Devil Day

6/6/06 -- Not that I put much stock in this sort of thing. For one thing, depending on how you understand the translation, the Number of the Beast could also be 614. I think. Or was it 616? 617? In any event, most "real" Biblical scholars now believe that whatever the number turns out to be, it is simply a numerological anagram for the Roman Emperor Nero anyway. But I guess this is really a topic more appropriate for my other blog.

Back-to-back runs Sunday and Monday nights, which means that my knees are VERY sore this morning, despite liberal amounts of ice and Advil. Sunday I went straight to the gym from a graduation party for some High School seniors I know, which in retropect was probably not the wisest decision. It's tough running the floor with a bellyfull of hors d'oeuvres and chocolate cake! But I felt honor-bound to show up, since our numbers have been a little thin in the Sunday game lately, and I wanted to make sure we had 10. And as it turned out, we had 11. Scored one basket the entire night (although not for want of trying), but it came at a very good time: a beat-my-man-with-one-dribble lay-up to score the winning goal in the final game of the night.

Monday I played a little better, but still only scored a smattering of points. Another off-balance lay-up on a back-door cut, and then a smooth three in rhythm late in the evening. Worked a lot harder at simply rebounding, passing the ball, trying to set good screens and playing reasonably solid defense. Once again had a chance to score the final, game-winning basket when I jumped a passing lane and tipped the ball into the back-court, which I could have easily turned into a wide-open break-away lay-up as recently as last Wednesday night. But yesterday I'd left my "Gary Payton" legs at home; so instead they recovered the ball, and came back down court to score the game-winning basket themselves.

Speaking of the Glove, I'm looking forward with great anticipation to this final series between Miami and Dallas. I like the Heat in six -- think they'll split this first week in Dallas, and that Miami will win two of three at home before closing the Mavericks out on their home floor June 20th. But if Miami should manage to break through and win twice in Dallas this week, I think they'll be able to close the Mavs out in five. And if for some reason the Mavs can manage to get it to Game Seven, it'll be a barnburner and all bets are off. And let's not forget that the Mavs won both ends of the home-and-away regular season meetings.

Personally I think the Heat are a much better team now than they were three months ago. But if Dallas can force the right tempo, I think it's also possible (in contrast to everything I've just written) that they could sweep the Heat in four. Don't think that's the way it's gonna go, but it could. That's why they play 'em. And we've also got the World Cup kicking off Friday too. Thank God I'm not a betting man....