Sports Agenda for Monday (6/4/12)
Big Story:
Paging Mr. Bosh, Mr. Chris Bosh, please pick up the Heat courtesy telephone in the AmericanAirlines Arena locker room. Plus, it's June so that means the Marlins are, wait, they're winning?!?
Quote of the Day:
"There's a candle burning in the world tonight. For another child who vanished out of sight. And a heart is broken, another prayer in vain. There's a million tears that fill a sea of pain." – Steven Tyler, from the song "Fallen Angels"
Miami Heat: (off Monday, thank goodness)
Well, we've reached that part of the series where Chris Bosh has to have his Willis Reed moment.
Not quite, but I watched Bosh jump towards the roof as Wade's last second shot clanked off the rim.
In other words, due can and will play in Game 5.
He's the only player athletic enough to cover Kevin Garnett and make Garnett come outside and cover him.
The sad part was, when I was watching the final play of the game I said to myself, "Oh hell, here comes hero ball with a bad three-point shot coming up."
He needed to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim, I'm speaking of Wade by the way.
I understand wanting to win it and get it over with, but Wade was 2-5 from 3 before that shot. Not exactly a great shooting percentage.
Course then again, he was 7-22 from the floor in general, so it's not like he was your best shooter last night.
And LeBron, buddy, I defend you every day and you drop 29 points but foul out and commit 7 turnovers?
What a waste of a game for Udonis Haslem too.
My man was a beast on the boards in Game 4. He finished with 12 points on 66 percent shooting and pulled down 17 rebounds.
So what was the flaw in the game for Miami?
Obviously Wade and LeBron can't combine to shoot 19-47 from the field, or roughly 40 percent.
But the bigger issue is something I've just started paying attention to.
If you remember Peyton Manning's time in Indianapolis, every time he went to play at New England, he just didn't look like himself for some reason.
That's kinda what I see from LeBron and sometimes Wade when they go to the Garden.
I know it's an over-simplification, but Miami just played poorly in Game 3 and got out-executed in Game 4.
Which brings me back to Bosh.
He's going to workout today and tomorrow and if there's no setback, he'll play in Game 5 bet me money.
The question is, how successful will he be and how will the Heat re-integrate him into the offense.
I do know this, if he's 90-100 percent, he's going to be the starting center.
He'll be all up in KG's grill and force Boston to shift the defense to stop him, thus opening up lanes for D-Wade and LeBron.
Remember too, Bosh is a heckuva passer from the low-post and as long as he cuts to the basket when LeBron or D-Wade go to the hoop, Miami will be fine.
But, remember what I said before the playoffs began….this team will go as far as Chris Bosh can take them.
Don't get me wrong, LeBron and Wade are the catalyst and the scoring punch, but this team needs Bosh in the worst way possible.
So here's hoping for no setback and a healthy Bosh back into the lineup.
Miami Marlins: (off Monday)
The Fish are off today after winning the series in Philadelphia.
Carlos Zambrano hit a homer in Sunday's win and pitched 7.2 strong innings where he struck out seven.
That's a heckuva performance for a guy most of Major League Baseball had left for dead after his complete meltdown last year.
And don't look now, but Heath Bell picked up another save by getting the last two batters in the ninth out while also lowering his ERA to 6.65.
Speaking of ERA, Zambrano lowered his ERA to 2.81.
The Marlins come home for a three-game series against the Braves before some interleague play.
Starting Friday, the Marlins will play the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox at home before going on the road to play the same two teams.
So here's how the pitching lineup looks right now…
Ricky Nolasco has a 6-3 record, Buehrle is 5-5, Cishek is 4-0, Zambrano is 4-3, Josh Johnson is 3-3, and Anibal Sanchez is 3-3.
Not bad, not too bad at all.
