I just got back from tonight's Lakers game. Obviously it was a very ugly game. Both teams looked like they could have been rolled up and smoked by just about any other playoff team.
The game did have a great finish. In fact, the finish was so tense that my friend who I went with said it was the best basketball game he'd ever been to. That prompted me to wonder: Can a basketball game be great simply because of a great finish?
I guess beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but in this case I doubt that this game will ever hold a special place in my heart. December 30, 1990, when the Bucks extended their season-opening home winning streak to 18 games by beating the 27-4 Trailblazers, may well always be my favorite basketball game of all time just because it was my favorite team in a thrilling bell-to-bell contest at high stakes. The Bucks' upset of the Lakers at Staples center in December, 2000 and James Forrest's miracle shot vs. my beloved Trojans in the second round of the 1992 NCAA tournament will probably also remain more memorable.
Still, there is something to "wowing them at the finish". In many forms of entertainment -- from movies to wrestling -- a memorable ending often leads to a performance being held in high regard. In that case, tonight's game does deserve some praise. It was everything that NBA-haters love to prey upon. Poor shooting, uneven officiating and stupid offensive decisions. Still, it was a captivating experience and one that most fans in the arena are likely to remember fondly for quite some time.
The game did have a great finish. In fact, the finish was so tense that my friend who I went with said it was the best basketball game he'd ever been to. That prompted me to wonder: Can a basketball game be great simply because of a great finish?
I guess beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but in this case I doubt that this game will ever hold a special place in my heart. December 30, 1990, when the Bucks extended their season-opening home winning streak to 18 games by beating the 27-4 Trailblazers, may well always be my favorite basketball game of all time just because it was my favorite team in a thrilling bell-to-bell contest at high stakes. The Bucks' upset of the Lakers at Staples center in December, 2000 and James Forrest's miracle shot vs. my beloved Trojans in the second round of the 1992 NCAA tournament will probably also remain more memorable.
Still, there is something to "wowing them at the finish". In many forms of entertainment -- from movies to wrestling -- a memorable ending often leads to a performance being held in high regard. In that case, tonight's game does deserve some praise. It was everything that NBA-haters love to prey upon. Poor shooting, uneven officiating and stupid offensive decisions. Still, it was a captivating experience and one that most fans in the arena are likely to remember fondly for quite some time.
