Shawn Marion is Magic: Can be in two places at one time!
Marion Loses for 2 Different Teams on Same Day; Riley is 0-4 in Doubleheaders
A lot of interesting stuff took place in Philips Arena on Saturday night as not only an NBA game took place but there was an NBA doubleheader: Pat Riley fell to 0-4 in doubleheaders, Shawn Marion technically played and lost for two different teams on the same day, and the Miami Heat are still really bad at basketball.
Due to stat-keeping that commissioner David Stern deemed “grossly negligent” on the part of the Atlanta Hawks when the Hawks hosted the Miami Heat in December (the Hawks’ statiticians miscounted Shaquille O’Neal’s # of fouls ruling him ineligible to play with six fouls when in reality he only had five), the December game was replayed from the point in overtime when O’Neal was inaccurately ruled ineligible.
What made this game even more intriguing was the fact that O’Neal was practicing in Phoenix as his current team, the Suns, prepares to take on the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Other players including Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Acie Law, and Lorenzen Wright were in uniform for the December version of the game but not the conclusion last night while some players played in the conclusion (Jason Williams, Shawn Marion, Mike Bibby, Josh Childress) but were not even dressed in the December starter.
When all was said and done, the result of the replayed game was the same, Joe Johnson just scored three less points as no one scored in the replay, which lasted approximately two minutes. The Hawks were triumphant 114-111.
In the subsequent “nightcap” of the protest-replay doubleheader, the Hawks won another tight contest 97-94 as Johnson poured in 39 points, just enough to hold off Ricky Davis and the Heat. Davis scored 27 on 11-16 shooting including 5-7 from three point range.
**Last night’s doubleheader represented the first time a request for a replay has been held up by the league commissioner since the 1982-83 season. In that game, the San Antonio Spurs requested a replay after losing 137-132 in double overtime in December. The request was granted and in April the game was finished with the Spurs coming out on top 117-114. The Spurs then went on to win the regularly scheduled game that April night as well.
The Spurs’ opponent that night: the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers’ coach: none other than the slick-haired Pat Riley. Therefore, Riley is now 0-4 in protest-replay doubleheaders.
Marion, on the other hand, now appears to be a magician as he technically played (and lost) in two games in two different time zones on the same day. By playing in the final 52 seconds of the Hawks/Heat replay and grabbing a single rebound, Marion technically played in two games on December 19th. He also scored 23 points (10-14 shooting), had 10 rebounds, and 3 assists against the Dallas Mavericks as his Suns, now his former team, lost 108-105.
And if you are wondering if other players that were added to the teams since the original Hawks/Heat game are as magical as Marion: Marcus Banks did not play in either the Suns game in December or the Heat replay last night and Mike Bibby did play in the final 52 seconds of last night’s replay but did not play in December when the Kings beat Milwaukee 102-89 due to thumb surgery.
Shotgun Spratling
| 2.5 |
Leave a Reply