Rematch?

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

UNQUESTIONABLY the talk of the world now in the field of sports is the NBA’s Western and Eastern Conference Finals.

We saw how the 2015 champions Golden State Warriors swept their playoff games against three dreaded teams, the first team in NBA history to achieve such a feat in the best-of-three seven series each playoff game carding 12-0. They also bagged the first of two slots for this year’s championship.

On the other hand, the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers that carry a 3-1 advantage over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference championship have to win one more game to earn the second slot to face the Warriors anew for this year NBA championship slated to start on June 2, PH time.

Pundits say the Cavs led by last year’s MVP Lebron James will finally boot out the 15-times NBA champions Celtics. That could happen although the Cavs have the huge edge over the Celtics, I will still borrow the maxim that says “It’s not over until it’s over.”

NBA is NBA, the toughest and the best professional basketball tilt in this planet where miracles happen. In fact, a miracle already happened last year between (then) defending champions Warriors against Cavs in the NBA championship match. Warriors with a comfortable and commanding 3-1 lead succumbed unexpectedly to the surging and never-give-up Cavs in three consecutive games that shocked the world, especially when the hotly contested seventh and final match ended. Cavs was the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to snatch the prestigious tiara. Who knows, we might just see a repeat of the 2016, although the chance for that happening is slim, very slim. Let’s just wait and see.
Truthfully, I don’t pay much attention to the Eastern Conference Finals. Yes, I’m biased towards the Western side, having been a resident of Long Beach, California and Texas during my four-and-a-half years of stint in these two big states of Uncle Sam. Like me, majority of our country men dearly rooted for the Western teams especially during the Los Angeles’ era. The Filipinos love basketball game so much that they will passionately cheer for their favorite teams.
Warriors climbed to the championship this year by turning back the Portland Trailblazers three times in double digits, 129-109, 110-81, 119-113 and 128-103. They clobbered the Utah Jazz all in double figures, 106-94, 115-104, 102-91 and 125-95. They conquered the 2014 champions, the injury-plagued San Antonio Spurs (sans Spurs power-forward Kawhi Leonard, off guard Tony Parker and center-forward David Lee), 113-111, 136-100, 120-108 and 129-115. It was only the aging but reliable point-guard Argentina-born Manu Ginobili and Marcus Aldridge who took the cudgels for the Texans. Ginobili, turning 40 this coming July is on the brink of retirement after playing 15 seasons, all in Spurs, and one of the longest period of time for a cager to play in NBA history.
Will there be a rematch between the Warriors and the Cavs?  This time, “It’s not on until it’s on.” Again, let’s wait and see.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. EPHESIANS 2: 8-9

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