It’s tough to figure out what happened when the Miami Heat defeated the Orlando Magic 99-98 on Thanksgiving Eve. Dwayne Wade led the Heat in scoring with 24 points, but he only shot 6 of 22 from the field. If you told Magic fans yesterday that Wade was going to shoot less than 30% from the floor, I think they would assume the win. They probably should have.
This is Vince Carter’s year to be the hometown hero. Last year Hedo Turkoglu took the big shots in the big situations, with him out the Magic need a new fourth quarter magic man – Carter is poised to take on the role. Vinsanity can’t drive anymore. That’s really unfortunate. The Magic still don’t have a threat off the dribble. Jameer Nelson is a pseudo-threat, but he’s not much and he’s out for the next few weeks. So if Carter can’t drive, the only way for him to be the new clutch scorer is to take jump shots.
With 19 seconds left to play, the Magic came out of a timeout tied 95-95. Rashard Lewis fed Carter the ball and he drilled a three with 14 seconds left in the quarter to give the Magic a 98-95 lead. The Magic needed one big defensive stand.
They got it. They didn’t allow the Heat to get a quality three and gave up two points on a Udonis Haslem tip-in. If the Magic could make the free throws coming from the inevitable foul, they would be able to take back a three point lead. Jason Williams got the ball and was immediately fouled. He missed both free throws. The Heat rebounded the second attempt.
Carter almost sealed the win, but now the Magic were holding on to a one point lead facing D-Wade with eight seconds for him to score to win the game.
Mickael Pietrus played great defense on Wade all night, and with Pietrus’ hand outstretched during the final shot, Wade threw up an air-ball. But Michael Beasley came from outside the paint to glide past the defenders and slam down the miss creating an accidental alley-oop.
After the game, Dwight Howard voiced the opinions of many Magic fans noting, “From where we were standing, it just looked like goaltending.” Whether it was or was not goaltending, the Magic deserved to lose that game. The Heat wanted it more.
With just over seven minutes to play, the Magic had been conserving a solid lead since early in the fourth quarter and were ahead 86-77. It was Thanksgiving Eve, and the Heat had lost control. They should have given up; it was a tough road game, against a really good team, the night before a holiday. The Heat didn’t know that’s the kind of scenario where teams give up.
JJ Redick was handling the ball at the top of the key when Wade picked his pocket and stole the ball on the way to a breakaway dunk he fed to Haslem. The Heat were still mentally in the game. He willed his team back into the game and eventually into a five point lead, 93-88.
Who can do that for the Magic? Who can take over a game and make big plays on offense and defense down the stretch? Who can reenergize the team when NBA decorum says the team should give up? There isn’t an answer. Not a good one at least. Teams that win championships have at least one guy who can take over and make things happen. If the Magic need a Game Five win and they are down in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, they are going to need a guy to step up big in that place, and it doesn’t look like that guy is on the team. Games like this are premonitions of playoff disappointment. The Magic need to right the ship. They have a couple of road trips coming up that are going to either affirm them as contenders or continue to expose them as too weak to win big.
By Jon Foley
Jon Foley writes for www. westorlandonews.com
i dont know what your talking about, vince carter IS that guy, if they had won this gm it would have been the third straight game where carter has stepped up and made big plays that led to wins (see boston and toronto gm). it’s just unforunate that 1) jason williams had a superb gm, but missed both free throws 2) wade’s shot didnt hit the rim it was an airball which allowed beasely to dunk it 3) nobody boxed out because they assued it would at least it the rim
also: 15 turnovers 13 missed free throws..,,
however the magic were vey flat the whole gm, howard needs to avoid foul trouble, lewis needs to regain form, and the carter-howard chemisty need to develop t a point that they both have 20 plus points, not just one or the other.