6 Thoughts
1) It was destined to be a loss: second night of a back-to-back, on the road in Cleveland where the Cavs are now 28-1. Worse, the Cavs were embarrassed in Boston on Friday by a Kevin Garnett-less Celtics. Heat got down 20 almost before the opening tip. To their credit, they hung around all night, and even got it down to six a couple of times in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough. It was never going to be enough.
2) Unlike the thriller between these two teams this past Monday, this was a lower energy affair. LeBron had the most pedestrian triple-double of his career, if a triple double is ever pedestrian: 14 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds. Wade had 25 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds, but he wasn't at his best, either. They can't combine for 83 points every time they play.
3) Wade got ejected with 50 seconds to go. Drove the lane, crashed into Varejo, threw up a wild shot, didn't get a call, complained, and was ejected. Coach Spo picked a technical for good measure. In fairness to the referee, it looked like Varejo went straight up and didn't deserve a foul. In fairness to Wade, the other 6,000 times he has hurtled into a big man in his career, there has been a foul called. Wade expects every call. All great players expect every call: Wade, Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, Chris Paul - they're all whiners. You know who doesn't complain? Spurs forward Matt Bonner. The Red Rocket. You know, this guy: http://www.hoopsvibe.com/IMG/matt_bonner-arton20875-240x240.jpg
4) Well, I have had enough of Mo Williams for the week. Following up his 30 point effort in Miami on Monday, he dropped 29 more tonight. Made six of seven threes. Two offseasons ago he used a free agent offer from Miami to help leverage up his current eight million dollar a year contract (which he received from his then-employer Milwaukee). He's been killing us ever since. Seems a little ungrateful.
5) Mike Beasley can score on anybody. 9-14 for 19 more in only 25 minutes. 5 rebounds, and one knee bruise when Mario Chalmers fell on top of him trying to get over a screen. Beasley scored on Varejo, he scored on Joe Smith, he scored on Ilgauskas. The Heat is trying to make the playoffs, and they are trying to teach Beasley to be a productive all around player. They are very strict with him, demanding he play defense, and rebound, and he has made strides. Just once, though, I 'd like to see them turn him loose, see how many he could score in a night if he had free reign. Had he played all year for a losing team, 30 plus minutes a night, without a DWade - like most rookies - he'd be averaging somewhere between 19-22 points a game. He isn't an athlete, but his ability to make shots from anywhere on the court is phenomenal. He also has the ability that the best scorers have - to still his upper body and balance up to complete a shot, even when his lower body is out of kilter. Maybe he is too mellow, maybe he will never develop in to an all-around great player. But the talent for scoring is very, very high.
6) Want to write about the show Millionaire Matchmaker, but I'm too tired. We'll do that sometime during the upcoming week. For the moment let's just stipulate that it is the greatest new television programming since The Mike Huckabee Show...Three home games this week: Monday (Chicago), Wednesday (Boston), Saturday (Utah), quick turnaround for a Sunday afternoon affair in Philly. That's a tough week - really, really need to get the Bulls game. Anyone thinking Miami is a shoe-in for the playoffs hasn't checked the remaining schedule - it's brutal, and it started tonight...
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