I usually do not get too excited about the National Basketball Association but the last week has been a week to get excited about.
First off you have the Toronto Raptors. With no playoff hockey north of the border playoff fans have to rely on the Raptors to give them the Canadian team playoff fever.
With the team struggling through two first round playoff exits there is a lot of nervous energy regarding how successful they will be and the nerves were amplified after the team struggled through a game one loss.
Game two was much better from the Raptors however, as they played tenacious defense, which they carried to a series tying win.
With the series heading back to Indiana for games three and four, fans of the Raptors can rest a little easier.
Then you have the Golden State Warriors. All I can say is wow. They capped their regular season with a victory, their 73rd of the season.
The Warriors cruised through the regular season and can officially be called the best regular season team ever after they finished with a record of 73-9 beating Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls record from the mid ‘90s.
Warriors point guard Steph Curry absolutely destroyed the NBA this season as he broke his own three-point record by 116 as he finished the season with 402.
That’s an average of over five a game and he has not gone a game without hitting a three-point shot since Nov. 11, 2014.
He’s well on his way to his second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award and a lot of NBA experts argue that he should also win the leagues Most Improved Player despite being last seasons MVP. Incredible.
Speaking of incredible, while the Warriors were breaking the wins record Kobe Bryant was putting the finishing touches on his incredible career. Â
Bryant threw up 50 shots that night and scored 60 points. While not exactly very efficient it was typical Bryant as he almost single handedly carried his Los Angeles Lakers so a victory.
It was the perfect way for Bryant to cap his career.
Then there was the team that Bryant torched in his final game, the Utah Jazz. They did not do something to get me excited, actually on the contrary. I was disappointed.
They ended up stumbling down the stretch and ultimately missed the playoffs.
In years past people, myself included, would not care what the Jazz were doing but this season they had a rookie on the team that made them more important to Saskatchewan residents with Saskatoon born Trey Lyles on the team.
Lyles had a fairly productive rookie season and figures to contribute more significantly to the Jazz moving forward.
So despite the tough luck for the Jazz there was a lot to be excited about in the NBA in the last week and the next two months figures to continue that trend as the Raptors look to advance past the first round and the Warriors look for their second straight NBA championship to cap off what has been a record setting season.
