6 Thoughts
1) Dwyane and LeBron were a combined 26-41 from the floor for 69 points. They had 17 rebounds and 13 assists between them. They were great. And it wasn't even close to enough - pounded down the stretch, at home, by Portland. Five losses in a row! Just when you thought it couldn't get no worse - it got worser! It wasn't the most disheartening loss in the streak, though, because the first four were so disheartening that by the time the fourth quarter rolled around tonight, you just expected something bad would happen. And it did - though Wade and LeBron kept scoring, down the stretch the Blazers made improbable jumper after improbable jumper, including two by the limited, limited jump shooter Andre Miller. It feels like the Heat will never win another game. Maybe they won't - you never know. Let us go, and let us do.
2) Ahh, Chris Bosh...I praised you after last game, then worried about a no show for you tonight, trying to re-reverse the double jinx since I had praised you, but somewhere I went awry...Oh yeah - it was when I forgot you were Chris Bosh! It would be impossible to describe his lack of aggression tonight - he made three of eleven ineffectual shots, he allowed numerous layups from guards at the rim - in short, he was Chris Bosh. He displayed the general passion of a grilled cheese sandwich. He is polite; he is articulate; he is bright; he is organized; he's well-dressed; he's like a Maitre 'd! Unfortunately, Miami needs him to play power forward. If we had Udonis Haslem available, we could send Chris to the Bacardi Lounge to seat people at halftime - unfortunately, UD is still hurt, so we're stuck with this. I seem to remember a time from earlier this season when he was playing well, and with a modicum of verve - but he doesn't seem to care; why should we care?
3) Also awful: Mike Miller. 1-7. Hasn't made a jumper since being knocked unconscious a month ago by Jeff Foster. Somehow got two drives blocked into the eighth row in a five minute span. He is not helping.
4) Dead Man Walking: Look, if this were early February instead of early March, you would fire Coach Spo. I don't know that he is doing anything wrong, exactly, but the team has bad, bad, bad juju right now. In the NBA, you fight juju by firing the coach. This late in the season, without a viable replacement on the bench, and with Riley loathe to step in, I think you ride it out. Either the juju gets turned around, they win two playoffs rounds and take their shot against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals, or they don't, and he gets canned anyways. I love Spo - but he'll get another job, and you have to respect juju...Watching his post-game press conference now: Spo spent a lot of time explaining that Miami "can't let go of the rope." Great point! Wait- what rope? You know what we could do with a rope? Choke Chris Bosh! I don't mean kill him, of course, just incapacitate him. Actually, you could incapacitate him, and still leave him out there - how would you even notice! I got jokes! Uh-oh: national reporter Jason Whitlock just asked Spo if he feels he is losing his control of the team. Spo's answer: "No." Ok-ay! Dude- he has a rope!...Update: now Chris Bosh is calling out Spo indirectly in his post-game comments, claiming "I have to touch it where big men touch it." (side note: ewwwwww!!!) He means Spo is not calling enough postups for him. I agree, I've been saying that for two months. But you kind of have to show a pulse before Spo is going to trust you down there...Ten minutes in the first half against Chicago isn't enough...This is a disaster right now. It is entertaining - but it is a disaster!!! This shit is unseemly!!!
5) Ironically, during this five game span, besides Wade and LeBron, the guy playing best is...Emcee Chalmers! He has played several good games in a row. Overall, I am not even sure this is a positive development...
6) What I learned from my therapist tonight: "You're not gay." "How do you know?" "If you were, I could tell." "Maybe I am trying to fool you." "You wouldn't be able to." ... I don't really want to explain exactly how this came up. Let's just all be in agreeance that in the film Pretty in Pink, James Spader was a great-looking kid!!!
Okay, we are back on Thursday to get killed by the Lakers: that will be six losses in a row. Then Saturday, we lose to Memphis -that's seven - annnnnnnd then Monday against the Spurs makes eight. We'll stop it there for now. May miss one of those games for a road trip with O. and P. Minutos, but we'll see. This is pretty exciting, I don't want to miss any more of this! Ch-ch-ch-ch-eers!!!!
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