6 Thoughts
1) Oh my heavens, Miami is running roughshod through our great Midwest. Back-to-back blowouts to remain in sixth place in the tight, tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Just like last night in Chicago, this game was never really in doubt. Miami is now 39-34, the first time since November they have been five games above .500. Let's do this, then go to bed.
2) I don't care if you are a Republican; I don't care if you are a Democrat - on this night, we all have to agree, thank God we are putting in some health care. Bucks center Andrew Bogut (from Oz): out with a strained back. Heat center Jermaine O'Neal: strained a knee in the first quarter, left for the game. As former Heat philosopher Tim Hardaway once described a game with injuries to players on both teams, "sides is even." Udonis Haslem slightly sprained an ankle, but stayed in the game, moments before Mario "Emcee" Chalmers sprained his own ankle but also continued to play. Worst of all, late in the second quarter, on a scrum under the Heat basket, Bucks swingman Carlos Delfino stumbled awkwardly driving to the basket, fell onto his face while flipping up a crazy shot, and Udonis Haslem rebounded the ball and landed with not insignificant force on the back of Delfino's head and neck, driving him into the floor. Delfino had movement in his extremities, but had to be taken off on a stretcher. Not a good night for staying healthy.
3) Speaking of UD Haslem, he was awesome. Tied a career high with 18 rebounds, added 10 points on 4-6 shooting, and was generally rock-solid. Like always. No one is better than UD, no one plays harder, no one is more conscientious, and no one cares more about winning. And we say it all the time, but no one seems like a better person. As Delfino lay on the ground motionless under the basket for several minutes while attended to by (probably) Socialist government doctors, Haslem watched with extreme concern, apart from the rest of the team, who huddled with Coach Spo. He cares. But when Delfino was taken off the court, and the game resumed, what did UD do? Go right back to work. He's the best. Man, I hope they can find a way to bring him back next year.
4) In his postgame interview UD told Jax that he felt bad about landing on Delfino, and that you never want to hurt anybody out there on a basketball court. I think that is true of all players in the league. Ahh, except for maybe Kurt Thomas...
5) UD's buddy, the guy starting ahead of him at the power forward, the extremely, extremely enigmatic Michael Beasley, is on a run of terrible basketball right now that is not to be believed. He shot 3-9 for 8 points and 3 uncontested rebounds in 32 minutes tonight. His defensive rotations also looked very slow, very late, and often led to Bucks baskets, or Beasley fouls. Mike is already small for his position; he is already underathletic for his position. One thing he has to do is be creative and efficient offensively - it is his only NBA-level skill. But instead, his offensive has become unfocused, disjointed, and mostly characterized by bad decision-making leading to turnovers and a lot of missed, impossible shots. He is waving the ball around in one hand, or down beneath his legs on catches, holding it forever, making passes with one hand, and being indecisive. I challenge anyone to show me an NBA player getting regular minutes playing worse basketball over the past month. Part of his problem is that he is so awkward and indecisive that he is continually in foul trouble, and thank God for that because at least it gets him off the court more quickly. I am way, way out on Mike Beasley as a player right now, as much as I enjoy him as a person. I hate watching him play, and every time he goes out of the game I try to forget that he is on the Heat, at least until the next time Spo puts him back in. His trade value around the league this offseason has to be on zero - that's not going to help this summer. I've watched him play 150 plus games in his career now - I don't think he ever becomes a big-time, impactful player in the NBA. I hope I am wrong.
6) Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a minute: do you mean to tell me 'Death Panels' are not part of the new health care law? Sarah Palin lied to me? Oh snap - that was the only part of the health care law that I liked! I knew something like this was going to happen...America hoodwinked again...
