random sports commentary, because i was up too late

There are sporting events, especially basketball games, whose wide final scoring margins belie the excitement and closeness of the game. Those games are fun to watch and leave you with something to talk about, because you can tell anyone who is interested exactly why the score should have been closer (or you can rant about it on your blog, because your friends are mostly hippie dancers who really could not care less).

Then there are games whose close final score belies the total boringness and pre-destiny of the game. Like the final score of the Spurs-Cavs game last night (the fourth and final game of the NBA Finals, for those who have no clue what I'm talking about). I stayed up 'til 12:30 in the morning for THAT?

The only reason it was (maybe) still worth watching at the end was to appreciate Manu Ginobli, who is as rock-solid a player at the end of a game as a team could ever dream of. In fact, I'd say he's why they won last night, because no one else was doing jack s--t. But at least the Cavs couldn't make a basket for most of the second half, except for their runs at the 7-minute mark and the 20-second mark.

At 20 seconds they started fouling and getting rebounds and LeBron woke up and got that Michael Jordan-ish, untouchable look back in his eyes. But as my friend who I watched the game with astutely noted, you start fouling with a minute left and making those baskets, you have a ball game. You start fouling with 20 seconds left, well... you have 20 seconds that take 10 minutes to play, an outcome that everyone knows anyway, and an 83-82 game that sounds far more exciting than it ever was.

It's great that the Cavs made it to the Finals, which was always their real goal anyway. LeBron finally has something of the supporting cast he needs and deserves (something that I, as a Minnesota sports fan, can only dream the Timberwolves will give Kevin Garnett someday). Tony Parker got a little more of his rightful recognition and a big smooch from a beautiful lady. So, everybody's happy, right?

Yeah. Wake me up for next season.