BY BOBBY MOTUS
THE NBA playoffs of PBA proportions had just ended. The first five games probably could have been dedicated to ticket sales with the real battle commencing in Games 6 and 7. This is purely myth and a product of my imagination but then again. Oh, well.
Borrowing the campaign battle cry of the current Malacañang Palace resident, there was the real possibility that during the NBA Finals, “change is coming.” The Boston Celtics were up 3 games to 2 over the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets likewise had the same record over the Golden State Warriors.
It really was a long shot for Boston and Houston to square off for the Larry O’Brien trophy but even the wildest dreams sometimes take shape and it almost did. It could have been a welcome change but it would lack the excitement, fan interest and maybe below expectation ticket sales. The Rockets are not exactly a big market team and two other Texas teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, also vie for fan support, ticket and merchandise sales.
Although the team is built on tradition, the Celtics lost the drawing power they had during the time of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. The absence of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward added to the malady. Yup, James Harden and Chris Paul thru the years had established their following but we cannot exactly say the same as to the likes of Al Horford, Marcus Morris and Celtic young guns Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Jason Tatum.
Needing only a win for the conference titles, the Celtics failed in their second consecutive attempt to move on to the championship. Likewise, the Rockets had a nice lift-off but faltered mid-flight. Change never did come.
Kevin Love could have taken some Tylenol for his headache and had suited up for Game 7 but he was prevented to play in accordance with the league rule on concussions. In his stead was Jeff Green, a former Celtic who gave his former team major damage.
Over at the West, when you lead by 17 points at the close of the half and lose by 30-something points at the end of the game, something is really wrong. The same thing happened in the deciding game when Houston led big in the first half and then lost big in the second half. Observers would say that the Warriors were just measuring the Rockets and then the Splash Brothers with Kevin Durant poured buckets and drowned them with threes.
I would have wanted for Larry Nance, Jr. and Jordan Clarkson to stay with the LA Lakers but I’m happy for them as they’re in their first NBA Finals. I hope Coach Ty Lue will control his infatuation with LeBron James and consider their value and give them playing time. At 33-years old, Bron played 48 minutes in his 100th game of the season. The two-day rest will do him well.
Conspiracy theorists now have their tongues flapping declaring that the league wanted to have GSW-CLE Finals because any other team not named Warriors or Cavaliers makes the season-ending finale bland. In both conference finals, there were questionable calls and non-calls but that’s the way it is, that’s the way it should be. No matter what these people say, despite some missing pieces on the teams, it was a good EC and WC Finals.
Stephen Curry is on his fourth straight Finals appearance, LeBron his eighth. GSW is the heavy favorite but LBJ and his Cavaliers have that knack of clawing back from a deep hole. Hopefully, Andre Igoudala will be cleared to play, likewise K-Love.
Let the pustahan begin./PN
