SPORTS NOTES - NBA PLAYOFFS BEGIN

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

The defending champion Boston Celtics finished with the leagues third best record 62-20. Their hopes of repeating are bleak as their star player Kevin Garnett is deemed out for the playoffs due to an injured knee - The noise surrounding 14 time All Star selection baseball player Alex Rodriguez reached frenzy - FIFA TOP 10

Saturday April 18, 2009

Key Player Injuries Rule Outlook

The Cleveland Cavaliers failed to tie the 1985-86 Boston Celtics home win record of 40-1 when they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 111-110 in overtime of their final regular season game. The good news is they rested their key players for the playoffs that begin today by using their reserve team.

To many NBA teams the playoffs is where the real season begins and is what NBA squads fight throughout the season to qualify for. It could be deemed America's Champions League. The Cavs did finish with the NBA'S best record 66-16 giving them home court advantage throughout to the playoffs to the finals should they survive.

In the first round LeBron James and company will face off against the Detroit Pistons who have fallen from grace this season by barley making the playoffs by finishing eighth the last playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a 39-43 record. The midseason acquisition of Alan Iverson didn't help as he failed to lift the team. Iverson is injured and is out for the playoffs. This June 7 Iverson will be 34-years-old and given his age it is doubtful that he will ever experience winning an NBA title.

The Pistons 39 win record is their worst result for an 82 game season since they recorded a 37-45 record during the 1997-98 campaign. They did record a 29-21 record for the NBA strike shortened 50 game 1998-99 season.

The defending champion Boston Celtics finished with the leagues third best record 62-20. Their hopes of repeating are bleak as their star player Kevin Garnett is deemed out for the playoffs due to an injured knee. Coach Doc Rivers says Garnett's knee keeps locking up on him and that he was better last week than now. Garnett has missed most of the second half of the season due to the injury. The Celts will face the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

In the Western Conference the LA Lakes finished first as well as finishing with the leagues second best regular season record 67-15 and will have home court advantage against all teams except the Cavaliers. They finished the regular season strong winning seven of their last 10 games. They will face the Utah Jazz in the first round.

The Jazz finished the regular season poorly winning only three of the final 10 games. They have a dismal road record of 15-26 to the Lakers 29-12. With center Andrew Bynum returning to the lineup the Lakers are at full strength.

The San Antonio Spurs have challenged the Lakers as being the NBA's best in the 21st Century earned by winning three titles in 2003, 2005 & 2007. They also won the strike shorten 50 game season title in 1999. During that 1999 to 2007 period the Lakers have won three titles to the Spurs four.

The Spurs 54-28 regular season record was the third best in the Western Conference. Their hopes of adding to their NBA title trophy case are dim since their star Manu Ginobili is injured and will not play in the playoffs.

The strongest teams who have a chance to win it all are the Lakers, Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics. The Lakers are the only team who are completely healthy. The bottom line is the first team to win 16 games in the playoffs is the NBA Champion.

MVP

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade are the favorites to win the NBA's MVP Award. Wade's Miami Heat finished with a 43-39 record for 5th best in the East. The Heat face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round to whom they had a losing regular season 3-1 record. Should history repeat itself Wade's season will be over within five games of the first round. Should they survive the Hawks Wades MVP chances will be enhanced.

MLB

NY YANKEES ALEX RODRIGUEZ

The noise surrounding 14 time All Star selection baseball player Alex Rodriguez reached frenzy when the University of Miami named its baseball field the "Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field" in his honor. It raised the questions why would this come about after the revelation that he admitted to using steroids after testing positive in 2003 and what relationship did Rodriguez have since he never played for nor attended the school.

Over the years Rodriguez donated a $3.9 million gift for the stadium. Prior to signing his first professional baseball contract with the Seattle Mariners Rodriguez was a student at South Florida's Westminster Christian High School. He then made a commitment to Miami to play for them but the Mariners lured him away with a $1.3 million deal. Though he turned pro Rodriguez remained in contact with Miami's coach Jim Morris for more than 15 years.

The now New York Yankee player's donation is the largest ever to the university's baseball program. As a result it helped in the building of a new clubhouse, weight room, training room, team meeting room, academic center, video room, press box and four VIP luxury suites, new dugouts and improved stadium lighting, restrooms and concession areas. And now you know the story behind the story.

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