Honestly even if I did say you shouldn’t count Denver out in my last post I don’t necessarily feel like a genius. You see, basketball is a game played in waves. In a game either team in a good match up can go up by ten or more points after which you can bet the other team will inevitably follow suit. That’s why there aren’t a lot of situations where each team takes turns scoring for long periods. The word ‘momentum’ is very much at home in basketball and unless a team is completely overmatched it is perfectly normal to go ahead by 10 in the first quarter then see their lead disappear in the 2nd.
By now everyone in the basketball world knows about Charles Barkleys’ proclamation of a sweep just after Game 1 and after watching that game I didn’t blame him. His analysis of the game being a simple matter of match ups is spot on and as of Game 1 Denver was woefully lacking in answers. Their first 5 for the past games were literally smaller than LAL’s resulting in early foul trouble for Jokic who eventually had to sit out most of the first half.
I renewed this blog not only to harness my considerable influence upon the international basketball community to support the NBA during the pandemic but also because I really wanted to know how far the Rockets can go small ball. Ok I’ll be honest, that’s a great big part of the reason. Like anyone interested in the game I wanted to know: How far can small ball last? Is it really the new way to play basketball?
I like this picture, supposedly the older version of that girl in the famous meme. It’s probably not her but someone that just looks like her. The ‘Feeling Old Yet’ however hits the mark.
Many of you woke up to the news that the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted today’s potentially series-clinching game versus the Orlando Magic. In turn, every other playoff game scheduled for today was postponed. The NBA’s official press release states that “Game 5 of each series (today) will be rescheduled.” That would be good news on any other day. Today, it seems irrelevant.
Watching team staff pulling name tags and gathering draped towels from players’ designated chairs felt both familiar and surreal. We’ve seen this movie before. Regular season games were already cancelled for four damn months because of Covid-19. Then came the NBA’s restart. Although games have been hit or miss, for the most part they’ve been pretty good (albeit a bit sloppier than usual). At the very least, they’ve provided a glimmer of hope that some sense of normalcy was lurking just around the corner. But the games have been taken away yet again and the uncertainty has returned.
The Bucks boycotted in protest for the shooting of Jacob Blake in the team’s home state of Wisconsin. Blake – an African-American – was shot seven times in the back by police officers while his kids watched from the family car. Thankfully, Blake didn’t die. But the fact that he is alive doesn’t make this event any less horrific. It simply highlights the systemic racial divide that has pervaded American society for centuries. I didn’t understand the enormity of this issue until I came to live in the US. The wounds caused by racism cut deep and the players’ decision to boycott has shone a spotlight globally on an equally deep-seated anger. If just for that, they’ve earned a W without ever stepping onto the court.
“Who cares?” you may say. “None of that concerns us. We have our own problems here in the Philippines.” Maybe. But the parallelisms between the US and our country are quite clear. We have similar issues not driven by race but by class: between the uncaring powerful and the powerless; between abusive authority and tired masses; between those who twist the rules to perpetuate societal imbalances and those who can do nothing about it. Just like the US, we are a nation divided and it’s painful to see, especially during this pandemic when many of our countrymen are struggling big time.
Only a handful possess the global platform that the NBA does and many of us aren’t capable of enacting systemic change in our country. But in our own ways, we are definitely called to do what we can to make the world a better place. I get it. It’s hard, especially now. These are unprecedented times and we are all navigating uncharted waters. Some of us have found a way to keep moving forward, some are stuck, while some can barely manage to keep their heads above water. And some (like me) are really, really tired. Believe me, I get it.
Maybe we can’t make grand statements like the NBA players did today. But at the very least, we should always try to do good in this world, whatever state we find ourselves in.
If you’re strong, good for you. Go and make a difference.
If you’re exhausted, rest and live to fight another day (puwedeng mapagod, bawal sumuko).
If you have surplus, share.
If your family has pressing needs, focus on them.
If you have talents, sing, or speak, or write, or paint, or dance.
If you have skills, lend a helping hand.
And for God’s sake, please stop the hatred, the violence, the pettiness, the lying, the stealing, the insults. Instead, be kind and respectful. And once you are able, continue the fight for justice and the common good.
I’m sorry. My first post for Basketball Exchange and it’s only marginally related to the game. What’s more, I may not even get another chance to write because who knows if the restart will — uhm — restart again? But with everything going on now, cancelling the season may actually be what’s best. And if the playoffs do return, remember that it is entirely possible to enjoy the games with a passion and simultaneously accept the fact that there is much more to life than basketball.
In OT Marcus Morris nails the corner three over the outstretched hands of Maxi Kleiber giving the Clippers the lead 133-132 9s left.
A few seconds later, ball ends up with wonder boy Donkic. Despite yet another triple double and 43 pt game evoking memories of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and other Playoff rookie greats, he has been quiet all of the OT period instead giving way to teammate Trey Burke who is on fire.
This pic of Embid encapsulates how the 76ers looked like to me. Sure that may not represent their whole team but Embid is their main guy and trust me he sort of looked that way most of the game.
As a fan of the game it’s disappointing to see a main guy or any guy go out the court looking like that and in the Playoffs as well. He is a rebounding leader at 16/game and obviously a dominating big but it didn’t show today.
Just finished watching the not pre playoff but not regular season game between the Grizzlies and Blazers where Ja Morant as usual put on a show. I’m sure there are many Allen Iverson references whereas he is certainly just as explosive and athletic if not a little bit taller.
