That was an incredible comeback for the Magic. The Heat were giving them head. LeBron and D. Wade each had twenty points at halftime for the first time all year. The Heat were playing their best game since they crushed the Lakers on Christmas. There the defense was trapping and confusing Howard. Superman looked like it wasn’t going to be his night. They were rotating and challenging Magic shooters, they were bouncing, getting steals and going on fast breaks and getting easy buckets, even newcomer Mike Bibby knocked down a 3-pointer. The game was in the bag. Many fans were probably planning to leave early in the third quarter so they could get to their favorite spot in South Beach. Even when Mike Miller hits a three-quarter shot after time expired late in the second quarter. I told myself. It won’t matter. This game is done. I was wrong, very wrong.
After the Heat gained a 24-point lead, I waited for the Magic to officially withdraw. I must know that Magicians live and die for all three. They lived tonight. Hitting all three got them back in the game and then some. First Jason Richardson downed a three, then another, then another, pretty soon everyone was doing their three. Even the much-maligned Gilbert Arenas made a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the score. He waved his hand in front of his face to indicate that he was on fire. Easy, Gilbert. A game doesn’t resurrect your career. When that happened, I knew the Heat were in big trouble. The Magic capped off the comeback by taking the lead and then holding off the Heat’s late comeback. I knew LeBron’s last three seconds were going to fail and it did. Bosh then hit the ball in frustration. I’m surprised the ball didn’t bounce and hit him in the face. Maybe he was trying to recover when a pass from LeBron hit him on the rack earlier. I’m not saying the Heat were surprised. I say that every time the Magic made a three, I saw tiny hands squeezing the throats of Heat players and coaches.
Who is guilty? I’m blaming everyone. Pat Riley, the players and the coaches. First, Riley rolls the dice saying, I’ll sign three stars, then I’ll fill in the rest with just normal guys. That will win a championship. The only thing that’s going to win them is an early exit in the playoffs. LeBron, D. Wade are a pair of star players and tough matchups on all teams. They both play hard and get points every night. Chris Bosh is also technically a star, but he’s more of a fine player, or as Kevin Durant recently called him, a “fake tough guy.” The Heat’s centers aren’t even halfway there. Ilgauskas was decent about ten years ago, but now, due to his age and foot problems, he’s slow even by turtle standards. Dampier is like a great body. There’s a reason he’s been with six teams. The other Heat players sit and watch LeBron, D. Wade and wait to burst so they can see the court. Neither of them consider themselves a blocked defensive player who could cool down a player like Richardson who was on fire. Head coach Erik Spoelstra. He looks like the youngest coach in NBA history and perhaps a defensive wizard, but he has no imagination when it comes to designing plays in a close game. Most of the time it’s giving LeBron the ball and letting him go one on one. While the others, including Wade, Bosh and others, just stand by and watch. No pick and rolls, no getting Wade off a couple of screens, no back picks for LeBron, nothing. One-on-one is easy to defend, many good teams play in a small area in the last few minutes because there is never a call.
The Heat are now a miserable 5-12 against teams with winning records. So unless Alonzo Mourning decides to come back and provide some size and toughness, I can’t imagine the Heat making it past the second round, which isn’t exactly what Pat Riley and the owners had in mind when they signed the big three. .