1) A bit of a crazy day - it's 75% out and sunny, and everyone in Miami's day got wasted by a 4 hour long, meaningless double-overtime loss to a team that treated the game like their Superbowl. And, as it turned out, it was their Superbowl - by the time the playoffs roll around, #Doucheball may be forever gone (but not forgotten). As Heat radio host Jonathan Zaslow tweeted after the game: "Gutsy win for Boston. They can look back and feel good about that one when they’re on the clock in the lottery." Let's explain, and let's go. Stud Doogie, are you with me!!!
2) Okay, so right before the game it turned out that Rajon Rondo had to leave warmups and go to the hospital for an MRI on his knee which he injured in Boston's last game against Atlanta, I assume while he was kicking someone. In the first half rumors swirled that he had a torn ACL and his season was over - ABC broadcaster Mike Tirico kept talking about how difficult the waiting was for the Celtics players. He means they were hoping he was hurt, right? On the one hand, without Rondo they probably can still make the playoffs in the East (anyone can make the playoffs in the East), but it is hard to see them having any impact whatsoever. On the other hand, I don't think anyone on the Celtics is going to complain about getting to spend a few months away from Rajon Rondo. The kid's an absolute social deviant, and even though he's Boston's best player, they try to trade him every year, and I am certain that every player on the Celtics absolutely despises being teammates with him...Still, in my mind, they were the most likely team to give Miami a tough 7 game series, as well as the team I most want to send home for the summer (as we have the past two seasons, I might point out). That's probably over, so it's kind of disappointing. It's hard to see Boston not breaking this group up at the trading deadline - if you can get rebuilding assets for Pierce and Garnett, don't you have to trade them? Those guys could help any playoff team...Ahhh, #Doucheball...It's not even totally gone yet, and already I miss it...But you know what? Hello, New York Knicks - step up to the plate: you just became Public Enemy #1!
3) As for the game, Boston was in full-on Superbowl Sunday mode, and Miami was in its normal road game gear: shoot jumpers for three and a half quarters, and try to steal it at the end. The triples didn't go in - only 5-23 (1 by KJ James at the end of regulation to send it to overtime) - and even though Ray Allen scored 21 points in his return to Boston, he was only 2-8 from deep. One of those days. Dwyane played poorly, ending a long stretch of fabulous games, and KJ seemed half-interested most of the day. Still, like we always point out, a bad day for him is a career day for most players: 34 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists. This is going to be a tough week: today it was Boston treating this like their biggest game of the season, and Miami will get the same thing on Wednesday in Brooklyn, and the same thing again on Friday in Indiana. Ughh - season's sooo long! Can we just start the playoffs now?
4) Mario Chalmers' Twitter Corner: "Honey, we could give him your first name as a middle name, if you want." "Yeahhh - you know what would be better? Take out the 'L," and put in an apostrophe."
@mchalmers15
5 years ago on this day a star was born. Wanna wish my son Zachiah A'Mario very special happy 5th birthday. I love u Z man. Enjoy ur day
As always: doin' it all.
5) This is an actual excerpt from an actual column by actual ESPN basketball writer Marc Stein. Look - he's done this for a long time, but he is basically a lowest-common denominator guy. He's the kind of writer who can judge a player's "will to win" by the relative amount, or lack thereof, of "fire in his eyes." You know the type. Just because he's been doing it for a long time doesn't mean he's good at it; there's this one cashier at the Publix I go to who has been nasty to every person who has ever checked out in her line for the past 15 years - she stinks at her job, too. Still, even for Marc Stein, this is incredibly dumb:
I gotta challenge my old friend Ric Bucher on his Twitter suggestion earlier this week that LeBron James has to have the lead on Kevin Durant in the MVP race at the season's midpoint because LeBron's D is so much better. Buch is certainly entitled to cast his vote any way he wants, like the other 125-ish folks who are handed ballots at season's end, but here's my counter: If that's standard, LeBron might as well be named MVP before the season starts, because he's going to be the best two-way player in the league for years to come.
Haaaa!!!! So, let me get this straight: it's dumb to vote for KJ James for MVP because he's always the best player? Haaaa!!!! Ohhhhhhh! I get it now - I thought we were supposed to vote for the best player for MVP! My bad! By Marc Stein's standard, though, why would you vote for Kevin Durant? Isn't he also too good? Those gleeful "MVP" chants in The Trip every time Joel Anthony steps up to the line for free throws are starting to make a lot more sense! Goodness gracious - it's one thing to be mediocre at your job, Marc Stein, but could you at least try to be mediocre at your job without making America dumber? We are already dumb enough!
6) For the record, here's what I ate on my annual trip to the South Florida Fair last week: a giant gyro; fried jalapenos and pickles; fried Reese's Peanut Butter Cups; vanilla ice cream (just a little bit); a big mug of sweet tea; and a giant piece of chocolate-covered cheesecake. Stud Doogie, are you with me!!!
-----
Okay, time to get outside, see some sunshine! Next game is Wednesday against Brooklyn. If you need me before then, I'll be fasting. Eat a nutritious dinner, people. There's five food groups, you know, five food groups!
-----
-----
Okay, time to get outside, see some sunshine! Next game is Wednesday against Brooklyn. If you need me before then, I'll be fasting. Eat a nutritious dinner, people. There's five food groups, you know, five food groups!
-----
