I can't really explain why, but I'm completely obsessed with this Heat-Hawks replay thing. There's just something about having a team protest a game, having the league grant the protest, having the reason for the protest get traded, and then the league really having no idea what to do next that I find mesmerizing.
Well, the league seems to have finally figured things out, and here's how it's going to go down. Basically, everyone acquired by both teams since the disputed game took place is eligible to play. That means Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for the Heat, and Mike Bibby for the Hawks can all get their 51.9 seconds of groove on with the Hawks holding a 114-111 lead and the Heat having possession of the ball. Once the replay is completed, the teams will get a 15-minute break before tipping off a full game the same evening.
A confusing conclusion to a convoluted situation to be sure. The game actually means something to the Hawks, who, even with a record of 24-33, are just a game out of the playoffs in the woeful Eastern Conference. The Heat have long had nothing to play for, and the chances of them beating anyone in a 48-minute contest are pretty slim these days. So if I'm Pat Riley, I motivate the crap out of my team to do whatever is necessary to win this replay! Let's hope for 51.9 seconds of the Heat playing like there's no tomorrow, because after all, they're the ones who started this mess in the first place.
