That was hands down the most preposterously stupid beat in the history of basketball!

There is a bad beat almost every night, but it just seems more commonplace today than ever before. 

No skin off my nose, but I am really feeling for all the tortured souls who just got their money stolen from them at the end of that game in Dallas.  Under 192 bettors were clinking glasses with each other after Kevin Durant grabbed the revound of Ian Mahinmi's second miss with 19 seconds left.  The Mavs backed off, conceding defeat as Durant slowly dribbled the ball into the frontcourt with the score, 99-92.  Durant stopped with his back to the sideline when Mavs coach Rick Carlisle came up from behind and tapped him on the hip.  Inexplicably, Durant, maybe thinking that the buzzer was about to go off, handed Carlisle the basketball with 7 seconds still left to tick down.....and Carlisle took it!  What the hell???  The officials both blew their whistles instantly and converged on Carlisle and Durant with grins on their faces as if to ask "What the hell are you two doing?  The game's not over yet."  The Mavericks were awarded the ball, and while TNT showed the replay of the bizarre exchange, the Mavericks inbounded to DeShawn Stevenson who sank a meaningless three, a hoop that plunged like a gleaming stainless steel knife deep into the hearts of everyone who had this game under. 

I wasn't involved with this theft, but I will never forget it.  I'd be going insane if I'd had $5,500 or more on this under 192.  I'd be bitching for the rest of my life.

After more than an hour of watching and re-winding the exchange between Carlisle and Durant, I finally figured out last night's mystery.  At first, as I wrote above, I thought Carlisle had probably offered Durant some form of cogratulations on the win, like "Good game", but that's not what he said.  Carlisle actually said "Roll Tide", which automatically made Durant turn towards him with the ball in his outstretched hand and reply in kind with "Roll Tide."  Then Carlisle grabbed the ball.  So that's it.

By the way, they were both right - Roll Tide.