JaVale McGee scored his first career triple-double in Tuesday night’s loss to the Bulls, and took a lot of criticism in the process.
The blocks were incredible as always and the rebounds came easy. The point-getting, however, was a little more elusive -- and slightly painful to watch.
It became clear that JaVale was desperate for the points, and after a series of botched plays and ugly airballs, he got a dunk with less than 20 seconds to go in the game for the extra point he needed to push him into double digits.
And then he celebrated by getting a technical foul for hanging on the rim.
“It was a dunk of relief,” McGee told reporters after the game. “That was the hardest one point I ever tried to make in my life. It was crazy but I got it.”
The ensuing media criticism took some of the shine off of the moment. From the booth to the print media to the message boards, the recurring theme was embarrassment. How can one player celebrate an individual stat after the team’s fifth double-digit loss in a row?
Sometimes, you just have to celebrate what you have. When a team’s glass is half empty with no chance of a comeback and a player has a shot at a career first, you make lemonade. Or something like that.
You can’t fault JaVale for trying and you can’t blame the team for helping him out. The team is banged up and this season is beyond hopeless. Let’s celebrate what little we fans are given to be happy about.
Triple doubles for everyone!
Questions, comments or tips? Email Sarah at sarahskogod@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@sarahschorno).
