Photos of this video shoot came out a few weeks ago, but TNT PR has just released the first videos of Rainn Wilson doing spots for TNT Basketball with the likes of Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Derrick Rose and Deron Williams. The premise is that Rainn is a personal cabbie for the NBA stars, and of course....hilarity ensues. Here is the Dwight Howard one....

Enh. I liked the Jack Sikma line, but the rest was rather bland. The Gilbert one better deliver!!!

Obviously once we get to the Finals, it isn't much of an "announcing" schedule anymore, but I thought I'd share with you the Final schedule just for the heck of it. Feel free to throw your prediction on the series in the comments as well. Your truly thinks the Lakers take this in five, but hopes he's wrong....

Game 1, THU 6/4 - at LAL (ABC, 9pm) - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
Game 2, SUN 6/7 - at LAL (ABC, 8pm) - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
Game 3, TUE 6/9 - at ORL (ABC, 9pm) - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
Game 4, THU 6/11 - at ORL (ABC, 9pm) - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
Game 5, SUN 6/14 - at ORL (ABC, 8pm)* - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
Game 6, TUE 6/16 - at LAL (ABC, 9pm)* - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy
Game 7, THU 6/18 - at LAL (ABC, 9pm)* - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy

I made the mistake of "Billy Packering" the Magic after a terrible first quarter, but it was for a good cause. Lebron finally figured out that he needed to drive to the basket, and in his deciding to do so, opened up the floor for his teammates. So much so, that he was a part of almost every basket for the Cavs in the 4th (A point or assist on 32 straight points is just ridiculous). Here are your highlights from the end of the game....

So that was pretty a pretty entertaining Game Five, but the Magic still have the upperhand and none of the pressure. On a side note, I loved that section of the vid where Reggie couldn't get a single person's name right in the crowd (Hi A-Rod!!!). Who is this Mario Rivaro you speak of? At least he wasn't the only person on TNT's crew who couldn't figure out exactly who Ben Roethlisberger was. Via Sparty and Friends....


TNT Knows Their Quarterbacks! (Sparty and Friends)

The Magic were up eight with two minutes left, when they decided to continually jack threes during the last minute, while Lebron and the Cavs took it to the hole and hit free throws to take a one point lead. With 6.4 seconds left, Rashard Lewis hit a three to take the lead back, but after a controversial call with Lebron driving to the basket and two free throws from the Cav, the score was once again tied with .5 to go. The Magic tried a lob to Howard, who was basically fallen on top of by Varejao, and the game went to overtime.

In the extra period, Howard dunked all over the Cavs early and free throws helped them close it out. It didn't come without a scare or two though. Here are the highlights if you missed them...

This was obviously the biggest game of the series, and the Magic are actually on the verge of shocking the world and closing this thing out. All you TV execs and advertisers can start getting your resumes together. As far as the refs are concerned, they obviously blew some key calls in this one. Lebron got a foul call while falling down in regulation, and the subsequent Varejao tackling of Howard wasn't even close to being whistled. The league would normally receive some flak tomorrow, but with the Magic closing out in OT, it will all get swept under the rug.

I really didn't give Orlando a shot in this series, but after game one, they definitely proved me wrong. On the strength of a Rashard Lewis three at the end of the contest, and great defense in the last few seconds, the Magic took game one of the series and put all of the pressure on the Cavs. They even managed to injure Lebron at the end of the game, causing him to stay on the court for about five minutes following the final buzzer....

Just an amazing performance by Howard and Lewis, and if those to are going to put up 30 and 22 each game, the Cavs might be in a little bit of trouble. With that said, Lebron James had a hell of a game (49/8/6), but he had little help on the offensive end. Great first game, and let's hope the series stays this way throughout.

If you've been reading blogs for awhile, you almost certainly know about the crazy yet genius Free Darko. Well Adidas has also recognized the site's brilliance, and has decided to use some of Bethlehem Shoals' illustrations that he used in "The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac", and turn them into a commercial. Here's a look at the Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose spots....

Yes, that was Chali 2na from the Jurassic 5, doing the voiceover. And yes that was awesome. Congrats Free Darko!


Some of Where We've Been (Free Darko)

I don't quite understand the whole tagline, but the fact that Adidas got KG, Dwight Howard, T-Mac and Josh Smith, to randomly visit Colleges and put on their jerseys, is pretty cool. Here are the Garnett and Howard spots via First Cuts....

So now that I think about it, I guess each four picked who they think is going to win it all, and these are the commercials they came up with. I guess it's an okay idea, but I'm more interested in the jerseys. I'm pretty sure that KG-UCLA junks would go for a pretty penny on Ebay.

Way for Lebron to go ahead and make everything about him. Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard put on a heck of a show for everyone, with Robinson winning, but Lebron's announcement might have been the biggest highlight....

Dwight Howard was much more impressive overall, and I think the markets their respective teams play in came into play, but not a bad show. In fact, outside of everything that Vince Carter, Dominique and MJ have done, I think that Howard dunk from the side was one of the more impressive dunks I've seen.

But Lebron in a dunk contest? Yeahhhh....sorry Nate "Kryptonite" Robinson.