RTOE: On buzzer beaters, Dwight Howard, and David Blatt

We haven’t done a true RTOE in a while, but this weekend’s events made it necessary. Let’s get into it. 

Which of the three buzzer beaters was your favorite?

Jack (@jackhaveitall): 

I have to go with Pauly’s. Going iso at the elbow on the final possession was peak Pierce, and he came through, even if he had to use the glass. Plus, “I called game” is an all-time great quote.

Eric (@EricBuenning): 

I’m going with the Derrick Rose one. It’s cliche to say, but Chicago really needed that. Not just for winning Game 3, but to like…feel really good about Derrick Rose again. As a Bucks blogger, I remember Rose at the peak of his powers sinking the Bucks at the buzzer. Seeing him recover from multiple injuries to hit another game winner on a bigger stage is really cool, and I can only imagine what Bulls fans felt that night. Sidenote: I’m going to cry real hard when Jabari hits his first game winner.

Wes (@wcgoldberg):

I’m a Heat fan, so I was raised to hate Paul Pierce, Derrick Rose was a a major video game boss in 2011 and LeBron James… well. But, with everything that has happened (Pierce not being on the Celtics, Rose bouncing back to clutch mode and LeBron being too great not to like) I found I was excited about each and every one of them. I’ve got to go with The Truth, though. With the Heat not in the playoffs, I’ve adopted the Playoff Wittman’s Wizards as my team. When John Wall went down, I thought they were toast. Pierce called game, though, and the Wizards live.

What would your reaction be if you were the heckler Dwight Howard challenged?

Jack: Hey Dwight, say “Eye yam stew peed” four times fast.

Eric: First, I’d make sure that there was no way of this actually happening. I’d scope out security and strong looking bystanders that would have my back if we did spar. Once I felt secure, then I’d make repeated fart sounds with my armpit until Dwight doubled over in laughter. Flawless victory!

Wes: As much as I would love to say I would have done something manly or, better yet, clever, the truth is that I probably wouldn’t have said anything and dropped my phone into my beer out of nervousness.

How soon would David Blatt have been fired if the refs acknowledged his timeout call?

Jack: Dan Gilbert would have made Tyronn Lue the new head coach before the game was even over.

Eric: Do you remember that scene near the end of Breaking Bad? The “prison killing/ticking clock” scene? That probably would’ve been Blatt in the locker room showers after the game. Well, not really. But you get the idea.

Wes: Fired? He’d be lucky to get fired. Blatt would’ve followed the team to the locker room, gave a mysteriously vague post-game presser after which he would have never been seen again. Eight years later, he’s making your sandwiches at a local Jewish deli under the alias of Michael Baranski.