Upon learning I had Wednesday night off from work, one thought immediately entered my mind: It was going to be a fun night to follow my two favorite sports teams.
The Rangers played at 9:05 p.m. at Seattle, while the Mavericks faced the Lakers at 9:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. The doubleheader may be late for some, but I'm used to staying up until 1-2 a.m., so I welcomed the DFW twinbill with open arms. And it didn't disappoint.
C.J. Wilson, who's pitched like an All-Star lately, tossed a complete game (125 pitches), surrendering six hits, two runs (only one earned), one walk and striking out 12. The Rangers defeated the Mariners, 5-2.
A few minutes later, the Mavs completed an improbable 91-82 dismantling of the defending-champion Lakers at Staples Center, and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Most rewarding, enjoyable sports night I've witnessed in some time.
First, let's start with Wilson, since Gametime in Arlington is, after all, Rangers-centric. I've been keeping a keen eye on Wilson's walk totals this year. Last season, he issued way too many free passes (93, compared to 170 strikeouts). The strikeout-to-walk ratio was lower than 2:1 (1.83).
How about this year?
After Wednesday night's gem, Wilson has compiled 46 strikeouts, compared to 13 walks. I know it's a sample size and much of the season remains, but his K/BB ratio to date is 3.54:1. Much better. If we are to rely on Wilson as the staff ace this season, he will have to keep that ratio rather stable.
The Rangers moved to 17-14 and are clinging to first place in the crowded AL West.
Can't forget about those Mavs. How sweet was that? Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 24 points, but it was J.J. Barea who completely changed the tempo of the game and swayed it in our favor.
Barea played 17 electric minutes, slicing through the Lakers defense, hitting floaters and finding open scorers, in the paint and outside. Barea is listed at 6 feet, but there's no way he's taller than 5-foot-9. His body control in the lane is remarkable for someone of his stature, and the quickness of his first two steps is fun to watch. Sometimes, he's out of control, but he was my MVP tonight.
Suddenly, Dallas is up 2-0 on the Lakers with two straight home games awaiting. There were times in the first-round playoff matchup against Portland when the Mavericks would lose focus and, consequently, big leads. Mental lapses and the Mavericks were synonymous. Not sure what changed in less than a week's time, but Dallas has owned the defending champs so far, at their place.
The series is not quite over yet. Los Angeles is a good road team, fully capable of taking two in Dallas and making it a series again.
Most of the Lakers are respectable players, but I have a hard time thinking of Ron Artest in that light. With just fewer than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, with the game already decided, Artest inexplicably clothes-lined Barea after a play was stopped. He was promptly ejected. Artest should not be able to play in Friday's game in Dallas. His actions were completely uncalled for, and the blatant cheap shot should be punished accordingly.
Overall, an incredibly enjoyable evening to be a DFW sports fan with the 2-for-2 showing. It was well worth the day-long wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment