NBA, NHL, Soccer Seasons Winding Down for 2019

I just witnessed the Toronto Raptors come from a two-to-nothing deficit to win four straight games over the favored Milwaukee Bucks, claiming their first ever National Basketball Association Eastern Conference title...they'll be starting their league championship series against the Golden State Warriors this Thursday evening, the 30th of May.  I've come to enjoy watching this team play, not only because of their superstar Kawhi Leonard but also for their unselfish team play...my favorite player is Kyle Lowry, who's gone through a lot with this team over the years and is finally getting his due recognition.  For the Raptors/Warriors series, I don't especially care who wins, just that the games are close and the series lasts a while...

In hockey, the NHL playoffs have also reached the stage of the final series to determine their Stanley Cup champion.  The survivors to this point are Boston...my favorite in the playoffs after Tampa Bay dismally failed in their opening series...and St. Louis, who surprised a few by coming back and knocking out San Jose in their last series.  The Blues have never won the Stanley Cup and the Bruins would like to add another...should be fun to watch when I have the opportunity...

The various pro team soccer leagues from different countries have mostly finished their seasons.  In England Manchester City won their second straight Premier League title by a single point over Liverpool, while in Germany's Bundesliga Bayern Munich survived a scare from Borussia Dortmund to claim yet another championship...in England and Germany (as well as most other leagues) there are no postseason playoffs: the regular season champ IS the champ.  Mexico's top league, however, not only has a playoff system they call the Liguilla, but they do it twice a year...as I write this the very final match is on to determine the 2019 Clausura Liguilla champion.  UANL Tigres, which I've consistently followed and supported over the last five years, is looking to gain its fourth Liguilla title against Leon, which finished this regular season with the league's best record.  Meanwhile, Major League Soccer, a spring-to-fall league composed of American and Canadian teams, is in the middle of its season: there's plenty more soccer throughout the summer!

And once basketball and hockey are finished with their playoffs, I'll basically be left with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer to follow through the summer months.  I haven't been paying much attention to baseball...may that will change once the other sports are through with their seasons...

One other thing: in team professional soccer, the vaunted Champion's League for Europe will stage its championship match next Saturday, June 1 to determine the continent's best team for the year.  It will be an all-England finale pitting London's Tottenham against Liverpool: the site will be Madrid, Spain...should be exciting to watch...