Man that was… something. Other than the forth quarter, which ended up being a blowout (Laker’s 22 – 2 run) that game somehow lived up to the hype. What hype? I don’t know, the hype that is Lebron James whenever he visits NY – Brooklyn. The hype of two previous teammates who openly don’t like each other, trying to prove their worth on the court. And finally, a foreshadow of what next year may be when these teams are fully healthy and a regular season game could be a glimpse of the Finals.
And no, it wasn’t clean, far from it, but for most the night there was a palpable buzz. There were moments that felt like a late 90’s Rock and Jock. With A list celebrities on each rosters. Except, they were in the stands.
Slick Willy with the Grandpa’s!
Guys on both teams were playing like this were the All Star Game. Sure a water down version of it, but we still got no look passes, sloppy dribbling, from the ocean threes and of course ZERO DEFENSE. Halftime was 75 – 70. At one point, I fully expected Lebron James to throw the ball off Kyrie’s head, through Wilson Chandler’s legs and somehow dunk over Durant, sitting on the bench. Or Kyrie to come out as Uncle Drew promoting a new movie. It all came to a climax when Jared Dudley did this to close out a wild 3rd quarter.
What a fucking game. I was laughing during the whole thing. Pure entertainment. And I couldn’t even be mad as a Net’s fan, when they finally dropped dead in the fourth. I mean, that’s basically how their last 12 games against superior opponents has gone. Keep it close for 3/4ths of the game and during crunch time fold like cheap suit. And no, I’m not ready to blame Kyrie. There are many holes in this lineup and not enough consistent scorers. A shake up of the roster, may be in order. Something with Dinwiddie or Levert. I’ll dive into that later, but for now I’m just glad I was able to watch a Net game with an unfavorable result and still have a good time.
PS. I hate Lebron James. For most reasons other people do. Deflects blame when he loses, takes all the credit when he wins… However, when it’s time to hang it up, his legacy will be of a guy who delivered. For some one so highly coveted in high school, he lived up to every expectation people placed on him. Maybe not 6 rings like Jordan, but putting on a show every time he stepped on the court. And that I’m comfortable admitting.