So now it's 1-1

I'm having a hard time getting worried about this series, and that in itself is troubling. I should be terrified of Shaq and Wade, and I'm just not. Hopefully on Sunday (SUNDAY!?! Why the fuck do we have to wait until Sunday?!?) the Pistons won't play their second consecutive game like THEY'RE not worried about Shaq and Wade either. But like I said, I'm having a hard time getting nervous about this series. I mean, the Heat won 60 games, so why don't I give a shit?

Well, mainly because:

A.) The Pistons played like ass last night (they shot 37%; Chauncey had 8 turnovers in the first half alone; Chauncey and Rip - two guys who both hover around 90% at the stripe - missed 4 consecutive free throws at one point; 'Sheed, as I should have predicted yesterday, fell in love with his jumper after Monday night's game, where he went 4-5 on 3s, and ended up being a total non-factor last night; and the team just looked lethargic and content, like "we won Game 1, we got a split, and that's what we came here for").

B.) We had to expect the Heat to come out with everything they had last night, as they were about as close to having their backs against the wall as you can be without the contest being an actual elimination game.

C.) Wade went off for 40 (thanks, Nips).

D.) In spite of A., B., and C., the game still came down to the end, as the Pistons had a shot to tie it with under 30 seconds left.

Quite plainly, if that's the best the Heat have got, they're in SERIOUS trouble. Shaq is clearly not going to be able to give them more than what he gave them in these first two games. Wade scored 40, and they still had to win it in the final minute. It sure seems like the Pistons' strategy that I touched on last time (play everyone honest, no double-teams) is the right way to go here. Wade is going to get some, but if they can consistently hold him to 20-25, and make the Eddie Joneses and Olandis Haslems beat them, the Pistons should be able to win this series.

That being said, something needs to be done about Wade. I saw his shot chart from last night, and the dude attempted 4 jumpers the entire night. His game is to careen toward the basket and 1.) dunk, 2.) dish, 3.) throw up a twisting, off-balance semi-layup (which he does, and which actually go in, an astonishing amount of the time), or 4.) go to the line. His jumper is incredibly unreliable - if Holy Cross could shut Wade down simply be sagging way the hell off of him and forcing him to shoot Js, then surely the WORLD FRIGGIN' CHAMPIONS should be able to do it. I'm pretty sure the Heat ran a high pick-and-roll for Wade on 14 consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter last night (always with Complete Asshole Alonzo Mourning [has he always been this big of a dickhead, flexing and pointing and taunting nearly non-stop? Or is this a new, post-dialysis thing?], and always a screen of the moving variety). One of these times, one of the Wallaces has to knock his ass to the ground, and send the message that that kind of shit may be cute and get you in "People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People," but it doesn't fucking happen in the playoffs. Just one or two Dikembe's to the head, just to get the message across. That oughta do it.

All right, I'm out.

By the way, T-MINUS ONE WEEK UNTIL THE CUERVO OPEN'S OPENING CEREMONIES.

I may have just soiled myself.