Originally posted by billbird2111:
He didn't have the best of games. He didn't need too. Instead, Rudy Gay just dominated that third quarter and defensively, this was a brand new team.
LeBron hit some incredible clutch three-point baskets in the waning moments of overtime to keep the Heat close. Had those ridiculous shots not fallen, the Kings would have won this easily.
However, instead, this team kept it's collective head cool, headed down the court, ran the offense, and answered each LeBron miracle with a two-pointer of their own. In the end? The Heat just ran out of time.
Good team win. Not one player stands out in my mind, other than Gay sinking jumper after jumper after jumper in that third quarter. Otherwise, this was as good a team win as I've seen out of this team in a long time.
I still think this was a blip on the radar screen. It's still going to take the better part of three months for this new lineup to jell. Don't expect miracles.
Oh, yeah, and get Jimmer the hell off the court, please. He looked terrible out there. Throwing those no look passes to nobody's home wasn't all that impressive.
Yes, still a work in progress.
Still some interesting developments. Lineup for the OT: DMC; IT; Rudy. MT at the 2 instead of Ben Mac, and Derrik Williams at the 4 instead of JT.
Those two guys, Thorton and Williams, play good defense. Thorton fights through screens and hustles. He dives for loose balls and long rebounds. He helps even when his shot isn't falling. Williams rebounds and rotates to help against big guys who have freed up on picks and are rolling to the basket--he contributes even when he's not scoring.
That's a lineup that could develop into something special.