6 Thoughts
1) Just to warn you: I am out of gas like the Heat. Miami, one day after a thrilling triple overtime victory over Utah, hung in for three and a half quarters in Philadelphia, but made just 2 out of its last 17 shots, watching a narrow lead slip away, and ending a 3 game winning streak.
2) DWade looked exhausted. 50 yesterday; 18 today. Was not assertive down the stretch, allowing Jermaine O'Neal (20 points) to be the focal point of the offense. Apparently, Wade is human.
3) For approximately the 400th time in the last week, a break in the action delivered a highlight package which included Dwyane Wade's double overtime, steal and racing three pointer at the buzzer to beat Chicago, followed by Wade climbing on the scorer's table while a standing, cheering, fist-pumping play by play announcer Eric Reid tried in vain to get a high five. Coming back from the highlight tonight, color man Tony Fiorentino chided Reid: "Who was that crazy guy in the white shirt standing up and pumping his fists," Tony asked. Reid went on to explain that he briefly lost his mind, and was surprised that Tony had not also. "I would have," said Tony, "but I was trying to get you down because I figured we should talk about it." A rare zinger from Tony F. Not a good one, mind you, but a zinger nonetheless.
4) Old Connecticut Husky star, and friend of Dos Minutos, Donyell Marshall left his patrol at the end of the Sixer bench for only his 14th game appearance this season and dropped 3 crucial threes on the Heat in the fourth quarter. Donyell had the single greatest individual season in Connecticut history in 1993-94 when he averaged 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks a game. Missed two free throws with less than a second to go in a tie game in a third round NCAA tournament game that they ended up losing in overtime to Florida. Never turned into an NBA star even though he was drafted 4th in '94, with career averages of 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. On his NBA.com bio page he says he thinks Ludcris should play him in the story of his life. Donyell is 6'9", Luda probably about 5'6". Hmmm. In any case, it was good to see Donyell out there, even carrying a little of a belly, but still stroking the long ball. Made the loss a little easier to swallow.
5) Sixer backup point guard Royal Ivey appeared about three shades darker than he normally does. I don't know if it is time for a new tv, or he has been in the tanning booth. Usually a pleasant milk chocolate color, looked positively Wesley Snipesian today.
6) Since we are talking about color: someone recently asked me who the whitest person I know is. Good question - great question. Obviously, the answer is my mom. Very fair-skinned, and has an absolute passion for bran-based breads, and yogurt. I eliminated a lot of the very white-Southernish people I know in Florida because they are sufficiently trashy so as to have lost many of the qualities that make a person identifiably white. Also, eliminated all foreigners on general principle. The rest of the top five behind my mom: #2, very pale actress Anne Hathaway; #3, former Duke basketball great J.J. Reddick; #4, Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte; and #5, David Brooks from the New York Times. Just missing the list: Cal Ripken Jr. (steroid enhanced whiteness), former CBS news anchorman Roger Mudd (a little old - may have lost a bit off the white fastball), and Mary Steenburgen.
