A night after Sir Dirk Nowitzki went all epic in OKC (yes, you read that right, I’ve officially knighted him), there was no way I was letting another pivotal Game 4 pass me by without a live journal (not that kind of LiveJournal). Chicago needed this one: a 3-1 hole is insurmountable – like the hole left in my heart after the Macho Man‘s untimely passing (RIP). Bulls’ backs to the wall, LeBron & Co. raring to go…Let’s. Get. It. On.
First Quarter
12:00– Joakim Noah wins the tip, continuing Joel Anthony‘s 0-for his career on opening jump balls. So it goes, 6-8 center. So it goes.
11:25 – Mike Bibby hits a long two on an early Miami possession. The over/under on moments that Bibby doesn’t look one small step away from being brought to an old shed and put down was ½. Congratulations to those who took the over.
10:21 – Amidst discussions about Miami’s off-season conditioning, Steve Kerr makes a “throat exercises” joke. Marv Albert says he watched them. Racy stuff for the first quarter boys. We haven’t even hit double digits yet.
8:59 – Boozer gets fouled going to the rack, hits two free throws. He has the most rainbow-esque shot I’ve ever seen. I like to chug while I wait for the shot to fall.
8:12 – Rose pushes on a miss, has a two-on-three but still plays fast-break. This shows two things: 1) Chicago is literally afraid of Miami’s half-court defense, and 2) Somebody on the Bulls’ coaching staff realized that they have maybe the fastest current NBA player. Yeah maybe a blazingly athletic player who finishes at the rim in some of the most graceful and poetic fashions the game has ever seen should play up-tempo. Maybe. A wildly underrated misstep in Coach Thibs‘ management of Rose.
6:43 – Deng gets 2nd foul. This is an extremely hairy situation for Chicago (I don’t like using that phrase, it’s too close to home). The first rule of Fight Club is thou shall not bring in Ronnie Brewer to guard LeBron James in a playoff game. Also, drops total number of scorers on the floor from two to one-and-a-half (Rose = 1, Boozer = ½).
5:28 – TO.
Commercial Recap:
-This kid “rapping” on the T-Mobile commercial looks like a kid I knew in college. The kid I knew in college never once used the phrase “buggin’ in Boston” and I still kind of hated him.
-That Hornitos commercial with the brother swap makes me nervous for twins everywhere
Side note: I lost again in tonight’s installment of The “Name the Color of Craig Sager‘s Jacket” Game. I said crystalline salmon. It’s actually just ” ugly pink.”
5:10 – Umm yeah, if this Rose dunk doesn’t vindicate Chicago playing transition basketball then I’m still not 100% sure what the word means (very possible). He burned LeBron to the rack.
3:24 – LeBron wets a sick runner. The only way that baby hook would’ve looked better is if it came off a post move. Sitting on my couch, I just said a swear word, LeBron and some form of “get a post game.” I need to make more friends.
1:20 – Noah has great position on a smaller guy (Haslem). But he too has no post game. Dude, you need to get a post game. Why are there so few bigs in the 2011 NBA who can score on the block? I can feel myself getting upset about a game/team that I have no rooting interest in. I really need to make more friends.
39.2 – LeBron just hit a fall-away with Brewer draped all over him. I smell something. It’s a vintage LeBron performance cooking. Or it could be my roommate getting high in the other room. Either way, I’m excited.
LeBron finishes up the first on an 8-0 run. Didn’t even look like he was really trying. This is the 2011 LeBron: efficient, talented, almost never looks like he’s giving maximum effort. Almost like he knows it’s not totally his fault if they lose. This kind of bums me out. It also bums me out that it bums me out. I need to meet some new women.
Second Quarter
11:51 – Bosh torches Gibson for an and-1, proving once again no Chicago big can guard him. If either LeBron or D-Wade hadn’t stopped liking him as a person by game 11 of the regular season, he would be averaging 37 a night in this series (He’s shooting just under 70% in the 2011 ECF).
10:41 – Chicago’s five: C.J. Watson, Deng, Korver, Taj Gibson, and Boozer – Deng hits a layup off a nicely executed set. That’s two more points than I predicted this five would score. Derrick Rose just put out a classified ad in the Chicago Tribune for a single male two-guard that can create his own shot. O.J. Mayo just answered.
9:47 – Mike Miller just hit a three!!! That’s now $2.5 million dollars per three he’s hit in the 2011 playoffs. I love the mid-level exception.
6:41 – Rose misses another crazy layup (the ones we somehow expect him to hit) on a stagnant Chicago possession. Just before, he got called for a charge as he drew three defenders, completely ignored a wide-open Boozer in one of his spots and went headfirst into Udonis Haslem. Not a great point guard play.
5:35 – Rose misses again. Wade cherry picking out in transition, puts in a swooping layin. It’s a shot that I will try 200 times in my driveway tomorrow and not be able to do (even after I lower the rim). Chicago calls timeout. 37-28, Miami. The South Beach crowd is roc… it’s, uhh, kind of loud, like almost as loud as a Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon.
Commercial breakdown:
-The new “talking inanimate object” thing (basketballs, lemons) is creepy. Really creepy.
-The other T-Mobile commercial with the “3G buffering” issue, also makes me uncomfortable. I mean, that dude is really disrespectful to his mother. “In ya face?” C’mon bro, be nice to your momma.
2:48 – Chalmers hits a contested three. Huge shot. Miami weathers Chicago’s run, still up 40-34. Pat Riley wonders how good Miami would be if Chalmers ever actually put it all together. The answer is unreal. It also won’t ever happen.
2:03 – Thibs to assistant: So you think we should start pushing it?
Asst. Coach: Uhh, I don’t know I’m not sure. I mean that Rose kid is fast.
Coach Thibs: Yeah, you’re right. We’ll try it, but I’m committing to nothing.
1:38 – I just made such a weird sound for that Rose dunk over Anthony that a roommate of mine walked into my room to check on me. I couldn’t re-create it if I tried.
Half – Chicago was down nine, but finished the half on an 18-7 run, and now up 46-44 at the break. That was a legit run. This second half could be everything we’ve wanted from this series. America waits.
Third Quarter
9:40 – Bosh blows by Noah and gets fouled. I hate being right about stuff, but gosh Bosh should get the ball every bleeping time down the floor. He does too much for the Chicago bigs to handle. With that being said, I heard he likes reading…books (lame).
6:45 – Two isos for Bosh after a timeout: one missed layup, one wet jumper. Spoelstra and I have the same brain, but I have much better hair.
2:25 – Bulls TO. Smart. Thibs is excellent with his TOs. Saw Bosh just close the lead to five off a lapse on D. He’s a part of the “let’s-recognize-it-and-correct-it-before-it-happens-again” school of using his timeouts. There shouldn’t be any other school. Too many coaches wait for the run to happen to talk it over. Thibs sees when it’s happening and calls TO before things get out of hand.
40.0 – Yeah I’m pretty good at predicting stuff. LeBron with a nasty, nasty stuff off a Chalmers steal. In the good column for Chalmers: his D, a sometimes-knockdown shooter and fine in big moments. In the bad: he got beat out for jobs by both Carlos Arroyo and Mike Bibby’s body. 65-63, Chicago timeout.
1.2 – Mike Miller misses a wide-open corner three with time in the third running out. He responds by putting his arm in a sling to further accentuate that he is, in fact, playing with injuries. Chicago’s up 68-63 through three. My prediction: Miami wins by 7. I heard Wade’s limo to the arena may arrive just in time for the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
11:20 – First Miami possession and LeBron LeBrons his way to the rack for a deuce. Will we see the LeBron from that 2007 Pistons series?
10:23 – MIKE MILLER FOR THREE!!!! CLOSE-UP ON THAT SHOULDER TAT!!!
10:16 – Miller hits another shot on the next possession. Honestly, I make fun of Miller only because I’m so scared of him being good. If he knocks down shots, he is an amazing fourth option because he’s got some handle and rebounds so well for his position. They are an excessively good team with 2007 Mike Miller locked up for the next five years…if that guy still exists.
4:40 – Bosh draws a flagrant on Boozer after Booze tosses a mid-air bow at Bosh’s neck. Looks like this could be a huge turning point. Also, the flagrant is a good call here. Completely unnecessary play by Boozer. Steve Kerr agrees with the call, but mentions that Bosh “folds like a European soccer player.”
4:23 – MIKE MILLER!!!
3:30 – Donnie Walsh calls Dell Demps and throws 2021, 2023 and 2025 first-rounders into pending CP3 deal.
2:53 – Haslem draws a charge on the ensuing Chicago possession. Tie game. I’m excited.
Commercial breakdown:
-Yeah I get it, I don’t have an iPhone
-Local commercials are filled with people I hate. I need to move.
2:27 – Scramble for an offensive rebound after a Miami miss. Chicago somehow comes up with it after every Miami hand touches it. D-Rose in transition, ’nuff said. Chicago up 82-80.
2:00 – D-Rose turns the ball over trying to force his way through a trap.
1:45 – LeBron forces a “I’m the closer” three. Get to rack LeBron.
1:26 – After Brewer hits two at the line, the Heat answer with Bosh hitting a baseline two after shot-faking Boozer out of the building. In slow motion, Boozer looks like he’s trying to jump over a child that suddenly ran out in front of him. Not a basketball move. Miami up 85-84.
1:01 – Wade takes a wide-open shot after a defender bites on his up-fake. When did they sub him in? Was he involved in the pregame introductions? I am currently less cold than Wade and I haven’t put up a jumper in a competitive fashion since I was eight in a rec league.
8.0 — Brewer draws a great offensive foul after LeBron clears out with his off-hand. Not a smart play. He deserves all of the praise and all of the criticism he receives. But sometimes, man, you wonder if he gets it.
0.0 – Rose takes another step-back over LeBron (’cause it worked so well the first time). Airball. We goin to OT. We we we so excited. We so excited. This is not the first time I’ve quoted Rebecca Black in a column (don’t judge me).
Overtime
3:23 – BOSH DREW FIRST BLOOD!!!!
2:47 – Bosh hits a two on an inbound pass. He can be such a weapon when he’s on. Once again, their best matchup in this series has been Bosh over Chicago’s bigs. Also, we’re almost halfway through OT and Chris Bosh has the only points in the extra session. I’m going back in time to tell this to myself in December to watch my December self throw-up.
2:26 – Wow. Huge three from Brewer (his first three of the series). Huge, huge shot. Who is this guy again? 89-88 Miami.
2:05 – Wade hits contested two. Sick shot. And I was just in the middle of yelling that Wade should not shoot again tonight.
1:36 – LeBron goes right at Noah (with five fouls), gets into his body and still gets the ball up and off the glass. That’s a LeBron shot, he’s the only living human strong and athletic enough to make that play. 93-89 Miami. LeBron glares at Noah after the make. He should be glaring at Joey Crawford. That’s a foul son.
1:17 – Out of a Chicago timeout, Deng throws the ball away. Close-up of dejected Noah. LeBron puts up hotels on Baltic and Mediterranean Avenues inside Noah’s head.
1:01 – Rose pushes on the miss and turns the ball over. Wade pushes on the turnover and strolls in for a layin with the left hand. 95-89. Third Bulls turnover in OT. Yikes.
28.6 – LeBron shucks Deng with a shoulder and hits a two to fill up the freezer. Get ready for a cold beverage friends. This ish has been iced.
14.6 – Korver hits a two that nobody outside of Utah cares about. “Barkley sucks” chants in the background. This has been a freaking game.
Final – 101-93. The stories in play: why two is better than one…Bulls not ready…2006 Finals Remix. We’ve already had such a good playoff, and we’ve got so much left on the table. I am so ready for this.
Who wins Game 5?
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