There are more ties to be broken! Alas, no alliteration involved on Friday.
It's Day 7 of the NBA Playoffs!
First up, Toronto vs. Brooklyn.
I have a bad feeling about Toronto suddenly. I was hoping that they would find a way to get past Brooklyn, but so far it doesn't look it'll happen.
Stranger things have happened, of course, and the series isn't over. Still, it's disheartening to see them have such a deficit and then a comeback that inevitably falls short.
Honestly, I don't understand how Brooklyn has done it so far. On paper, Toronto is the better team. They won more games, they have the better point guard, etc. There's just something about Brooklyn's old man ball that they can't quite figure out, I suppose.
There are series that get moved around the TV dial. This appears to be one of them; it somehow ended up on ESPN2 last night. Why is this notable? Well, it supports the notion that the people who make decisions on these sorts of things think that the series isn't worth watching. And if Toronto doesn't prevail...I'd have to agree.
Brooklyn leads 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday.
Next, Chicago vs. Washington.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr. was about as hot as a guy can get, and the Bulls won by 3.
If that doesn't say "fluke", as well as the fact that it was Dunleavy, a notoriously streaky player if there ever was one, then I don't know what does.
Seriously, though, Washington should have won this game. Even still, it doesn't really matter. Now this series will be over in five instead of four.
Washington leads 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday.
Finally, Houston vs. Portland.
Troy Daniels was the hero of overtime for the Rockets.
Other than that, it was pretty much a steady dose of Howard and Harden.
Defensively, there are still things to work out; the Rockets held LaMarcus Aldridge to rather pedestrian numbers (i.e. he didn't put up 40, huzzah!) but let a couple of other guys, notably Batum and Lillard, run wild.
I'm still not impressed with McHale's coaching decisions on the fly. He took out Harden as the second quarter started, which probably crimped his momentum, especially considering that monster shot Harden hit at the end of the first quarter.
Then again, I do have to commend him for having the cojones to put Daniels in. With Parsons fouled out, the idea was that either Terrence Jones or Omer Asik would come in for defensive purposes. McHale threw that out the window and went with the former D-Leaguer.
I hope he continues to hit big shots like that.
Portland leads 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday.
Later today, Game 3 in Charlotte and Dallas, plus Game 4 in Atlanta and Memphis.
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