(NewsUSA) - What would you rather have? Analysts and fans micro-focusing on mundane, soul-draining considerations, like whether LeBron James should compete in next year's dunk contest, or truly great basketball games?
For example, what took place in Madison Square Garden on Feb. 27 is what sports are supposed to be about. Competition, exhilaration and fun. Warriors guard Stephen Curry put on a show with 54 points, including 11 three-pointers. On the other side, Carmelo Anthony dropped 35 points, J.R. Smith had 26 off the pine and, lost in all of this, Tyson Chandler pulled down 28 rebounds. What they did in basketball terms is like pulling a rabbit out of a burning hat, wrapped it in Egyptian linen, sprinkled crushed lavender dust on it and made it float through the air. Somewhere Penn and Teller are clapping their hands and yelling "Bravo."
kAm%96 724E E92E E96 (2CC:@CD =@DE :D :CC6=6G2?E[ @C 2E =62DE 7@C E96 ?:89E :E :D] u@C (2CC:@CD 72?D \\ H9@ 2C6 5@F3=6\4964<:?8 A=2J@77 D665:?8 6G6CJ cg 9@FCD \\ 6249 82>6 :D D@>6E9:?8 E@ 4@?D:56C] ~C 7@C z?:4<D 72?D \\ ECJ:?8 E@ 9@=5 @77 x?5:2?2 7@C E96 D64@?5 D665 \\ 6249 H:? 86ED E96> 4=@D6C E@ A@E6?E:2==J E96:C 36DE A@DED62D@? :? E9:D 46?EFCJ] $@ J629[ @7 4@FCD6[ 7@C E96> :E H2D 2? 6I4:E:?8 82>6] w@H6G6C[ 7@C E96 C6DE @7 FD[ :E H2D >FDE\D66 %'] xE 6?565 FA 36:?8 @?6 @7 E9@D6 C2C6 @442D:@?D H96? E96 82>6 :D ;FDE 2 82>6[ 2?5 E96?[ D@>69@H[ >@C6 E92? ;FDE 2 82>6]k^Am
kAmxE H2D @?6 @7 E9@D6 36DE\42D6 D46?2C:@ >@>6?ED H96C6 E96C6 2C6 ?@ A@=:E:4D[ ?@ E2=<:?8 9625D A@?E:7:42E:?8 D6?D6=6DD=J[ ?@ 3:K2CC@ HC:E6CD :? @=5 D9@6D 2?5 @G6CD:K65 A2?ED 4C:E:4:K:?8 2 A=2J6CVD A@DE\82>6 H2C5C@36] %9:D H2D ;FDE DA@CED 765 :?EC2G6?@FD=J C:89E :?E@ E96 3=@@5 DEC62>] xEVD ?@E 23@FE C64@??64E:?8 E@ J@FC 49:=59@@5 @C 2AAC64:2E:?8 DA@CED 7@C :ED =6DD@?D @? E62>H@C< 2?5 565:42E:@?] xEVD 23@FE DEC:AA:?8 :E 5@H? E@ :ED 3F:=5:?8 3=@4<D] u2?D ?665 82>6D =:<6 E92E 6G6CJ @?46 :? 2 H9:=6 E@ 36 C6>:?565 H9J E96 96== H6 =@G6 E9:D]k^Am
kAm$A@CED 92G6 2=H2JD D6A2C2E65 :?E@ EH@ 42E68@C:6Di p 5:DEC24E:@? 7C@> E96 52:=J 8C:KK=6 @7 6G6CJ52J =:76[ H96C6 E96 DEC6DD6D @7 H@C<[ D49@@= 2?5 72>:=J 42? 36 4@>A2CE>6?E2=:K65 7@C 2 76H 9@FCD 2?5 J@F 42? 5:D2AA62C :?E@ 2?@E96C H@C=5 H96C6 E96 3:886DE :DDF6 :D H@?56C:?8 H96E96C @C ?@E 2 A=2J6C 42? 86E 2 D9@E @77 367@C6 E96 ac\D64@?5 4=@4< 6IA:C6D] ~C 2 G69:4=6 E@ 5:D4FDD 2?5 6IA@F?5 FA@? D6C:@FD :DDF6D E92E[ 3@8865 3J E96 >@?@E@?J @7 962G:=J :?DF=2C =2?8F286[ H@F=5[ @E96CH:D6[ 8@ :8?@C65 5F6 E@ E96 >28?:EF56 @7 E96 DF3;64E]k^Am
kAmxEVD 2 A@H6C7F= H2J E@ E2<6 2 3:E6 @FE @7 :DDF6D =:<6 8F? 4@?EC@= @C D@4:@\64@?@>:4D 2?5 3C:?8 :E 5@H? E@ 2 =6G6= H96C6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 E96D6 E9:?8D 5@6D?VE C6BF:C6 2 5@4E@C2E6] xV> DE:== ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE 2 H2J E@ 5:D4FDD E96 D6BF6DE6C H:E9@FE E96 5CJ?6DD D@ AC@>:?6?E :? E96 DF:E 2?5 E:6 ?6EH@C<D]k^Am
kAmqFE H96? DA@CED 2C6 5@>:?2E65 3J c_\J2C5 52D9 D@2A @A6C2D[ D6I D42?52=D 2?5 D>2==\>:?565?6DD[ :E 42? =@D6 :ED 6IF36C2?46] %96C6VD ?@ 6D42A:?8 2?5 E96C6 2C6 ?@ =6DD@?D =62C?65] xEVD ;FDE 2? @?D=2F89E @7 3:=6 E92E 6G6?EF2==J =62G6D J@F ;2565 2?5 4@CCFAE65] *@F 42? 2C8F6 H9@ :D 2E 72F=E 96C6[ 3FE C62==J[ H6VC6 2== 4F=A23=6 :? 5:776C6?E H2JD] y@FC?2=:DED[ HC:E6CD[ AC@5F46CD[ 65:E@CD[ 3FD:?6DD>6?[ 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 72?D] (6VC6 :? E9:D E@86E96C]k^Am
kAm$@>6 @7 J@F 2C6 8@:?8 E@ C625 E9:D 2?5 =2>6?E 23@FE E96 5@H?D:56 @7 :562=:K:?8] *@F 92G6 E92E C:89E] xE 5@6D?VE >2EE6C D:?46 >F49 :D?VE =:<6=J E@ 492?86 2?JE:>6 D@@?] %96C6VD 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ 36 >@C6 @7 QE96>Q E92? E96C6 2C6 @7 QFDQ 2?5 E96 AC@76DD:@?2= 92E6CD @FE E96C6 H:== 2=H2JD 92G6 E96:C 2F5:6?46]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ H96? E96D6 >@>6?ED 5@ 92AA6?[ H6 92G6 E@ 2AAC64:2E6 E96>] %2<6 2 DE6A 324< 2?5 3C62E96 566A=J] %96 u63] af 82>6 H2D 2H6D@>6[ 2?5 6G6? z?:4<D A=2J6CD 4@>>6?E65 @? 9@H 8C62E rFCCJ A=2J65] %96C6 H2D ?@ ?2>6\42==:?8 2?5 ?@ 72<6\5C2>2 >@>6?ED E@ D:KK=6 E96 E23=@:5D] yFDE 6?E6CE2:?>6?E[ DEC2:89E[ H:E9 ?@ 492D6C ?66565]k^Am
kAm%9:D DE@CJ :D 4@FCE6DJ @7 Q%96 $925@H {628F6]Q u@C >@C6 DA@CED DE@C:6D[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]E96D925@H=628F6]4@>QmHHH]E96D925@H=628F6]4@>k^2m]k^Am
