As the Conference Finals come to a close in the NHL and NBA the top two teams are beginning to show. It is painfully obvious that the Boston Celtics are the top team in the East after they have established a dominating 3-0 lead over the Orlando Magic. The Celtics are a fantastic team with their young point guard, Rajon Rondo, being the standout player of the postseason. He has lead that team to blowout wins over the Magic and and will look to continue that into the Finals. The Phoenix Suns are making a series out of it and pulled out a win at home to keep the Lakers from obtaining a 3-0 lead themselves. That series is the one to watch this week.
In the NHL the San Jose Sharks continued their tradition of falling short after being the best team during the regular season. The Chicago Blackhawks eliminated them over the weekend and will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Currently they are awaiting the outcome of the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers and no matter who wins that series, they will be the underdog. The Blackhawks are in a strong position to win the Stanley Cup because they will get plenty of rest and then go against a inferior team coming off a miraculous run in the postseason. But then again, that is the perfect setup for any championship series. The Big Dog vs. The Underdog, it will be interesting to see who makes it.
So as basketball and hockey come to an end, we make way for the summer when only baseball, NASCAR and golf will be on the sports pages. Eat up these last few weeks of high impact and fast paced games because the lazy afternoons of baseball will soon be upon us. Not that there’s anything wrong with that because after summer comes football.
Top 3
1. NBA Western Conference Finals – Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers –
While the Lakers may lead the series 2-1, this is by no means close to being settled. The Suns lost the first two games in Los Angeles but were able to regroup and come out with a win on Sunday in Phoenix. They will have to step up and do that again next game or they will be in a heap of trouble going back to LA. But the Lakers don’t want to keep traveling so they will be looking to get a big victory so they can go back to LA and only need one game to win the series and go on to play what will surely be the Boston Celtics. But you never know what magic the Suns could pull and nothing really gets interesting until a team loses on their home-court. So buckle up, this will be a fast paced series that could go the distance.
2. NHL Eastern Conference Finals – Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers –
Philadelphia has a commanding 3-1 lead over the upstart Canadiens. Neither team was supposed to be here with each leading surprising upsets through the playoffs. But unfortunately only one can win and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals to face the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canadiens would be the first 8th seeded team to advance to the finals and to get here they have overcome great odds. Now they will have to overcome even more. Being in the hole 3-1 means that they can not lose one more game or their Cinderella playoff run is over. It can be done but it will be very difficult against a Flyers team that has proven it can play with the big boys. Make sure you watch any games that may be left because they will be intense and fill of hard hits.
3. MLB – Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets – May 25 – 27
In a sport where there is really only one big rivalry (Yankees/Redsox) there are still plenty of old time rivalries that go unnoticed to people outside of their cities. The Phillies and Mets are one of those rivalries. Being in the same division is a big part of it because only one of them can be on the top and make the trip to the playoffs. Countless times these two teams have met and the outcome has decided their season’s fate. They’ve knocked each other out of playoffs and just taken no prisoners when playing each other. With the Phillies on top of the NL East division right now and only five games separating them from the last place Mets,every win will mean a lot to these teams. The divisional standings could be turned topsy turvy after this one is over. Watch and see what happens this time.
Quick Picks
- NASCAR season is off and running and the Sprint Cup is still up for grabs. Check out the standings here.
- The 2010 FIFA World Cup is almost here. Keep up to date by visiting the official site and reading up on players, teams and schedules.
