make a comeback in the second half.  Chris Paul had 19 points, but it wasn’t enough, as the Clips handed the Grizzlies the win.  The Clippers didn’t have their whole heart in the game, and would also suffer minor injuries to their two stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.  They’re headed back to LA on Friday night, where the Clippers will get a chance to close-out the series on their home court.  But, if they mess up, the series heads back to Memphis.  Memphis 92, LA Clippers 80.

HOCKEY

In the NHL, there has been a hard fought battle between the #1 NY Rangers and the surging #7 Washington Capitals.  The series was tied at 2 games a piece, so Game 5 was extremely pivotal.  The Rangers struck first, getting a goal from Anton Stralman, but then the Caps evened it up with a goal from Brooks Laich in the second period.  Then, in the 3rd period, John Carlson gave the Caps a 2-1 lead and it looked like they were en route to stealing New York’s home-ice advantage.  But, in a miracle, with just 6.6 seconds left in the game, Brad Richards got a close range goal for the Rangers to tie it up.  Amazing!  That gave the Rangers all the momentum they needed in overtime, as they immediately got a goal from Marc Staal to nab the win and take a 3-2 lead in the series.  The Caps will try to square it up in Game 6, to hopefully give us a thrilling Game 7.  NY Rangers 3, Washington 2.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs were hoping to sweep the Jazz out of the playoffs, and get some rest before their difficult Round 2 match-up against either the Memphis Grizzlies or the Los Angeles Clippers.  Could they do it?  The Spurs got off to a hot start — and Manu Ginobili finally got out of his shooting slump.  He had 17 points on the night.  But, don’t think the Jazz would go quietly into the night.  Nope, not on a home court that used to host some of the best teams of the 90s.  These fans love when their team plays hard, which is why the Jazz came soaring back in the 4th quarter behind a solid 26 point, 10 rebound night from Al Jefferson.  But, in the end, the Spurs were just too smart, too skilled, and too well-coached, and they held of the Jazz’ late surge to sweep the series.  This San Antonio team is on a mission:  Win an NBA Championship before their players are too old to compete.  San Antonio 87, Utah 81.

BASEBALL
Finally, in baseball, star Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who has been fantastic for them ever since helping them win the their first World Series this decade just showed amazingly poor judgement, and is now going to pay.  In a game against the rising Washington Nationals, who have the premium product in the league right now — 19-year slugging phenom Bryce Harper, Hamels wanted to “welcome Harper to the league”.  So how did he do that?  Did he shake his hand?  Give him some career advice?  Give Harper his autograph?  Nope, none of the above.  Hamels decided he would intentionally throw a fastball at his head.  Harper turned at the last second, and it hit his back, but that is incredibly dangerous.  Then, to add a cherry to this, after the game, Hamels said he INTENTIONALLY did it.  Admitting guilt is a good way to get suspended, and that’s exactly what happened to Hamels:  A 5-game suspension.  But, the Nats coach thought it should have been a much more severe punishment.  Really bad move by Hamels.

BASKETBALL

In the  NBA, the New York Knicks were hoping to turn their luck around when they took on LeBron and the Miami Heat in Madison Square Garden.  The Knicks would need a big night from star Carmelo Anthony, as they were without their other star Amare Stoudemire (who was out because he decided to punch the glass encasing of a fire extinguisher — hmmm).  The Knicks did get a 22 point, 8 rebound night from Carmelo, but the Heat are absolutely surging right now and can’t be stopped.  LeBron went off with 32 points, as the Heat simply manhandled the Knicks.  They had no problem with them.  Prior to the playoffs, a lot of people were picking the Knicks to possibly upset the Heat in the first round, but now the Knicks are just 1 game away from being swept, and ousted from the playoffs.  There are rumors that the Knicks are ready to pay coach Phil Jackson a fortune to take over, and next year might be their year… not this year.  Miami 87, NY Knicks 70.

Elsewhere in the NBA, it was Dallas’ first home playoff game since they won the NBA Championship last year.  They were trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-0 in the series, but a veteran team like the Mavs playing in front of their home crowd are a very difficult bunch to defeat.  Dirk Nowitzki had a decent 17 point night for the Mavs, and were trailing by only a modest margin at halftime. They were expecting to really heat up in the second half in front of an enthusiastic crowd.  But, the Thunder came out with a vengeance in the second half and absolutely destroyed the Mavs in the 3rd quarter.  Kevin Durant had 31 points on the evening, as the Thunder sent Mavs fans home early.  The place was lifeless, and the Thunder take a 3-0 lead in the series, priming themselves for a likely second round battle against the Lakers.  OKC 95, Dallas 79.

BASEBALL

Finally, in baseball, some potentially very scary news for Yankees fans.  In a road game against the Royals, the Yankees were practicing their standard pop fly drill.  Very simple:  a batting coach hits pop flys, and the players chase them to warm up.  Sometimes pitchers participate in these drills, pitchers such as Yankees Hall Of Fame closer Mariano Rivera — who’s been doing this for years.  Yesterday, Rivera was chasing a ball when he collided with the wall and his leg buckled, causing him to tear his ACL.  Yes, that hurts.  But more importantly, that’s a very serious injury for an athlete, and it’s likely that Rivera will not only be out for the season, but this injury might end his career.  It would be one thing if Rivera was 25 and needed to just recover.  But for a 42-year old pitcher just looking to hang on to his closing spot and prolong his career, this could be the end.  We’ll see what the medical reports say, but certainly a huge disappointment for all.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs are simply red-hot right now.  They’re a veteran team with rested superstars in Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, and a young supporting staff that all have the same mission:  Win the championship.  Last night was Game 2 of their series against a very young Utah Jazz team.  The Jazz may have a bright future, but they were simply no match for the polished Spurs.  Tony Parker had 18 points and 9 assists in the rout of the Jazz.  If there was any upside for Utah, it’s that their rookie, #3 draft pick overall Enes Kanter, had a solid rebounding night, and showed real promise as an up-and-comer.  The Spurs now lead 2-0.  San Antonio 114, Utah 83.

 
Elsewhere in the NBA, it was Game 2 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.  On Sunday, the Grizzlies were killing the Clippers, up by as many as 27, and then blew the lead to give up home court advantage in the series.  So, come Game 2, the Grizzlies were ready to play and defend their home court against a determined Clippers team.  You can bet that Chris Paul was ready.  He had 29 points on the night, and the Grizzlies didn’t have an answer for him.  But, the Grizz had a guy named Rudy Gay.  He had 21 points himself, and helped the Grizzlies pull away in the 4th quarter.  The Clippers got close, but couldn’t catch the Grizz, and Memphis evened up the series at a game a piece as it heads back to Los Angeles.  Memphis 105, LA Clippers 98.

FOOTBALL

Finally, some very sad news out of the NFL.  Former San Diego Chargers superstar Junior Seau was found dead in his home yesterday, reportedly of a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the chest.  Seau was practically a God to the people of San Diego.  Before the NFL, he was a celebrity in Southern California as a standout at USC.  Then, when he was drafted to Chargers, he became a gift to that franchise on the decline, and turned them around during the 90s — even helped lead them to a Super Bowl.  In San Diego, he had a restaurant and was a local hero to the community.  His death comes as a shocking surprise to both his family and his friends, who said that Seau never showed any ‘cries for help’.  They said Seau was more than just a great player — he was a wonderful person, who did a heavy amount of philanthropic work.  This is a very sad day for the people of San Diego, and the football community in general.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Chicago Bulls entered Game 2 of their series against Philadelphia without their best player:  Former MVP Derrick Rose.  Rose went down with just under 2 minutes in Game 1 with a torn ACL, and was rendered out for the rest of the season.  Could the Bulls survive without him?  They put up a serious fight in the first half, but come the second half, the Sixers simply TOOK OVER!  Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 6 assists for the Sixers in a game where the Sixers looked like the solid team they were at the very beginning of the season.  With the series headed back to Philadelphia, the Bulls may be in serious trouble.  Philadelphia 109, Chicago 92.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers know how to get hot at exactly the right time:  the post-season.  That’s pretty much been Kobe Bryant’s strategy — play hard (but not too hard) during the regular season, and then turn it on in the post-season.  The Lakers demolished the Nuggets in Game 1.  In Game 2, the Nuggets came to play.  They got a nice 25 point night from point-guard Ty Lawson, but the evening belonged to Kobe and the Lakers.  Kobe went off with 38 points, and the Lakers look like a team to be reckoned with right now.  Now the series heads back to Denver for Game 3.  Denver better figure things out, and quick.  LA Lakers 104, Denver 100.

Finally, it was Game 2 between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks.  Atlanta has always felt that they are never taken seriously.  Everyone always talks about the Bulls, Heat, and Magic in the Eastern Conference, but the Hawks have a team loaded with talent, and believe they are just as good.  Plus, in Game 2, they had the advantage of taking on the Celtics WITHOUT Rajon Rondo.  However, the Hawks didn’t expect Paul Pierce to have a monster game.  Pierce finished with 36 points and 14 rebounds, as the Celtics tied up the series at a game a piece.  For the Hawks, some bad news, as their star Josh Smith banged his knee in the first half and didn’t return.  Will he be available for Game 3?  Boston 87, Atlanta 80.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 2 of the ‘heated’ series between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.  The Heat absolutely destroyed the Knicks in Game 1. The Knicks simply had no answer for LeBron and the Heat.  And, Game 2 would be no different.  Carmelo Anthony, who is playing out of his mind right now, had a solid game with 30 points and 9 rebounds.  But Dwayne Wade’s 25 point night gave Miami everything they needed to take a 2-0 lead in the series.  The biggest story of the night was actually after the game.  Frustrated by the loss, Amare Stoudemire PUNCHED the glass encasing of a fire extinguisher and sliced his hand up.  Not a great move — and one that will likely cause Amare to sit out a Game or 2 or even the entire series.  The Knicks, who had a great run during the Jeremy Lin heyday, are simply imploding right now.  Miami 104, NY Knicks 94.

Elsewhere in the NBA playoffs, it was Game 2 between the #3 seed Indiana Pacers and the #6 seed Orlando Magic WITHOUT Dwight Howard.  However, even though they are without Howard this post-season, the Magic still found a way to go on an 11-0 run at the end of the first battle to steal a win on Indiana’s home court.  Could they take a 2-0 lead in the series?  This time Danny Granger and the Pacers were ready.  They had a better game plan, and got the first round jitters and mistakes out of their system.  David West had a strong evening with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the Pacers cruised to a Game 2 victory which evens up the series.  Indiana 93, Orlando 78.

And finally, a much anticipated Game 2 between the #2 Oklahoma City Thunder and the #7 Dallas Mavericks.  OKC won game 1 with a remarkable buzzer beater from Kevin Durant (a highlight we’ll likely see played over and over during this post season), but it’s unlike Dallas to lose 2 in a row.  After all, they are trying to repeat as National Champions.  But the Thunder are playing such phenomenal basketball that they would be tough to stop.  Have you SEEN Russell Westbrook — this guy is turning into a tornado of points out there.  He had 29 points on the night to give OKC the momentum they needed at the right time.  Even though Dallas had a lead with under a minute to go, they couldn’t hold on, and the Thunder edged out a victory to put the series at 2-0  in their favor headed back to Dallas.  Can Dallas even things up on their home court?  OKC 102, Dallas 99.