6 Thoughts
1) Tough loss. Excruciating loss. Dwyane was good. LeBron was better. They hounded Chicago star, and MVP favorite, Derrick Rose, into a tough shooting night. But on the biggest possession of the game, Rose drove left with LeBron on him, Dwyane took two steps off Luol Deng in the corner to deter Rose's drive, Rose hit Deng, Deng ripped it, and Miami left Chicago with a discouraging loss. Let's go. Blah.
2) Look: I've seen a lot of good people play a lot of bad basketball games...but nothing like this...Oh My Bosh!!! Early in the game, Chris Bosh drove left, took a bump from Carlos Boozer, didn't finish, didn't get a call, and the ball went out of bounds, retained by Miami. They inbounded to Bosh, he drove in between Boozer and Joakim Noah (one of the best looking gals in the league), and got his shot blocked - "check please!" That was it for him. Bosh was d.u.n. Took his game back out to the perimeter - you know, where it's safe - whereupon the ball somehow repeatedly sought him out, over and over again, like Oreos to Oprah. And he missed a jumper. And he missed a jumper. And he missed a jumper. And- you got it now, right? Look, anyone can go 1-18 in a game. Actually, no they can't, BECAUSE YOUR COACH WOULD YAK YOU!!! Spo - Yak the kid! SPO!!!! Worse than the 1-18, though? The absolutely passive effort level. Late in the first half, Luol Deng caught the ball at the three point line, lined up a three. LeBron ran him off the shot, so Deng pulled the ball down and drove - not real fast cuz he's not real fast - from 26 feet and laid the ball gently into the basket while Bosh stared him down - politely - with his head under the rim. It was unconscionable. Everyone else - everyone else - had it dialed to about a 9; he settled in comfortably at about a zero point zero. I was embarrassed for him. I don't know if it was his fault; I don't know if it was Spo's fault; I feel like it might have been this blog's fault - can't be sure. But it was bad, very bad. Okay, let's move on, that was a lot of negativity!
3) You know how I know everyone else had it dialed in? Because LeBron and Wade both drew charges - on purpose - within 40 seconds of each other in the first half. You know how many times that has happened so far this season? Ummmmm - zero? Dwyane Wade: charges drawn in his eight year NBA career, over or under 10? I say under. Way under.
4) Best moment of the game? Easily: first quarter on a run out, Dwyane Wade steamed down the left wing with the ball, suddenly slammed on the brakes, and dropped the ball to a thundering Erick Dampier in the lane for a one giant step, tomahawk crusher, and the foul, which he crisply backspun into the basket!!! Screen that, Joakim Noah: I declare you a bust!!!
5) Another national game, another night off for Eric, Tony, and Jax, another night on for the mealy-mouthed, recently non-minted Hall of Famer Reggie Miller. How he got the job, I don't know - seems pleasant enough, I guess. Used the 'word' "humbleness," when we think he meant "humility." Called a "gimme" a "give me." Really - you played in the NBA for the better part of two decades, and you don't know it's a "gimme?" Really? Best of all was during a highlight when he said that Dwyane "tried to maneuver through three Bull defender," as if "defender" was both singular and plural, like "caribou." Actually - I like that one: remind me to keep using that myself! "Instead of going big, the Heat opted to go small, and space the floor with more shooter!" Yeah, Reggie Miller, I like it!
6) Ok, thanks for all the emails welcoming me back. Most people think that me going to therapy was one of my little make-it-ups, but no, it is true. But if you don't believe me, that's ok, because everything is ok! That's what my therapist says. One reader was like, "Glad to have you back - I could tell you were a little rusty." Thanks! 'Preciate it! I got another announcement. When Dwyane goes, I'm done. When he leaves the Heat, I stop watching basketball with any regularity. Why? First of all, I love to retire from things. About a decade ago, I retired from team sports, like, rec leagues and what-not. Then I retired from playing racquetball with my friend, then I retired from my friend with whom I played racquetball, and we aren't friends anymore. At one point I retired from eating bread, although I have softened on that a little. Retiring is awesome. I love going out on top: "Hey, I'm not going to taste a nine grain wheat any better than this - I'm laaaaater!" Second of all, I was watching the Connecticut basketball game right before the Heat game (the dreaded back-to-back loss), and all of a sudden I looked at M.Minutos and, way too excitedly, exclaimed: "Hey, that's former NBA ref Sean Corbin reffing this UConn game!" And it was...Let's just say that if you know that, you know you are watching too much basketball. So when Dwyane's done; I'm done...
Well, if we can recover from this deboshcle, we'll be back tomorrow night for a game against the Bullets. La-ter!
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