1) Do I even have to say it? This is what happens when you get your mind right. Without Dwyane Wade (out, day-to-day with a strained calf), without Rafer Alston (out, day-to-day with a sprained hand), without Jermaine O'Neal for the closing moments (fouled out), the Heat got it done on the road in Memphis against a frisky Grizzlies squad. That's five in a row for Miami to ease the record up to 29-27, right on the heels of five straight losses. Nice when a team shows some resolve.
2) Well, it took 150 plus games over two seasons, double overtime, an injury to Dwyane Wade, 25 shots, and a meaningless giveaway foul by Marc Gasol in the waning moments, but Michael Beasley has his first NBA 30 point game! Mike was engaged all night long, made a few long jumpers at key moments, and was the happiest man in Memphis, running off the court with a huge smile and jabbing Dorell Wright as the game came to an end. One more thing: I am absolutely positive that when Gasol fouled him with a few seconds to go, he knew he had 28 and was shooting for 30 - sprinted for the other end to the free throw line. I didn't even know he could move that fast!
3) Quentin Richardson was only 3-8 for 8 points in 41 minutes, with 9 rebounds, but he made perhaps the two biggest plays of the game. Slid crisply across the lane and drew a charge on what appeared to be an easy hoop for Memphis center Marc Gasol, and later, on another Gasol attempt at the rim, went up and roofed him, causing Gasol to slam his layup on the bottom side of the rim. Also threw a brilliant pass late to a cutting Jermaino for a three point play. There are guys that are more talented, there are guys who are...just better, but QRich - he knows how to play. Mind clearly, clearly is right.
4) The opening tip pitted Grizzly ruffian Marc Gasol against Jermaino. The ball went up, they both jumped, and somehow Jermaino drilled Gasol with an elbow in the ear as they landed, aggravating Gasol, who stayed aggravated all night long. After his aforementioned foul on Beas with the game decided, he had finally had enough, and acquired the ball and reared back to mimic throwing it at referee Eli Roe, who seemed to be in an argument with player after player the entire game. Roe didn't see it, but ref Bennie Adams did, and called a technical on Gasol from behind, which was pointless since the game was over and Gasol hadn't really done anything wrong. This entire episode, by the way, sent President QRich into peels of laughter. The moral of this story? Their crew chief is Bennett Salvatore, widely reknowed as the weakest and most erratic offical in the NBA, and he wasn't even the worst referee of the night! On the other hand, he did have the worst hair dye job of the night - when you go from stark white to reddish brown - and you're eighty - that's not going to look good. Get your mind right, Bennett.
Bonus point from M. Minutos) She cited Grizzly coach Lionel Hollins as a "`Clifton Davis type' - he doesn't look like him, exactly - he is just the same type - definitely could have co-starred on an episode of Amen." Judge for yourself:
Clifton Davis:
Lionel Hollins:
And, yes, these are the things we talk about during the games...
5) Miami didn't make any trades at the deadline, which passed on Thursday. They were rumored to be involved with Amare Stoudamire and Carlos Boozer. Both guys are free agents after the season, and Miami can try to sign them without giving up any assets via a trade. That makes sense - neither of those guys were putting them over the top this year. But the Heat did make one subtle move by not trading Dorell Wright. They could have saved several million dollars by trading him due to the way the salary cap and accompanying luxury tax work in the NBA. Almost any team would have traded him and saved the money - he isn't even a starter, and there is no way to cost-justify spending 5 million or so dollars for 25 games of Dorell Wright. But as of late, he has been a contributor, is a good friend of Dwyane Wade's, and has been here since roughly 1982 after being drafted right out of high school. Might he be the difference maker who helps Miami squeak in to the playoffs? Probably not. But, then again, he just might. Cool move by the Heat's owner, Mickey Arison, to let the team hold on to him...
6) Look, we mostly try to stay out of politics here. But every once in a while we feel compelled to address a political issue, express an opinion, or point out the rampant hypocrisy in our system. Tonight, we want to endorse the candidacy of Ted Deutsch (http://www.tedforcongress.com/), who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the, ummm, well, some district down here in Southern Palm Beach County. Not sure which one, even though we live in Southern Palm Beach County - gotta be honest with you. But what we do know is that Ted Deutsch is just the guy to clean up politics. He knows how to get in there and try to wash out some of the nastier elements of our system. I mean, in what seems like a pungent cavity of waste and decay, Ted Deutsch will spray a jet stream of integrity, and give us all a fresh new start. Look – we may be in an unsalvageable situation, politically-speaking, but if we are going down, I’d rather go down following Ted Deutsch.
Personally, I haven’t felt this strongly about a candidate since we endorsed Mike Crappo, from Idaho , last year:
Well, I have a new favorite U.S. Congressman, a Republican from Idaho, Mike Crapo. Here is his website: http://crapo.senate.gov/. Won reelection in 2004 in a very tight runoff against longtime political rivals, Ed Asswiper and Will Douchey.
See you tomorrow night in Dallas
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