6 Thoughts
1) Second best win of the season for the Heat, behind only the victory at home over the Lakers. A little easier to win the return game of a home and home matchup like tonight's, and the Laker game was a Friday night national tv game that felt bigger. But most importantly: "I really, really hate Kobe," asserted Mami Minutos in ranking this win just behind that one.
2) Emcee Chalmers and Daequan Cook shot the snap out of the nylon. Chalmers 6-7 on threes and Cook 5-7 on threes. Chalmers had his best game of the year: 21 points, 8 assists, and three steals,with no turnovers, against one of the best defensive teams in basketball. Extraordinary. Sideline reporter Jason Jackson asked him after the game whether he was more proud of the six threes or the zero turnovers. "I think the zero turnovers," offered Mario. Good answer - for the coach to hear. There is approximately a zero percent chance he leads with the zero turnovers over the six threes on South Beach tonight. If girls in South Beach wanted to hang out with guys who had zero turnovers, Chris Quinn would be T.I. There are certain girls in South Beach who are under the impression that Mike Beasley has scored 25 points in every game this season - lead with the 21 points, Emcee, trust us...
3) LeBron was dynamite tonight - a word Heat color commentator and head cheerleader Tony Fiorentino got into his head tonight and couldn't get out. The Heat's focus was dynamite. LeBron's long threes were dynamite. How does Delonte West's jailhouse art all up his neck look:http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2186535719_855403f644.jpg? Dynamite, according to Tony. But LeBron truly was dynamite for the second game in a row against the Heat. Shot approximately one hundred free throws in the first half, frustrating the Heat who felt they were being called too tightly. In the second half LeBron did it on his own, exploding to the basket, finding open shooters, and drilling long threes on his way to 38 points and 7 assists on his 24th birthday, singlehandedly keeping the Cavs in a game in which they appeared to have a severe case of South Beach-itis. Dwyane Wade confirmed after the game he had been out with his friend LeBron the night before for a birthday party. "He can have his party in our city, but he can't get a win," laughed Wade cheerfully after the game, in a rare unguarded moment.
4) For the second game in a row a Cavalier exploded on a blatantly incorrect call by a referee and was assessed a technical foul, only to see the call changed by another official, but not get the technical rescinded (Note to Thor, and all our Australian readers: a technical foul is like a yellow card). Not really important, just frustrating for the player - he is penalized for arguing something that he is right about - and highly unusual. We are still checking the Dos archives for the last time we have seen a play like that - and it has now happened two games in a row. Dynamite!
5) Bad Santa Marion was all over the court, for better and worse. Ended up with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Were he capable of making a layup, it could have been 20. "It's amazing how many times he is around the basket with the ball and it just pops out," observed Tony Fiorentino in the closest thing to demonstrable frustration with a Heat player that he will ever display. "It's dynamite!"
6) Lost in all the heroics were the somewhat brief, but encouraging, contributions of Mike Beasley. This team is long for him to go against, and they collapse on the ball effectively. At one point, with LeBron checking him on the defensive end, he twice put the ball on the floor, went by LeBron, and took a body check to no call - were the positions reversed, that's two quick fouls on Mike Beasley. Such is life in the NBA for a rookie against a superstar. But he stayed with it, put his head down, and headed to the rim a couple more times. In 13 minutes he made 6-6 free throws, and finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. That is gritty, effective work, and a smart game plan on his part, surpassed only by his plans for New Year's Eve: going to Wet Willie's on Ocean Drive and telling girls he is Mike Beasley.
Feliz New Years, everybody!
