NUGGETS: Sunday night looked to mark the end of the Nuggets playoff hopes. I even tweeted it so it was basically official. The Nuggets were toast. Down 18 in the 4th to the Bucks, the Nuggets playoff hopes were dwindling before our eyes…… but then something happened. The Bucks star, Giannis Antetkoumpo, fouled out with [3:43] left in the 4th and Milwaukee still up 10. That must have been a sign from the Nuggets gods that the playoff race wasn’t quite over for them. Denver rallied and made it a 3 point game with 6 seconds left and the ball. After a terrible in bounds play, Paul Millsap lost control of the ball, and at the time, the season. All the Bucks had to do was get the ball in play and it would be over. No, Denver wouldn’t have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs…but damn close. Enter Jamal Murray. After the Nuggets took their foul to give and forced Milwaukee to try again, Murray leapt into midair like a superhero and sprinted down floor to take the game tying three……he missed….but was fouled and like 91% free throw shooters tend to do, drained every last one of them. Denver wins in OT. WOW….still alive. BIG test coming up this week with the Pacers and the T-wolves. Luckily, the Nuggets control their own destiny: win 5 games and get in. If only it could be that simple.
UNC/CIT: You Hulligans! Come on….you keep laying it on thick about my disdain for NCAA tournaments outside of March Madness. I don’t like them, I don’t like bowl season (Outside of the playoffs) but I can appreciate a local team getting more games and more exposure for their school. If you have the money and in this case UNC did, then sure, go play more games and get a banner. More power to you. But don’t expect me to act like they won the Championship. It’s a money maker for the NCAA. Just like bowl season. Does everyone need a championship? The Bears were in their BIG tournament in the Big Sky and I loved it. But after? For me it’s about March Madness. And I am a BEAR so stop with this utter nonsense about me not supporting UNC….My wallet might say otherwise 😉
ROCKIES: Jon Gray is my guy but is he the RIGHT guy to be the ace for Colorado? His last two performances, both against the Diamondbacks dating back to last years wild card game, were rough. He had some solid innings on opening day, but two bad innings will outweigh nearly 3 good ones every single time. I still believe he can be the ace, but that leash, unfortunately, needs to be very short….talking better get it together in April short. The Rockies have the bullpen this season and they have too many young prospects in the waiting to hold out hope for a guy that should be taking the next step. Like I said, I’m a Gray fan, but I’m a bigger Rockies fan and if this team wants to win 90 plus and compete in the NL West, then they need at least 15 w’s from their ace.
