Leading up to the NBA Playoffs, fan anticipation levels were off the charts. We witnessed the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks become major players after fantastic seasons. The Western Conference was chocked full of contenders. A new big three emerged in Cleveland. Everything was set up to make this one of the most wild and crazy NBA playoffs in recent history. Apparently Tom Brady and Bill Belichick must’ve slipped in through the back door though and removed some of the playoff PSI as a barrage of injuries deflated the hype. The first round of playoff matchups ended up being mostly walkthroughs as potentially tough outs were ushered out the door due to crippled star players. The playoffs became a battle of attrition and it seemed the Mayhem insurance guy made more appearances than Cliff Paul.
It seems the league has finally found its footing in the second round though. Every matchup has been hard fought. Each series is guaranteed to go at least six games, with the potential to reach seven. Imagine if all four semifinal matchups reached Game 7. An uncontrollable eruption of hyperbole would cause the talking heads on ESPN to explode. Playoff buzz is back to monstrous levels, partially due to the amount of buzzer beaters by big stars in this round. Derrick Rose and Paul Pierce banked in game winners on consecutive nights. LeBron James, not one to be outdone, changed the coaches play call and drained his own three point dagger at the buzzer the following night. That’s right, three last-second, game-winning shots in three days. It seems like a little March Madness magic has invaded the professional ranks. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Injuries are still a part of the playoffs, but instead of disappointment, they are leading to intrigue. Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley borrowed Russell Westbrook’s facemask since he doesn’t need it and returned from a fractured face to light up the Golden State Warriors. He and the Grizz have given the Warriors a fight that not many expected. Chris Paul has been fighting through a bad hammy and has the Clippers on the brink of advancing. The Rockets are missing James Harden Patrick Beverly badly this postseason. Even though Harden shoulders most of the ball handling duties, it’s hard to beat a talented team like Paul’s Clippers without your starting point guard. Starting power forward Donatas Motiejunas also is done with a back injury, meaning the guys across from Paul and Blake Griffin are backups. That’s tough sledding.Â
In the East, Kevin Love is out for the rest of the season with a bum shoulder. That means the Cavs, who were expected by many to waltz through the East, are vulnerable. Love and James may not be BFFs off the court, but Love is an extraordinary talent and his absence will be felt every game. In Washington, John Wall is hoping his fractured hand/wrist will heal enough to get him back on the court. Pierce, Wall and Bradley Beal are a problem for any team to deal with. The Wizards need Wall in the lineup if the team expects to deliver a KO to the team with the best record in the East.
Though the obvious preference would be a have all teams at full strength, the injuries have given a new level of intrigue to these playoffs. While Cleveland and Golden State are likely still most people’s favorites, at this point, we might all be better off just covering our eyes and tossing at a dartboard. With the unknown comes excitement and may prove to be one of the more exciting playoffs in years.
Boxing on the rebound
The masses felt burned by the big letdown in action between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. While the fight broke every monetary record in boxing history, the fighters barely broke a sweat. However, this past weekend fight fans received a treat when Saul “Canelo” Alvarez met up with James Kirkland in one of the most anti-MayPac fights you’ll ever see. Alvarez and Kirkland stood toe-to-toe with a singular goal – to knock each other’s head off. Though it wasn’t a long fight, fans in attendance certainly got their money’s worth. The powerful and game Kirkland gave everything he had, but it simply wasn’t enough as Alvarez dropped him multiple times en route to a devastating third-round KO.
Boxing great Roy Jones Jr. said it best, “You got a boxing match last week, this is a fight.”
According to HBO, the fight was seen by more than 2.1 million viewers. The numbers were undoubtedly boosted by the Mayweather – Pacquiao replay, however, it was still the most viewed HBO fight in over a decade, once again putting to bed the silly rumors that boxing is dead.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk
