Bay Area Teams in NHL & NBA Playoffs
Springtime equals playoffs for the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. This year, two Bay Area teams from two different sports are trying to win the ultimate prize. One team has yet to win a championship while the other has won several championships but has not had one since 1975. Let's begin with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors is located in Oakland and plays its games in the Oracle Arena. Last season, the Warriors finished thirteenth in the Western Conference. This season, the Warriors finished sixth in the Western Conference and made it to the playoffs for the first time in six years. The Warriors faced the Denver Nuggets for the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets had won 3 out of 4 regular season games against the Warriors. After splitting the first two games in Denver, the series was tied 1-1 and headed to Oakland. The next two games went to the Warriors, who were supported by a very passionate fan base, which caused reporters to call Oracle Arena "Roaracle Arena." With the Nuggets facing elimination, Denver won Game 5 at home, but could not beat the Warriors in Oakland during Game 6 and lost the game and the series by 4 games to 2. The next opponent was the second seeded San Antonio Spurs, who had soundly swept the Los Angeles Lakers from the first round. After splitting the first two games in San Antonio, the series once again returned to Oakland tied with one game apiece. However, the Spurs broke out Game 3 with a strong first quarter and won the game, but the Warriors fought back in Game 4 and won the game in overtime. The series moved back to San Antonio for Game 5, where the Spurs had a strong second half to take a 3-1 series lead. The Spurs can finish off the Warriors tonight in Oracle Arena.
As the Warriors cling to their playoff hopes in the second round, another Bay Area team begins the second round of the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks, like the Warriors, are the sixth seed coming into this year's playoffs. The Sharks have been in the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, but have not won the big prize yet. The Sharks found themselves playing the Vancouver Canucks for the first round. The Canucks had eliminated the Sharks two years ago in the Western Conference Finals. The Sharks were thirsty revenge and they got it. They swept the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 and achieved the first-ever post-season sweep. Next up, the Sharks battled the Los Angeles Kings, the defending Stanley Cup champions who had rallied from being down two games to none to defeat the St. Louis Blues in six games. This the second postseason meeting between these two California rivals, the Sharks having dethroned the Kings in the playoffs two years ago. During Game 1, the Sharks outshot the Kings 35-20, were stonewalled by Kings goalie Jonathan Quick and lost the game 2-0. Game 2 is tonight in Staples Center in LA, where the Kings have won 11 games in a row.