Jeremy Lin 104, Mavs 97: My Top 10 CBS Contemplations
10. At this point, I'd gladly trade Lamar Odom/Khloe Kardashian for Kim Kardashian/Kris Humphries.
9. Mavs had a chance to tie, but Jason Terry's right-wing 3-pointer back-rimmed in the final :30. We shouldn't be surprised. Terry averages 17 points at home on 51-percent shooting, compared to only 12 points on 32-percent on the road.
8. Pre-game rituals are out of control. LeBron James' powder in the air is silly, but nothing compared to the choreographed ridiculousness by Jeremy Lin and teammate Landry Fields. Far as I could tell, the two mimicked putting on glasses. Then Lin pretended to flip through a book, perhaps The Bible, held by Fields. At the end they both took off and put their glasses in a jacket pocket, then pointed to the sky. At the other end of the court, the Mavs' Ian Mahinmi – channeling Keith Brooking – led Dallas' huddle in a tribal, primal yell that prompted Dirk Nowitzki to smirk and wave him off.
7. At Madison Square Garden Sunday were Kevin Costner, Mark Zuckerberg, Woody Allen and Eva Longoria. Still trying to decide who's more annoying: Rachel Nichols or Spike Lee?
6. No, Dominique Jones ain't ready. For his role as backup shooting guard. For his role as emergency point guard. For the NBA.
5. J.R. Smith returned to the NBA with Armen Gilliam's UNLV haircut. The zag in the forehead is entertaining, but the fact that referees allow Smith to hop – I mean, to establish a pivot foot and then to hop with both feet coming off the ground – to balance and settle himself before a 3-pointer is downright maddening. Plain and simple, the hop is traveling. When and why did this become legal?
4. The Knicks' Steve Novak got hot with four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. But after the last one he did Aaron Rodgers' championship belt move. Really? The belt? By the .500 Knicks? In February? By Novak? Honestly, the preposterousness of it all made me giggle. Like a kid who celebrates beating me to the salt shaker, to use on his mac-n-cheese while I gladly wait an extra three seconds to season my steak.
3. Despite the loss, Dirk scored 34 points. That, on the heels of dropping 28 (with 12 rebounds) on the Sixers Friday night in Philly. In other words, he ain't done. Sorry, stupid ass Charles Barkley.
2. That's it, my patience with Odom has first deteriorated, and now totally dissolved. The Mavs had control of this game, leading 70-60 late in the third quarter. That's when coach Rick Carlisle gave Nowitzki some rest, and inserted Odom. What commenced was an embarrassing disaster. Odom twice fouled Lin on made layups, leading to three-point plays. He then committed an offensive foul, missed a 3-pointer and tried to dribble behind his back in the backcourt in the final minute, instead fumbling the ball off his butt and heel before throwing an off-balance, cross-court pass that Lin easily picked off for a dunk. ESPN's Stuart Scott attributed the play to Lin's "ridiculous anticipation", but to me it was more Odom's ridiculous apathy. He then missed another 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter before being yanked for the game's final 8:34. His final damage: In a stretch of 7:13 with Odom playing point-forward the Mavs were outscored, 21-10, and for the game Odom had more turnovers than hoops and a hideous minus-17 total. I was bothered last week when Odom, who grew up in Queens, said "At the end of the day, I'm a New York Knicks fan." I've even more perturbed now, and the premiere of Khloe & Lamar last night doesn't help things. At this rate Odom will be moved next summer for salary-cap room. And if Carlisle really wants to send a message – and appease fans – Odom should sit out the entire game Wednesday against his old team, the Lakers.
1. Give Lin credit. Against the defense of Shawn Marion and an onslaught of double-team traps aimed at making someone else make plays, he produced 28 points and 14 assists on the Mavericks. Do it an entire 82-game season and Lin will be a Steve Nash-ish MVP.
