My brother Chandler and I are in Florida for the week visiting our grandparents. So, after a day at the beach, we came back to watch some basketball to get ourselves prepared for March Madness next week.
But as we sat down in my grandparents condo with a 24" inch color television in front of us, we had no idea that we would be watching two amazing games.
The first featured the Chicago Bulls versus the Miami Heat. Now I'm not really into watching meaningless NBA games before April(which would be every game) but Chan and I picked this one up in the 4th quarter and it intrigued us. Both of these teams showcase a array of young talent including the top two picks in last June's NBA Draft; Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. The rookies combined for 41 points but they were not the story line of this contest.
This game was dominated and I mean dominated by Dwayne Wade. Wade finished the double overtime thriller with 48 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Wade missed an easy lay up at the end of the first OT, but he more than made up for it at the end of the following overtime.
With three seconds left, he made a break for the ball and stole it from John Salmons for his fourth steal of the night. After stealing it, he took a few dribbles and launched a desperation 3- pointer from 45 feet. From the moment it left his hand, I knew it was in. I started yelling, "he got it, he got it!" As time expired, the ball swished through the net.
"You never know until it goes in," Wade said," but I was 99% sure that one was cash."
Now, I know that everyone is talking about Lebron vs. Kobe for the MVP. What
about Dwayne Wade???
This guy is on one of the worst teams in the NBA but on this night, he was definitely the best player in the league.
The next game started at the same time as the Heat/Bulls game, but ended nearly two hours after Wade made his buzzer beater.
This matchup featured the UConn Huskies and the Syracuse Orangemen in the Big East quarter-final. The game started at 8:37 p.m and ended at 1:22 a.m making it the longest Big East game of all time and the second longest in Division I history.
This game really began as time expired at the end of regulation when Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf hit a miracle 3 pointer. My brother and I went crazy as did the entire Syracuse team by mobbing their teammate at halfcourt. But hold the phone... the refs huddled and concluded that the ball had not left Devendorf's hand in time to count. Wow...
So, how do you come back to win this one over heavily favored UConn if you're Syracuse? I didn't think they had much of a shot but I was wrong.
Just as Dwayne Wade showed why he is the best player in the NBA last night, Orangemen Sophomore Johnny Flynn made a case that he is the most conditioned player in college basketball. Not only did Flynn play 67 minutes and score 34 point with 11 assists, he willed his team to an instant classic win.
"I can't even feel my legs right now," Flynn said. "It was a tough game, we battled it out, but we have to turn it around -- today -- and face a tough team in West Virginia."
Every overtime had had a chance to be ended,but neither team could break through which made this such an intriguing game. The game took 3 hours, 46 minutes with a combined 244 points, 102 of which came after the regulation buzzer, Eight players fouled out and six registered double-doubles.
The craziest part of the game was that the Orangemen never led until guard Andy Rautins hit a three to put Syracuse ahead 120-117.
This was amazing and it's what made this game so incredible because every time UConn got up by five or six points ,you knew Syracuse would find a way to force another period.
"I just wanted to get the game over with," he said. "I was thinking, 'Lord, just get this game over with. Whoever wins the game, let's just get it over with.'"
March Madness has begun.... what a game.
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