Final Fours

Boston still sucks and only advanced because Jimmy Butler and Donovan Mitchell were hurt.

While I side with The Godfather Pat Riley that "Play-in Jimmy" should've just kept his trap shut, a part of me wonders if the little green goblin Celtics would've gentlemanly swept Miami if not for the unfortunate injury not only to Butler but also to Terry Rozier, who late in the regular season was coming into his own.

Same with their 4-1 series win over the Cavaliers as Mitchell only saw action in a couple of games and starting center Jarrett Allen none at all.

Plain and simple, the Celtics have gotten the luck of the Irish so far with the above-mentioned nick-nack injuries, but no one—save for those who have made their coffee Irish—is betting on them going all the way if not for those unfortunate injuries.

Same with Indiana because Jalen Brunson and the rest of Nickerbockers were essentially the Walking Dead and before that the Philadelphia Deep-6ers whose locker room was also essentially an emergency room (something you expect every playoffs from Joel Embiied who is made out of glass).

I would like the Pacers to advance to the NBA Finals though as the Celtics are just insufferable and wouldn't like them to milk another championship for 10 or so years just like the Little 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo (Ray Allen is a Miami folk hero for The Shot) has done for the 2009 'chip.

The Dallas Mavericks will have no prayer against the Minnesota Timberwolves. As I said before the T-Wolves-Nuggets Western Conference semifinals was already the toss up for the Larry O'Brien trophy.

While I like Luka and LeBron won't actually have won a ring in Cleveland without Kyrie, me thinks Mark Cuban's team (Oh well he's still the minority owner) has no answer to new face of the NBA, Anthony Edwards, and the rest of not-so-Timber! Wolves, especially giant sequoias Karl-Anthony Towns and much-maligned four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert (OK, he's French and retreat IS their middle name), 6MOTY Naz Reid, and the glue that brings them all together, point guard extraordinaire Mike Conley.

Joker and the Nuggets just lost steam at the end, plus that's what happens when you let go of your bench (Bruce Brown and who would've known Jeff Green was so important?).

ANT is just a different animal—a cross between Michael Jordan (some say Kobe) and my favorite Heat player Dwyane Wade (Gogi is a close second and Butler is third). But what's with these Jordan long-lost son schtick? Last year and a couple of years before when the Heat were making the NBA Finals runs, it was Butler who was His Airness' offspring and now Edwards. Just leave Mike alone. He's troubled enough with his moribund Hornets franchise (he also remains a minority owner).

Over in the definitely slower and less talented local version of the NBA, Asia's first play-for-pay league is also in the midst of its own Final Four.

While the usual suspects San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra, and Meralco Bolts have made it this far in the PBA's Philippine Cup, a team that crashed the party is independent team Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, which is a testament to my fellow UP alumnus Yeng Guiao (at the expense of in-chaos TNT Tropang Giga which should be in full-rebuild mode).

While the three five-starter deep SMB is up 2-0 against the ROS, you can't help but admire the fight and grittiness of Guaio's troops. Here's hoping the Gian Mamuyacs, Jhonard Claritos, Adrian Nocums, and other no-name players in their roster will somehow channel their inner Davids and slay the mighty Goliath that is San Miguel, led by 6'10" Junemar "The Kraken" Fajardo.

Ginebra, meanwhile, just wasted Christian Standhardinger's 41-point night in a loss to Meralco in Game 2. For a team that runs the triangle, there was not offense save for The Bulldozer's one-on-one late-game forays last Sunday.

For the Gin Kings to succeed they obviously would need more production from 2022 MVP Scottie Thompson, human pogo stick Japeth Aguilar, and rookie sensation Ralph Cu (rather than just rely on the 6'8" Fil-German). And please coach Tim, just bench Sidney Onwubere next game if he just continues to pump-fake his defender to death from the 3-point line before driving for an automatic offensive foul.