The Color Purple (And Other Rimshots)!

Hello and Happy Thursday from sunny and balmy North Texas!

It will be a temporary reprieve but the last two days have been absolutely wonderful here. Walking weather and a great time to just open up windows and air out the pad where you reside. Cooler weather to arrive come Friday. Still seeing the 60s this weekend. I look forward to it.

After assuming River duties yesterday made it home in time to watch the second half of the Mavericks-Lakers game. An 8pm start centrally made that possible. I'm not really sure what impressed me more. The way Derek Fisher ups his game in the 4th quarter, wondering if Shaquille O'Neal was giving foul shot tips to both teams, or the way Kobe appears a little lost and out of sorts in the absence of that cylindrical shape a Zen master once called, 'The Triangle'.

Just like when the Spurs make the trip north, Los Angeles brings out every transplant on the planet for a home game in Dallas. Half the crowd wears purple. A victory is quite bruising while a loss invokes the 1984 classic by Prince. It is however, never boring.

If walks are the very thing that will put gray hairs on a manager, my guess is the same applies to missed foul shots in basketball. Seeing Kobe miss two in a row-rare. Seeing Dirk miss two straight-unheard of! Watching the Lakers miss 7 of 9 at crunch time and STILL get the win? Absolutely demoralizing.

Pao Gasol was his usual presence underneath and yes Andrew Bynum was good for 19 points. Kobe just looked tired late. That look of confidence wasn't in his eyes. Equally impressive was the way Shawn Marion covered Bryant for most of the second half. Even with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry accounting for all the 4th quarter points for Dallas it was not enough as Derek Fisher would apply a three point dagger and a another basket in a 9-0 Laker run. 

The Mavericks now enjoy the All-Star break and look forward playing 9 games in a 12 day stretch out of the gate. Los Angeles plays in Oklahoma City tonight before they too enjoy a needed break. Weird to not see Phil Jackson on the Lakers sideline after so many years.

Another episode will be uploaded a little later this day. Time to enjoy a little bit of sun.

Make it a great day!

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will