So okay, there is going to be a post today. The perks of not having class on Friday I guess. Every weekend is a three day weekend. Hooray for me. Only two games on last night because it was Thursday night and TNT had the games. The Suns, who have been struggling pretty well of late because they were playing even less defense than usual, beat the Pacers on the night Reggie Miller got his number retired. A very deserving honor.
A lot of people hate Reggie Miller. I think the majority of those people are either Knicks, Bulls, or now Pistons fans. I never really had a problem with him. For a long time I thought he was overrated. I'll I ever saw him do was hit threes. That was until I saw his all-time rankings for some of his career numbers. First all-time in threes made, twelfth all-time in total points, seventh in free throw percentage for a career, and sixth in total minutes. Just to name a few.
Obviously those are Hall of Fame numbers. But what he did in the clutch, what isn't measured as well by stats, was what he did the best. The most memorable coming against the Knicks in game one of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi's when he scored eight points in about 8.9 seconds to give the Pacers the win. At the time I didn't think it would be, but that was one of those moments for me that I'll never forget where I was. I think I was only about eight years old at the time, and my neighbors across the street had it on. I sat down and watched it. I can't remember a single thing from that game, hell, I don't think I can remember a single thing from that summer, but I sure remember that. And I didn't even really care who won that game. I wasn't a Knicks or Pacers fan, I didn't even root for anybody in the Eastern Conference, I was a Spurs fan. But I'll never forget that moment.
In the second game last night, my Spurs picked apart the Lakers 96-85, but as with a lot of Spurs games, the game wasn't as close as the score makes it seem. The Spurs used a 19-2 run at the end of the third to blow it open and cruised through fourth for the win. I know Tim Duncan has been unhealthy for most of the year, but he looked great in the second half, going 7-9 from the field. Which makes me feel very comfortable that he'll be able to control games in the playoffs. With the Spurs winning and the Dallas loss the night before, the Spurs move two games up on the Mavs for the top seed in the west.
Kobe(or 8 or Mamba or Bean or whatever the hell he wants himself to be called) had 23 points and, despite outscoring everyone on the Spurs, had a down game. Much of that can be credited to Bruce Bowen, probably the best one on one defender in the league. The loss decreases the Lakers lead on the seventh spot in the west to 1.5 games over the Kings.
The Final Four is on Saturday night, so make sure you watch. I'll be watching some D-League basketball this weekend, so I should have notes or thoughts or something on Monday. Catch you all then.
