1) Streak got extended to 22 in Toronto: deucy-deuce! Four different guys stepped out of bounds when starting drives early in this game due to the smaller Canadian court: metric system, baby! Big court, little court, American team, Canadian team - these days, it just doesn't matter. It's St. Patrick's Day: time to drink (and to let it fly)!
2) The Raptors made a bunch of really tough (mostly bad) shots to end the third quarter and begin the fourth quarter, and got the game tied with 11 minutes to go. Then Miami absolutely killed them. It started with the "second unit" on the court. One big problem for Miami's opponents right now: the second unit includes Dwyane Wade. Over the next 4 minutes, with no KJ James and Bosh, Miami went on a quick 12-0 run. They went: Ray Allen runner; Cole-to-Wade 60 foot alley-oop dunk; Battier-drive-and-kick-to-Ray triple; then, after the obligatory Toronto timeout, Birdman Anderson slipped a screen for Battier, caught and dunked on Amir Johnson's head for a 3 point play; then an early-offense quick post-up by Dwyane, Norris Cole lob over the top for the catch-and-layup-oop. Twelve point lead. Then James and Bosh came back in. ESPN writer and analytics expert Tom Haberstroh wrote an article about the James-Bosh-Wade-Allen-Battier lineup this week. In the last five minutes of close games during the streak, which amounted to 44 minutes (one full game), this unit outscored the opponents 134-71. That. Is. Crazy. Today wasn't a crunch-time situation, but that group took the 12 point lead, and over the next three minutes ballooned it to 24 - Ray made two more triples (16 fourth quarter points, 20 for the game) and Battier knocked in another one - and everyone came out with 4 minutes to go. It's the biggest challenge facing Heat playoff opponents this spring. That five man Heat group is going to play more - now Coach Spo only uses it at the end of games. They can pretty much match up defensively with anyone since KJ and Battier can both guard any small or power forward, and Wade is a dynamic defender and rebounder. Will opponents be able to take away open jump shots by Battier, Ray, and Bosh, while also protecting the rim aganist James and Wade? We'll see...
3) One thing about Miami, specifically James and Wade, that people don't always think about: they are not just great athletes, they are also super smart at playing basketball. Yes, their games are often like a track meet combined with a slam dunk contest, but that's not all they do - they put themselves in high percentage positions over and over and over. Toronto has two young-ish wings, Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan, who made a flurry of tough shots - mostly jumpers off the dribble - in the second half to allow the Raptors to hang around for a while. They are both plus-plus athletes: tall for their positions, quick, good jumpers, and coordinated. There are not too many teams Miami plays with wings who match up with James and Wade athletically. But their shot selection, their defense, and their ability to create high percentage plays for themselves and others, isn't even remotely comparable to James and Wade. The stat lines today demonstrate that perfectly: Gay and DeRozan combined to shoot 16-37 for 39 points; James and Wade 16-27 for 46 points. Ten less possessions, the same amount of hoops, and 7 more points. Even better, Gay and DeRozan: 4 combined assists; James and Wade: 17! That's 13 more buckets the Heat wings created with their passing. And Gay and DeRozan have the ball in their hands plenty. They are like the Bizarro James and Wade. There are plenty of talented and athletic wing tandems in this league. They aren't all as smart as KJ James and Dwyane Wade.
4) I thought the Birdman, Chris Anderson, was not great defensively today. I felt like he kept trying to bait pick-and-roll dribblers down the lane to try to block their shots, rather than flattening them out like he is supposed to do. Broke the defense a couple of times. He did make a couple of great rolls and catches offensively, and had 7 points in 16 minutes. He gives them a different look on both ends - he's the only big who can roll hard to the hoop, catch, and finish in traffic. More importantly, today Sunsports began running an ad for the Heat's summer camp which featured the Birdman conducting a drive-and-finish drill with a bunch of 8 year olds, which basically consisted of him doing the same thing he was doing in today's game: baiting kids down the lane for a layup. Good to practice what you are going to do in the games, even if the practice is against 8 year olds. One girl looked absolutely terrified and near tears when the 6'11" tattooed wildman got down in his defensive stance against her, and another young man went hard to the hole, though he had a bucket, and then Bird crush-blocked it into the 4th row of the arena stands. He also led the kids through a calisthenic warmup in which he encouraged them to flap their wings like giant condors. Parents: do what you want, but I might look into band camp for your kids this summer.
5) Heat announcers Tony Fiorentino and Eric Reid were really on top of their games today. Tony spent 6 first half minutes trying to figure out the time difference between Toronto and England, since Eric informed him that the game was being shown internationally on Skysports. He had it pegged at either 5 or 6 hours, and really took the time to explain to viewers that not all parts of the world are always on the same time. When it is Sunday morning over here, it could be, like, next Thursday night in the Phillipines, you know. A tweet from across the pond later in the game informed him that since Britain does not recognize daylight savings time, the difference is only 4 hours right now. These are the kind of concerns a team has during a 22 game winning streak...For his part, Eric very graciously gave a totally conscientious and appreciated spoiler-alert, inviting fans who were dvr'ing the Miami Hurricanes ACC championship game to turn their sound down so he could announce the score to those of us who wanted to know it (the Canes won). This is a lot better than last week's Sunday New York Times Travel section, which spoiled a major plot-point in my new favorite show, Downton Abbey. Yes, I am behind, just about to finish season two, while the real show just finished the third season. But it wasn't like the NYT didn't know they might be spoiling it for some people. In the article I was reading, they wrote: "(spoiler alert) major plot point." Hey, New York Times: I don't read only one word at a time, I'm a human being, my eyes are constantly moving over the text. If it's the next word, it's too late! Spoiler alert, New York Times: no one reads actual newspapers anymore, I'm probably the last mope on Earth who does it, and you just alienated me...Kudos to you, Eric Reid - you are a better journalist than anyone at the New York Times!
6) Speaking of Downton Abbey, I have another (mostly) non-sexual male crush, and it's on Matthew, the heir of Downton:
Dreamy blue eyes, English, and in uniform? That's the trifecta. I'm smitten...
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Well, it's all come down to this. Miami is tied for the second longest winning streak in NBA history, and the only thing stopping us from being in second by ourselves is (drumroll)........the Boston Celtics! #Duhhh-oooshball!!! Oh, so good! In a season where the Celtics are missing their best player, and have absolutely no chance to compete for the Eastern Conference title, the only thing that could possibly make a late season Heat-Celtic matchup exciting is if one team carried a historic winning streak into the game! Quel chance!!! That is going to be fun. If you need me before tomorrow, I'll be praying for World War III, so I get to see some more English dudes in uniform. Cheers!
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