1) Good, spirited basketball game against a veteran Celtic team. Tough loss to take, because Miami did just about everything they hope to do: DWade ran the show with 27, 6 rebounds and 5 assists; Jermaine O'Neal had a double-double (14 and 10, albeit with 3 costly late missed free throws); Mike Beasley had one of his better games, with 18 and 7, and played the entire fourth quarter in which he had 11 and single-handedly dominated the early play to turn a 2 point deficit into a 5 point lead with Wade on the bench; and, Mario Chalmers was aggressive attacking the basket all night long.
2) What didn't they do? Have shooters make open shots. James Jones and Daequan Cook were a combined 1-11 (0-6 from three), many wide open, stationary looks off plays from Wade. Cook, especially, missed two daggers with the Heat up 5 midway through the quarter. When Ray Allen hit a three from the top for Boston with a minute to go to extend to an insurmountable 6 point lead, it was poetic justice. Make or miss league.
3) Why are the Celtics good? A commitment to defense, good size up front, savvy scorers in Allen and Pierce, and some spunky youth in Rondo and Perkins. But also - it is the attention to detail. Celtic leader Paul Pierce takes the big shots for Boston, handles the ball on the most crucial possessions, rebounds, has a cool scratchy voice, and shoots free throws like a man stepping out of a canoe in three feet of water. But he also is an incredibly savvy defensive player. Midway through the second quarter, Miami stole a Boston outlet pass and reset their offense, looking to attack quickly. With some Celtics too far downcourt to help, Pierce sagged into the middle to deter a drive by Wade, even though his man, James Jones, was spotting up opposite on the three point line. As Wade surveyed the defense, Jones drifted back and forth along the arc, looking to create an angle for a pass from Wade and an open look for three (which, on this night, he would have missed). As he did so, Pierce kept shooting back quick looks over his shoulder and shadowing his movements, providing just enough of a deterrent to make Wade think he couldn't get the ball over to his shooter. Eventually the rest of the Celtics got back on defense, and Pierce recovered to Jones. But it was a subtle moment that showed Pierce's commitment to winning basketball.
4) Interesting stat tonight: three Celtics, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett (with a killer 24 on 11-12 tonight), and Ray Allen, are amongst the top 7 in career NBA minutes played amongst active players. Also on the list, at just over 40,000 minutes: Shaquille O'Neal. Approximately 30,000 of them motionless, standing under the defensive basket, acquiring three second violations.
5) Okay, so Rasheed Wallace, he is easily my favorite current NBA player. Let's run down the checklist. Unstoppable postup game? Check (when he decides to use it). Ability at 6'11" to drift outside and nail a big three? Check. Led the league in technical fouls - by a mile - virtually every year he has played? Check. Got one tonight for arguing a non-foul call on a turnaround jumper. Scraggly facial hair? Check. Teammates always love him? Check. Does crazy dances in the pregame huddles? Check. Defensive stopper on the blocks? Check. Crazy white patch on the top of his head? Check. When frustrated in Portland, once said he didn't care what the team did with him "as long as they C.T.C? That's cut the check for you all that don't know." Check, check. Won a title in Detroit shortly after Plumber said it was a terrible trade by Detroit and that they could never win a title with Rasheed Wallace? Annnnnd, check, please. I mean, come on- he's doing it all. Now? Over this past weekend, now this. Take it away Rasheed:
"I got a technical tonight for saying Hedo Turkoglu is a flopper," Wallace told the Boston Herald. "Everyone knows officials try to keep games close and that they keep scouting reports on guys. Let the Golden Child (LeBron James) or the NBA Without Borders Guys (international players) do it, and it's fine and dandy."
"This game is watered down," Wallace continued. "It's watered down with all of that flopping (expletive). ... I just said that Turkoglu is a flopper. I didn't use no profanity, and Derrick Stafford gave me a tech. Ain't like it's the first time I said it. But everyone knows that he's a damn flopper. That's all that Turkoglu do. ... It's not like I dug my shoulder into him. He hits my shoulder on a pick and he goes, 'Oooh,' and he acted like I shot him."
NBA Without Border Guys!!! That's all that Turkoglu do!!!
6) We've tried to stay off of long-suffering Nets fan Plumber's case this year because his team is 0-16, and that's no fun for anyone. Also, he said that I had a carefully constructed facade of a guy that doesn't give an f--- to conceal the fact that underneath I really don't give an f---. Trying to get back in his good graces. Also, there's a good chance that he is right. Anyways, Plumber has spent much of his free time, and my work time and free time, complaining about Nets coach Lawrence Frank for the past...when was Lawrence Frank hired? Approximately around the time the Odyssey began? Feels like I've heard a lot of complaining...Anyways, today, with the Nets on the verge of tying the worst start to an NBA season (0-17), Lawrence Frank was finally fired. It's tough to follow Rasheed Wallce, but somebody has to do it. Plumber? Thoughts on the Frank firing?
"While I don't like to take pleasure in another's misfortune...actually, I do like to take pleasure in exactly that."
Bonus Thought) Finally, this is a preemptive comment, because someone is surely going to bring this up to me, and blame me for the bad karma. I feel terrible that four policemen in Washington, D.C. were shot and killed. Just because I don't like living in a right wing police state doesn't mean that I begrudge any policeman doing his best to live his life, and I certainly don't want any harm coming to them. And even I am appalled that the lead investigator on this case appears to be Dr. Dre. I mean, let's take this a little seriously...
Going out West this week, for four tough games. Trouble.
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