6 Thoughts
1) Good win: second night of a back-to-back on the road against a decent, veteran team. What made it different, though, was Dwyane Wade's brutal off-game. One night after a heroic performance in Minnesota, his tank looked empty, and Miami got down 10 early. It would take a group effort on this night. Enter Daequan Cook. Over the last 4 minutes of the first quarter and first 3 minutes of the second quarter, DCook made 6 threes. In a row. I don't think he hit the rim. Shooter! He's ripping it at 46-83 from three in his last 13 games - that's volume (over 3 per game) and efficiency (55%). Took Miami from 10 down to 10 up. Hounded Richard Jefferson into 2 late game turnovers. Made 4 free throws to seal it. Career high 24 points in 27 minutes.
2) Also on fire: fellow Ritalin Kid Michael Beasley. 8-11 for 21 points in 28 minutes. He's gone over 20 points in three out of his last four games. Made one absolutely ridiculous shot in the fourth quarter: backed down Mbah a Moute from the right mid-post area. Took one dribble middle, then spun back out to the baseline for a turnaround - 7 footer Andrew Bogut was helping on that side, and went up high to block the shot so Beas - mid-air - switched the ball to his right hand, leaned out to the baseline, and tossed in a righty 12 footer. Absurd. The kid's hands are sofffffft.
3) Those two were good - but perhaps the best player in the game, bringing it for the second night in a row, was Shawn Marion. 14 points, 10 rebounds -7 offensive - and a late, game-saving block from out of nowhere on a Jefferson pullup in the lane. Even eschewed, for once, the bad-angle running hurl from the right wing to, instead, swoop in and use a lefty layup late in the game, almost as if he were a competent offensive player. He actually works as hard as anyone, so it is good to see him play such a big role two nights in a row.
4) One trend Dos Minutos is tracking closely: ever since signing up a Kansas graduate for the blog, former Kansas guard Mario Chalmers has struggled mightily. We don't know whether to blame the dude from Kansas, or Thor, who asked us to sign him up. Mario is used to playing about 35 games a year in college. The Heat are at 38 right now (21-17) - he may be hitting the rookie wall. Actually, he may be hitting rookie wall at the same time it is also moving towards, and hitting, him. Actually, he may have collided with the wall, then someone lifted up the wall, and dropped it down on top of him. And then put another wall on top of the first wall. And then secured the walls in some manner so that they won't fall over and will just stay there on top of him, pinning him down. He is not playing well right now. Essentially he has swapped spots with Chris Quinn, who has played the starter's share of the minutes the last two nights, and even started the second half with...
5) The Big Cat, Jamal Magloire! Surprise second half starter! If I asked you which was a bigger surprise: Jamal Magloire starts the second half tonight, or Tom Cruise makes a movie in which he is anti-Hitler (we confirmed it), what would you answer? How about if I tossed in the fact that Big Cat threw in a sweet reverse layup off a drop step? How about if I added that he got physical with Bogut and was the only Heat player to keep the big kid from Oz off the boards? How about if he led the Heat in plus-minus for the game, at +12? It's getting closer, right? Do it, Big Cat, do it like the ferocious feline warrior that you know you are! By the way, he is now officially up (or down) to 60% less terrible than I thought he would be at the beginning of the season.
6) Finally, unfortunately, had to spend some time at a memorial service today. The Catholic priest told a nice story in which someone - I guess it would be Jesus, I really wasn't paying too close attention - told someone else, and by extension, "us," that no matter how scarlet red our sins have stained us, He can make us white as snow. Wow. Wait - even Antoine Walker? Because he has taken a lot of really, really bad shots, Lord, when he probably should have swung the ball to the open man. Even that can be fixed? Oh, and he also recently got a DUI down in South Beach, just so you know.
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One reader makes the point that Sean Penn is an idiot because by the time Phoebe Cates became mom-ish, he would have been long, long gone. A fair point. Next time I make up an imaginary story that he is in, I will be sure to tell him...
