Friday Afternoon Fracas

Memory fails when I try to imagine the last time we published two NBA posts in the same year week. Fact is, we're just interested enough in ribbing the almost-wed Lone Reader an inventive enough bunch to try anything. That said, I wouldn't really call this an NBA post, but at least it starts off with some semi-basketball-related tidbits of flavor. After the jump, though, there's some other news that I'm not really interested in touching on, but will anyway.

I find it best to let initials do the talking. That is, with the BCs in their way, things don't look so hot for the LJs and his CCs. Let's not forget, this is a complete team.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas (19 points, 9-for-12, 5 rebounds) continues to be Cleveland's best player, which might mean he got nabbed by the Green Menace as well. But Wally Szczerbiak (4-for-11) and Delonte West (1-for-5, 5 assists) seem like their old selves...Ben Wallace almost collapsed on his way to the bench less than four minutes into the game and had to be taken to the locker room.

(Deadspin)

Something that works "well" for Cleveland: cheap pizza. Something that doesn't: winning playoff basketball games.

In Boston, Bron-Bron might have gotten Clevelanders cheap pizza yesterday, but he might want to start making some shots at some point in this series. James went 6-of-24 to go with another seven turnovers and Ben Wallace staggered off the court with a dizzy spell four minutes into the game and didn't return. But, yeah, the Celtics seemed so vulnerable a few days ago.

(With Leather)

There're still some Cavs' "hopefuls" out there, but not really. I mean, kind of.

What we had previously chalked up as an off-game for LeBron appears to be more than that; perhaps the Celtics have LeBron rules in effect. After the 2-for-18 stinker, the NBA’s best player shot 6-for-24 last night in a game that turned ugly in the third quarter and stayed that way. Like Windhorst, we’re not ready to count the Cavs out just yet, but a) LeBron obviously needs to take over and b) the Cavs need to find people interested in scoring.

(The Big Lead)

I guess apologizing, discounted food, and winning clutch hoops contests don't make for a good combo. At least not in Jesus' eyes.

In hockey news, Colorado Avalanche General Manager Francois Giguere and Head Coach Joel Quenneville decide it would be mutually beneficial if the Avs find a new coach. All I'll say about that is: Oops. Yo, Franky. Look east toward your counterpart's Larry Pleau's decision to can the Quenn. The Blues have done real well since then.

Game one of the NHL's Western Conference Finals was, um, not surprising, ni exciting.



(NHL.com)

For the most exciting bit of technology on the Webs today, have a listen to the Melrose Line. Good time talks about Don Cherry, fabulous white-guy suits, and of course, mullets and Canadians. And hey -- no need for one of them ripoff Insider subscriptions!

(ESPN)

Some baseball games also happened yesterday. Or at least, some stuff happened while some baseball games were going on.



(Lion In Oil)



(Bugs and Cranks)

This just in: We now cover tennis, too! Well, I think it's safe to say that we've got our own special definition of "cover," but whatever.

Anna Kournikova logs "considerable mileage in team vans," digs cheap wieners? Man, if that ain't a headline begging to be printed...

Speaking of headlines, the one that states, "Sharapova Slams WTA Tour Over Publicity Shoot" had the makings of a good-sounding story. Or at least I thought it did. Probably because I saw "Sharapova slams" and " shoot" in the same lines. End result? Not photo(s), no slammage; bo-ring.

And in notes of the random...

Out of work? Money a little tight? Bring out yer dead. Or at least their credit cards.

Suriya Prasathinphimai becomes one of five Southeast Asian Games medalists to be stripped of a medal for doping. I'm no olympiad, but, like, isn't loading up on dope what you do in southeast Asia? I mean, one can't expect a guy to be completely clean when it's expected of him to "win the 75-kilogram division." Sheesh. The kid's from Thailand for Christ's sake. So he shoes up reeking of hooker juice and his pee has some pharmies in it. It's Bangkok. Let a playa' play!