The fight for a ring concludes
ZWF #17: Sunday, June 05, 2022
Just two teams remain in the fight for the 2022 NBA championship. In this year’s edition of the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics are facing the Golden State Warriors. With the Celtics taking game one as an underdog, it’s a series ripe to go the distance and it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top.
In this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, an overview of the ongoing NBA Finals and a look at what Zander has been reading this week. Plus, a snapshot of the top headlines from the past few weeks in the worlds of news and sports.
You should also go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 65 features an audio edition of Enough of your thoughts and prayers, along with a preview of the NBA Finals with ZF NBA analyst Hill Billy. Download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here is Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, June 05, 2022:
The Finals are upon us
This year’s professional basketball championship is now up to Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Klay Thompson, Jalen Brown, and everyone else competing in the 2022 NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics are representing the Eastern Conference, while the Golden State Warriors are coming out of the Western Conference.
Game one of the series took place on Thursday night, with the first matchup between the two teams living up to any previous hype. With the matchup taking place in San Francisco, California, Golden State came into the game having won 13 consecutive home game ones. That streak ended on Thursday night, with the Celtics taking home the victory by a score of 120-108.
Here’s an updated look at the 2022 NBA Playoffs bracket:
Game one was a record-breaking one in many ways. It was the first NBA Finals game for Al Horford of the Celtics, who had gone a record 141 playoff games before appearing in a Finals game. The Celtics became the first team to win an NBA Finals game by double-digits when trailing by double-digits at the end of the third quarter. While the Celtics did win, Stephen Curry of the Warriors put on another excellent performance. Curry’s six threes in the first quarter are the most ever in a single quarter during an NBA Finals game.
The broadcasting crew for the Finals has been the subject of discussion, as two members of the crew were out for game one after testing positive for COVID-19. Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy could not announce game one, leaving Mark Jones and Mark Jackson to commentate the matchup. As of Sunday morning, it is not clear whether Breen or Van Gundy will be able to appear for game two.
After a thrilling game one, this series looks like it will not disappoint. The teams get back in action tonight in San Francisco for game two at 8:00 pm et. Game three will take place on Wednesday at 9:00 pm et, while game four will tip-off on Friday at 9:00 pm et. Both games will take place in Boston, Massachusetts.
If necessary, game five will take place in San Francisco on Monday, June 13 at 9:00 pm et. Game six will occur in Boston on Thursday, June 16 at 9:00 pm et. Finally, game seven will take place in San Francisco on Sunday, June 19 at 8:00 pm et. All games in the NBA Finals will air on ABC.
For more on the NBA Finals: NBA - 2022 NBA Finals
What Zander’s reading this week
One article I found interesting over the past week involved a small town in far southwestern Virginia. The Washington Post’s Gregory Schneider published a story nearly two weeks ago that takes a look at the town of Pound in Wise County, Virginia.
Sitting just a few miles from the Kentucky border, Pound may no longer exist as a town in the near future. The Virginia General Assembly voted to rescind Pound’s charter as the town has fallen into freefall. The population continues to fall, tax revenue is decreasing, and town services are failing. In a region crippled by the loss of the coal industry, Pound is just one of many towns suffering in Appalachia.
Check out this week’s featured piece in the Washington Post: Washington Post - Va. lawmakers voted to dissolve a troubled town. Can residents save it?
Rapid-fire Facts
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has announced it will hold its first primetime hearing on June 9. The hearing is anticipated to include newly-released information on the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. capitol, along with testimony from various witnesses. The committee is expected to conduct about six public hearings this month, with a final report coming in September. The first public hearing is set for Thursday, June 9, at 8:00 pm et and is set to air on major television networks in the United States, including ABC, CBS, and NBC, along with cable news networks.
The percentage of Americans who identify as ‘pro-choice’ has risen to a decades-long high in a new Gallup poll. As the abortion debate intensifies in the U.S. after a Supreme Court leak showed the court is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, the findings present a shift from recent years. In the Gallup poll released on June 2, 55% of Americans identify as pro-choice, the highest that percentage has been since 1996. The percentage of Americans who identify as ‘pro-life’ has dropped to 39%, the lowest since 1996. Additionally, for just the second time since 1996, the Gallup poll found that more Americans believe abortion is morally acceptable, by a 14-point margin. 52% of respondents found that abortion is morally acceptable, compared to 38% who believe abortion is morally wrong.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is being held this weekend in London, England. The celebrations are meant to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne, a record milestone in the British monarchy. However, the weekend has also brought questions regarding the 96-year-old’s health, as the Queen has been noticeably absent from several events. Queen Elizabeth II is the third-longest serving monarch in world history, just days behind Thailand’s Bhumibol Adulyadej and about two years behind France’s Louis XIV.
New research is showing a correlation between air pollution and the risk of several severe health issues. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that people who lived in areas with higher pollutant levels were more likely to suffer a severe COVID-19 illness than people who lives in areas with lower pollutant levels. The study notes that this is an imperfect metric and that findings may be more significant in areas with higher pollutant levels. The research was conducted exclusively in Canada, a country that routinely ranks low among developed nations for air pollution.
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a Texas social media law from taking effect on Tuesday. The law would have prohibited large social media companies from removing posts based on political speech. Critics of the law argued that the first amendment allows private social media companies to moderate content on their platforms and that the law would have allowed posts including Russian propaganda, along with homophobic and racist content.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
The Ukrainian men’s national soccer team is just one win away from an unprecedented World Cup berth. After a 3-1 victory over Scotland on Wednesday, Ukraine will face Wales later today, with the winner advancing to this year’s World Cup in Qatar. The winner of the match will be placed in Group B in the World Cup, the group that features England, Iran, and the United States. The winner will face the U.S. on the first day of the tournament in November. As war has broken out in Ukraine, players who play in the domestic league have not been able to participate in competitive soccer for months. The national team has been training in Slovenia and is playing both World Cup qualifying matches in the United Kingdom. Ukraine has not qualified for the World Cup since 2006, their only World Cup tournament as an independent nation. Wales vs. Ukraine is set to kick off today at 12:00 pm et on ESPN.
The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that Darvin Ham will be the team’s next head basketball coach. Ham has never been a head coach in the NBA before and was most recently an assistant to Mike Budenholzer for the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers, led by superstar LeBron James, failed to qualify for the NBA Playoffs this season, leading to the dismissal of head coach Frank Vogel.
There is a new champion of European soccer after last weekend’s UEFA Champions League final. Real Madrid C.F. defeated Liverpool F.C. 1-0 last Saturday in Paris, France to be crowned champions of Europe for a record 14th time. The match was marked by controversy before kickoff, as thousands of fans, mostly of Liverpool, struggled to get into the stadium. Despite the security issues, a thrilling match ensued, topped off with a Vinicius Jr. goal in the 59th minute for Real Madrid. The match effectively concluded the European club soccer season, as competitive matches do not return until August. The match was also the most-watched Champions League final ever in the U.S., with a combined 5.36 million people watching on CBS, Univision, and TUDN.
The NHL Playoffs have now advanced to the conference final round. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Rangers currently lead the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning two games to zero. Game three takes place today at 3:00 pm et on ESPN and ESPN+. In the Western Conference Finals, the Colorado Avalanche lead the Edmonton Oilers three games to zero. Game four takes place Monday at 8:00 pm et on TNT.
The United States men’s national soccer team will take the field later today in the second of two friendly matches this month. The U.S. will face Uruguay in Kansas City, Kansas for a matchup of World Cup-bound squads. In the first friendly of the international window, the US defeated another nation qualified for the World Cup, Morocco, 3-0 on Wednesday. The next day, Uruguay defeated Mexico 3-0 in Arizona. These friendlies are seen as a way for this young U.S. squad to gain experience together before the World Cup. After this month’s international window, the only remaining matches the U.S. will have are two friendlies in September. Those matches are expected to be played in Europe against Asian opponents. Two more matches are left after today’s game in this international window, both being group stage matches in the CONCACAF Nations League. On Friday, the U.S. will play Grenada in Austin, Texas at 10:00 pm et on ESPN+. Then, on Tuesday June 14, the U.S. will face El Salvador in El Salvador at 10:00 pm et on FS1. Today’s match against Uruguay will kickoff at 5:00 pm et on Fox.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to Episode 65 wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
The Zander’s Facts podcast will not introduce a new episode this Wednesday. Instead, a ZF Flashback will look back at an important topic from a previous episode that you won’t want to miss. Remember to check out the latest ZF Flashback from the Zander’s Facts podcast, coming out this Wednesday morning! The Zander’s Facts podcast returns with an all-new episode on Wednesday, June 15.
Do remember to check out the next edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts next Sunday! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up with the link below to get Zander’s Weekend Facts in your email inbox every Sunday so you don’t miss anything!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, June 12, 2022.