The Mets took their time, too. Buck Showalter was fired on Oct. 1, 2023. It was believed they had one solid target in mind as his replacement in Brewers manager Craig Counsell, but Counsell wouldn’t be available for exactly another month. The wait seemed like only a wink-wink formality. He and David Stearns had worked together for years in Milwaukee.
He had just delivered what was — may still be — the forever money performance in the Nets’ NBA history. Jason Kidd had played 51 minutes, 38 seconds of a 120-109 double overtime win against the Pacers, do-or-die Game 5, 2002 first round at the Meadowlands. Reggie Miller had made another of his gut-punch shots to extend the game, a 35-footer that made Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 1 prayer against the Knicks seem like a routine layup.
The old genius had finally gotten one move ahead of himself. That seemed clear. There were eight games left in the hockey season. The Devils, veteran team, were already inside the bracket, comfortably, on the way to 102 points. They’d been mailing it in lately, more a reflection of the time in the schedule than any lack of talent.