OK, about to watch Thunder-Spurs, here are my NHL and NBA picks, along with an admission that I never would have picked LA or Jersey to make it to the finals in the NHL, had I bothered to pick at the beginning of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
Eastern Conference NBA Finals, otherwise known as the Slumber Games:
Miami over Boston in 5. Rondo will be brilliant enough to win at least one game, but Wade and James are playing together beautifully right now.
Western Conference Finals:
San Antonio over OKC in six. I'm tempted to pick San Antonio in five, because I think they match up so well with the Thunder, but it's hard not to envision a couple of game-winning shots from Westbrook and/or Durant.
The Spurs have the better coach and the deeper roster, and while I don't usually consider ``experience" a key factor, I think the Spurs' combination of experience and rest will play to their favor.
Stanley Cup Finals
I like the way Jersey is playing, and I love the way Parise is playing, and Brodeur is on the doorstep of history. But I'd never bet a dollar on hockey. Too many funny bounces.
