INCREDIBLE is the word to describe the Golden State Warriors’ comeback from a 1-3 deficit to score a 4-3 victory on Tuesday over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Unbelievable, too, as it had a semblance to that 4-3 win fashioned by San Miguel Beer from an improbable 0-3 rebound to defeat Alaska for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino crown only a while back.
Is this the year of comebacks, as when Rodrigo R. Duterte also rose, almost bizarrely, from back-to-back boo-boos (cussing Pope Francis, followed by that rape joke) to win the presidential derby in overwhelming fashion yet?
The Warriors were on the brink of elimination twice as they were behind by relatively huge deficits in Games Five and Six.
The Thunder only needed one win in the last three games to pocket the Western Conference title and advance to their fourth National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals in six seasons.
But the Warriors revived their never-say-die mantra to the hilt, sweeping both do-or-die games capped by that Game Six win plucked from the jaws of defeat when Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry combined once again to bail Golden State out of elimination.
Thompson and Curry, the NBA’s famed “Splash Brothers,” combined for 70 booming points in the decider-sending 108-101 Warrior win in Game Six.
To do that, the defending champion Warriors erased an eight-point deficit in the homestretch, banking big-time on the killing three-pointers of Thompson and Curry to forge yesterday’s winner-take-all Game Seven.
Their total of 70 Game Six points saw Thompson score a playoff career high of 41 markers, punctuated by 11 threes, which is a new NBA record.
Most of Thompson’s Game Six blows from rainbow territory were the result of pinpoint assists from Curry, who got his second straight Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum this season.
On Tuesday it was Curry’s turn to catch fire again from downtown, hitting seven-of-11 three-pointers. His last trey came off his three straight free throws, inevitably pushing Golden State to virtual victory at 96-86, with only 26.8 ticks left in the game.
The Warriors became only the 10th team in NBA history to come back from 1-3, but their title defense though isn’t seen as a walk in the park against the well-rested Cleveland Cavaliers.
The return bout does not start until Friday, with Curry, Thompson and triple-double king Draymond Green up against Cleveland’s Terrific Trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Curry and company easily swamped a Love-less Cleveland last year that also saw Irving limp out of the 2015 Finals for good after absorbing a leg injury early in the series.
But with all three healthy this time, expect the Bay Area champs to encounter rough sailing against the vengeance—laden Cavaliers.
If the Finals would also go Game Seven, don’t be surprised. Perennially, the NBA is suspense factory.
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Nietes keeps crown
DONNIE “Ahas” Nietes was impressive anew in successfully defending his World Boxing Organization world junior-flyweight crown last weekend against Raul Garcia of Mexico.
Weakened by bludgeon-like body blows beginning with a knockdown in the third, Garcia wobbled back to his corner after the fifth—then raised his arms in surrender when the bell was rang for the sixth round.
The technical knockout win was Nietes’s ninth straight successive defense, remaining, at nearly nine years now, as the country’s longest reigning world champion in the Pinoy Pride 36 offering from ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN Sports.
At ringside at Bacolod’s La Salle Coliseum, Games and Amusements Board Chairman Monju Guanzon said to me: “Mayor Bing [Leonardia of Bacolod] and I have plans of putting up amateur fights once a week from a budget allowed by City Hall. Likewise, one professional card every other month would make boxing very much alive in the region.”
I second the motion, Mr. Chairman.
Nietes is from nearby Murcia, Negros Occidental, and Arthur Villanueva, the Asia-Pacific champion, is from Bacolod neighbor Bago City—where 1996 Atlanta Olympic silver medalist Onyok Velasco was born.
THAT’S IT. Happy birthday today to Sahlee, the comely wife of Johnny Tan and who is an exceedingly rabid fan of the Golden State Warriors. Johnny Tan is “just” the coowner with Sammy Liuson of San Juan City’s Wheel Gallery/Concept One, the nation’s most trusted dealer of quality vehicle tires and other most sought-after tire accessories. Sol and I wish Sahlee many more birthdays to come! And yes, birthday greetings, too, to Coach Dayong Mendoza of San Miguel Beer (June 2). Cheers for beers!