Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win Game 2 in Denver, evening the NBA Finals

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Max Strus uncorked the Heat’s offense in the first quarter, scoring 12 of the Heat’s first 26 points. Nuggets were caught in pindowns or, in some instances, left him unbothered as he fired away on the perimeter.

In the fourth quarter, Duncan Robinson lit up the Nuggets for 10 points on four of five shots. Fearing his release, the hosts lost their wits, leaving the ground on fakes, which gave Dunc the opening in his sights. The Heatles entered this period down eight but took control fewer than two minutes into it and finished the interval making 11 of 16 shots.

But in between, the Nuggets ascended to a 15-point lead in the first half behind drive-and-kick plays, fastbreak scores, pick and roll, plus some tough turnaround baskets by Jamal Murray and Christian Braun in the post.

Nikola Jokic reached his spots easily, hitting driving layups, hooks, and jumpers in mainly single coverage with Bam Adebayo or Cody Zeller when #13 rested. To go along with 13 on his scorecard, the once back-to-back MVP supplied four rebounds and three dimes.

The Joker’s minions in the first half were Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon. They were used like wide receivers as Jokić found them cutting through the middle or on the baseline. On one play, when Miami doubled him at the elbow, he flicked his wrist, and Gordon soared through the air like Megatron (Calvin Johnson) used to and finished the lob.

By the intermission, Miami had chopped Denver’s lead to 57-51. Drop coverage killer Gabe Vincent and Strus had over half the Heat’s points. Jimmy Butler scored 11 by driving and spinning past Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, plus nailing a baseline fadeaway over Jokić and a corner triple in front of Braun.

In the second half, the Heatles converted 54.3% of its tries, 50% of 3-point attempts and 13 of 14 free throws.

Butler was ineffective, missing his first five attempts of quarter three. As crunch time approached, his offense flipped like a light switch, converting another corner 3-pointer and a fouled baseline jumper.

Adebayo got loose after setting screens for a pop shot at the nail and a menacing jam post drive.

In the last five minutes, the Nuggets splashed three triples, stinging the Heat for overcommitting to Jokić and Murray. Yet, on the last play, the hosts were down three with seconds left. Unsurprisingly, the Heat decided to defend the ball straight up instead of fouling in the bonus to send the Nuggets to the line for two attempts. Butler stayed in front of the ball and forced Murray into a tough unsuccessful left-wing triple.

The visitors survived, winning 111-108.

Coach Michael Malone arrived at the postgame presser and snitched on his team’s effort when asked about his starters, not named Jokić, struggling to score.

“Let’s talk about effort,” Malone said. “This is the NBA Finals and we are talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well…”

Malone’s analysis is likely spot on, yet it is an unnecessary risk for him to publicly burn his squad when one guy played over 40 minutes, and two others almost crossed the threshold. It’s also a bad look because Denver could have called a timeout, but it let Murray attempt to freestyle his way to the tie. If his guys lost their heart late, he lost his brain.

In the winning side’s press room, coach Erik Spoelstra praised the role players and how the team’s offense operated. He also shot down the idea that the way to neutralize Jokić is to make him a scorer instead of a passer.

“That’s ridiculous,” Spoelstra said as he rubbed his face. “It’s the untrained eye that says something like that. This guy is an incredible player. Twice in two seasons, he’s been the best player on this planet. You can’t just say,‘Oh, make him a scorer.’ That’s not how they play. They have so many different actions that just get you compromised. We have to focus on what we do…”

—

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fall to Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals

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A yellow shirt covered every purchased seat in Ball Arena before tip-off in anticipation of the Nuggets’ first NBA Finals game. Minutes before the action, the boos from the crowd muzzled the voice of Denver’s public address announcer Kyle Speller introducing the Heat players.

To start, the visiting team was working hard for buckets, and the hosts were not. The Heat went to man-to-man defense early, but Aaron Gordon was an unsolved mismatch for the first quarter. He barreled into the lane through various defenders for six of eight close-range finishes.

Jamal Murray dropped eight points in the opening period for the Nuggets, too, off assisted drives, backdoor cuts and shooting over drop coverage. Nikola Jokić was running sleight-of-hand action at the elbows and threading dimes from the top of the key.

The Heatles were lucky Bam Adebayo was carrying them offensively in the first half. His first step was too quick for Jokić, even when his man was low, taking away the drive. Adebayo hit turnaround hooks and jumpers in front of his Serbian matchup.

En route to halftime, the Nuggets cracked down on the Heat’s attack, only allowing 37.5% of attempts to fall. In drop coverage, the man defending the ball got quickly over the screens, not letting the low man get exposed, and the squad stayed close to the ball after switches. In this stretch, Max Strus and Caleb Martin converted zero out of dozen attempts, and the Heat took zero free throws.

The Nuggets led by 17 points at intermission, while the Joker was three for three from the field with 10 dimes. He was like a surgeon cutting open a body on the operating table.

As both squads headed for their locker rooms, the hometown supporters in Ball Arena gave the hosts a standing ovation.

In the third quarter, Miami scored seven straight points, but offensive production came to a screeching halt after Adebayo got to work in PnR. The Nuggets adjusted, staying in front of the ball as successfully as it did in the first half, and permitted just 32.1% of makes on Miami’s field goals.

Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.’s size and length were obstructing driving lanes and passing angles for Heat players. On top of that, Porter shut down Caleb Martin’s jumpers and spiked away a layup from behind.

Entering the final frame, the Heatles were down 21 but cut the deficit to 10 with four minutes left off a fastbreak feed from Kyle Lowry to Haywood Highsmith. The Nuggets instantly countered with a double-drag screen that got Jokić open in the middle for a floater.

The Locksmith logged five out of six baskets in the fourth quarter to keep the Heat on life support, but the Nuggets kept getting to the paint or fouled.

The Nuggets won Game 1 104-93 behind a near-immaculate game plan. At the postgame presser, coach Michael Malone praised his unit’s defense and said his favorite stat was the Heat’s two free throws taken.

“We know Jimmy Butler is one of the best in the business at getting to the foul line,” Malone said. “So two free throw attempts. I thought the guys did a great job of defending without fouling…”

The Heat’s two free throw attempts are the lowest output for any NBA playoff game. The previous low was three tries in one night by the New Jersey Nets in a 17-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 7, 1993, per Stathead.

In the Heat’s press room, coach Erik Spoelstra said his team’s resolve was much stronger in the second half.

“You get to this level and it has to be complete games of that kind of disposition… it’s going to require more. We’ll get to work and see what we can do better, what we can do harder, what we can do with more effort, what we can do with more focus, etcetera,” Spoelstra said.

This is the first series in the Playoffs Miami starts down a match. Malone also mentioned how he and his troops didn’t want Miami’s streak of winning openers to continue. But even with the Nuggets taking Game 1 and holding a 24-point lead at one point in the evening, no one should overreact.

Astonishingly, the Heat was still within striking distance in crunch time. This is with Denver holding Butler to an uneventful night and locking up the role players. Nights where JB leaves Adebayo hanging, are uncommon. And now the Heat have two days to watch tape on its mistakes and refocus.

The Heat will not hold practice or media availability Friday.

 

 

The Long And Winding Road Home | Sixth Ring Canes

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The innings were running out. Miami had won 5 series in a row, but having lost the opener to Duke in a critical series, the Canes found themselves down 5 in the 8th.

Miami has a flair for the dramatic, earning the nickname “Cardiac Canes.” But this felt a bridge too far. Duke is a strong team this year and had been the better team through 16 innings.

And then it happened.

The Canes dug deep for something they hadn’t shown all weekend, and started rallying.

But if you’re familiar with the 2023 Miami Hurricanes, you’ll know nothing was easy.

Catcher Carlos Perez hit what looked to be a game-tying HR, but it was caught at the warning track. A strikeout left 2 men on base, and the Canes had only cut the lead to 2.

And then in the 9th, the Canes rallied again, but found themselves with the bases loaded and 2 outs, 1 out away from losing the series, and likely a chance to host Regionals. And it was up to new starter Renzo Gonzalez to deliver, and he did, blooping a game tying single. The Canes had the winning run 90-feet from home, but Perez struck out.

In the 10th, the Canes loaded the bases with no out. Surely, they would win here.

But if you’re familiar with the 2023 Miami Hurricanes, you’ll know nothing was easy.

After a groundout with a bang-bang play at the plate, Zach Levenson walked. Except the umpire decided to call what was pretty clearly ball 4 (and should have ended the game) as strike 3. The Canes failed to score.

But if you’re familiar with the 2023 Miami Hurricanes, you’ll know they never quit. 

In the 11th inning, with a runner on 2nd and 1 out, Perez was presented with another opportunity. This time he took it, depositing a pitch over the right-field wall, sending the Light into euphoria, and ensuring the Canes would host a regional. #9 overall Miami (and top seed in the Coral Gables Regional) welcomes #2 Texas, #3 Louisiana, and #4 Maine to Coral Gables this week.

Strengthened by Failure

The Canes were in this position last year. In a better position, in fact. As a National Seed, they merely needed to win at the Light across two weekends to make it back to Omaha for the first time since 2016. Rain was the story of the weekend, as a tropical system compressed the schedule.

Miami’s season ended astonishingly and abruptly. On Sunday morning, as they awoke, Miami was in the Winner’s bracket game against Mississippi. By the end of the night, their season was over, having lost consecutive 1-run games. Ole Miss would go on to win the National Championship.

The story of those two 1-run losses was that the Canes’ bats disappeared. After scoring 11 runs in an opening win against Canisius, Miami scored 4 runs in 2 games. The story was the hitting, the continued postseason failures, and a team that was unsalvageable.

As is usually the case, the details are a lot murkier. The Canes were so close to winning that Ole Miss game and taking a major step towards hosting a Super Regional. In fact, there were 2 outs and no one on in the 7th inning, the Canes just 7 outs from victory. Then, back-to-back singles and a double and all of a sudden, it was 2-1 Ole Miss. They’d win by that score.

Then there was the Arizona game. Even if the Canes won, they would have also then had to beat Ole Miss twice. But they took the lead into the 9th. Andrew Walters, the nation’s best closer, struck out the first two batters. And the 3rd grounded to short for what should have been a game ending out. Instead, the throw was missed and a wild pitch, a hit by pitch, and a 2-run double followed, plating the tying and winning runs.

Twice, the Canes had 2 outs and no one on, and twice they muddled around to get into a jam, and twice they gave up back-breaking, crippling doubles.

With the catastrophic end to the season, the UM Administration logically but controversially kept faith with Gino DiMare, extending his contract.

Resiliency and Redemption

This season has been anything but smooth. The Canes were swept 3 times (by 3 National Seeds) and dealt with a multitude of injuries, in particular on the mound. There were season-ending injuries to several bullpen arms and ace Karson Ligon was also injured for much of the year, while key pitchers like Alejandro Rosario and Ronaldo Gallo struggled. The Canes had one reliable starter, Gage Ziehl.

When Virginia swept the Canes in Charlottesville, Miami’s season was on the brink. But where last year’s Canes were knocked out by a sucker punch, the 2023 Canes responded. They were one strike away from clinching a critical road series at UNC, but gave up a solo HR and then lost in extra innings on a walk-off HR. They responded a few hours later in a double-header, with Gallo starting after having given up the aforementioned walk-off HR.

The next weekend, they were crushed 11-0 in the second game of a 3-game set against Louisville, with their season teetering again. And they trailed early in the 3rd game…but these Canes are different. And they fought back to win the game and series.

A team that had been saddled with the label of “can’t win on the road” had rallied to win two crucial road series. And after rallying to win the Duke series, they came from behind to beat them again in the ACC Tournament, before dominating the #1 team in the country on the strength of Ligon and Rosario’s pitching, something that had not been there much of the season.

The 2023 Miami Hurricanes combine the type of selective amnesia necessary in baseball with the unwavering self belief to always get off the mat.

Gino DiMare talked this week about how the school always has Omaha expectations, but also stressed that the program hasn’t been to Super Regionals recently, and you can’t get to Omaha without getting out of Regionals first.

The Canes embark on that journey today, hoping it leads back to their home in Omaha. Success is not guaranteed, baseball is a funny sport.

Sometimes the bats don’t work.

Sometimes a pitcher doesn’t have it.

But one thing is for certain. Regardless of how this Canes season ends, it won’t be feebly. This 2023 team is tough and together.

They feel like not like “a” team but like “the” team.

And they can credit a fair bit of their resilience to the mountains they’ve had to climb to get here.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a journalist for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

Miami Heat fans should Love what veteran has provided

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Seven years ago, Kevin Love played 30 minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, where he was a +19 in Cleveland’s four-point victory and a major catalyst in their historic comeback over the Golden State Warriors after falling behind 3-1.

 

In Monday’s Game 7 victory over the revitalized Boston Celtics, he registered his second DNP-CD of the last two games.

 

Love, who will be 35 in September, has seen a lot of change in the seven years since becoming an NBA champion. He’s now married to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Bock, and he plays for a new team in a new city. For most guys, this would signal that it’s time to consider hanging it up.

 

Not Love.

 

As a matter of fact, his impact on winning is seemingly felt now more than ever. Just in a different way. He’s brought joy back to the Miami Heat locker room.

 

From the “Lead us Kevin” mantra that has swept through the team to the pesty antics on the sidelines with Jimmy Butler, this team is having fun while playing basketball. And it all starts with Love.

 

“Kevin coming, I think he totally changed the whole dynamic of our locker room,” said Duncan Robinson when speaking on what Love’s presence has meant for the team.

 

“Just his character, his levity, what he brought just in terms of, like, connecting people, having a sense of humor.”

 

When Love joined the Miami Heat back in February, he joined a deflated team. Sure, they had only fallen one shot shy of reaching the NBA finals a few months prior, but the wear and tear of a long postseason run and injuries had seemingly caught up to it. It only sat five games above .500 and was 7th in the Eastern Conference standings.

 

Love was in no means expected to be the savior, but his skill set was a welcome sight among Heat fans. A big man who can stretch the floor and rebound alongside Bam Adebayo. This was encouraging.

 

But fast-forward to the present and Miami’s biggest contribution from Love has been his team-first approach.

 

“When you have a guy who’s played in four NBA finals, you know, won a championship, gets pulled from a rotation in the middle of a series and his immediate reaction is uplifting the guy who’s replacing him. I mean that alone sets the tone down the line for everybody else”, said Robinson.

 

These words from Robinson are significant because he himself was pulled from the Heat’s rotation earlier in the season. He’s now gone from the butt of everyone’s jokes to a key cog in Miami’s offensive attack. You can bet your bottom dollar that Love has played a role in Robinson’s comeback.

 

Love’s energy and team-first approach was on full display even before the playoffs began and it helped set the tone for what this team is accomplishing now.

 

Back in April after a 101-92 loss to the New York Knicks in which Kevin Love played poorly, Erik Spoelstra decided to start Cody Zeller for the team’s next game against the Chicago Bulls. Rather than sulking on the bench, Love responded with one of his best games in a Heat uniform.

 

He finished with 18 points in 19 minutes, five rebounds, and two threes. More importantly, the Heat got the victory. Love’s selflessness that night even inspired Miami’s leader.

 

“K-Love has always been about winning”, said Butler, who is enjoying another mythological postseason run.

 

“As long as we win, he’s not going to complain, nobody’s going to complain, because whether it’s our last four games of the season or our last 24 games of the season, he’s always been about winning. And if that helps us win, that’s what he’s going to do and he’s not going to complain about it.

 

On Thursday night, Miami will take the court against the Denver Nuggets in what will be the franchise’s seventh finals appearance in its 34-year history and sixth since 2010.

 

For Love, this marks his fifth finals appearance, which means he’s made the finals in every season of his career that he’s made the playoffs.

 

While we can hardly predict what his role in this series will be, one thing’s for sure – he will be the loudest teammate on the sideline. Laughing, smiling, and flailing his towel around every time one of his teammates makes a play.

 

“I didn’t come here to shoot 15 shots a game or ask for more,” Love said. “I just wanted to be able to make my impact, make my stamp on the game. Sometimes it’s not going to show up in the stat sheet; sometimes it is, but you’re affecting winning. That’s kind of where I’m at in my career right now.”

 

As for the “Lead us Kevin” phrase, according to Max Strus it was started during a practice.

 

“It was like a shooting drill that Chris Quinn was running in practice”, said Strus on the origins of the term.

 

“And he [Quinn] just said ‘Kevin, go first’. And I just said, ‘Lead us Kevin’, out of nowhere. I didn’t think it would stick like this. But it’s kind of running its own race. It’s been fun. It’s hilarious. And everybody’s buying into it.”

 

For those keeping score at home, the last time Miami had a pertinent mantra during the playoffs was back in 2006 when Pat Riley coined the “15 Strong” phrase.

 

We all know what happened that season.

Florida’s veterans and former champions prepare the Panthers for the Stanley Cup Final

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SUNRISE —  From the moment they put on their first pair of skates, young hockey players dream of winning the Stanley Cup. Whether they pretend to be Bobby Orr in 1970 or Patrick  Kane in 2010,  scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal has probably played out in more than a few hockey players’ backyard fantasies. 

 

Playing in the NHL is an opportunity presented to only the most talented of hockey players. Yet, the chance to play for the Stanley Cup may never come for many of the NHLers. 

 

The Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights are in a position this year that 30 other teams wanted to be in — the Stanley Cup Final.

 

This June, both organizations will get a second chance to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Vegas, the second youngest NHL franchise, made their only SCF appearance in their inaugural 2017-2018 season, where they lost to Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals. Florida is back on the big stage for the first time since 1996 — where they were swept by a Patrick Roy led Colorado Avalanche team.

 

Vegas has a few of their original Knights remaining from their 2016 Cup Final team, in addition to a few Stanley Cup Champions like Alex Pietrangelo, Phil Kessel, Alec Martinez and Jonathan Quick in the room. 

 

Florida’s roster doesn’t have as much experience in the Finals, with only three players having a Stanley Cup to their name; Eric Staal (2006), Patric Hornqvist (2016,2017) and Carter Verhaeghe (2020). Marc Staal is the only other Panther to have played in a Stanley Cup Final. 

 

With most of the Panthers not having a finals appearance under their belt, their veteran leader behind the bench is also without a Stanley Cup to his name. 

 

In his 25 season NHL career, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has coached over 1800 games between the regular season and playoffs. Maurice is sixth all-time in regular season wins by a head coach, and fourth all-time in games coached — yet in his two and a half decade career, he has only made one appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. 

 

The team and Maurice knows how big the opportunity at hand is — and Florida’s few cup champions have reminded them of that. 

 

Maurice said the champs have stepped up in team meetings, speaking to the rest of the roster about what they are about to experience.

 

“Those guys have great voices,” Maurice said. “There’s so many things that until you’re there you haven’t experienced it.  It’s so much better if it’s a player telling them, so much more impactful to them.”

 

Panthers defenseman Josh Mahura got his first taste of playoff hockey this year in Florida. The early season waiver pick up is now just a few days away from skating in the Stanley Cup Final. Mahura said he wants to “soak” in the experience. 

 

“It’s pretty crazy from the start of the year until now,” Mahura said. “Honestly it would have been tough to believe you if you would’ve said that [I’d be playing in the Stanley Cup Final].

 

Despite never playing in the Cup Final, Panthers forward Nick Cousins got close in 2020 during his time with Vegas, making it to the Western Conference Finals. 

 

“There’s also guys who have won a Stanley Cup too, played a lot more games than me,” Cousins said. “But whenever guys here are looking to get some intel, I’m always there.”

 

Cousins and the rest of the team is ready to get this series rolling after an extended break. Florida will go 10 days between games by the time they hit the ice Saturday for Game 1 in Vegas. 

 

“We just want to make sure we keep going here, the first three rounds were really good for us,” Cousins added. “Our team’s clicking right now, we just got to make sure that we pick up where we left off.”

 

 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat beat Celtics in Game 7 and will advance to the NBA Finals

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The Miami Heat are returning to the Finals for the seventh time, avoiding a spot on the wrong side of history by not blowing a 3-0 lead. The squad is also the second eighth seed to advance to the championship round behind the 1999 Knicks and the first play-in group to win the conference.

Jimmy Butler was awarded the second Larry Bird East Finals MVP trophy with five of the nine votes from the media panel covering the series. Caleb Martin received the other four votes after averaging 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds through seven games.

The Boston faithful were stupefied at the start of the fourth quarter, as the Heat were up double digits. Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo had guided the visitors as each had logged at least 31 minutes through three quarters.

At the start of the match, nerves affected both units as the score read 9-4 in favor of Boston. Miami’s defense then turned ravenous in the 2-3 zone and held the hosts to just 15 points in the first frame.

Malcolm Brogdon got just seven minutes of burn after missing all of Game 6 because he re-aggravated his right forearm injury. Jayson Tatum twisted his left ankle when he landed on Gabe Vincent’s foot under the rim in the first quarter. It left him hobbling the rest of the night, and he would later say post-game that he was “a shell of himself.”

Butler snapped out of his funk, finishing on a break post steal, zipping past defenders for baseline jumpers and maneuvering past drop coverage. Martin punched his scorecard with putbacks, catch-and-release shots in transition and in the halfcourt and a fadeaway in the lane over Al Horford.

At halftime, the White and Red led by 11 points and suppressed the Celtics to 38.6% field goal efficiency. Adebayo picked up three fouls but was the team’s most active disruptor on the ball or as a help defender.

In the second half, Butler dropped an additional 17 points on rim drives and hoisting away from the perimeter and elbow. Martin recorded another dozen points, only missing one shot, while Adebayo had eight.

In the last two quarters, Jaylen Brown and Tatum converted five of 16 attempts. Brown couldn’t shake defenders with his weak handle and settled for contested shots. JT missed an open jumper in the lane, an uncovered four-foot layup, plus the two triples defended by Martin. Had it not been for the Game 6 hero Derrick White, the Green Machine would have turned gangrenous earlier.

A minute into the fourth quarter, Butler pick-potted Brown and raced down the court for a jam to give Miami a 17-point advantage. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout to stop the bleeding, but his troops were yielding.

The hosts were shooting blanks and committed four turnovers in the last interval, obstructing its comeback efforts. The Heatles logged 11 of 16 tries in the final frame, sealing its opponent’s tomb.

After the game, the Heat was presented with the conference crown and Alonzo Mourning handed Butler the East Finals MVP trophy.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “Pat [Riley] feels a certain way about Boston. So I make sure that everybody feels a certain way about Boston. That’s part of my job as the caretaker. With that said, there’s great respect for them as competitors. They are first class…”

Butler praised his team and said it was ready for the next round.

“Everybody’s confidence is so high,” Butler said. “We got belief that we can do something incredibly special. So, we are going to hit the ground running when we get to Denver, and I like our chances.”

—

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The Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Playoffs journey reaches its final chapters

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This Florida Panthers season was a journey begging to be written, dating all the way back to the summer of 2022. 

 

If we were to break the season down like a book, Chapter one began in June. 

 

Panthers General Manager Bill Zito made the call to bring in Paul Maurice for interim head coach Andrew Brunette. Replacing the coach who just won the Presidents’ Trophy for someone who had resigned from their previous head coaching job the season prior was met with many questions from the hockey world. Nonetheless, this was the first domino to fall.

 

The second chapter would come a month later — with an even more jaw dropping move from Zito. After a disappointing end to what looked to be a Stanley Cup potential season , Zito sent shock waves through the hockey world — trading fan favorite Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to Calgary for then 24-year-old Matthew Tkachuk. 

 

The Panthers entered 2022-2023 with a new coach, a new star player and many big departures from the Presidents’ Trophy winning team of the previous season.  

 

If we were to skip ahead in this story, the chapters that take up most of the ‘rising action’ were ones that had many questioning the future of this team. 

 

For months, the Panthers were teetering between wins and losses — with no continued streak of success to be found. November to late January was a rough stretch for the team, one which made it seem like their playoff chances were in the mud. 

 

The team faced plenty of adversity through their mediocre spell towards the middle of the season. They ran into depleted lineups; not able to play their full team together for months because of injuries or illnesses. They had an extremely grueling January schedule — playing nine road games across all of North America. 

 

Results weren’t favorable, and the criticism was loud. 

 

If you just got started following the Panthers as this playoff run began, you may be surprised to know that a good portion of the fan base were calling for Paul Maurice’s head just a few months prior. That discourse seems like ages ago as he is now just one win away from tying Doug MacLean for most playoff wins by a coach in Florida Panthers history, but more importantly — four wins away from the Stanley Cup. 

 

Through the “dark” months of this journey, there were sprinkles of brightness that would eventually become major factors in the future success of the season. 

 

Players thriving amidst the calamity included Brandon Montour, who was bumped up the lineup after the offseason trade of MacKenzie Weegar. More minutes and bigger opportunities from the new coaching staff saw Montour set franchise records, including points by a defenseman in a single season. 

 

Carter Verhaeghe would be another bright spot in Florida’s imperfect regular season. The 27-year-old would become the second Panther player ever to score 40 goals in a season, something that had not been done since Pavel Bure did it twice in the early 2000s. 

 

If goaltender Alex Lyon didn’t come into the lineup at the end of March and win six straight games with the regular season winding down, Florida would not have made this magical run to the Stanley Cup Final. They wouldn’t have made the playoffs.  

 

There’s been many great stories that have been carved out of this season, with even more being written this postseason. 

 

Matthew Tkachuk wouldn’t get a chapter in this book — he’d get his own arc. The new man in town, or should we say superstar, was consistently the most important player for the Panthers this season. When the team was losing, Tkachuk was performing. When the team was winning, Tkachuk certainly was a factor. 

 

When the postseason began, Tkachuk’s stardom reached new heights. His game winning OT goal against Boston in Game 5 kept the Panthers dream alive. A month later in the Eastern Conference Final he managed to one up that historic goal… three times. 

 

“He’s unbelievable,” Panthers captain Sasha Barkov said about Tkachuk after they won the Eastern Conference Final. “It’s been eye opening how great of a person he is and how he breathes hockey… it’s unreal.”

 

As we reach the climax of this story, the one who is sitting atop the throne has to be Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 

 

Bobrovsky, or ‘Bobrovka’, as TNT analyst Charles Barkey referred to him as, was monumental in every series this run.

 

In the Boston series, he won three consecutive games facing elimination. Against Toronto, he shutdown the Leafs’ elite forwards for most of the series. And as the Carolina storm surged toward his net, he backstopped the Panthers to a sweep. 

 

“He’s our backbone, he’s our best player,” Verhaeghe said earlier this week about Bobrovsky. 

 

Following their Eastern Conference Final win, Paul Maurice gave his team a heartfelt speech, which was posted to the NHL social media accounts. The speech was what you’d expect of Maurice — somewhat poetic, and motivational in simple words. 

 

“We are going to go now into, for all of us, the greatest time in our lives. It’s a lifetime of work to get to this, and there’s something so much more important,” said Maurice. “It’s actually not the trophy, it’s the time we’re going to spend together.”

 

The early doubts from this story were answered as the playoffs ensued. Whether that was the Paul Maurice hire, the Matthew Tkachuk trade or the endless discourse surrounding Sergei Bobrovsky — none of those are being debated anymore.

 

Now the Panthers are preparing to write the final pages of this story — one which they hope to have a happy ending. 

 

This last stretch is what the players have worked their entire lives for. Getting the chance to play for the greatest trophy in team sports — the Stanley Cup. “It’s something you dream of since you started to play hockey.” Anton Lundell said. 

 

12 wins down, four more to go. If the Panthers can place the final puck on their Stanley Cup journey board — they’ll be champions of the hockey world.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat unfocused in Game 5 loss in Boston

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One aspect of the regular season has carried over for the Heat in the Playoffs lately: the need to get things done the hard way. And it’s back to Miami for Game 6 following two straight Ls after winning the first three. Pressure is mounting on both sides.

The Celtics now have high expectations to beat the Heat. But two consecutive wins have elevated the confidence of the Green monster. The White and Red still control the series, yet it has allowed the speculation of Boston making history to go from whispers to bold public predictions by famous media members. It doesn’t feel like the Heat is trying to avoid being the first team in NBA history to avoid giving up a 3-0 lead, yet. That could change if the squad is not careful.

At least two ESPN peeps have courageously said the Celtics will be the first to overcome the 0-3 albatross: Ignoramus Mike Greenberg and ex-player Richard Jefferson.

Game 6 is in Miami, but the Celtics snatched the fourth one there, making it capable of going behind enemy lines for a dub against this opponent. Keep in mind, the Cs defeated the Heat in the last three matches in Miami last season. That’s an outfit immune to the Miami flu.

The Heatles were frazzled again Thursday. There was a lack of synchronicity on both sides. First, the hosts overhelped on the wrong assignments and were delayed closing out to marksmen. On offense, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo shot blanks and couldn’t stop the bleeding.

Lead guard Gabe Vincent was absent with a sprained left ankle. Kyle Lowry started for him but was invisible, minus when committing four turnovers and one dime off a pick-and-pop play with Adebayo.

It only took Boston five minutes to ascend to a double-digit lead it never conceded. Jayson Tatum skinned the defense with sleight of hand when the Heat doubled him and found open snipers in transition. Covered or open, Jaylen Brown spat fire from deep and broke the 2-3 zone by going hard at the middle.

The visitors cut the deficit to a dozen near the end of the second quarter. Yet, the Cs countered with a pair of steals and two triples to extend the advantage back to 17 points.

Adebayo and Butler played 12 minutes in the third quarter, but the visitors couldn’t make up the difference. Coach Erik Spoelstra saw enough at the start of the fourth to sit Butler on the bench, as he already had #13.

At the postgame presser, Butler said the team needed to play better, starting earlier.

The role players become self-reliant when Butler successfully leads the attack, so it’s incumbent upon him to convert more than four points on one of five attempts in 12 opening minutes while Tatum and friends feast inside the paint.

Spoelstra said he isn’t concerned about the team’s mental state.

“We have a gnarly group,” Spoelstra said. “I think so much of that is overrated. It’s a competitive series. You always expect things to be challenging in a Conference Finals, and one game doesn’t lead into the next game. Based off all the experience we’ve had…”

Every series is different.  What Spoelstra said was true facing off with the Bucks and Knicks, but in round three, the Heat’s had its least inspiring performance of the Playoffs following a loss in its building.  A review in the film room will sting some egos but it might be the right antidote to bury the Green.

 

The Heat will not practice Friday.

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Aleksander Barkov carries the Prince of Wales Trophy after the Florida Panthers earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Pressure Point: Barkov the reliable engine that drove Florida Panthers to the Cup Final

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The two most glaring reasons the Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Final are named Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky.

The indomitable duo, goalie and forward, has supplied the drama at opposite ends of the ice with heart-stopping saves and mind-boggling goals time and again.

The glue between those two, the cohesive link holding it all together, is Aleksander Barkov, the highly skilled workhorse filling every need along 200 feet.

Gratifying to see the captain and longest tenured Panther skating off with the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference champs after Tkachuk’s goal with 4.9 second remaining completed a four-game sweep of Carolina to send Florida to its first Cup Final in 27 years — and not giving a damn about the supposed superstition about touching the semifinals trophy.

Barkov has been around for 10 of those seasons, most of them frustrating and forgettable.

He is finally getting recognition from a wide audience that eluded him while playing in one of the most overlooked NHL outposts.

Barkov impresses The Great One

It would not be correct to say that Barkov has been underrated. He won a Selke Trophy as the best two-way forward in the league and a Lady Byng given to the top scoring player who commits the fewest penalties.

This year he’s up for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy that goes to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

But seeing is believing. No less than Wayne Gretzky called Barkov’s highlight-reel goal in Game 2 of the Eastern finals “one of the greatest moves I have seen in the Stanley Cup playoffs.”

Barkov faked sliding the puck between his legs, getting goalie Antti Raanta to commit, then pulled it back and flipped a backhand into the net.

Paul Maurice, in his first year as Panthers coach, said he’d never seen anything like it. But those of us who have watched Barkov for a decade have seen him pull several through-the-legs tricks in shootouts as well as one dazzling in-game goal in 2019 against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, a likely Hall-of-Famer.

Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas said, “I would not even think of doing anything like that. He is our leader for a reason. He is stepping up in big ways for us. You know, he is the man for the job.”

Barkov’s contributions multifaceted

Theatrical moments aside, the way to best appreciate Barkov is to focus on him throughout a shift. Watch how he powers up and down the ice, as aggressive in the defensive zone as leading a rush. It’s no coincidence that the rest of the Panthers forwards have similarly sold out in support of Bobrovsky.

They needed to in Game 3 after Barkov exited in the first period with a lower-body injury and were able to hold on to a 1-0 win. The Panthers dodged a catastrophic blow to their Cup chances as Barkov was able to return for Game 4 — after a pregame sniff of smelling salts, his line scored in the first 41 seconds on a goal by Anthony Duclair with Barkov getting the primary assist.

It was Barkov who put the puck on Tkachuk’s stick for the series-sealing goal — his 14th points (including four goals) in 16 playoff games.

His contribution extends well beyond the scoresheet. Not only vital to the offense, Barkov is the Panthers’ best penalty killer. His presence is felt in so many areas.

In the four-overtime marathon win in Game 1 of the Eastern finals, Barkov took 50 faceoffs and won 28 (56 percent) while playing over 44 minutes. He had a goal and an assist, three shots on goal, five hits and three takeaways.

Barkov first Finnish Cup captain

Maurice said, “He has the size, really fine hands and the ability to make plays. He is just a very powerful man. Whether it’s an explosion into holes, a puck that gets off his stick hard and we’ve also seen some pretty nice physicality in the playoffs this year.”

Someone on Twitter pointed out that in the Eastern finals, the Panthers outscored Carolina 6-0 with Barkov on the ice while the Hurricanes had a 6-4 edge when he was off.

Barkov is one of those special athletes that fans deserve to see compete for a championship. He was visibly moved when informed that he will be the first Finnish player to captain a team in a Stanley Cup Final. (He is an ethnic Russian who grew up in Finland).

“Wow, I didn’t know that. That means a lot. … It feels great right now. Maybe later, after the season or after the career, maybe I’ll understand what really happened,” he said, adding, “It’s not just [Tkachuk] leading, me leading, it’s everyone in our room, solid brothers. Those guys are the leaders as well.”

Typical of the unassuming star, who Maurice — after the flashy goal in Game 2 — said was “the least showboating player I’ve ever coached by far. Most times he scores, you kind of expect him to skate by the goalie, tap him on the pads and say, ‘Sorry about that.’ But he pulled that move because that was the only move that was going to work. There’s no one-upmanship or showmanship in that man.”

Now an NHL-wide audience has the chance to see what Barkov is all about on the biggest stage.

Barkov was a big reason Tkachuk lobbied for the trade that brought him to the Panthers from Calgary for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.

Panthers find winning playoff formula

At his introductory news conference in South Florida, Tkachuk called Barkov “a top-3 player in the NHL. That’s a fact.”

His is certainly one of three indispensable components of this Panthers drive to the Cup Final as a No. 8 seed. But it extends beyond Tkachuk, Bobrovsky and Barkov, throughout the ranks including gritty forwards such as Sam Bennett and fourth-liners Ryan Lomberg and Eric Staal.

The vibe is completely different than a year ago when the Panthers got swept in the second round of the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

“It’s about being able to wear a team down,” Tkachuk said of the winning formula that surfaced in the first-round series upset of the Boston Bruins, this year’s Presidents’ Trophy winner. “The physicality, and our forechecks are really solid. We’ve got a bunch of speed up front and a bunch of heavy players that can play that way. I think we have 12 forwards that play that way.”

All following the example of their captain.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Panthers, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Drop Game 4 to Celtics in Miami

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The Heat remain one win away from the Finals. It was favored by a point and a half to wrap up the series Tuesday but was gashed in a 17-point defeat for its first in Miami during the Playoffs. This Just In: Coach Joe Mazzulla prepared for the outing by watching Good Will Hunting instead of his thousandth rerun of The Town.

An L in Game 4 sends the group back into the wolf’s den with an opportunity to deliver Boston cold, hard payback for last year. The 2022 Celtics beat the Heat in its previous three games in Miami. Returning the favor is now the objective.

The White and Red came out as flat as a plasma screen in the second half after leading by six. The rest of the way, the hosts converted 35% of their attempts and 18.8% from behind the 3-point line.

Jimmy Butler was the entire offense coming out of halftime. He logged 15 points by attacking drop coverage, isolating Robert Williams III on a drive and canning an open triple. Yet, the Heat recorded just 22 points in the frame.

Jayson Tatum supplied 14 of Boston’s 38 third-quarter points. He later overcame his late-game stage fright. Marcus Smart unexpectedly turned into a threat behind the arc. Al Horford dismembered the Heat’s defense with his passing. And Grant Williams swatted Butler’s shot on the baseline after getting targeted on a switch.

At the postgame presser, Butler said the loss would build momentum for Miami.

“We got to play like our backs are against the wall,” Butler said. “But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we had to do things the hard way.”

He’s not wrong. The Heat lost the first play-in game to Atlanta on its home court, which set up a winner-take- eighth seed match with Chicago. Miami won the latter, then pantsed the Bucks and conquered the Knicks.

Remember, FanDuel opened with Milwaukee beating Miami at a -1200 line. Giannis Antetokounmpo got hurt 11 minutes in and only played in two more games, but the Heat took out the darlings in five. BetMGM slightly favored New York to go to the ECF, and it was sent home in six by the Heat.

For Game 5, the Heat need Bam Adebayo to rediscover his form so the Cs don’t continue to extend the series. Tuesday, Adebayo attempted seven shots but only one in 17 second-half minutes. I reckon the ball didn’t find him more because he didn’t have his hands up often after a screen.

In the fourth quarter of Game 4, #13 wasn’t looking at the basket with malicious intent. The best adjustment the Heat can make is having Adebayo crank up the RPMs to maximum levels. I’ll wager Miami’s marksmen will strike their targets consistently if the big man attracts doubles inside the paint.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said there wasn’t flow to the offense, and the Celtics capitalized on it.

Defensively, [the Celtics] took advantage of our ball holding, “ Spoelstra said. “We were late getting into our stuff. They have good individual defenders. We have to do this thing collectively, that’s when we’re at our best. And then dial into the transition and the threes…”

Butler said the team would listen to some tunes and down beers to regroup. Then he said the Heat would win on the road.

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