Finally, the usual stuff; hope it was worth the wait

Yeah, well, what’s that thing about best intentions …

Tried to get this done at O’Hare a few hours ago but the wireless system was on the fritz or something. Not sure it’s worth the wait but …

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THREE POINTERS

Not even a record night

So, we’re into the third quarter and we’re watching the free throws and the HOTH haven’t made one and everyone’s wondering if any team on NBA history has ever gone an entire game without making a foul shot.

Pshaw!

Sure they have. And I was there.

It was in the old Charlotte Arena, back in 1996 and the Raptors were pretty bad. When 0-3 from the line, I think Darrell Walker snapped after the game and it’s just one of the Moments In History that stay with you.

Not only was Dwane unimpressed with the one make – Kleiza kept ‘em from tying the record but, of course missed the second – the 1-for-7 night rankled, too.

“One for seven? We have to do a better job of shooting free throws, I know it’s gone south the last couple of games but that is something we can control, is making sure we make our free throws.”

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What’s not to like?

From all reports, and from a short personal history gleaned in regular season games and a bit of Chicago-Miami in the playoffs last yare, Derrick Rose is a guy who gets it.

Great player, great guy, suitably humble and truly concerned with overall team success. His skills, as we saw last night, are off the charts, it seems like he sits back and waits to see what the game needs and then does it with ease.

So there’s that; there’s also what Casey sees, what we all see, and if Dwane feels this way about the kind of kids he feels are good ones, I hope Bryan gets him one to coach.

“I love his game, I think he represents everything the NBA should be about, how he carries himself and how he plays … I can’t say enough good things about him.”

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Oh yeah, back to free throws

Elias Sports Bureau is one of the all-time great things ever invented and the guys and gals who work there are spectacular.

Anything you want to know, stats-wise, they can find out, and in a hurry. A call or an e-mail and you can find out, say, a team’s record on Tuesday nights in February in road games during which they’ve trailed by double digits. Want to know how many times a guy scored 20 or more points while taking 20 or more shots? Gotcha.

Well, the Raptors and Bulls stumped ‘em.

After watching both teams go 0-for-3 from the free throw line, the crack staffs of the Raptors and Bulls were asked to find out when the last time two NBA teams went a half without making a foul shot.

The answer? Well, a long time ago is about the best we can do.

As far as Elias knows, it’s been more than a decade since that happened, even if they don’t know the specific date, and it gives you one reason to remember a rather forgettable game, doesn’t it?

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And …

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Hmm.

Arrive at Marriott Marquis to find lower level of the lobby teeming with people and booths and all sorts of goings-on.

Ask kindly Desk Lady what’s up:

“Oh, it’s a Bridal Fair. Biggest in Georgia.”

Hmm.

Where’s stool?

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Guess we had one of those “instant classics” yesterday from San Fran?

Think you know I like these things to stand the test of time and, I would surmise, that when they go to show that game and tagged it a “classic” in five years, everyone will fast-forward through the first 56 minutes.

Sorry, good game, great finish, classic is a stretch.

Besides, a guy picks the Saints and remains a tad bitter but, wow, the Tebow thing sure died a quick death, no?

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Okay, so it’s not Ray Charles, for sure; and it’s not Charley Daniels, that’s for certain; but …

Oh, and this is from a guy who once here Gladys (sans Pips) do a New Year’s Eve show in the Washington arena and you haven’t lived a sad life until you’ve been in the Verizon Centre with the clock approaching midnight with a party going on and you’re tying a story about Darrell Walker saying Tracy McGrady better shape up or he’d be out of the league in three years.

Oh, the fun we’ve had.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[doug]

this whole "honouring" the troops thing makes me wanna puke, literally and figuratively, it's like if you speak out against them or anything anti-war your being unpatriotic, what a load of crap, ( watch Vietnam in HD on the history channel to get a true perspective,using military personnel as political props or a marketing ploy is to me the most disgusting thing going), instead of using them as props maybe a political party or company like the Leafs (should donate their royalties from those uni's) should should try giving them decent pay, medical coverage, pensions after the fact, that said those uni's sum up my feelings on the whole thing.....Rose is one of the Top 3 players in the NBA to me, Kobe,Wade and Rose are on my short-list, someone just needs to tell the Heat to quit reading the hype they have a great player on their roster, his name just isn't James....isn't a classic defined by a minute or a single play?, tell me how many classics have been a game long experience??...the Dwight catch, the Franco miracle bounce, Jordan hitting a buzzer beater, Gretzky-Lemieux, the Henderson goal. etc...are all moments , best game long classic I can think of is the Habs/Russian New years Eve game 1975, 3-3 tie and probably best overall game ever played....

[m]

@doug Great post regarding both the "honouring" the troops and the greatest hockey game ever played.

[Charles]

Gladys' fine and all, but...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKKKLrRKPpg

[Hope Caper]

Thanks Doug. Enjoy the Georgia experience.

[Mike D.]

Any word on JJ? It was a shame to see him turn his ankle just as he was finally starting to find his jump shot.

Blogger's note: None; no major damage and is, shockingly, "day-to-day" Will know more about 2 p.m.