It started as a small chant Sunday, somewhere in the the upper deck, causing fans in the lower bowl to turn to neighbors in the baffling sound mixer of a big arena to ask,“ What’ re the…
It started as a small chant Sunday, somewhere in the upper deck, causing fans in the lower bowl to turn to neighbors in the baffling sound mixer of a big arena to ask, “What’re they saying?” It picked up clarity as it moved down to the lower bowl, then to the court where the Atlanta star who had trouble with his cross-over Sunday now was called out for his comb-over. “Trae is… balding!” the sing-song chant came in the second quarter of the Miami Heat’s 115-91 win in Game One of their playoff series. Forget the previous five watered-down months of NBA basketball. Sunday was the real thing, the kind of day no one needs to be told to come to play. Even this Heat crowd brought their playoff game. Balding chants on the opposing star? Inflammatory tactics with a smidge of creativity? You got the feeling Young didn’t enjoy being so well known this night. he Heat’s defense switched constantly on him, all five Heat players guarding him on a first-half possession. His eight points was his lowest output in 143 Atlanta game dating to the start of last season. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spent some possessions whirling his arm and kicking his leg in a frantic marionette-gone-mad call to his well-scripted defense.
