Heat Is Off

Nothing like League Pass on a Sunday Afternoon. Football? What’s that?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know the Miami Heat have been in trouble. Basically they have dug themselves a nasty hole that they might not have enough to climb out of. It’s gotten so bad they want Luke Jackson. I think that would be a great move, but going back to the archives my post defending Luke Jackson didn’t go over so well. Simply put the Miami Heat cannot finish games and watching them its obvious why. If you look at their losses there are at least 5 or 6 of those games that they should have won but just blew at the end. As I watch them play this afternoon at the Clippers right now…they just do some absolutely brain dead things. Seriously it is almost as if they have ‘Good Heat’ and ‘Bad Heat’ and those two teams just switch on and off. On their runs they move the ball around, make the right cuts and score easily. They throw it into Shaq or let D-Wade penetrate. But then there is D-Wade penetrating and turning the ball over, or Ricky Davis forcing up a three off of one pass or Shaq misreading the double team. Basketball 101 tells you turnovers and bad shots lead to easy buckets for the opposition. Especially when your transition defense isn’t much to sniff at in the first place. I mean I just watched their 68-53 lead diminish to 90-80 diminish to 90-87 thanks to two D-Wade turnovers (let to two layups), a terrible Ricky Davis three point shot (led to a three pointer by Tim Thomas). I mean they are almost the definition of a team that beats themselves and by the time they right the ship it could be too late. But who am I kidding the East is so wide open you never know.

Here’s a reason why you can’t cut them out…even though they blew a lead and the Clippers house was rocking they found a way to win. Most “terrible” teams don’t find a way to win those road games when they’ve blown big leads. Even though the Clippers missed about 4 point blank layups. But I disgress.

Up next is the Blazers hosthing the Bucks…I’ll periodically be in and out with some thoughts in between watching this and the Patriots/Steelers game. Does anyone else remember when Milwaukee was undefeated at home, had just beaten Dallas and were 7-4? Yeah me neither. They’ve gone 1-6 since then and have gotten pretty beat up on their West Coast road swing. Blazers meanwhile are looking for their third win a row to keep their mojo going. To borrow a line from Coup, Outlaw should have confidence for a month after the game-winner and that dunk on Thursday night. They can’t let Michael Redd get going though, I’m not sure exactly whose going to guard him.

Rebecca Haarlow makes my brain hurt.

Blazers just saw a 17-3 run snapped by a couple Michael Redd free throws but the Blazers are up 38-29 in the early part of the second. James Jones and his three point shot are making a much bigger difference. Martell Webster is still slumping, Travis Outlaw is just oozing confidence, Mike Barrett and Mike Rice still are too ‘homey’ for my interests and Redd is stalled early. The bench have given a big lift with 6 from Frye and Jones and 5 from Outlaw. I will say this about Yi…he just looks good. And not like in the physical department, just his game looks good. If he walked into a gym where you were about to play pickup and you watched him dribble and shoot a couple shots you’d think he was really good. You all know if you played pickup that happens. He’s clanged a couple open mid-range jumpers but he shot them they looked money. I’m telling you, he is going to be something down the line.

Other game that’s on right now are the Pistons and the Bobcats. The less I say the better. This should tell you everything you need to know about the score and the game in general. Charlotte’s leading scorers are Othella Harrington, Ryan Hollins and Jeff McInnis. You tell me if they are winning.

Back…Blazers down 91-88 with 8 left in the 4th quarter. About the only complaint you can have as a Blazer fan is the 15 turnovers and the 13 offensive rebounds the Bucks have…the rest is coming down to defense. We’ve done a job of somewhat containing Redd so far (11 pts, 3/13 shooting) but Blake and co. have been torched by Mo Williams (31 pts, 12/17 shooting). Otherwise you have Roy with a super effective 20 (9/10 from the field), Aldridge with 18 (8/12) and Travis with 15. I like how Outlaw oozes with confidence he’s pretty much our third guy now. The winner of this game is going to be the team that can get the big stops…and neither of these teams are known for that. Blazers have got to lock in they’ve already given up 17 fourth quarter points in less than six minutes..that’s not going to get it done.

Nice lineup here by Nate with Aldridge surrounded by Jones, Webster, Blake and Roy. You could double off of Blake but he can hit an open three or he’ll penetrate and get it to someone else.

Jones pays dividends as we looked very Utah ish on a pick and roll. Milwaukee sucked in to stop Blake’s drive and Aldridge and Jones was wide open. I feel like he hasn’t missed this week.

97-97 with 3:39…who wants it more? Nate just took Aldridge out to put Outlaw in. So we’ve got Outlaw, Jones, Webster, Roy and Blake. We are about to get punished or we’re blowing by Bogut and Villanueva. It’s like a semi-crappier version of the Warriors. I don’t trust Outlaw like I would Harrington.

The answer….punished. Redd spun off of Jones and with zero inside presence got an easy layup. Up 101-97 with 3 minutes left. Yikes, Nate.

Aldridge is back in but the Blazers are still cold as Jones finally misses. 2:29 left and the Blazers are down six.

Steve Blake three with 1:15 cuts the lead to 103-101 as Milwaukee has missed their chances for daggers. Bogut delivers with a left handed jump hook…the one guy you would want to take that shot and he makes it. 105-101 Milwaukee with 52 left.

Roy draws the foul and knocks in two free throws to cut it to 105-103. We…need….a…..stop. Steve Blake draws the offensive foul on Mo Williams.

Roy sucks the Bucks defense in and kicks to Steve Blake in the corner…threeball? Misses. Aldridge gets the board and gets fouled by Andrew Bogut. To say the Bucks were upset would be an understatement. I don’t think I’ve ever seen all five players jump and down like that at the same time I bet the bench did too. Aldridge knocks down two free throws to tie the game at 105.

By the way I’m highly upset the ‘Vengabus is coming’ was playing during that timeout. They couldn’t have played a classic arena pump up song? Sheesh. I smell a Michael Redd or Mo Williams passing to Bogut or Villanueva for a big time layup or some sort. Swear if Royal Ivey makes something to beat us I’ll vomit.

Mo Williams comes off the pick and roll…dribbles….dribbles…takes a pull-up three and misses. Remind me to put that on the ‘Worst plays to try and win a game’ DVD.