When it comes to the latest in sports, it’s hard to beat a winner-take-all game. 7. The commissioners dream their championship series will have a ratings-friendly, sponsor-happy matchup that will leave fans and players in a frenzy.
In the NBA, the playoffs have always been an exciting event, a combination of the dazzling offense and the effective defense of the championship-winning team. With Magic Johnson’s “Showtime” Lakers taking on Larry Bird’s Celtics in the 1980s, the NBA reached the apex of its summer classic. East vs. West, old school vs. flashy new school, the Lakers vs. the Celtics series was the hottest ticket in years.
With the 2009 NBA playoffs, we’ve seen the return of the dramatic Game 7. Lebron James and his dominating Cavaliers ignored, the slew of Game 7s has been lighting up satellite TV for the past month. Cleveland has adopted the approach of Moses Malone’s dominating Sixers, that of “Fo’, Fo’, Fo’,” that is, sweeping every team in four games. When you have Doctor J or King James, this is a real possibility. But even Kobe Bryant has been vulnerable, with his season already on the line against the Houston Rockets.
How did the Lakers respond to their Game 7? By defeating the Rockets in a game described by one announcer as “over in the first quarter.” In truth, he wasn’t close, but Kobe had to feel a little nervous. In the East, it was the defending champion Boston Celtics who found themselves at two Game 7s in two series. First it was the end of a wild series against the Chicago Bulls who had HDTVs on late into the night, and the Celtics finally advanced after four games of overtime. It then came down to a Game 7 against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, the three Eastern Conference seeds. The defending champions failed to come out on top this time, with Howard and the Magic winning convincingly. Injured or not, the Celtics proved difficult to eliminate, but their year was over.
Now what? The satellite TV is going to be buzzing when the conference finals start. Cleveland vs. Orlando is an interesting matchup, but Lakers vs. Denver in the West could be a real dogfight. Denver has been the surprise team of the playoffs, winning both series with relative ease. With prominent big men Kenyon Martin and Nene, Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets could kill Kobe before he reaches the Finals.
It would be a surprise. For much of the year, and especially after the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett went down with an injury, Kobe versus Lebron has been HD’s dream series. Neither of them cares, of course, but the fans, sponsors and the commissioner have been looking forward to the showdown. It’s like Bird vs. Magic again. It’s actually like Jordan vs. Jordan, if you really think about it. Either way, the NBA playoffs on satellite TV haven’t disappointed yet. To the end we go.