It’s easy to paint alternate realities after a close game, especially one ripe with the gravitas of the Finals. This is it, cats and kittens; this is the big show, the real deal, the birthplace of legends, Jordan’s playhouse. And as such, plays ranging from a lazy entry pass to slightly off game-changing layups carry more weight than any play ever should. There’s certainly a tendency among fans to revisit those moments, and I wouldn’t dare to deny you, dear reader, that privilege on this noble blog.
Courtney Lee’s missed layup is an obvious starting point. Regulation finales are rarely more heartbreaking. At the time, I felt like I was denied simply a miraculous finish on a beautifully drawn play, but the full range of implications really surfaced following the Magic’s overtime loss. To be honest, I won’t lose any sleep if the Magic lose this series. Not a wink. It would just be the way of the world, and whether or not the Lakers or Magic are holding a trophy would hardly affect my mood. That’s why, when I express my disappointment over Lee’s layup, it’s not in the name of some sudden die-hard fandom or rabid anti-Laker sentiment. The play that Stan Van Gundy drew up to win the game was not only creative, but it was the antithesis of an end-of-game play. Courtney Lee was quite literally the last option in my mind. I figured a Dwight oop could be in the works, as well as a quick look for either ‘Shard or Hedo. And, in the back of my mind, a surprise corner three for Redick seemed in the realm of possibility. There is a reason why Courtney Lee, a rookie shooting guard who has not played well in this series, mind you, was taking the last shot on a wide open alley-oop layup despite the fact that I’m sure many, myself included, didn’t even consider that as an option. When you see something unexpected in the NBA, it’s almost always a display of unearthly athleticism or a circus shot straight out the world’s most epic game of H-O-R-S-E. Rarely do we have a play so obvious and so isolated that demonstrates not merely the execution of the players, but the genius of a coach and the execution of his concepts.
That last play wasn’t about Courtney Lee winning the game so much as it was about Stan Van Gundy winning it. It just wasn’t in the cards. Lee’s uncontested run to the rim, Rashard Lewis’ pick on Kobe, all the interference from the other Magic players, and ultimately Hedo’s lob — those were all well-executed components on a bold, unconventional play call. Does Phil Jackson make that same call, or do the Lakers inevitably settle for a Kobe turnaround fadeaway? Being a coach is many things: part babysitter, part mathematician, part chef, and part elementary school teacher. There are so many roles that a coach is asked to fill, and so many dimensions in which a coach can succeed or fail. That’s why comparing Phil or Popovich or Red almost always comes down to a jewelry debate; there are so many ways that coaches impact the product on the court that are simply behind closed doors or insulated by poor (or superb) execution. What I do know is this: if I’m given one play and one clipboard with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, Stan Van Gundy might get the call. He’s demanding, he’s sometimes petty or childish, and he’s hardly charismatic, but he may be the most talented in-game coach we have in the league today. If Lee hits that layup, today would be SVG Appreciation Day, and since he didn’t, I’m here to make it just that anyway.
Changing directions a bit, there was another point of divergence in the game’s destiny, and it happened to take place just moments before Lee’s look at a victory. Kobe Bryant, ball in hand, had the Magic on the run, pushing up court as the final ticks were almost sure to accompany a classic Kobe finish. It just seemed like one of those times, to cap off a pretty awesome game from Bryant. As he attacked and left his defender, Hedo Turkoglu, in his wake, I saw visions of the end. I saw a series in the balance. I saw Kobe adding another trophy of a beaten defender to his wall, the pride and joy of a big game hunter. But as Kobe elevated in the face of the Magic’s help D, a funny thing happened. He didn’t even have the chance to throw in a rainbow above the outstretched arms in front of him. Hedo had recovered, storming Bryant from behind and swiping the ball from his hands. That was a moment of excellence and a moment of renewed hope, and it’s all we can ask from the Magic in the rest of this series.
Some are of the opinion that the title is already won, and they’re entitled. But Orlando showed in Game 2 that they have the ability to recover after being beaten. If they can swipe Game 3 from behind, this may yet be a series worth noting. The Magic still have a lot to work with for a team down 0-2, and some of the credit for that goes to Hedo and his save. The fact that Orlando drowned in its cess pool of turnovers would be all that remains of a pretty fun Magic team. But they’re alive (though not well) because of the fight they showed in Game 2. It would be misguided to say that what we saw last night was the beginning of a real push for the Magic, but it was definitely a step up from the romp in Game 1. It’s an odd air surrounding a team that almost certainly coughed up a win, which is probably fitting for a Magic team that is nothing if not odd.
