I know it has been a LONG time since my last post but after
reading Bill Simmons’ retro diary about the OKC/Spurs game 2 and most of my
friends I would discuss this with being gone for the summer I had to make my
own running diary of Game two of Heat/Celtics. Don’t expect anything consistent
going forward either. I’ll probably do some things for the next week and a half
about but expect it to fall off after that. -Tyler
NBA Running Diary Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Game 2
Eastern Conference Finals:
Let’s pick things up halfway through the 1st
quarter.
The Stiem-Roller just saw his first minutes and the Celtics
scored; coincidence, I think not. Also I hate the Celtics jerseys with the
black lettering, don’t mess with a classic. All this leads us to the under 6
time out.
5:15 left 1st quarter- Stiemsma with a dunk.
Stiem-Roller!
4:13- Greg also just picked up 3 fouls in 2 minutes; you win
some you lose some. Also how weird is Stiemsma’s last name? Not often you see 3
consecutive consonants. Also not often you see a guy have 3 fouls in the first
quarter and stay in the game.
3:16- Make that 4 fouls on Stiemsma. This does not bode well
at all for Boston. They need him in to protect the rim.
1:42- Rondo coming to play tonight just drew a foul and will
be going to the line.
:44-Rondo going to the line again and man did Mike Miller
look slow.
At the end of the first quarter 24-18 Boston ahead of Miami.
Before the game Wilbon said something about Boston having the heart of a
champion and that they would win the game because of that. It seems to me all
of that has got them a 6-point lead despite some terrible shooting by Miami.
While I hate people getting ahead of themselves when it comes to playoff
series, if that effort could only muster a 6-point lead Boston might be in some
trouble.
10:31 left in 2nd quarter- Boston has pulled away
a bit now up by 12, flying in the face of everything I just wrote
10:00- Battier hits a 3. Battier has been exactly what Miami
has needed since they formed the Big 3, a guy who can defend and hit 3 to 4
threes in a game and be content scoring around 10 points per game. He is the
definition of an X-factor player.
9:07- Haslem also slow as molasses. KG just blew by him to
give a 34-21 lead.
8:07- T on Chalmers for taunting. Give me a break. This crap
needs to end; refs need to know their role. There was a question posed on the
DP show about what sport you would like to see refs meet with the media after
each game. If I had to choose I’d probably say NBA because while I think it is
the toughest to officiate I also think it is the most poorly officiated as
well. That being said I think ALL officials should have to face the media after
each game. Coaches have to, players have to, there needs to be accountability
for these guys who love to be the center of attention on the court/field/ice
but love the anonymity off of it.
6:33 Commercial break: Just showed an ad for the NBA TV
documentary about the Dream Team. It looks epic.
6:04- Rondo
doing something he never does, hit jumpers. The guy must have seen Tony Parker
play last night and heard all the praise about how well he was playing and
wanted to show how good he is. That is the thing about the NBA right now, on
any given night any of 7 guys (Parker, Rondo, Rose, Westbrook, Paul, Nash,
Williams) can play at a level that makes you think “man, he is the best in
game” and then the next night it’ll be someone else having you say the same
thing. I would also say that less than one third of the league has a real
“need” at point guard. I could see everyone else being a guy that could be a
point man on a playoff team. The opposite is true of centers.
5:33- Allen hits a jumper and with Boston up 13 Mike Wilbon
is looking really smart right about now.
2:07- Juwan Howard sighting. Love seeing that guy on my TV.
1:54- James just hit 2 free throws. Key time for Heat to
possibly make a run at the end of the half to keep the defict to single digits
despite a great half from Rondo and the Celtics as a whole.
1:25- Chalmers right on cue with a 3 to bring the Heat
within 6.
:57.8- LeBron hits one free throw to bring the Heat within
7, the goal for Miami here has to be to cut it to a 2 possession game going
into halftime.
:27- Absolutely incredible lay-up by Wade but those are his
first and last points of the half, he’ll need to do much better in the 2nd
half, obviously. 2 points on 1-6 isn’t going to get it done.
Boston up 53-46 at the half, not the 2 possession game Miami
was shooting for but to be within 10 points at half after the half Boston had
is pretty good for the Heat. If Wade does anything in the 2nd half
and if Rondo cools off there is no reason to believe Miami can’t win this game.
Commercial at half: P-Diddy, Ciroc, Frank Sinatra and Guys
and Dolls, gotta love it.
Jeff Van Gundy just called something a “random cut.” What is
this? Does it just mean that he cut where he felt like? He just did it again.
I’m a pretty smart basketball guy and I don’t get what he’s trying to say I can
only image what the casual fan thinks of this.
11:26 left in 3rd quarter- Nice take to the rim
by Pierce followed up by a Wade miss, looks like we’re getting Game 3 against
Indiana Wade tonight.
8:10- Nice ball fake and jump shot by Haslem, Bo Ryan would
be proud. Boston up 5
7:00- Heat back within 4 on a Chalmers blow by. Bill Simmons
tweeted at half about Rondo playing all 24 minutes in the first half. We’ll
likely see the affects of that in the 2nd half.
3:41- Stiemsma back in with Miami having cut the lead to 1.
This run is why people have the Heat cruising through the series. Boston has
played really well and is still only up one at this point.
2:40- Great run by Heat as of late. Their defense has been
unreal.
2:17- For much of the past possession James was working an
Iso on the wing. I hate that. He and his team are at their best when there is
movement and passing not just standing around. That is what the Spurs do and
why they look so great.
1:35- James with a fierce block on Pierce and outlets it to
Wade who goes two on one for the “And 1” THAT is the Heat at their best. Heat
lead by 7
:48.9- Haslem with an offensive board. Haslem has come up
huge on this run for the Heat.
At the end of 3rd quarter Miami leads 81-75. Wade
had 12 points in the quarter.
9:31 left in 4th quarter- That foul by Pietrus
should be a flagrant. Made no play on the ball. That’s the stuff they need to
crack down on, not the talking stuff. Sticks and stones and the like.
8:00- Steal and lay-up by Rondo gives Boston a 1-point lead.
I checked some baseball scores and all of a sudden Boston was up, boy was that
fast.
3:00- Man I got busy at the wrong time. Boston up 5 time to
focus in. Heat might have made their run too soon.
2:00- Battier. Corner 3. X-Factor. Tie Ball Game.
1:08- Haslem comes up big again with a baseline jumper
putting the Heat up 4. I have a hard time seeing Boston getting out of Miami
with a W. Also “The Heat is On” is a great theme song over the PA at the AAA.
1:03- All of a sudden Boston within 2 after a lob from Rondo
to Garnett but Pierce fouls out.
:33- Ray Ray with a big 3 so forget what I just wrote 30
seconds ago. Tie ball game.
End 4th quarter. Last possession for Miami had
James blow a lay-up and then Iso and miss a pull up jumper. Headed to overtime.
Again I hate Iso for James. Not ever good, ever.
3:33 left in OT- Wade with an amazing dunk while getting
fouled ties the game but can’t hit the free throw. Yeah Wade is pretty good.
2:37- Each team with back to back great possessions. Rondo
his a 3 to tie a career high and great ball movement leads to another Haslem
jumper. Celts up 1. Replay shows Rondo’s 3 was in fact a 2. Rondo has played
every minute of the ball game. That is ridiculous, that kind of treatment is
normally reserved for high school stars not NBA guys on good teams.
1:50- James wins a tip on a jump ball and gets a tip in to
tie it up. Clutch time for James.
1:27- Great passing by the Heat leads to a bucket and the
lead. The last play Rondo got fouled but the refs missed it, this is a case of
the NBA being the hardest game to officiate not the officiating being bad. Hard
to make calls like that when so much is going on so fast.
:18.4- Miami basically dominated the last minute. This one
is basically over.
Final: Miami: 115 Boston:111- With Boston, specifically
Rajon Rondo, playing this well and losing I have little doubt this series ends
in 5. Boston has too much pride to lose game 3 at home but after that I don’t
see Boston winning another. I just don’t think they have it in them.
