Just like that, the NBA Finals trilogy between Golden State and Cleveland has come to an end. Golden State clinched the NBA championship for the first time at home, the franchise’s fifth title overall, with a 129-120 win over Cleveland. After a year of hype and anticipation, round three between the NBA’s two best teams felt more like The Godfather Part III than an epic conclusion to a fantastic chapter in the history of the NBA Finals.

Truthfully, the lopsided result of the Finals leaves us with quite a bit to chew on as we try to put this Warriors championship into context. In fact, the aftermath may prove to be more compelling than the past year-plus of anticipation. Before we shift gears into the uncertainty of the NBA’s offseason let’s break down some of the more interesting storylines to come out of last night in today’s “Heat Check.”

Redemption For the KD and the Warriors

A blown 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, and one text message may have changed the course of the NBA a year ago. Weeks later, the biggest free agent move since LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach set in motion a series of events that culminated last night. The Golden State Warriors found vindication in one of the most dominant postseasons of all time. A 16-1 record in the postseason puts the 2017 Warriors right there with the 1983 Sixers and 2001 Lakers among the best playoff runs in NBA history.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Igoudala, and Shaun Livingston all avenged their collapse in the Finals a year ago. Even more impressive was the performance of Kevin Durant, who silenced some critics by leading the Warriors to a title rather than just being along for the ride.

Durant was rightfully awarded Finals MVP, and finally won the title that had eluded him for almost a decade in Seattle/Oklahoma City. Despite what your feelings might be about how he won the title (joining a team coming off a 73-win season), his performance should speak volumes about Durant’s place among the NBA’s elite. The image of LeBron and KD’s embrace at halfcourt capped a five-year odyssey for the NBA’s second-best player winning a title that many thought he might never get.

Golden State now enters rarified air as they have the opportunity to become the latest dynasty in the NBA. While its still premature to compare these Warriors to the 00’s Lakers, 90’s Bulls, and 80’s Celtics/Lakers, you can’t deny that they are on the precipice of NBA immortality.

Trouble in Cleveland?

Among some of the more interesting bits from the post-game press conferences were many of the comments made by LeBron James. The King’s responses to certain questions about the Finals bordered on cryptic in regards to the future of his career. After becoming the first player in NBA Finals history to average a triple-double, LeBron didn’t seem to have many regrets about his performance in the Cavs’ 4-1 series loss.

“For me personally, I left everything on the floor every game, all five games,” said James. “I have no reason to put my head down and look back at what I could have done or should have done…”

Obviously, you see this type of comment and you wonder if LeBron is planting the seeds to leave Cleveland again in 2018? You never really know with LeBron. As we reached the conclusion of the Finals there were insiders and experts throwing out the possibility that LeBron may be interested in heading to Los Angeles to join the Lakers. That is a move that is still a year away, but ultimately feels a bit too farfetched.

The more realistic question is will Cleveland’s roster undergo a bit of an overhaul? LeBron “may not be the GM or in the front office,” but he has a lot of influence on this roster. Becoming the first MVP to lose five Finals definitely won’t sit well with LeBron as he is chasing down MJ for the title of the G.O.A.T. (a debate that may have ended last night).

Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson each had their struggles in the Finals, and could be on the proverbial trade block. Love would be the more attractive piece for other franchises and some in the media are already theorizing that he would be the chip to acquire someone like Paul George.

With LeBron and Kyrie Irving, the Cavs will remain the favorites in the Eastern Conference, but tweaking this roster to compete with the Warriors will be the top priority this offseason. However, things are clearly not okay in “The Land.”

What Now for the Rest of the NBA?

Over the course of this postseason, there has been a lot of chatter about whether the Warriors “superteam” and the Cavs dominance in the East are good for the league. We just witnessed one of the most star-studded NBA Finals in history with both teams combining for the most All-Stars in a Finals. Injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Isaiah Thomas certainly didn’t help the perception that this was a bad thing for the league.

If anything this should help to raise the level of competition across the league. Would that be something you might be interested in? Golden State may be head and shoulders above the rest of the NBA, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other teams that can close the gap.

As I mentioned before, Cleveland is still the first in line to dethrone the champs if they get creative with the roster. LeBron and Kyrie are still the two most dangerous players against Golden State, and if they can figure out who the third star on this team can be, they will be ideally placed to knock off the Warriors. But that leads to another question that we’ll get to in a second.

How about the team’s that fell short of the Finals? Boston and San Antonio are the most logical roadblocks for Golden State and Cleveland in their respective conferences. There is a way for each team to make a move towards a title.

The Celtics own the top pick in the draft and have possibly the best cap situation in the entire league. Brad Stevens is on his way to being on par with Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich among the coaching elite. Boston also has attractive assets between draft picks and players with team-friendly contracts that could aid their quest to acquiring a superstar. The problem though, general manager Danny Ainge seems content to play the long game to get to the mountaintop.

San Antonio arguably could have defeated Golden State with a healthy Kawhi Leonard, but time is not on their side at the moment. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli are each in the final stage of their career. Retirement seems imminent for the pair of longtime Spurs, and replacing them won’t be an easy task. LaMarcus Aldridge hasn’t been the type of star that San Antonio had hoped he would be either. Rumors have put the Spurs in the hunt to acquire Chris Paul, but that would mean gutting a portion of the team to do so. Regardless, San Antonio always has a way to be among the best teams in the league with Popovich on the sidelines.

Houston leads the next tier of potential challengers to the Warriors. They chose to try to fight fire with fire, becoming a three-point centric team. Mike D’Antoni, who will probably win Coach of the Year, has already said that he wants to bring a more defensive focus next season in an attempt to be a better two-way team. Daryl Morey is one of the better executives in the league, which will keep them on the fringe of any trade talks. So don’t rule out the Rockets making some form of a splash this offseason to get closer to beating the champs.

Aside from those three teams, the other 25 teams in the league will have a lot of work to do to become relevant in the championship discussion. Milwaukee made some big strides this season, and the progression of the Greek Freak gives them a potentially top-ten player to build around long-term. Honestly, we are starting to get well past the 2018 NBA Finals outlook though so let’s table this for another time.

Are We Destined for Cleveland-Golden State IV?

That’s a hard one to answer just because the offseason hasn’t even started. The quick answer might be yes, barring injuries. We can all agree that Golden State should be there at the end (currently a -220 favorite to win the 2018 championship), but we’ll have to see what happens with Cleveland. Either way we are entering one of the most intriguing offseasons in recent years. The NBA now enters a prolonged arms race in an attempt to take out the Golden State “superteam.”

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “Tour Talk” to preview the U.S. Open. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. While one championship was decided, another is still up for grabs. All of it was compelling, if not a bit surprising as well. It’s going to be a lot of title talk on this week’s “Weekend Recap.”

NHL: Pittsburgh Completes the Repeat

I think we can all agree that the biggest winner of the NHL/NBA postseason has easily been the NHL. That didn’t change last night as the Stanley Cup Playoffs came to a close with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning a barnburner to finish the Predators in six games.

The game itself was a thrilling affair that featured all of the drama that comes with a season on the line. Nashville threw just about everything at Matt Murray to try and force a Game 7, but the Pittsburgh goaltender was brilliant last night. In fact, both goaltenders were the stars of last night’s game.

However, just when it looked like we might be heading for overtime with a scoreless tie, Pittsburgh was able to find a brief moment of offense. Late in the third period, the Penguins started playing “dump and chase” in the offensive end, but a stray slap shot ended up doing the job on the game-winning goal. Pittsburgh caught Pekka Rinne slightly out of position then former-Predator Patrick Hornqvist corralled the rebound off the end board and scored off the back of Rinne.

With 1:35 left on the clock, the Predators had to pull out all of the stops to try to extend the game. Nashville went with an empty net to get the extra attacker, then a misplayed puck allowed speedster Carl Hagelin to put an exclamation point on the night.

Pittsburgh became the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. Sidney Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP) for the second consecutive season. Crosby joined fellow Penguin captain Mario Lemieux and Philadelphia legend Bernie Parent as the only players to win consecutive Conn Smythe trophies.

The champs won’t have much work to do in the offseason, as they will look to lock and reload for another title defense. Las Vegas currently has Pittsburgh as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup next season (8-1 odds). The Penguins will start getting ready to attempt the first three-peat since the Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. For the other 30 teams in the league, the road to next year’s Stanley Cup starts next week with the Las Vegas expansion draft and the NHL Draft.

NBA: Cleveland Avoids a Sweep, Ends Golden State’s Chance at History

Kyrie Iriving thrived in the role of “Mr. Do or Die” once again with a fantastic performance in Game 4. Photo Credit: Getty Images

We kicked off the weekend with a potentially historic Game 4 between Golden State and Cleveland. A win by Golden State would have given them a second NBA Championship in three seasons, and clinched the first undefeated postseason in professional sports. The Cavaliers took the opportunity to make some history of their own. Cleveland put in a dominant performance on Friday night, avoiding a potentially embarrassing sweep in emphatic fashion.

LeBron James and company poured it on in Game 4, putting up points at a ridiculous rate. Cleveland won Game 4 137-116, and set numerous Finals records during the game. The Cavaliers set the records for most points in one quarter (49), most points in a half/first half (86), made three-pointers in a half (13), and made three-pointers in a Finals game (24). Golden State and Cleveland also set a record for the most combined points in a half/first half with 154 points.

Scoring records aside, the real story of the game was the incredible performance of Kyrie Irving. The Cleveland point guard dropped 40 points in the game, knocking down seven three-pointers in the game, one shy of the single game Finals record. It was a welcome sight for Cavs fans, who quickly recalled Irving’s three-game run in last year’s Finals that was a catalyst for Cleveland’s championship.

The series now stands at 3-1 with Game 5 tonight in Oakland, where the Warriors will look to clinch a championship at home for the first time in franchise history. For that to happen, the Splash Brothers will have to play much better than they did in Game 4, specifically Steph Curry. While Kevin Durant has been historically great in these Finals, he will need a little help from the other members of Golden State’s “Death Lineup.”

That’s it for me today. Stay tuned tomorrow for “Heat Check” which will have reactions to tonight’s Game 5. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

As of June 6^th, I’m still questioning how in the world some things are playing out in the MLB. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make me wonder if we have entered an alternate reality where the 2016 season never happened. So far 2017 has been a topsy-turvy season in which nothing is what it seems.

If you recall from my most recent power rankings, there were a few familiar names missing from the list, and for good reasons. The Chicago Cubs were likely the most notable of the missing teams, but if you look at their record its not easy to understand why they have fallen out of the top five (for now). Boston and Cleveland are in that boat as well considering both were the top contenders for the AL pennant just two months ago. That’s just a small dose of the strangeness of 2017, but is it going to last?

For starters, let’s talk about the defending champs. Yes, there definitely seems to be somewhat of a World Series hangover in Chicago. The lineup is not producing as much as we might have expected. In fact, they haven’t even come close to the expectations so far.

Chicago ranks 15^th in the majors in runs scored, 17^th in on base percentage, and 28^th in batting average. Yikes. For a team with this much firepower in the lineup, you would think that they would at least be in the top ten in these categories. Now, there is a simple explanation for this problem. No one is hitting right now.

Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant is technically the team leader in batting average at .267, while the team’s other MVP candidate Anthony Rizzo is batting .232. None of this compares to the struggles of leadoff man Kyle Schwarber, who has a paltry .162 batting average.

The Cubs are clearly a much better team than they have showed so far in 2017. They’ve got the ring to prove it. It does seem like they have bottomed out though after a disastrous West Coast swing where the Dodgers and Padres each swept the Cubs. Chicago is off to a good start to the month, winning four in a row since returning to Wrigley Field, including a much-needed three-game sweep of St. Louis.

Do you want to hear the craziest part of all of this with the Cubs? Despite all of their problems (and I didn’t even talk about the pitching woes), Chicago is somehow tied atop the NL Central with Milwaukee. Obviously the bar is set a tad higher than a division title though. It seems like the champs are getting ready to turn the corner.

The AL Central is another source of bizarre outcomes at the moment as well. Cleveland is currently one game out of first place, chasing the Minnesota Twins. Why is this strange? Well, both teams can’t seem to win at home right now. In fact, Minnesota is in first due to the second-best road record in baseball. Cleveland should eventually make a move on the Twins, but again you would have thought this team would have been better after coming up short in the World Series.

The Indians made one of the biggest splash moves in the offseason by signing Edwin Encarnacion away from Toronto. Unfortunately, it seems losing the lineup protection of Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, and José Bautista. Encarnacion is on pace to shatter his career worst in strikeouts (138) and is completely off the rails in terms of his RBI pace (22 RBIs so far in 2017). Fortunately, this isn’t the worst problem for Cleveland at the moment.

Starting pitching is a problem right now. As of today, none of the Cleveland starters have an ERA under 3.00 (Mike Clevinger is the best with a 3.10 through seven starts). In fact, the average ERA for the starters is closer to 4.00. Even more alarming are the lack of quality starts for the Tribe. Through 55 games, the Cleveland starters have combined for only 25 quality starts.

This likely will be improved now that the team’s ace, Corey Kluber, returned from injury over the weekend. Kluber should bring some stability to the rotation, but everyone else needs to follow suit and pick up their game. Over the course of 162 games, manager Terry Francona can’t rely on the bullpen like he did in the postseason a year ago.

Of the three teams I mentioned at the beginning, the Red Sox actually are in the best shape of the bunch. Unfortunately, the problem for them is that they are in one of the league’s best divisions in 2017. The Yankees are way ahead of schedule in their franchise retooling, Baltimore is a solid team once again, the Rays aren’t a pushover, and Toronto is getting back in the hunt after injuries derailed the first two months.

The acquisition of Chris Sale has gone as well as expected, which has helped since Rick Porcello hasn’t been nearly as good as a year ago. David Price is back after missing the majority of the past two months with an injury. AL MVP runner-up Mookie Betts isn’t putting up the same numbers as last year but has been overshadowed by the tremendous start of Xander Bogaerts.

It also helps that the Red Sox currently have the league’s second-best closer in Craig Kimbrel. If Boston brings a lead into the ninth, odds are the game is over once Kimbrel toes the mound. Now they just have to survive in the AL East heading into the dog days of summer.

Aside from the presumptive favorites going through various hardships this season, we are still trying to figure out whether some of the surprise teams can continue their success. Colorado is still playing well, while Arizona is slipping a bit on their road trip. Although I think we can all agree that so far, this has been the year of the Astros so far.

The best part of all this is that we have plenty of time to find out definitive answers to all these questions.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Monday everyone! As we flipped the calendar to June, we got a weekend full of high profile games. We saw a possible momentum swing in the Stanley Cup Final while the NBA Finals may be over sooner than most of us wanted. There was also a bit of history made in the MLB. Somewhere in between we even got a hotly contested tournament in the PGA as well. Overall it was a fun weekend, so lets dive into the action in this week’s “Weekend Recap.”

NBA: Golden State Imposes Its Will, Now Lead 2-0

It’s interesting to see the way a narrative evolves over time. On Friday morning the media was showing a lot of love to Kevin Durant after his impressive performance in Game 1. Today, despite Durant playing arguably a better game last night, the narrative has now shifted to the question of how good this Warriors team will compare to the all-time great teams.

I mean let’s be honest, its not like this series has actually lived up to the hype so far. Cleveland completely embarrassed themselves with their Game 1 performance, but last night they were putting up a fight. However, just like in Game 1, the Warriors eventually made the big run to put the game away.

Durant was the star last night, but Steph Curry is really putting the “Cleveland is his kryptonite,” narrative to bed so far. Curry became the fifth player in NBA Finals history to record a 30-point triple double. The turning point of the game even belonged to Curry, as he put LeBron James on skates (or double-dribbled depending on who you ask) and got to the basket for a layup. It was all Golden State after that as they coasted to a 132-113 victory.

Now Golden State is exactly where they were a year ago, up 2-0 on the Cavs heading to Cleveland with a legitimate shot to sweep the series. Clearly the addition of Durant has completely shifted the dynamic between these two teams. Cleveland won the turnover battle in Game 2 and outshot the Warriors, but the result was still the same. Things are looking dire for the defending champs as they head back to “The Land.”

On a bit of a historical note, the Warriors now have an impressive feat in their sights. Golden State is now 14-0 this postseason, and is two wins away from becoming the first team in NBA history to sweep through the playoffs. IF they are able to win the championship with an undefeated run through postseason, then we should start having the greatest team of all time discussion. Until then, we should just appreciate the moment with this series, it wouldn’t be the first time we got ahead of ourselves with this team.

NHL: Pittsburgh Learns About “Smashville” in Game 3

Now that we’ve got the NBA blowou… I mean Finals, out of the way, let’s focus on the more compelling series in sports right now. Pittsburgh had to feel good about leading 2-0 after the first two games in this series. Now that the series has shifted to Nashville, we are starting to see why the Predators have made it this far in the playoffs.

Nashville is a much more dangerous team in the “friendly” confines of the Bridgestone Arena. One thing that hasn’t changed though is that the Predators have been the better team in all three games. Pittsburgh has scored six goals in a matter of about ten minutes, aside from that they have only scored three goals in 170 minutes of game time.

If you are a Nashville fan right now, you have to feel pretty good despite being down 2-1 right now. The Predators +30 shot differential is the best of any team trailing 2-1 in a series. Also, three out of the last four times a team lead 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final, that team went on to lose the series (the exception was Pittsburgh last season).

We’ll see how things shake out tonight, but there is a very real possibility that Nashville ties up the series.

MLB: Pujols Hits #600, Volquez Tosses a No-No

We saw a bit of history in the MLB over the weekend from both ends of the sixty feet and six inch space between the mound and home plate. Saturday turned out to be much more interesting than your typical first weekend of June.

Angels slugger Albert Pujols etched his name into one of the most exclusive clubs in Major League history in grand fashion. Pujols hit his 600^th home run of his career, becoming the ninth player in MLB history to reach that mark. Unlike the previous eight men to do so, Pujols is the first to hit a grand slam to reach 600 home runs. It was never a question whether or not Pujols would be enshrined in Cooperstown, but this certainly helps his case as one of the greatest first basemen of all time.

Earlier in the night, another bit of history was made in Miami as pitcher Edinson Volquez threw a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks. On the surface, throwing the 297^th no-hitter in MLB history doesn’t seem that special, but this has a ton of sentimental value wrapped into it.

After the game, Volquez said that he had dedicated the game to the late Yordano Ventura and José Fernández, who both tragically passed away in the past few months. Volquez won a World Series with Ventura in Kansas City and Saturday would have been his 26^th birthday. This was a remarkable moment that should not be soon forgotten as we progress through the season.

PGA: Dufner Erases a Four-Shot Deficit, Wins the Memorial

With less than two weeks before the start of the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, the PGA Tour was in Dublin, Ohio for the Memorial Tournament. Otherwise known as “Jack Nicklaus’s tournament” Sunday not only brought us a hotly contested tournament, but some less than ideal weather for the players to deal with. With about six-to-ten players in contention at some point during the day, someone would need to step up on the difficult final holes.

That man would be Jason Dufner, who was able to put the tournament to bed before the second weather delay came into play. The Memorial is often talked about as the launching pad for previous winners, so it will be interesting to see how this will affect Dufner heading into the U.S. Open.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

It has all led to this. Almost two months of attrition leaves us with two teams left fighting for the greatest trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup. On one side you have the defending champions looking to complete the first successful title defense in 19 years. The other side is the 19-year old expansion franchise looking win its first championship after coming into the postseason with the fewest points of the playoff teams. One series will determine who gets to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.

As of now Pittsburgh leads 1-0 over Nashville, but we can all agree that game certainly provided some intrigue. The Penguins scored in a flurry, and had the hockey gods on their side Monday night. Nashville once again showed the incredible tenacity that got them to this point in its three-goal comeback to tie the game. However, it was the Penguins night in the opening stanza of what looks to be a long Stanley Cup Final.

The question remains, how will the rest of this series play out?

 

A search for that answer can lead you down a few different paths. This intriguing clash of styles leaves us with a potentially compelling championship round. It’s offensive star power versus defensive opportunism.

Pittsburgh brings a lot of offense to the party, and we all know the key participants. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel each have their spot on the marquee for good reason. Crosby and Malkin are already heading to the Hall of Fame, while Kessel could potentially lock up a spot for himself by the end of this run with Pittsburgh.

However, it’s a rookie left winger that currently leads the champions in goals scored in this postseason. Jake Guentzel has turned in a star-making performance over these past two months scoring 10 goals in these playoffs, 4 of those being game-winners. He got to play hero once again on Monday night, netting the go-ahead goal for Pittsburgh.

Speaking of nets, the Penguins have had to undergo a change in goal in order to reach this point. Marc-Andre Fluery initially needed to hold things down for Pittsburgh while the star of last year’s playoffs, Matt Murray, recovered from an injury. Fluery played well in the first two rounds, but a bit of desperation forced Murray to finally return between the pipes in the Eastern Conference Finals against Ottawa.

Before we get into the matchup, let’s talk a bit about the Nashville Predators, who have come out of nowhere to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Its been a wild run for a team that many people didn’t give much of a chance in the first round against the mighty Chicago Blackhawks.

It’s truly a team effort for the Predators, who have had 17 different players score goals for them this postseason. This isn’t a team that necessarily prides itself on its offense, but really takes advantage of their chances when they are there. Not to mention that Nashville is without its leading scorer in the postseason and top-line center Ryan Johansen due to a thigh injury. Every game has a different feel, and you never know who is going to play the hero on the offensive end.

The team’s MVP this postseason has easily been goalie Pekka Rinne, and that’s not even a debate. Rinne has been nothing short of spectacular during the playoffs, allowing less than two goals per game with a save percentage of nearly 93 percent. Whenever you size up the teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you have to account for which team gets the red-hot goaltender, and Rinne has been just that. If the Predators should finish the job and win the Stanley Cup, Rinne will rightfully win the Conn Smythe.

As you know, good goaltending usually needs a solid defense in front of it. Nashville’s defense might be the most lethal part of this team. Led by P.K. Subban, all six of the defenders for the Predators can be effective at both ends of the ice. This unit has been incredibly underrated this postseason and you have to keep an eye on this group to make a big play in the finals.

In terms of the actual matchup, this really boils down to which style wins out. Nashville thrives in defensive oriented, low-scoring games. It allows Pekka Rinne to be at his best and be the source of momentum for the Predators. Pittsburgh likes to pick up the pace and score in bunches. This certainly plays to their strength with three of the best offensive players in the NHL.

A stat that will undoubtedly come up a ton in this series is the Penguins success in relation to their scoring output. Including Game 1, 11 of Pittsburgh’s 13 wins this postseason have come when they score 3+ goals. You will have a pretty good idea how this series will play out if you keep an eye on the scoring pace of each game.

Styles make fights, and this is a fight that could go the distance. Each goalie is good enough to steal a game here or there, but a big factor is who defends home ice better. Pittsburgh is 8-3 at home this postseason while Nashville is an impressive 7-1, with the only loss coming in overtime. This series turns on a dime if either team is able to score a road win.

Pittsburgh dodged a major bullet in Game 1, as they were outplayed everywhere but the scoreboard. Nashville was able to completely shut down Pittsburgh for almost two periods, holding them without a shot for 37 minutes. While that is going to be near impossible to replicate, it certainly shows that Nashville can impose their will on the Penguins.

Things are going to be tight for a while, but I think we are in for the long haul. As far as the outcome goes, I think the Predators win this series in seven games. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with “Heat Check” with my NBA Finals preview. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a terrific holiday weekend. It’s time to get back into the happenings in the sports world though. While we await the NBA Finals, baseball took center stage during Memorial Day weekend. Truthfully, it was a pretty ho-hum sports weekend until yesterday. It’s a short but sweet “Weekend Recap” this week so lets get right to it. No Tiger Woods stuff though, I think that’s been pretty much covered by just about everyone. Let’s focus on the fun stuff from the weekend.

MLB: Harper Gets Plunked. A Brawl Starts. Internet Hilarity Ensues.

Aside from the injury to Mike Trout, the biggest news in baseball this weekend came from the Nationals-Giants game yesterday. Washington led 2-0 in the top of the eighth inning when Bryce Harper stepped up to the plate against Hunter Strickland. All it took was one pitch to make years of pent up aggression explode like a powder keg.

Harper and Strickland have a little bit of history between each other. During the 2014 postseason, Harper got the best of Strickland during the series between Washington and San Francisco. Harper blasted two home runs off the Giants reliever, and if history has told us anything, this is a pitching staff that does not have a short memory (ex. anything Madison Bumgarner has done in the past five years). The pair would not face each other again for a while after that playoff series.

Flash-forward almost three years to yesterday, and Strickland wasted no time getting a measure of payback on Harper. As you could probably imagine, Harper did not take that lightly and charged the mound. The pair exchanged a few “punches” before the benches cleared and both teams dealt with the situation.

It was a classic encounter that definitely ranks up there with some of the more iconic brawls in recent history. Now this wasn’t Yankees-Red Sox good, but this was great for pretty much everything but the actual fight. In fact there is a laundry list of reasons why this can be classified under the “so bad, its good” category.

Here is the MESN footage of the brawl from yesterday. Let’s look at some of the more interesting elements of the fracas.

You have the Washington announcers allude to the history between the two, setting the stage for the pitch beautifully. You could feel that they sensed something might be happening in a moment or two. The “Woah” after ten seconds of dead air was just too perfect by the way.

Harper’s initial reaction is typical, but the helmet throw is either hilariously bad, or a bit of schoolyard strategy. You make the call. Of course there is the WWE-style open hand punches. All you were missing was wrestling announcer Jim Ross losing his mind during the brawl.

Both teams leave the dugout within seconds of Harper making his move, so before either Strickland or Harper getting another punch in, the teams are there to muck up the proceedings. Gloriously, Jeff Samardzija and Michael Morse crash the fight like two cars going head on into each other, completely missing the combatants. Now after a few seconds of chaos, order comes over both teams as they separate Harper and Strickland. But we aren’t done with things just yet.

Harper seems pretty cool having gotten his punch in after getting plunked. Strickland, on the other hand, is far from finished with Harper. It takes four teammates to get Strickland off the field and into the dugout. You almost got the sense that he would try the “I’m cool” trick to get loose and try to go all Jonathan Papelbon on Harper (scrub to 1:12).

My favorite part of the whole incident is Giants catcher Buster Posey. If you watch closely, you notice that he just lets Harper make is move. Typically the catcher usually tries to be the buffer and diffuse the situation. From the moment Harper points the bat at Strickland, you would think Posey is going to step in. Not yesterday though.

That is one of the interesting subplots to the brawl, but if I had to guess, it seems like Strickland’s claim of the pitch not being intentional isn’t so genuine. Posey’s inaction is proof of that. Regardless, he allowed the brawl to happen and enter Internet infamy.

NHL: Pens “Steal” Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals

The Stanley Cup Final got started last night, and boy did we get treated to an interesting first game between Pittsburgh and Nashville. I’ll talk more about the rest of the series tomorrow but for now let’s focus on the action from last night. Now there is a big reason why Pittsburgh “stole” the game last night. Spoiler alert, Pittsburgh won 5-3 in a game that they were pretty much outplayed.

First of all, the P.K. Subban overturned goal may have changed this entire series. It would have sent a serious message to the defending champs and gave a ton of momentum to the Predators. While the league office has been pleased with the offsides challenge, I think that I speak for most fans when I say that it is a garbage challenge. Yes, offsides can affect a play that happens within a few seconds of entering the offensive zone. Anything more than 30 seconds though, the defense has a chance to recover.

Pittsburgh goes on to score three goals on five shots to end the period. One came on a hokey five-on-three powerplay (the only time I will defend James Neal). The goal itself was far from hokey, as Evgeni Malkin ripped a laser from the point off the glove of Pekke Rinne. No qualm with the second goal, but the third goal is the type of goal that gets controllers thrown when playing NHL 17. A puck-luck own goal to end the period ends up playing a huge factor in the finish of this game.

Nashville wouldn’t roll over though as they locked down the Penguins for much of the next two periods. In fact, Nashville held Pittsburgh without a shot on goal for 37 minutes. That’s pretty impressive especially against the defending champions with at least two future Hall of Famers manning the top two lines. During the shot-less streak, the Predators staged a big comeback and were able to tie up the game late in the third period.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for Nashville in Game 1. Jake Guentzel ended the offensive drought for Pittsburgh and broke the tie in the game. The Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) race is a tough one to figure out, but Guentzel is making a strong case at the moment. Pittsburgh would add an empty net goal to end the game, and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

All I will say for now is to get ready folks because we could be in for an epic battle for the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh may have won the game, but Nashville looked like the more impressive team last night.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back with “The Fourth Line” tomorrow to talk about the rest of the Stanley Cup Final. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

The playoffs are winding down and summer is almost here folks. Memorial Day is just around the corner, which means we are shifting gears into baseball season. We are almost through the second month of the marathon season. Certainly there have been a few surprises, some of which I talked about on the last episode of the Shooting the Moon Podcast. It’s long overdue but lets update my MLB power rankings as we head into the dog days of summer.

(1) Houston Astros – 31-16, 1^st in the AL West

Aside from the NL West, one of the biggest surprises during the early portion of the season has been the rise of the Houston Astros. After narrowly missing the postseason a year ago, there was a lot of intrigue surrounding this club. Houston has one of the most talented teams, with a tremendous farm system to back it up.

Before the season, there was a concern whether the starting rotation could hold up its end of the bargain. The batting order is loaded with potential All Stars but the pitching was a big factor in last season’s disappointing finish. Two months into the season, this is one concern that has been alleviated for now.

Dallas Keuchel has been incredible so far this season posting a 7-0 record with a 1.84 ERA over nine starts. Despite a minor neck injury that held him out for a couple weeks, he looks to be good to go for a return this weekend. If he can continue his early success, Keuchel could be right back in the AL Cy Young discussion as the season progresses.

Lance McCullers Jr. has also been a solid part of this rotation, going 5-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his ten starts this season. He’ll slide into the second slot in the rotation with Keuchel’s return, but has shown he is a legit top of the rotation guy this year. With no timetable for Colin McHugh’s return, the Keuchel-McCullers one-two punch will be leaned on heavily for a while.

The other concern with the Astros was the bullpen. Last season was an adventure late in games, however things look more stable this season. Ken Giles is now locked in as the closer having converted 12 out of 13 save opportunities. He looks a lot better than he did last season while adjusting to the American League. Houston also has a solid reliever in Chris Devenski, who has been a bridge to Giles but can fill in as the closer on occasion.

It was always a question of when, not if, Houston would make the jump, but so far this looks like this is the year the Astros become contenders.

(2) New York Yankees – 27-17, 1^st in the AL East

With a surprising start to the season, it’s time to start thinking of a nickname for these Yankees. Photo Credit: New York Post

This isn’t your father’s Evil Empire, it isn’t your grandfather’s Murderer’s Row either. The new-look Yankees are certainly ahead of schedule with some of the young studs like Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez playing incredible baseball so far. It has been a true team effort in the Bronx as the Yankees have seemingly come out of nowhere to sport one of the best records in baseball through the first two months. The young studs are meshing well with the wily veterans to propel this team back into contention for the first time in the post-Jeter era.

There is a lot to like about this team, the lineup can put up runs in bunches and the rotation has been solid enough to back it up. It’s a concern though when all five starters in the rotation have an ERA above 3.00 led by the “ace” who’s ERA is well above 6.00 (Masahiro Tanaka). Luis Severino has been the star of the rotation this season, thriving at the back end of this rotation.

It also helps that the Yankees have a great bullpen to hold down leads late in games. Aroldis Chapman had been holding things down pretty well until he went down with an injury a couple of weeks ago. No need to hit the panic button though because the Yanks have a set-up man who could easily be a closer on just about any team in the majors. Dellin Betances has been his usual untouchable self and is a true asset to this team whether they want to admit it or not.

All told, this has been a great start for the league’s most decorated franchise. They certainly have some areas to improve, but so far so good for at least one of the New York franchises.

(3) Colorado Rockies – 31-17, 1^st in the NL West

Charlie Blackmon’s incredible start is one of the main reasons Colorado has been THE surprise team to start 2017. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Let’s get this one out of the way. The Rockies might be the single biggest (positive) surprise in all of baseball so far this year. Colorado, normally a great home team, is currently the best road team in the league. This lineup has gotten production from just about everyone they have put out there despite the injury bug nipping at them.

Is there another shoe that is waiting to drop though? That is a tough question to definitively answer. If there were another shoe to drop, you would have to look at the pitching, with one exception. That exception is closer Greg Holland, who is back to being the Greg Holland we saw anchor the Royals bullpen during their two-year run at the top of the majors. If the Rockies have a late lead, just turn out the lights in the ninth because the party is likely over.

Colorado has a great lineup that produces runs, but the pitching is leaving something to be desired. The Rockies are tied for tenth in the majors in earned runs, but are also tenth in opponent’s batting average. This could mean that their pitchers are giving up a lot of homeruns (they are). The starting rotation also lacks the presence of a true ace.

This brings up a second question. Is this a formula for sustained success or will this team fall apart by August? That can’t quite be answered yet, but for now you can’t discredit what the Rockies have done so far this season.

(4) Washington Nationals – 28-18, 1^st in the NL East

Locking down Bryce Harper for another year was important for extending the championship window, but locking down games could be the difference for a championship in 2017. Photo Credit: Getty Images

This should come as no surprise, but the Nationals are in a position to run away with the NL East crown. Washington has built a 7.5 game lead heading into Memorial Day weekend and are a legitimate contender for the NL Pennant. There are a few areas for improvement that need to be addressed over the summer though because a division title is not good enough in Washington.

The biggest area of concern for Washington lies in the back end of the bullpen. Closing out ballgames has been quite the chore for the Nationals this season. No matter who has come in to shut the door in the ninth inning, there seems to be an issue. Dusty Baker has been forced to use a “closer-by-committee” which can only work for so long. No pitcher has more than three saves, each has blown at least one save, and no one has better than a hold percentage better than 75 percent.

As we get closer to the July trade deadline, look for the Nationals to be on the prowl for someone who can anchor this bullpen. If there is one area that can hold this team back from reaching its full potential, it’s the closer-setup situation.

Another spot where you would want to see the Nationals improve is the starting rotation. They have been good, but not great. With Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer leading the rotation, one would wish that they would be Cy Young contenders. There is still plenty of time for that to change, but you have to be a bit concerned that Gio Gonzalez has the best ERA out of the five starters in the rotation.

(5) Arizona Diamondbacks – 29-19, 2^nd in the NL West

A mix of hitting, pitching, and home cooking has Arizona in good position early on, but a long road trip could be the real test for this team. Photo Credit: Associated Press

This was a tough call, but for this round of power rankings the Diamondbacks take the final spot in the top five. Arizona went through a litany of injuries a year ago, but this season this is the team we were all expecting to see. A solid mix of hitting and pitching has Arizona in a great spot heading into the summer.

Arizona’s lineup has been solid so far this year, ranking third in the majors in runs scored and OPS. Paul Goldschmidt gets the top billing for the Diamondbacks, but this is far from a one-man show. Jake Lamb has been a pleasant surprise, leading the team in home runs (13) and RBIs (41). Not even the injury to A.J. Pollack has slowed this team down.

A lot of this list has been spent harping on team’s pitching but this is a rare occurrence where there isn’t an obvious flaw. The starting rotation has been great with Zack Grienke leading the way, clearly having moved on from his struggles a year ago. Another Zack has also emerged as a reliable option at the back end of the rotation as well. Zack Godley stepped in for an injured Shelby Miller, and pitched well enough to remain in the rotation for the time being.

It could be time to add the “ageless wonder” moniker to closer Fernando Rodney. Despite his 7.13 ERA, Rodney has converted 12 of 14 save opportunities and has provided stability at the back of the bullpen.

The one concern for the Diamondbacks is their performance on the road. Arizona is an impressive 21-8 at home this season, but only 8-11 away from Chase Field. Such a disparate difference in home/road splits is a major issue heading into the summer. A true test of this will start tonight as the Diamondbacks hit the road for 11 straight games.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new episode of the Shooting the Moon Podcast. I’ll be reacting to Ottawa-Pittsburgh Game 7 and looking at some non-playoff NBA topics. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney, go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook, and subscribe to the Shooting the Moon Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud.

Well this was certainly an intriguing weekend, wasn’t it? Different types of surprises propelled this weekend forward. Whether it was the Boston-Cleveland series playing with our expectations, or the two-horse race we didn’t see coming at the Preakness Stakes, this past weekend had kept you on your toes. Let’s take a look at the action in this week’s “Weekend Recap.”

NBA: Boston Shows Some Life Without I.T.

It’s tough to wrap our heads around the reversal of fortunes like the one we saw between Boston and Cleveland. Friday, we saw one of the most lopsided playoff games of all time. Cleveland had its way with Boston throughout the first half, building a 72-31 lead halftime. Isaiah Thomas, who left the game in the second quarter, only chipped in two points for the Celtics. The second half would not get much better as Cleveland got the lead as high as 50 before the game mercifully ended with a 130-86 Cavaliers victory. If matters couldn’t get worse for the Celtics, news broke that Thomas would miss the rest of the postseason with a hip injury.

So let’s do the math real quick. Boston is down 0-2, losing both games at home. Game 2 was one of the most embarrassing losses of all time. You are now going on the road for Game 3 without your leading scorer. That doesn’t seem too foreboding. Then Cleveland is able to get ahead by 20 points just after halftime, without LeBron James being the best player on the court.

Amazingly though, Boston was able to weather all of the negatives and make an incredible comeback against the defending champions. The Celtics came alive in the third quarter, hitting five three pointers to cut the lead to five heading into the fourth quarter. Who would step up in winning time with Mr. Fourth Quarter, Isaiah Thomas out with an injury?

Well, there was no one who really took reins. It was a team effort for Boston that got them into position to have the final shot in a tie ball game. The credit will ultimately go to Avery Bradley as the game’s hero, sinking the game winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

Boston shows a bit of life, extending the series by at least one game. Don’t get too excited though, LeBron will not be doing another disappearing act in this series. Truthfully, we haven’t seen James play that badly since the 2011 NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. Look for an emphatic response from LeBron tomorrow night.

NHL: Pittsburgh and Nashville Move One Game Closer to the Stanley Cup Final

While the NBA conference finals may not be living up to expectations, the NHL conference finals have been great for the most part. The collision course that Pittsburgh and Nashville have been on since April hit a slight snag before the weekend. The Penguins were coming off of an embarrassing Game 3 loss to Ottawa, while Nashville ceded home-ice advantage to Anaheim in Game 4.

Injuries were now piling up for both teams as well. Pittsburgh has been pretty banged up since Game 1 of its series against the Senators, but the key players have all been relatively healthy. Nashville not only lost its first home game of the playoffs in Game 4, but also saw team captain Mike Fisher and leading scorer Ryan Johansen join the injured list. Fisher could possibly return in the next two games, but Johansen, the top center on the team, is out for the rest of the postseason.

You got the feeling that momentum was shifting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pittsburgh’s offense finally showed up in Game 4 and 5 though, dominating the action in two crucial victories. Nashville also showed some grit without two key cogs in a clutch Game 5 win on Saturday night. Now we have a pair of Game 6’s tonight and tomorrow that could set the Stanley Cup Final.

Cloud Computing Ends Always Dreaming’s Triple Crown Bid

 

In arguably the best finish of the weekend, Cloud Computing won the Preakness Stakes by a nose. Unfortunately for those hoping to witness another Triple Crown winner in horse racing, Always Dreaming was nowhere to be found at the end, finishing 8th. Cloud Computing narrowly edged out Classic Empire in a near-photo finish. While this upset wasn’t exactly a gambler’s delight, it sets up a wide-open Belmont Stakes in three weeks.

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with more content from Shooting the Moon. Look out for the latest episode of the Shooting the Moon Podcast later this week. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

What a day to come back from vacation. We’ve got a Game 7 to talk about before quickly shifting our attention to the conference finals. The Boston-Washington series played out pretty much as expected, but could anyone have guessed whom the hero of Game 7 would have been?

It wasn’t Isaiah Thomas or Al Horford. Bradley Beal’s best effort couldn’t save the Wizards. John Wall went ice cold in the fourth quarter after his heroics in Game 6. The hero of last night’s Game 7 was Boston’s Kelly Olynyk, much to the dismay of Kelly Oubre Jr.

Yes folks, you are read that correctly, the king of the man bun looked virtually unstoppable last night down the stretch. Olynyk scored a whopping 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Wizards at bay and send Boston into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2012. This is one of those games where you just shrug your shoulders and say, “go figure.”

We didn’t get anything resembling the Wall-Thomas winner-take-all duel that anyone expected to happen last night. Instead, Boston fans got a folk hero moment that will be remembered by the die-hard fans for years to come. Now reality will set in tomorrow night when the Cavaliers come into Beantown for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. This brings us to the previews of the conference finals.

Eastern Conference Finals: Boston vs. Cleveland

Why not start here since we are already talking about it. It’s taken five years and a rebuild for the Celtics to get back to this point in the playoffs. Unfortunately the only thing that hasn’t changed since then is that LeBron James awaits them. While most people aren’t giving Boston much of a chance, don’t totally sleep on them. Home court advantage for the Celtics is a nice ace in the hole if they are able to prove the experts wrong a make it a series.

Boston enjoyed one of the best home court advantages this season, and in the last series had an offensive efficiency number that would have ranked as the best in the NBA. It won’t be the easiest task to win multiple games at TD Garden for the Cavaliers. There are a couple problems for those who believe that Boston can upset the Cavaliers though.

The first problem is the matchup in general. Boston lacks the star power Cleveland enjoys, which will lead to issues on both ends of the floor. Isaiah Thomas has been incredible this season, but will that continue when facing a combination of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert? Maybe for a game or two, however that won’t be enough to win the series.

Another area where Boston will have matchup issues in in the frontcourt, specifically on the boards. The Celtics are not the greatest rebounding team in the league. In fact, they ranked near the bottom of the league for much of the season. That is going to be a serious problem because Cleveland has one of the best rebounders in the NBA and his name isn’t LeBron James. Tristan Thompson will be one of the x-factors in the series because of how dominant he can be rebounding the basketball. Thompson has actually been one of the best players for Cleveland against Boston this season.

The other problem with the notion that Boston will upset Cleveland a best of seven is the rest factor. While a lot has been made about the potential negative effect of rest on the Cavaliers, there is no doubt that is just conjecture in this case. Cleveland is potentially the most dangerous team in the league with legitimate rest.

Look at how the Cavaliers performed in the first round as compared to the second round. Ignore the fact that each series resulted in a sweep for a moment. Cleveland had its struggles in putting away Indiana in the first round, but then dominated Toronto in the second round. You can make the argument that Cleveland wasn’t as fresh against Indiana as they were against Toronto. It helps the team, but more specifically it helps LeBron James more than anyone on that roster.

James led the NBA in minutes per game despite resting eight games over the course of the regular season. While everyone made a commotion about the amount of minutes he had to play, you knew that James would be playing even more during the playoffs. James went from averaging 37.8 minutes per game in the regular season to a ridiculous 42.4 minutes per game in the postseason. Any rest that James can get at this point in the season gives the Cavs even more of an edge.

Winner: Cleveland in 5

 Western Conference Finals: Golden State vs. San Antonio

 

While most people want Cleveland-Golden State III in the finals, the second most-wanted series was this matchup between Golden State-San Antonio. They have not played each other in the postseason since the 2012-13 season, which was the birth of the “Splash Brothers.”

The season series between these two felt like a game of cat and mouse at times. San Antonio dominated on opening night, the second game four months later became a rest game for both teams, and the final regular season meeting was dominated by Golden State. Finally though, we get the matchup of the two best teams in the Western Conference.

Game 1 was a doozy between the injury to Kawhi Leonard, the post-game controversy over said-injury, and the comeback by Golden State to steal the game. However, there is a good chance that may have been the best game we’ll see in this round because of the Leonard injury.

Before exiting the game on Sunday afternoon, Leonard was by and large the best player on the court. He scored 26 points in 23 minutes, while compiling a plus/minus rating of +21. This is due in large part to his defensive presence against Kevin Durant and his ability to dictate tempo on the offensive end. Unfortunately, Leonard will be out for tonight’s Game 2.

Without Leonard, San Antonio has a tough task on its hands trying to avoid falling behind 2-0 in this series. Before I continue I’ll give you the opportunity to say, “but San Antonio beat Houston by 39 without Kawhi.” Yes, that did happen, but Golden State is not Houston despite the similarities in their styles.

Houston was solely reliant on James Harden to make plays with the basketball, so there was a way to shut down the Houston offense. Golden State does not rely on one player to initiate the offense and create shots. Steph Curry may be the point guard, but Durant and Draymond Green bring up the ball just as much as he does. San Antonio can’t zero in on just one guy to shut down this offense, which is the most efficient offense in the NBA.

However, just like rest will play a factor in the Cleveland-Boston series, the layoff between Game 2 and Game 3 could be the saving grace for San Antonio. It’s not completely out of the question that Leonard could return on Saturday for Game 3. Now he won’t be 100% but as we saw in Game 1, that is better than not having him on the court at all. Beating the Warriors in four out of five games is a tall order though.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be much better offensively in this series. The Warriors won’t need to have Curry and Durant combine for 74 points every game. Tonight’s outcome will go a long way to deciding just how long this series will go.

Winner: Golden State in 6

 

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow to break down the results of the NBA Draft Lottery on the Shooting the Moon Podcast. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.

Happy Monday everyone! It was quite a weekend in sports between the Kentucky Derby, NBA/NHL playoffs, a whale of a series between the Cubs and Yankees, plus a bombshell announcement in the world of boxing. To put it simply, this was a great Cinco de Mayo weekend.

MLB: It’s Time to Take the Yankees Seriously

Well folks, I jokingly asked on the podcast last week if the Bronx Bombers were back. It turns out we might have gotten that answer over the weekend. A three-game sweep of the defending world champion Cubs will do that for you. This mix of young and old for New York has been working wonders this year, with this weekend possibly being the best example.

Hell, winning that wild 18-inning marathon after your All-Star closer blew the lead in the ninth was a pretty solid cap off the weekend. This is after the Yanks bludgeoned Cubs starter Brett Anderson on Saturday night. I can only imagine how this series might have went if Brett Gardner didn’t save New York on Friday afternoon with a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning.

For the Yankees, this weekend served as a shot heard around the league. Any American League team with sights on the pennant this year will have to go through the Bronx to do so. We have a long way to go, but this is one New York team that has the look of a contender.

This doesn’t mean nearly as much to the Cubs though. Chicago still hasn’t even come close to gelling as a team, and when they do it will be quite scary. Be on the lookout for Joe Maddon to get creative with motivating his team. If you are a magician, zoologist, street performer, etc. in the Chicago area, keep your phone on this week.

Boxing: Canelo Dominates, Showdown With GGG Set

What a difference a week makes in boxing. Last week we were all talking about one of the best heavyweight fights in over a decade. This week we aren’t event talking about the fight that took place in the ring, but the announcement of a superfight afterwards.

Saturday night featured a long-awaited bout between Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to determine who is the best Mexican boxer. Alvarez moved up two weight classes to take the fight, and you would have never realized it by watching the bout. Canelo flat out dominated fight from opening bell to closing bell and swept the judges scorecards for an impressive unanimous decision victory (120-108, 120-108, 120-108).

Alvarez wasted no time letting the world know what was next for him. In pro wrestling fashion Alvarez announced his next fight would be against the undefeated, unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on September 16. Cue a highlight package, some entrance music, and Golovkin made his way to the ring to stare down the challenger to his title.

As good as Joshua-Klitschko was last week, this is the type of fight that Mayweather-Pacquiao should have been.

Always Dreaming Wins the Kentucky Derby

If you were only interested in the winner, the Kentucky Derby really didn’t offer many surprises. Always Dreaming was the favorite to win the race at post time and did so by taking a late lead while staving off a wild charge by the pack down the stretch. A muddy track made for this race to feel more wide open than many of the previous few Derbys. So now America waits to see if Always Dreaming will be the next horse to do the near impossible feat of winning the Triple Crown.

On a gambling note, if you had the superfecta in this race, give yourself a pat on the back with your near $79,000 stack of cash. Bravo.

NBA (East): Washington Evens Boston, Cleveland Sweeps Toronto

Geez, we’re on the fourth story from the weekend and we’re just getting to the playoffs. This is why the first weekend of May is so great for sports. Just to get this out of the way, Cleveland completed its sweep of Toronto and will now await the winner of Boston-Washington. The Cavaliers could be waiting awhile though.

Boston held serve at home in the first two games, but how would this series look after the weekend in Washington? As fate would have it, we could be in for the long haul with this one. The Wizards emphatically won Game 3 and Game 4 at home, evening the series at two games apiece setting up a virtual best-of-three to determine who faces Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

Hopefully the games will be a little closer though as the intensity has ramped up considerably between these Atlantic Division rivals. Game 3 saw the season-long animosity with these teams finally boil over as Kelly Oubre Jr. clocked Kelly Olynyk with a forearm shiver. Oubre Jr. was ejected and received a one-game suspension for his actions. It didn’t make much of a difference in Game 4 though, as John Wall completely took over in the second half, leading the Wizards to a huge victory.

While the NBA’s second round hasn’t exactly been that great, this series could finally provide us with some worthwhile games down the stretch.

 NBA (West): Battle of Texas Heats Up, Golden State Looking to Sweep

Over in the Western Conference, we are seeing almost the same type of story playing out. Golden State is making short work of Utah, and will look to close out the series tonight on the road. While Cleveland benefits immensely from sweeps, Golden State would be wise to end its series while they can. San Antonio-Houston looks like it could be going the distance, and the Warriors could make its road to the NBA Finals just a bit easier with almost a week’s worth of rest.

The Battle of Texas is living up to its moniker as the Spurs and Rockets split both games in Houston over the weekend. Each won its game by a wide margin, and sets up an intriguing conclusion over the course of this week. A season-ending injury to Nene could change the outlook of this series though.

Houston’s big man has been great this season, but losing that inside presence could have huge ramifications during the next two-to-three games. Nene is really the only player who can defend the inside against LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol, which could make for some tough sledding for Houston’s already questionable defense.

Offensively, the Rockets have thrived on the three-pointer as they have done for much of the season. However, this injury could put much more pressure on James Harden and Patrick Beverley to be effective on their drives to the basket. I also wonder how this will affect the Rockets when San Antonio matches up Kawhi Leonard on Harden.

NHL: Anaheim-Edmonton Game 7 Will Be Must-See TV

It’s taken awhile, but we will finally get a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll have to wait to find out if Washington and New York can each force a seventh game. If not, Anaheim-Edmonton should still serve as a hell of a conclusion to the second round, so set up that reminder on your cable box now.

Game 5 between these two gave us one of the most improbable comebacks of the entire postseason (yes, even better than Cleveland’s 26-point comeback in the NBA). Edmonton led 3-0 on the road for much of the game, but then things got crazy when Anaheim went into desperation mode.

The Ducks literally pulled out all the stops in the final three minutes of regulation to try to extend the game. Anaheim goaltender John Gibson became a bystander on the bench as the Ducks went with an empty net and six attackers for the final 180 seconds. Constant pressure and some puck luck resulted in three goals in about 160 seconds to force overtime.

If this game couldn’t get any crazier, they needed a second overtime to finally get a game-winning goal. Corey Perry played the hero for Anaheim to cap off a wild comeback and gave the Ducks a crucial Game 5 victory.

With their backs against the wall in Game 6, Edmonton showed no signs of an emotional letdown after blowing Game 5. The Oilers sent the home crowd into a frenzy with an offensive blitzkrieg in the opening period scoring five times and essentially ending the game before it ever started. Edmonton never looked back, notched an emphatic 7-1 victory in Game 6 to set up a climactic Game 7 on Wednesday night.

That’s it for me today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a new edition of “Curtain Call” to update my power rankings in the MLB. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.