to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy… and to laugh along the way
Sixteen magnificent teams remained after the NBA’s long 2023 regular season. Another 8 were to fall after the first round of the brutal it’s-you-or-me killer playoffs. And the eight survivors – bloodied all, but alive nonetheless – move on to do battle yet again for the right to make the Final Four. Like the gladiators of old, eight teams prepare with their weapons of choice, to meet yet another team, in a duel to the death. It is kill-or-be-killed time, it is lose and begone!
But it was playoff Jimmy, the same guy who lifted the Heat all the way to the 2020 Finals; who almost stole the show from no less than that cage god himself, Lebron James; who would once again wield his own style of cage wizardry. Jimmy ‘Buckets’ would regale his Heat faithful, making them believe that 16-point leads, 12 point leads – whatever – are nothing, if you dig deep and play your hearts out.
Now comes the real thing. It’s off with the warm-up games (aka: the regular season), and it’s on to the real games (aka: the playoffs). From hereon, it’s every game counts as the best teams step forward to do battle in the playoffs.
The race for the playoffs in the west is becoming tighter and more interesting. With only a couple of games remaining, there is still no clear picture as to who gets to match-up against whom. The match-ups themselves will matter, with some teams having easier times against certain match-ups with other teams. This April 15, the ref’s whistle signals the start of the playoffs. Let’s watch, and be entertained.
In May 8, 1970, a beleaguered New York Knicks team was playing in Game 7 of the NBA championship against the star-studded LA Lakers led by a trio of future Hall-of Famers in Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. It had been a tightly-contested NBA Finals, with the Knicks staring at a possible loss following an unfortunate thigh injury to Willis Reed, the Knicks captain and spiritual leader. The Knicks had led the series 3-2 before Reed injured his thigh. Without Reed in Game 6, Chamberlain would wreak havoc in the shaded lane, with monster figures of 45 points and 27 rebounds – both series highs – in a 22-point blowout win over the Knicks.
Overall, the key factors that will matter most in these last few games in the regular season will be: how the new players (Durant, Irving, Westbrook, etc) integrate into their new teams’ systems; how the injuries (Lebron, Durant, Zion, Towns, etc) affect their teams’ standings at the end of the season; and how other issues (Morant, Wiggins) pan out. We have here a long list of outstanding players. But do they fit in? Will they bring out the best out of the rest of the crew? Are they healthy enough – physically and mentally – for the rigors of the playoffs?
Color My World 