A good 60% of my NBA consumption is the Cavs. Another 10% is TNT/ESPN games, 10% more from the Lakers and Clippers, with the rest filled with Truehoop and the like. Every so often I find myself piling through box scores the way I did as a youngster, painting a picture with numbers.
Tonight, I surfed on over to NBA.com absentmindedly looking for some entertainment and happened upon the gleeful schadenfreude of a Celtics loss.
It’s not that I dislike the Celtics. Usually, I even like the front runner. I love the image of a juggernaut plowing through inferior competition. The Dream Team was great, as “my” team. I root for the Yankees not to look idiotic, only to bask in the glory of overtaking them. For a time, I cheered on the Patriots, for doing it “the right way” (meaning with Mike Vrabel).
So I think it’s just an anti-Boston bias. I loathe the Red Sox. I’ve tired of and turned against the Patriots, in favor of history. And I’m sick of hearing that the Celtics might be the greatest team ever. They certainly might be the greatest threesome ever, but me in between Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman begs to differ.
So when I saw the score, 83-82 Boston, :40 remaining, I tuned right in hoping for some sweet, sweet Wizards victory.
Here’s the thing about having KG take “the shot” after the Wizards had gone ahead 84-83: it’s tough to get your own rebound. If, say, Ray Allen had taken the shot, you, as a Celtics fan (jackass!) just know Garnett has all 94 feet of that court covered for the carom. Now with KG taking that shot himself, is there anybody else on that floor who gives you confidence? Allen isn’t getting any rebound. Paul Pierce is big, and had just grabbed one big rebound, but that seems to be his quota. No, the best player, the best clutch performer on that court not holding the ball, the player you knew was hauling it in played for the Wizards.
Caron Butler. Wow. Honestly, if I was starting a team today he might be in my top 10. He’s just getting into his prime (27 for another 2 months). His numbers have grown and grown and grown, and now that he’s the leader of his team, he can score from anywhere – 49% from the field, 38% from deep, 90% from the line, rebound – 7 per game, or dish – 4.4. On the other end, he even manages to keep his opponent below average, matching up with the Lebrons and Paul Pierce’s of the world.
So when KG took that shot it was just a sure thing that Caron would bring it in, drop the pair from the line and carry his team to yet another win without their “star”. Unfortunately, their 20 wins puts them squarely between the Cavs and a round at home in the playoffs.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Bobcats won a shootout with the Nuggets. Marcus Camby had a sick 20 point, 23 board, 6 assist, 6 block line, but it still wasn’t enough.
The Blazers won yet again, helping the Cavs keep ahead of the Nets. The Blazers seem real to me. They’re young, it’s early, whatever. They win at home, they win on the road. They have a go-to guy inside and out. They rebound, they defend, they shoot well. Maybe they’re not systematic and reliable like the Spurs, but there’s no reason this team can’t beat the Mavs, Suns, Lakers or whomever to get to them. The Nets, meanwhile, looked flat out anemic.
Speaking of those Spurs, as I write this, they’re using the 4th quarter to put the finishing touches on the 6ers. It seems like for them to win, all they need is a great game from one of the big 3 or a 4th player taking advantage of the open space. Tonight it’s Old Man Finley. Tomorrow it might be Bowen or Oberto. The Cavs don’t have the same big 3, but it’d be nice if we knew how to feed off of the hot hand.
The Jazz are also trying to win it in the 4th, climbing ahead of the Bucks. … Boozer …
The Mavs/Kings game is still early and close. All I’ll say is that I don’t want Bibby unless we get rid of Hughes’s contract without taking a bad one back. I’m definitely intrigued by the idea of giving up Gooden and bringing in Webber. It’s not like we put Gooden on the floor for D or in crunch time anyway.
Kobe vs the Sonics is also early. With Bynum out, it probably will be the Kobe in LA, since they don’t really have a legit 2nd option. Still, the Kobe show works more often than not – and they’re up on the road right now, with Kobe hoisting it up 18 times, with Fisher and Odom second-most with 7 shots apiece.
That’s it for the NBA tonight. The Cavs are in Memphis tomorrow. Big time battle of #1 vs #2 from the 2003 draft!
Go Cavs!
