NBA

In the NBA, there were 2 games in action last night.  One marked the end of a series, the other changed people’s expectations.

In Atlanta, the Hawks looked to stave off Dwayne Wade and the charging Heat.  People discounted the Hawks after Wade’s MVP campaign, but they are far from rolling over dead.  In fact, this series has been quite strange, considering every game has been decided by double-digits. It’s almost like the teams alternate “night’s off”.  Well, Dwayne Wade played brilliantly last night, scoring 23 points in the 1st half.  However, he would have to take some time off due to hitting his head on the floor, and would only score 6 points in the 2nd half.  On Atlanta’s side, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith led the way with 25 points and 20 points respectively, as the Hawks took care of business on their home court to send this series back to Miami.  Atlanta 106, Miami 91.

In the other game, the Denver Nuggets did what everyone thought they would:  finish off a lackluster season from the New Orleans Hornets.  The Hornets were the #2 seed last year, and looked like they would become a powerhouse in the West.  But this season they were plagued by some in-house strife, trade rumors, injuries, and poor chemistry.  Hopefully, their off-season will be fruitful.  Meanwhile, Denver’s season has been just the opposite.  They went from the “troubled” team, to a beautiful cohesive unit.  With Chauncey Billups at the helm, they may actually give the Lakers some trouble (assuming they both get to the Conference Finals).  Denver 107, New Orleans 86.

Elsewhere in the NBA, there was some controversy over Tuesday night’s Boston/Chicago game, in which Rajon Rondo laid a hard foul on Brad Miller in the game’s closing seconds.  Rondo practically hit him in the face.  sending Miller to the line for two stress-filled free throws (plus, Miller’s lip was bleeding).  The Bulls were furious that the referees didn’t call a flagrant foul on Rondo.  This would have given the Bulls 2 shots and the ball back. Very helpful given the situation.  But… no dice.  Mileer missed the shots, and the Celtics won.  Well, yesterday, the league said there would be no further action on Rondo (i.e. a penalty or a suspension).  The NBA ruled that the refs called the play accurately, and it was business as usual.  The Bulls are now in a must-win situation for Game 6.

NFL

Finally, it appears that Michael Vick will be released from prison on May 20th.  Sure, he will be confined to his home, but this guy wants to play football again and BAD.  Teams will be taking a risk on him, but there are a bunch of teams in the NFL who sorely need a quarterback.  Vick doesn’t have a perfect track record, but there’s no denying his athletic ability.  Plus, he has publicly stated his remorse for the dog-fighting a plethora of times in the media.  You can accept or deny his apologies, but it’s clear that this guy wants to at least get a second chance and reinvent his image.   We’ll see how this story unfolds.