The NBA Finals Are Upon Us!

Vendors Russell Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

The NBA Finals Are Upon Us!

Patrick: As long as the playoffs have seemed, it’s amazing that we’re at the Finals. As this edition goes to press May 26, we’ve shaved down the teams—post-play-in-tournament games—to just 2.

John: We got the Denver Nuggets out of the West, who knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, and the stillbattling Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics out of the East.

Russ: So, it’s going to be Nikola Jokić and the top-seeded Denver Nuggets versus the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.

Donald: Don’t forget to mention that the upset-minded Heat were up 3-0 over the 2nd-seeded team in the East: the Jayson Tatum-led Boston Celtics. Completely blindsided me.

Patrick: Remember, though, it takes 4 wins to move on to the next round; so far, only up to 3…even though it doesn’t look good...

John: So, my original picks were the Celtics over the Nuggets in the Finals. However, as we rolled through the playoffs, I couldn’t help noticing the troubling signs for the Celtics, what with multiple home-playoff-losses. That said, however, I believe the Celtics' overall talent will outlast Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat—despite Jimmy Butler’s absolutely outstanding play during this much-

deeper-than-anticipated playoff run. As of this moment, they just came back from being down 3 games to 0 to win the 5th game and force a 6th–possibly a 7th–in the Eastern Conference Finals, to decide to goes on to play the Denver Nuggets in the Finals.

Russ: From what I’m getting, only the fans thought this impossible, because the Heat are playing as if they’re the number-one seed in all of this.

Patrick: I’m stunned. I mean, I remember when Jimmy Butler led the Heat—back in 2020—to the Finals appearance against the Lakers during the bubble. It was a loss, but a good match, and yeah, with the season they just had, no one besides the Heat could have predicted this possible upset.

Donald: And by the time this issue hits the stands, we could already be 2-games-deep into the 2022-2023 NBA Finals.

Russ: When exactly are the Finals?

John: Thursday, June 1, through Sunday, June 18—if it goes 7 games.

Patrick: We could be on the verge of a series featuring a dominant Denver Nuggets team led by 2-time League MVP Jokić–versus a surprising Miami… or a Celtics team that would have to win 4 straight games to make it to the Finals.

John: That would be something. Like I said earlier, I did pick the Celtics to win the title over the Nuggets, but I didn’t expect them to have to dig out of a 0-3 hole.

Russ: I’ve made no official NBA predictions, but I did know I didn’t want the Lakers or the Celtics to win it all.

Donald: Who did you like originally?

Russ: Definitely Denver and the Philadelphia 76’ers. I’ll assume Miami will finish off the Celtics and, then, face the Nuggets in the Finals. I choose Denver over Miami in 6.

Patrick: Miami’s been tripping me out. I almost want to pick them, but I can’t because I’m not so sure the Celtics won’t come back. If Miami does close out the Celtics, I choose Denver to win in 5 games; if the Celtics come back and beat Miami, I’ll rock with the Celtics in 7 over the Nuggets. The Celtics would be feeling real good about themselves if they were to pull out 4 in a row to beat the Heat.

John: Denver Nuggets. Jokić is the best player in the NBA.

Donald: Agreed, Jokić is just too good.

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