Game Thread #30: Bulls vs. Miami Heat

You're right, this is one of the most unlikeable teams EVER assembled, in any sport. It appears the Heat have stepped in where my beloved Trail Blazers have left off.

Am I the only one hoping that someone gets a shot at Posey tonight? I don't care if it's dirty - the man needs to experience some pain.

nice win by Bulls, need to continue to feast on East and try and get home court in round 1

Gordon became the first Bulls player to score 40 points in a game since Michael Jordan also had 40 on April 5, 1998, at Houston.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jamal_crawford/bio.html

2003-04 (Bulls): Had 28 20+ scoring games (Bulls 14-14), eight 30+ games and two 40+ games (including career-high 50 points on April 11, 2004 at Toronto). . .

I knew I wasn't crazy. Or are the Fox Sports people going for the exact 40?

Posey:  I am really, really pissed off right now.  Given his history against the Bulls, the league needs to suspend him a minimum of five games.

There's a Michigan blog I read often that, during last year's playoffs, dubbed Alonzo Mourning "Our greatest asshole." (http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/heat-pistons-liveblog_114913015489057256.html - sorry I have no idea how to make this look neat).  Zo bitches like Kobe between every play.  My main point on him is that it seems to me that every single screen he sets is an offensive foul.  Two hands to the chest happened frequently, and he stickes his legs out to trip players.  But since he gets away with it, maybe I shouldn't be blaming him.

I finally figured out exactly why the announcers bother me.  Tom Dore acts like everyone listening knows nothing about basketball.  Does he really think there are casual fans tuning in?  I have to think that 80% of people watching are big Bulls fans who know the game.  It makes it hard on Stacey King to put real insights out there because Dore asks him the most basic of questions all game long.

But what's far worse than the announcing is the horrendous use of alternate camera angles.  Comcast needs to figure this out.  I'm sick of seeing a referee's butt and only the vocal stylings of Tom Dore to guide me as to what's actually happening on the floor.  There's a reason people always use the one, main camera angle - because it's far and away the best.  Also, the frequenly film, say, Kevin McHale while the ball's in play.  We know what Frankenberry looks like, we don't need a reminder.

OK, so I'm rambling, clearly angry and I haven't said one real word about the Bulls.  I'm not really sure what happened out there tonight.  I think bascially Jason Williams just caught fire and kept Miami in the game.  Once he hit a couple, they should have guarded him more tightly.  They did down the stretch and that's why we won.  So good.  Nice to see more minutes for Tyrus as well - hopefull those FTs will give him a big boost.

Oh, and James Posey is a cowardly punk bitch.

Does anyone expect someone to jack up 3's a couple steps behind the arc? I would say bombs away!

About the incidents...

In light of the post game comments by Pat Riley, I wonder if Posey's foul wasn't some sort of retaliation aimed at the Bulls. He clearly tomahawk chopped Deng in the face with some non-basketball intent in mind. I felt bad for Deng as he lay there writhing in pain that no one came to his defense, but Ben Wallace, the guy closest to the foul, was a big part of why there's such     an outcry against fighting in the NBA, and he obviously knew the consequences of engaging in another fight.

Here's where I'm on the fence though. How does a team handle an obvious strike against it's manhood? Will the Bulls be looked upon as less than men (a bunch of pussies actually) because no one stood up for Luol, suspension be damned? Will Wallace be looked at as soft? Will other teams think they can get away with similar fouls? The game outcome in the Bulls favor intimates that it didn't affect them all that much, the main culprit being Posey and his track record against the Bulls. But it still irritates to know that Posey stood around with false indignation on his face instead of a bloody nose or black eye.

If the league doesn't come down harsh on his for his thug-play, then what?

And while I applaud the Bulls restraint, part of me wonders if it isn't because they are soft (and Ben Wallace tamed after judgment from the malice in the palace)?

There were two main incidents I noticed then but since I was at the game I didn't have the advantage of seeing a replay.
1.)When fouled by Nocioni in the paint, Mourning threw his arms out and hit Nocioni in the face. It was a totally unnecessary action and appeared deliberate and Noc talked to the ref about it right after the incident.
2.)After Wade was hurt he bowled over Noc(I think)supposedly fighting through a pick, but it appeared that he was more intent on just inflicting a little pain on Noc than actually trying to get to Kurt.  

Thank you.