Nice job by the NBA of turning these around so quickly…
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Jason Whitlock heaps praise on on Rick Carlisle for his coaching in Game 4:
He did crazy (stuff). He inserted J.J. Barea into the starting lineup. Barea has been a nightmare in the Finals. He can’t finish at the rim. He can’t knock down open perimeter shots. He left his game in the Western Conference playoffs.
Carlisle went with Barea to change his rotation and rest Shawn Marion. With Barea in the lineup, DeShawn Stevenson would come off the bench and defend Wade or LeBron James.
Carlisle also tied Peja Stojakovic to the bench. Peja left his shot in Los Angeles. The few minutes Carlisle would have wasted on Peja, he gave to Brian Cardinal. Well, at least “The Custodian” didn’t turn the ball over and escort a Heat offensive player to the rim.
The Barea and Cardinal moves didn’t really pan out. That’s fine. Down 2-1 and with Dirk sick, a coach has to try something.
And Carlisle did find minutes for Stevenson. In Dallas’ two victories, Stevenson has played a combined 48 minutes. In Dallas’ two losses, Stevenson has played 29 minutes. Stevenson played 26 minutes Tuesday. He knocked down three 3-pointers. He played solid defense on James and Wade.
Where Carlisle really made his mark Tuesday was in the fourth quarter, when he mixed in some zone defense. The Heat scored only 14 points in the final 12 minutes. The zone slowed Wade’s penetration, and it masked Nowitzki’s exhaustion.
Carlisle coached a masterpiece.
Carlisle definitely deserves some credit as Dallas came up big last night. But this is a crafty, veteran team that never gives up, and that, along with LeBron’s Houdini act, had just as much to do with the outcome.
It was funny listening to the pregame show. With the way Mike Wilbon and Jon Barry were talking, you’d think that the Mavs were blown out of Game 2 and were facing elimination. Now, a few hours later, the series is tied and the Mavs will have a chance to take a 3-2 lead at home on Thursday. That would put the Heat the position of having to win both Game 6 and Game 7, which is no easy feat, even at home.
The Mavs have showed resilience throughout the Playoffs, and on a night when their shots weren’t falling, they really turned up the defense in the fourth quarter. Miami scored just five points in the final seven minutes. Dirk Nowitzki, who was battling a fever, struggled to 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting, but Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler picked up the slack, combining for 46 points in the win.
Get ready for LeBron “shrinkage” overload, as the Heat forward went just 3-for-11 from the field for eight points. He also had eight rebounds and seven assists, but that will largely go unnoticed given the criticism he has taken for his lack of assertiveness in the clutch. The Heat are letting Dwyane Wade handle the ball down the stretch and despite his 32 points on the night, he wasn’t effective in the final seven minutes. For his part, Chris Bosh was very solid with 24 points and six rebounds.
The X-factor tonight was Chandler. He nine offensive rebounds (16 total), including three in the final 3:16 to give the Mavs extra possessions, which allowed Dallas to drain the clock further when they finally got the lead.
Terrelle Pryor has released a statement through his attorney stating that he’s done at Ohio State.
Several days ago he was pushing back on reports that he was using cars improperly through his attorney, but now he’s ending his career. It makes you wonder what else Ohio State and the NCAA has discovered during their investigation.
Last night I wrote about the absurdity of taking away championships and wins from schools like USC after the fact. Here, Pryor was suspended and was facing the potential for more penalties, and it’s appropriate to punish players going forward for their actions. It’s not appropriate to look back and punish his teammates who earned their victories on the field. Instead, as I argued last night, the school should be punished by forfeiting bowl money and TV money. It’s all about the money these days anyways . . .
UPDATE: More dirt is coming out about Pryor, with allegations being reported by ESPN that Pryor made tens of thousands of dollars signing memorabilia.
UPDATE 2: This story is going to get ugly for Ohio State. Brooks is reporting even more details about Pryor and the money he was making selling stuff.
In a Class A South Atlantic League on Monday night, Washington Nationals top prospect Bryce Harper hit a home run to right-center field, stood at home plate to admire the longball before making his way around the base paths and then blew opposing pitcher Zach Neal a kiss while trotting down the third base line.
If you only read that opening sentence, then Harper sounds like immature teenager who is only holding himself back when it comes to advancing through Washington’s minor league system. If you hear the rest of the story then…Harper sounds like an immature teenager who is only holding himself back when it comes to advancing through Washington’s minor league system.
Some fans are giving Harper a free pass because apparently Neal was the one who said something to the outfielder as he made his way around the bases. In other words, Neal provoked Harper to blow him a kiss and therefore, Harper was somewhat justified in what he did. (Never mind the fact that Neal only scolded the young outfielder because Harper stood at home plate to admire his home run.)
But whether or not you like Harper’s cockiness or are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because he’s so young, it doesn’t change the fact that actions like these will only hold him back in the long run.
Look, he’s a teenager and teenagers make poor decisions. That’s just the way it is. Let’s keep in mind that Harper is only 18 and isn’t benefiting from going off to college to mature for four-plus years. He’s been the center of attention for years now and is already a millionaire before his 21st birthday.
But the point is to see this kid play in the major leagues as soon as possible. And whether he was provoked or not, blowing kisses at an opposing pitcher doesn’t give the Nationals confidence to promote him. They’re not just looking for a star player – they want Harper to be a solid clubhouse presence as well. How can they rely on him to be a well-rounded player if they breeze him through the minors without teaching him what it’s like to be a professional ballplayer first?
Some people can take or leave baseball’s “unwritten rules.” Personally, I favor some and think others are rather ridiculous. (For example, not being able to steal when you’re up by X amount of runs in the late innings. Hey, man up and throw those runners out if you don’t want them taking a free 90 feet on you.)
But whether you’re in favor of those unwritten rules or not, it doesn’t change the fact that baseball has always been a game that polices itself. Granted, times have changed and Major League Baseball has cracked down on retaliation plays. But if Harper doesn’t cool it he’s going to find a couple of fastballs in his ribs. I’m one of the few who appreciates an athlete’s cockiness but at the end of the day, showing up a pitcher isn’t beneficial to anyone – especially for a youngster like Harper who is trying to make his way to the big show.
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