An important win for a variety of reasons

Hey, Cathal? Sorry.

(Tee-hee)

Overtime one night, buzzer-beater the next night after a boring game-day drive from Miami to Orlando and I think you told me you had an early flight back.

Hope you got to the $1.50-a-pint-of-Yeungling pizza place on Semoran to decompress.

I owe you.

Anyway …

-

THREE POINTERS

No, it wasn’t great

That was without doubt a clutch shot by DeRozan to win it at the buzzer, fading away in the left corner, high-arcing toss over two defenders that got nothing but net.

Clutch, no question.

But good?

Probably not.

I don’t know if it will imbue him with a sense of confidence – and maybe that’s why he’d been somewhat ordinary the past three or four games – but I will tell you this:

When he drifted to the corner, I guarantee there was some hemming and hawing on the bench; they’d much rather he’d stopped, spun and gone down the lane.

But it was a helluva shot and coming at the end of a 14-point quarter in a tight game under tough circumstances on the road, maybe just what he needed to really kickstart a run of good games.

After all the failings these guys have had late in games this year, it was kind of nice to see one go their way, even if it wasn’t exactly what they wanted.

Did you miss it?

-

A solid assessment

So, I’m stealing this line for Cathal’s gamer (yeah, I owe you more) but it’s Dwane and he hit the nail right on the head:

“Everybody’s questioned our toughness. Anybody who doesn’t feel like we’re in this to win it, they’re totally wrong.”

That was without a doubt a less mentally tough team would have spit up – and these guys may have folded a bit earlier in year, now that I think of it.

Tough emotional loss the night before, a rested opponent at home they’d beaten three times already this season (and it’s difficult to beat any team four times in one season) and they hung in.

I’m not all that big on day-to-day momentum, I don’t think it carries over a lot, games come and games go and you just go out and play.

But confidence is another thing entirely and hanging in when Orlando made that fourth quarter run, getting the lead back and then winning like that has to help, doesn’t it?

-

Oh oh

Yeah, the quotes from Amir Johnson (they’re down the bottom of Cathal’s gamer here) about yet another rolled ankle are troubling, for sure.

I can’t tell you how impressed I am with that kid’s ability and willingness to play through pain and he did it again last night.

I know his teammates notice and hopefully it gets in their heads a bit because if Johnson can go out there and fight through stuff, they should, too.

I’m not saying anyone needs to rush back – the medical people still have to clear them and their opinion is the one that counts – but if someone gets banged up in a game, they need to look down at Johnson and just keep playing.

-

More? There’s always room for more, right?

-

Robbie Burns Day?

Right, it is.

(You know he wrote Auld Lang Syne, right?)

And, no, haggis is not a good bar food.

But this is pretty good music and all the McAteer and Barr ancestors from Glasgow and Edinburgh will be looking down fondly on me today.

-

So, Super Son and I are on the stools about to tuck into a plate of delicious chili-covered nachos (hello, Jack Astor’s at Square One!) and watch the first half of the game when it strikes me:

Best bar food for watching sports?

Well, if I had my druthers, it’d go …

Nachos

Lots of cheese fully melted (nothing worse than the bottom of the plate and congealed cheese) with beef or chili. No chicken and whoever thought of vegetable nachos doesn’t get the whole idea of bar food.

Wings.

I prefer hot over mild, dry over saucy with as many drumsticks as you can get.

Stumpy used to order them dry with the sauce on the side and I guess I can live with that.

Irish nachos

See above, only substitute potatoes for tortilla chips; the ones at The Kells in Portland were particularly good.

Pizza

Pepperoni and hot sausage, please. If you have to do mushrooms, I can live with it.

Fries

I know, a tad boring.

But hot, fresh, lightly salted and peppered, not cold and taken from some bin where they’ve been sitting for 40 minutes.

Deep fried brown things

Mozzarella, jalapenos, mushrooms, doesn’t really matter, does it.

Veggies and dip

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Fooled you, didn’t I?

-

Football picks this week, since I nailed all those playoff games?

AFC over NFC.

And if any of you dare to watch even a second of the NFL’s Pro Bowl, we’re going to have issues.

It is, without question, the worst “all-star” game of any professional sport. No debate.

-

Hmm, let’s see:

Me, East all-star reserves

Holiday, Irving, George, Noah, Chandler, West, Horford.

Coaches, East all-star reserves

Holiday, Irving, George, Noah, Chandler, Deng, Bosh.

Deng and Bosh over West and Horford? I guess, but I still like West better but can’t really argue.

Me, West all-star reserves

Westbrook, Harden, Aldridge, Duncan, Curry, Marc Gasol, Ibaka

Coaches, West all-star reserves

Westbrook, Harden, Aldridge, Duncan, Lee, Parker, Randolph.

Hmm. No Stephen Curry but David Lee? Okay, that’s a bit tough to take for me but Parker and Randolph over Gasol and Ibaka I can live with.

But even if I got some of them wrong, Nothin’ But Net’s awards are bang on, trust me.

-

We’re in the process of switching over our mail system for the weekly mail so I’m not sure what’s going to work when.

And I could use a few more questions because after the haircut today, there’s time to work.

The old usual way might still be operational (and you know how I love to hear from you) and supposedly a new e-mail (askdoug@thestar.ca) is up and running. I can’t access it yet but that should get worked out this morning.

Thanks for your patience.

-

One last little thing.

I think they absolutely nailed the Pelicans logo; it's got some weird tinge of voo-doo to it, don't you think?

Can't wait to get there next season and see the stuffed animal they come up with.

 

 

Comments

[gdr]

Doug, try deep fried dill pickles if you ever get the chance. Probably the best thing I've ever eaten with a batter then deep fried!

[jc]

but he went left!!! :)

[dean]

I have googled and looked, and there truly are not that many last second buzzer beaters for the Raptors in thier entire history !!! I will take this one for sure as we are usually on the other end of that heartbreak.

I watched that reply ten times and still for the life of me cannot fathom what the inbound play call was......surely it wasn't run all the way to left side of court and heave a prayer? Seems odd that this many professional players cannot grasp the art of the inbounds play. Hope this is a focus during all the free time between games in the next couple weeks.

[Matthieu]

@dean: not many sure but this one was incredible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5bqF4VDSx4

[Colin K]

@dean. Agreed. Although if an opposing team defends your play, which they are apt to do from time to time, then you gotta make the best of it. Not saying that was the best play (80% of the time that shot doesn't go in), but Orlando defended well enough to disrupt whatever the call was.

[Tim H.]

Not a bar food, Doug, but have you ever tried deep-fried Oreos?

[Rob.V]

Deep fried brown things was good, however I almost spit up reading "veggies". Another Classic!
-
Pelican's logo gets two thumbs up here, as does a name change back to the Hornets, it just seems right.
-
Last night was a great learning experience for this team. Specifically Ross I would think. To be on the the floor late in the game for starters, then to give up the four point play, only to be bailed out by DeMar. It's like, okay we've got that one out of the way Terrance, now we can move on... and we can assume that he won't make that mistake again. Yep, these kids grow up fast!
-
Maybe she's well known to others however I had never heard of this cat Eddi Reader. Anyway, I think it's cool to play music that you wouldn't normally get other places, sort of like the Stern show. I'm not sure if this is a suggestion for future or simply a comment however I think the more obscure the music, the better. It might work really well here, and why this place is that much more different than others.

[nasko]

Doug,
Mexican style nachos are my favourite. Tortilla chips, refried beans, jalapeno peppers, some lettuce and tomato and a ton of jack cheese, served with some salsa and guacamole. Beets any other nachos I've had.

When Demar was shooting, I was screaming, "Why is he fading?", then the shot went in :) On replay though, it shows that Orlando had closed the lane pretty well. I think the Magic defended it great, but luck was on our side for once.
Cheers

[Mike D.]

Pay a visit to The Tilted Kilt on the Esplanade and you may change your mind about haggis as bar food. I have no idea whether haggis is actually on the menu, but I know I'd try one if any of their comely kilt-clad female servers recommended it.

[elapsed time until @Lorie counter-posts with a comment about weak-minded men: 10....9....8.....]

[Serge]

Hey Doug, not sure if this has ever been brought up and might sound crazy, but since the Lakers aren't working out with Howard and we are shopping to trade Bargnani, any chance of a trade here? Perhaps include another player with Bargnani? What are your thoughts here?

Blogger's note: Sorry, no thoughts

[Geoff Read]

Doug, you've betrayed us all as Canadians by not listing "Poutine" on your top watching sports at the bar food list. It is bloody amazing: thank you Quebec. For the Americans who read this blog and don't know what poutine is, find out immediately and you won't regret it.

One thing I like about the NBA all-star game is they don't insist on every team having a representative in the game so the guys who actually deserve to be there get picked, unlike the NHL where there are always a few picks that make you shake your head.

In honour of Robbie Burns Day, Doug, who is your favourite Scotsman of all time? I don't really have one, but as a historian I'll venture that Adam Smith might be the most influential Scotsman in history.

Blogger's note: That's the economist, right? He sure would be. Guess I can't say Sean Connery? How about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

[Sharkey]

It's my nostalgia for my 90s childhood talking, but if the Hornets name returns to Charlotte it just won't be right unless they are wearing teal with purple pinstripes. It's only right for the Hornets.

They really did do a good job on the Pelicans logo though. My only complaint would be the generic red and blue colour scheme. It's like the Raptors with the red/black, so many teams in so many sports use red/blue or red/black it's very repetitive. I'd like to see more originality in team colours.

[Geoff Read]

Smith is indeed the economist/philosopher. Sean Connery's a good pick - anyone who pioneered the James Bond role deserves some respect. But kudos on the Arthur Conan Doyle pick - I didn't even know he was Scottish. Great choice.

[David in Oakville]

Good Morning Doug,

Damn it Doug, where are the pickled eggs? (Slice the egg in half, pinch of salt, dash of Tobasco.. heaven in a single bite or two if you are genteel by nature)

I like that Nachos are at the top of the list but you have to admit that nachos are the one item that more bars and pubs make a mess of and disrespect. Most Nachos on most bar menus do not deserve to be called Nachos. It is so hard to find Nachos done well! Now in Oakville, there is an Irish bar, O'Finns Irish Temper, that does nachos with parsnip chips... clever and delicious.
+
That pelican sure does not look like the friendly bird I remember from my childhood. Really like the logo!
+
Missed the game on TV but caught it on the radio. E. Smith and Mr. Jones hit just the right note with the desperation and shock and awe of DeMar's shot. How could that fourth quarter and DeMar's clutch shot not boost their confidence.

GO RAPS!

Blogger's note: Pickled eggs are of a bygone era

[LeeZ]

I'm a little late with this, but life has gotten in the way of me watching the Raptors in real time lately. I heard last night, when I turned on the replayed broadcast to tape it, that the reason DC didn't play Ed more than 25 minutes the night before was, get this, because he wanted to space out the minutes in view of the back to back so that he wouldn't be tired.
This is putrid, pathetic reasoning on SO many levels.
1) Davis is, what, 22 years old? I think he can handle playing 35 minutes back to back.
2) The minutes against Miami were easy minutes. No massive bigs to contend with. And Orlando doesn't exactly have Shaquile in the paint either)
3) The Raps were playing Miami to a standstill. Giving as good as they got. With a real chance to beat them. On Miami's home court. An INCREDIBLE, morale-boosting win, it would have been. A season-changer. The stuff that real progress is made of and built upon. So you sit arguably your best big for 10 minutes more than you normally would, and maybe even 15 when you factor in that it went to O.T.??? And Aaron Gray gets burn while Ed sits????
No, it's total bs. Casey didn't sit him to manage his minutes in back to backs. He sat him because he fell in love with his small lineup and pretty much forgot about Ed. INEXCUSABLE. Just grow a pair and admit that you screwed up. I like Casey, I think he's really improved the defence on this team, but he had better improve his roster use and substitution pattern or he's gonna lose the locker room. Sorry for the rant.

[Rob]

That pelicans logo looks good. Looks like it belongs on the tank of a mean motorbike. Can't wait to see their mascot next year. Interesting to see if they go for the tough, mean look, or a playful dorky one. Although i have hard time envisioning a tough looking guy wearing a pelican suit.

[JHK]

Bad shot that went in luckly and we'll take it - but I guarantee that is an air ball or brick 9 out of 10 times...
But shots like those are what separates the regular NBA'ers and star players... just not sure if DD is a star yet.
If he can do it one more time before the season ends... we might have something special here.

[DMcG]

@LeeZ

I know what Casey said, but maybe he just doesn't want to throw Ed under the bus to the media.
-
The Miami game isn't the only one that Ed hasn't played down the stretch. In fact it's been quite common lately, and based on my observations of his play, my guess is that it's because Ed is still having too many breakdowns on the defensive end, where you often see him bouncing around (the energy is there) on the spot, looking confused as to where he should be, then not getting there fast enough.
-
Yes, the small line-up dictates only one big out there, but it's always Amir, wonky ankle and all, because he does a far better job on D than Ed. Gray was a curious move, but they at least held serve when he was in there. Not so, from the moment Ed went in.
-
I'm no expert, but that's what I see.

[Ren]

The Pelicans logo is outstanding.
Thank goodness for a franchise that wishes to support the region it plays in.
Go Rap..?

[Mike kovacs]

Blogger's note: Sorry, no thoughts

Doug I never considered you as being thoughtless!

Blogger's note: I have my moments, just ask Super Wife

[GM]

What a horrible shot that just happened to go in and turn into a great shot. I hope he doesn't try to take every potential game-winner now that one's gone in. I know the last game-winner was from TJ Ford, but there was one right around that time (possibly the same road trip -- against Portland maybe?) that I thought was the best. Not the sexiest, but most solid. Ford drove, drew in some defenders, then passed out to the right baseline to a wide open Bargnani who hit the game winner. I much prefer that kind of play. If hero ball works so well in late-game situations, you'd think they'd do it all game long. But it doesn't.

Here's my wish: Vancouver gets a new team and along with it the Hornets name. It's got history here. Back in the 1940s, Vancouver had a team in the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League named the Vancouver Hornets. Here's the proof: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast_Professional_Basketball_League

Blogger's note: I believe in that same game in Portland, Toronto had a game-winner by Garbo waived off because it came after the buzzer? And the Bargnani basket was in overtime? Or am I confusing two games?

[james]

Is there a better basketball rush than a buzzer-beater? They were certainly overdue to have one of those things to go in.
To the bar foods list I will add another deep-fried brown substance, calamari.
To the list of Scotsmen I nominate the restauranteur Lord Macdonald, hereditary Lord of the Isles, who much to his amusement once found himself being sued for copyright infringement by a certain US-based fast food colossus over his family's centuries-old good name (full disclosure: I am one of his vassals on my mother's side). For Burns day, a tune from a Scottish band fronted by my favourite Scotswoman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCdneDxFRYQ

[Jim Rootham]

You would think DeMar thinks his name is Morris Peterson on that shot.

[GU]

Doug, I can't recall your stance on video replay but what are your thoughts on each team having one video replay request per half - similar to what they have in tennis. If video replay shows that they were right, they keep the request, if wrong, they lose it but it doesn't carry over into the 2nd half. Objections can be restricted to specific calls like goaltending where they would have afffected the end score.

Don't have numbers to prove it but It seems that many missed calls in the 1st half and especially 2nd half have had effects on the outcome of the game.
Thoughts?

Blogger's note: I'm okay with how the replay system works

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Amir Johnson is a three-legged dog running on fumes. And he just keeps bringing it. The Hammer (aka Clawhead) is tougher than nails. He's AD, Jr. Gold, Jerry, pure gold.
Like the Pelican a lot! If I'd known there was a CFL name contest in Ottawa (fellow Ottawattians, was there one?), I'd have gone with Ambassadors. Or the Ottawa Otters. Cute, loveable and adorable graphics and Chicken possibilities there.
Oh, and next time you get across the pond, to the Isles, try the eel as bar food. Hey, trust me. Just do it.
Cheers. Go Raps!