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For reasons soon to be explained, this can’t be called a GameCap.
I had every intention of covering it normally. Running box score on the MacBook. Notepad in hand.
Then, at 4:52, I got a call from my ex-, with whom I’m better friends than ever. Even when we were together.
It was granddaughter — technically step granddaughter — Claire’s 12th birthday dinner.
Sushi from a place I really like.
Birthday cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.
5:30 start vs. 6:00 tipoff.
Family won.
Joanie — Bless her — dutifully had her humongous Hisense tuned into FS1 when I arrived.
Which is to say I viewed the game in bits and pieces. Most of the time out of the corner of my eye. Sound off.
What I noticed was that Montrezl Harrell, Chris Jones, Alex Matthews, Trey Lewis and Jaylen Johnson seemed to always be on the court.
Which they were just about literally.
Malik Williams was nowhere to be seen. I’m advised he wasn’t at practice Tuesday.
David Johnson was also not in the gym. He was at practice Tuesday, but after receiving a phone call, left early.
Jae Withers had two minutes of PT when I wasn’t watching. Which limited time on the court surprised me, as detrimental as he is, because the Ville was gassed at the end. Playing on rubber legs.
Blue prevailed 63-57.
I did see the last few minutes of the 4th, and the Elam.
The Ville was gutty. Never quit.
But they were running on empty. No home crowd to give them juice.
Missed FTs. Kudos to Johnson for a couple of big ORBs off errant charity tosses. But the dudes in red couldn’t capitalize.
Missed treys, trying to steal it late. Except for the first two in the Elam by Lewis — who apparently prefers to be called Joseph these days — and Silent L.
That knotted the tally at 57. The target was 63.
The Ville had nothin’ left. Could not score again.
The Ville was too short, in backcourt size and in numbers.
Plus, just as the assembled at Claire’s celebration were commencing a party card game of some sort, I had to take my leave to come file this report.
Such as it is.
Thanks for including me, Joanie.
Happy Birthday Claire. Many happy returns of the day.
— c d kaplan
