ROAD TO THE NBA FINALS

I haven't watched the NBA games since 2015 when the Golden State Warriors won their fourth NBA Championship. Now the stage is set, as four teams, all NBA champions will face each other for the most coveted NBA Championship. Overall, these four teams have combined for 25 championships. They are the Boston Celtics (17), the Golden State Warriors (5), the Houston Rockets (2) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (1). Three also of these four teams have met before in the NBA Championship, with just one possible match-up being the first time. Without much ado, let's analyze each match up, and rank each one according to it's merits and also pick who would win.

1.) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS BOSTON CELTICS
They met in the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals with the Celtics winning both meetings. It was the time that the Bird-Magic rivalry was in full swing. However, the shoe is on the other foot now. The Rockets have gained the best record in the NBA, and will have homecourt advantage throughout the series. With Harden and Paul, the hungry Rockets can easily dispatch the Celtics which are without all star Kyrie Irving. MY PICK- HOUSTON IN 5 GAMES OR SIX.

2.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS BOSTON CELTICS
They met in the 1964 NBA Finals which was won by the Celtics. It was at this period that the Celtics were at their stunning eight consecutive championship run. They were unstoppable at that time. Almost 54 years later, the ball's on the other side of the court. The Celtics last won in 2008, while the Warriors have won 2 of 3 consecutive NBA Finals appearnces, in 2015 and 2017 respectively. The Warriors are showing no signs of slowing down, and even if their superstars are there, it's going to be very hard to defeat the Warriors at this point. MY PICK-GOLDEN STATE IN SIX GAMES.

3.) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
These teams will meet for the first time. It is an exciting match up since there will be all stars involved here. LeBron James has appeared in the NBA Finals since 2011, becoming a finals veteran at that. He has also won 3 NBA Championships but only 1 with the Cavaliers. He will need a lot of support since Houston will be a team that will be hungry and the team with the NBA best record. With the superstar tandem of Harden and Paul, we don't know how the Cavaliers will be able to stop them. But they have been there for the past 3 years, so their championship experience will kick in.
MY PICK-HOUSTON IN 5 GAMES.

4.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
They met since 2015 and 2 championships were won by the Warriors and 1 by the Cavaliers. I honestly don't want to see them anymore. Even if the Cavaliers were to split the series, I couldn't care less. For me, this is the least NBA Finals I want to watch. Actually, if they make it again, I won't watch the NBA anymore. MY PICK-SAME AS LAST YEARS RESULT.     
   
Anyway, these are just my thoughts.Again, I based it on my analysis of each teams performance. So, how are yours? Who do you pick?  Please comment and have a nice day!!!

BRIAN LUCIANO

05/11/18

IN DEFENSE OF THE BIBLE

Lately, I have read an article in GQ.COM (GQ magazine) which published an article regarding 21 BOOKS YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ. While some of them that made the list are really good books, I am really just amazed and angry at Number 12: THE BIBLE.  According to the article, this is the reason why it made the list:

"The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned."

Hmmmm........not the finest thing man as ever produced. Possibly this guy may nit have read the entire bible, or possibly didn't fully understand what it means. In  Paul's letter to Timothy, he states that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16).  See, the Holy Bible is God's inspired word to us. God used man to write his words by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is written by men, but the inspiration is the Holy Spirit. I should know this because I am also a writer. I write my ideas based upon things I know or experienced. I am a wide reader and I also have a very big imagination, thus I can write about topics I like. But not so with the bible. God himself is the author. He puts his words using people to spread his promise to us. It is the only book we need about living. Can we use Harry Potter or any other book in application of our daily lives? Guess not. To call it not the finest book is a lie, since if the author is an all powerful God, then it is finest thing and the best book ever produced.

It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned. Guess who ever wrote this article was reading the bible in perspective of the world. The bible is repetitive because it is also a book of instruction. It means that for the Christians to grasp the messages of the bible it has to be repeated. But the repetition is not in the same context but a different one. Let us look at the Gospels in the New Testament. Some of the parables and events repeat in other authors simple because they are an account of them that wrote the bible. But if we can comprehend, each Gospel is unique of it's own. With repetition, we are able to put the message of the gospel and not forget it. Now is it self contradictory. Hmm....I never encountered any book in the holy bible that contradicts. Instead of contradicting, it enforces each other. Each book in the bible is giving the readers one common theme...that is that there is an all powerful God that we should love and fear. It also tells that we have a savior, and that he will save and protect us from harms. Now the other words, as the bible being sententious, foolish and at times ill-intentioned. These are very harsh words for the bible. Sententious (moralistic), foolish and ill intentioned (having malicious intentions). In my two years of reading the bible, I have never encountered these descriptions. The bible teaches us how to live our lives in way that the Creator (God ) wants us to live. He gave us laws for us to follow, so that we don't live like heathens. In truth, most of the laws that we have right now were actually based upon the bible. Where is the malice in that? Or when is that foolish? Is the bible too moralistic, or we just like to do what we want?

In closing, I pray that whoever is the person that wrote this find the love and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will be inspired of what the bible wants to tell us. The Bible is not just a book of stories, poems, prophecies and teachings. It is the book of life, specially one that leads to life eternal.

MAY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BLESS YOU

BRIAN LUCIANO

MAY 9,2018                             

P.S. Here's the link to the article: https://www.gq.com/story/21-books-you-dont-have-to-read