MJ and the Western Conference Finals
Todd Swank's Diary Entry for May 26, 2024
Our tour through various sectors of the medical industry continued this week when I met with the Urologist to address some kidney stone issues I've been having. I had a procedure called a Cystography on Wednesday morning which is basically a probe being inserted into the only exterior opening of the urinary tract I had available. It wasn't a pleasant experience. The good news is they didn't find anything concerning, but the sphincter between my prostate and bladder has been violated in a way that I'll remember for a long, long time.
Our beloved Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets in a crazy Game 7. It gave us the opportunity to attend Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Avery hadn't been to a game with me in awhile but jumped at the chance to join me for this one.
The Wolves had a regular season record of 3-1 vs Dallas, but Luka Doncic wasn't playing during two of those wins. Minnesota wouldn't have that benefit going for them this time around.
Kyrie Irving has had some erratic seasons the past few years, but everything has been going great for him in Dallas this year. He was on fire on this particular evening.
I noticed Mark Cuban and his family about 30 rows in front of us. Mark started in the computer industry about the same time I did so I've been following him for about 3 decades now. I've always been a fan of his, but tonight we'd be rooting for opposite teams.
I enjoy watching the various celebrities. It's always fun to see who Alex Rodriguez brings to the game.
Everyone is worried about Justin Jefferson not signing his contract extension with the Vikings yet, but I've seen him at several games so he seems to spend a fair amount of the offseason in Minnesota. Maybe he's just that big of a fan of the Wolves?
This being the Western Conference Finals meant that the NBA crew from TNT were at the game. For some reason they brought Draymond Green which is an odd choice considering he was suspended earlier this season for putting our center, Rudy Gobert, in a headlock. When Avery and I walked up on the crowd, we heard them chanting "Draymond Sucks" so I captured this video:
Our seats were pretty close to Shaq and team so I kept sneaking pictures of them. I bet they're a fun crew to hang crew to hang around with. We have so much in common.
Charles Barkley made headlines this week complaining that their show is coming to an end since TNT is losing the NBA after this season. I'm betting one of the other networks will figure out a way to pick them up for next season.
The game was very exciting! It was back and forth all night and the home team was putting up a heck of a fight!
Our superstar, Anthony Edwards, wasn't quite right unfortunately. We'd grown accustomed to seeing perfection from him, but his shots just weren't falling. He ended up going only 6 for 16 in the game.
I was excited to see that Montell Jordan was there to entertain us at half time. It was fun to see him show the crowd "This is How We Do It!"
In the end, Luke and Kyrie would prove too strong. Irving finished the game with 30 points and four assists. Doncic logged 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Dallas won the game by a score 108-105. We will see if Minnesota can get another home playoff game this year. They also lost Game 2 and 3, but I'll be there for Game 5 if it happens!
On Friday night, we went to the Orpheum to see MJ the Musical. Our good friends The Browns and Zitzewitzes were happy to join us!
It was a great show! It basically is a concert featuring a couple dozen of the King of Pop's hit songs, but there is also a story line which highlighted his life. They showed young Michael and the Jackson 5 conquering Motown and addressed a few of the controversial aspects of his life. But not all of them.
I loved the music and really enjoyed myself.
It was a Thriller of an evening!