Tag: Manu Ginobili

Playoffs, Playoffs, And More Playoffs!!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

predators

Monday was a busy night for the record books. What’s Playoff Season without making a little history, right?? And what’s better than Playoff Season?!

“What do you like better, Christmas or Wedding Season?”

“Mr. Grey?”

“Yes. The answer would be, um, Wedding season?”

Yes. I like Playoff Season better than Christmas. Don’t judge me. From the hardwood to the ice, last night was a channel flippin’ kind of night. I’m surprised the ‘last’ button on my television remote didn’t fall off. Where shall we start first? NHL or NBA? Competitive or ahem..non-competitive? Nail-biting finishes or ummmm..beat the traffic? I guess I shouldn’t beat up the NBA too badly if I want you to read about it….

But first, lace up those skates because we’re heading to the rink.

NHL Playoffs

How many times have you seen the Nashville Predators play hockey this year? Or ever? Well, you should start because they are a lot of fun to watch. And talk about an exciting venue. Bridgestone Arena was absolutely rockin’ last night. The Predators ousted the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals (by the score of 6-3). The Predators are heading to their 1st Stanley Cup Finals in franchise history. They await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals (Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators). The Penguins lead 3 games to 2 and Game 6 will be played tonight on NBC Sports @ 8:00 P.M. Sydney Crosby is good at hockey. Anyway….

The Predators jumped out to an early 2-0 lead just 8:47 into the 1st period. After going up 3-1 early in the 3rd period, enter the “most dangerous lead in hockey”. This of course is the myth that having a 2-goal lead is a bad thing. Well, Monday night, it almost was. The Predators surrendered 2 goals in the span of 3 minutes and 52 seconds. Just like that, the game was tied at 3. The Predators, as they have throughout the playoffs, showed their resiliency. With 6 minutes to play, Colton Sissons completed his hat trick, putting the Predators up 4-3. They would add 2 empty-net goals, after the Ducks pulled their goalie inexplicably early (2:30 left to play!). Apparently, that is new school hockey. Where’s Steve Yzerman when you need him??

Did I mention the Nashville Predators are the #8 seed in the Western Conference?? Oh yeah. It is only the 3rd time a #8 seed has reached the Stanley Cup Finals. Immediately following the game, Michael Bosnack of Floral Park, an NHL enthusiast, said, “Nashville may be famous for their country music, but the Predators are slowly becoming the hidden gem down in the Music City. The pulse of the city runs through Bridgestone Arena these days.”  

Predators coach, Peter Laviolette, became just the 4th coach to bring 3 different teams to the Stanley Cup Finals. That is an exceptional honor, but Laviolette made light of it by saying, “That probably means I’ve been fired a lot.” Laviolette should be proud of his team. They have only lost once at home in the playoffs. For now, they celebrate!!

NBA Playoffs

The Golden State Warriors Won aga…….

Man, I sound like a broken record. I can picture the millennials now: What’s a record? Can I swipe it to the left?? Can I post about it right now???

NO. You can’t. Just show up for work on time.

Anyway, the Golden State Warriors won again by double digits (129-115), sweeping the San Antonio Spurs. This not only completed the sweep of the Western Conference Finals but of the entire playoffs!! This hasn’t happened since the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers swept their way to the NBA Finals. The Lakers accomplished this in 11 games because the 1st round was previously a best-of-five series. The Warriors became the 1st team to win 12 consecutive games to start the playoffs and to also sweep three 7-game series in one playoffs. And now, they will wait for Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to quit messin’ around and dispose of the Boston Celtics already.

While the Warriors were busy steamrolling the Spurs, fans seemed more preoccupied with paying homage to Manu Ginobili. The soon to be 40 year-old most likely put on his Spurs’ jersey for the last time. Ginobili was the 57th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. That’s the 2nd to last pick in the draft for those of you keeping score at home. Ginobili played internationally for a few years before entering the league in 2002. And the rest, as they say, is history. 15 NBA seasons and 4 NBA Championships later, Ginobili will more than likely be ‘hangin’ it up’. He will go down as one of the best international players to ever play in the NBA. His high energy and pesky style of play made him a staple as the 6th man on the Spurs’ dynasty of the past decade and a half. Thanks for the good times Manu.

What were you watching last night? The NBA Playoffs, the NHL Playoffs, or something weird I’ve never heard of before? Let me know in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

 

 

Spurs Win Overtime Thriller!!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

manu

Whoever said ‘Father Time’ is unbeaten clearly hasn’t met Manu Ginobili. Or Tom Brady I’m assuming. Or Roy Jones Jr. for that matter. Did you know Jones Jr. is still fighting professionally at the age of 48?! That’s awesome!! Man, how did I get off topic already?! Anyway….Ginobili, the former 6th Man of the Year, turned back the clock Tuesday night, leading his San Antonio Spurs to victory (110 – 107 F/OT). They became his Spurs when Kawhi Leonard tweaked his ankle in the 3rd quarter after stepping on James Harden’s foot. Leonard would return to the game, but the injury forced him to watch the final 5:34 from the sidelines. With the series tied at 2-2, the atmosphere was tense inside AT&T Center. The fans, who seemingly stood the entire game, were rewarded with the best game of the 2017 playoffs. Exciting games have been few and far between in these playoffs, but Game 5 did not disappoint.

James Harden’s stat-line looks fantastic. He posted a triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, numbers only tell part of the story. Harden was BRUTAL when it mattered most. Don’t believe me?? That’s okay, just check out James Harden’s final 5:54 of the game:

  • He went scoreless on 0-2 shooting
  • He had 4 turnovers (9 total for the game)
  • He committed a silly foul on Danny Green on a made basket with :30 left in overtime
  • And last but certainly not least, his 3-point attempt at the buzzer was blocked from behind by Manu Ginobili

Game 5 was not about Harden’s ugly beard, however, it was about the Spurs resilient performance. While their best player was resigned to the bench, the Spurs embodied the motto ‘Next Man Up’. Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Patty Mills, and Jonathan Simmons put forth memorable performances. Mills played a team high 43 minutes, contributed 20 points, and hit a game high five 3-pointers (none bigger than the one that brought them within 2 with 2:12 left in regulation). Simmons brought the energy. After every big play, Simmons could be seen screaming and pumping his fists passionately. Simmons was also the culprit in 3 out of Harden’s 4 turnovers down the stretch. Danny Green singlehandedly outscored the Houston Rockets in overtime (7-6). He actually scored all 7 of those points in the final :56 of overtime (impressive right?). And then there’s soon-to-be 40, Manu Ginobili. Ginobili posted 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and most importantly 1 MONSTER BLOCK (as pictured above)!!

Manu Ginobili has been an essential part of the Spurs last 4 championships. And with Tony Parker already out for the remainder of the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard now hobbled, Ginobili will need to channel the 2006-2007 version himself if he wants to wear ring number 5. Assuming the Spurs do outlast the Rockets, I can’t see them stealing more than 2 games from the Golden State Warriors. I’ll be rooting for Ginobili and the Spurs (even though I’m a loyal Knicks fan), but I think Curry and company will be too much to handle for old man river.

How far do you think the Spurs will go in the playoffs?? Let me know in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

 

 

 

 

One Liner Friday’s

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Welcome back to another Friday edition of One Liners. Here you will find the past week in sports wrapped up in one line and one line only. Enjoy!

Congratulations Lebron on winning your 2nd championship, now you’re not a complete and total failure.

Everyone can keep saying that Gregg Popovich is the best coach of all-time, but when you make horrible blunder after horrible blunder late in championship games maybe you’re not who we thought you were.

Thanks for explaining yourself though, we all really appreciate it.

It’s time Manu, it’s time.

Everyone understands that Aaron Hernandez is going to be brought up on murder charges soon right?

I mean this guy has to be one of the dumbest people on the planet.

Aaron, please don’t shoot me in the face because you’re the butt of one of my jokes.

+13 Tiger, really?

At least you didn’t make any excuses for your poor play.

Can the Yankees demote Phil Hughes all the way back to high school?

The sky is falling the sky is falling, oh no wait that’s just babies falling from the sky.

In all seriousness though, nice catch Joe Torre’s daughter.

If you haven’t been watching the Stanley Cup Finals you should start.

Yasiel Puig!

Now I know Spain is the best soccer team in the world, but 10-0?

The craziest part of that game is that Spain let Tahiti play with 17 men on the field.

This week’s installment has been short but sweet, but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Heat Steal Overtime Thriller

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

If you fell asleep before the end of this game last night, I feel bad for you. It was one of the best basketball games that has ever been played. The San Antonio Spurs came into Miami with the momentum from a solid victory in game 5 and they looked like they were well on their way to another championship. They outplayed the Heat for the first 3 quarters and all they had to do was play 12 more solid minutes of basketball and the championship was theirs. And then, seemingly in a blink of an eye, someone knocked off Lebron James’ headband and knocked some sense into his head. He flipped that switch that everyone in the world (other than himself apparently) knows he can. He physically took over the game at both ends of the floor and singlehandedly brought his team back from the brink of elimination. I don’t care what Lebron’s final stat line turned out to be though, he did not play well until the 4th quarter. Now, despite his dominating play in the 4th quarter, the Heat still found themselves down 5 points with under 30 seconds to play. While the 2nd to last minute of the game was filled with Heat mistakes, the last minute (and overtime) was filled with Spurs mistakes. And Gregg Popovich deserves the majority of the blame for these blunders. Yes, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard both missed free throws down the stretch, but it was the benching of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker at the most inopportune times that will stick in my mind. For those of you who missed the end of the game let me give you a quick rundown of what I’m talking about. The Spurs were up 4 points with 28 seconds left in regulation and Manu Ginobili was heading to the free throw line. He had the opportunity to put the game nearly out of reach. Instead, he misses the first free throw and makes the second. Then after a Heat timeout, Tim Duncan was left on the bench for Boris Diaw. On the ensuing possession Lebron misses a 3-pointer but Mike Miller grabs the offensive rebound, swings it back out to James, and bang he nails the shot. Would Duncan have gotten that defensive rebound if he was in the game? There is no guarantee, but I would have bet money on it. Now, down 2, the Heat send Kawhi Leonard to the free throw line on a phantom foul by Mike Miller. He follows in Ginobili’s footsteps and proceeds to miss the first and make the second free throw. Inexplicably, Popovich decides to take Duncan out of the game AGAIN. This obviously leads to yet another offensive rebound by the Heat, which in turn leads to the game tying 3-pointer by Ray Allen. Popovich may be one of the greatest coaches of all time, but how do you explain these tactical errors?

Now what occurred immediately following Allen’s monumental 3-pointer is the fact that the game was stopped to review whether the shot was in fact a 3-pointer. No one is talking about this today, and this angers me to a level that I don’t have a word for, and Popovich was pretty livid with the referees as well. As seen in overtime, Popovich likes to take the ball and push it (off makes or misses) in hopes to catch the defense off guard for an easy basket. He will do this no matter the situation, and if the Spurs were able to inbound the ball and push it right away no one knows what could have happened. The game was stopped and while the Spurs did get time to set up a play, so did the Heat’s defense. In turn, the final possession in regulation failed miserably and it was off to overtime we went. I’ll fast forward to the last 31 seconds because that’s where it gets interesting. The Spurs were down by one and Gregg Popovich, for no sane reason, decides to take Tony Parker out of the game. Common sense would dictate, and even the commentators mentioned that Popovich would most likely be bringing Parker back into the game on the next timeout. So, the Heat miss their shot attempt and the Spurs grab the rebound with just under 10 seconds to play. Instead of calling a timeout to bring Parker back in and set up a play, the Spurs decide to push the ball up the floor. Manu Ginobili (who played one of the worst games you’ll ever see) tries to drive the lane against 3 Heat players and gets stripped/fouled and the ball lands in Ray Allen’s hands. Allen is fouled with 1.9 seconds left on the clock and knocks down both free throws (of course). The Spurs then call a timeout to push the ball past half court. With one final effort, Tim Duncan inbounds the ball across the court to Danny Green who is blocked/fouled by Chris Bosh as time expires. The Heat force a game 7 in dramatic fashion, and if it is anything like game 6 it will not disappoint.

The big question at this moment is: how can the Spurs possibly bounce back from a crushing defeat to win game 7 on the road? It is a tough question to answer, but I believe if any team can do it, it would be this years Spurs. They have shown their resiliency in this series, always bouncing right back immediately following a defeat. Tim Duncan will need to use his two greatest inventions to do it though; his time machine and his cloning machine. In order for the Spurs to win game 7, Tim Duncan needs to play like he did back in 2003, and he needs to clone himself from the first half of game 6. Duncan was masterful in the first half, scoring at will and putting on a rebounding clinic. Duncan took Chris Bosh to school last night, dominating him in every aspect of the game. It is so impressive to watch Duncan play at such a high level after so many years, and Chris Bosh is no match for Duncan’s greatness in the low post. The Spurs could also use a slightly better effort from Manu Ginobili if they plan on celebrating on Miami’s home court Thursday night. But the most important task for the Spurs in game 7, is to contain Lebron James. Lebron continues to move from the most important game of his career to the most important game of his career. He should look to take control early as he did in last night’s 4th quarter. However, I’m sure the Spurs would love to see him come out flat again with 9 points in the first half. Think about that, Lebron scored 9 points on 3-12 shooting in the first half. That’s horrible! And while Boris Diaw and Kawhi Leonard deserve all the credit in the world for their defensive job on Lebron, no one should hold him to those kind of numbers, ever.

Game 7 should be another epic chapter in the history of the NBA. Take a nap Thursday afternoon, throw water on your face at halftime, or drink 3 coffees and red bull because you won’t want to miss this game. Tune into game 7 on ABC at 9:00 p.m. to catch all the action. Oh, you want a prediction? How could I forget? I would love for the Spurs to win, but I see the Heat winning a tight one; 99-96. I have my fingers crossed right now (yes I’m typing) and I’ll be on the edge of my seat rooting for the Spurs Thursday night, but that’s how I see it going down. Enjoy! Leave your predictions below in the comment section.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Big Weekend In Sports

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

This was a big weekend in sports that just passed us by. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and their Father’s Day. If you spent some time on your couch with your television like I did, than you definitely enjoyed yourself. There were 3 major sporting events going on, and I’m going to give you a quick rundown of what took place in each one. First you had Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday night. Then you had the finish of golf’s U.S Open Sunday Evening. And last but certainly not least you had Game 5 of the NBA Finals Sunday night. None were more exciting than the hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins.

If you saw Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals than you already know how epically great that game was, and how competitive this series is going to be. Quickly for those who don’t know, the Blackhawks took Game 1 in triple overtime! It was a game for the ages and it set the table for game 2. How could Game 2 live up to the expectations that Game 1 laid on top of its napkin you ask? Well, they mustered up another exhilarating overtime thriller, that’s how. The Boston Bruins evened up the series at 1 game a piece by winning 2-1 over Chicago. Boston allowed a lonely goal in the 1st period and then tightened up the defense for the rest of the contest. You can catch what should be another exciting game on Monday night on NBC. The puck drops at 8:00 p.m. in Boston. Enjoy!!

Now, ever since Thursday morning’s rain delayed U.S. Open got started, everyone was wondering and waiting for Tiger to make his push towards his 15th major. The only problem was that the push never came. Tiger didn’t start out too badly but played progressively worse as the week went on. Tiger finished with a career worst 72-hole score of +13. I guess we’ll all have to wait for the British Open to see if Tiger can end his 5 year drought without a major victory. His last major came at the U.S. Open in 2008 after beating Rocco Mediate in a ’19’ hole playoff. While Woods struggled with Mr. 3 Wiggle all weekend, Justin Rose minimized his mistakes and gutted out his 1st major victory. He won by 2 strokes (+1) over 2nd place finishers Jason Day and Phil Mickelson (both were +3). This is Phil’s 6th 2nd place finish at U.S. Open. Man that’s gotta suck! Anyway, job well done Justin Rose, and better luck next time Phil.

Sunday night’s NBA Finals Game 5 was one that was certain to bring big drama. The San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat have exchanged wins all series, but everyone was expecting the Heat to carry their momentum from game 4 into game 5 and finally put this series out of reach. Boy were they wrong. Despite another solid performance from Dwyane Wade, the Spurs were simply too good for Miami. They basically carried the lead from wire to wire and won the game by a score of 114-104. San Antonio’s ‘Big 3’ hopped in their time machine and pulled a performance somewhere out of 2003. They scored a combined 67 points while arguably the Finals MVP at the moment, Danny Green, added 24 points of his own. Green hit another 6 3-pointers and surpassed Ray Allen as the all-time leader for 3-pointers in an NBA Finals. Manu Ginobili was inserted into the starting lineup and hit the Spurs first shot. He was off and running from there and never looked back. While the Spurs seemingly couldn’t miss, Lebron James went ice cold in the 2nd half. For the game he went a putrid 8-22 from the field, and will need to play a whole lot better if they plan on raising any more banners in Miami this year. You got what you asked for Lebron. Now all you have to do is execute. Good luck buddy, you’re going to need it.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served, uhhh, Hot?

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

The marathon that is the NBA Playoffs has finally reached its apex; the NBA Finals. There are many gripping story lines attached to these Finals, all of which will contribute to an epic showdown. Lebron James, as a 22 year old, led his Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals only to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs. This was Lebron’s first taste of the Finals, but it was the taste of defeat that has stayed with him. See, it is Lebron’s desire to win that separates him from the rest of the league (that and his freak of nature physique), and he would love to beat the team that sent him packing (broom in hand), back in 2007. Lebron James is obviously a million times the player he was in ’07, and I think this series will go a little bit differently than the last time they met. On the other hand, you have the most soft spoken all-time great in the history of the league playing for his 5th Championship. At the ripe young age of 37, Tim Duncan is playing like the Tim Duncan of old. He has transformed his body and his mind in order to continue to succeed at the highest level. It also doesn’t hurt that he has some guy by the name of Tony Parker on his team. As with any series there are many questions that need to be answered: Will Lebron James exact his revenge on the Spurs? Will Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade show up for the entire series? Will Tim Duncan continue his stellar play? Will the 187 days of rest help or hurt the Spurs? And last but not least, who will hoist the trophy over their head at the end of this series?

I believe this will be a long hard fought series. On one side you have the best player in the world looking to establish his rightful place among the games all-time greats. On the other side you have the closest thing we’ve seen to a dynasty since the Lakers of the Shaq and Kobe era. The longevity of the Spurs and coach Gregg Popovich is impressive and Duncan is looking to win titles over a 14 year span (unprecedented span). The Heat are looking to win consecutive Championships and build a little dynasty of their own. However, with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh’s games both rapidly declining this postseason, many have wondered if this will be their last run at a title as presently constructed. The future for the Heat and Spurs is yet to be seen, but the present is upon us. Tony Parker will play a phenomenal series and people will continue to see why he is one of the best basketball players in the world. Tim Duncan will show case exactly why he has been so great for so long in this series. Many Ginobili will add some timely big shots and flops when necessary as well. However, Lebron James and the Miami Heat will prove to be too much for Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. The Miami Heat will win their 2nd consecutive championship. The Heat certainly have their work cut out for them though. Popovich is too good of a coach to get run off the floor. This will be a grueling back and forth series that spans 14 weeks and 7 games. You can watch Game 1 tonight @ 9:00 p.m. on ABC. Enjoy the action!!

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!