What you missed while figuring out how you were going to pay for Ferris Bueller’s Ferrari…
Heat 105, Pacers 96 (OT): You wouldn’t have expected a fun finish after an ugly first half, where both teams shooting 36.1 percent. It wasn’t even about great defense, it was about bad offense. But this one does get to be entertaining at the end.
It goes to overtime and the Pacers play the percentages — Dwyane Wade is shooting 29 percent from three point range this year, you want him to take that shot, not drive the lane where he is a force of nature. Two minutes left in OT, Heat up two, and two straight trips down they entice Wade into the three. And he drains them both. Ballgame. Wade has 43. What are you going to do?
Bobcats 87, Bucks 86 (OT): Larry Brown missed a good one. He got tossed two minutes into the second quarter, apparently saying something pretty special to referee Bill Spooner after a no-call on Kurt Thomas when he set what we’ll call a veteran pick (alternately, a hip check) on Gerald Wallace that flattened him. Spooner was quick with the hook, but the best part was Brown stopping at the end of the bench to plead his case to Michael Jordan. Who sat there stone-faced.
This game was a defensive coach’s dream — two that took away every easy shot, contested everything, closed out on shooters. Kind of a purists game. So I liked it. Then with everything on the line the Bobcats made some veteran plays. Stephen Jackson created some space then drained the three that was the Bobcats final points. Then when the Bobcats had the ball at the very end — five seconds in the game but two on the 24 second clock — Raymond Felton missed the shot but Tyson Chandler made the veteran move, just tipping the ball out to teammates and killing the clock rather than grabbing the board and getting fouled.
Charlotte is going to be a tough out in the playoffs.
Bulls 95, Wizards 87: The Bulls can’t afford to lose to the Wizards at this point. They can’t really afford to lose to anyone. That motivation was enough in this one.
Rockets 119, Celtics 114 (OT) : No Shane Battier. No Kevin Martin. No Trevor Ariza. But what was left was still the scrappy, tenacious Rockets that do not give up. And Chase Budinger, who looks good when he gets minutes. Once again the Celtics had trouble with speed, specifically in the form of Aaron Brooks. When the Rockets ran, even after made baskets, they got good looks. Houston recognized this and essentially stretched their offense out to 94 feet. And when they did the Celtics looked old. Sorry Danny Ainge, they did.
Paul Pierce just cannot create his own shot like he could two years ago.
Cavaliers 93, Hawks 88: As it has been in every meeting between these teams this season, it’s basically even for three quarters, then in the clutch Cleveland has another gear — particularly on defense — that the Hawks cannot match.
That intensified defense turned the slashing Hawks into jumpshooters, and Atlanta shot 31.6 percent in the fourth. Cleveland also dominated the boards in the clutch, doing that takes away Atlanta’s vital transition game. It’s the old Pat Riley coaching axiom: rebounds = rings.
Suns 109, Pistons 94: Phoenix had won nine in a row coming in. Detroit had lost nine in a row coming in. So how did you think this was going to go?
Grizzlies 107, Hornet 96: Remember before the season, the common prediction was the Grizzlies would rack up like 2 assists per game and finish as one of the worst teams in the NBA. Missed that one. This team is pretty good and going to finish over .500 (but not be rewarded with a trip to the playoffs, because that happens in the West).
As for the game, the Grizzlies jumped out early, were up 20 and this was never really in doubt.
Spurs 112, Magic 100: Thursday night the Magic looked dominant against the Mavericks, with Dallas on the second night of a back-to-back and looking a step slow. Friday night it was the Magic’s turn. One of the best defensive teams in the land looked sluggish ad had no answers for Manu Ginobili or Tim Duncan. Although a lot of teams have had that problem over the years.
Not much to read into this, back-to-backs do that.
Warriors 128, Knicks 117: Huge night for David Lee — 35 point, 20 boards, 10 assists. He’s busting it out there. He’s alone, most of the rest of team quit. Two high paced teams that can score, this should have been more fun to watch than it was.
Lakers 106, Jazz 92: When the Lakers really defend — like they did through most of this one — they are a very good team. (They’ll defend even better when Bynum returns.) When Lamar Odom plays well, dropping 26 and 10, the Lakers are a very good team.
This was not a four quarter performance from Los Angeles, but if you’re going to dominate two quarters the first and the fourth are the ones. The Lakers keep making it hard to believe anybody in the West beats them, despite the inconsistent effort.
