Morning Buzz

Sir Charles is 1 for 2 already on that halftime prediction bonanza, because the first part was that the Mavs would win Game 2 (they were up 54-52 at the time). Of the Warriors, he said, “They take terrible shots, and sometimes they go in. Once they lose, they’ll realize they’re in the playoffs.” I guess we’ll see Friday night what that realization will mean, but it would be impossible to argue with the part about them taking terrible shots.

• More Barkley: “Do you know who Stephen Jackson reminds me of? T.O.”
• Kawakami examines the dual ejections. “Stephen Jackson is my shrink and I’m his shrink,” Boom Dizzle says. Hence the dual ejections. There’s an old cliche, right, that therapists often have a seat on the Crazy Train in their own right? I know what that means now.

All right, so now we head to Game 3, and I’m left with only one question. Last night, a calm-looking youngish-to-middle-aged woman was holding up a sign that said NELLIE CAN’T BEAT OUR JOHNSON. Now, with most arena signs, the magic is in the pun. So I thought about what that might be, and …. ewwww. So I thought, maybe she just felt so strongly about Avery Johnson that she spent all that time crafting a very literal point, but … I don’t think so.

And I’m left wondering: That whole beating-Johnson thing, the double entendre, is that what she meant? For real?

To the morning recap …

• Seven in a row for the Giants. First place beckons with a win tonight. Please send Bruce Bochy’s Manager of the Year award to Third and King streets now. I don’t think it much matters what happens in the next 142 games.
• Our Giants blogger noticed something I’ve been meaning to get to: If Bonds has more home runs than the whole rest of the team, why’s anybody pitching to him?
• Purdy sees Sharks winning. And adds an excellent Gordie Howe-related anecdote, which is mandatory for any series involving the Red Wings.
• This is why the Sharks brought in all those older guys. Not for Nashville. For this. (And get the matchup rundown here.)
• Trent Edwards won’t be waiting long Saturday. OK, the first round will take at least five hours, so he will be waiting long. But cosmically, early second round is a nice payoff for everything he endured at Stanford.
• Jon Wilner explains why Lew Wolff’s offer was one SJSU could refuse. (But the real robust debate is on his blog.)
• As each day goes on, I am finding the A’s less and less comment-worthy. Oh, they’re good, I’m convinced of that. But it’s the curse of being the A’s — consistent, controversy-free, and you just know everything they do is prelude to September anyway. (Sorry. Can’t get fired up about Adam Melhuse as an issue.)
• Here’s an interesting one. Gary Thorne, a well-known voice whose first job is on Orioles broadcasts, tried to blow a hole in the Curt Schilling bloody-sock legend. Says on air that Doug Mirabelli told him the “blood” was applied with a marker; that conspiracy theory has been out there for a while but had never had a name attached to it. Mirabelli says it’s a lie. I know I’ll be checking Schilling’s blog for a full response to this one.
• Finally … I would dare say you have never read a story quite like this.