Contributed by guest columnist Dan Best
The Wolves came up short again last night thanks to a marginal effort
for the first three quarters. The final score will indicate a tight two-point
loss over the now reformed Jailblazers, with a big stat line for Rube.
That, however, was not at all indicative of the quality of the game. I
happened upon a ticket as part of work related function, which usually means a
suite, or at least premium seating, and seems to be the only way I take in
professional sports anymore. Having grown accustomed to such treatment
and amenities, I find it exceedingly hard to plunk down any of my own earnings
for the cheap seats (which really aren’t that cheap). This means that
last night was my first game of the season (actually first in a couple
seasons).
Kieran’s was the pre-game gathering spot. As I finished my last
pint I glanced through the window and reflected on a fine evening or two spent
across the street at O’Donovan’s before the Block E monstrosity went up and also
wondered at the necessity of two Irish bars in such close proximity in a land
still largely populated by Scandinavian-Germanic descendants. Plied with
drink we proceeded across the skyway to the warm embrace of a corporate suite
and a mish-mash of the standard sports bar/arena fare. After a pass or
two through the mini-buffet we were briefly descended upon by a small gaggle of
cheerleaders, who dutifully chatted up the guests and gave their most cleavage-baring
poses for a quick round of pictures before moving on. They were
unfortunately the only things lively about the place. A small, lethargic
crowd in an ugly facility does not provide much of a home court
advantage.
By this time, the Wolves had limped out to healthy ~10 point deficit,
which they managed to maintain into the half. Perhaps, had the home team
come back out with some of the effort on display during the halftime musical
chairs contest, they wouldn’t have built themselves as a big a hole to dig out
of in the fourth quarter. As it was, they tried to make a game of it down
the stretch thanks to some solid individual play from Rick (apart from his
final shot attempt of the evening) and JJ over the last three minutes when
things finally got rolling. Unfortunately, the conclusion was less than
satisfying.
While I’ll be the first to admit to a lack of complete attentiveness
throughout much of the game, it seemed a very quiet 14-assist night for
Rick. Cunningham was also quiet in padding his stat line, thought it was
certainly welcome since we were down a Russian for a sizeable chunk of the
game. Lilliard was involved and aggressive for the Blazers, if not a bit
reckless. Didn’t look like ROY material to me, but a small sample size on
my part. As for the Wolves, still some pride and effort, but they seemed
doomed to another lost season until they start playing a full game on an every-night
basis.
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