Sports Eye
Epic come-from-behind win by Warriors
By Jesus A. Garcia, Jr.
WE, ardent fans of basketball and boxing, watched on television last week the come-from-behind victory of NBA’s defending champions Golden State Warriors against the hunters Oklahoma City Thunder, and the triumph of our very own Donnie “Ahas” Nietes vs. the Mexican Raul “Rayito” Garcia for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior flyweight title fight.
WE, ardent fans of basketball and boxing, watched on television last week the come-from-behind victory of NBA’s defending champions Golden State Warriors against the hunters Oklahoma City Thunder, and the triumph of our very own Donnie “Ahas” Nietes vs. the Mexican Raul “Rayito” Garcia for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior flyweight title fight.
It was great watching the beleaguered Warriors, downed in fragments initially, then recovered from 1-3 shortage to silence the title hunting Thunder thrice in-a-row, 120-111, 108-101, 96-88 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. They retained their title and the right to play against the Lebron James-Kyre Irving tandem led Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015-2016 NBA season championship. The Oakland-based Warriors were the 10th team to win the Conference title that came back from 1-3 arrears and the 8th team to win at home.
By the time you read this piece, the first two games of the best-of-seven series have been played. It’s a rematch for the two great teams after the Warriors won the diadem last year via a convincing 4-2 fashion. Experts say the title hungry Cavs are slightly favored to win the title this time with its strong supporting cast, unlike last year when the Cavs lost its two marquee players, Irving and Kevin Love, due to injuries.
True enough, the Cavs are in good physical shape this time and will make an even match to Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, they who will likely do the damage in response to the bombs of James and Irving, like what they did to the Kevin Durant-Russel Westbrook tandem. They’re the titleholders and have the home court edge, having established an NBA record 73 wins with only 9 defeats during the regular season. They broke the 72-10 (win-loss) two-decade record of Michael Jordan’s led Chicago Bulls. And we all know that having the home court advantage is a moral booster. The Warriors will not be called as such if they’re not true warriors. Winning the last three times games consecutively in an epic way to boot out the rolling Thunder was no fluke.
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I bumped into Calasiao mayor-elect Joseph Bauzon last June 1 during the Breakfast Club conference at President’s Hotel in Lingayen hosted by media colleagues Mita Duque and Jun Velasco. The young new hizzoner Bauzon, the nephew and godson of former PBA pioneer Orlando Bauzon of the fabled Toyota Comets, told me that he will continue to promote sports, particularly basketball and if possible to shorten Calasiao town fiesta celebration to just four days. The 5’10” Bauzon, 27, a close friend of 2nd District Engineer Office head and cycling fanatic Engr. Rodolfo “Boy” Dion, is a basketball player in his town and plans to organize exhibition games during fiestas, possibly during the Puto Festival.
I wish he’ll appoint his uncle and my friend Orly as the town’s sports consultant. I believe the college educated Orly will be an asset to Calasiao’s sports development program. Unknown to many, Orly was married to the first lady commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and former Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA) president Josefina V. Bauzon, now deceased.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. JAMES 5: 15-16
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