Game 5, Dallas Mavericks visit New Orleans Hornets

Theme: Concrete Blonde, "Bloodletting"
Game Info: Baby, I'm the walking dead.

I really didn't need to see that.

One of those missed free throws at the end -- just one -- would've done it.

Instead, we come down to earth with a resounding crash. Dirk followed last night's I Am A Scoring God performance--

Well. I'm too shocked to be mad. Gimme a couple hours. Suffice it to say, even when his shot's not dropping -- and God knows it wasn't tonight -- you want him on the floor at crunch time. Instead, he was politely invited to leave the floor with two and a half minutes left in regulation.

If there's anybody who should be owed an apology for effort wasted, it's Dampier. My hand to God, he did everything short of walking on water to help the Mavericks win. Second double-double of the season, all of the Mavs' second chance points.

There's pride salve to be had in all of this, of course. Second night of a back-to-back, Chris Paul's a hard player to bottle up, et cetera et cetera et cetera. If it helps get the collective shit together, use what's needed. But that's all it is, is salve. We blew it.

Borrowing from Kay; by such achingly small things are lives made.

One free throw.

Final: 114-107, Hornets
-BJ

PS: Chris Paul's an asshole. It hasn't come totally to the fore yet, but it will. Seriously, he's a veteran player in a man's league. Why is he taking his complaints to all the refs like a kid trying to get a Yes out of Daddy when he got a No out of Mommy?