Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Playoff Game 3 Blog

Wack Rapper Alert!
(but hey....if it means good luck....)

Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

[note: this game blog also appears on Bullets Forever]

David Stern was on Comcast before the game talking with Russ Thaler and Mike Wise of the Washington Post ...who was hitting him with some hard questions, albeit halfway in jest....such as:

Why does LeBron travel worse than Patrick Ewing in the 80s? Laughing non-answer. Or....
Why do superstars get calls? Evidently Stern can prove that this is not true with statistics, but doesn't have the time....yeah riiiight.

Later, Rock Cartwright of the Redskins joins the pregame show. He says that neither Caron Butler parties nor Gilbert Arenas parties have anything on Fred Smoot parties....of course, Mike Wise and Russ Thaler are admittedly put in a rough position.....but they mentioned the Love Boat nonetheless. Unnn-com-for-ta-ble.......

Wow...a lot going on in the pre-game, huh?

Initially, Eddie Jordan said that Gilbert Arenas felt some slight pain and aching in his left knee and that he might not play at all. Comcast reported this around 7:15.

Then, when the show was thrown to Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier, who were "just" handed the starting card at 7:30, Gilbert Arenas' name was on it.

Who knows with this team? As we all are probably well aware, the Wizards had a loose game-day locker room....at least with hair-dos as Caron carved "Tough Juice" in the back of his head , evidently himself, and Andray Blatche and Nick Young were sporting mohawks. My initial reaction is that this team doesn't need to be clowning around...then again, I'd rather have them loose than uptight.

Ron Thompson makes a nice assessment on how Gil starting will affect Roger Mason (as Antonio Daniels will be coming off the bench)....essentially, Ron speculated that Roger might play better because he is used to playing with AD. We will see. Personally, I'm more curious to see how AD will play. (Even though I have a good feeling about the Silent Assassin.) The Wiz have gotten zilch from AD this series. We need his energy off the bench.

Phil Chenier had a recent sit down with Gil:

On yesterday's practice: an "emotional film session" where they knew Eddie Jordan was going to come down some players throats. He wasn't the usual laid-back Eddie. The most unusual part though was when Gil was talking about Jordan coming down on those who took selfish shots in game 2.....Gil was glad that he only had one instance.....Whhhat? I gotta go back and look at that. Really? Only 1 bad shot from Gil?

Watch Comcast or TNT? How about both....two+ TVs makes it easy, but who do you listen to? I'm inclined to put the volume on TNT. Barkley says that Gil has to "pass the damn ball".....and that seals the deal. I'm going with TNT. I like my hometown guys, but I'm not ready to hear anything slightly bias this game. Of course, we'll have to see how Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello do.....

Arenas is going to be limited to 28-30 minutes....LeBron is miming homeruns on the court during intros....Yankees fans..."great"....and then LBJ does his powder thing. Very original LeBron.

Quarter One

The White-Out looks decent....Bron gets booed as the Cavs get the tip. Caron is defending James to start. He misses a jumper.

Soldier Boy sighting? Nope, not yet...at least not on TV. LeBron blocks a Butler transition layup....and then goes down and gets a layup. Same ol', huh?

10:38: Wiz ball movement gets AJ a lane for a layup...first Wiz points. 2-2 game.

Wally hits and easy step back on Gil...interesting matchup there as DeShawn is on Delonte West.

10:06: Haywood yells after the baby hook. The Cavs go to Wally again cause Gil is on him. Mike Brown will go to whomever Gil is guarding.

Looks like DeShawn has a mohawk too.

9:28: Patient offense....lob to BTH, scores on Big Z and draws the foul...As Ilgauskas is draped on BTH, Haywood stupidly throws a chicken win into his stomach...Big Z then gives a push back. Initially it looks like a tech is just on Z, it's actually a double T and justifiably so...Eddie is pissed. 6-4 Wiz after FTs.

DeShawn gets a steal, but guns a trey.. Nope. Ilgauskas somehow gets a breakaway dunk and BTH smartly doesn't do anything like foul as he was following behind. 6-6 game.

8:51: Gil misses his first 3....high rebound. Two Cavs and DeShawn go up for it..DS gets there first and gets the foul, he really skied on that one.

8:42: Hook Stevenson..LeBron is guarding him and he tries a dribble then guns the rock..a three miss. No need for that BS...

Then Stevenson misses a layup after LBJ (or Wallace) blocked Haywood...not a good start for the Lock Smith.

7:55: Uh oh...getting the calls against LeBron out of the way early..Bron gets a charge called on him.

Gilbert and BTH run a pick and roll....dunk. 8-8 tie. I'm proud of the Verizon center atmosphere....I'm not there but it sounds pretty intense.

Cavs post Wally on Gil...he misses an easy...Arenas drives back at him and gets a lay-in Cleveland didn’t expect drive from Gil. 10-8 Wiz.

5:57: Wallace gives Jamison a bear hug pelvic thrust thingee from the back and picks up his 2nd foul...first commercial break 10-10 game.

Gil goes to the bench and TNT reports that he had an MRI earlier today, the result is a bone bruise. AD is in the game.

5:27: LBJ misses a 3 in the corner, Wallace gets the board. The Wiz don't even pay attention to LBJ going to the hoop to receive pass from Wallace for a dunk. 12-10 Cavs.

AD gets his first layup and looks like himself. Next time down (after a Wally miss), Butler gets his first FG, a midrange baseliner. 14-12 Wiz.

So far on defense, the Wizards are moving much quicker and keeping up with Cleveland's ball movement. This game, they are sprinting to cover their assignments.

3:44: Wiz get into penalty as Joe Smith fouled Butler on a rebound.....seems like the Wiz are going up harder and higher for boards.

3:15: Varejao completely flops....what a douche....but I can't blame the ref for calling a charge as Caron had his arm out there. Butler should know that Andy V. will try to set people up with his dramatics.

Another charge is called...this time on Andray....looks like another good whistle. LeBron is present in the paint, especially on offensive boards, but the Wiz have packed it in, minimizing drives. Another TV timeout, 16-12 Wizards. 5 turnovers for the Cavs, 3 for LBJ...but only 2 points for the Wiz off that. Washington has 4 turnovers themselves.

1:44: LeBron misses an impatient 3...AD jets the rock all the way to the hoop....And 1 on Andy Varejao who judging by his face, has never committed a foul.....ever.

Blatche gets the timing and throws Devin Brown's shit. The Cavs started 6-11 from the field, 1-8 since.

0:09: With the clock winding down, LeBron James goes up, leading with his knee a la Karl Malone. Makes the hoop and 1. Nice move, dick. 21-17 Wizards.

A hard fought first quarter. Wiz were up 9, but it ends 21-17.

1. Lotta turnovers: 6 for the Cavs, 5 for the Wiz.
   
2. Curiously, Wiz have 5 steals and Cavs have 0.
3. DC is shooting 40% from the field and 5-5 from the FT line.
4. Cavs at 38%, only 1-1 on FTs.

Quarter Two

Both teams start with turnovers. LeBron James on bench to start 2nd.

10:38: MaseON for three. Thanks buddy, bout time....(he missed a layup at the end of 1st). 24-17 Wiz.

Andray blocks Big Z....got to love Blatche's presence to start.

10:06: Mason pump fake....see ya Boobie...ball transfer...and buckets. 2 pointer. 26-17.

9:29: MaseOn again...this one was easy as the Wiz has a 4-1 fast break...Haywood was out high covering a Big Z screen for West, BTH poked the ball away and got the steal. SWARM! 6-0 Silent Assassin run!

Larry Hughes is in the house. Comcast's Chris Miller is interviewing him on the sideline.....and I could care less.

9:04: AD fouled Devin Brown on a 3 attempt.....ok, should be a call....just didn't think they would do it after the shot missed and the rebound was secured (by Varejao I think). Brown makes 2 of 3.

Blatche, Haywood, Mason, Butler and AD in (interesting lineup...I'm down)....Mason miss...Blatche board, kick out to Mason...drive....ball back to Blatche for the dunk. 30-19 Wizards.

MVP so far: Andray Blatche
LVP: DeShawn, 0-3

7:45: Really? Are you kidding me? They call a travel on Big Z? Noooo!! I just heard an 'oink' outside of my 5th floor window. And after that...just as everyone is wondering where LBJ is, Mike Brown gets him off the bench. Pretty good rest for LeBron. Gilbert also checks back in....

7:01: Mason takes a heat check coming off screen...looks like a play run for him, not a bad miss.

Arenas has his point guard head on a swivel coming down the court....Cavs lose Butler, he gets the pass from Gil and a dunk on Andy's back. Mason gets a steal....but misses the three. I would have liked to see Mason not do that. 32-22 Wiz.

6:31: Cavs commit another turnover...their point guard play is terrible. That's their 13th, Delonte has 3.

6:01: Butler hits a trey and everything is going right so far....so far....so far....

Oh, Butler....really? You go for a Varejao pump fake? Cavs points...then a Wiz turnover...trying to go for a homerun pass.

Jamison Block! Benny Wal-lace...wrong direction brah! Wiz get the ball, Jamison runs the court, Gil flips him a no look pass..no basket but foul and 2 FTs. That's the Bill Russell play of the game. 36-24 Wiz.

Hmmm...why is LeBron not going inside as much...scurred? (that's how people say 'scared' in Mur-lin, I mean Maryland)

4:19: Gil with a sweet bounce pass to AJ...he "lulled the Cavs to sleep" - Phil C's words. But dammit if AJ doesn't miss both FTs.

Tell you what though....as Big Z counters Haywood's points.....the Wiz are doing a much better job with getting hands and eyes in the passing lane when LeBron cuts through.

3:00: Meanwhile...Gilbert Arenas limps into the locker room.

Stevenson rattles home a trey....his face goes numb again...idiot. C'mon, don't do that crap. 43-29 Wizards.

2:33: Butler steal...Mason all the way to the hoop...the Verizon center is going nuts.

The Wizards points off turnovers has picked up....they now have 18.

1:53: Caron hits a running bank...11-2 Wiz run since the 4 minute mark.

0:55: Wow...no really, wow - Caron Butler spins and splits a white guy double team (Big Z and Wally World) he drives and hits a double-clutch hanging one-hander. Amazing. Mike Fratello compares Butler to Elgin Baylor. Barkley would later compare this move to Dr. J. High compliments.

LeBron is a no-go for a shot as the clock runs down...he's pleading his case to the ref. I think I see a tiny Johnny Cochran devil and angel on his shoulders and that's the half.

49-33 Wizards. A great job from every angle...the crowd, the offense, the defense, the coaching. My inner skeptic reminds me that there's a TON of time left. But still, you couldn't script it better.....aside from the part about Gilbert going to the locker room....Cause I've never seen a movie where the supposed good guy gets taken out and the movie gets better, until tonight perhaps. (And no, I'm not counting that movie where Samuel L. Jackson got eaten by a shark, Deep Blue Sea)

Half Stats:

1. Wizards FG=50% (64% in 2nd quarter)- Cavs=39 %.
2. Points in paint 30-12 Wiz.
3. Turnovers: 15 Cle, 9 Wiz.
4. Steals: 9-1 Wiz.
5. FTs 7-9 Wiz, 5-8 Cavs
6. Boards- Cavs up 19-16, 6-2 offensive
7. 3s - 2-8 Wiz, 0-3 Cavs
8. LBJ was 5-11, the rest of Cleveland was 9-25
9. Points: Caron 12, LeBron 11, Haywood 10

Quarter Three

Gilbert Arenas is out for the rest of the game....but he's sitting on the bench (of course, right....well, you never know sometimes).

My biggest fear....if the Wizards win big, is that they talk smack (ok, only DeShawn) and get the Cavs angry.

11:35: 3rd starts with an AD miss at the end of the shot clock......don’t like it.

11:20: Although, LeBron is also settling for jumpers. Nope.

The Cavs have no offensive flow.....they're left with Ben Wallace dibbling in post, almost traveling....and a miss. He gets his own board....Wally misses a shot that looks flat.

Haywood is no doubt getting the best of Big Z.....easy post possession on offense nets 2 FTs....and BTH is drawing offensive fouls on other end. 53-34 Wizards.

Butler goes hard for a steal..not close. Cavs convert. 53-36.

Daniels is doing a good job of penetrating and dropping dimes to AJ so far. He's also playing D that's better than what we're used to from him.

8:27: AJ continues hotness with a J off the screen. AD made a perfect pass for his 3rd assist in 3rd. 58-38 Wizards.

7:47: Cavs get two offensive boards on one possession but can't knock down any of three jumpers. LBJ 3, Wally mid-range, West 3....nope all day.

Cleveland fans should be mad at West's D right now because Daniels is doing what he wants.

DeShawn has been on LBJ the past three or so possessions

6:58: Stevenson hits a trey.....and here we go. Ambasol on the face (I feel I should explain ambasol...it's numbs tooth-aches) Cleveland timeout. 14-5 Wizards run, 63-38. Lotta time left....left.....left......

6:39: LeBron hits a funky bank runner. 63-40 Wiz.

6:21: DeShawn hits another 3....yea, easy to hit them when you're up 20, huh? (sorry, I'm still mad at him)

5:55: DeShawn with a heat check 3 and miss...DAMMIT - DON'T DO THAT CRAP!!! GET A GOOD SHOT YOU MF!!!! (I'm still scared of a crazy comeback)

Delonte West is a funny looking dude....If I were directing an old tymie play, I'd cast him as a shoe shine boy....Hey Mista!!

You know it's going bad for Cavs when Big Z makes 1 of 2 FTs. 68-43 Wizards.

4:25: Oh No! Jamison misses an easy dunk back cutting LeBron, who didn't have his head on a swivel....nice pass from Caron.

Caron strips the ball from LeBron...dunk you very much. He knew LBJ was going to settle for a jumper. Got em like Sidney Dean baby!!! 72-43 Wiz.

Dammit....Caron misses a J....he slipped....Cavs come down and Joe Smith gets a dunk. Eddie calls a timeout...Caron limps to the bench. Hopefully it's not too serious, doesn't seem like it. 72-45 Wizards.

TNT is reporting that Eddie Jordan went army on the Wizards: He broke them down after game 2 and then built them back up. I know there's a Full Metal Jacket joke here somewhere.

0:52: That's what I like to see....Andray gets the ball on the wing and drives it right down Varejao's throat...and gets a foul call. 1 of 2 FTs, but Wiz get the ball back.

Uh oh...here comes trouble. Nick Young has just checked in.

0:40: Mase Still On....drive pull-up Buckets. 77-48 Wiz.

Another thing I like: The Wiz are still doubling LeBron to get the ball out of his hands.

Uh oh....the Wizards fans chant overrated while LBJ is at the line....and that dude can't help but smile during both shots, missing the 2nd. Of course, the Cavs get a steal or something and LeBron puts on a cape and throws down a dunk.

After only 4 points in the first....Jamison has nailed 11 in the 3rd. 7 came in the first 4.5 minutes. That's how you start an important quarter.

Quarter Four

FINISH STRONG!!

Big Z gets an easy to start 4th. 77-53.

11:20: But D-Song and Andray keep attacking the basket until the ball goes down.

James drives and gets Andy V. an easy. LBJ's 3rd assist. 79-55.

Wiz use all the clock and Butler has to force a 3...James comes down and nails a 2. C'mon Wiz, stay aggressive....79-59 Wizards. (20 point lead with 10 minutes left....not exactly comfortable)

9:36: Songaila curls off the screen bounce pass from Caron....man Devin Brown made it way too easy for Butler to make that pass.....bucket, foul, but FT miss.

Comcast reports that LeBron keeps looking over at the Wiz bench...evidently he and Gilbert are having words. Really Gilbert? Have you not learned? This is only one effing game...and the Wizards haven't even won yet at that.

Coming back from the commercial, Gilbert is laughing it up, cutting up...saluting someone, probably the Cavs, on the sideline. You stay classy Gilbert Arenas.

8:15: DeShawn Stevenson nails another trey and does the Damon Jones butt slap. Jake just commented on the thread. Soulja boy is indeed in the house . You think Soulja Boy will get on that heroin in a couple years like B.G. did? I give 5-1 odds on yes. (funny thing...BG is about a 1000% better rapper than Soulja Boy)

7:39: Stevenson gets a steal, comes down....LeBron doesn't feel like following him off a screen. The Lock Smith hits another trey. He dances up the court, whatever......I'm beginning to despise DeShawn Stevenson. 89-61 Wizards.

7:11: LeBron goes to sit, probably for the rest of the game. Overrated chants start again. I'm sorry, but we are effed. Doesn't anyone know this franchise is cursed and that the Cavs are going to win the next two? (of course, by saying this, I'm hoping I negate a curse....oh shit...did I just reverse it? aw screw it.)

6:50: Caron drives and hits a crazy shot to get a foul. 30 point lead.

The more the Wizards talk trash, the more I do not give a crap about this win. Am I beginning to sound like a grumpy old man? Should I be happier? I'll remind everyone that this is just one game.

There's still 6 minutes left and this game can't be over soon enough. Never thought I'd say that up 30 with 6 minutes left.

6:07: Stevenson and Butler go out for the game...Stevenson is the best "at home up 20" player with a mohawk.....like ever.

5:54: How insulting would it be if Mike Brown inserted Damon Jones right now? .....well speak of the devil!

5:15: Mason hits the screen with a cross over...buckets. Largest lead of either team in series. 32 points.

Damn Mase-On (A trey ball, 16 points).....what can I say? I called it. Then again, pretty much everyone had a good game. Go me.

And it's ice pack city on the Wizards bench.

Fratello says that Mike Brown is steaming on the Cavs bench...concurrently on Comcast, Mike brings his little green glasses cleaner out and starts working them thangs.

Uh oh...Varejao comes in with 4:17 left....on my god...he's got a hatchet in his hands!!! Look out Wizards.

Wiz get a steal. Andray Blatche gets a dunk. 104-65.

3:20: Nick Young fails to get his with a three miss.

The ghost of Billy Thomas is in the game.

2:38: Nick Young makes a strong drive....holds the ball low where the defender can get it...strip poker, Cavs steal.

2:13: Damon Jones misses a 3...I almost wanted him to make it to see what he does. Cavs get the board and he ends up missing another. Foooo-GAZI!

1:19: Mason Junior ball....Pecherov open in corner and ready to shoot. Mase holds his hand up...no rookie....Mase- ON! Deucer for his 18th point. 106-69.

Wiz steal...Pecherov all the way down the court...and attempts a goofy layup. Sorry Stewie....it was Lois' fault.

0:47: Damon Jones misses another...damn.

0:13: Devin Brown hits a three....are you shitting me? Brown fouls Andray Blatche with 12 seconds left and down 36. Can the Wiz use that as motivation for the next game?

Game over flip.

You know Mike Brown is full of it.....he says that the Verizon Center crowd is "one of the best in the league if not the best in the league" - what...did you get that quote from some sort of Coaching Quotes in A Loss Handbook?

Turning optimist.....it was a great crowd for this night. It was a great win. Now the Wizards need to play the next game like this one never happened.

Stay Hungry DC.

NBA.com box

Game 81 Blog: Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers

Ron Thompson on Comcast with his "Ronny's" tonight.....some type of award with a creative nickname.

The Warrior Award: DeShawn Stevenson - agreed. My 2nd place would be Antawn Jamison
Most Improved: Roger Mason - agreed again. Just as Ron said, it was a difficult choice between Mase-ON and Brendan Haywood.
Mr. Dependable: Obviously Jamison.
Mr. Complete: Caron Butler
(I'm beginning to think that they selected players first, and then named awards according to their games.)
The Overachiever: Eddie Jordan - I'm caught on this award. I hate to call Eddie an "overachiever" for doing his job and being the good coach that I know he is, and whom I've supported, from Day 1.

Anyway, the game...

This is the Pacers 'De La Soul' game....you know, the Stakes Is High. If they lose, they can pretty much count on watching the playoffs from home. And that's fine with me, I'd rather see the Atlanta Hawks step up to bat. The task won't be easy, Danny Granger has been killing lately (much less being an upcoming Wizards Killer, a la Mo Williams) and both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler will be resting injuries tonight.

Quarter One

10:33: Dunleavy is Mr. Go-Hard at Antawn Jamison, getting a bucket and later, a two foul shots. Bout time, for a #3 overall pick. 4-4 game.

The early game plan for Eddie Jordan seems to have Brendan Haywood go up against Troy Murphy in the paint.

9:49: AJ gets a nut-shot as he throws up one of his crazy right-handed floaters. In defending, Granger kicked his leg up (like Reggie Miller shooting a jumper) right into the Jamison family bling. Antonio Daniels graciously commits a foul to stop play and we go to an early timeout. I hate to say it, but seeing AJ go down like that, writhing in extreme pain (we've all been there), but then to know that it's just a clap to the ding-dong, and not something really serious, is a relief. Mr. Dependable stays in the game of course. 8-4 Wizards.

Steve Buckhantz says that Jeff Foster was in the media room trying to scavenge for dinner before the game. That's our Jeff Foster, straight roaching. Foster is out tonight by the way.

8:51: Hands in the face of Dunleavy for 3? Nope. 10-7 Wizards.

Code Name: The Cleaner checks in the game....AJ has two fouls. And he immediately gets a skying offensive rebound on the neck of Dunleavy. I'd like to think that D-Mac can play better D on Mike Jr. too, who has scored all Pacers points so far.

7:07: Lock Smith.....back to back treys. 16-7 Wizards.

6:46: Dunleavy cuts in the middle of the zone and no one sees him. 16-9 Wiz.

6:30: Dunleavy cuts baseline in transition against the zone...thankfully Haywood sends his shit.

6:03: Murphy transition 3....the trailer from the top of the key. You cannot forget anyone on this team around the perimeter. 18-11 Wizards.

4:56: DC's 3rd turnover leads to Pacers points which leads to an Eddie Jordan timeout. 20-16 Wizards.

Comcast keeps putting up DeShawn Stevenson 3-point stats: He's tied with Manu Ginobili for 7th in the NBA for the most games (16) with 4 or more made three pointers. DeShawn's also made a great deal more 3s this year than he has in all of his previous 6 seasons combined.

Chris Miller on Eddie Jordan's timeout: "No more lay-ups! Hit 'em hard!" (not sure if Eddie actually yelled that or not....I doubt it)

Damn, Jermaine O'Neal has been in the league for a while now....before some 7th graders were born.

3:21: Offensive rebounds and second chance points are becoming a bit of an issue for DC. 27-21 Wizards.

1:07: Cleeean-ner! Follow up dunk son! That was quite a slam off the Roger Mason miss. Would Windex be a better nickname for D-Mac? 31-25 Wiz.

Windex...errr...The Cleaner needs to get more selfish. He picks off a Pacers half-court pass attempt with 2.8 seconds left, and after taking a couple dribble up court, tries to pass it to Andray. Not enough time, he should have shot the ball. Oh well.

The Pacers are crappy. They don't even deserve to be in playoff contention. And they are right what the Wizards offense needs as DC scores 35 points in the 1st quarter (on 56% shooting), yet gave up 28.

Quarter Two

11:09: A three from Mase-ON sets a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season....562. And they did it thanks mostly to Jamison, Stevenson and Mason, not Gilbert. 38-28 Wizards.

9:02: Big Pech contributes to the 3 point count to give the Wizards their largest lead. Funny, it seems like the Pacers have been the better team. 45-33 DC.

7:32: Nick Young hits a mid-range fadeaway....evidently Eddie turns to the broadcast crew and says something to the effect, "That looks like Phil Chenier 70 years ago." 50-37 Wizards.

The Wizard bench players a playing pretty well, especially the guard play of Nick Young and Roger Mason.

4:11: Andray Blatche is getting put-back dunks, 59-43.

3:46: Mason is driving and setting up Blatche for lay-ups. 61-46.

3:05: Steven Buckhantz compares the looks of Troy Murphy to Ernie Grunfeld.....Chenier says Murphy is "not quite as thick," whatever that means.

Coming out the timeout, Steve Buck says: "Wizards lead the Pissers.....Pacers..." and then he can't quite recover.

2:13: D-Song is getting offensive boards all over....and I'm really surprised that the game is going down like this. I expected a lot of fight from the Pacers. All they are really doing is running with reckless abandon.

Aside from not being able to play defense, the Pacers simply can't keep the Wizards off the boards. 32-13 is the rebound count in favor of the Wizards right now.

0:42: Songaila is playing the role of paint point guard tonight with his 4th assist. 66-51 Wizards.

0:00: I know it's been a fast-paced game and the Pacers are going to get buckets as a result, son...but the Wizards defense has been a huge negative so far. Still, a 12 point lead at the half is good for me.

Halftime interview with Nick Young: He basically just said that he wanted to get out on the court and have fun because he hasn't gotten a lot of minutes lately and that he wanta to get up whatever shots he can. "Great"

Half Stats:

• Wiz boards: 35 (13 offensive) - Pacers Boards :16
• The Cleaner has 6 boards in 14 minutes
• Wiz bench points: 42, starter points: 24
• As much as Indy likes to shoot 3s, they are 5-13 from deep, the Wizards are 7-15.
  

Quarter Three

Not sure what happened, neither are Steve and Phil, but Stevenson checks out and heads into the locker room 19 seconds into the 3rd quarter.

"They're letting this team hang around." says Steve Buck. 68-57 Wizards.

8:44: Roger Mason answer that with a three. 75-62 Wizards.

8:35: But the Wizards leave Troy Murphy open again for his own triple.

Luckily, the Pacers have no idea how to keep the Wizards off the boards.

7:56: But still, the Pacers score....Eddie calls a timeout because the Wiz D is terrible. Indiana is 5-6 FGs in the quarter so far...and it's not like they are hitting tough shots, most are wide open. 77-67 Wizards.

The report coming out the timeout is that DeShawn Stevenson and his sore back will be out for the rest of this game. The Cavs are up 6 on Philly right now with about 7 minutes left in the 3rd.

7:02: Damn D-Song....he set the Pacers right up with a spin move and a 7-10 split for the lay-up. 80-67 Wizards.

6:40: The D-Song gets his 6th assist to Haywood. 82-67.

4:50: D-Mac (Windex) chases down a loose ball like a hound dawg.

3:38: Mason with the soft shooter's roll for three....so much for the Pacers hanging around. Good timeout Eddie, the Wiz are up 21, 91-70. Mase-ON has 21 points.

Next Up: Dunleavy lay-up, Jamison 3, Granger 3, another Granger 3. 94-78 Wizards.

Lot going on, but there alway is, isn't there....a lot going on. [One of my favorite quotes from Made by the way]

Second chance points is 21-6 in favor of the Wizards at this point.

1:49: The Cleaner hangs for a jumper....and it's good. 98-78 Wizards.

Unfortunately, Nick Young is just doing whatever the fuck he feels like right now....dribbling around and missing fade away jumpers -- dribbling around shot-clock violations. Not the type of "routine" you like to see the kid get into.

0:00: To end the quarter, Young fiddles around with the ball, gets it to D-Mac behind the 3-point line corner, but not in time to get any kind of decent shot off. The 3rd quarter ends. 98-81 Wizards.

Quarter Four

11:04: Mason Junior hits another 3, his 6th of the game (26 points)...ties Roger's career high. 101-83 Wizards.

10:05: Dunleavy trey....this game is not really over just yet. 13 point lead (101-88)? Lotta time left.

8:29: What a surprise....Andray Blatche fouls out with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The 6th was a questionable charge call on Andray. But damn kid, how can we get you to stay on the court? Now the Wizards are down four players.

5:59: Travis Diener his at trey (first game points in 2.5 minutes). It's an 11 point Wiz lead....but the Potomac Rainmaker answers with his career high 7th three pointer. 106-92 Wizards.

4:48: Cleaner with a tough shot....he uses his strength in the post against Dunleavy as someone from the bench tells him to "go to work" -- And 1 missed, 108-94 Wizards.

Meanwhile.....the Sixers have just gone on a 17-5 run to tie the game with Cleveland at 80, 4:37 left in the 4th. I've actually had the Wizards game on two TVs....for what reason, not exactly sure. Well....probably because one is hooked up straight to cable and the other to a digital box, so there is a couple second delay that allows me to see some plays twice

Switching one TV over....Boobie Gibson trey. Screw Damon Jones, I'm worried about the Wizards keeping track of that guy in the post-season. Remember last year?

Pacers are within 10 with 2 minutes left.

2:51: A charge is drawn on King James, Philly ball, down 83-82 (don't get confused, two game blogs have fused together)

1:11: Granger cans a three....7 points Wizards lead now, 112-105. Wouldn't it be amazing if both Philly and the Pacers came back to win? Shut me up.

0:57: D-Mac does NOT clean anything by missing 2 FTs....Pacers get the rebound and call timeout.

2:11: Ilgauskas hits a couple FTs to put the Cavs up 3, 85-82. Igoudala has taken a couple bad shots on the last two Sixers possessions, but they get an offensive rebound on the 2nd miss.... and Sam Dalembert hits a bucket, And 1 - but a misses the FT. 85-84 Cleveland.

0:41: Meanwhile...Indy turnover, Dunleavy traveling. D-Mac goes 1 of 2 from the FT line this time. The Cleaner needs a lot of face time with Dave Hopla this summer. 113-105 Wiz.

1:06: T. Young hits a hook to put Philly up 86-85.

0:32: Granger drives and Harrison gets a jam. 113-107 Wizards.

0:44: LBJ gets it to Ilgauskas for the go ahead bucket....an amazing thread-the-needle, jump to pass (had to) from LeBron. 87-86 Cleveland.

0:24: Somehow, Songaila and McGuire are in charge of getting the ball up court....8 second violation, Pacers ball. REALLY?

0:17: And Marquis Daniels hits a three. 113-110 Wizards.

GET THE BALL OUT McGUIRE's HANDS!!! He's fouled with 16 seconds left. Ok kid....keep it cool. D-Mac makes the 1st....camera flashes to the Wizards bench where Haywood is playfully slapping Nick Young dead in the face.

D-Mac hits the second....thank you sir. 115-110 Wizards.

Philly scores (Sweet Lou Williams drive), Cavs score (Lebron soft touch). 89-88 Cleveland with 15 seconds left.

0:05: Wow....I just yelled out loud because the Sixers hit a shot. Igoudala lost the ball, Sweet Lou was there for the pick up and knocked down a jumper like a vet, 90-89 Philly.

Meanwhile...Roger Mason makes a couple more FTs to seal the deal and the three-point well dries up for the Pacers. Game over, Wizards 117-110. NBA.com box

The Sixers foul LeBron...they had 1 to give. 4.1 seconds left.

LeBron goes to the basket....looks like it might be a travel....looks like there could be a foul somewhere. NOPE! The Sixers win!

.....not so fast my friend. No one heard a whistle. The refs review and a foul was called with .2 seconds left. Devin Brown at the line...the Sixers players must be called out of the locker room.

Andre Miller is doing some gamesmanship by walking in a circle around Brown at the FT line. LeBron is kneeling and laughing at opposite FT line after Devin hits the first FT. LeBron puts his arms up and starts walking to the bench before the 2nd one drops. Even Comcast thought the game was over. Cleveland wins, how about that?

Even the Cleveland TV announcers (Fred McLeod I believe) start the shit talking...."Gilbert Arenas, welcome back to Cleveland."

Well, that's it. My initial reaction is to sit everyone against Orlando....than again, maybe the Tres Grande can get maybe 15 minutes of run together?.......then again, better to be safe than sorry.

Lotta trash talk between DC and the Mistake by the Lake is about to go down.
Don't sing it, just bring it.

Game 79 Blog: Washington Wizards @ Detroit Pistons

Sometimes these game blogs get way too long. At times, it becomes difficult to temper my enthusiasm. When the Wizards do well, I'm just typing away as a result of the abundant offense (usually). If they are playing poorly, I got words too. Tonight, I'm really going to concentrate on selectivity. D'oh! Forgot this is a Triple Play.....Wizards on the main feed, Caps playoff game #1 on the left. The strugglin' Nats on the right. Oh well, we will see.

I got a preview/run-down of all (some) things Wizards here. Laters.

Also, check out the Bullets Forever game thread for comments.

Previously on Ready to Die.

Wizards vs. Pistons Game 30: Stuck with the fat girl at the dance as DC got blown 106-93. Detroit had 33 bench points, was 11-22 from three and had 23 assists to 10 for Washington. Bad all around.

Wizards vs. Pistons Game 68: This will be known as the Gilbert Arenas hissy-fit game. The Wizards won 95-83 and made Detroit look very un-Detroit. This discovered picture of Rasheed Wallace was the most important piece of the night.

Welcome to Detroit

Quarter Uno

Richard Hamilton is back in the lineup for Detroit....and I'm betting that the Pistons have also heeded the warning which Dallas gave to their NBA colleagues with their 1st round playoff exit last year. Meaning Rip, having missed the last 5 games (and 8 of 9), is going to make the Lock Smith put in some work tonight because Detroit needs to be in a playoff rhythm.

11:56: AJ gets a bucket within 4 seconds off a good Brendan Haywood opening tip. The Wizards often seem to get the quick early basket.

10:30: Prince 3....Butler doesn't recover from a screen fast enough....nagging injuries prevent nimbleness.

Arli$$...or Robert Wuhl, is in the booth at the Nationals game. Don't worry, the volume is down. But Arli$$ the show, aside from pro athlete cameos and the relatively attractive Asian, was rather mediocre. I won't call it flat-out terrible, but it lacked a kick.

8:47: Beautiful follow tip by Jamison is succeeded by a Rasheed Wallace trey, 9-9 game. Some slashing gets tempers flared in the Caps game as DC holds the 2-1 lead over Philly with 10 left in the 2nd -- Caps get a power play out of it.

A timeout occurs at 5:53 with the Wizards up 12-9. While the offense has been far from crisp, it has been semi-effective....considering that the Wiz have the lead. The team has benefited from the activity of Jamison and Haywood, they have 5 boards together while the Pistons have 4 as a team.

Before the Wiz can come out of the timeout, the Philly Flyers knock down two very quick goals. They are up 3-2.

5:53: Gilbert makes his entrance into the game. What does this mean for tomorrow night's match with the Sixers? Not sure....but you can read what Ivan Carter has to say about it. How 'bout I study Gilbert Arenas' shot selection?

4:53: Gil starts out by setting up Andray blatche...who quickly forgets his two-hands on the ball lesson that Kirilenko gave him long ago. He gets blocked by Ratliff when he should have finished or at least gotten the foul.

3:37: Gil gets a double dribble called against him as Detroit has ratcheted up their D since the timeout....Rasheed gives him a thanks and a pat on the head before the Pistons continue their 9-0 run on the other end.

Uh oh...the Flyers have scored again. 4-2 with 4:38 left in the 2nd period.

2:18: Meanwhile....the Pistons are increasing their offensive ball movement. Chauncey Billups three in the corner. Evidently, I missed a Gilbert 3-point attempt (and miss) on the previous possession. His only shot so far. 23-14 Detroit.

0:00: The first ends with the Tayshaun Prince missed a three that was hotly contested by our Gilbert Arenas. 23-19 Detroit is the score. The biggest issue is: Detroit has hit 2 more 3s, 2 more FTs and has doubled the Wizards up on assists, 6-3.

Quarter Dos

The Nats and Braves are still scoreless.

11:28: Gilbert misses a jumper early in the shot clock. Let's call that a bad attempt. He was open a step or so inside the 3-point line, but I'd rather open jumpers be taken more within the offense.

10:36: Arenas dribbles around and the Pistons kind of watch him....open layup, points scored. That's a good shot. 25-23 Pistons.

10:01: Gil checks out and Roger Mason AKA 'whatever' immediately fires and misses a trey. It's getting testy in the Caps game again.

9:27: Roger Mason misses another three. Not exactly the time for the Wizards to neglect the paint on offense....especially when the Pistons keep getting inside dunks.

Damn, they keep taking about DeShawn's consecutive starts at 247 (every game update from Steve Buck).....but The Prince is clean ahead at 352.

6:00: The Pistons, or their bench, seem to want it just a little bit more...I mean, they are playing just a little harder. I'm sure the Wizards want the game. But Rodney Stuckey has provided a quick 4 off the bench while Jason Maxiell is pulling down 7 points and 3 boards. 38-28 Detroit lead.

4:16: Right now, as he nails 2 FTs, Caron Butler has 6 points on 1-4 from the field. It's safe to say that he needs to assert himself in the offense a little more. 43-34 Detroit.

3:08: Haywood doesn't even bother getting in the face of Antonio McDyess as he hits that baseline shot that he nails ALL THE TIME! Scouting report BTH? 45-36 Detroit.

2:30: Pistons have to take the ball out of bounds with 1 second on the shot clock....McDyess can't get the shot off in time. A prime example of why tenths of a second are needed on the shot clock in the NBA, and college. Speaking of clocks, this is pretty damn interesting (Jason Kapono warning).

0:00: The half ends as Caron Butler limps around the court...trying to do anything and guard anyone....looks like a bum right knee. Not sure what happened, but it doesn't look promising.

The sole bright spot: the Wiz were able to fight back into the game thanks to some defense. After getting down 13, it's 47-42 Pistons. DC trails 19-17 in total rebounds but commands the 6-4 lead on offensive boards. Also in the 2nd, the Wizards nailed 7 FTs to only 2 for Detroit. Wizards bench? A whole 9 points (5 Andray, 2 Gil, 2 Songaila) -- while the Pistons bench is contributing 22 to the cause. Jamison and a "quiet" Stevenson lead with Wiz with 11 points apiece, no one for Detroit has broken double figures (Maxiell leads with 9).

In other updates....I saw goal #3, but missed #4, both by Mike Green, to tie the Caps with the Flyers at 4-4. The Nats are down 1-0 in the top of the 8th.

Quarter Tres

Caron update...he bumped knees with a dude but is back on the court.

10:13: A couple minutes into the quarter, Phil Chenier comments that Caron seems to be favoring the right leg.

GOAL CAPS! Alex O breaks his playoff cherry with aggressive D and a steal of the puck leading to a nail in the net. 5-4 lead for the Caps...very big. How 'bout it Cristobal? Can you hold down the net?

8:08: At the first timeout, the Pistons have powered their way to a 7-0 run and a 56-44 Detroit lead. Detroit has benefited from speed up the court.

MVP chants are starting at the Verizon Center.....And the Caps are able to survive the mad dash from Philly as Ovechkin gets a couple hits in contribution (ever wonder why Alex O attends so many Wizards games? His daddy's baby momma was a 2-time Olympic gold medal winner in basketball). A little more testiness between the two teams after the final horn but it's all good in the District as the Caps take the 1-0 series lead. Oh yea, the 76ers lost to the Pacers tonight as well. Nice work lovin' brothers.

6:01: Meanwhile....the Wizards are on the verge of making it ugly. Lack of proper decisiveness on offense....34% from the field doesn't help. Nick Young checks in to join Gilbert Arenas at the guard spot. Let's hope they can provide an offensive spark. Down 61-47, they need something.

Nats update: still down 1-0, but it's the top of the 9th and the Braves have the bases loaded with Gilbert Arenas' jersey number outs.

4:55: The Pistons are looking like who they are....a #2 seed and the Wizards are looking like who they are... a team which would not make the playoffs in the Western Conference. Nothing doin' as Washington has been outscored 19-6 in the 3rd, 66-49 lead for Detroit.

4:15: It's hard to believe that the Wizards have no one who can handle Jason Maxiell -- who has 16 points off the bench by the way. (uhh...Andray Blatche anyone?) Oh yea, to go along with his 4th foul (3rd in the 3rd Q) Jamison goes to the bench with 4 3rd quarter points for a total of 15.

How can it get so ugly this quick? Nick Young is taking and missing bad shots......Caron Butler can barely jump with that knee injury. At this point, I would not be surprised if both he and Gilbert say out tomorrow against the Sixers.

3:04: Richard Hamilton easy bucket....Nick Young miss....Rip baseline jumper......Buckhantz is starting to use words like "disarray" and "nightmare" - Happy Friday everyone, 75-52 Detroit.

2:06: As I find out that Cleveland lost in addition to Philly, Tayshaun Prince puts a dunk in the can. 77-52.

Quite a fancy show going on here. Need 4 Sheed is creaming in his headband right now.

0:04: Thanks to a 'who cares' Nick Young three......the deficit ain't as bad at 81-55 to end 3 quarters.

Quarter......awww efff this.

The fact that M.A.S.H. is now on DC20 means that the Nationals have lost (ends up 3-0, but I wasn't paying attention to the end). The presence of this old-tymey show also can't be a good sign for the Wizards.

10:42:...I'm still watching, but the drinking has increased, as has Jason Maxiell's continuance to drain his weasel on Wizard heads. 87-63 Detroit.

Insult on top of injury.....or is it the other way around? Regardless, DeShawn Stevenson is out for the rest of the game with a bruised tail-feather. No word if he will be dancing later.

For the hell of it: 36-16 points in the paint advantage for Detroit. That's not an advantage, that's rape.

8:51: Are you serious? Jason Maxiell continues to hit step-back jumpers like Pro-Active on Haywood's facial. Yup, he's got a career high of 20 points.

Steve Buckhantz refers to an impending Wizards loss tonight as "no harm, no foul" since Philly and the Cavs lost (but Toronto won) -- nice one, a-hole. Me to myself: angry much?

8:01: Andray Blatche just threw up the most lazy, uncalled for under-handed shot that I would be pissed if I saw at an 8th grade girls game. He then commits a silly foul and Jason Maxiell crams an emphatic dunk. What? There's still 8 minutes left in this game??

Thank god the replacements are on the floor: Mason, McGuire, Blatche, Young and Pecherov.

Wizards Sideline Bench Shot: Yup, everyone looks pretty peeved....but good ol' Gil can manage some smiles.....probably because he knows he's on TV. Am I being unfair?

Steve Buckhantz: "Like Ben Wallace, Maxiell's favorite hobby is building model cars." Tonight, he built a model turd and left it under Eddie Jordan's seat.

So the young players are in...are they working on the offense? Nope. They are working on 1-on-1 moves.

Quick Fact.....Lindsay Hunter holds an NCAA record for most 3s launched in a college game....26 against Kansas. (thanks to Stevie Buck).

3:50: The Wizards are resorting to playing grab-ass with Jason Maxiell in an attempt to keep him away from the basket.

Gilbert is signing autographs while sitting on the floor...not even the bench. What a guy.

0:52: The Jason Maxiell show continues.......Tomorrow, he is going to wake up and realize that this wasn't a dream.

On a related note (to the game ending) there is torrential rainfall in DC. I can hear women and children screaming outside of my apartment on 16th Street. 102-74 Detroit Pistons.

I auspiciously hoped for something to build upon, but I ended up with the same Wizards inconsistency. Oh well (a common quote), at least they are in the playoffs. Hopefully, the disaster tonight will lead to a much better effort tomorrow night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

nba.com stuff

Peace Shrimps.

Game 78 Preview: Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics

Welcome to the Wizards-Celtics game preview. To start......


What Happened Last Time?

Wizards Game 2 in Boston: Celtics 103-83: Gilbert talked pre-season smack then got his name chanted (a la Dar-ryl Strawberry) and booed by the playoff atmosphere in Beantown. The Kevin Garnett block on Gilbert Arenas typified the night.

Wizards Game 35 in DC: Washington 85-78: Shocker in DC! (I'm talking about a win vs. the Celtics, not the fact that the Verizon Center crowd was actually *cough* good). Caron Butler and Paul Pierce had an intense 3rd quarter battle. DeShawn Stevenson capped the game with a dunk and trash talk to the Celtics bench.

Wizards Game 36 in Boston: Washington 88-83: Shocker Part II! Tuff Juice was all over the court in the late going.....hitting a double-clutch shot AND1 to put the Wiz up one with 40 seconds left, playing insane D on Paul Pierce, hitting a scoop shot to again put the Wiz up one with 19 seconds left, rebounding a KG miss and hitting FTs to put the Wiz up 3 with 8.6 seconds left, etc., etc.....

Sincerely From Boston.

I traded emails with Jeff from CelticsBlog.com earlier today, here are the results:

TAI: Saving themselves for the playoffs, Celtics starters played about 20 minutes each in a 3 point win against the Bucks last night....but considering how Gilbert ran his mouth before the Celtics blew the Wizards out on Nov. 2 (memorialized by KG's monster block on Gil) -- and then, the Wizards (sans Arenas) swept a 2 game, 2 night, 2 city series, is there any extra motivation to win tonight's game, especially with Arenas back in the lineup?

CelticsBlog.com: This team has had its motor running all year, looking for all sorts of reasons to get motivated to play the next opponent. They took the foot off the gas in the last few games, resting starters and whatnot, but the Wizards and Hawks are the only playoff bound teams left on the schedule. So in the spirit of "gearing up for the playoffs" I think we'll see an increased effort to win this game. And yes, I'm sure a little payback for the back-to-back sweep won't hurt he motivation.

TAI: As a Celtics blogger, who would you rather your team face in the first round?

CelticsBlog.com: Whoever the worst team is. How about the Heat? I don't mind playing the Hawks. They have lots of budding talent, but they still have room to grow and I think our defense will make life very difficult for them. The only thing that scares me is that they might be too young to realize that they should be losing these games and actually win a few. The Raps scare me a lot more because they can penetrate and find open shooters. If the shots fall, they can beat anyone.

TAI: Celtics Glue Guy:

CelticsBlog.com: I could cheat and say it is Kevin Garnett because he absolutely changes the mindset of everyone, but I'll say James Posey. He's the kind of guy that doesn't show up in the box score much, but he's an emotional leader on the court and a top notch defensive player who finds a way to hit an occasional 3 point "dagger" (as Buckhantz might say) to shift the momentum our way.

Many thanks to Jeff, check out the CelticsBlog.com preview of tonight's game.

Other Game Bullets.

• Antawn Jamison practiced yesterday. [WashingtonWizardsBlog.com]
  
  
• AJ also participated in this morning's shoot around and his sprained shoulder is good to go (despite having trouble lifting his arm over his head on Monday). Tuff Juice and D-Song should also be good after yesterday's practice collision. [Wizards Insider]
  
  
• This 12 year old hates Soulja Boy, and perhaps DeShawn Stevenson as well. [Pantagraph.com]
  
  
• We already know that Celtic starters (much less the Big Three) were limited in Boston's win against Milwaukee last night. Also......
  
  
• "With home-court advantage throughout the playoffs already secured, Boston's big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were held out of Saturday's win at Charlotte and Coach Doc Rivers indicated that he will rely heavily on reserves in the final six games. [Washington Post]
  
  
• "If the plan is to not allow Arenas to play back-to-back nights, do you hold him back Friday night so he can play Saturday against the 76ers? Philly's press gave the Wizards fits the last time the teams met but Arenas is almost impossible to press and/or trap. He's just too quick, even now. Strategically, it would make more sense for him to play Saturday night. [Wizards Insider]
  
  
• Another Celtics Blogger wants to write blog posts like Gilbert Arenas. [Green Bandwagon]
  
  
• Check out more links. [Bullets Forever]
  
  
• Gilbert Arenas likes to hug strangers. [Gilbertology]
  
  
• Nickname Contests are all the rage. [DC Sports Bog]
  
  
• Eddie Jordan: "We're hunting for fourth," he shouted. "We ain't gonna' be hunting sitting on our [rear ends]. We've got to be aggressive. Come on." [Washington Post]

KG FT photo from flickr/terren in Virginia

Gilbert Arenas? photo from flickr/culhane

Wizards React Quotes: Packing Heat and Shooting Bull-ets

flickr/ellievanhoutte

Time for some quick react quotes from the past two Wizards games. It certainly wasn't pretty, but the Wiz were able to squeeze out dubs versus both Miami and Chicago. Considering the injuries, I've become comfortable in the fact that the Wizards can mange wins while trying to find a rhythm. These are not your father's Washington Wizards Bullets...so let's not get spoiled by four playoff appearances in a row. Even so, wins against the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls are hardly anything to write a blog post home about, or is it?

Next Up: Boston Celtics, 7pm, Wednesday April 9th. Onto to the quotes....

Miami Heat

"Last night, when the Wizards clinched their fourth straight playoff appearance with a 109-95 victory over the dreadful Miami Heat, the reaction from the crowd was the basketball equivalent of a golf clap, and players reacted with relief rather than excitement. [Washington Post]

"Wasn't easy to watch former Heat small forward Caron Butler get busy on the Heat, but it sure was easy to ponder the questions of "Why" was he let go in the first place, and "What" do we have to show for it in the aftermath? The Miami Heat got the worst of that Shaq trade in more ways than one. [Crazy from the Heat]

"Yesterday's game was nice because we won, but the casual attitude of the team really bothered me. The only thing the Heat were doing yesterday was shooting the three, and yet we did nothing to emphasize cutting off the three-point line. [Prada, Bullets Forever]

"From my seat, Gilbert Arenas played a much better all-around floor game last night than in his return Wednesday in the loss to Milwaukee. He sparked that 16-6 first quarter run by really pushing the ball in transition. He notched four of his eight assists during that span and appeared to be far more comfortable at the defensive end where he moved better and did a better job of getting over and under screens. [Wizards Insider]

"More than anything else, Gilbert's effectiveness for the rest of the season (especially if he's restricted to 20-25 minutes a game) is going to be measured by how well he creates and capitalizes on fast break opportunities. [Gilbertology]

">>The good news? Two of the next four games will not be televised in South Florida. Consider it the mercy rule. >>At least Pat Riley acknowledged Friday that he sees nothing wrong with Heat fans putting their hopes in securing the No. 1 pick in the draft. >>"If we get the No. 1 pick," he said, "we will have earned that.">>As for Friday's game, the more you see Caron Butler, the more you miss him. (Unlike the more you see Shaquille O'Neal.) [Miami Heat, SunSentinel.com]

If it seems like I show the Miami Heat 'No Country for Old Men' poster every time the Miami Heat come up, then yes, I do. If only to rub it in the face of my boy Nawaz from Miami. I always told him that renting players would lead to the downfall of his beloved Miami Heat.

Chicago Bulls

"Brendan Haywood grabbed the offensive rebound, threw down a dunk and turned to a group of heckling Chicago Bulls fans and delivered a message. "They were just talking a little bit of junk," Haywood said. "I just told them, 'Look, man, we're up 19 so just sit down and enjoy the show.'" [Washington Post]

"First of all, I would like to apologize to those of you who had to watch the Saturday game in which the Bulls let Wizards center Brendan Haywood score a career-high 25 points for a 99-87 Bulls loss. It wasn’t even that close. I watched in disbelief as a team with Antwan Jamison and Gilbert Arenas on the sideline, just simply outplayed them. [Bull Riding]

"Am I the only one that thinks Brendan was thinking about this while he was going for 25 and 10 last night? Granted. all the key players from that tussle are gone, but still. [