At the end of our men's Bible study last night, we turned on the TV to catch the beginning of game 4 of the NBA finals. (For the record, I am rooting for Orlando Magic to beat the LA Lakers, mostly because I am do not like Kobe Bryant.) Down 2 games to 1, this was a vital game for Orlando to win. Yet as the pregame introductions were being made, I noticed an ominous choice by the home team, the Magic. Center court, right alongside their mascot, right in the middle of the cacophony that excites the crowd as their team is introduced, stood Nick Anderson. "Who is Nick Anderson?" you ask.
1995 NBA Finals. Game 1. Orlando vs. Houston. Magic up by 3 with less than 30 seconds to go in the 4th quarter. Houston is forced to foul. And they foul, you guessed it, Nick Anderson. As a 70% shooter, Magic fans expect he will make the free throws and effectively end the game. He misses both, badly. Yet somehow, he gets the rebound and is fouled again. And again, he misses both. Houston gets a 3 pointer to tie, wins the game in overtime, and goes on to win the title as they sweep the series, 4 games to none. {If you're so inclined, you can watch those misses in this video; they start at about the 2:45 mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKir54uGiWA }
So that's the guy they pick to pump up the crowd. Not a good choice, I thought. Even went so far as to mention to the other guys how surprised I was to see Mr. Anderson out there. Just doesn't seem like the guy to trot out, the memories to stir up, before a must win game. Not that I'm superstitious or anything. It just seems these sort moves never turn out well. But I told myself I was being ridiculous; it was just a way for the Magic to pay tribute to their first NBA Finals appearance. So how did the game turn out? See if this sounds sort of familiar.
Magic up by 3, less than 30 seconds to go in the game. Lakers are forced to foul. Dwight Howard goes to the line. Misses both free throws, badly. Lakers get a 3 pointer to tie the game and go on to win in overtime, going up 3 games to 1 and nearly guaranteeing they will win the championship
Told you it wasn't a good idea!
1995 NBA Finals. Game 1. Orlando vs. Houston. Magic up by 3 with less than 30 seconds to go in the 4th quarter. Houston is forced to foul. And they foul, you guessed it, Nick Anderson. As a 70% shooter, Magic fans expect he will make the free throws and effectively end the game. He misses both, badly. Yet somehow, he gets the rebound and is fouled again. And again, he misses both. Houston gets a 3 pointer to tie, wins the game in overtime, and goes on to win the title as they sweep the series, 4 games to none. {If you're so inclined, you can watch those misses in this video; they start at about the 2:45 mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKir54uGiWA }
So that's the guy they pick to pump up the crowd. Not a good choice, I thought. Even went so far as to mention to the other guys how surprised I was to see Mr. Anderson out there. Just doesn't seem like the guy to trot out, the memories to stir up, before a must win game. Not that I'm superstitious or anything. It just seems these sort moves never turn out well. But I told myself I was being ridiculous; it was just a way for the Magic to pay tribute to their first NBA Finals appearance. So how did the game turn out? See if this sounds sort of familiar.
Magic up by 3, less than 30 seconds to go in the game. Lakers are forced to foul. Dwight Howard goes to the line. Misses both free throws, badly. Lakers get a 3 pointer to tie the game and go on to win in overtime, going up 3 games to 1 and nearly guaranteeing they will win the championship
Told you it wasn't a good idea!
P.S. Remember, I warned you sports would show up. I'll try to get back to more spiritual stuff next time.
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