When you are with a group of guys watching an NBA playoff game of your favorite hometown team, the biggest cheers shouldn’t come from watching the final minutes of a hockey game. But that’s exactly what happened last night. Pathetic. Awful. Horrible. Gross. And that doesn’t even begin to describe how bad the Cavs played last night.
The low point of the night came midway through the third quarter. The Cavs missed a shot, got the rebound, missed a shot, got the rebound, missed a shot, got the rebound and then finally turned the ball over. That’s how the night went. After that series of Washington General type plays, we switched the TV over to Verses (don’t ask me how we found it or what channel but we did it) to watch some NHL hockey. It was Colorado verse Detroit. Now this is a rivalry. We watched the final eight minutes of the game with much more pleasure than anything the Cavs could/were giving us. The loudest cheer (or groan in my case) came with four seconds left when Colorado had a great chance to tie the game but Chris Osgood made the game winning save.
It was what a playoff game should be; an intense, hard fought, close game that goes to the wire and is decided on one great play by a great player. (Did I use great enough?) Or, you know, everything Game 3 between the Cavs and Wizards wasn’t.
I’ve never been so bored with playoff game. It was ridiculous. How could the Cavs not be ready to play? They had a chance to put the Wizards out and instead they gave them all the momentum in the world. The Cavs had 23 turnovers. High school girls teams don’t even have that many! The Wizards didn’t play good until the second half when the Cleveland basically gave them the game. I know the second quarter and the 11-2 run the Wizards made pushed the game to 18 and, in all intent purposes, ended the game, but it was the first quarter that set the tone. Washington was playing just as bad as Cleveland but the Cavs refused to take advantage. The Wizards looked just as out of and didn’t seem to want the game either but after the Cavs kept putting it out there for them the finally said “Sure, we’ll take it, I guess. I mean, if you don’t want it.”
I knew it would be a long/bad night on this play; Washington just scored, Wallace inbound the ball to LeBron because West is being denied. Instead of bringing the ball up the floor, LBJ throws it right back to Wallace. Wallace, was not ready for it, and why should he be, he’s the worst ball handler on the floor and he just gave the ball to the best player in the NBA. The ball bounces off Wallace’s chest and the Wizards get a turnover and score. That about did it. From that play on, nothing should have surprised me but the horribleness of the Cavs seemed to get horriblier and horriblier from then on. Did you know besides the fourth quarter when the game was over, the third quarter was the Cavs most productive offensively? It seemed like the only scored 4 points a quarter. OK, I’m sick enough thinking about that game.
Game 4. I have no idea what to expect. I want to say the Cavs will be pissed and come out, play with a purpose and dominate the game. But I don’t know if they will. I can say, however, they’ll play better, but that’s only because its physically impossible to play worse. I’m also not a big fan of the Sunday 1:00 tip-off but I guess I can use it as an excuse to get away from normal family Sunday stuff so that will work. I trust LBJ to come back with something to prove. I’ll say the Cavs win by 2.
Oh, I hate Stevenson more than Raseed now.
Soulja Boy should die.
Who ever that was in the white jacket standing up whenever LeBron was near him should have been shot by the DC sniper. Where is a good criminal when you need one?
The Washington crowd was as bad as the Cavs played. Quiet, except for booing LBJ. Way to be original.
BILLY should have played sooner.
Wallace should have played less.
Where did Wally go for the whole second quarter?
Dick Stockton is bad.
Mike Fratello should no longer be called the Czar.
When you are wanting Austin Carr, you know those last two statements are true.
Cliff Lee for Cy Young.
Fratello
