6 Thoughts
1) It's way, wayyy too late to be writing a blog tonight, so we are trying to go fast. I have a dentist's appointment early tomorrow morning, so I need to get up. By the way, I have geographic tongue, a very rare condition (although less so if you are Middle Eastern, which I am not) - so my dentist is always thrilled to see me. This game was a grind: Wade was terrible, Rose was terrible, and Mike Miller and Ronnie Brewer, of all people, made big shots. It's the playoffs, though, so there's only winning and misery - there's no style points, and tonight there was winning, thankfully. Let's Go!
2) Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is a physical marvel, and he is basically unguardable in transition, and I absolutely agreed with him winning the MVP this year. He was the best player on the best team in basketball all year long - that's how "we" "do" the MVP. But to suggest that he is a better player than LeBron James is kind of dopey. LeBron finishes plays more efficiently. He is a better rebounder. He is a better passer. Most glaringly, LeBron can guard Derrick Rose; but Derrick Rose can't guard LeBron. At the end of each game Miami has played against Chicago this year, in the last 5 minutes of the game, LeBron checks Derrick Rose defensively, with as much effectiveness as anyone can hope to have against such a great athlete. Tonight, Rose had two chances to win the game in regulation, and both times tried to go one-on-one with LeBron. The first shot, a step-back 18 footer with a strong LeBron contest was close, but bounced out. The second one, trying to pull up going right off the dribble with LeBron all over him, was a two-and-a-half-feet-short airball, which sent the game to overtime. Meanwhile, on the other end, the Bulls find the weakest Heat offensive player on the floor, and try putting Rose on him so that he doesn't have to guard LeBron or Wade. Tonight Rose guarded Mike Miller much of the fourth quarter - in a related story, the thumbless Miller somehow willed in three jump shots and a runner in the final period, for 9 huge points. This isn't even a knock on Rose - he's a terrific player - he just can't guard (at least yet) like LeBron, or even Wade. Part of it is because he's smaller than those guys. But guess what? That's part of basketball...
3) Miami got down 11 in the first quarter, and the only player who seemed to show up at all was LeBron - his 12 first quarter points were the only things that kept the game from getting completely out of hand early. He finished with 35. In that first quarter, and all night long, balls seemed to bounce poorly for the Heat. Loose balls on the Bulls offensive end caromed directly to open shooters; loose balls on Miami's offensive end caromed into the backcourt, where the Bulls ran it down and dunked. Every time Miami got the game back close to even, a bounce, a squirt, or a trickle seemed to go the Bulls way, and keep them in the lead. Until finally- finally - with a minute to go in overtime, and Miami up four on a couple of ridiculously tough LeBron James baskets, Derrick Rose drove middle, lost control of the ball on his own, and watched it squirt directly to Dwyane Wade, who scooped it up without hesitation and beat Rose and the virulently homophobic Joakim Noah down the court for a layup to ice the game. Dwyane was terrible all four quarters of regulation, shooting only 5-16 with 4 free throws, and was, against all odds, outplayed by Mike Miller! He did look glassy-eyed after the game, causing some to speculate if he was having his periodic migraine troubles. Still, besides the steal and hoop, he also blocked 3 shots in overtime, and had one huge rebound in traffic. He has not been great in this series, so Miami has been lucky to survive - they'll need a better effort from him to try to close this gritty Bulls team out.
4) Look, everyone has heard that Joakim Noah leaned into the crowd and called someone a "f-ing f--got" during Game 3. I mean, we didn't just hear it - we saw it on the tv! Especially in Casa Minutos, where the tape got rewound several dozen times: "He didn't just say what I think he did, did he?" That cost him $50,000. I don't condone the fine, really - if Joakim Noah wants to say that word, that's okay, I could care less. Not sure how much his homophobia is going to hamper the gay rights movement in America. But when LeBron drove left with just over a minute to go in overtime, absorbed a bodycheck from Noah which didn't get called a foul in a play reminiscent of a game ending play during the regular season when LeBron missed, but this time LeBron powered the ball up and in for an absolutely huge basket and a four point lead, and then strutted down the court shaking his head and saying over and over "I don't want the foul" - just know that entire play was for gay people everywhere. Everybody can hate LeBron all they want - but you gay people better love him now. And lesbians, too - I didn't just mean gay males, by the way...Man, am I ever tired. What did I just write?
5) Play of the game: probably after the aforementioned Wade steal and layup to seal the victory, when the Bulls called timeout. Wade ran to the bench and was met by a leaping side-hip bump from Chris Bosh; then got one from Mike Miller; then got one from a laughing Mario Chalmers! Then, whoops - here came Eddie House hurtling for his own flying bump, only Dwyane wasn't ready for it, and Eddie House careened into him like a free safety hitting a tight end on a crossing pattern. Wham! Dwyane was already having a bad night!
6) Everyone knows I love the city of Miami. And, speaking of gay issues, everyone knows I love Paul Walker, from the Fast and Furious movies. So imagine my utter shock and, more importantly, delight, when I was in downtown Miami this morning, at a museum on NW 2nd Ave, took a short walk with M.Minutos down the street to scope out a cool place to get empanadas, and saw a little urban-landscaped park named PAUL WALKER PARK!!! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? THIS IS LIKE WHEN REESE'S DISCOVERED THAT PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE ARE FUCKING DELICIOUS TOGETHER!!! PAUL WALKER PARK - IN MY FAVORITE CITY!!! JESUS MOTHER OF CHRIST!!! GOODNIGHT!!!
Back Thursday night for Game 5 in Chicago. That will be a tough one, trying to close out the best team in the league on the road. Some people are always, like, "Oh, I'm looking forward to the challenge." Not me, I never look forward to any challenge, I like things to be easy; if I had my way, the Bulls would just quit, not present a challenge. So I don't expect to enjoy that game at all, because the Bulls will claw tooth and nail...Until then, I'll be- seriously, do I have to tell you where I will be? PAUL WALKER PARK!!!
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