Tag Archives: Cleveland Cavaliers

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Live by the 3, Die by the 3

Basketball, , , ,

b-ballWith 4:39 to play last night, Klay Thompson answered a LeBron James trey with a driving layup.

It knotted the game at 89.

It knotted the points for the Series at 699-699.

As the Louisville Cardinal radio announcer of my youth Ed Kallay would say, “That’s about as close as you can get it.”

At which juncture, the compelling Best of 7 that had gained in intensity, by the day, on the court and off, redlined the Stress Meter past 11.

James missed a 22 footer.

Steph Curry missed a trey.

LeBron misfired on a deuce.

Thompson couldn’t net a two from 15 feet.

Andre Igoudala blocked a James shot at the rim. Then couldn’t find the hole from beyond the arc.

With each possession, the tension became more smothering, sucking the breath out of those who paid $50 large for their courtside seats, those in the bleachers, those in the Square in Cleveland, and folks gathered to watch together on big screens everywhere.

The shut down D continued. So too, the resulting offensive woes. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Live by the 3, Die by the 3 →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Dubs/Cavs’ Game 7 is The Deal

Basketball, ,

b-ballIn case you were wondering, the answer is Yes.

Yes, Golden State vs. Cleveland in the Best of One capper to this ’15-’16 NBA season is The Real Deal. The Big Deal.

Arguably the Biggest Basketball Deal of the 21st C.

Game 7s are always special. Compelling. Especially when they’re the last game of a long, long season.

But, tonight’s is mo’ betta’. Actually better than that lame overused pop cultural reference.

What we have here is nothing short of a clashing of legends. A one game Texas Chainsaw Loser Leaves Town After Getting Tongues Cut Out Death Match to decide the premier professional hoops legacy of the millennium.

You know, uh, other than that, it’s just another ballgame, the last fix for hoopaholics until autumn. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Dubs/Cavs’ Game 7 is The Deal →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: LeBron’s Last Stand???

Basketball, ,

b-ballOne with a propensity to hyperbolize, might inquire of tonight’s Game Three of the NBA Finals, whether it is the most important of LeBron James’ career, one that could define his legacy?

He might suggest that James, on into his thirties and facing the cusp of declining abilities, might not have many if any more opportunities to hoist his teammate on his broad Midwestern shoulders, and fireman’s carry them to certify a reclamation for his beloved home, the City by the Lake that Caught Fire.

He would wonder if James, Chosen as he was in early age like some hoopster Siddartha, can transcend the middling talents of his current teammates against a foe with more spare parts than Team Penske on Memorial Day at Indy?

He would consider if James’ legendary run of Finals’ appearances will be enough to feed the grandiosity of the star’s desires, as well as the vision of those who anointed him when he was a relative babe?

He would again assess the wonder of James’ physicality, basketball acumen and hardwood intuitivity, but concede that, in a conversation James’ longs to be a part of — Who is the best baller ever? — his name might early on fall out of the discussion.

He might wonder, that hyperbolizer, about his own conjecture here presented, whether he could be over-analyzing the long term ramifications of tonight’s contest, whether his internal queries are but mental hula hoopery?

Then again . . . Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: LeBron’s Last Stand??? →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Dubs’ Subs Conk Cavs

Basketball, ,

b-ballOf the abundant collection of accomplishments that the Golden State Warriors have gathered in the last year, what transpired last evening in Game One of the ’16 Finals may be the most bestest.

Last year’s title. This regular season’s record setting 73 Ws. Besting OKC for the West title, after being down 1-3. Consecutive MVPs. All significant. All boffo.

But, besting rough and ready Cleveland, led by a seriously voracious LeBron James, when the Splash Brothers couldn’t even find the pool let alone cannonball off the high dive . . . by 15 points no less . . . now that’s a statement.

The Cavs were ready to thwart Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, with an effective game plan, and equally impressive execution. Thompson was 4/12, picked up three fouls early on, and was hardly a factor. Curry was 4/15, threw it away 5 times and was a -1 for the tilt.

No real contributions from the stars.

No problem. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Dubs’ Subs Conk Cavs →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Thunder Plunder Dubs, Cavs Cruise

Basketball, , ,

b-ballThe handwritten sign over the bin at Paul’s Market reads, “Best Apples in Store.”

“**Crisp”

“**Tasty”

Since my morning ritual consists of natural crunchy peanut butter and an apple, always crisp, never tart (Ambrosia, Honeycrisp, the occasional Pacific Rose), I grabbed a couple to test eat.

The little sticky labels that are a pain in the ass to pull off read, “Smitten.”

Smitten Apples. Clever designation, that.

Crisp and tasty, they are, and I’m off to the market this afternoon to replenish my supply.

Smitten, indeed.

 * * * * *

And smitten is what we hoopaholics have been, as we were with the Spurs in ’14, with the Golden State Warriors since their beautiful ever in motion panache won them last year’s NBA title, and a record 73 regular season tilts this season. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Thunder Plunder Dubs, Cavs Cruise →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Hurricane Steph Strikes Again

Basketball, , , , , ,

b-ballFirst, a tip for all my fellow, similarly addled hoopaholics, who, like me, hit the hay early, but still want to savor these incredible late night playoff games from the Left Coast.

Use your DVR. Watch the tilts in the a.m. with your morning joe. (As opposed to “Morning Joe,” which cable “news” show is giving the terminology a bad name.)

Buuuuuuut, remember, don’t be a doofus like me. Set the recording for long enough, so that you can watch the whole game, even when it goes to OT.

So, I saw the boffo highlights as soon as I awakened. Knew that the Warriors beat Portland in overtime. Knew that Steph Curry, after a slow slow start, went for 23 points in the last 9+ minutes of the battle, including 17 in the extra 5.

I made my coffee. Fixed my usual repast of natural crunchy PB on Ambrosia apple, and turned on my recording to the 4th Q.

What a game, even though both Curry and Rip City’s scintillating PG Damion Lillard, both of whom were otherwise transcendent at crunch time, missed shots at the end of regulation that would have ended it.

Then, five seconds into OT, the recording stopped. Because, yeah, truth be told, like a dumb schmuck, I only set the recording time for 2 1/2 hours.

Fortunately, there are enough highlight reels on the dub dub dub, so I have a sense of the whole Curry flurry that felled the T-Blazers . . . but still . . . it was like pulling up short. Fortunately my temporary case of b-ball blue balls has abated.

I shan’t make the same mistake again. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Hurricane Steph Strikes Again →

Brooms ‘r’ Us: Cavs, GState Sweeping Along

Basketball, , , ,

b-ballWasn’t it just a bit more than a week ago, when I, who would portend some hoops expertise, declared that the Warriors would have to best their arch rival Clippers in the Western Finals to make it to the Championship Round?

Yes, it was.

We all know how that’s workin’ for me. And Steve Ballmer’s LA LAs. Not well.

So, it is with a minimal but palpable modicum of trepidation that I declare there shall be a Warriors vs. Cavaliers, Left Coast vs. Midwest, King LeBron vs. Prince Stephen, Injury Depleted vs. Relatively Healthy, Ratings Worthy NBA Final betwixt and between The Team on the Lake vs. The Team from the Bay.

Golden State vs. Cleveland.

It oughta be interesting. Continue reading Brooms ‘r’ Us: Cavs, GState Sweeping Along →