6 Thoughts
1) "Things You Can't Control in an NBA Game:" When a team is down 2 with three seconds to go, inbounds the ball to a guy 25 feet from the basket with two guys draped all over him, so he backs up three quick steps to clear himself for a heave, without dribbling, you should probably call traveling, because if it goes in, you are costing one team the game. Tonight, Kobe Bryant's heave went in in L.A. - with no traveling call - and the Heat lose a brutal one. By the way, the NBA has replay now - they replayed Bryant's shot to make sure he got it off in time - why wouldn't you be able to call traveling from that? I have never understood why, if you are going to use replay in any sport, there are only certain calls it can be used for. Guaranteed the referees watching the replay tonight felt sick knowing they hadn't called the travel - probably just let it go assuming the shot wouldn't go in - not that that does Miami any good.
2) In the category of "Things You Can Control in an NBA Game:" Miami's free throw shooting was pitiful. 27-42. That mess is unseemly. You can't miss 15 free throws on the road against the best team in basketball and expect to win. Dwyane Wade missed one of two just before the Bryant heave. He was particularly brutal at 12-18, and Jermaine O'Neal, who has been consistently bad from the stripe all year, was 4-9 - he's under 65% for the season.
3) That Miami was even in the game was a testimony to their collective grit. Wade played his second straight awful game, shooting 7-21 from the floor, and the aforementioned 12-18 from the line. Picked it up down the stretch and made a couple of hoops, and a couple of clutch passes, but for three and a half quarters he was really bad. Let's be honest - he's not having a good year thus far. Showed up in less-than-great shape, and is at a career low 42% from the floor right now. Not making the jumper with enough regularity, shooting a lot of odd, in-between runners. Not making the electric game changing defensive plays he made last year. Look, he was a man possessed last year, and was the best player in basketball. He can't kill himself like that all game, every season - the human body needs to rest - and he needs help. The frustrating thing tonight was that he got plenty of help, but didn't play well himself. Miami now 10-9, wrap up the road trip Sunday in Sacramento, much to Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino's chagrin.
4) Lamar Odom was ejected midway through the fourth quarter. He had received a technical foul earlier in the game for arguing a call, then intentionally didn't get out of Jermaine O'Neal's way trying to land after a dunk, resulting in a second t, and the automatic ejection. Lamar, who got married to the chunky Kardashian in the offseason - and by the way, I only know that because he plays in the NBA, I don't even know who the Kardashians are - was escorted from the court. Camera panned to the chunky Kardashian in the crowd - by the way, not an attractive girl - who also immediately got up and left. Unclear if she was going to the locker room to see Lamar, or to dinner. "If a player gets ejected, does his wife have to leave too?" crowed Tony Fiorentino, happily.
5) Since getting Pau Gasol in a one-sided trade with Memphis, the Lakers are now 100-22. That's ridiculous. He had 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists tonight. He is a top ten player in the league. Also, resembles my friend Eric Webster.
6) "Hey, Kobe. It's Tiger. I need you to do me a favor. It's huge. I'm going out to Colorado for a ski trip later this month and I need the number of the girl you sexually assaulted in the unmentionable area, although you later paid her off and the case never went to trial. Please, do it quickly. This is huge. Okay, bye."
-------
