Last Tuesday night, this reporter had the good fortune and equally agonizing experience of attending the Miami Heat playoff game versus the Boston Celtics. Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals was a tremendous roller coaster ride. Watching Lebron James and company get out of the gate with instant fervor, and hearing the uproar of the crowd as Chris Bosh made his return after missing nine games with a lower abdominal strain, was tremendously uplifting.
Those momentary feelings of joy and delight were fleeting, soon replaced by emotions of frustration and distress as we watched the seasoned Celtics veterans chip away at the Heat's lead and ultimately capitalize on timely breaks to steal this victory from the Heat on our home floor.
On the ride home, listening to sports talk radio (yes folks, sometimes music critics listen to sports talk, it's true,) we couldn't believe the level of negativity and pessimism that callers were emitting. It seemed as if the town has already given up on the Big Three. The radio show host was even assenting with the callers, almost calling for the head of coach Eric Spoelstra, because of questionable decisions regarding Bosh's playing time (a very impressive 14 minutes, where he scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds).
It's no wonder Heat fans come under such a barrage from the rest of the NBA fans! Our point is, yes, the Heat are down, but they are definitely not out. Bosh will certainly play a larger role in Game 6. Additionally, we have faith that Dwayne Wade will break from his first half slump.
So with rally caps on, we put together this here listicle as part of a cathartic process, hoping to deal with Heat fans' chagrin over the three straight losses and, with any luck, give them a brightener sense of optimism for the next TWO games that lie ahead (actually, six more wins that lie ahead right, Heat fans. RIGHT?!)
1. Muse "Time is Running Out"
OK, first let's deal with the sense of despair that has taken hideous hold of those in the tri-county area. This track off of British band Muse's 2002 album, Absolution, is ideal. Time is literally running out on our Big 3. If they flop this year, South Florida as a whole will feel a united egg-on-face embarrassment. You can hear that kind of desperation in Matthew Bellamy's vocals here. Between verses, he sounds as if he's drowning in a tidal wave's worth of despair. Bellamy is gasping for breath, as the Heat will be tonight, when they take the floor versus the Celtics.
This alt rock hit from South African post-grunge outfit Seether is self-explanatory. This number is largely about attempting to find the brighter side of dark circumstances. Hey, with the Heat down one game, playing on the Chowdaheads' home turf, we couldn't imagine a darker circumstance. But just like Seether vocalist Shaun Morgan blares out on this track "I've fallen down, but I'll rise above this," we feel the Heat will pull themselves up by their bootstraps and take this victory from the Celts.
3. Lenny Kravitz "It Ain´t Over Till it´s Over"
Just as the cliche goes, it's ain't over until... Ahem... Lenny Kravitz says it is (this writer dares not write any words dealing with women and obesity). We can certainly relate with what Lenny sings here off this track from his second album Mama Said, "So many tears I've cried/ So much pain inside
But baby it ain't over 'til it's over."
And with Bosh back almost at full strength, we have to say it's decidedly not over for the Heat. If they can pull this one out from under Boston, it's going to be a madhouse at the AAA on Saturday night. The tide can still turn folks.
4. Ace Hood "Elite"
5. Sleepwalking - "James Jones"
For the upcoming Bosh Film Festival, in praise of one of the Big 3, Miami underground label Discosoma Records released a track by Sleepwalking. They're working to create songs that'll boost our team's morale. Their first tune is presented here, which honors Heat player and three-point shooter James Jones. As we all know, if the Heat have any chance in winning not only this series, but the NBA title overall, someone off the bench will also have to step up. We cannot say it would be Jones, as his defense is a little suspect at times, but we mean overall, the James Joneses on the team have to step up and help Wade, Bosh, and Lebron take this title! And they will.
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