Sunday wrap-up: Deuces Are Wild

by Guichard Cadet

Since the third weekend of the NBA playoffs leaves us with three series at 2-2, it is fitting we supply you with 2 wrap-ups.


Heat, Flash whiz by Washington
Monday morning finds the Wizards in mourning after they failed to take advantage of Alonzo substituting for an injured Shaquille O’Neal. No matter how you slice it, getting swept in the playoffs means you are much further along than originally whispered.

After an impressive, dramatic series in which they won four consecutive games against the Chicago Bulls, Washington finished the year with a listless performance, only waking from their slumber in the final 3 minutes of Game 4. By the time the Wizards awoke, Dwyane “Flash” Wade had scorched them for a total of 73 points in the last two games.


Carlisle, you are scaring me
I hate to eat my words because I serve them raw. When you won Coach of the Year over Byron Scott in 2002, I cried foul. Before any sympathy set in for seeing you fired after helping to build the Pistons, Larry Bird brought you to Indiana, in what still stands as a very questionable, unfair firing of Isiah Thomas.

November’s malice at The Palace showed why karma is a mistress who swears she’s on the pill. Since then, you have gone through months of turmoil, uncertainty and injuries. Patching lineups like a poor man with only two pairs of pants.

The one constant I see from the team you inherited: they get under people’s skins. By blowing out the Celtics in the 7th game at the Fleet Center, you have positioned the Pacers to be the wrench in the Motor City’s bid to repeat as NBA champions.

A win yesterday and you could have been on the brink of ending Detroit’s season.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

Though you have been through the fire, I don’t think the Pacers have enough to handle the Heat. For that reason alone, I truly cannot root for you.


Dallas, with a small ‘D’
Dirk Nowitzki has been coming up small during these playoffs. First, Houston; and now Phoenix has elected to let a smaller, quicker player guard him. Sometimes the stats say 20 & 10, double-double, but he’s not had a big impact.

When it comes to what plagues the NBA, many point to the lack of fundamentals exhibited by the league’s new entrants. If either of these teams wins the Western Conference or the championship, this series is the precursor to a pint-sized defensive style of play that will afflict the NBA for decades.

Last night Steve Nash went for 48 points, as his team scored 109, with FG percentage of 51.2 percent. Dallas deemed these results as a good defensive game because they won and scored 119. The defense they point to: holding the Suns to only 8 of 21 the 3-point line, and Amare Stoudamire to only 15 points. For that they should be commended.


Sleeping on Seattle
After this series’ first two games, the word ‘sweep’ hastily bounced off tongues. Many had forgotten Ray Allen had a wicked stutter step, as well as a jab, step-back move. They did not know by Game 4 the contest would become a heavyweight slugfest, in which only Duncan had the mettle to challenge Jerome James, Reggie Evans, Danny Fortson and Nick Collison.

The line in the sand had been drawn: Do not come down the middle unless you want to get hit. Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker hit the ground as often as boxers with no chin. Early in the 4th quarter, coach Gregg Popovich sat Duncan down then minutes later did the same with the rest of his starters.

Game 5 will answer which team is the real sleeping giant.