Wild Night In The Association

Believe it or not, I want to shout out LeCap this morning. I'm not even messing around, the dude earned it. You all see how sick LeCap is? I mean, how could you miss it, right?

LeCap could not have made it any clearer that he is sick as hell right now. And yet he still showed up last night and balled out in game number 80 in his 39 year old season. Even though he could not have looked and acted more sick. 

I mean the guy looked like he was gonna pass out on the bench. He looked like he might not make it to the end of the game. Dude basically looked like death but he played like the same old LeCap. So props to him.

Of course, he led the Lakers in scoring anyway even though he was clearly severely infirmed. And of course, his performance didn't matter, because the Lake Show lost anyway. Way to go Lake Show, you lost LeCap's flu game. Even though you got 38, 11 and 7 from the sickly GOAT.

Incredible enough that the dude is still able to suit up and do it on this level on any night, let alone a night where he is obviously WRECKED. So WRECKED it looked for a little while there like he might not even make it. Let me put it this way... It was touch and go on the bench for LeCap, but it was full go on the court, same as it ever was. I don't know how the dude does it.

But you know what's even more incredible than that? Street Clothes was in his Street Clothes for that very same game thanks to a... Wait for it... A headache. Oh and nausea too. So, LeCap was playing with LeFlu and balling out with LeFlu WHILE Street Clothes was sitting with a headache. I'm sure LeCap's response to hearing that news before the game sounded something like this. 

Look, I’ve given Street Clothes a lot of credit this season for how little he’s been in his Street Clothes. Dude has played in 74 games this year. Up until this week, he was on pace for a career high in games played. But then when the Lakers really needed him, he was in his Street Clothes for two of the most important games of the season. Because of course he was. Of course Street Clothes was in his Street Clothes while the elderly GOAT came back from death's door to try to carry the team to a better seed. What could be more Lake Show than all of that?

Well, besides losing the game, which of course they did that too. Because the Dubs showed up last night and put on a laser show. The Warriors showed up and drilled 26 threes to ruin the LeFlu game. TO KEEP the Lakers behind the Kings in the 9 seed.  They dropped 134 on the fake lake show and knocked in 26 three’s: way to put a hand in someone’s face.  Anyone’s face.  Want to guard no one at all.

And you could tell the toll it took on LeCap, just listen to how awful this dude sounded after the game. 

Dude sounded like hell. He doesn't just sound sick, he sounds defeated. He sounds like a man who felt like ass and battled through it anyway only to see his buddy, the alleged face of the franchise, the guy he tried to pass the baton to, sit out with a headache. Way to pick your dude up, A.D.: by the way, what’s good A.D.!! I’ll you what’s not: LeCap looking like he might die on the floor, and you just taking it all on, in your streets because you didn’t feel up to it.

But at least the Lake Show WASN’T the only play-in team that embarrassed ITSELF last night. Because the Bulls made sure to send a message to their head coach in the midst of all this Kentucky speculation. Message being... Go to Kentucky Munster kid. Beat it Choc Donovan. 

What else does it say when your head coach is in the news because he's being linked to one of the biggest jobs in sports and you back him up by making the most embarrassing play of the entire NBA season.

In fact, this play was so bad it might go down as the worst fast break in the history of the Association. Never has a 3-on-none looked so difficult. Check this out and check out my dude Stacey King's reaction.

That has to be one my favorite plays ever. Not only did they blow a three-on-none because Torrey Craig tried to throw himself an alley oop off the glass... They blew it because his teammate, the trailer, thought the alley hoop was for him.  Now that bleep was hilarious... Like Torrey was lobbing for himself, but Drummond thought Torrey was lobbing it for him. Or Drummond thought he saw an opportunity to snatch a bucket away from his buddy. Either way, it's incredible. And so was my dude Stacey King's reaction. Stacey was NOT HAVING IT.

But for the record, my dude Stacey did not swear right there. He's way too much of a pro to say what the internet thinks he said. I'll even give it the Matt Nagy treatment and show you... Just like Matt Nagy never said pennus and cracker jack... Stacey is clearly saying "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME." 

And of course Chicago didn't just blow that hoop, they blew the game too. Which is all a rough look for the Munster KID  The vamp coaching the team says he's focused on the Bulls but maybe he should really be waiting by the phone for Mitch Barnhart to call.

Dude is acting like he's locked in meanwhile his players are acting like they're completely checked out. His players are like, nah dude you should definitely be interested if Kentucky calls. In fact, by the looks of it his team would gladly drive him to the airport and buy his one way ticket to Lex Vegas.  Remember when Cal said yesterday: it’s time for this program, these players and these fans to hear a new voice.  When you have three jerking around and failing to convert a three on none in a game they had to have, that essentially the message they’re sending the mueenstetr kid: we need a voice: we’re sick of yours. Wise up get ass back to Rockingham lane.  I mean, does look like we care: we’re throwing off the glass to ourselves and embarrassing the hell out of the franchise and our city.  Hit the bricks, munster kid, and tell Uncle Fester we said sup, fes?

Rough night for the Lake, rough night for the Munster kid, but at least we all dodged a bullet it seems when it comes to Giannis. Because when Giannis went down with that non-contact injury last night, everyone was thinking the same horrible thought... If that's a SHREDDED Achilles that's a nuclear disaster. Everyone was having that thought except Doc Rivers, Doc was like, holy crap this could really bail me out here. 

I'm kidding obviously... That's exactly WHY you hire Doc for right? That's exactly why you hire a dude with championship experience right? So he can coach up the Bucks without Giannis when they already can't win with him. That's why you brought in Doc in the first place, right?  Because this where he leads from the front and shines: in the midst of chaos and adversity; that’s why you bring Doc Rivers in, right...

Thankfully, Woj reported this morning that the Achilles intact. It's just a matter of how long it takes his calf to heal. Which must be a huge relief for Doc knowing that Giannis should likely be available for whatever playoff series Milwaukee ends up getting a 3-2 lead in and then blowing.

The craziest thing about that Bucks game last night was that they actually won! Giannis went down, and they won anyway. And they beat the Celtics too. It was actually a really good win. I'm just not exactly sure what happened to the refs. 

Because somehow, Boston didn't attempt a free throw in that game. And Milwaukee only attempted 2. They played a full 48 minutes of NBA basketball and only one player took only one trip to the stripe. Hey Ref Show... Make that make sense.

I love when the Ref Show stays out of the way, don't get me wrong, but there's staying out of the way and there's not showing up. It was like the Ref Show just decided to check out and let them settle it amongst themselves. There's 'letting them play' and then there's 'letting them do whatever the hell they want.' Talk about swallowing the whistle, that's swallowing the whistle and then having it come out the other end in a postgame dump. Seriously bizarre, but still not the strangest thing about that game. Which again, was just the fact that the Bucks actually won.  And that the ref show took a dump in its pants.  And a whistle came out.