Mavericks Try To Grab Game 4

We have seen plenty of the Dallas Mavericks in this playoff run. We have seen the greatness of this team, and we have seen the moments of less than greatness.

In Game 6 against San Antonio, the Mavericks let their opponent back in the series.

In Game 7 they cut their throat.

In Game 4 against the Suns, the Mavericks let their opponent back into the series.

In Game 5 and 6, they cut their throat.

Well, after letting the Heat gain some momentum and confidence in Game 3, should we expect the Mavs are currently sharpening their knives?

I think so. I hope so. Otherwise, at 2-2, this thing is going to get pretty tense.
All the scribes in South Florida spend their time on Wade’s left knee …

Less than 24 hours after lifting the Miami Heat to a dramatic come-from-behind victory against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade limped into AmericanAirlines Arena Wednesday afternoon with yet another ailment -- a stiff and sore left knee.

Wade, who was just getting over the flu and a sinus infection, suffered the injury in the third quarter of Miami's 98-96 win Tuesday night when Shaquille O'Neal drew a charge and fell on top of Wade's knee.

''It's very stiff and very sore,'' said Wade, who was carted out of the AAA following the press conference. ``The only thing I can continue to do is a lot of icing and a lot massaging. I'm very confident in my training staff. They'll get me the closest they can get me at 100 percent tomorrow night.

Except Dallas isn’t buying it …

Dwyane Wade can limp and grimace all he wants, because no one is buying it, least of all the Dallas Mavericks.

You can't claim hardship in one breath and then breathlessly rescue your team from a 13-point deficit in the final seven minutes of an NBA Finals game and expect anyone to believe you.

"He's been saying he's been hurt all series," says Mavs forward Josh Howard. "Like I said earlier in the series, nobody has legs, but at certain times, you're going to have your legs. He put his team on his back and won the game for them."

Meanwhile, Pat Riley and the Heat realize they got away with one in Game 3…

“Eleven of the 20 turnovers that we had were unforced," coach Pat Riley said. "That's not counting two moving picks. That's not counting the three 3-second violations.

"They were just mindless, careless passes, fumbles, some of the things that we did in transition. Shaq threw it one time down the right side of the court; I don't know who he was throwing it to. Dwyane uncharacteristically was trying to get off the ball when normally he's attacking."

Not only were the passes off, but so was the Heat's timing. While the intentions were noble, the Heat too often searched for better shots at times O'Neal was planted beneath the rim in rebounding position.

"The three 3-second calls were when another guy should have shot the ball," Riley said. "The ball movement was good, it got to an open shooter, Shaquille was in the lane, he wasn't open, and the ball should have gone up.

"We definitely have to cut down the unforced turnovers. They only had four [of 16] turnovers that they really forced."

Haslem said the Heat continues to adjust to Dallas' penchant for double-teaming O'Neal with 7-footers. The Heat center has yet to take more than 11 shots in a game in this series and is averaging 8.3 through the first three. To put it in perspective, he averaged 13.6 shots during the regular season and 13.9 in the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Point guard Jason Williams said O'Neal's seven turnovers Tuesday night are overstated, with three of those for 3-second violations while fighting for space beneath the rim.

"We can't really fault Shaq for doing that, because that's what he does," Williams said, adding that there was plenty of blame to go around.

"Especially when you watch it on film," he said. "It's like, `What are you doing?'"

That leaves the Heat with a simple objective tonight.

"Be a strong basketball team," Payton said, "that doesn't make a mistake after mistake."

Edmonton lives to skate another day….Saturday actually …

Goooooooaaaaaaaal! Pisani!

If this one wasn't a goal to be heard all over the world, it deserved to be.

Forget Francesco Totti and those Italian soccer players over at the World Cup.
Gooooooooooooooalll! Fernando Pisani!

With Steve Staios in the penalty box, the only hometown hero on the hockey club became a Stanley Cup hero for the ages to bring the Edmonton Oilers back home alive.
When Pisani, who scored 18 goals in the regular season, scored his second of the night and 12th of the playoffs to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3, he became the first player in the history of the Stanley Cup final to score a short-handed goal in overtime.

In the regular season, 137 NHL players scored more goals this year than Fernando Pisani. In the playoffs, no one has scored more goals than Fernando Pisani.

Back in Arlington, Padilla shuts down White Sox, but in Chicago the story is the rookie who did not bean Hank …

But that paled in comparison to the anger the White Sox displayed during an 8-0 loss at Ameriquest Field in the latest chapter of their rivalry with the Rangers.
Texas starter Vicente Padilla hit Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski twice, which prompted a warning to both sides from home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi in the fourth inning.

Suspicions of retaliation surfaced in the seventh when Sox rookie reliever Sean Tracey moved Texas cleanup hitter Hank Blalock off the plate with a high-and-tight first pitch.

Blalock took a big hack and missed at the next pitch before Tracey moved Blalock off the plate with a low, inside pitch.

The sequence ended when Blalock grounded out to second, but manager Ozzie Guillen immediately pulled Tracey in favor of fellow rookie Agustin Montero, who had been warming up as Tracey entered the game.

Television cameras caught Guillen yelling at Tracey in the dugout.

Tracey buried his head in his hands before covering his face with his jersey, and Guillen was shown spiking a bottle of water.

Guillen declined to elaborate on the incident after taking the blame for not having Montero ready to start the inning, adding Tracey "is one of our prospects." Guillen said he didn't want to make comments that could result in a suspension.

Tracey, who packed his bag after the game in an apparent demotion to Triple-A Charlotte, declined to comment.

Last night, Norm, Dan, and Bob checked out Marlins 6, Braves 5 …

England gets shrek back for TnT today …

Wayne Rooney has been passed fit to play for England against Trinidad and Tobago later today.

The striker was examined this morning by Professors Angus Wallace and Chris Moran, from the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, hours before the World Cup group game in Nuremberg. The specialists released a joint statement, saying: "It is our professional medical opinion that Wayne Rooney is now available to play in the World Cup.

"Wayne's recovery has been more rapid than expected over the past week, and this is due to the excellent care he has received since suffering the injury to his foot and because Wayne has worked so hard at his recovery. Due to this, we were invited back earlier than anticipated to reassess Wayne by Dr Leif Sward, the England team doctor.

To get you ready for the game, Footy, Footy, Footy, Footy, Footy, Footy, England, England! …

The Magic Gopher …



Here is a good email from Iraq:

BaD Radio,
Hey guys I have sent this similar email to morning show and the Hard Line as well, I have simply have asked them to send, A BIG SHOUT OUT, to route sales guys driving the big red trucks and to the rest of the gang at the Ozarka Spring Water office there in Fort Worth, I left in January and hope to be back in time for Halloween, so that I can get back into my truck and tune in to THE TICKET! Thanks a lot….

P1 in the desert,

CS2 GONZALEZ ,MARGARITO