It has been said and done
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
DESPITE the numerous titles they won since they entered the NBA league in 1946 with a record of 17 championships, there were basketball specialists, pundits and analysts that said the Boston Celtics were still slightly underdog against their archrival, the Western Conference champions Golden State Warriors. I said that, too, in my column last week. And we were right.
We, basketball avid buffs saw how the more athletic and agile Warriors convincingly defeated and humiliated the Eastern Conference ruler Celtics, 103-90, in the sixth game of their best-of-seven championship series at Celtics home court last June 17. The huge partisan Boston throng was certainly dismayed but there was celebration among visiting San Franciscans’ scant crowd when the Warriors finished the series, 4-2. As expected, it was the foxy guard and three-point specialist Stephen Curry who made the difference – he pumped in 34 points with 6-for-11 from the three-point area.
Yes, it was amazing to watch a championship match that saw five finalist players finishing with double figures. There was Andrew Wiggins who led the important contributions draining 18 marks and Jordan Poole with 15 points, while Klay Thompson and Draymond Green tallied 12 marks each. I still recall how the first game of the series when they suffered their first defeat, succumbing with 12-point difference, 120-108. That shocked the fans, including this writer. Learning from their lapses in the first game, they gallantly avenged their defeat by lambasting the Celtics by 19 marks, 107-88, to the delight of the San Francisco fanatics to even the count, 1-1. As expected, the Celtics won the third hostility with a rout, 116-100, to take the front, 2-1. A But with the Warriors winning the three succeeding skirmishes, they clinched the coveted NBA’s tiara, their fourth in eight seasons and their seventh since they entered the NBA league, also in 1946.
The Warriors were greatly motivated to redeem themselves after their horrible setback last year with their worst record 15-60 and were kicked out from the playoffs.
“We had some reverses, hit some road bumps, but peaked at the right time everybody, one through 16, our coaching staff, everyone played significant part in this,’ said the talisman Curry, during their victory parade in San Francisco area last June 21 (PH time)
The Warriors defensive pin-up center Draymond Green who minimized the scoring of Celtics superstar Jason Tatum in the sixth game with only 12 points, echoed Curry’s statement and boasted, “this has been an amazing year. I told you that no one could stop us from winning the championship. I warned you all.”
Yes, it has been said and done.
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Congrats to Spanish rider, the longtime Bonuan Boquig, Dagupan City resident Edgar Nieto, for winning the open category of the 72 kilometers “Excellent Noodles San Fabian Cycling Classic” held last June 19 in conjunction with celebration of Father’s Day (and birthday day of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal). It started and ended at Bikers’ Den in Barangay Lipit-Inmalog. SEA Games gold medalist Alfie Catalan of San Manuel and San Fabian stalwart Sherwin Carrera came in close second and third, respectively. Congratulations, too, to Macoy Regra, Vernon Amoranto, Jason Comandante who came in first, second and third, respectively, in the Master division; likewise to Romeo Camingao, Virgilio Valenzuela, Juancho Bumagat who ruled the top three positions in the Grandmaster class. All the winners received cash prizes and medals from the sponsoring Excellent Noodles proprietor Alex Billan, a cyclist himself.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5: 18
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