We got outscored 5-0 in the last half minute. We led 108-104 on a Tyler trey with :35.1 left. ATL immediately took a TO (impressed by the Pigeons' coach's game management). C-Mart blocked Murray's layup but ATL got the 'bound. Then J-Rich committed a foul. Bogdan Blockhead made two. 108-106. The last 3 or 4 times I tuned in it was to see a Tyler fuck-up. What happened next was Tyler missed a 13-foot shot and Murray got the rebound and apparently drove to the arc and popped for the game winner, 109-108. We called time with :02 left but the play-by-play doesn't record us getting a shot off.
The bottom line, there are a few bottom lines. One, we have now lost two in a row. Two, our two losses were u-g-l-y, the violent partial birth abortion in 905 and this desultory L, both to teams that we had no business losing to. Toronto is now 16-26 and traded away their two best players. ATL is stuck forever in Middlesborough and is now 18-23 after tonight.We are 24-18 after the two L's and should be 26-16. We had no business losing these two games.
Three, we did not show up in 905 and we went through the motions in this game without intent. We had this game but lacked the will to put it away.
Four, I think Spo has given up on Jovic and is showcasing him. That's not working too good. He started tonight but played only 15 invisible minutes. Spo is not happy with Jovic and is clearly having him go out and lift his skirt to try to entice an offer. He did the same with J-Rich in his last season in his first round with the "Heat". That landed us J-Buts but J-Rich is a stiff. Our "real" starters in terms of minutes played were Bam, 39', 21 pts, 9 rebs, 6 asts, +8; Jimmy, 8/10, 25 points, 0 +-; Tyler, 35', 25 pts, 10/19 (4/9), 2 t.o.'s, 4 fouls +/- 0, two and-ones given, and a missed shot at the end that probably would have shot the Pigeons off their perch. Then he didn't get back and Murray (who the "Heat" want in a trade) hit the game winning three; Caleb, 27', 10 points, 8 rebs, +3; and Kyle, 24', TWO points, 4 asts. We had 16 to's to ATL's 13. We out-rebounded them significantly 44-38.
These games leave marks. These are the games the "Heat" should have won and will come back to bite us in the second half.
The "Heat" is out of sorts and lacks will, whether you term it intent or purpose. Is it the absence of 3J? I really think that young guy steadied this team and led them with his everready battery. He may be the catalyst that we were missing these two games. But God, we had as near a full complement of tools for Spo to use as we have had all season. This one irks and the two combined indicate a sense that a blow torch and some chair-throwing is called for. Get Jovic out of the fucking starting lineup for crissakes. Stop using him as bait fish.
I lay my head down to sleep with annoyance for the first time this season. We play at Orlando, an above.500 team, which is better than we have lost to these last two games. Heads need to be knocked and I would start with Tyler. We need 3J back. Bad.
Frustrated tonight. The "Heat" players need some ass-kicking. These two games were not Miami "Heat" Culture.
