Shots Fired

Everybody's talking about it. I wasn't even sure it happened when I saw it during the live broadcast for I thought my pre-caffeinated brain was just playing tricks on me even though they replayed it a couple of times and I had to rewatch the late-night replay of the game--the closing minutes, at least-- just to make sure it did happen. And yeah, it did.

From Adrian Wojnarowski's column:

“Whatever happens,” James yelled to Williams in the huddle, “I’m going to come get the ball.” Whatever options fall apart, James insisted to his point guard that he would find a way to get open and promised him, “I’m going to knock down the shot.”

Turkoglu had made an immense shot over Pavlovic to take a 95-93 lead, but he made one grave mistake:

He left a second on the clock.

He left LeBron life.

Great article and all and I liked his storytelling about that final second (I felt compelled to watch it again, dammit!) but there's just this eerie feeling I get when he gets to the part where he paints LeBron James in a messianic way. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan (until he heads to New York, which I hope never, ever happens) but there's just something eerie about it that I can't explain.

And of course, comparisons to His Airness' The Shot is inevitable (it celebrated its 20th anniversary a couple of weeks ago, I think) but I'll leave it to more knowledgeable basketball pundits to debate on which one is better or whatever. All I know is that they're both incredible, unbelievable, awesome shots that one can't help but watch over and over and over...

So, Cavs in 6.