The Life and Times of Erik Spoelstra

Dead. Man. Walking.

Since the Heat head coach could be putting his hands on his hips or his forehead for the last time in Boston tomorrow night, let's examine how he got here.

Celtics/Heat Mid-Series Check-In from Two Haters

Similar to yesterday's mid-series check-in on Spurs/Thunder with our man Thunderstolt, today two pathetic Lakers apologists bring you our updated thoughts on the Eastern Conference Finals match-up between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. 

The CDP and I have been fascinated in a series that like the Western Conference Finals, has taken a turn for the unexpected. In a two-game swing, Rajon Rondo and the C's have stormed back into the scrum where they were once not only left for dead, but reanimated as a Zombie and then put back down by Mila Jovovich. 

As a hardcore pathetic Lakers apologist, I'm going through a bevy of emotions on a night to night basis rooting for either the Celtics or Heat. I find that I'm consistently pulling for the team that's losing to win, hoping that every contest ends in a heart-breaking last second shot and ultimately in Game 7, just hours before the tip, all members of both teams get a debilitating, but eventually curable case of syphilis and they just have to cancel the Eastern Conference Finals. 

My sociopath tendencies aside, let's press on. Last night, the Thunder were able hand the Spurs their third consecutive loss after their 20 game winning streak, heading back to Oklahoma City with a 3-2 lead in their back pocket. Will the Heat be able to do the same?  

Monday Night RAW Recap: Oversaturated with Cena

Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Announcers: Michael Cole, Jerry “The King” Lawler


TWEET ALERT
WWE Creative ‏@WWE_Creative
Tonight's show will open with @JohnCena, close with Cena, & whenever he's not on camera everyone will be asking "Where's Cena?" #RAWTonight


Michael Cole in-ring interview w/John Cena

According to WWE logic, ratings were down last week because John Cena was absent. The solution? More John Cena of course. Miraculously, the segment wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated: it was mostly Michael Cole as the voice of the IWC in calling John Cena “overrated.” The remark was obviously scripted, but it was still interesting Vince McMahon would allow an announcer to insult his golden boy. The result is John Cena vs Michael Cole later on Raw. It’s times like this when I question why I’m 27 years old and I still watch wrestling.


TWEET ALERT
WrestleZone.com ‏@WRESTLEZONEcom
My first thought when Cena said he's uninteresting and being shoved down our throats was that Cena was going to wrestle himself.

Spurs/Thunder Mid-Series Check-Up

With two dramatic victories this weekend by the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals series have essentially been reduced to 3 game series. The final four teams all held home-court serve, so it's down to three games apiece every other day this week to decide who heads towards the championship round. For NBA fans in Miami, Boston, Oklahoma and San Antonio, the next 6 days are going to be sheer agony - none of these cities are going to be sated by a mere conference crown. They're all title contenders whose goals start and end with an NBA championship. Win or lose, nothing's been accomplished except for taking years off the lives of these four fan bases.

The one silver lining to BockerKnocker's Knicks and my Lakers getting bounced weeks ago is that our hearts have been rapidly calcified in the wake of our collective playoff disappointment. No longer feel the palpitations associated with a ball clanging hard off the back iron or careless pass floating to the other team. I happily and calmly watched this weekend's action with wavering attachment depending on whoever had the lead. The Lakers fan in me wanted the games to end up in a tie, just so that everyone would be miserable. However, the basketball fan in me felt the slightest tickle in my cold, black heart watching Rondo pick apart the Miami defense and Kevin Durant continue his ascendancy to another level of stardom.

However, we need to check-in with people that still have a pulse, feel feelings and of course, care about the game's outcome past pathetic Lakers apologist biases. Two MAMBINO correspondents, have graciously agreed to help us out and take the temperature of these series with the score tied at 2-2.

First up, ThunderStolt on his Oklahoma City Thunder:

2012 NBA Mock Draft

On Wednesday night, the lottery results were released, with the New Orleans Hornets coming out on top as the night's biggest winner. In true Mambino fashion, we present to you the first version of the 2012 NBA Mock Draft, consisting of all lottery selections.

As always, this mock draft is based on what these teams "should" do, as opposed to what we think the teams "will" do. To choose the latter over the former is an exercise in futility, as readers of our NFL Mock Drafts know quite well.

Participating in v1 are your regular TGM cohorts, KOBEsh and I. Obviously. But we have some help, in the form of irregular correspondent El Miz, and brand new guest poster, 6 on Hibbert. Any NBA fan or recent Georgetown alum/student knows about the transformation of Roy Hibbert, who earned his first All-Star nod as the Center for the Indiana Pacers this past season. Well our boy 6oH, as you may guess, scored 6 points on Mr. Hibbert not too long ago. Eat it, Roy.

And now, onto the picks: