The playoffs are the goal at nearly every level
The Chicago Bulls are on the cusp and through Monday this week has a mathematical chance to be in postseason play. There were three games remaining in the regular season following Tuesday’s game this week in Atlanta. The Bulls were just behind Atlanta in the standings and the Bulls will play Milwaukee, Dallas, and Detroit, the rest of the way.
The Bulls midway through the season and full into a little slump. Their fortunes were revitalized, in part, when they added point-guard Patrick Beverley to the roster. He is a hustle player. Although this writer did not see the Bulls game Sunday, April 2 against Memphis, we saw highlights and read the report that the Bulls fell behind and put together an uncommonly strong rally to claim victory, 128-107. The Bulls applied full-court pressure in the second half to take the lead. Beverley is the type of player to help change the direction of a game with hustle.
Beverley, now 34 years old, played in one East Aurora High School Holiday tournament during the Christmas break for Chicago Marshall High School, which has a storied basketball tradition. Beverley dies for loose basketballs on the court and memory serves of one game that holiday tournament of his diving into the stands on the floor to my left to dig out a loose ball. His hustle was admirable and has held together his professional career.
In the Sunday victory for the Bulls over Memphis, the Bulls trailed 68-53 at halftime in a huge scoring binge for the visitors. Games are required to go the full 48 minutes and the Bulls took advantage of the full-court pressure to force many Memphis turnovers. The inspired Bulls out-scored Memphis, 40-16, in the third period and 35-23 in the second period for a second-half advantage of 75-39. By the box score, Beverley played 23 minutes and scored only two points. The rest of the story for him is floor game, inspiration, and positive teammate. No doubt the Bulls are better off with him on the team than without and a playoff berth could provide an interesting scenario.
Although the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team is in last playoff and thoughts revolve on wait until next year, the ice hockey team, the Chicago Steel, that calls home in a Geneva ice rink, has clinched a playoff berth in the United States Hockey League and awaits other teams to find playoff berths.
College hockey, with tournament listings elsewhere on this page, find four teams in the NCAA men’s national tournament with two games Thursday, April 6 and a championship game Saturday, April 8. Two Big Ten Conference teams, Minnesota and Michigan, are in the Final Four. If only the Big Ten basketball teams had found such success, although the Iowa women’s basketball team took second place. Only Michigan State, in the Big Ten, made it to the Sweet Sixteen prior to losing a game. Wait….
NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball notes to add:
Jim Nance is the consummate sports announcer, whether golf, the National Football League, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, or anything he works. Smooth voice, prepared, professional. College basketball will miss the 63-year-old, however, time moves on and someone will slide into the job and perform well with precision just as the predecessor. Jim Nance did the superb job for 32 years. Seems just like yesterday….
It was the first time in the men’s tournament that none of the four No. 1 seeded teams, none of the four No. 2 seeded teams, nd none of the No. 3 seeded teams made it to the Final Four. In part, teams make progress at different times and no team plays at the same level all season. It is nearly impossible.