Too Easy, Too Deep, and Too Often

The I Can’t Quit You (i.e., I Can’t Help Wanting You to Succeed on Every Possession Even Though I’m Not Necessarily Rooting for Your Team) Award: Derrick Rose—one of four children of a single mom who has called him “Pooh” since the day he was born.

The I Guess My Headband Wasn't the Problem After All Award. Or just, The Unimaginable Inner Hell of Steve Blake.

The Ad-Libbed Voiceovers of Kobe Bryant Interacting with People Throughout the Game Award: Mark Jackson.

--“Have you seen my work?” Kobe (per Jackson) after hitting one of his signature impossible corner fadeway, turning to Mavs bench and smirking at Mark Cuban.

--“Have I told you I love you lately?” Kobe (per Jackson) to Shannon brown, bear-hugging him as he comes to the bench for a timeout, after Brown hit a driving layup.

The One Laker Who Actually Seems to Care Award: Andrew Bynum, taking it coast-to-coast on a steal from dirk way out on the perimeter, dribbles down the court -- the closest thing I’ve seen to something in real time seeming like it’s in slow-motion -- for the massive dunk.

The Convincing Sobriety (or, It’s a Cliché but You Can Tell He Really, Really Means It) Award: Dirk, to Heather Cox after the game, on the fact that no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs: “I’ve seen a lot in this league, and I don’t wanna be the first one.”

* * *

The Daily That’s What She Said: “This is too easy, too deep, and too often.” (Jeff Van Gundy on Bynum’s inside clinic on Chandler early in game three.)

Bill Simmons Bonus Quote (from the podcast, re his latest column): “I don’t think I’ve ever written about the playoffs where 8000 words wasn’t enough to say…I had more in me. I left some on the table.”