NBA season closes
It's hard to remember an NBA regular-season day that had more intrigue and emotion than Wednesday did. And all of it was packed into the final hours of the 2015-16 season.
The Warriors completed their season-long march to history with their record-setting 73rd victory. Of course, that becomes little more than a footnote if they do not win the NBA Championship. That said, if they do get by the Spurs and topple the Cavs, the Warriors have laid a statistical foundation as the best single team ever. (We can debate whether they would have bested Jordan's Bulls or the Hall-of-Fame laden teams of Bird or Magic of the 1980s, but if the Warriors win it all, the numbers are there.)
To make matters sweeter for Golden State, Steph Curry became the first NBA player to make 400 3s in a season. (His 402 total this year is truly a Ruthian stat considering the next highest total from a non-Steph Curry human is Klay Thompson's total of 276 this season.)
And that in a lot of ways was a side-story to what Kobe Bryant was doing across the dial in his final NBA appearance.
Kobe, before a full house and amid the pomp and circumstance that was the Lakers saying good-bye to the five-time champ and future Hall of Famer, took 50 shots and scored 60 points as the Lakers rallied to beat the Jazz 101-96.
It's worth repeating: Fifty shots and 60 points in his final swing. Unbelievable. Yet completely fitting for a guy who led the league in scoring average twice and led the league in shots attempted six times
Bryant's final season has been a parade of people trying to say adios to one of the game's greatest ever. He will never be on anyone's all-time first team because he played the same position as Michael, but Kobe can stack his numbers up with every other shooting guard looking to be all-time second string.
In addition to the five titles, Bryant finished his career with more than 33,000 points, which puts him third all-time, and that's with missing more than 200 games in his 20-year career to injury. (If you multiply Bryant's career 25 points per game over those 200 career missing games - or 5,000 points - and he would be right there with Kareem as the all-time mark for points in league history.)
He was great in the clutch, even if he was far from one of the most efficient players around. He shot 44.7 percent for his career from the field - and never better than 50 percent in any single season - and 32 percent from 3 for his career.
So Kobe shot his way to a spot amid the all-timers, and he shot his way out the door Wednesday.
It was a fitting - and fun - end.
Boston Celtics' Evan Turner (11) shoots the game-winning basket over Atlanta Hawks' DeMarre Carroll (5) with 0.2 seconds left on the clock in the second half of their game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, in Boston. NBA playoffs
The playoffs start Saturday. Here's a place for the complete schedule of first-round games through the next week or 10 days.
Here's one guy's guess sat how the playoffs will roll:
First round holds to seeds in the West; the only seed 'upset' in the East will be No. 5 Boston over No. 4 Atlanta.
Conference semifinals: Warriors over Clippers; Spurs over Thunder. Cavs over Celtics; Heat over Raptors.
Conference finals: Warriors over Spurs; Cavs over Heat.
NBA Finals: Warriors over Cavs.
Yes, that's not a lot of upset, but in truth the NBA offers the most predictable and truest postseason. The sample size is right and the change to the 2-2-1-1-1 format also helps.
And since the Warriors are a historically all-time team, it's really hard to see any one team beat them four out of seven when the entire league could only beat them nine times out of 82.
Atlanta Braves shortstop Erick Aybar can't grab a ball hit by Washington Nationals' Jayson Werth during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 12, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Braves being bad
OK, we are going to remain positive - even through the heckles of some you readers and a certain member of the web team that helps present the 5-at-10 on most days. But before we get to the glossing over of another Braves loss, we have nothing positive to say about the allegations that outfielder Hector Olivera assaulted a female at the team hotel.
Unacceptable on any level.
That said, let's welcome back Positive Paul, a day removed from a wicked hangover that allowed Optimistic Oliver a chance yesterday.
"Thanks, and it's good to be back.
In truth, a loss is a loss, and the Braves are going to get their fair share of them. But if you heard baseball ace Tim Kirkjian on Press Row on Wedneday, you heard a bona fide expert say he did not think the Braves would lose 100 games this year. So there's that.
There's also this: Other than two bad pitches, Matt Wisler pitched pretty well. Yes, his ERA is almost 5, but his WHiP is right at 1, and that's great. So we are growing and looking for pieces. Yes our bunch is winless, but that's no reason to turn on them now."
Well-said Paul, and stay out of the sauce.
Army Veteran Andrew Smith, 29, looks down No. 1 fairway after teeing off with the UTC golf team on Wednesday at Council Fire. Smith is a 2005 Chattanooga Christian School graduate who majored in History at Lee University, then joined the Army, losing both legs to an IED in Kandahar, Afganistan thereafter.This and that
- Great perspective and insight from Michael Greller, Jordan Spieth's caddie after the Masters meltdown. Read his well-written Facebook post here.
- Man, this is tough to handle for a lot of us who love golf. According to this story former Texas coaching legend Darrell Royal was invited to join Augusta National. His wife said no. Man, Mrs. Royal, that's harsh stuff - and in some states legal grounds for divorce.
- Johnny Football is now being investigated for a hit-and-run. Dude needs help.
- If you have not read TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer's excellent story on a local golfing war hero, well here it is and enjoy.
Today's question
We had a Rushmore of country music last week when Merle died. RIP Okie. Today, Loretta Lynn turns 84.
Rushmore of female country singers.