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Basketball from a fans perspective

Trap game

I thought the game against LSU might be a trap game. LSU’s losing record plus the game was in Baton Rouge all the makings of a trap, but it didn’t occur Mizzou was a winner 81-76. It turns out I may have called this wrong the close out game against Ole Miss was actually the trap game. Ole Miss had fired Kermit Davis and this team was going nowhere, they had only their pride on the line, and they played like it. Take out the streaking Tigers was paramount on the mind of Ole Miss.

This game reminded me of an MMA match, every time Mizzou landed a punch Ole Miss would deliver a return blow. After racing out to a lead Mizzou only held a 5-point lead at the half. Kobe Brown scored 17 points and Nick Carter off the bench matched him, two other Tigers were in double figures. The game wasn’t decided until the final few minutes as Mizzou was able to win 82-77, in addition to a double bye in the SEC Tourney this Mizzou team won their 23 game of the season. We must return to 2012-2013 and 2013-14 season to find a Mizzou team with an equal number of wins.

Sorry folks this screams asterisk

Jaeson Maravich claims his father would be rooting for Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy to break the NCAA points total record. That’s his opinion and it’s okay, I have an opposing view with the manner the record was eclipsed, and my reasoning will be provided in case you didn’t read it the other day. Pete Maravich set the scoring record over three seasons, at the time the elder Maravich played freshman were ineligible to play at the varsity level.

Davis has played 5 seasons one of them being the covid year when everything was shut down in March. Players were given an additional year to play if they desired and that is the case for Davis. Maravich could shoot from distance, but the 3-point line was yet to be implemented while he played at LSU. The Maravich record is broken but there should be an asterisk placed next to Davis’s name. In addition the conditions that allowed Davis to break the record should also be noted. 10 years from now someone unfamiliar with the events surrounding this should be able to fully comprehend the entire story.

These guys are not always right

I listened to Charles Barkley on Inside the NBA after the Clippers were beaten by the Warriors. Barkley remains one of the defenders of this talented (his words) team. He claims the Clippers will play for the Western Conference championship. I can’t see that far from here, the only thing I know for sure is they lost another game this one Friday evening. The Kings beat them in a close one 128-127, doesn’t matter how close it was they lost, by the way where was Kawhi Leonard?

Because the game wasn’t on television only the box score was available, and Leonard’s name was not listed…I guess Load Management. Listen folks, I could be as wrong as two left shoes and you certainly have permission to laugh at me. I believe this Clipper team is capable of earning a playoff berth however they are certainly not a Finals Championship team. Am I picking on them, you could say that however I believe the same applies for my Lakers. Both Los Angeles teams are likely to watch the championship parade of some other team, there I said it. As for Steve Ballmer I’m sure you accomplished more work from your Microsoft employees than several of these Clippers.

Did it actually occur

The NBA is full of stories, sometimes these stories border on “did that actually occur or is someone embellishing the event”?  We are accustomed with triple-doubles, have you ever heard of a quintuple-double? It occurred or at least we have been led to believe, it was March 18, 1968, and it featured the Wilt Chamberlain Sixers and my Lakers. The Sixers were winners 158-128 but it’s what Chamberlain was reported to have accomplished. The Dipper scored 53 points pulled down 32 rebounds also had 14 assists…24 blocked shots and 11 steals.

The NBA did not record steals and blocks back then; it would be 1973-74 before they were official. So you are asking the question how the heck were the steals and blocks registered? The late Harvey Pollack was the resident statistician, and he was in attendance at the game track the numbers. The NBA was certainly a smaller league in 1968 but who is to say it couldn’t have occurred? Here’s what I believe, knowing the scoring and rebounding machine Chamberlain was at the time I believe it occurred. Pollack in his official capacity certainly had no reason to tell a lie.