NBA Finals: Game 1 Hangover

Game 1 now belongs to history (as does Tony Parker’s shot). Time to stretch, exercise, paint, and dissect what we just saw. Short offering a more structured/rigid/derivative narrative of all the Amazing that happened last night, here instead is a run-down of musings, reflections, half-baked thoughts, and conjecture around Game 1.

• TP, in the words of Rick James that was “coldddd-blooded”

• It seems safe to say that, assuming San Antonio goes on to win the series, Parker’s shot will go down in Finals lore as one of the greatest clutch shots ever and earn a place in ABC’s opening montage. This was one of those rare moments in sports that you knew immediately was a special, timeless moment, one that may be remembered for a generation on.

• Loved Parker’s own account of the play in the presser after the game, in which is admitted that he thought he lost the ball “three or four times” and “was just trying to get a shot up”. Humble, honest, and great.

• So much for “rust” – the takeaway from last night is that 10 days off offers a lot of time for icing aching knees Yes, the Spurs did not come out of the gate as strong as they could have, but by the 4th Quarter it seemed clear that the time off bought the Spurs well-needed rest and “oil for the joints” instead of a loss of their rhythm.

• Not a good sign if you are a Heat fan: Chris “6-16” Bosh had the same number of rebounds as Danny Green, and half as many as Kawhi Leonard. On the plus side, he had twice as much posturing, preening, and posing as those two combined, so there is that.

More thoughts after the jump…

Daft Punk Internet Memes Cannot be Stopped

Watch your back Kenny – Roger wants in on this Random Access Memories-driven Daft Punk Everywhere meme. You may have the finest jig known to man, but Sterling comes packing world-class mommy issues and a drinking habit only Dick Whitman can match. He plays for keeps. Via the good folks at Vulture.

“I told him to be himself. That was pretty mean I guess.” – Waldorf Stories

Life in the Background: My Day as TV Extra

*The following is a guest post (the first of what I hope will be many) from my Ahmad-Rashad-Certified-Main Man Blake Murphy. Follow Blake on The Twitter at @BlakeMurphyODC  and check out his writing archives – with articles for a dozen sites more reputable than LCHC – over at http://blakemurphy.com/

I am a student right now, and as such I have no money. I need money, because I like fancy things like bread and chocolate milk. As a “journalist,” I make next to no money blogging and freelancing.

With only a six-week window before returning to Ontario for a several week visit home, rendering myself a “real” part-time job would be silly. I’m therefore stuck trying to find temp work. Searching Craig’s List (for jobs, not weird sexual encounters), I came across a posting for extras for a TV show shoot.

It didn’t pay well (minimum wage) and it promised to be a long and boring day, but at the very least it could make for a fun story. So I filled out the profile.

Tuesday night around 10 p.m., I got a call. Could I commit to a full day tomorrow? Did I have these particular wardrobe items? Could I be clean-shaven and could I make a 7 a.m. call time? Yes, yes, begrudgingly yes, and yes.

Read Blake’s journal of his day spent in Extras-ville after the jump…

Seven Key Questions to Preview Game 7

In a few hours, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals will tip-off. With Game 7 looking to have all the elements of a classic-in-the-making, it seems only fitting to have a 7-step preview to tee-up the match-up and what it means.

Q: How does Miami feel heading into tonight’s Game 7?

A: Miami most likely has a false sense of security right now: they appear to be self-assured and poised, but if they are honest about the situation they know that self-assurance is shaking. Yes, they are defending champions, and they faced exactly this scenario just last year; but there is a serious difference between their current situation and having to win a Game 7 against an old, exhausted Boston team last year. LeBron’s performance from last season’s Game 6 was the most dramatic and arguably the best of his career, which surely gave his teammates a morale boost heading into the deciding game. In this series, LeBron has delivered a steady dose of his usual excellence, but he has yet to be transcendent and though normally that would be okay, his usual greatness alone won’t be enough here. He needs to deliver a truly special performance in order to push Miami over the top now, because the Ghosts of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh certainly do not seem capable of giving him the support they did last season. Everyone not named LeBron does not look themselves, and that is trouble against a Pacers team that continues to grow in confidence. It is a pretty big indictment on the rest of the Heat that they have the best player alive, playing in his prime, and they cannot give even the support necessary. The performance of Wade, Bosh, Allen, and Battier suggests that Miami may have peaked during its 27-game winning streak, and worse, they seem to know it. Their confidence for Game 7 is rooted in two things: 1) playing at home, and 2) having LeBron. No doubt that the latter point is a hell of an ace card to be holding, but if they don’t give him at least a little help it may not matter.

Questions 2-7, after the jump…