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Thursday, February 09, 2006
Sayson: Bad Boys’ carriage turns to pumpkin
By Homer Sayson
Secondovertime
CHICAGO – Given the NBA’s increasing talent level and its parity of competition, equaling the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ regular season record of 72-10 would be conjuring up a fantasy. Actually doing it would be a miracle.
But peculiar events, such as Kobe’s otherworldly 81-point romp, routinely occur in the unpredictable sphere of sports. After all, “records are meant to be broken.”
And sure enough, what once was imponderable – breaking Michael Jordan and company’s 72-10 standard – became breathtakingly possible when a beast from the East began the 2005-06 wars on a 14-2 blitz.
After cruising to a 24-3 slate by Dec. 29, Detroit went on a tear, winning 11 straight from Jan. 10 to Jan. 29 this year. The streak gave the Pistons a franchise-best 37-5 start, lending more ammunition to the argument that the new generation Bad Boys could indeed break the Bulls’ high-water mark.
But midnight had finally struck on the Pistons’ Cinderella season. They have apparently flamed out, weighed down by the expectations of a history-making feat.
In their last five games, the Pistons looked very ordinary, winning just two and dropping three against inferior competition. They were ambushed on the road by the Nets, 91-84, last Jan. 31. And they got whipped by a Jermaine O’Neal-less Pacers, 93-85, at the Conseco Fieldhouse last Feb. 4.
The Pistons’ low point came yesterday at the Philips Arena, where the Hawks hooked them with a 99-98 stinger courtesy of a runner by Joe Johnson with 7.6 seconds left to play.
Yes, this isn’t a misprint. Detroit lost to Atlanta, a 15-32 team that has been loitering around the NBA’s armpit for years. Strange things happen in the NBA, and nothing is stranger than seeing the Pistons allow the offense-challenged Hawks to pile up 99 points and shoot an amazing 41-of-83 from the field (49.4 percent).
Detroit is now 39-8, which means that they must win 34 of their remaining 35 games to rewrite NBA history with an all-time regular season best record of 73-9. If the Pistons could pull this one off, then they can also part the Red Sea.
E-MAILS. Although currently stalled, the Pistons’ 39-8 run is mighty impressive and Kristian Iroy of Gun-ob Lapu-lapu City (lifeiscool6000@lycos.com) wonders: “How did they do it?”
Teamwork and defense are the keys to Detroit’s success. They pass the ball around at a rate of 24.3 assists per game and they yield only 90.1 points per game, allowing their foes to shoot just 44.5 percent from the field.
“Who is the better team, Miami or the LA Lakers?” asked Jorge Resma from the United Arab Emirates (jorgeresma_67@yahoo.com). Being a “Kobe-hater,” as some idiots label me, I refuse to answer this question directly, but let me give you some clues, Jorge.
Since Shaq moved to Miami, the Heat are 3-1 head-to-head against the Lakers. Miami is currently 30-19, while the Lakers are 24-24. The Heat attack is as well rounded as a Spalding, while Kobe’s one-man army is sometimes flat as the flaps of an envelope.
From Romeo Verallo (reverallo@yahoo.com): “What happened to Morales after the fight?” There were rumors that Erik fractured his left cheek, his eight orbital bone and a few ribs. But according to his spokesman, El Terrible only had some minor cuts which required four to five stitches to close.
LAST WORDS. Thanks to Ralph Matres (RMatres@midamerican.com), an accountant from Ormoc City who had nice things to say about my columns. Thanks also to Jude Tan (jude_tn@yahoo.com), who said he follows Second Overtime as well as my NBA segment at Y101.
Finally to Jess Villarba (jess_vill01@yahoo.com) of El Nuevo Bantay Radyo, thanks for an email which allowed me to reminisce the wonderful times I had at dyMF Bombo Radyo, where I had my first break as a mediaman.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 9, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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