The Night Watch

This is the corny name you get for my thoughts on the night’s action until I think of a new one. Or maybe this will stick…probably not it sounds like a bad Cinemax movie. You know like ‘Desperate Desires’ or “Necessary Secrets’. The kind you can’t watch until you know your parents were asleep. Night Watch definitely sounds like it involves cops, some sort of death, strippers, mystery and a blonde with boobs. Maybe I should be coming up with names for late-night Cinemax movies instead of talking about basketball.

Nah.

Houston 94, Washington 69

I guess no one told Houston they were supposed to start sucking. That or they just haven’t gotten the memo yet. Up 51-26 at halftime and they never looked back. I would attribute this result more to the combination of the Wizards letting down after last night’s big win AND the rest of the Rockets playing with a chip on their shoulder. That tends to happen when everyone talks about how dead your season is all day. I mean even if you don’t study, if someone calls you stupid all day you’re gonna try really hard to shut them up. That’s just me though. Either way the 08 year minus Yao is at least off to a good start.

In Houston all eyes are on Luis Scola and Carl Landry who have got to get REAL beasty inside. For the Wizards….guys just didn’t show up. Nick Young and Oleksiy Pecherov scored more points than every starter not named Antawn. That definitely doesn’t equal a W.

Milwaukee 105, Cleveland 102

Well let’s tear down those Eastern Conference Championship banners and hold off on the Finals T-Shirts for Cleveland. They aren’t quite there yet. Reasons #1, #2 and #3 why Milwaukee won this game: Mo freakin’ Williams. 37 points. Yikes. Reason #4 why the Cavs lost: they couldn’t stop fouling. Milwaukee went to the line 37 times, three players (Redd, Bogut, Williams) had 10 free throw attempts. That’s not how you win. Milwaukee has to be the winner for most underachieving team in the L. With the pieces they have (servicable bigs, a scorer, a PG) there is no reason they should be a) 22-35 and b) out of the playoffs in the East.

In Cleveland…the more things change, the more they stay the same. LeBron was LeBron (35 pts and at least 3 or 4 moments that just make you say wow) but the starting lineup gave him next to no help. Is that really surprising considering that LeBron was joined by Devin Brown, Big Ben and Varejao. Those are three offensive liabilites right there…Cleveland is in trouble if Big Z struggles, gets hurt or gets in foul trouble. Also for someone who was praised for the shooting he would be able to bring…Wally’s World definitely didn’t impress. Rough night: 5/18, 2/9 from the three point line. Yucky. Credit Mike Brown for telling Damon Jones to do exactly why Boobie does while he’s out.

Lakers 96, Portland 83

It’s an unfortunate free-fall but it was semi-inevitable. I feel like ever since THAT game (I’m not talking about it, you’ll have to ask) against the Lakers in LA bad things happens to Portland in Staples. So even if we had Roy and Oden I probably would have shaken my head. LA is on such a roll it isn’t even funny…and the sad part is their ceiling is unlimited seeing as how Bynum is out. Unbelievable. At least Nate is finally playing Big Joel a gang of minutes.

Phoenix 127, Memphis 113

Significance of this game….a lot of doubles. Steve Nash finally had a double-double with Shaq around (25 pts, 13 asts), Boris Diaw finally had a double-double (15 pts, 11 rebs), Shaq had another double-double (13 pts, 11 rebs) and Amare only missed…um…double shots (25 pts, 11/13 from the field). Stick with me people, I had a theme there.

Minnesota 111, Utah 100
Story of the game: Utah turned the ball over 24 times. It doesn’t matter who you are playing or what level…you can’t have that many turnovers and think you’re going to win. That’s borderline coach-talk but it’s just common sense. Utah weakness? Lack of perimeter defense. Gomes, Randy Foye and Rashad ‘people know me because I put a cupcake on the back of the rim and sat on top of a ladder, not that I was really good at North Carolina’ McCants all had 20 points.

Orlando 102, New Jersey 92

So what’s going on in the NBA?? Last night DeShawn Stevenson was a crunch-time superstar and tonight Hedo Turkoglu?? Hedo scored 17 points in the 4th quarter. That’s 8 less than the entire Nets team and 3 less than Richard Jefferson had the whole game. Can someone find where Jameer Nelson’s game went?? Please. For his sake.

Miami 107, Sacramento 86
Golden State 105, Seattle 99

Hooray to Miami finally winning a game this month. And hooray to Golden State actually winning a game without Stephen Jackson.

Oh wait…silly me they could never do that…he played. Nevermind. Although you do have to love the Austin Croshere sighting in Oakland. He scored 14 points on the night which may be more than Chris Webber has scored since joining the Warriors.

(Looked it up…Webber has scored 26 points in 6 games. I was wrong. You get no apology though Chris Webber. Not one stinkin’ crappin’ one)