Woody Paige: Could the Avs and Nuggets finish playoffs with trips to the Sunshine State?
Do you believe in magic? Lovin’ Spoonful
Do you believe in Magic or Heat vs. Nuggets and Avalanche vs. Panthers or Lightning simultaneously in NBA and Stanley Cup Finals?
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Avs and the Nugs both beat the beach boys – for a third time — in the same season to become mutual champions – a combined achievement never accomplished in NBA-NHL history?
The Avalanche-Nuggets Magical Mystical Tour continued Friday night when the Avs won their eighth straight game (and ninth in the last 10) 6-1.The Nuggets, without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray Saturday night, won their ninth game in 11 in Portland. The reaction in the two North American leagues is: Are you kidding us? Look out world. The two teams have a collective eight consecutive games at The Big Jar in downtown Denver until the end of the month.
Beware the tides of March.
In 16 games since the 6th the Avalanche have averaged 4.6 goals and the Nuggets 115.2 points while compiling a 17-2 record. The only blemishes were overtime and last-second losses by the Nuggets on the road. The Avs won one OT.
When the enchanted Avs and Nugs win 10 games both will finish as first seeds in the two Western Conferences.
Meanwhile, in Florida, startling Orlando has risen to a tie for the East’s third playoff position, and methodical Miami is seventh. Go, Magic and Heat. Defeat those dastardly Celtics and Bucks. The Panthers are fourth and the Lightning sixth back East. Go, guys. Thump the Bruins and the Rangers.
Florida is the magic kingdom for Colorado teams. Heavens to Tim Tebow and Coach Prime, not only have the Avalanche won Stanley Cup championships against the Panthers (in the franchise’s first season in Denver) and the Lightning (two seasons ago) and the Nuggets won their first NBA championship against the Heat, the Buffaloes won their only football championship in the old Orange Bowl in Miami Jan. 1, 1991, and the Broncos won their second Super Bowl title in the new stadium in south Florida Jan. 31, 1999.
According to Las Vegas sports books the Nuggets are favorites now to win the Western Conference and return to the NBA Finals, and the Avalanche are odds-on No. 1 to take the conference and get back to their fourth Stanley Cup Finals.
The Panthers are top-rated most recently to reach the Finals from the Eastern Conference. The Magic are longshots, and the Heat and the Lightning are longer shots.
The most probable potential prospects in both leagues, though, would be Denver vs. Boston – the Nuggets against the Celtics and the Avalanche against the Bruins.
Remember the 2007 World Series. The Rockies lost all four. However, never forget the Broncos and the Patriots played five times in the postseason, and the Broncos won four with quarterbacks John Elway (1986 and 2005) and Peyton Manning (2013 and 2015).
The Bruins are first in the Atlantic Division and lead the NHL in points with 97, and the Celtics are first in the Eastern Conference at an NBA-high 55 victories.
Interestingly enough, the two Boston franchises are drawing cumulative crowds of 36,721 at home, while the two Denver-based teams possess the edge at 37,794.
The Nuggets own 50-21 record and are tied with the Thunder for first in the West. With 95 points before Sunday’s home game with the Penguins, the Avalanche own 44 victories to the Bruins’ 41.
The Nuggets defeated the Celtics twice, while the Avalanche split the season series with the Bruins, with each team winning home games.
The Stanley Cup Finals’ possible seventh game would be on June 17, and the NBA Finals could stretch to a Game 7 June 23rd. A joint parade in Denver would a first ever in professional sports.
This will be the ninth season the Avs will surpass the century mark in points, and the Nuggets will finish with 50 or more victories for the 11th season since joining the NBA in 1976. The Nuggets should top the club’s record for victories in the NBA – 57 – and could get to 60. The Avalanche victory mark was set two seasons ago at 56. They’ll have to win 11 of 12 to match.
Magic happens when you believe.