The Playoff Battles are in Full Swing

May 6, 2016

The playoffs in the NBA and the NHL are well into the second round, and with that comes the turn of the dial in intensity. Each team in both sports must know that to win the big prize, you have to be prepared to take on the physical toll and also dish it out. The teams that can't sustain the constant barrage of contact will be eliminated somewhere down the line. Most shots and passes will be challenged with a fierce competitor contesting the play with contact. Again, if you aren't bringing the heat, then get out of the kitchen.

It gets to the point of being humorous concerning the refereeing in the NBA playoffs. Guys are clobbering each other under the basket for a rebound, and if a foul gets called, you have to wonder for what?  Unless the players are not gouging eyeballs, then what is the standard? When guys like James Hardin are getting to shoot a free throw because an opposing player barely touched him while Dwight Howard was clearing guys away with his massive frame, then we have no absolute standards.

Every team has a player or two that has the role of the enforcer. A wise team knows that a hard and obvious foul can pay dividends in intimidation and mental edge on the opposing team. The old hockey term “goon” is rarely heard because it’s not politically correct to call a player that, but we all know that every team has that player ready to go.

Winning the sixteen games required to win either of these championships is a brutal climb up the ladder. Even though the regular season is long, they are just a warm-up for the playoffs. In the hockey playoffs, there are no more shootouts but sudden death overtimes. The San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators played triple overtime, a total of 70 minutes of intensity. The match is tied at two and now turns into a three-game battle of wills and fortitude.

In the NBA playoffs, star players are getting injured, which is part of the game which will test any team to persevere. The Golden State Warriors have lost their All-World guard for a minimum of five games, and their team has pulled together to win four of those five games. That is great to see because most teams would have struggled with the loss and could not adapt. The Los Angeles Clippers lost both their point guard Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in the same playoff game against the Portland Trailblazers, which signaled the end of their season.

Sometimes the best teams don't win, but the healthiest do. Maybe there is some luck in good fortune in that, but it also can be a testament to the coaches and medical staff in how they take care of their players.

The playoffs can also bring out the best in players, and while some seem to have a quiet and uninspired presence. There are countless stories of role players who shine in the playoffs and are not feeling the moment's pressure is too big. The role players and bench guys want to make an impact to show the coach they need more time on the floor and ice.

The NHL and NBA playoffs end in June, giving us six more weeks of this battle royal. Now we are getting to drink the cream topping after watching our teams and sports for eight months. Unfortunately, triple overtimes are brutal to watch, and hopefully, your team won't have to endure too many of those. Those take a toll on the fans, and we have to get up and go to work the next day.