June 2, Week in Sports
June 2, Week in Sports
:: CELTICS, LAKERS ADVANCE TO NBA FINALS (Pro. Basketball)
:: RED WINGS ONE WIN AWAY FROM WINNING STANLEY CUP (Pro. Hockey)
:: MANNY RAMIREZ HITS 500TH HOME RUN (Pro. Baseball)
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I LOVE THE ’80s: CELTICS-LAKERS MATCHUP RENEWS OLD RIVALRY
Last week, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers secured spots in this year’s NBA Finals. During the 1960s and 1980s, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was one of the most intense in professional sports. This will be the first time the two teams have faced off in the Finals since 1987.
This match-up will be one of the most hyped NBA Finals in recent history for a number of reasons. Both the Lakers and the Celtics play in huge markets and both franchises are part of long-standing traditions. Both teams feature some of the NBA’s biggest names–the Lakers have league MVP Kobe Bryant, and the Celtics have superstar Kevin Garnett. Both teams have also been part of this year’s biggest story lines in the NBA: The Lakers almost traded Kobe Bryant during the off-season (per Bryant’s request), but the star guard ended up having a career year in Los Angeles; the Celtics acquired Garnett in the off-season, instantly transforming a comatose franchise into a powerhouse. The series begins on Thursday in Boston.
There was another ’80s throwback of sorts this week as well, when it was rumored that Doug Collins would return to his position as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Collins coached the Bulls in the ’80s, and many believe that Phil Jackson, who won six championships with Michael Jordan’s Bulls, hijacked the team that Collins built.
Quote of the Week: “I think [the Lakers-Celtics] rivalry really revolutionized the game of basketball, and now I’m a part of it.” — Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics player
Further Reading: “Lakers-Celtics: A rivalry so big it should be on Versus” — Bill Plaschke
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RED HOT RED WINGS POISED TO WIN STANLEY CUP
On Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Detroit now leads the series 3-1, and will have an opportunity to win it all on Monday night.
Detroit won the first two games of the series, which deflated the high hopes of Pittsburgh fans and league officials who had hoped that this series would be extremely close. When the Penguins responded by winning Game 3, though, it only put them one game away from tying it up. However, Saturday’s loss at home was devastating for the Penguins. The Pens had won their past nine games in Pittsburgh.
Game 4 featured an unbelievable performance by Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg, including an extraordinary minute and a half when he completely shut down the Penguins during a 5-on-3 advantage.
Quote of the Week: “Since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939, only one team has come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the Cup.” — Scott Burnside, ESPN
Further Reading: “Stanley Cusp! Gritty Wings one win away from championship” — Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press
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GOING, GOING, GONE…MANNY HITS NUMBER 500
Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox hit his 500th career home run on Saturday. Only 23 other players have accomplished the feat.
As is the case with many hitters approaching major milestones, Ramirez seemed to struggle in recent weeks as he neared the 500 mark. He finally ended the wait in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against Baltimore. “I just wanted to get a good swing on the ball all day,” Ramirez said after the game. “And I did.”
Now that the Ramirez watch is over, all eyes will be on Ken Griffey Jr. Right now, Griffey is sitting on 599 home runs. While Ramirez’s feat was a big deal, Griffey’s will be much more significant: only five other players have hit 600 home runs.
Quote of the Week: “That was the swing, right there. It’s hard to hit home runs. I know — I made a career of not doing it.” — Dave Magadan, Red Sox hitting coach
Further Reading: “Manny Mashes No. 500” — Rob Bradford, Boston Herald
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: BASKETBALL – The NBA Finals begin on Thursday, when the Lakers play the Celtics in Boston.
:: HOCKEY – The Stanley Cup Finals continue this week. The Red Wings currently lead the Penguins 3-1. Game 5 will be played tonight (Monday) in Detroit.
:: TENNIS – The French Open continues this week and runs through June 8th.
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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE
ACTIVE SEASON
:: BASEBALL
MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball season is in full swing, but it is a long season, so teams tend to measure their success month by month. The All-Star break takes place the second week of July. By then, teams’ records will be a good indicator of how well they are performing this season. [Official MLB Website]
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:: BASKETBALL
NBA (Pro. Basketball): The NBA Finals begin on Thursday, when the Lakers play the Celtics in Boston. [Official NBA Website]
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:: GOLF
MEN’S GOLF: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments are the four Major Championships: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open (The British Open), and the PGA Championship. Now that the Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played from June 9-15. [Official PGA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els
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:: HOCKEY
NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently battling in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings lead the series 3-1. [Official NHL Website]
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:: TENNIS
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The French Open is currently underway. The next event is Wimbledon, which runs from June 23rd to July 6th. [USTA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova
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OFFSEASON
:: BASKETBALL
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): Now that the tournament is over, college basketball news will focus on which players leave their schools for the NBA, and which college teams land the premier high-school players for next season. [CBS Sports]
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:: FOOTBALL
NFL (Pro. Football): The pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]
NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Practice sessions for college football begin in summer, and the regular season begins in August. [NCAA Football, ESPN]
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