6 Thoughts
1) Annnnnnnnd...that's a wrap! Miami's win, coupled with Toronto's simultaneously occurring win over Philly has secured the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference for the Heat, and also guarantees them a winning season, a year after winning just 15 games. That's quite a turnaround. Miami has games left Tuesday in Atlanta, and home Wednesday against Detroit - Wade seems sure to skip both, along with Jermaine O'Neal, who strained his calf in the second quarter and did not return. Then the playoffs begin next weekend, back in Atlanta. Atlanta is young, tall, athletic, and feisty - it will be a good series. For Miami to be playing in it at all is one of the season's more unlikely stories.
2) Dwyane Wade - Jesus. Fifty-five points tonight - fifty-five. He had 27 in the first half, and 50 after three quarters - that's 23 in third quarter alone, if you're keeping score at home. 55 with 5 and half minutes to go, before he downshifted, and let everyone else bring the Heat home smoothly. It's his career-high, and one point shy of the Heat's all-time single-game record, held by Glen Rice. He made 19-30, including a career-high 6 threes on 12 attempts. Threw in 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block for good measure. Look, let's be fair - it is the Knicks. A fourth quarter graphic of the NBA's high-scoring games this season showed that New York has also surrendered 61 to Kobe Bryant, and 52 to LeBron James. That's three 52-plus point games against the Knicks this year - that we know of. Heat color commentator Tony Fiorentino attributed Wade's three point outburst to his improved strength: "his thighs are a lot stronger now, Eric." Okay, let's move on...
3) Mike Beasley - also on fire. Played his third straight super-strong game: 28 points and 16 rebounds. Again, it's the Knicks, so let's reel it in a little. But, still, Mike is taking good shots, being assertive going to the basket, and chasing rebounds out of his area. He looks more confident - some of the shuffling around, and mock-exhausted body language seems to have disappeared. Amazing what a little success will do for a kid. Derrick Rose is the most talented rookie I have seen this year, but Mike is second, and no one else is really even that close, though the rookie class is deep, and good. He's immature, and still growing - but his talent level is very, very high.
4) Spent the entire first quarter arguing with M.Minutos whether Knick forward Jared Jeffries' poofing-out coiffed hair reminded us more of The Jets or DeBarge. It's a recent development, apparently, because a quick search of Google revealed only lower haircuts for Jared, so you'll have to take my word it: it's a sweet 'do. While M. felt it was very Chico DeBarge-ish, I leaned more towards The Jets, with the caveat that I don't have any idea what anyone in The Jets looked like. How did you know, Jared Jeffries, 'cause I never told?..You found out - I have a crush on you...
5) In the third quarter, grossly overweight Knick small forward Quentin Richardson drove to the foul line, spun, and smashed his head into Heat small forward "Thunder" Yakhouba Diawara's chin. Ouch - both went down for the count. Diawara got up first and Tony Fiorentino pointed out to partner Eric Reid that you would think the guy who got hit in the chin would stay down longer. "I wouldn't want to punch him in the chin, Eric," Tony concluded. "You would never do that," Eric correctly pointed out, as Tony confirmed that, no, he never would want to actually punch Yakhouba Diawara: "he's like Muhammad Ali!" Yak has now been compared to former Heat swingman, the very, very white Dan Majerle and Muhammad Ali in the same season: that's a Heat single season record for most absurd comparisons for a Heat player, surpassing the previous record of one, set in the 1996-97 season when former Heat sideline reporter Mark Jones compared Heat backup point guard John Crotty to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
6) Well, we're wrapping up our research on the Irish Poor Law of 1838 over the next 10 days. Or, at least we are trying to. Went to the library yesterday to try to squeeze out the last few pages and had the misfortune of sitting down in the general proximity of an elderly gentlemen who looked like an approximate cross between former Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, and an even more demented Harry Caray. "Hey," he said as I began unpacking my bag, "what has 10 legs and dribbles?" I shrugged. Ironically - "the Miami Heat." That's great, sir. I couldn't help but notice that he had a - well, I guess you would call it a "cup," but it was larger than my backpack - from the super-classy gas station convenience store chain Race Trac. And he wasn't done yet, not even close. "On the Sunday after Good Friday, which direction do the prevailing winds blow from? The East!" "Do you know why it is so hard to tell twin witches apart? Because it is so hard to tell which witch is which!" "Why do goblins go to liquor stores when they lose their tails? Because liquor stores retail spirits." Trust me - it's tough to write a research paper on the Irish Poor Law moments after you have punctured your own eardrums...
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