Cavs-Spurs Diary, Game 3, Third Quarter

Ah, the vagaries of parenting -- cost me the first half, it did. Looks like it cost me as much as LSL's absence has cost the Cavs. Two point lead for the Cavs at the half despite foul trouble for LeBron. You have to admire the refs for not giving away the swerve early.

10:35 - "A rare open look for Parker." Has the series changed that much?

10:37 - It's still Our Country! I was so worried.

10:38 - Only three more days until the secret of the Surfer is revealed. How will I sleep?

10:39 - Pet peeve: let's make the game small while we make some interview large, because the pre-recorded thing is more important than the live action. Um, no.

10:40 - Ilgaukas's best minutes of the series - block, offensive rebound, defensive board. He has a double-double, and doesn't look, you know, completely hopeless right now. 44-42, Spurs.

10:42 - Gosh, Daniel Gibson can stay in front of Parker more than Hughes. Who would have thought this? Oh, right, anyone with eyes that isn't named Mike Brown...

10:43 - Spurs doing what they can to not score. The tape of this one isn't going to Springfield, either. (And doesn't the NBA need a better town name than the Simpson's hometown?)

10:44 - James burns Bowen and scores. VERY AGGRESSIVE. The Spurs respond with an easy interior bucket. You always know who the better team is -- they are the ones scoring easy hoops while the other team is working themselves to death.

10:47 - Pavlovic misses an open three; the Cavs are 1 for 8 for threes tonight. Ziggy collects rebound number 14 -- who saw that coming? -- and Gooden ties it with a tough baby hook. Drama Has Entered The Series!

10:51 - Mike Brown tells his Cavs team that this is a 48 minute game. You're not getting much by Mike Brown.

10:53 - A 48-48 game is... wait for it... a defensive battle! Of course. Manu gets called for a charge, and Popovich sells his disbelief. 0 for 5 for Manu tonight, but Varejao leaves with a flopping injury. You'd think he'd be in better shape for that.

10:55 - Gooden gets his 4th on back to back bad reaches. Brent Barry reminds us how points are scored by putting the ball through the hoop. Novel idea.

10:56 - James responds with a hoop by destroying Bowen, who really can't guard him in the post. The Cavs, after only 2.5 games, have discovered that James can handle Bowen inside. Mike Brown is a coaching genius!

10:58 - Jeff van Gundy makes a Sopranos joke, evading the wrath of Google ombudsmen. Smart move.

10:59 - Well, this is as bad as the Spurs can play, and after a Bowen three, they are up five. Perhaps I erred with that call of Drama.

11:00 - Bowen with the mouth job; Gibson gets hit shooting a 3, gets hit, no call. That was about as ugly as ugly gets. 55-50 for the lowest combined score in NBA Finals history.

OK, David Stern, we'll make this simple -- either you pay me to stop live blogging these games, or they'll keep being this unwatchable. I bet I can keep it up longer than you can.