Cooling on the scene, like a horse in a stable,
A brother got ill and tried to snatch the fat cable...
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
Conventional wisdom tells me the Magic will win tonight. I don't have much of a gut feeling, though, and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the Lakers took care of business. Can Van Gundy at least try to put Lewis or Turkoglu in the post? Also, who else thinks the reinsertion of Jameer Nelson has disrupted their chemistry? Alston, already a chucker, seems to be chucking more willingly now that his playing time is threatened.
Alston should just stop shooting. I'd rather have Johnson out there than Alston if he's really feeling slighted. I don't know if he's shooting more because his minutes are threatened. He seems to be shooting because the Lakers are more than happy to let him shoot. I would to.
I wouldn't put Lewis in the post. He's gotta be one of the worst 6'10" finishers in the league, and he's got no post moves. I would actually play Gortat and Howard together a bit more. I really, really like Gortat, and they would get an insane amount of offensive rebounds.
That may just be the key, Stacy. Have Gortat haunt the post, tell Howard to go right up strong if he doesn't have any clear passing lanes out of the post. This would create numerous possibilities: He could score emphatically, score and get fouled, get fouled on a shot, or miss or get blocked but have Gortat clean up the mess. Plus, Gortat gives them energy on the defensive end and could take a lot of pressure off Howard, allowing both of them to help each other with block attempts coming from behind.
The biggest problem I foresee with this, though, is foul trouble. The Lakers could just run the pick and roll and plays similar to the one they did toward the end of OT in Game 2 (finally - I don't know why Kobe and Gasol and/or Odom don't do that more). Still, at this point in the series, it seems that could be the best option, for the Magic. Lewis has shown he can get hot. If Turkoglu puts some scoring together, the Lakers will have to retrench.
Maybe I was wrong about Alston. He's shooting lights out right now.
He's out of his mind, actually. Making some impossible finishes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEdlvqClwpw
A different reaction from Israeli youth to Obama.
TNC:
1) I'm very much enjoying your posts related Civil War posts. I read McPherson last year, and it had a big effect on me. I also recommend What God Hath Wrought, the "prequel" in the Oxford series.
2) Does leveling up an alt ever make you feel like a chump? When I do it, I feel like I'm not just paying money to play the game, I'm paying time.
I enjoy leveling, for the most part. 20-30, horde-side is ugly, though.
Ta-Nehisi,
My comment before got held for approval (perhaps because I included a link in it), but I was wondering what your thoughts were on your colleague Clive Crook's column in yesterday's FT on Sotomayor and Affirmative Action. He's posted a link to it on his Atlantic blog.