Let's face it: this has been a rough year. I wasn't sure we were a playoff team, but I had hopes of seeing Oden and LMA's hip hadn't entered into my vocabulary. Not to say that there hasn't been some great on court moments, and I'm taking a cotton to JJ Hickson. We've always needed a battering ram down low sinceBrian Grantleft, and I love his articulate description of "the lob that didn't quite get there last night", acknowledging a great play by the athleticBrandan Wright(whom the Mavs should have been unleashing more this year) and acknowledging that while there was some contact you can't expect to get that call. Off of waivers, well, that's a Billy Beane snag. But the highlight for me is this line fromDirk Nowitzkilast night:

“这支球队不辞职,”诺维茨基说Blazers. ''Their fans are unbelievable. They get into the game like no other crowd in the NBA. The Blazers feed off their crowd. They got going and got back into the game.''

We still have a great crowd, and as Batum said, "we don't give up." Credit due to the players and Kanales (Hickson's comment on how much he likes playing for him is cool, too), and to the fans who really love the team. I don't know if Kanales is an NBA coach for the long term, and positive vibes don't solve a lot of problems, but they tend to be pretty important in most young men's lives. So, a little sunshine Saturday morning and the silver lining in the clouds seems quite visible.