NBA Finals podcast with Dave Zizmor: How nervous should Mavericks be?; Celtics making easy work of Dallas

The Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (left) takes a shot against the Dallas Mavericks forward PJ Washington (25) in game 2 of the NBA Finals at Boston Garden on Sun Jun 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the NBA Playoff podcast with David Zizmor:

#1 How nervous should the Dallas Mavericks be they are down 0-2 dropping the first two games of these NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics with both games just played in Boston?

#2 For the Mavericks defense it’s been very difficult to contain the Celtics Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White?

#3 Game 3 of the NBA Finals heads to Dallas on Wed Jun 12 with a 5:30pm PT tip off at American Airlines Arena. How leverage will having home court work for the Mavericks advantage?

David Zizmor is an NBA analyst at http://www.sportradioiservice.com

NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors World Champions After Beating Boston 103-90

Golden State Warriors celebrate World Championship victory at TD Garden in Boston after defeating the Boston Celtics in six games on Thu Jun 16, 2022 (@warriors photo)

Golden State Warriors World Champions After Beating Boston 103-90

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors took on the Boston Celtics and closed it out in six games winning the NBA Finals 103-90 at TD Garden.

The Warriors were 0-3 in playoff play when they had the chance to close out a series on the road. On the flip side of the coin the Boston Celtics have a 3-0 record in elimination games.

Teams leading 3-2 going into a game six have an 81% chance of winning. The last team to blow a 3-2 lead however, was the Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Game 6 recap: The Celtics came into the first quarter on fire taking a 12-2 lead in the opening minutes. A couple of turnovers from the Warriors and a couple of three’s from Jaylen Brown was the difference in this game with a long long way to go. Three minutes into this game Klay Thompson was already in foul trouble and later Kevon Looney would find himself in foul trouble as well with two fouls. In a 17 point turnaround the Warriors took a 27-22 lead after 12 minutes.

The Warriors took a 15 point in the first two minutes of the second quarter. Marcus Smart had his third foul in the quarter but the Celtics were fighting their way back into this game trailing 37-29 with a lot of time left in the second.

Looney picked up his third foul in the second quarter. With under three minutes left in the first half the Warriors had taken an 18 point lead 51-33. Draymond Green was having an amazing game offensively and defensively with five points, five assists and seven rebounds. Golden State led at the half 54-39 with the Splash Brothers each turning in 12 points.

Boston turned a 22 point Warrior lead into 12 in the closing minutes of the third quarter, With under two minutes left in the third Boston had made a real push trailing 76-66 after three. It had been a 16-4 run for the Celtics despite a 17 turnover tally.

Golden State turned it on in the fourth quarter leading 101-86 with 1:30 remaining in the game. There would be no collapse for the Warriors in this game. The Celtic turnovers were a huge factor in the Boston loss. The Golden State Warriors were the NBA World Champions. The final was 103-90. It was nothing short of a finals masterpiece.

Curry was back after a tough game five with 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Green was amazing with 17 rebounds, eight assists and 12 points. This was a real team effort that could not have been accomplished had it not been for every single player on the floor tonight.

A rough start for the Warriors turned into a glorious finish. “I’m so proud of our group. I thank God everyday that I get to play this game at the highest level with some amazing people,” said Curry the NBA Most Valuable Player after the game. “What we’ve been through in the past few years: it’s amazing. We hit rock bottom with injuries. We never take this for granted because you never know when you will be back here” he said.

It was a massive celebration for the Warriors on center court and a tough pill to swallow for the Celtics watching their opponents celebrate on their home floor. There was a huge celebration back at Chase Center with a watch party inside and out.

The Warriors now have their fourth championship in eight years, a level that few teams have been able to reach. They came so far in the past three years, going from worst in the league to world champions making this championship probably the sweetest they have ever celebrated.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s could get close to getting ballpark but affordable housing a huge issue; plus much more news

Artists rendition of inside of an Oakland A’s Howard Terminal ballpark. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission votes on the park on Thu Jun 30, 2022

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury top story is the vote with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission on June 30 a huge vote that will help decide to keep the A’s in Oakland.

#2 One of the points that you raised a big hurdle for the A’s to get this one is that they need to address the affordable housing project issue with the city of Oakland. The city is asking for 450 apartment for affordable housing out of 3,000 units. Will owner John Fisher and the A’s bend to the City’s will?

#3 Amaury, turning to the NBA Finals it was back and forth for awhile but the Golden State Warriors as expected with the home floor put away game 5 and moved ahead of the Boston Celtics at the Chase Center on Monday night.

#4 Amaury talk about Warrior forward Draymond Green a little pushing and shoving underneath the basket with the Celtics which drew a crowd but punches thrown at 4:40 remaining in the game. Frustrations for the Celtics and Green doing some trash talking towards the end of the game later Green fouled out of the game.

#5 The Oakland A’s open a three game series at Fenway Park tonight. The Boston Red Sox are hot they’ve won eight of their last ten the A’s are not they’ve lost nine of their last ten games. A’s starting Jared Koenig (0-1, ERA 9.00) the Sox will be going with Nick Pivetta (5-5, ERA 3.78) a 4:10 pm PDT first pitch.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s open 2 game series in Atlanta tonight; NBA Finals game 3 sets up in Boston; plus more

Oakland A’s starter Cole Irvin (19) gets the start against the Atlanta Braves Kyle Wright at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tue Jun 7, 2022 to open up a two game series (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 The Oakland A’s have an off day on Monday. They are on their way to face the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves for two games starting Tuesday night in Atlanta. The A’s hope to get back on the winning track against the Braves.

#2 The Oakland Coliseum has been a house of horrors for them this season. They are 7-23 at home. They were 1-9 on the homestand ending on Sunday. They lost their last six games, three to the Houston Astros and three to the Boston Red Sox. 

#3 Turning to the NBA Finals the Golden State Warriors who were down 0-1 to the visiting Boston Celtics were able to climb back into the series and even it up. It was a close first half 52-50 but the Warriors in the second half held the Celtics to just 14 points in the third quarter that made a huge difference in the win.

#4 The Boston Celtics during games 1 and 2 wanted to show unity by tee shirts supporting the release WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner who is being held in a Russian prison on drug charges when they accused Griner for having hashish oil in her suitcase at the Moscow Airport.

#5 There is no doubt and you saw him on the last homestand in Oakland that Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez who no doubt is like a reincarnated Willie McCovey type hitter who just got a six year extension worth $115 million on Monday. That’s $26 million a year and the largest contract for a DH. Alvarez is hitting .295, 51 hits, 16 home runs, and 34 RBIs.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for Oakland A’s beisbol on flagship station Le Grande 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com