Viel Rauch um nix

Und schon ist es wieder vorbei, dieses hoch gepushte, über-hypte Duell zweier Mannschaften, die am Ende ohnehin nichts mit der Titelvergabe in dieser Saison zu tun haben werden. Lebron James war für nicht einmal 24 Stunden nach Cleveland zurückgekehrt (Miami war nach dem Heimspiel gestern gegen Detroit erst nachts um 4 in Ohio angekommen und flog nach der Partie gleich wieder zurück nach Miami), um mit seinen alles andere als souveränen Heat bei den noch weniger berauschenden Cavaliers Gast zu spielen. Und obwohl der Spannungsaufbau vor der Partie einem suggerieren wollte, dass hier am Donnerstag eine epische Schlacht und die wohl wichtigste Begegnung der Saison steigen würde, war die Luft schneller draussen als bei einem geplatzten Heissluftballon.

Die Story des Abends ist schnell zusammengefasst: Miami dominierte, wie bisher üblich, einen schlechten Gegner nach Belieben. Miami und vor allem Lebron wurden auswärts, wie bisher üblich, gnadenlos ausgebuht. Miami's Topstars Lebron James und Dwyane Wade wechselten sich, wie bisher üblich, mit ihrer One-Man Show ab. Die Cavs zogen schon zu Beginn des Spiels den sprichwörtlichen Schwanz ein und rissen lieber Witze auf der Bank, anstatt auf dem Platz mal die eine oder andere auszuteilen. Aber so ist sie nun mal, die neue heile NBA-Welt, wo alle bestens miteinander befreundet sind und man seine Gegner/Homies am liebsten 48 Minuten lang knuddeln möchte.

Und weil ich schon Mitte des zweiten Viertels keinen Sinn mehr darin sah, traditionell von diesem antiklimatischen Non-Event zu berichten, und mir die Idee kam, statt dessen einfach eine Reihe von Tweets aufzulisten (und Kevin Arnowitz mir diese Arbeit auch noch in Teilen abnahm, nett wie er nun einmal ist), sei das Geschehen hier nochmal in Kurzform und linearem Tweet-Ablauf zusammen gefasst: Heat @ Cavs in je 140 Zeichen (oder weniger)


Lebron back in Cleveland. I don't watch the NBA but I'm watchin this (Lance Armstrong)

"My intentions was on point. Maybe the execution was just a little off. If you make a mistake or feel like you make a mistake you just learn." (Lebron James)

LBJ bobbleheads in the urinals at the Q. Love this city. (Brady Cotter)

Best anti-LeBron sign of night so far: "11-8? Looks like you left your talents in Cleveland." (Michael Wallace)

Fan holds up sign "We should have drafted Darko." Now that may be the best one of the night (Gary Washburn)

Spoelstra says, "We're in this together." Until they throw him out, anyway. (Brian Mahoney)

I think that this game won't be close either way for the cavs or heat! Someone is going to get blown out! I think its to much emotion in it! (Jermaine O'Neal)

Zydrunas Ilgauskas marvels at 'crazy' pre-game atmosphere (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

I'm a lebron fan tonight just for tonight though (Brandon Jennings)

People kept asking Cleveland fans not to embarrass themselves. Good thing. The Cavs players have taken that role for themselves. (Joe Posnaski)

It seems like MO williams is throwing this game???? Or Am I wrong everybody??? (Brandon Jennings)

Heat lead Cavs 59-40 at half. LeBron has 14 points, 4 reb & 6 asst. Shot just 1-of-5 in 2Q. Lookout, fans headed for bars. (Brian Windhorst)

Through one half at the Q, the score is Profanity 10, Civility 0. Also going scoreless: creativity. (Howard Beck)

I took a nap, woke up, and this game is uglier than a Master P sneaker (Anthony Morrow)

Dan Gilbert should suit up in the 4th quarter. He may be the only Cav with any fight in him. He's also nuts (Marcel Mutoni)

Some poor guy in the upper deck waving his Lebron Heat jersey was just doused with beer ... and escorted to door. (Mary Schmitt Boyer)

The real game just started: Erick Dampier is in the game (re-Tweet)

This fourth quarter is going to be awfully boring. Is it too much to ask for LeBron to start trash talking w/ Dan Gilbert to entertain us? (mcten)

Man it looks like cleveland is laying allllllllllll the way down! (Jermaine O'Neal)

Boobie Gibson better quit smiling on the bench (Triche)

There aren't any more dogs in this world. Cavs bench laughing with dude that left y'all. Yeah that's funny. Grow some cajones... Anyway (Chris Webber)

Another reason why today's NBA doesn't compare to yesteryear. That conversation would not have gone on during the days of the Bad Boys. (Triche)

Cleveland underperforms in every aspect tonight (Courtside)

Jawad Williams is the lone Cavalier to greet LeBron after the game, rest of team walks straight to locker room (Gary Washburn)

LeBron (38 points) wins big in Cleveland, and won't apologize (USA Today)

Whitlock: Choker LeBron fails to score in 4th qrtr. Wojnarowski: LeBron left toilet seat up at halftime. Simmons: Bird would have scored 40 (LeBatardShow)

"I know this court. I know this court and I've made a lot of shots on this court" (Lebron James)

Did a post game interview with Craig Sager and I mentioned "Greatness" and I didn't mean to say my self individually... (Lebron James)

why does LeBron refer to his ability as another being - "greatness" "talent" etc? that's not even 3d person. (Jordi Scrubbings)

Soooooo glad I didn't spend my hard earned $ to fly out to this game. This is why I didn't do it. (Nate Jones)

Since I actually like basketball, I am really enjoying this second PHX-GSW game, and pretty much acting like that first one never happened. (n/a)

At last, TNT gets to the game we've all been waiting for: Jason Richardsons' emotional return to Oakland. (Mike Faux Dunleavy)