This is just brutal. 2002 Kings-Lakers brutal. I think back on all the moments over the years where the Lakers came up huge in the biggest possible moments. Horry's Game 5 shot. Derek Fisher's 0.4 game winner. Horry about three more times. Kobe to Shaq in 2000 to cap a 15 point comeback Game 7 against the Blazers in the 4th.
Add last night's 3-point shot from Derek Fisher to that list of cold-blooded, backbreaking shots that the Lakers have consistenly made in recent history. As much as I hated to acknowledge it, I knew without a doubt, along with so many other Magic fans-- if the game went overtime, the Lakers would win. All the Magic had to do was hang on in the final minute with their 5 point lead. But they simply couldn't do it. So we have an exceptionally clutch shot from a guy who was 0-for-5 on his 3-point attempts in the game before that shot. On a play originally designed for Kobe, Derek Fisher received the ball, raced up the court, and plunged a dagger right in the Magic's collective hearts.
Now, there's a bit more to it than that. I don't think I've seen a team choke this horribly in a game of this magnitude in quite some time. The Magic, despite their alternating hot and cold play in this game (up 12 at the half, followed by an atrocious 3rd quarter where they were outscored by 16), had finally taken firm control of the game. It became a slugfest late in the 4th, with teams trading blows back and forth. with the game tied at 79, Dwight Howard scored on a beautiful lay-up down low, drawing the foul as well. He nailed the free throw (his last until going 1-for-2 in OT to tie the score again), and the Magic took an 82-79 lead. Then, with the shot clock winding down, Trevor Ariza of all people steps up big again for a huge 3 to tie the game. On the ensuing Magic possession, Turkoglu drains a step-back 3 with 2:11 left in the game.
Dwight Howard gets yet ANOTHER block, this time swatting Gasol's shot, and Turkoglu steps up big again with a running two with 1:34 left. Magic 87, Lakers 82. Timeout LA. The crowd is going nuts. Nelson gets called for blocking on Kobe, Kobe bricks a long contested 3, and the Magic fans are feeling it. Everyone in the arena knows the Magic are winning this game. Up 5, with the ball, 1 minute left. They get the ball to an ice-cold Rashard Lewis (yes, the same guy who absolutely butchered the Cavs in the clutch last series), with a chance to effectively end the game. Pump fake. Steps up closer to the basket. Another pump. WIDE OPEN SHOT FOR LEWIS! Brick. From 16 feet out, a total brick. The Lakers grab the ball, Kobe sprints up the court, twists in the lane on two defenders, finds Gasol for a monster dunk. 87-84, Magic ball.
Now the entire arena is in oh-please-god-no-don't-blow-this mode. It appears safe so long as Turkoglu, the most clutch player on the team, has the ball in his hands. He winds time down, finds a wide-open Howard under the basket with 11 seconds left. Now here's the biggest problem I have with Howard. The fact that he always feels the need to gather himself before any shot. He catches the ball high. If he immediately shoots, it's game over. Unquestionably. But what does he do? He pulls the ball down to gather himself for a monster dunk. And, of course, Kobe does the smart thing and fouls the hell out of Howard, the 50% free throw shooter. I feel like it's worth mentioning that Gasol would have kept the ball high and scored instantly.
And here's what's funny: everyone, I mean everyone, knew he was bricking these free throws. This is a guy who, with the exception of good offensive post moves (dunking doesn't count-- it's not a post move if 5'7 Nate Robinson does it), is the second coming of Shaq. And yes, that means right down to the free throw shooting. So here's a 23 year old superstar who consistently struggles with free throws, a guy who demonstrates the maturity of a 14 year old, going to the line to ice the game in unquestionable the biggest moment of his career. Of course he's going to choke. A better strategy would have been to pretend he had been injured too badly to even shoot the free throws, so the Magic could bring in a substitute who would actually make them. Or at lease ONE.
He bricks the first. Collective groan through the arena. At this point, I turned to my buddy Joe and said, "If he misses this next one, the Lakers go down, hit a 3 to tie, and win it in overtime. Trust me on this." Naturally, Howard misses. Timeout Lakers. And we know the rest.
Derek Fisher once again goes in the annals of Laker postseason greatness with his game-tying 3. And with 4.6 seconds left they proceed to blow their one final chance to win this game. We all knew their spirit was too broken after this to win in OT, Kobe too rejuvenated by Fisher's dagger 3. Seriously, how can Pietrus be the guy attempting a game-winner when they have 4.6 seconds to score? They had more than enough time. I was screaming at the tv to have Lewis inbound to Turkoglu and give him the last shot. I want nobody else on this team taking that shot. Not Howard under the basket, Not Lewis in the corner, definitely not Pietrus on a contested fallaway... it HAS to be Turkoglu.
Lewis finally shows up for a difficult 3 in the corner to start the period (really, Lewis? Couldn't make a shot all game, couldn't make an easy wide open 2 to ice the game with under 40 seconds left, but you can make a contested 3 as the shot clock winds down? This guy gets the award for too little, too late hands down), and then Kobe takes over early in OT. Back to back difficult jumpers to put the Lakers up. Howard goes to the line, makes 1-of-2 for the Magic's final points.
Fisher puts one final dagger into the Magic with his 3-pointer at the top of the key to put the Lakers up for good with one minute left, 94-91. I think I blacked out after that shot. All I remember following that is scratching my head at the final score. 99-91? What? What about a Mickael Pietrus flagrant that may get him suspended for the next game? Oh, and you're telling me he committed this foul when the game was already clearly over?
If you're a Magic fan right now, I can't blame you for contemplating: A) Suicide B) Homicide--namely Coach Ron Jeremy for his decision to bench Alston for the entire 4th and OT, in addition to a litany of other mistakes... not seeing Courtney Lee come in to play defense when all you have to do is maintain a lead, not fouling when the Lakers inbounded with 11 seconds left, not letting the Magic regroup by only calling one timeout in the 3rd when his team was getting butchered 30-14, seriously I could keep going, but I think it's best for my blood pressure that I don't.
... that being said, you don't deserve to win if you can't hold on to the ball and make your free throws. The Magic wound up missing 15 (FIFTEEN!!) free throws in the game, and turned the ball over 17 times. Yes, you read that right. They had 17 turnovers to the Lakers 7, and they wound up shooting 59.5% from the free throw line. IN A FINALS GAME! Here's a fun stat: the Magic shot better in Game 3 FROM THE FIELD than they did in Game 4 from the line. I'm using caps lock here so you can see how astounded I am.
Also worth noting is Dwight Howard, he of the 16 points, 21 rebounds, and 9 blocks-- wound up with 5 of 12 shooting (yes, that's just under 42% shooting-- and the farthest shot he attempted? 9 feet.), 6 of 14 from the free throw line (just about 43%), and 7 turnovers (congratulations, Lakers, you had just as many turnovers as Dwight Howard, the suppposed best player on the Magic!). I believe this turns Dwight Howard into the world's first walking catch-22. The Magic couldn't have won without him, but as he proved-- they damn sure couldn't win with him. Really quite a night for the guy. Have you ever seen someone play so well, and at the same time, so poorly in such a big game before? I submit that you have not.
It remains to be seen if this will change him, if he can stop being such a free throw line liability, if he can actually develop a post move or two, and if he can figure how to hang on to the ball when he gets it in the lane--or perhaps learn to pass better when the double team comes. I certainly hope he can figure it out, for the Magic's sake.
One more thing: I find it extremely amusing that Patrick Ewing is sitting there on the sidelines as an assistant coach, to help with teaching Howard. I wonder if he was having choking-in-the-Finals flashbacks when Howard was falling apart late in Game 4. Maybe the Magic should think about investing in a teacher who actually, you know, came through when it counted.
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well that was fun. when does college football start??
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