Time to Thunder Up

I caught the OKC Thunder for the first time this season last night on TNT at the Portland Trailblazers. Reggie Miller was calling the game, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable, despite the Thunder blowing an early lead to go down big in the third quarter.

If I've learned anything about NBA basketball though, the good teams are the ones that are resilient. And getting two offensive boards in the expiring seconds of the fourth quarter to force overtime is certainly a sign of resilience, as is Russell Westbrook's three quarters of inspiring play (discounting the disappointing third period). In fact, Westbrook's highlight reel post-International play is nothing short of a top three point guard in the NBA (fuck you, Rondo).

One unfortunate trend that was appropriately noted by Miller and company is Kevin Durant's tendency to turn the ball over coupled with his lack of assists. Surely the two are connected, and you have to believe Durant will re-adjust to NBA play before too long. His teammate are getting it done, and sooner or later Durant will play a game in which he has as many assists as points. Go ahead and quote me one that.

One of his teammates getting it done of the bench is Dank Game favorite Serge "the Congolese Squeeze" Ibaka (it's gonna stick, just give it time to sink in). As the sixth man, Ibaka came off the bench in both halfs and provided lights out defensive play, keeping the Thunder in a game in which they gave up an atrocious number of offensive rebounds and let the 'Blazers shoot an absurdly high percentage in the second half.

More could be said about the Thunder's effort, including Jeff Green's 20+ points and Cole Aldrich's scrappy, albeit limited play (he didn't really do much, but Slim McFavorite feels like I'm supposed to be some big fan of his). But sitting at 3-2 and slowly cleaning up the mistakes, OKC next heads to Boston for their biggest game of the young NBA season (have I said fuck Rondo yet?)

*note - I'm pretty sure that picture isn't from last night's game, but I'm also pretty sure it's awesome.

Appreciate This Moment, Folks

Tonight's the night, Dank Gamers! Since October, everything has been building towards this moment. Appreciate it, because it's not often that the Finals come down to a game 7 with two evenly matched opponents. Who knows what's going to happen.

The outcome of this game is huge for so many reasons. If the Lakers win, it will vault Kobe Bryant into a realm that few others have. He will, without a doubt, be one of the greatest ever to step on the hardwood. Also, if the Lakers win, Pau Gasol will shed the label that he is "soft" once and for all. And if Derek Fisher hits a big shot at some point down the stretch, he will come to be regarded as the new Robert Horry. For Phil Jackson, it will just be another year, another ring.

If the Celtics win, the big four will cement their legacies as true Celtic greats. Paul Pierce has probably already left his mark as a Boston legend, so this game weighs more on the legacies of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. If they lose, Allen and Garnett could be remembered somewhat less favorably assuming this is their last shot at a title with Boston. Don't get me wrong, both are future Hall of Famers who will be remembered as champions, but a win tonight will greatly impact their legacies for the better. As for Rondo, he's got plenty of time to shape his own legacy, but a second championship in his fourth year in the league certainly wouldn't hurt.

Anyhow, there's nothing I can tell you that hasn't already been said, so just sit back and enjoy the biggest game in basketball to happen in years. I would make a prediction, but I truly have absolutely no idea what to expect.

Season In Balance

Last night, in a game that should have been approached as a must-win game 7, the Cavaliers came out on their home court and played like it was a scrimmage. Hell, I'd expect a team to show more intensity in an off-season charity game. The Cavs were outperformed in nearly every aspect of the game as Boston dismantled Cleveland in a 120-88 blowout, good for the Cavs' worst home playoff loss ever.

If you're a Cavs fan, you'd like to credit Paul Pierce and the Boston defense for holding James to 15 points on 3-14 shooting, but the fact of the matter is that LeBron's poor performance falls largely on his own shoulders. He started the game getting his teammates involved with 4 assists in the first quarter, which is all well and good, but he should have started attacking the rim sooner than he did. James just couldn't hit a shot in the first half, and when he did start to take it to the hoop in the second quarter, Boston smartly made him earn it at the line to prevent him from getting in rhythm.

The second quarter was possibly some of the ugliest basketball I've seen during these playoffs outside of the Hawks pitiful performance against the Magic. The Cavs were stuck at 29 points for nearly 6 minutes, turning the ball over and missing shot after shot as they basically invited the Celtics to take the lead into the half. Garnett was having his way with Jamison, Pierce got into a rhythm for the first time this series, and Mo couldn't keep up with Ray Allen as he moved without the ball and knocked down jumpers. Keep in mind that a lot of this was going down without Rondo on the floor.

Killer Instinct

I really liked the way the Cavs went after the Celtics right from the start last night. Lebron killed it in the first quarter, lighting it up for 21 points on his way to 38, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Cavs defense turned Rondo into a jump shooter. He did make several shots, but the Cavs will live with that all day, especially when he takes threes.

Mike Brown did a great job with the match-ups, putting Anthony Parker on Rondo and Mo Williams on Ray Allen. Parker's length makes it a little tougher on Rondo and his position defense is far better than Mo's. Ray Allen is less consistent in games now so he could hide Mo Williams on him. As soon as Ray Allen got a couple shots over Williams and started to get in a rhythm Brown pulled Williams and brought in Delonte West, who is a much better defender. I think this definitely kept Ray Allen from getting hot, he finished 2-9 from the floor for only 7 points.

Thunder Beat the Celtics . . .

. . . at h.o.r.s.e.

So it's not an actual game.  Hell, it's not even an exhibition game.  But I'll celebrate nonetheless.  Kevin Durant bested the Boston Celtic's Rajon Rondo in a last minute shootout.  It is his second consecutive NBA H.o.r.s.e. victory.

Durant and Rondo also easily handled Sacramento Kings rookie Omri Casspi.  Casspi was unfortunately "coached" by Charles Barkley, who I'm pretty sure called him Omar at least once.  Barkley also jumped rope shortly before the event started.

It's really too bad that Durant has won more H.o.r.s.e. titles than trips to the playoffs.  That's going to change this year though.  Well, I guess next year since even if the Thunder do make it to postseason basketball he'll still have won h.o.r.s.e. more times.  And even if the Thunder make the playoffs in consecutive years, it's always possible he'll continue winning the H.o.r.s.e. challenge.

Well at any rate, I'm really glad I accidently started rooting for this guy when I arbitrarily decided to root for the Thunder.

Heartbreak Heat

This season's Miami Heat team has been a huge flirt. They start the season out strong at 6-1, and before you know it they fall back into a middling team struggling to remain above .500. Then they have those games when they look poised to turn a corner, only to be put in their place by a buzzer beating freak shot by the best finisher in the game. Then they come out and get embarrassed by the Grizzlies on their home court. Less than a week after that, they blow out Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic at home.

And then there's games like last night, when they trade runs with the KG-less Celtics and let a sizable lead in the 4th quarter disappear, putting the game up for grabs in the waning moments. And then, when Wade seemingly has the game sealed after a an improbable steal and dunk putting them up by 2 with .6 seconds remaining, Paul Pierce executes a perfect mid-court inbounds alley oop to Rajon Rondo for a tip-in that would tie the game and send it to overtime. And of course, the Heat collapse in overtime. What makes this even more heartbreaking is that the game should have ended after Wade's dunk. The time keepers mistakenly stopped and restarted the clock after a Celtics turnover with about 8 seconds left, as they anticipated the Heat to call timeout. I don't know how much more of this I can take, and when you factor in the Bengals' gut wrenching season, I'll probably be going grey by the time the NBA Playoffs roll around... but I digress.

Dwyane Wade seemed livid after this loss, and you can't blame him. Dude posted a season high 44 points and basically had the game won only to see it go to waste because Mario Chalmers couldn't keep up with Rajon Rondo on that final play in regulation. In a season that's been all about assessing the Heat's youth, you have to wonder if this single play has made Chalmers' future with the Heat all the more questionable. While Chalmers did have a few big plays (mostly steals), he shot poorly from the field and crumbled on defense when it mattered most. Is this really the type of running mate Wade is hoping to spend the rest of his career with? Can Chalmers really contribute to a championship team? The answer to those questions is seeming more and more like a resounding "no."

As for the rest of the Heat's youth movement, Dayton's Daequan Cook has basically been banished from the rotation as he still struggles to find his shooting stroke, which he lost all the way back at last year's All Star break. Dorell Wright has been pretty solid this year, but it's doubtful Heat management will resign him unless he's willing to settle for a meager contract. Michael Beasley still looks to be an All Star in the making, but you have to wonder if he can maintain consistency in the playoffs if the Heat do retain Wade and become contenders with a big free agent signing this summer. I even have my doubts that Beasley has what it takes to contribute throughout a single playoff series, although I'd like to think otherwise. If only coach Spoelstra would give Beasley minutes when the games matter most so we could have a better idea. Lord knows his offense could've been used last night in overtime. With that said, you can't blame Spo for sticking with Haslem last night as Udonis had the hot hand in the second half, nailing baseline jumper after baseline jumper to finish with 19 points.

And so Dank Gamers, I'll end this long overdue Miami Heat rant with more or less no conclusion, because it's hard to make any sense of this team thus far. Maybe the inevitable return of Rafer Alston (who's contract was bought out by the lowly Nets) to South Beach can bring some perspective to this motley cast of characters, or maybe he'll make the roster all the more confounding. I just hope Pat Riley has a better idea of where this team is headed than the rest of us Heat fans.

Just in case you missed it...

LeBron had two amazing blocks last night chasing down Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen on fastbreaks that would typically result in a foul or an uncontested dunk/layup. I think it's safe to say Rondo is getting sick of these blocks. LeBron's timing coming down the floor is simply astounding and the fact that he manages to avoid fouling on both of these plays is something to appreciate as well. The extra effort to get the posession back on both plays is incredible, too. This is most notable on the Rondo block, as LeBron hits the ball twice against the glass in mid-air in an attempt to knock the ball back to himself or a teammate. I can't remember if the Cavs actually did get it back, but the effort is clearly there. Players have to take notice of these blocks and use the rim to shield themselves with a reverse dunk or layup when they're playing the Cavs. Even if they don't feel him breathing down their neck on the fastbreak, it's probably still a good idea just to be safe.

LeBron sends Rondo's signature move into the 18th row

Wow. Not much else I can say about this one.

NBA Training Camp Story Lines & More

It's been a minute since I've written anything about the NBA, and now that media day is past and training camp has started, there's suddenly more interesting things to talk about than Lamar Odom's hasty marriage to reality TV's Khloe Kardashian. Speaking of which, I've been speculating their marriage was the deal breaker for Odom's potential Miami reunion. I probably should've written something about Delonte West being arrested for carrying two hand guns and a shotgun after being pulled over on a three-wheeled motorcycle, because, y' know, that was pretty fucked up. Also, I guess the richest man in Russia is going to buy the Nets, which will probably lead to their highly anticipated move to Brooklyn.

Not in a Golden State: Some of the biggest news to come out of media day is the bleak situation the Warriors have found themselves in. After being fined $25,000 for publicly requesting a trade, Stephen Jackson doesn't seem phased as he continued to express his desire to be dealt. Obviously the league is employing a ridiculous double standard with this fine, as Kobe bitched and moaned all throughout the offseason in 2007 without any consequence. As for Captain Jack's desired destinations, he'd like to end up with Cleveland, anywhere in Texas, or New York to reunite with former Warrior Al Harrington.

As if the drama with Jackson isn't enough, Monta Ellis has said that he and rookie Stephen Curry can't work together as a backcourt as Warriors management had envisioned. Ellis says he has no hard feelings towards the Warriors for drafting Curry, but because they're both small guards, he doesn't feel they can produce wins playing together. Man, what a disappointment this team has been since that glorious upset against the Mavs in the first round of the 2007 Playoffs. I wish I could say that I still believe, but what's left to believe in.

KG Questionable: While I don't normally take pleasure in people being injured, I couldn't help but do a fist pump upon reading the news that Kevin Garnett's bone spur in his knee is more serious than he initially realized. After missing much of the end of last season and the entire playoffs, the Celtics have been pretty quiet about his injury. Garnett has had minimal health issues throughout his 14-year career, so he insists that the injury has forced him to take his health more seriously. Details remain vague.

Cut like a Prizefighter: Along with media day and training camp comes the inevitable rhetoric from coaches and players alike about how the players are in such great shape. Starting with my team, the Miami Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra has been gushing about Jermaine O'Neal's improved health after an offseason of working out in Chicago with noted trainer Tim Grover. Grover has received much attention after helping Dwyane Wade return to form last season. Spoelstra has said that Jermaine looks like he did during his All-Star days in Indiana, but even stronger. JO reportedly has looked much better moving around and can apparently jump again, which would probably be beneficial to to the Heat this season.

Elton Brand will return to the Sixers after recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out the majority of last season. He's also recovered from the previous season's torn Achilles tendon. According to teammate Thaddeus Young, Brand has been a "monster" on the court, while GM Ed Stefanski says that he is "cut like a prizefighter." We'll have to wait and see if this can translate to wins for the Sixers, as last year Brand's presence seemed to throw off their fast paced offense.

Rajon Rondo has added 11 pounds to his frame which he insists is "all muscle." Judging from this photo from the Celtics' media day, Rondo really does look substantially more muscular. Dude used to be pretty bony. On the topic of Rondo, Celtics GM Danny Ainge has said that he started talks last week with agent Bill Duffy on a contract extension, as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Beasley Ready to Go: I feel the need to follow up on my my previous post about Michael Beasley's now infamous tattoo picture in which two baggies in the background appeared to contain weed. Beasley claims that the bags weren't his as the photo was taken at the place he got the tattoo. He insists he isn't addicted to drugs, and the reason he was checked into a Houston rehabilitation center in the first place was due to his involvement in the incident at the rookie symposium last year when Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, the Grizzlies' Darrell Arthur, and Beasley were caught in a room that smelled of marijuana. I'm guessing there must have been other missteps along the way considering Chalmers wasn't sent to rehab with him.

Beasley apologized to the Heat organization and its fans for his immaturity and insists that his time spent at the rehabilitation center has helped him out. As for those supposed "suicidal Tweets," (I can't believe I'm typing that) Beasley has said that he posted those after hearing his time at the rehabilitation center had been extended. Although I wouldn't go posting some shit like that on the internet, I'd also be pretty pissed if I found out I had to stay in rehab longer. Beasley says he is now through with social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

Last But Not Least: Ron Artest is still totally sweet and a really nice guy, too.