Early on in this series, I could have accepted and might even have been pleased with a moral victory. But that was then, and right now all I can see is a wasted opportunity that — in my mind, if not yet in fact — cost my team its last best chance of advancing to […]
Tag Archives | NBA Playoffs
Random pre-game thoughts
This Bulls-Celtics series has had more unexpected twists and turns than an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Except, unlike an M. Night Shyamalan movie, I could watch these games over and over again. (Sans Game 3, of course.) I have no idea what to expect from Game 5. (Although I have a sneaking and somewhat paranoid […]
Updated! MRI looming for BG’s hammy
Chicago’s shot-making superhero is scheduled to undergo an MRI today. The reason: He strained his left hamstring in the first half of yesterday’s double-overtime thriller against the Celtics. Said Gordon: “I was driving and I heard something pop. It’s sore; hopefully it’s not too serious. I’m going to do what I need to do.” I couldn’t […]
Game 4: Epic redemption
And to think, I was ready — several times — to dub this baby “The Free Throw Game.” As in, “Missed free throws cost the Bulls the chance to tie this series at two games a piece.” It wasn’t just the nine misses (26-for-35). It was when some of those misses occurred. You know, at the worst possible times. First, Tyrus […]
Game 3 Disaster: Complete and Utter
Ever had one of those bad dreams where everything goes wrong? Like, you’re in school but you don’t know your locker combination, haven’t got your books, didn’t do your homework, can’t find any of your classes, forgot to get dressed, and the teachers are all slavering, tentacled monsters who want to use your stomach as […]
Celtics-Bulls: Game 3 Live Blog
Hey folks. By the Horns is teaming up with fellow TrueHoop Networker Celtics Hub to provide a live blog of Game 3. I’ll be at the game, but my good friend and pickup league running mate Evil Ted will be live blogging in my totally understandable absence. CelticsHub.com Live Blogging
“Be water, my friend.”
Last night, I was talking to Jason Smith for ESPN’s NBA Today Podcastwhen Jason mentioned that some of the buzz about Derrick Rose died down a bit in late March/early April due to the strong late-season play of fellow rookies such as New Jersey’s Brook Lopez and Minnesota’s Kevin Love. Now, maybe it was because I had […]
Timeouts, rebounding and robots
The second-biggest storyline coming out of Game 2 — after Jesus Shuttlesworth versus Air Gordon — was the Bulls’ lack of timeouts in the closing seconds, which forced a final (and fatal) 50-foot heave from Tyrus Thomas as time expired. And in true “I’m Italian!” fashion, the one person not second-guessing Vinny Del Negro is…Vinny […]
So close to 2-0! And yet so far…
Holy crap! You wanted playoff drama, you got playoff drama. This game had everything: Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… Okay, okay. That was actually The Princess Bride. But this game sure had its share of fairytale-like elements. A proud but ailing champion. A fierce and determined underdog. Mortal combat. […]
Ranking Derrick’s playoff debut
Derrick Rose’s first playoff game made NBA history, alongside the other all-time great postseason debuts of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Chris Paul, John Williamson, Gary Brokaw and whoever else you want to name. But I felt it was necessary to rank Derrick’s performance against several other real-world examples of incredible awesomeness in order to provide the proper […]