Admittedly, it’s been a while. Without going into too much detail, sometimes life throws you curveballs and your priorities in a instant need to shift, and they did, and still are, but I couldn’t not talk about last night’s Final Four.

Before that though, have I missed anything? Not getting to the Oscar’s slap at all, the whole thing was stupid and could have been handled differently, from the off color joke, to the slap itself

Anyways, how about the New York Rangers. Someone or something very close to me will be named Gerard, for the Rangers great coach and who finally got the players to buy into a system and team concept, and for that, I’ll follow that man to the gates of hell.

Let’s see, the Celtics struggles but rebounded, the Giants might actually have semi brain functionality wthin their Head Coach and Front Office for the first time in a decade, and there’s labor peace in Baseball. I guess when you are haggling of billions of dollars in revenue and can compromise and avoid losing said revenue, things like ‘service time’ mean little.

But back to the Final Four.

The first game, Kansas shot really well, played really good, suffocating defense ane won over Villanova going away. Villanova, fought hard, getting to within 6 in the seconf half, but they were never in rhythm or able to get comfortable in their offensive sets. Plus, playing from behind, and undersized is a recipe for disaster. So, Kansas advanced. The question was who would join them on Monday night?

Okay, I get it. The Final Four, national tv, the prime time slot of the two games. Already, this sounds huge. However, there was so much more to the game, so much more.

This was Carolina & Duke. The rivalry, the fan bases, all the great players and coach, the tradition. This one had ‘all the makings’, to quote Bill Pidto, an underrated ESPN alum and current host of anything and all things New York Rangers for the MSG Sports Network.

There was also this other small thing, Duke’s Coach, Mike Krzyzewski is retiring at the end of the season. So this game, against North Carolina, could be his last. Talk about intrigue. This has best seller written all over it in storylines alone. If only there was someone who could take that on, hmmmmm.

Now admittedly, I bleed Carolina blue. Never had the opportunity to go to the Dean Dome (bucket list), but I’ve always just preferred Carolina over Duke. I have an uncle and older and younger cousins who sided with me on the Carolina side, then other aunts and uncles, and I think my Dad at one point, probably just to bust my stones, all really liked Duke. In the case of my Dad, there was nothing better than exasperating his 5 and 6 year old son about ‘how Duke was just better’. He’d make some blanket statement like ‘well Duke is better, their coach is better’. This would que the passionate indiginite response from me ‘they are not!!!! JR Reid can outjump their whole team!!!! Dean Smith has been their longer!!!! How can you sa-‘

‘Because’

‘Because why?!?

(Beat)

‘Um, their coach is just….he’s younger. There that’s why’ (Followed by a huge smirk)

‘He’s younger! That’s your argument?!? That’s like saying the sun will rise everyday!!!’

What would follow would be me running at my Dad, pissed, jumping on him, yelling at him, sometimes even crying and screaming, but always ended laughing because he by this point was roaring.

So that long winded explanation and exchange aside, suffice to say I had a lot going thru my head. The game just had a David v. Goliaith type feel. Big bad Duke, the priennal power, against the scuffling Heels of North Carolina. Was Duke gonna dominate, was Carolina up to the task and would they continue their hot streak? To say I was amped was an understatement. I had my flavored seltzer and microwave popcorn within reach, I was ready.

The game would not disappoint and lived up to and exceeded all the hype, if that was even possible.

The game itself was a slugfest and such a back and forth affair. It was Carolina and Duke, how these games always seem to play out, close, hard fought battles, where the small error or hustle play could be the difference between winning and losing.

Watching it was intense ‘Make your free throws’ ‘Stop with bad passes!!! Slow down!!!! If Brady Manek could just make one 3!!!!’ These were all thoughts racing in my head in the first half. The half ended with Duke by three.

The second half started with me in bed, phone charging and me following intently. The half started with Carolina struggling with some misses and turnovers and Duke extending the lead 41-34. Then Caleb Love would hit the first biggest shot of his life, a 3, cutting the Duke lead to 4 at 41-37.

Love would follow with a second big 3 and the Duke lead was cut to one, 41-40. Then Brady Manek hit a 3, then Caleb Love followed with 2 quick baskets, it was 47-41 Carolina within a blink. I, knowing the rivalry thought nothing of it, Duke has some really good shooters and it was Duke after all, they weren’t going to go down easy.

On cue Trevor Keels of Duke hit a 3, do everything freshman Paolo Banchero scored a lay up and the gane waa noted at 47. What followed for the next several minutes was lead changes, big shots, bad passes, just a real back and forth of punch-counterpunch.

After a traditional 3 point play Carolina big man Armando Bacot and another timely jumper by Love, the good guys were up 5, 60-55, with 9:47 left. The teams continued matching baskets, until Duke to the lead 62-61 on a put back by Keels with 7:02 left.

More time off the clock saw much of the same basket matching, Carolina tied it on two free throws from Puff Johnson at 67 with 4:22 left.

Then, a few moments later, I just had that feeling. Brady Manek hit another huge, clutch 3, 73-71, Carolina, 1:41 left. The hell with breathing properly, this is Duke Carolina!!!

Wendell Moore Jr of Duke hit a step back 3 with 1:19 left, 74-73 Duke. When it first happened I thought ‘this son of a bitch’ (Coach K) ‘is gonna coach Monday night! Damnit!!!’

Rather than throw my phone and swear off college basketball, I stuck with it, as did Carolina. With 1:01 remining, Carolina’s R.J. Davis sunk two free throws, 75-74 good guys. Carolina’s Armando Bacot fouled Duke’s Mark Williams with 46 seconds left, ending Bacot’a night with five fouls and me face-palmming, ‘don’t lose on foul shots!!!’

Then it happened. Mark Williams missed both free throws, what happened next is why legends are built in March.

Remember Caleb Love? Yeah, the guy who made some big shots earlieelr? Well, he got the rebound with 46 seconds left, up one, 75-74. Throughout the game, I thought Carolina settled for the three, I mean they shoot then well, but I thought they could have gotten in the ball inside more and use Bacot as a wrecking ball.

Caleb Love brushed off my line of thinking and with 26 seconds left hit a 3! Shot of his life! 78-74 Heels. Duke would get within 2 with 20 seconds left. Love would be fouled and make one of two, 79-76.

10 seconds left, Duke’s Trevor Keels was fouled, made the first free throw 79-77 Heels. Keels missed the second, Love with the rebound, he’s fouled with 8 seconds left. Love made both free throws, 81-77 Carolina. 5 seconds left a missed three from Keels, RJ Davis secured the rebound and dribbled out the clock. Carolina had done it! David had slayed the giant!

What a game! It was exhausting recapping it as it was following live.

On to Kansas Monday night.