What’s New

The Chicago Blackhawks‘ goaltending is already a problem simply because Petr Mrazek and Alex Stalock are not that good of a tandem. They chose to start Arvid Soderblom in the AHL because it is ideal for him to play better down there on a good team.

However, he has already been recalled because Mrazek is out with an injury. He was the backup in Sunday’s crazy win over the Seattle Kraken. Stalock got the start and played okay enough to win the game. He made 30 saves on 34 shots.

No matter what, as the season goes along, it is not going to be easy to be a goalie on this team. There are going to be defensive breakdowns that are less than ideal and that is because they just aren’t that good of a team.

Combine that with where all of these goalies are in their careers and you don’t have the recipe of a top NHL defensive team.

The Chicago Blackhawks are already dealing with goaltending trouble this year.

Soderblom might be the goalie of the future. The Hawks are being forced to have him on the roster right now because of the Mrazek injury but they would probably like him to play as little as possible. They made that clear by picking up Stalock and putting Soderblom in the AHL.

His development is obviously important to this team which is why that move makes sense. There is a chance that the Rockford Ice Hogs are a good team so that would be much better for his development and confidence.

The days of having a true number one like Corey Crawford are done for right now. It was nice to have Marc-Andre Fleury last year but they won some games that they probably shouldn’t have and that hurt their draft stock. This year it is all about rebuilding the roster for the future.

Yes, there is already trouble in the blue paint. However, it is not that big of a deal because of the fact that this is a non-competitive season for Chicago.

They are playing okay right now but the way they are winning is not sustainable. Hopefully, Mrazek comes back healthy and is able to help this team get through the year.

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The Chicago Bears are taking on the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football this week. They will close out the week seven chapter of the schedule on one of the game’s biggest regular season stages.

The last time that these two teams met, the Bears lost by a lot of points. Bill Belichick is still in charge of that team as the coach and GM but Tom Brady has obviously moved on. Now, after a rough start to the season, the Patriots have been on a roll.

Bailey Zappe has been starting for the Patriots over the last few weeks while Mac Jones recovers from an injury. He has been very good and many would argue that he has been better than Jones who was drafted with a much higher pick.

However, they are going back to Jones now that he is available which will make things very interesting. If he struggles, you have to wonder how long before Belichick goes back to Zappe.

The Chicago Bears are taking on the New England Patriots on Monday night.

Mac Jones was selected just a handful of picks after the Bears took Justin Fields. They were amongst the big group of quarterbacks that went in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Whenever two of those guys meet in a game, that is going to capture the headlines.

It may be an electric matchup if both Jones and Fields come to play. If the Patriots and Bears each play as they have been over the last decade, this one won’t be very fun for Chicago. It is on Matt Eberflus and his staff to make sure that this thing doesn’t get out of hand.

Fields has shown improvement every week but it hasn’t translated to a lot of points yet. Between Justin Fields, David Montgomery, and Khalil Herbert, this Bears team can run the ball well. Unfortunately, that is what Belichick and the Patriots’ defense crushes.

There is no doubt that Fields will have to make some throws if they want to stay in this game let alone win it.

This has a chance to be an upset for the Bears but don’t count on it. At the end of the day, all that matters is that Fields plays well and shows more improvement.

He has limited weaponry which makes it even harder but he also needs to be able to make others around him better if he wants to be a superstar in the league.

Although we know who is probably going to win, the Mac Jones vs Justin Fields story in this game will make it an electric game (at least to start).

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Monday Night Foodball tonight brings chef and entrepreneur Bobby Morelli of the Hot Dog Box (formerly in Boxville on 51st, and now located in a permanent location in Portage Park) to the Kedzie Inn (4100 N. Kedzie). Expect some hearty sausage goodness like the Windy Buffalo Dog with Morelli’s house buffalo sauce and the Macdog Homestyle Chili Dog, all on fresh buns. Walk in and order anytime from 5-9 PM. (SCJ)

At 8 PM, Bad Brains’s lead singer and cofounder Human Rights (better known as “H.R.”) will be performing at the Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park West). The DC-based punk group (which started as a jazz fusion band) has influenced everybody from Lamb of God to No Doubt to the Beastie Boys. H.R. is known for his emphasis on PMA or “positive mental attitude” as a lifestyle and has spent his latter years focusing on the spiritual aspects of Rastafarianism and growing his own PMA. Those 17 and over can see him perform for $22 ($20 in advance). (MC)

Jeanie Doogan grew up on the south side and worked as a public school teacher for twenty years; both experiences proved to be a great foundation for her observational comedy and storytelling. She hosts Undeniably Funny at Zanies Comedy Club tonight (1548 N. Wells) and is joined by four other comedians that take a sharp and funny look at American culture: Marilee, Jamie Shriner, Deanna Ortiz, and Victoria Vincent. Advance tickets are $20 (Zanies is a 21+ venue) and the club requires each guest to purchase a minimum of two items (food or drink) while taking in the show. It all starts at 8 PM. (SCJ)

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Monday Night Foodball tonight brings chef and entrepreneur Bobby Morelli of the Hot Dog Box (formerly in Boxville on 51st, and now located in a permanent location in Portage Park) to the Kedzie Inn (4100 N. Kedzie). Expect some hearty sausage goodness like the Windy Buffalo Dog with Morelli’s house buffalo sauce and the Macdog Homestyle Chili Dog, all on fresh buns. Walk in and order anytime from 5-9 PM. (SCJ)

At 8 PM, Bad Brains’s lead singer and cofounder Human Rights (better known as “H.R.”) will be performing at the Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park West). The DC-based punk group (which started as a jazz fusion band) has influenced everybody from Lamb of God to No Doubt to the Beastie Boys. H.R. is known for his emphasis on PMA or “positive mental attitude” as a lifestyle and has spent his latter years focusing on the spiritual aspects of Rastafarianism and growing his own PMA. Those 17 and over can see him perform for $22 ($20 in advance). (MC)

Jeanie Doogan grew up on the south side and worked as a public school teacher for twenty years; both experiences proved to be a great foundation for her observational comedy and storytelling. She hosts Undeniably Funny at Zanies Comedy Club tonight (1548 N. Wells) and is joined by four other comedians that take a sharp and funny look at American culture: Marilee, Jamie Shriner, Deanna Ortiz, and Victoria Vincent. Advance tickets are $20 (Zanies is a 21+ venue) and the club requires each guest to purchase a minimum of two items (food or drink) while taking in the show. It all starts at 8 PM. (SCJ)

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Monday Night Foodball tonight brings chef and entrepreneur Bobby Morelli of the Hot Dog Box (formerly in Boxville on 51st, and now located in a permanent location in Portage Park) to the Kedzie Inn (4100 N. Kedzie). Expect some hearty sausage goodness like the Windy Buffalo Dog with Morelli’s house buffalo sauce and the Macdog Homestyle Chili Dog, all on fresh buns. Walk in and order anytime from 5-9 PM. (SCJ)

At 8 PM, Bad Brains’s lead singer and cofounder Human Rights (better known as “H.R.”) will be performing at the Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park West). The DC-based punk group (which started as a jazz fusion band) has influenced everybody from Lamb of God to No Doubt to the Beastie Boys. H.R. is known for his emphasis on PMA or “positive mental attitude” as a lifestyle and has spent his latter years focusing on the spiritual aspects of Rastafarianism and growing his own PMA. Those 17 and over can see him perform for $22 ($20 in advance). (MC)

Jeanie Doogan grew up on the south side and worked as a public school teacher for twenty years; both experiences proved to be a great foundation for her observational comedy and storytelling. She hosts Undeniably Funny at Zanies Comedy Club tonight (1548 N. Wells) and is joined by four other comedians that take a sharp and funny look at American culture: Marilee, Jamie Shriner, Deanna Ortiz, and Victoria Vincent. Advance tickets are $20 (Zanies is a 21+ venue) and the club requires each guest to purchase a minimum of two items (food or drink) while taking in the show. It all starts at 8 PM. (SCJ)

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Monday Night Foodball tonight brings chef and entrepreneur Bobby Morelli of the Hot Dog Box (formerly in Boxville on 51st, and now located in a permanent location in Portage Park) to the Kedzie Inn (4100 N. Kedzie). Expect some hearty sausage goodness like the Windy Buffalo Dog with Morelli’s house buffalo sauce and the Macdog Homestyle Chili Dog, all on fresh buns. Walk in and order anytime from 5-9 PM. (SCJ)

At 8 PM, Bad Brains’s lead singer and cofounder Human Rights (better known as “H.R.”) will be performing at the Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park West). The DC-based punk group (which started as a jazz fusion band) has influenced everybody from Lamb of God to No Doubt to the Beastie Boys. H.R. is known for his emphasis on PMA or “positive mental attitude” as a lifestyle and has spent his latter years focusing on the spiritual aspects of Rastafarianism and growing his own PMA. Those 17 and over can see him perform for $22 ($20 in advance). (MC)

Jeanie Doogan grew up on the south side and worked as a public school teacher for twenty years; both experiences proved to be a great foundation for her observational comedy and storytelling. She hosts Undeniably Funny at Zanies Comedy Club tonight (1548 N. Wells) and is joined by four other comedians that take a sharp and funny look at American culture: Marilee, Jamie Shriner, Deanna Ortiz, and Victoria Vincent. Advance tickets are $20 (Zanies is a 21+ venue) and the club requires each guest to purchase a minimum of two items (food or drink) while taking in the show. It all starts at 8 PM. (SCJ)

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The Chicago Blackhawks have won three games in a row. After going 0-2-0 to start the season, it seemed like they really were going to be amongst the worst teams in the league. They still probably are going to finish that low but this little stretch has been fun to watch.

However, the way they are playing is not sustainable. Guys like Sam Lafferty, Max Domi, Taylor Raddysh, and Jason Dickinson have been some of their top offensive producers. Those guys are not going to score 30 goals.

Another issue is that they lead the league with four shorthanded goals. That is nice and all but it has been a key to some of their wins and their ability to stay in games. That pace is going to slow down naturally.

Chicago has also allowed the first goal in all five games that they have played so far. A lot of those wins resulted in them going down by multiple goals and then coming back. Again, that is not sustainable in the National Hockey League.

The Chicago Blackhawks are winning lately but it isn’t really sustainable.

Petr Mrazek is down with an injury so the journeyman Alex Stalock is being paired with rookie Arvid Soderblom (who might be the goalie of the future). That might be a tandem that has its moments but it doesn’t compete with the rest of the Central Division.

We have also seen the numbers from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews dip a bit to start the season. They will rise a little bit while the other guys come down but that is not enough to win. This is a team that is trying to rebuild and have a high draft pick.

There are good players that Chicago wants at the top of the draft so it is a good thing that the way they are winning isn’t sustainable. It is fun to watch in October when everyone is excited to just be playing again but don’t expect the winning to stick around.

It should be interesting to see how long the solid play can last but it won’t be long. By the trade deadline, we will be missing the early October stages where they were fun to watch and winning games in strange ways.

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The Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies started out the season as the most disappointing teams in baseball. The White Sox continued to disappoint while the Phillies did something to turn things around.

The Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi on June 3rd after a 22-29 start. Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf choose to remain loyal to his friend Tony La Russa despite being 23-27 on the same day Girardi was fired.

He ignored the “Fire Tony” chants and mediocre play because he had to make up for the regret of firing La Russa back in the mid-1980s.

Both teams started the year with World Series aspirations. The Chicago White Sox thought they had an easy path to October just by putting on the uniform.

The team’s talent alone would automatically mean a division title in their eyes. The Phillies knew they had an uphill battle to win the NL East with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets in their way.

The Phillies made a bold move and are now four wins away from a championship. The White Sox dealt with mediocrity from its players and head-scratching moves from their manager.

The Phillies won seven in a row after they dismissed Girardi. They never spent a day under .500 after June 15th. The Chicago White Sox spent the entire 2022 season bouncing back and forth between being a few games under or above .500.

Making a managing change in early June allowed the Phillies to be shaken out of their doldrums. Sure, Philadelphia needed a last-week-of-the-season collapse from the Milwaukee Brewers to get into the playoffs. They did just enough to be in that position.

The Chicago White Sox needed La Russa to have a medical situation to get him out of being in charge of the lineup card. In the end, it was too little, too late.

The White Sox won 13 of 19 games after La Russa left the team on August 30th to briefly get back into the AL Central Divison race. If the Chicago White Sox decided that the game had passed La Russa by in June, the Sox might have been spurned to play better baseball.

The Phillies’ decision to cut bait on a name-brand manager shows how the Sox missed an opportunity to follow their lead.

The Philadelphia Phillies made game-changing moves, unlike the Chicago White Sox.

Philadelphia went out and signed Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. The White Sox had lacked a left-handed power bat and used two first basemen to play right field. The Sox could have used Schwarber’s left-handed power and Castellanos’ play in right.

Instead, general manager Rick Hahn went on the cheap and an 81-81 record was the final result. Hahn assembled a talented core but by not using free agency effectively his team missed out on the playoffs. Dave Dombrowski made the necessary off-season moves to put the Phillies in their current situation.

The Chicago White Sox did have a decent-sized payroll. It was not enough to pay the luxury tax. The Phillies were willing to go into that territory. Sometimes you got to pay the tax to raise a banner.

The Chicago White Sox also watched Bryce Harper make his first World Series. Harper liked his free agent visit with Chicago White Sox back in the 2018-2019 offseason.

The Sox have yet to give out a free-agent contract that involves nine figures so they were not about to give Harper the contract he was seeking. The Phillies did not blink an eye to bring in the generational talent.

The Phillies did not make any splash trades at the trade deadline but they did acquire four players that helped get them to World Series. Noah Syndergaard is no longer an ace but he pitched solidly for Philadelphia’s rotation. He was the opener in two of Philly’s postseason wins.

Brandon Marsh helped solidify centerfield for the Phillies. Former White Sox and Cubs closer David Robertson provided a high-leverage arm to Philadelphia’s bullpen. Edmundo Sosa upgraded the defense off the bench.

The Chicago White Sox had a ton of holes but only acquired reliever Jake Diekman at the deadline. That type of midseason acquisition is not going to get a team into the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Phillies made smart, bold moves, which is why they are in the World Series. The White Sox made bizarre moves born out of dysfunction. That is why the Chicago White Sox are sitting at home.

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The first week of the 2022-23 NBA season did not disappoint, delivering big-time performances, upsets and playoff-caliber matchups.

Ja Morant and Paolo Banchero got off to strong starts as the Memphis Grizzlies star scored 49 points against the Houston Rockets on Friday night and the Orlando Magic player on Wednesday became the first rookie since LeBron James to debut with at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists — he had 27, 9 and 5 against the Detroit Pistons.

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The Boston Celtics and the Utah Jazz are both 3-0 after going through significant player personnel changes during the offseason. The Celtics are without suspended coach Ime Udoka and center Robert Williams III is still sidelined, and the Jazz traded stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert while also working under a first-year head coach in Will Hardy.

Two star-studded teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, emerged from Week 1 without a win.

Our NBA insiders reflect on the biggest moments, surprises and reactions thus far.

Whose start to the season has been the biggest surprise?

Kevin Pelton: Break up the Jazz? Supposedly tanking the season after trading their two stars, the Jazz began 3-0 with wins against three West contenders, including Rudy Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s only three games — and worth remembering the 2013-14 76ers started 3-0 and finished 19-63 — but it does feel like maybe Utah ought to see how good this group is before tearing it down in the name of landing top NBA prospect Victor Wembanyama.

Jamal Collier: John Wall looked like John Wall. It was hard to know what to expect from the newest LA Clipper after a year away, so it was awesome to see him come out with such fresh legs. It was one game, but this Wall looked like what the Clippers needed off the bench and at point guard.

Tim MacMahon: The Utah Jazz — fresh off trading four starters while stockpiling as many first-round picks as possible — already have as many wins as I anticipated they would by Thanksgiving. Opening with a trio of wins over playoff teams qualifies as shocking. The Jazz are playing hard for rookie head coach Will Hardy. Lauri Markkanen is off to a spectacular start, and fellow young trade additions Collin Sexton, Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler have also flashed potential for a franchise still likely (and hopeful?) to finish in the lottery.

The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a rocky start, going 0-3 through the first week of the 2022-23 season. John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Snellings: The 76ers starting the season 0-3, including a loss to the rebuilding Spurs, has been my biggest surprise. I expected James Harden to enter this season healthy and in shape and thus to play at a much higher level than he did last postseason. And the thing is… he has! But instead of Harden’s strong play in the backcourt meshing with Joel Embiid in a classic big/little pairing, thus far they have seemed to take turns pulling all the air out of the room. No synergy, no defense, just two guys who can each put up huge numbers if they’re featured.

Tim Bontemps: This one is easy: the 76ers’ 0-3 start. The Sixers have to be absolutely thrilled the Phillies have romped through the National League playoffs and the Eagles (6-0) are the NFL’s lone undefeated team, because little has gone right so far for the pro basketball team in Philly. The Sixers rank 24th in the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency; they expected to contend for top five in both categories, not bottom five. Obviously, there’s plenty of time for things to turn around, but let’s just say the 76ers had better beat Indiana at home Monday or else this is going to get really ugly, really fast.

The Lakers’ opening week was ____.

MacMahon: Amusing. C’mon, how could you not chuckle when Russell Westbrook blamed a one-game preseason stint as a reserve for a hamstring issue that suddenly healed when he was reinserted in the starting lineup? It’s amazing that Westbrook, who blamed sitting in the fourth quarter for a brief bout with “back tightness” last season, has survived so many halftimes. LeBron James accurately pointed out the Lakers’ shooting woes without taking any accountability for pushing for the Westbrook trade that was the biggest factor in the poor roster fit.

Pelton: Predictable. The flaws in this Lakers’ roster were evident to anyone paying attention, particularly during a 1-5 preseason. Nobody outside perhaps the Lakers’ front office was surprised to see their poor outside shooting emerge as a fatal flaw. The question is whether the Lakers are a Westbrook trade away from contending, and the answer so far is a firm no.

Collier: Sad. The NBA is in a great place with so many good, talented and interesting teams, but this isn’t one of them. I’m not sure James is going to be a good enough reason to stay up late watching West Coast games for this team.

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Bontemps: Predictable. This team just isn’t very good. Yes, James is arguably the greatest player, but he’s approaching his 38th birthday in December. Anthony Davis has missed large chunks of three out of the past four seasons. Westbrook continues to be a train wreck of a fit next to James. And the roster is filled with one bad 3-point shooter after another. This is a team that was expected, by rational observers, to be fighting for a spot in the back half of the play-in mix. Nothing that happened this week changed that viewpoint.

Snellings: Foreseeable. They made several moves this offseason to improve their defense, and Davis’ move to center (finally!) is a feather in new coach Darvin Ham’s hat. But the team knew it didn’t do nearly enough to improve shooting. Thus, events such as the starting backcourt going a combined 1-for-18 from the field in Game 2, or a combined 3-for-20 from 3-point range in the first two games, were inevitable.

The Nets’ opening week was ____.

MacMahon: A roller coaster. The Nets followed up a terrible performance against the New Orleans Pelicans with a quality win against the Toronto Raptors. The biggest difference was that Kyrie Irving scored 30 against Toronto after an awful opener. He’s not exactly dependable, but Brooklyn’s ceiling remains high because Kevin Durant and Irving are such spectacular offensive talents.

Snellings: A warning. The Nets need to improve their interior defense if they want to contend. The Nets have gotten full games from their All-Star trio of Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons, and they are clearly learning to play together. But the team got dominated in the interior in Game 1, with the Pelicans’ big front line of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas combining for 68 points (52% FG) and 29 rebounds to spark a 22-point blowout. The Nets came back to win Game 2 against the undersized Raptors, but even Toronto’s small-ball front line of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby combined for 64 points (57% FG) and 24 rebounds.

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Bontemps: Predictable. Hard to say a lot off two games, but will use “predictable” here, too. Brooklyn looked better against the Raptors in its second game, another team that doesn’t have the kind of interior masher to give them trouble. Let’s see what happens this week, when the Nets face the Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. The results of those games will give us a much better sense of what this team will actually be.

Pelton: Fine. The opening loss to the Pelicans was ugly, and Brooklyn is likely to be mired near the bottom of the defensive rating rankings all season, but beating the Raptors was impressive and the Nets will surely shoot better than they have so far (34% on 3s, including a combined 10-of-34 for Durant and Irving). There’s no reason to panic and no indication anyone has, yet.

Collier: Intriguing. It’s going to be fascinating to watch this team each night, so sign me up for the ride. Durant and Irving are thrilling superstars to watch. Simmons looks like he’s going to be up and down. The talent is there even if the roster is a bit ill-fitting. I still have no idea where this team is headed.

Who has been the most impactful offseason addition through the first week?

Pelton: Donovan Mitchell. With apologies to the Atlanta Hawks’ Dejounte Murray, whose solid start has come against weaker opposition, Mitchell has played at a top-10 level thus far. In Mitchell’s first three games in Cleveland, he has averaged 33.3 points and 7.0 assists while making 53% of his 2-point attempts and 42% of his 3s. Mitchell lifted the Cavaliers to a pair of wins without injured All-Star teammate Darius Garland.

Christian Wood has 50 points in 49 minutes through two games for the Dallas Mavericks, pairing well with star Luka Doncic. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

MacMahon: How about early Sixth Man of the Year front-runner Christian Wood? He’s the first player in Dallas history to score at least 25 points in his first two games. He’s scoring at better than a point-per-minute pace (50 points in 49 minutes). He also said the word “fun” five times in a three-minute media session Saturday after the blowout win against the Grizzlies.

Bontemps: I could pick Jalen Brunson, who has 15 assists and no turnovers through two games with the New York Knicks, or one of the many terrific rookies in this year’s class, but I’ll instead go with Wood, who has 50 points in 49 minutes through two games for Dallas. While Wood, quite understandably, would like to start, things are going to work out just fine for the pending free agent if he keeps performing like this regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Collier: Mitchell. An eye injury to Garland means we haven’t really seen the Cavs at their full potential yet, but a pair of 30-point games to kick off his Cleveland career has been a good reminder of how dynamic an offensive player Mitchell can be. He looks like a seamless fit on this roster.

Snellings: The addition of Murray to the Hawks’ backcourt makes them legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference, and we saw some of that in Week 1. Murray pairs with Trae Young to give the Hawks arguably the most dynamic backcourt in the league. Everyone notices the offense, and Murray averaged 20 points and 10 assists last week to help highlight that. But Murray entered the league as an athletic, defensive specialist and he brings that dimension to the Hawks’ perimeter defense. When he’s in the starting lineup with Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter, suddenly the Hawks also sport one of the league’s better defensive units.

What’s one opening-week matchup you’d love to see in the playoffs?

MacMahon: I’d sign up for seven more games of Mavs vs. Suns. I might have gone with Sixers-Celtics or Sixers-Bucks, but Philadelphia should probably win a game first before we start discussing potential playoff matchups.

Snellings: I started to say Bucks vs Sixers, because there’s always the chance that Giannis and Embiid will go into video-game mode when they see each other and combine for 92 points and 31 rebounds in a given game. Instead, let’s go bigger picture and say Warriors and Lakers. If they meet in the playoffs, it’ll be an indication the Lakers have gotten their act together, likely made trade(s) that better balance their roster, and that LeBron and Davis have stayed healthy enough to get the team there.

Donovan Mitchell proved early to be immediately impactful to his new team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Through two games, Mitchell is averaging a career-high 31.5 points. Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP

Bontemps: Having watched the game last week in person, a Cavs-Raptors series would be awfully fun. Two teams with lots of talent and vastly different play styles — with Cleveland featuring two little guards next to twin towers, and Toronto basically rolling out a team full of 6-foot-8 guys — would make for a really fun matchup in the postseason. Here’s hoping we get to see it.

Collier: Sixers-Bucks. Their game Thursday night was an ugly, good ol’ fashioned Eastern Conference throwback with a 90-88 final score. Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo need to go at each other for a playoff matchup at their peak.

Pelton: Denver Nuggets–Golden State Warriors. We saw this in the opening round last spring, but with a very different version of the Nuggets than the one that won at Chase Center on Friday night. Healthy again, Michael Porter Jr. made five 3s and scored 17 points. Newcomers Bruce Brown Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for 37 points and Denver did it without Jamal Murray, who is back after missing all of the 2021-22 season. Let’s run this back with Denver at full strength.

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