MidValleySports.Com

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!
It wasn’t pretty, but watching Game One of the NBA Finals was like watching Balboa-Creed circa 1976.

The Knicks beat the Spurs, 105-95, but the winner was retired Villanova HC Jay Wright.

“The Villanova Effect” was the difference when things got messy and tight late in San Antonio last night. 

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges are great basketball players. Not the greatest of all time, or the greatest at one particular thing, they’re just great players—schooled at Villanova…under Wright.

Karl-Anthony Towns always struck me as a guy who was cool. Win or lose, Towns was going to say, “Yeah, it’s cool”–until last night.

Last night, Towns was decidedly not cool about anything and played with more energy and attitude than I ever saw before.

What came to mind watching Towns in Game One was how dudes change their play when the cheerleaders or girls come into the gym. 

Effort spikes, and guys who never led a fast break—basically guys who couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time—suddenly turned into Magic Johnson. 

Dudes, who wouldn’t shoot a 20-footer with a gun to their back, suddenly start casting threes with confidence of Steph Curry.

But, since I’m a Knick fan, I’m all good with KAT. Check with me after Game Two and I might ‘Always have been a Karl-Anthony Towns fan.’

The San Antonio Spurs looked gassed, and it was clear Mitch Johnson—a good coach—was outcoached by New York’s more experienced Mike Brown.

The Spurs may be young, but they have so much talent. Which makes me ask, where does Gregg Popovich rank all time with basketball minds like Jerry West, Red Auerbach, John Wooden…etc…etc…

And, does it seem like Popovich—with all of his titles—is given less due because he accomplished everything in San Antonio?

What about Jose Alverado? Philly relief pitcher by day and spark off the bench for the Knicks at night.

I’m positive Deuce McBride called the bank on his trey from the corner at the end of the third.

Landry Shamet seems to have had more NBA stops than Taylor Swift had boyfriends before Travis Kelce. 

So I did the math, and I was wrong. Swift had 11 boyfriends before Kelce — and now she looks happy.

Shamet, a first-round pick of the 76ers in 2018, has played for only six teams, but with the Knicks, he looks happy. And without him last night, they don’t win. 

Sideline Reporter: “What do you have to do to cut down on the turnovers?”
Player: “We’ve got to take better care of the ball.

Regarding the Munson who ran on the court during the game, someone should have given him a taste of Mike Curtis or Aaron Donald.

Does anyone outside of Philadelphia know who Cristopher Sanchez is?

#59—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

For $773, you can see Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
By contrast, 17-zops will get you into the Grainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to see the Atlanta Dream play the Indiana Fever.

Does Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark still have the same star-power?

Are you sold on Sam Darnold? Because I’m not. I want to see how he does without Terry McAulay’s help.

Yes, I’m still bitter.
By the way…as a sports fan…bitter, may not be happy, but it’s a warm and comforting place to wallow in.

The Dude abides…

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