New Orleans held a 17-point lead over Golden State with six minutes remaining in a first-round playoff game on Thursday night. The Warriors tied the score on Steph Curry's three at the end of regulation, and won 123-119 in overtime.
I'll have to take other people's word for it that this was great drama. I wasn't watching.
I'm a basketball fan. I prefer the NBA to today's college game. Yet, I can find no earthly reason to watch more than snippets of the NBA's opening round of playoffs.
What fun is it when you know beforehand which team is going to advance?
OK, the Pelicans hold on and win Game 3. All that would've meant — unless Curry or Klay Thompson was to break an ankle — is that the Warriors win in five games, rather than a four-game sweep.
Cleveland vs. Boston. Why bother to win a game, Celtics? Same with Chicago vs. Milwaukee, Houston vs. Dallas, Atlanta vs. Brooklyn. Why bother, Bucks, Mavericks and Nets?
Everyone knows how those series are going to turn out. There's some mystery in San Antonio vs. the L.A. Clippers, and in Toronto's complete flop vs. Washington, but that's it for the most imbalanced league in pro sports.
Heading into the weekend, there were five NBA series at 3-0, two at 2-0 and one at 2-1. In the NHL, there had been a 4-0 sweep (Anaheim) and a 4-1 victory (N.Y. Rangers), there were five series at 3-2 and one series at 2-2.
