Antonio McDyess just sat there. The court was empty. He just sat there. A few fans yelled encouragement. Someone said, "It'll be all right." But he just sat there, hands over his head, staring into the abyss. The arena emptied. What was he thinking? What was everyone around here thinking? It was a game they don't lose, right? But they lost it. It was turnovers they don't make, but they made them. It was the situation they never dreamed they'd be in, but they are in it.
Rick Carlisle wears a suit and tie and a dress shirt and dark socks and he's not allowed to play anyhow, so all he could do was call time-outs. Sometimes that's effective. And sometimes it's all you've got.We lost track of how many time-outs Carlisle, the Indiana coach, signaled for during the bloodletting that was the late second and third quarters Tuesday night. Suffice it to say, he spent the nest egg. Time out, ref. Time out, ref. Making a "T" with his hands. Touching his shoulders. Why bother, Rick? It was like trying to save theTitanic by scooping with a paper cup.
If the Pistons won't listen to their critics, their coaches, their fans or the gods of destiny, they should at least listen to Antonio McDyess.McDyess is the long, tall voice of reason on a team full of cowboy swagger. When other Pistons say they're serious, McDyess says, "We're playing around."When other Pistons say they're focused, McDyess says their focus is "out the window."
INDIANAPOLIS -- When you absolutely, positively have to win a game, it's nice to have your opponents shoot like trash-can drummers on the streets in New York. You know, clank, clank, thump, thump? The Pacers saw the bottom of the net Sunday about as often as Bill Gates sees a phone bill, and their futility was all over the scoreboard.
DALLAS - Robbery. That's all there is to it. Hockey goals are hard enough to come by in the playoffs, especially when you're inches away from the Stanley Cup Finals, but when you have them swiped, well, you have to cry foul.The truth of Game 4 of these Western Conference finals is that the Red Wings drew first blood but had their sword yanked away and the corpse cleaned and stuffed. Pavel Datsyuk clearly scored on a slap shot from the left side in the second period, but it was waved off by an official who claimed Tomas Holmstrom was in the crease.
DALLAS - Robbery. That's all there is to it. Hockey goals are hard enough to come by in the playoffs, especially when you're inches away from the Stanley Cup Finals, but when you have them swiped, well, you have to cry foul.The truth of Game 4 of these Western Conference finals is that the Red Wings drew first blood but had their sword yanked away and the corpse cleaned and stuffed. Pavel Datsyuk clearly scored on a slap shot from the left side in the second period, but it was waved off by an official who claimed Tomas Holmstrom was in the crease.
I've been feeling sorry for myself lately. I've had some dark clouds, and all I could see were my own problems. Then, about 10 days ago, I got an e-mail. It was from a couple I know in Grand Rapids, Brian and Kathy. Beautiful people. Energetic. Upbeat. They have two young daughters and were expecting a third any day.The e-mail, I figured, was the birth announcement.I was sort of right.
CHICAGO - Ben Wallace stood at the loneliest place in his world, the free-throw line. He dribbled. He shot. Swish. He dribbled. He shot. Swish again. The place exploded. Ben nodded. The fans had their cheer. The Bulls had their win, 102-87. And the Pistons had another game to play.They are on borrowed time now, these Pistons; they are borrowing it from themselves. Every quarter they extend this series is a quarter they should be saving for the next one. Every minute they play these Bulls is a minute they should be resting up for someone else.
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.
