Fits and Starts. Fits and Starts.

Fits and starts. That’s what is happening right now. Fits and starts. 

The NBA regular season is closing and teams are jockeying for playoff positions both in and out of the play-in game which start on May 18. The format is simple. The #7 team in winning percentage hosts #8 and #9 is home against #10. If #7 wins, they are the 7th seed. If #7 loses, the #8 team is the 7th seed. The former #7 team is paired with the winner of the #9-#10 game. The winner of that third contest is the # 8 seed in the 2021 playoffs, while the losing team heads to the NBA Draft Lottery. Not to worry—there will not be a test on this topic. 

Who can be in this tournament? The Western Conference teams likely to make the #7-#8 matchup are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. While Memphis is still alive for this game, their chances are pegged at 20.5 %. Portland and Dallas have even more remote chances to make the #7-#8 game. And the Lakers could overtake Portland for the #6 seed with some luck and everyone healthy, which includes Lebron James and Anthony Davis.

For the #9-#10 game in the West, it looks like Memphis and San Antonio are most likely to meet. The Warriors could fall into this matchup if they lose their final two games, one of which is against Memphis.

Charlotte and Boston appear slated to meet in the Eastern Conference #7-#8 game. Indiana is alive for this game and Washington has a single digit chance to make it. The Wizards do have an excellent chance to make the #9-#10 game, probably playing Indiana. Charlotte has a 25% chance to fall into the #9-#10 game, while Chicago has an unlikely chance to squeeze in.

While this concept generates some additional drama, interest and revenue, there is the prospect that all of the Eastern Conference play-in teams could end the season below.500. San Antonio is going to finish below .500 in the West. Sounds like some mediocrity is being rewarded. At the same time, Golden State and Memphis will finish the regular season above .500. If the old format was in place, those two franchises would be relegated to the lottery. 

A shout out for the New York Knicks. Tom Thibodeau has transformed one of the league’s doormats into a realistic playoff team. Julius Randle has excelled. R.J Barrett is averaging 17.6 points per game. Former M.V.P. Derrick Rose has scored over 15 points per game and the Knicks took off on his arrival at Madison Square Garden. 

New York cannot overtake Miami if the Knicks split the final two games at the Garden versus Charlotte and the Boston Celtics and Miami splits its games. Winning both and Miami, on an 8-2 run, durng its last two games, would guarantee the #4 seed and home court advantage over the Atlanta Hawks, who would finish as the #5 seed. A Knicks-Hawks series could be very exciting. A bit complicated. But at least the Knicks are playing in the post-season.

And let’s recognize that while Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Milwaukee are ahead of them, last year’s Eastern Conference champ Miami is ready to play. Who will emerge from the loaded Western Conference is a big question—Utah needs Donovan Mitchell healthy, and the Suns are on their tail, with the Clippers and Nuggets just off the pace. Sure, Dallas and Portland have the firepower to do damage. 

Then there is the biggest wild card. The Los Angeles Lakers. I think that the injuries have mounted and the short recovery from last year’s playoffs will prove too much for the chums to repeat. While I am a doubter, other so-called experts think the Lakers are still the favorite. Go figure. 

Kentucky Derby winner (for now) Medina Spirit is running in The Preakness Stakes on Saturday if the horse passes a final drug test. Trainer Bob Baffert came up with a plethora of reasons/excuses for the colt’s positive drug test. None of them were very viable. 

It is good for the sport that Baffert did not head to Pimlico to become a sideshow to the prestigious event. It would probably be good for the sport if the horse tested positive or lost the race. 

Cheating goes on at all levels in all sports. There is a catch-me-if-you-can mentality, not unlike the clients I have seen who ended up in custody for the crimes they committed. 

As we have seen, punishment has been disparate. Baseball suspends those who use enhancements, although it take the Hall of Fame to dispense its own form of justice via the sportswriters who vote on eligible nominees—by precluding those who have had suspicious careers. Even if MLB counts the games they played in and the statistics they accumulated. 

Pro football blacklists those they don’t want in, those whose images incur condemnation from the ticket-buying public. See Ray Rice and probably Deshawn Watson.

Basketball is vigilant too. Although when I did a Google search, the computer went to NBA players who cheat on their wives. That is a whole can of worms I do not want to get into. I am having enough trouble wrapping myself into Bennifer 2.0, the rekindled romance involving Ben Affleck (ardent Red Sox fan) and Jennifer Lopez (recently split from former Yankees player Alex Rodriguez and a Bronx native who grew up with the Yankees; A-Rod’s reaction to the romance was “Go Yanks”).

Then there is hockey. We learned from the Capitals-Rangers donnybrook that brawling is still in vogue and punishment is not so great in egregious instances: see, for example, Tom Wilson and the Blueshirts. 

By the way, the Colorado Avalanche have secured home ice advantage for the entire NHL Playoffs by having the top record of all of the teams. Which means that the pairings are set for the chase for the Stanley Cup. 

These are the opening series: Islanders-Penguins;  Bruins-Capitals; Hurricanes-Predators; an all-Florida contest between the Panthers and Lightning; Avalanche-Blues and Golden Knights-Wild; Maple Leafs-Canadiens (it may have lost some of its luster from way in the past, but I would love to be at one of those affairs); and Oilers-Jets. There are logistics to be worked on for the Canadian teams playing the U.S. squads, but with the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S., I feel confident that the games will be played to determine a champion.

I was all set for F&M to have four teams in the NCAA’s this year. The golf team won the Centennial Conference again—they are somewhat of a dynasty in the league with over 10 titles. 

The Women’s lacrosse team was #1-ranked heading into the NCAA’s. Where they were summarily eliminated at home in the second round by William Smith. 

#7 in the Division III men’s lacrosse rankings, F&M hosts John Carroll this weekend. #6 York College meets Lasell in the other game on Saturday, with the winners to meet on Sunday.

But my baseball team fell short of making the NCAA’s. In the final regular season game, Dickinson downed the Diplomats, ending the chance to overtake perennial conference leader Johns Hopkins. 

Rutgers has had the best sports year in recent memory. The men’s and women’s basketball teams made the NCAA’s, ending that insane drought going back to 1991 for the men. Both lacrosse teams advanced to the NCAA’s too. Women’s soccer made the dance. Wrestling produced three all-Americans and gymnastics had three individual qualifiers. Volleyball had its best ever season in the Big Ten. Field hockey ended ranked #7. Women’s rowing is ranked #4 and looks like a title contender in the Big Ten and the NCAA’s. Track and field has individual stars destined for the NCAA’s. Plus golfer Chris Gotterup was selected for NCAA Regional play. Baseball was doing well but faltered with a lost weekend at home against the ranked teams from Indiana and Nebraska; they still are at .500, which is an improvement. RU Rah! Rah! RU Rah! Rah! Hoo-rah, Hoo-rah Rutgers Rah! Upstream, Red team, Red team upstream Rah, Rah, Rutgers Rah! 

In MLB news, the New York Yankees are at the forefront. For distressing reasons. Seven support members of the staff, including the first and third base coaches along with the pitching coach, have contracted the coronavirus. 

Moreover, budding star shortstop Gleyber Torres, who previously contracted COVID-19 and received the vaccine, managed to contract the virus again. While he is asymptomatic, I feel for him in terms of his physical health and hope that he will not be plagued by unforeseen illness as a result. 

The loss of Torres from the lineup will hurt. He is too important a cog to be missed long term. This absence comes as the Yankees seemed to have righted the ship and put their season’s record over .500, with two wins at Tampa Bay, a place where the Yankees have historically failed recently. 

Giancarlo Stanton has cooled slightly from his torrid pace. Aaron Judge seems to be coming out of his slump. Defending home run king Luke Voit returned to the lineup after recovering from meniscus surgery and will be a presence. Gio Urshela is at the threshold of hitting .300. 

Center fielder Aaron Hicks has his average approaching .200—did you know that his girlfriend is Cheyenne Woods, recent winner of a U.S Women’s Open golf qualifier. Does the last name ring a bell? Woods is the niece of the legendary Elwood (Tiger) Woods, who is recuperating from the infamous car crash earlier in the year. 

The intensity of Gerrit Cole on the mound was on full display this week. With another 10+ strikeout game at Tampa Bay in a 1-0 win, he passed the 1,500 career strikeout mark. It took him a full half inning to calm down after striking the side out in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Jordan Montgomery is looking sharp as the reliable lefty starter. And Aroldis Chapman is still lights out as the closer. 

Boston may be in first place for now. If the coronavirus does not take over the Yankees clubhouse, then expect the Bombers to overtake the Red Sox when they begin to play.

Jacob deGrom is on the 10 day IL, having not made it through his last start with that same tightness in his side. How this will affect the Mets ace long-term is unknown at this time. What is known is that the NL East-leading Mets are on a seven game winning streak as they open an inter league series with the Rays at Tropicana Field. 

I think Taijuan Walker is overlooked as a starter for the Mets. He has pitched to a 3-1 record with 39 strikeouts in 41 innings and he has a 2.20 E.R.A. The twenty-eight year old righty looked very good to me when I saw him pitch against the Padres while a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Acquiring him was a great pickup. 

Of course there was some drama involving star second baseman Francisco Lindor, who is barely hitting over .200, and second baseman Jeff McNeil, whose average isn’t much better at .234. They exchanged words in the tunnel running from the dugout to the clubhouse. They blamed it on having sighted, depending on whose version you believe, a rat or raccoon in there. Coaches and players ran to the commotion. Within days, the two won a game for the Mets. Sounds like a fun 2021 season at Citi Field.

For those following Steven Matz, the Jewish left hander from Long Island, previously with the Mets and now in the Toronto rotation—he is 5-2 thus far with a 4.86 E.R.A. This must mean that the Blue Jays score runs when he pitches. Good for him.

Finally, yours truly is kinda on the IL. Last week, by walking much faster than normal on the unforgiving macadam of Garden Oval, I suffered what was diagnosed as a Grade 1 calf strain. Physical therapy for four weeks ought to do the trick, although at age 70, I suspect it may take a bit longer. Of course, I cannot find my second compression sock, so I need to take it easy on the legs until reinforcements arrive from Amazon on Monday. 

These types of injuries are tricky. I know that Kevin Durant came back too soon from a Grade 1 strain and that led to his Achilles tendon issue. Aaron Judge struggled mightily last season with this malady. 

Believe me, I am not at a level with Durant or Judge. They had 24/7 treatment at the highest level. I’ve got my buddy Rob at Summit Physical Therapy, who has helped me successfully recover from so many injuries over the years. He is excellent at his craft. However, I see him for maybe an hour twice a week. 

  I can observe and learn from the pro’s efforts to recover. Which I will do. 

I won’t watch the Warriors Friday after tuning in on the Yankees, who are in Baltimore for the weekend. Evidently Golden State is resting Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins under the claim of injury. Perhaps they are trying to steal the home game as the #9 seed? 

More games will be available this weekend, including the FCS Championship between Sam Houston State and South Dakota State. All safe things for me to watch while I ice and elevate my leg in The Man Cave, lest my wife admonish me for not behaving. 

That’s the way it goes in my life as it mirrors sports. Fits and starts. Fits and starts.