I just finished up playing some basketball of my own and by the time I got home the 3rd quarter of Orlando and Golden State was winding down. Seeing the score tied I thought it would be cool to do a quick running diary of the 4th quarter, I am so glad I did. Here is what transpired.
12:00 - We start with the coach interview. Mark Jackson says that he will continue to utilize the 'hack-a-Dwight' strategy in an effort to win. This might wind up being Don Nelson's greatest (in terms of strategy) and worst (for viewers) achievement. I like Mark Jackson, as much as I would love to see him back in the booth with Breen and Van Gundy, I genuinely hope he succeeds as a coach. Many fans hate how he wants the Warriors to play defense, but I counter with this: A year ago Ryan Anderson could have scored 40 on this team and I would not even blink, is this what you want Warriors fans? To be the team every fantasy owner rejoices at when they realize their players are playing against you? Also, no team has won a title without playing some defense, and the Warriors owners want wins and banners, not points and entertainment. Anyways.
11:30 - Howard catches the ball in the post, quickly spins to his left and lofts a lovely right handed hook shot that finds nothing but net. I haven't seen much of Howard this year, but that was a move I've never seen him do. Good for him for adding to his game.
11:00 - Nate Robinson (great pick up for this team, he really fits in with the fans) penetrates and scores, the usually great Golden State crowd is barely alive.
9:57 - After some sloppy play by both teams Nate Robinson hits a 3. Crowd waking up... and is silenced quickly by a foul committed on Howard. Dwight goes to the line and and hits both. (I realize I did not write what the score is yet, don't worry, its coming. It was tough keeping up).
9:23 - Orlando switches to a zone, and Golden State has a brutal possession which results in a brick. Orlando comes down and scores on a high floater by JJ Redick. Kerr tells us that if Redick had not developed that shot he would not be getting minutes. This is why I love TNT, their commentators know their stuff and can educate fans too. Not to mention they have by far the best (when they are serious) analysts.
8:57 - Nate again! score is at 89-89. Wow, apparently Howard is about to attempt free throws 31 and 32, we are informed that the record for attempts in a game is 34 by Wilt Chamberlain. "He might shatter that tonight" says Kerr, I think he's right.
8:23 - It looks like Golden State has solved Orlando's zone, as Klay Thompson hits an open 3, I really don't understand why you would play zone against the explosive Warriors, but I am not an NBA coach so we will see.
7:59 - Warriors with another wide open 3 that misses, had that gone in Orlando would probably have gone back to man-to-man defense.
7:45 - Turkoglu to the line. How is this guy still effective? It baffles me that he is such an important player (offensively) to Orlando.
7:17 - Redick drives, turns, and finds Howard who is hacked. Dwight has officially tied the record for free throw attempts in one game. He is sitting at a nice 18/34 right now, I can't imagine how good he could be if he could hit free throws.
6:36 - Dwight does that same hook shot that he did to open the quarter as Harlan and Kerr speculate that the crowd might be dead from all of the fouls committed by the Warriors. Again TNT, well done!
6:06 - David Lee scores, the Warriors play some good defense and then Monta Ellis hits a 3 to put the Warriors up 97-95. Crowd very alive and loud now.
5:34 - Hedo gets to the rim and scores a lay-up, silencing the crowd in the process. Yes, I did just type that.
5:10 - After an Orlando stop, Turk finds Redick for an open 3, 100-97 Orlando leads. But here comes Monta! drive plus one, crowd instantly gets back into it causing Stan Van Gundy to call a time-out.
4:25 - After Ellis missed the tying free throw, Jameer Nelson hits a 3; we get our first GOOOOOOD! from Harlan, this game just got very good.
4:08 - Monta gets into the paint with ease and sets up David Lee for an easy dunk. "Neither team can guard each other, there is always a match-up to be exploited" says Kerr, Orlando is up 103-101.
3:56 - Dwight now breaks the record after being fouled, and commemorates the occasion by going one for two.
3:42 - Monta Ellis hits a beautiful baseline fade-away over Redick (who played great D, in fact, he is a very underrated defender), but on the ensuing possession Turk finds Wafer for an easy lay-up. 106-103 Orlando.
3:05 - We hit another sloppy stretch where Jameer Nelson looks off Howard (who only has 39 and 20 at this point) and we get a few fouls. Lee hit a free throw somewhere in-between all of this 106-104, time out.
2:32 - Klay Thompson for 3! Warriors lead 107-106, no one in the arena is sitting down right now, take notes NBA fans.
2:13 - Orlando works it to Howard who, for the third time this quarter, scores with a running right handed hook. Beautiful to watch, and on the very next play, Howard blocks a shot and grabs the ball before it goes out of bounds. I think if he can learn to block the ball to himself or to his team-mates he could win the MVP every year, it would give Orlando at least 4 extra possessions every game.
1:35 - Howard decides to switch it up and does a beautiful drop-step forcing Lee to foul him. It is Lee's 5th foul and now Howard has a 40-20 with the score at 109-107 in the Magic's favor.
1:23 - Monta... just wow, he lofted a beautiful floater over the out-stretched arm of Howard to tie the game at 109.
1:05 - Turkoglu misses a 3 but Howard grabs the board, puts it in, and gets fouled by Lee (who is done now). To make matters worse for Golden State, he hits the free throw to put the Magic up 3with a minute to go.
:52 - Brutal sequence for the Warriors: Monta misses a 3 and Wafer hits one, 115-109 Magic. Time out. Of course it was Turkoglu who found Wafer.
:33 - An absolutely awful in-bounds pass by Golden State gets picked off by Howard who feeds Turkoglu, and Turk ices the game with 2 free throws.
Your final score: 117-109 for Orlando, Dwight Howard with an incredible 45 and 23 and an NBA record 39 free throw attempts. Considering I wasn't going to watch this, doing a diary turned out to be a pretty good idea. Cheers.
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