Game #71 Recap: How Sweep It Is, Amirite? (or: Why Cavemen Want Their Corners)
By Jared Wade
Indiana Pacers 98 – Detroit Pistons 83
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If you’re a Pacers fan, you have to hate the Pistons. That’s just how it works. No, the 2000s-era rivalry between Indiana and Detroit never reached Pacers/Knicks proportions, and it was much more a non-nationally heralded, one-sided feud than a true rivalry. I get that.
But that’s the point.
The Malice at the Palace was enough to give the (in this case literal) feud its place in NBA history, and Tayshaun’s block on Reggie provided another iconic moment, which, in addition to a couple of playoff series and four intense “mark your calendar” regular season games for several straight years, is enough to put Pacers/Pistons at least above the DeShawn Stevenson-stupidity-fueled Wizards/Cavs “rivalry” that DC fans seem to think exists.
Thus, last night’s win over Detroit, which capped the Pacer’s first-ever regular season sweep of the Pistons, was bittersweet. On the one hand, that’s awesome. On the other, Danny Granger may as well have handed Rip Hamilton a bucket of ping pong balls like a relay baton on the way off the court.
Just last week, it looked like only three teams would probably finish the season with a worse record. Now, eight other teams would have a better chance to draft John Wall if the season ended today. And by beating the Pistons twice this week, Indiana has very well likely leapfrogged a tail-spinning Detroit squad (that has now lost 13 of its last 15) for good.
Of course, my head knows that every win at this point is probably bad for the Pacers long term. But when the Pacers are playing the Pistons (or the Knicks … I don’t bury hatchets … I recycle them), my heart says “Smoke those bastards.”
And really, at least while I’m watching any game, I never want Indy to lose. Intellectually, I don’t particularly care either way at this point — this team has been so, so disappointing this season that nothing short of them posting a shutout of the Lakers on the road or Danny breaking Wilt’s single-game scoring record would make me actually cheer.
But while I’m watching, I want the team I root for to play better than the team they are playing against. I just do.
Sports are how we, as civilized members of modern society, remain tribal. My tribe wears blue and gold. And the primitive joy I get from seeing a higher number in the score next to my tribe than the one next to the other tribe is why I joined a tribe the first place.
Of course, Being a successful tribe in the modern NBA isn’t all about war time (i.e., in-game) success. It has become much more complex due to the Draft Lottery and the salary cap and all that. I know this. I do. And, ultimately, I know my tribe would be better served if it lost the rest of its game.
But what can I say?
I’m just a caveman.
(Fans of The Wire should feel free to replace this whole Neanderthal analogy for the conundrum of rooting for meaningless late-season wins vs. rooting for better draft position with one that compares the mentality of Avon Barksdale vs. the mentality of Stringer Bell.
“I’m just a gangsta, I suppose. And I want my corners.”)
UPDATE: In my haste, I forgot to include the apt and insightful series of thoughts on the matter that @excitedstate dropped last night during the fourth quarter.
"This stretch of Pacers wins has made me want to rejoice and cry at the same time. Love improvement, but we need good pick."
"Just when they finally convinced me that losing was a good thing, they start rattling off the wins."
"I was at the last Pistons game, cheering my heart out, and getting nauseous when we let them back in."
"But there’s that nagging feeling, like a kid cheering for a snow day when you know you’ll have to make it up in June."
And, man oh man, weren’t those extra school days in June insufferable?
Obviously, this post was all just a ruse to give me an excuse to include this fake Cavemen trailer.