6 Thoughts
1) Aren't all games in Utah crazy? Holy mackerel, this game featured Miami playing hard but Utah shooting about 100% for three quarters and taking a 21 point lead; only for Utah to virtually collapse in the fourth quarter - couldn't make a shot, kept turning the ball over - and Miami clawing it all the way down to 2, with two of the big three on the bench. Then, at the key juncture, Miami's biggest problem - their inability to control the defensive boards - popped up again, and Utah escaped with a win. Also, two of Miami fans least favorite writers, Michael Wallace and Brian Windhorst, trolled all over the Heat, and a white dude got ejected for arguing with Dwyane Wade. I mean, there was a lot going on. Let's go!
2) First of all, for three quarters Miami got pretty good looks for good shooters, but couldn't knock anything down. Meanwhile, Utah was getting difficult shots for bad shooters, and everything was going in. One of the worst shooters in captivity, DeMare Carroll, came in off the bench knocking in bad jumpers off the dribble with the shot clock going off. Utah shot 68% percent in the first half - and I thought Miami was playing pretty hard. In the fourth quarter, Miami finally got stops by basically having KJ James guard everyone on Utah: he'd take Al Jefferson down on the block, deny the entry pass there for a while; then jam a drive; then steal a skip pass. You know, he was doing KJ James things. Meanwhile, on offense, a group around him consisting of Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, an out-of-mothballs Rashard Lewis, and Joel Anthony started knocking down a couple of shots and clawing their way back in it, from down 21 all the way back to 2. At a certain point, it was clear Coach Spo was going to ride this group out, that he wasn't going to reinsert Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Listen, it's not my preferred style. Like, just because Rashard Lewis comes in and makes a couple of plays (and he was good tonight), doesn't mean that he is going to continue to play at a higher level than Chris Bosh. In fact, over the long haul, I am certain he is not. On the one hand, Lewis should have been gassed - he hasn't really played in like 6 weeks before a few minutes last game; on the other hand, he doesn't really run or jump, so how tired can he possibly get? In any case, at a certain point, I'd send in Chris and Dwyane, because I know that's my best team. But Spo didn't, and I respected the decision - he rode the hot group, and it came up a little short. Any time you get down 21 on the road, you are probably going to come up a little short, no matter who you play. One time, years ago, current Heat assistant and then-interim coach Ron Rothstein played a group of subs the entire fourth quarter and overtime, and the Heat lost when the group gassed. I felt Rothstein didn't sub to "make a point." I still despise him for it - it's not even your team, you're the interim coach, put in the starters, Dummy! But Spo wasn't trying to make a point - he's not 14 years old, he doesn't need to "make a point" - he just did what he thought was best on this night. The NBA is crazy, one game is a small sample size - anything can happen...
3) ...However, that didn't stop ESPN reporter Mike Wallace from trolling all over him. He wondered on Twitter whether Coach Spo lost Dwyane Wade by "benching him." Really? They've been together for 10 years, won 2 titles, Dwyane brought KJ James and Chris Bosh here to play for him, and because Spo rode a hot hand on a random, meaningless game in Utah, Spo is "losing" Dwyane Wade? Yep - that makes total sense. Listen, the Lakers get the same thing, the Knicks get the same thing - they are the three most high-profile franchises in the league, by far, and anytime they do anything, there are so many writers who need to have something to say, that one of them is going to say something asinine. There are too many guys covering the Heat just from ESPN alone - no other team has three writers from ESPN covering them full-time. Michael Wallace has clearly never liked this group of players - he kind of always has a too-cool-for-school attitude about them, like an "if they get their act together, they're alright." Okay! Another of the Heat ESPN beat writers, Brian Windhorst, got into a Twitter argument with Heat owner Mickey Arison during the game! First he complained about Dwyane and KJ pushing for fans to vote for Bosh to start the All-Star Game: "I respect LeBron and Wade for helping Bosh get votes for All-Star. But he's got 0 rebs in 16 mins & this has been going on all year." Haaaa! As long as you respect KJ and Dwyane, Brian Windhorst, that's the main thing, that's what is is important. I am sure the respect is totally mutual! This dude is always trying to troll up trouble with Heat fans - so good! Apparently Mr. Arison defended Bosh by pointing out that he averages more rebounds per game than Kevin Garnett, the guy he trails in votes. Unless I'm dreaming, Windhorst snarked back by pointing out KG averages more rebounds per minute. I'm almost positive it was Windhorst, but it's not in his timeline any longer, so I think he deleted it! He's arguing with Dwyane Wade, KJ James, and Mickey Arison about Chris Bosh's rebounding - on Twitter! Haaaa! Why don't you just go tell those dudes your problems with Chris Bosh to their faces? You see them like 4 times a week! By the way, Chris Bosh was the starting center on last season's NBA champions! Last season! When you are the Heat, or the Lakers, or the Knicks, this is what happens - the season is so long, and so boring for good teams, that writers need to generate their own material, create their own controversies. Even when you win the championship, people still take shots at you! This is partly what makes basketball fun - watching people who don't know it's for fun! So great!
4) Play of the game: late in the third quarter, referee Courtney Kirkland blew his whistle, stopped the game, went over and got a ninety year old security woman, and had her eject a young, tattooed, sideways-hat wearing, whiggerish dude from the front row. As he was reluctantly leaving, he started shouting at Dwyane Wade. More dudes who don't know basketball is for fun! Courtney Kirkland is black; Dwyane Wade is black; the ejected guy was a white dude from Utah - what are the chances the guy at least came close to using the "n-word?" Ninety-nine percent? One hundred percent? Yeah, you're right, probably one hundred percent. As always when you go to Utah, it's a victory just to get out alive. Also, underrated part of the incident: Courtney Kirkland, who looks like he spends too much time in the gym, and not enough time thinking about what KJ James would have to do to get a foul call (pounded the paint all night, 13-19 from the floor, 32 points, shot only 4 free throws - the same number as skinny white Utah jump shooter Gordon Hayward) getting a senior citizen woman to do his dirty work. Courtney Kirkland's not crazy, he knows better than to mess with white people in Utah. #Django
5) Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa- are you trying to tell me that Antoine Walker has taken the most threes ever in an NBA game without a make?
Most 3-point field goals attempted in a game, none made
·11 by Antoine Walker, Boston Celtics (vs. Philadelphia 76ers) on December 17, 2001
6) Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa - are you trying to me that Jodie Foster was in the closet?
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Well, we are through 4 out of 6 games on this West Coast swing, but the killer is still ahead: back-to-back 10:30 pm starts Wednesday and Thursday (at Golden State, at Lakers). If you need me before Wednesday, I'll be fiercely debating with Brian Windhorst whether Barack Obama will get re-elected for a second term! See you Wednesday!
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