Slam Dunk Central Columnist Kyle Stack Analysis Of NBA Finals Game Four

Posted by Kyle Stack under NBA PLAYOFFS, SDC COMMENTARY

It looks like a storm looming on the horizon. It starts forming with a harmless Paul Pierce lay-up with 5:50 left in the third quarter, trimming a 20-point lead to 18. Then Eddie House drills a three after missing badly on three of his four shots in the first half. Ray Allen sinks two free throws to cut the Lakers lead to 13. Of course, the Lakers had maintained at least a 13-point lead since 5:39 left in the first quarter, so the looming storm deserves nothing more than a slight yawn.

A James Posey lay-up and Ray Allen drive to the hoop bring the Celtics to within 11 points and now you stare at the score and realize that one basket brings a once-insurmountable 24-point lead to single digits.

After Pau Gasol hits one of two free throws to stretch the lead to 12, Paul Pierce gets an impossible whirling drive, and one, driving to the left side of the hoop and flipping the ball underneath on the right side of the glass, his momentum taking him into the photographers near the basket support. Lakers by 9. The storm is getting bigger.

Another Eddie House three. It’s moving faster. Two Ray Allen free throws. Uhhh, what’s that sound? A wide-open P.J. Brown emphatically dunking off a back cut brings that Lakers lead to two points, 73-71, as the third quarter ends. Wait, a 24-point lead cut to two points? This storm looks familiar, but it feels different.

Then you and the storm start trading punches. Leon Powe makes a short jumper, but your best answer for the storm (Kobe Bryant) comes back with a short jumper off an isolation. A Paul Pierce 18-footer is answered by a long Kobe jumper. The eye of the storm, Kevin Garnett, hits a short jumper, but then Kobe finds Lamar Odom (oh, nice to have you back) for a quick bucket. Then Kobe slams one home on an open break after Paul Pierce cripples to the floor. It’s 81-77 Lakers, Pierce is fine, but the storm is still looming. The fact that the storm hasn’t overtaken you doesn’t mean it isn’t to be taken seriously.

Posey hits a three (are the Celtics missing?) and the Eye makes two shots at the charity stripe. The storm feel confident, you are panicking and suddenly the grassy meadows and blue skies are a distant memory. ANOTHER Eddie House jumper after a screen-and-roll gives the Celtics an 84-83 lead and for the first time, the storm has gotten the best of you. You feel suffocated, sort of like what is happening just isn’t real. Sure, it was looming, but are we really at this point?

The storm has momentum now and the shock of not outrunning the storm hits you right in the gut. Ray Allen drills a two, followed by the Eye, followed by a Pierce free throw. A Kobe lay-up pulls the Lakers to within 89-87 and on the next defensive set, you are punching the storm in the face, gut, crotch, anything to knock it down and regain the upper-hand. But then, a forgotten piece of the storm for most of the game, Posey, knocks down a three from the left corner to stretch out the lead to 92-87.

From there, Derek Fisher hits the longest two-foot jumper one can possibly make and Pierce coolly puts in a pair of free throws. After a Gasol dunk to pare down the Celtics lead to 94-91, Ray Allen, Jesus (Shuttlesworth) himself, puts on a little dizzle-dazzle, shakes his shoulders and hips and flies right by your hero from the previous game (Sasha) to make an easy lay-up and seal the game. The storm has won the battle and may win the war. And all you can do is stare at the TV in silence.

Your friends who hate the Lakers are texting you. You start thinking of all the most upsetting games you have watched and struggle to come up with anything in comparison. You turn your phone off and wonder if you should call in sick tomorrow for work. Then you wonder how you’ll be able to even form words to those people in your life who know you love sports ? and the Lakers. How do you recover? Life goes on, always has, always will and far worse things happen in life than a team losing a basketball game. But part of what defines you, who you are, what you’re made of, is your love for sports. It’s very obvious you will never feel the same about your team, sports or life. You realize you will be reminded of this game for the rest of your life. Every time you watch a basketball game, including your team, you will think back to that storm that was looming on the horizon, unaware that it would ruin your gorgeous day. That’s when you realize every storm is to be taken seriously. Never underestimate the storm.

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