NBA FINALS
The Miami Heat travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ABC. The Thunder lost their first two games in the Western Conference finals to the Spurs before winning four straight games and the series. The Heat were down 3-2 to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals and people were burying them. They won their final two games though to reach the finals.
LeBron James was masterful in the series against the Celtics. Here are some of his significant stats from the series, from ESPN.com: 33.6 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 53 percent shooting, six 30-point games, five 30-point/10-rebound games, a 45-point elimination game on the road and an 11-point fourth quarter to finish off a 31-point, 12-rebound effort in the first Game 7 victory of his career.
No doubt James came up big. Now here is the real test. He's back in the finals where he has lost twice before. Will he become the Frozen One in the fourth quarter, as some pundits call him when he seems to lock up late in games? Or will he finally step up in the biggest of moments and catapult the Heat to an NBA title?
The task will not be easy. The Thunder are young and might have more depth than the Heat. The Big Three of the Thunder -- Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden (who comes off the bench) -- rival and sometimes surpass the Big Three of the Heat. We know those six players are going to produce more often than not. It is going to come down to what the supporting cast of each team contributes.
I think if the Thunder win this series, then it will go seven games. I think the Heat could win it in six or seven. I am going to say the Heat in 7.
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STANLEY CUP FINAL
Never call the NHL's championship series the Stanley Cup Finals with an "s." Hockey purists like my friend from work, Ryan Pronk, will get mad with you. There is no "s."
The Los Angeles Kings ripped through the New Jersey Devils in the first three games of the final and looked well on their way to winning the championship. Not so fast. The Devils have now won back-to-back games. If they can pull off a comeback, it will be just the second time a team has been down 3-0 in the finals and come back to win it all. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs were the first. It is worth pointing out that only Game 3 was a blow out in the Kings' favor (4-0). Their other two wins were 2-1 in overtime. So the Devils have been there much of the series and are now capitalizing. Game 6 is in Los Angeles tonight on NBC at 8 p.m. I would imagine the Kings want to close this out tonight at home and not have to go way back East in New Jersey with the momentum completely shifted and try to win the Cup.
The Miami Heat travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday at 9 p.m. on ABC. The Thunder lost their first two games in the Western Conference finals to the Spurs before winning four straight games and the series. The Heat were down 3-2 to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals and people were burying them. They won their final two games though to reach the finals.
LeBron James was masterful in the series against the Celtics. Here are some of his significant stats from the series, from ESPN.com: 33.6 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 53 percent shooting, six 30-point games, five 30-point/10-rebound games, a 45-point elimination game on the road and an 11-point fourth quarter to finish off a 31-point, 12-rebound effort in the first Game 7 victory of his career.
No doubt James came up big. Now here is the real test. He's back in the finals where he has lost twice before. Will he become the Frozen One in the fourth quarter, as some pundits call him when he seems to lock up late in games? Or will he finally step up in the biggest of moments and catapult the Heat to an NBA title?
The task will not be easy. The Thunder are young and might have more depth than the Heat. The Big Three of the Thunder -- Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden (who comes off the bench) -- rival and sometimes surpass the Big Three of the Heat. We know those six players are going to produce more often than not. It is going to come down to what the supporting cast of each team contributes.
I think if the Thunder win this series, then it will go seven games. I think the Heat could win it in six or seven. I am going to say the Heat in 7.
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STANLEY CUP FINAL
Never call the NHL's championship series the Stanley Cup Finals with an "s." Hockey purists like my friend from work, Ryan Pronk, will get mad with you. There is no "s."
The Los Angeles Kings ripped through the New Jersey Devils in the first three games of the final and looked well on their way to winning the championship. Not so fast. The Devils have now won back-to-back games. If they can pull off a comeback, it will be just the second time a team has been down 3-0 in the finals and come back to win it all. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs were the first. It is worth pointing out that only Game 3 was a blow out in the Kings' favor (4-0). Their other two wins were 2-1 in overtime. So the Devils have been there much of the series and are now capitalizing. Game 6 is in Los Angeles tonight on NBC at 8 p.m. I would imagine the Kings want to close this out tonight at home and not have to go way back East in New Jersey with the momentum completely shifted and try to win the Cup.
The Kings had better close it out tonight. Or else it will be the Devil to pay (no pun intended).
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