La Velle's 3-2 Pitch: Three observations and two predictions on Sundays.
When it comes to postseason thrill, the NHL is dunking on — or high sticking? — the NBA
The postseason has been spectacular on the ice, but hit-and-miss on the hardwood.
May 29, 2022 at 1:51AM
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The Edmonton Oilers are in the Western Conference finals, and I wish they weren't. Not that I dislike them. I just wanted their series against Calgary to last forever.
There was end-to-end action, a ridiculous 71 seconds of madness in Game 5 on Thursday during which four goals were scored and, finally, the great Connor McDavid crushing the Flames' dreams with a wrister from between the circles. Just awesome playoff hockey.
There was more local interest in this postseason with the Wild, coming off its best regular season ever, entering with hopes of a long run. Its series with St. Louis had its moments too, like when Kirill Kaprizov tried to put the team on his back in Game 5.
The Stanley Cup playoffs often provide thrills from start to finish, and they haven't disappointed this year.
On the other hand, I can't wait for the NBA playoffs to be over.
This year's postseason field offered plenty of intrigue. LeBron James and the Lakers were absent. There were four 50-win teams in the East, and things seemed set up for new blood to take the crown. There were no superteams in the field — except for Golden State's revival, perhaps. I don't think the superteam era is facing extinction, but this is a cycle where teams can win by being adaptable and more collaborative than relying on superstars.
The first issue with the NBA playoffs is keeping up with who's available. The sport that invented "load management" has watched players like Joel Embiid, Khris Middleton, Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic miss games with injuries. Butler is banged up. A sore Kyle Lowry went scoreless in Game 5 against the Celtics.
Game 5, by the way, was unwatchable. The Heat led 42-37 at halftime and it wasn't because of suffocating defense. Of, course this was the response after Miami opened Game 4 by missing 15 of its first 16 shots while coughing up 11 first-quarter points.
Watching the NBA playoffs has made me prefer to watch the Loons offense. Entering Friday's game, just five of the previous 17 playoff games had been decided by fewer than 10 points. Blowouts happen in the playoffs but, goodness, can you provide just a dollop of intrigue?
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The combination of injuries, ugly offense and no drama has led to me switching to hockey. Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon on Wednesday went coast-to-coast to score a magnificent goal against the Blues, but St. Louis rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win in overtime and avoid elimination in Game 5. I'm led to believe that more is coming from the Stanley Cup playoffs, while lowering my expectations when I turn to the NBA.
Perhaps Golden State's Splash Brothers returning to the Finals can restore my faith in postseason hoops.
No worries over Buxton's slump
It wasn't pretty, but Byron Buxton beat out an infield grounder in the ninth inning on Thursday to end a 0-for-30 slump that had pulled his batting average below .200.
The Slump had become a hot topic in town because it occurred right after we learned that the Twins were taking a page from the NBA's load management guide and applying it to their superstar center fielder. Is the extra time off affecting his timing at the plate? Is his sore right knee more troublesome than the Twins are revealing?
My one quibble is that he could pick one time each series to bunt for a hit or beat the extreme shift some teams employ against him. Otherwise, he usually makes an adjustment and figures a way to get his bat going. He's had some hard-hit outs so, eventually, something was going to fall in and get him back on track.
Seed by conference, not by division
Every team had to play within the same format. But the NHL would be better off switching to playoff seeding by conference than by division.
The reasoning for the current format is that division rivals attract more interest and increase the chance for full stadiums during the early rounds. But it meant that the Wild, with the second-most points in the Western Conference, had to face the Blues, which had the fourth-most, in the first round. If seeded by conference rankings, the Wild would have faced seventh-seeded Dallas and the Blues would have faced Edmonton in the first round. With that matchup, even Kevin Fiala would have scored a goal.
But the NHL has chosen its bank accounts over balance. The Blues vanquished the Wild and the NHL had Calgary-Edmonton and Florida-Tampa Bay matchups in the second round. So I doubt those folks will listen to me.
... AND TWO PREDICTIONS ...
Help arrives from St. Paul
The Twins' lack of offense is going to lead to dramatic measures. Look for Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff to be called up by June 13 to bolster the attack.
Warriors retake the throne
Regardless if it is against the Celtics or Heat, Golden State is ready to bring glory to the Bay Area. The Warriors are going to win their seventh title, fourth during the Steph Curry era.
Heading into Sunday's game against the Vikings, the Bears have lost four in a row with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and a shuffled offensive staff. But looks can be deceiving.
