6 Thoughts
1) The train rolls on for another night - Miami goes to 6-1. The least sexy way you can possibly win a basketball game is through defensive rotations - the art of leaving your man to go pick up an opponent who has beaten your teammate, along with the resultant scramble back to open shooters when the driver passes the ball elsewhere. But it's Miami's forte. Jermaine O'Neal and Quentin Richardson combined for just 6 points in 66 minutes, but they won the game with their attention to defensive detail. They forced Wizard star Gilbert Arenas in to a franchise record 12 turnovers, 10 in the second half alone, when the Wizards scored just 27 points.
2) Also helping the cause: Dwyane Wade, with an inefficient 41 (29 shots), but, jeez, somebody had to score. That's two wins over the Wizards in a week, and 81 points for Wade. Wizards shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson, he of the Kimbo Slice beard, and the Honest Abe tattoo on the throat...let's just say he is having as much success guarding Wade as he is with his grooming decisions.
3) Okay, this pains me to say, 'cause he's my guy and all, but right now Mike Beasley is having problems. He was terrible - terrible - in this game. Took the opening pass of the game at the top of the key, drove strong left, and flushed hard on Andray Blatche - but it was the last play he made all night. Finished with 15 points, but on only 6-17 shooting, and virtually all the hoops were easy finishes around the rim off passes from Wade. Got several bad shots blocked, and had a couple soft turnovers. Then, made a disastrous appearance postgame in the Sunsport Lounge with sideline reporter Jason Jackson. Last year he famously punctuated one performance in The Lounge by telling Jackson that "you can not lick your elbow," and then demonstrated how it was physically impossible. Tonight he asked for a different replay angle on his dunk, demonstrated the dance he likes to do after slamming, accidentally kicked something under the table, and generally seemed extremely unprofessional...Okay - he seemed immature...Okay - he seemed as high as a kite. This can't be good. What happened to the fire he came out with this season? Seems doused right now. I can tell you one thing: don't let him in the Sunsport Lounge anymore.
4) Mario Chalmers is stroking it at over 50% from the floor, and over 50% on threes right now, seven games in. Stay aggressive, Emcee.
5) I didn’t click on the link, but on MSN.com’s homepage today I saw an article titled, “How Do I Tell My Mother She Has a Moustache?” Umm, usually I just wait until we are making out, then I’ll jerk away, massage my own upper lip, and be, like, "Mom, you’re scratching the crap out of me.”
6) Okay, so we got a few emails about # 6 from last Friday. To quickly recap: after the game – an exhilarating blowout win over the Denver Nuggets - I decreed an automatic booty night any time the Heat beats an undefeated participant from either of the previous season’s conference finals. First of all, there are none of those teams left this season, so you can stop worrying about a repeat performance. One reader asked: “Was that real, did you really make a booty call?” Great question. I did. Everything in this blog is real. However, the one regret I have, besides sharing it with you people, was that M.Minutos went to bed while I was writing the blog and making the decree. Then, after posting the blog, I quickly went in there and handled my business – without telling her about the new decree - then we went to sleep. Which would have been great if she didn’t then wake up the next morning, read the blog, and realize the booty call was premeditated, and an automatic action triggered by the outcome of a professional basketball game. Oops. Advice to our married guy readers: never do that.
Next game: Thursday, against the Cavaliers. Most people will be focused on Wade and LeBron, but I am really looking forward to the O'Neal boys, Shaq and Jermaino, locking up in The Over The Hill Bowl Pt. I. Also, we plan to introduce a new segment that night titled "Where in the World is Dwyane Wade?" See you then.
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