and Lakers-Celtics
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By C. Jake Williams. June 4, 2008
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A few notes before we dive into the NBA Finals, which start Thursday at 7 p.m....
"Jake: We're accepting applications for another week - then we'll narrow to the finalists and invite people for interviews. We'll be in touch," wrote the editor for a fairly-local newspaper yesterday. I am applying for an Associate Editor position and according to the company's call for applicants email 'interest in sports writing is highly desirable.'
I think I could be a great fit for this company, especially since I can handle more than just sports-related writing.
Sorry mom, but if I get the job, I'm probably not finishing my DesNews internship and, tragically, I'm moving south.
Did anyone else see the Kimbo Slice/James Thompson mixed martial arts fight? I'm pretty sure I heard the announcer say (speaking of Thompson) "That ear popped. That ear Popped!"
James Thompson's left ear is revolting when inflated - it looks like he's hoarding walnuts for the winter inside that thing - but Holy Hell I had no idea it held so much blood. A heavy right hand from Slice opened up the appendage, forcing the referee to halt the bout.
Following the decision, Slice told the interviewing reporter he was ready to punish the ear further, which justified the referee's choice to stop the fight.
I tuned in to the clash to see if Slice was 'for real,' but now I'm just interested in watching the slippery decline of Thompson's career following the exposure of his not-so-hidden (impossible to hide, actually) flaw. I'm eagerly awaiting the announcement of Thompson's next fight so I can mark my calendar.
And for the record, Slice is not currently a major threat to the best fighters in MMA. "I still have a lot to learn," stated a deeply exhausted Slice. I whole-heartedly and normal-ear-edly agree with his analysis.
I know my brother Zac wants to hear about Kobe Bryant all-day, every-day, but these NBA Finals are all about the return of Boston's 'Basketball Jesus': He's back! And this time, he's black!
I'm not talking about the original BJ, Larry Bird, but rather of first-year Celtic Ray Allen, also known from the Spike Lee joint He Got Game as Jesus Shuttlesworth.
"Praise Jesus!" proclaim several Shuttlesworth fans during the film, but praising the real-life version has proved far more difficult this postseason.
Allen is shooting just over 40 percent from the field during the playoffs this year, and his scoring average has dropped from 17.4 during the season to a post-season disappointment of 14.2. Even more disheartening, however, is the fact that he's averaging more points in Celtic losses than in wins, a 13.25-to-15.5 disparity.
In basketball, especially in the NBA Finals, the team who owns the player with the keenest killer instinct tends to win. Michael Jordan was the best example of this principle. Kobe Bryant has been the closest thing to Jordan this postseason. And Boston will need Ray Allen to win at least one game with fourth quarter behind-the-arc heroics to claim their seventeenth championship.
Lord (the real one, not Denzel Washington's character) knows Kevin Garnett isn't putting the nail in any coffins over the next two weeks.
If you're betting the series, LA is the only way to go. Not only do they have the best player, Kobe, who can take over a game at will, but the absurd 2-3-2 format of the Finals works against the team meant to have home-court advantage.
Think about it. If the Lakers steal one of the first two games, the rest of the games in Boston become '*If necessary.'
The first team to win on the road is taking home the trophy, which means Phil Jackson is probably going to pass Red Auerbach for most coaching titles before the smoke clears.
All games will be played on Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays, which means two things. First, that three days seperate the first two games in Boston, which should but won't lead to a series of "The NBA: Where unexcusable stupidity happens" commercials. And secondly, that I'm more or less available to diary any of the games this year.
And so I ask my readers: Which game(s) would you most like to have diaried? Game 5 is the obvious choice to me, as game 5s are usually the deciding contest of any series, but that tipoff is still 11 days away.
In any case, I'm going to diary at least one game so email me your preferences and I'll act accordingly.
You were there.