The champion is no more

Wow that Spurs/Mavs game was good. Actually, to be more precise, the second half was really good, the overtime was nice and the first half disappointing but the overall experience was great. The Mavs were up 14 points at the half, playing on the road and looking for all the world like they couldn’t miss a shot even if they wanted to. A lesser team, down so much in a Game 7 might have quit (see:Lakers) but the Spurs showed the heart of champions, battling back from a 20 point deficit to take the lead at 104-101 with 32 seconds left on a three-pointer by Manu Ginobili. The Mavs responded immediately with a three-point play the old fashioned way on a drive and foul by Dirk Nowitzki. In overtime the Spurs looked done, tired after having to battle back all game. Dallas got the monkey off its back finally and Mark Cuban got to hug Marquis Daniels from behind for like two minutes (as of this writing Cuban had not made a celebratory posting on his blog but we’ll bring it to you when/if he does) as the Mavs won 119-111. The best part of this game was that the big time players played like big time players. Dirk had 37 points and 15 rebounds. Jason Terry redeemed himself with 27 points. Tim Duncan had a valiant 41 points and 15 rebounds. Tony Parker had 24 points and Ginobili put up 23. This was what a Game 7 is supposed to be, great players playing at the top of their games, playing close enough to force overtime.(Link)

The other Game 7 of the night, Suns/Clippers didn’t live up to the game that had preceded it. The Suns led by eight at the half, extended their lead to 15 after three quarters and seemed in charge the whole game. The Suns were 15-27 from behind the arc led by Steve Nash who was 4-5 from downtown and Shawn Marion who hit five threes. Nash was outstanding the whole game. He scored 29 points and handed out 11 assists. Marion chipped in 30 points and 9 rebounds. The Suns for the game shot 60% from the floor. For the Clippers only Elton Brand really showed up. Brand scored 36 points but Sam Cassell, his big testicle carrying teammate only scored 11. Without Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston (18 and 14 points respectively) the final score of 127-107 would have been a lot worse then it already was. Given how great the previous six games of this series were, Game 7 was a bit of a letdown. (Link)

In one of the best NBA playoffs in years this Mavs/Suns series has a chance to take things up a notch, if that’s even possible. There are some great story lines here. Lightening fast Dallas point guards Jason Terry and Devin Harris against two-time MVP Steve Nash, very fleet of foot himself, and Nash’s backup Leandro Barbosa (maybe the fastest guard in the League). Dirk and Shawn Marion facing off, two of the most dynamic forwards in the league. Both these teams can run and shot but you’ve got to give Dallas a slight edge in the series because of their ability to place defense. Dallas also has some size in the post in Erik Dampier and DeSagana Diop. They might not be much individually but their combined minutes are effective and the Suns play so small anyway that rebounding will be key for both teams. This series goes seven definitely and the thinking here is the Mavs carry Mark Cuban to the Finals. If the Suns had Amare Stoudimire things might be different (and how great a series would it be if they did?) but they don’t and its remarkable they’ve made it this far. The Mavs are just too good.

The most boring “highly anticipated” match up ever
This series really isn’t very interesting to me. I know it’s the match up everyone in the preseason expected/wanted to see and these two teams are obviously the best the Eastern Conference has to offer but still. In all likelihood this is going to be ugly half-court basketball with final scores like 85-78 or basically what the Clippers/Suns would have halfway through the 3rd quarter. Defense may win championships but it’s really not that fun to watch. The Heat must have been delighted to see the Cavs push the Pistons to a Game 7 as Shaq got an extra week of rest and their various other banged up players got some down time. As is almost always the case, Shaq is the key here. If he can put up good, near Shaq-of-old numbers the Heat will win in six. If he can’t, and it’s Dwyane Wade vs. the world, then the Heat is in trouble. Prediction: the Heat steals home court tonight, beating the Pistons in Detroit, as the Pistons are coming off a quick turnaround and the Heat are well rested. Flip Saunders’ inability to rest his starters during the regular season or against the Cavs is going to come back to haunt Detroit.

Shut up Terrell. Go away Ricky. Stay off boats Daunte. Finally an NFL feel good story.
Sex boats, drugs, domestic abuse, being a jerk, the list goes on and on. Players in the NFL often seem like they are trying as hard as possible to live up to the plot lines put forth on ESPN’s since canceled “Playmakers’. Terrell Owens, Ricky Williams, Ricky Manning; none of them are what one might call a role model. So given all that, it’s nice to read about Green Bay Packers running back Samkon Gado and how he is spending his off season. Gado has been volunteering in a Green Bay hospital and he’s been doing so not because of a court-ordered community service sentence but because he wants to become a doctor. Gado was inspired after visiting a cousin of his in his native Nigeria, a cousin who died young, most likely from AIDS. Gado’s shift begins at 5 am and he does everything from checking on patients to drawing blood. He sought no press but:

His cover eventually was blown. In a drug-induced haze, a man coming out of surgery told his wife that the guy wearing scrubs played football. “She says, ‘My husband swears that you’re Samkon Gado and I’m telling him that you’re not, that you wouldn’t be working here if you were.’ And he’d just gotten out of surgery, so this guy was doped up,” Gado said. Gado fessed up. After the initial shock, the woman asked, “What are you doing here?”

Gado plans on working in the hospital next year as well and becoming a doctor when he retires. This year he will fight for playing time in a crowded Packer’s backfield as Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport both return from injury. Green has been arrested for domestic abuse and Davenport was once arrested for trespassing after crawling into a woman’s apartment and defecating in her closet (I swear to God). Here’s rooting for Gado. When so many NFL players make headlines for their various acts of stupidity and violence, its nice to see players like Gado get some publicity, the good kind for a change. (Link)

Barbaro Update
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is still only 50-50 to survive after undergoing successful leg surgery Sunday in which a metal plate and 23 screws were inserted into his right hind leg. Pat Forde writes on ESPN.com that the racing world needs to become more concerned with horse safety to avoid incidents like Saturday’s Preakness. Slate’s Explainer tells us why horse’s that break their legs often have to be put down.

Last night’s American League games
Curt Schilling dominated the Yankees on the way to his 199 career win as the Red Sox survived the continued Keith Foulke implosion and beat New York 9-5. Schilling struck out six, went eight innings and gave up one run while David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez each contributed three RBIs. (Link)

Miguel Tejada’s trade demand should be only days away as the sinking Orioles lost to Seattle 8-6. Richie Sexson hit a grand slam in the 5^th to send O’s starter Eric Bedard to the showers after giving up eight earned runs. (Link)

Troy Glaus hit his 13^th homer of the year; Eric Hinske added a solo shot and B.J. Ryan picked up his 10^th save in 10 chances as the Blue Jays beat Tampa 6-4. (Link)

The Rangers scored two runs in the 7^th as shortstop Michael Young went 3-3 and knocked in the go ahead run and the Rangers beat the Angels 3-2. Angel Vladimir Guererro has hit safely in all 40 of the games he has played in his career against Texas. (Link)

Detroit rookie Justin Verlander dominated the Royals in notching his first career shutout, already Detroit’s 9^th shutout this season, as the Tigers beat the Royals 8-0. The Royals have now lost ten games in a row. (Link)

Frank Thomas got a measure of revenge against his old team the White Sox as he hit two home runs but the White Sox got the last laugh, winning 5-4 in 10 innings. (Link)