The Big Boys' Final Four

A couple of months ago basketball fans were treated to March Madness. The pomp and pageantry of the single elimination, win or go home, six-game path to crown a College Basketball National Champion is spectacular, indeed. The NCAA Tournament keeps fans on the edge of their seats, and glued to TV sets, and big screens all over America for three golden weekends, culminating with the Final Four weekend, and the battle for the Championship on the first Monday night in April.

There are some who declare it is the greatest “event” in all of sports. And granted the thrill of watching favorites wilt under pressure; of seeing fans roar lustily for the underdogs, as long as their team is not the favorite, is a sight to behold. This years Tourney brought tiny Davidson College into the spotlight for the first time in several decades; at least on this level.

Of course, while many so-called purists cling to the college version of the Final Four as the apex of the sport, others, including me, beg to differ. If you believe, as I do, that the best basketball players in the world form a unique and superior cadre of athletes, and you concede, that by and large, the NBA is populated by the crème de la crème of these physically gifted titans, then it is all but certain that the real Final Four is underway now.

For high drama and suspense, the college game may equal, and occasionally exceed the NBA, because in the single elimination format used in the college game, a number of underdogs always manage to advance. Lightning in a bottle does happen. However, it seldom strikes twice. Yet this year’s Davidson squad proved to be the exception to the rule, winning three times over favored teams, and coming within a play of upsetting a fourth, and advancing to the Final Four at the Alamodome.

It was great theater. But was it great basketball? If subjected to the rigors of the seven-game series the NBA uses, it is doubtful Davidson, or other underdogs would enjoy the success they do in college tournament play. Over multiple games, designed to pit a higher seed against a lower seed, with an odd number of games, and the majority played on the higher seed’s natural home court, talent usually prevails, and the “better team” wins.

In addition to the talent factor, or perhaps because of it, during the course of multiple games, more adjustments are made by coaches and players. This year’s NBA playoffs have been eagerly anticipated by fans of the game. The current Final Four is composed of a compelling quartet.

In the East, the team with the best record in the NBA this year matches up with a team that has made it to this point, the Conference Finals, six consecutive times. This series, between the Boston Celtics (best record) and the Detroit Pistons (six straight Conference Finals) is tied 2-2.

In the West, the defending Champions are matched against a reinvented and revitalized squad that was the last team to win multiple Titles in succession, winning three in a row. The Los Angeles Lakers (the last team to win 3 Titles in a row) edged the San Antonio Spurs (defending NBA Champs) last night to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, with the next game scheduled for Los Angeles.

Adding to the buzz for game 5 will be spirited discussion about an official’s non-call as time expired. Lakers’ point guard, Derek Fisher made contact with Spur’s reserve Brent Barry on a last second 3-piont field goal attempt. Had Barry made the shot, or the three free throws awarded if he missed, with a foul called, the Spurs would have won the game. Making 2-3 free throws would have tied the game and sent it into overtime (in San Antonio). Barry shoots over 40% from behind the 3-point arc, and 85% from the free throw line.

In a statement after the game, Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich said, “If I were an official I wouldn’t have called that.” However, Joe Crawford’s officiating of the game is sure to be brought up in conversation. Crawford has a well-documented contentious history with the Spurs, including having had an argument with Popovich during the Conference semi-finals.

Many observers believe a rematch of the classic 80’s match-ups between the Celtics and Lakers, the two winningest franchises in NBA history, will provide a great Championship series. If that comes to pass, the Celts, because of their NBA best, 66-16 record, have earned home court advantage. In fact the Eastern Conference is home to the top two teams in the league, record-wise. So, whichever team prevails between Boston and Detroit will have home court advantage in the Finals, and host up to four games, against either Los Angeles, or San Antonio.

Since 1985, the NBA has used a 2-3-2 Finals format, meaning if the series goes 5 games or more, the middle three games are played on the Court of the lower seeded team. This reduces cross country travel for longer series, but also puts pressure on the team that opens at home to win both games. Not doing so puts them at risk of having to win a game on their opponents’ or not getting to return home and to use their home court advantage.

The Lakers appear to have all but assured themselves of holding up their end of the bargain. Losing three straight games to the Spurs at this point, two of them in Los Angeles, seems improbable. The Celtics who have been tough at home, look forward to two games at home in what amounts to a 3-game series now. Their chances to advance look good.

Bring it on; Go Lakers! I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.


http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/spursworld/2008/05/game_4_spurs_vs_lakers.html

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers28-2008may28,0,2955865.story

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24846739/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/specials/playoffs/2008/05/28/fastbreaks.lakers.spurs/index.html?bcnn=yes

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=AukRtJ0IDB4xJzqISwunJMa8vLYF?gid=2008052724&prov=ap

http://www.nba.com/news/coachscornerpistonsceltics.html

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/postseason/matchups/finals/BOS-DET

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080527/SPORTS03/805270381/1048/sports

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/27/all_tied_up/

http://www.rr.com/flash/index.cfm?startView=SPORTS