SB Nation - Alonzo Mourning

Game #24: Orlando Magic (19-6) vs. Miami Heat (12-11)

DolPhanDave — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:26:12 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Boan - AP

Dwyane Wade driving with the ball...something we'll hopefully see much more of in the near future.

If the first game between these two teams is any indication, we're in for some kind of slugfest between these interstate rivals. I'm sure the Magic remember the first meeting with Miami very clearly, likely with that image of Michael Beasley taking the D-Wade airball and slamming it home to win the game burned into their memories.

On top of that, Orlando also will notice that Beasley has been playing the best ball of his young career the past few weeks and is coming off of one of his most productive games of the season. While he hasn't been able to bring that supreme effort every night, the good games outnumber the bad ones and it's starting to become a reasonable expectation for Beasley to have a 20-10 night every game.

The Magic definitely used the last second loss to Miami as inspiration because since that game they've won 8 of 10, including six straight immediately following the Heat victory. The only two losses came on the road, at Utah and at Phoenix. Orlando did play last night at home against Toronto, but the game was never really close as the Magic got out to an 11-point lead after the 1^st quarter and never looked back.

As inconsistent as the Heat have been the past several weeks, a big home win over Orlando would go a long way for both the players and coaches. Coach Spo was quick to point out after Tuesday's win over Toronto that while it was nice, it was just one game. However, should the Heat bring the same kind of effort and intensity tonight against a much better squad in Orlando, it could send a message that these players are ready to start re-claiming the respect they earned over the first couple weeks of the season.

A developing situation this week has been the status of Mario Chalmers. He was relegated to the bench for Tuesday' game after starting all 104 games of his young career. Afterwards, Coach Spoelstra said that it was a one-time thing; a ‘punishment' for Rio being late to the team's shootaround...but that may not be the case.

Chalmers was working with the second team during practice on Wednesday, suggesting that Spoelstra was pleased enough with the play of Carlos Arroyo with the first unit to keep that squad together for another game. When asked about who would be starting for Miami against Orlando, Coach Spo told the media "I'm going to wait and see".

While the ceiling is still high for Chalmers, he still has a ways to go when it comes to running the offense. My main knock on Rio is that too many times he'll bring the ball up the floor and spend way too long dribbling around the perimeter, giving the Heat under 10 seconds to run a play and try getting a favorable look at the rim.

With the offensive weapons that Miami has at their disposal, you want to give them as much time as possible to get the matchup the coaches want. Whether it be trying to isolate D-Wade on the baseline, getting it down low to Jermaine or letting Beasley work with the ball at the elbow, the more time they have to operate, the better.

GAME NOTES

Dwight Howard had 8 blocks last night against Toronto, and has 12 in his last two games. He also had a 7-block game earlier this month against the Clippers.
Forward Matt Barnes is coming off of his best game in a Magic uniform, scoring 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and adding 6 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench.
Before scoring 13 points in last nights win, Jason Williams had just 2 points in the previous 3 games combined, shooting 1-for-13 from the field. Also to note, in 7 games played in the month of December J-Will has taken only 2 free throws.
The Heat are just 1-2 on their current six-game homestand.
A win against Orlando will put Miami back over .500 at home, where after starting the season 6-3 they had lost four straight before getting the W against Toronto on Tuesday.
The Magic have lost their last two on the road after winning 8-straight games away from home before that.
D-Wade needs two free throws to tie the Heat franchise record set by Alonzo Mourning.
Quentin Richardson is officially listed as questionable for tonight's game, but even if he does dress I'd expect the Heat to take it very slow with Q.

Tonight the tipoff will be at 8pm from the AAA because the game will be nationally televised on TNT. If you happen to be going to the game, they are giving away car flags so get there a little early if you'd like one.

10 YEARS OF STIFFDOM: A Decade Retrospective...

Andrew Feinstein — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:04:03 -0000

Who knew that at the beginning of the '00s - with none other than Dan Issel in charge - that the Nuggets would end up having a successful and often thrilling decade? Here's a look back at the last 10 years of Denver Nuggets basketball...

At the conclusion of the 1990s, the Nuggets were in utter disarray. As documented in detail here at Denver Stiffs, this once proud and respected franchise had been turned into an NBA laughingstock thanks to a lethal combination of ineptitude, incompetence, and ignorance. Between 1990 and 1999, the Nuggets made the playoffs just twice and Nuggets fans were forced to endure seasons with win totals under 40 games eight times (including the lockout shortened 1998-99 season in which the Nuggets would likely have "won" about 25 games had an 82-game season been played out). We witnessed five seasons in which the Nuggets won less than 24 games, and in 1997-98 the 11-win Nuggets won less games than the Broncos that year.

Making matters worse throughout the 1990s, the Nuggets never caught a break. Even though they participated in eight NBA Draft lotteries, twice sported the worst record in the NBA (1990-91 and again after that infamous 1997-98 campaign) and had a bottom-four record five total times, the highest pick they were ever rewarded was third (which Issel promptly screwed up by drafting Raef LaFrentz over Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison). We missed out on all the game-changing draftees of the 1990s: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber and Tim Duncan. And a freak knee injury sustained by rising star LaPhonso Ellis in 1994 would prove to be the undoing of the Nuggets only good team of the decade: the 1993-94 squad that had just stunned the NBA world by beating the number-one seeded Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs before taking the Utah Jazz to seven in Round 2.

But make no mistake about it, the Nuggets problems throughout the 1990s were self-inflicted. Cartoonish figures such as Peter Bynoe, Bertram Lee, the Comsat "Corporation," Paul Westhead, Bernie Bickerstaff, Allan Bristow and finally, Issel, made every wrong/bad decision possible, leaving the Nuggets organization in tatters until Stanley E. Kroenke rescued the franchise in 2000 with his purchase of the team. Upon arrival, Kroenke made it clear that he wanted to win and win now, and thus set in motion a series of events that produced one of the better decades in franchise history...

2000-2001 (40-42, no playoffs)

In an increasingly tough Western Conference, the Nuggets remarkably won 40 games but were still seven games off the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. While a 40-win season would normally be a good thing having come off a 35-win season, team "president", "head coach" and dictator Dan Issel had already mortgaged the Nuggets future by sending away numerous first round picks in order to build that 40-win team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Antonio McDyess

Coming off a gold-medal winning performance in the Sydney Olympics, McDyess was a stud in 2000-01. The quiet, dignified power forward averaged 20.8 ppg, 12.1 rpg and 1.5 bpg and even made the All-Star team.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

The aforementioned Issel had previously (and foolishly) traded away the Nuggets own first round picks for 1999, 2000 and 2001 - all lottery picks, mind you - and after an assortment of complicated, even more stupid deals, for those picks he essentially brought back Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Kevin Willis (on the very wrong side of his career), Voshon Lenard and Tracy Murray. But that was just off-the-court. On-the-court, Issel was a tyrant with his players and the refs. At one point, his players were so fed up with the way he was treating Raef LaFrentz (a draft bust of Issel's own making) and others, that point guard Nick Van Exel led a player boycott of practice.

2001-02 (27-55, no playoffs)

After years of overpaying for mediocre players and parting with valuable first round picks in exchange for nothing, the wheels finally came off the Issel Administration and the Nuggets fell apart in 2001-02, precipitated by a major knee injury to McDyess that caused him to miss all but 10 games of the season. Prior to the season starting, Kroenke - either sensing that Issel had too much power, was too incompetent or both - astutely hired Kiki Vandeweghe as GM to a five-year contract.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

After Issel "resigned" the day after Christmas (more on that shortly), Vandeweghe gutted out the roster and made a controversial move that would put the Nuggets on the path of success they still enjoy today. Knowing the Nuggets were going nowhere with the expensive roster he inherited, Vandeweghe boldly shipped out Van Exel, LaFrentz, Abdul-Wahad and Avery Johnson (another overpayee thanks to Issel) to Dallas in exchange for Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway, Donnell Harvey and a future first round pick. When the Nuggets eventually met the Mavericks in the 2009 playoffs second round, I detailed how that major trade actually brought the two once dormant franchises together.

Stiff of the Year: Dan Issel

"Go drink another beer, you Mexican piece of shit!" Those nine words - uttered by Issel towards a heckling Hispanic Nuggets fan after a December 10th loss to the Charlotte Hornets - were exactly what Kroenke and Vandeweghe needed to kick Issel out the door. Issel, a Nuggets legend as a player, had built up so much great PR in the community (he still has some...note Woody Paige's ludicrous suggestion that the Nuggets bring Issel back to the organization last year) that he would have been tough to fire otherwise. After serving a four-game suspension, Issel "resigned" on December 26th, 2001 and unfortunately for Issel, things haven't exactly worked out for him since.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Tim Hardaway

Unlike Howard who - knowing playing in Denver would be a brutal, losing situation - accepted the trade to the Nuggets and behaved like a total professional during his time here (it helps when you're getting paid $18.8 and then $20.1 million per season!), Hardaway was a petulant, angry brat who never got over leaving Dallas where he was hoping to gravy train his way into an NBA Championship. After starting 14 games for the Nuggets, Hardaway unleashed his anger on a TV monitor by throwing it onto the floor and getting himself suspended two games.

2002-03 (17-65, no playoffs)

Entering the 2002-03 NBA season, Vandeweghe purposefully compiled the worst roster in modern NBA history in hopes of tanking enough games to win the first pick in the draft (knowing that on the horizon was one of the better drafts in NBA history). The Nuggets starting back court of Vincent Yarbrough and Junior Harrington couldn't crack a 14-man roster the following season, and the rest of the roster was littered with names you already don't remember. Armed with two lottery picks - thanks to a great trade that sent McDyess to New York in exchange for Marcus Camby and the Knicks lottery pick - Vandeweghe drafted Nene and some skinny kid from Georgia, and I'm not talking about the university (more on him shortly).

Non-Stiff of the Year: Jeff Bzdelik

In spite of being dealt the worst hand ever dealt a coach in modern NBA history, rookie head coach Jeff Bzdelik refused to make excuses, worked his ass off and was able to get 17 wins out of our Nuggets. I'd argue that was 17 more wins than they should have had and Bzdelik should have gotten Coach of the Year consideration. The Nuggets were awful talent-wise, but they played harder than their opponent almost every night.

Stiff of the Year: Nikoloz Tskitishvili

Drafted fifth overall out of the Republic of Georgia, "Skita" has since gone down in history as the worst fifth overall pick of all time (and believe me, there have been some bad fifth overall picks). Given ample opportunity to succeed in his first season, Skita - listed at seven-feet tall - shot 29.3% from the field as a rookie. At a game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, I once saw Skita shoot a wide open shot in which the ball hit the shot clock first before getting anywhere near the backboard or rim.

2003-04 (43-39, 1-4 in the playoffs)

A full 10 years after upsetting the Sonics in the playoffs, the Nuggets finally got their act together and Coloradoans cared about basketball again. Unable to shake the Nuggets streak of bad luck with the Draft Lottery, Vandeweghe got lucky nonetheless thanks to Detroit GM Joe Dumars' stupidly drafting Darko Milicic (i.e. Skita 2.0), leaving Syracuse star/stud Carmelo Anthony available with the third overall pick. And with Howard's giant contract coming off the books, Vandeweghe was finally able to spend Kroenke's money. Free agent signees Andre Miller, Jon Barry and Earl Boykins joined Melo, Nene and a healthy Camby. Under Bzdelik's stewardship, the Nuggets won 43 games and put up a respectable fight against the Timberwolves in the playoffs first round. As fans, we were happy just to be in the playoffs!

Non-Stiff of the Year: Carmelo Anthony

For the first time since Alex English last donned a rainbow jersey, the Nuggets had a perennial All-Star caliber player in Melo. As a rookie, Melo averaged 21 ppg and 6.1 rpg while giving fellow rookie phenom LeBron James a run for the Rookie of the Year Award. But more importantly, Melo led the Nuggets back to the postseason in a hyper-competitive Western Conference, whereas LBJ couldn't do the same in Cleveland in the weakened Eastern Conference.

Stiff of the Year: Rodney White

Playing for his next contract after his rookie deal was due to expire in two seasons, White gave the Nuggets next-to-nothing in 2003-04 even though he appeared in 72 games and received 14 minutes of playing time per game. Just a few years removed from being the ninth overall pick to Detroit (ahem...Joe Dumars again), White would be out of the NBA completely after the 2004-05 campaign. But hey, at least he was nominated for the Denver Stiffs Hall of Fame!

2004-05 (49-33, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Wanting to build upon the Nuggets newly found success (and at Kroenke's alleged insistence), Vandeweghe spent the entire 2004 offseason shopping for a big name free agent to bring to Denver. After being turned down by Manu Ginobili and Brad Miller, Vandeweghe panicked and got duped into sending three number one picks to New Jersey for Kenyon Martin in a sign-and-trade deal. K-Mart's price tag? $90 million over seven seasons. Under immense pressure to win more games, Bzdelik and the Nuggets floundered out of the gate, starting out 13-15 before Bzdelik got sacked and replaced by a former WNBA coach (Michael Cooper) who went 4-10 as coach of the team.

Non-Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Inheriting a 17-25 team loaded with talent but without any direction and big egos to boot, Karl's no-nonsense, "my way or the highway" approach immediately turned the Nuggets fortunes around. With only 40 games to work with, Karl guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 record (the best in NBA history after a mid-season coaching switch) and had the Nuggets playing the best basketball in the NBA down the stretch of the regular season.

Stiff of the Year: Kiki Vandeweghe

By acquiring K-Mart, Vandeweghe essentially panicked while throwing away all of the salary cap flexibility he had worked so hard and smartly to cultivate. But worse than that, Vandeweghe was eerily silent while Bzdelik was left to twist in the wind as the Nuggets struggled early in the season. Vandeweghe never publicly defended the one man willing to coach the dreadful 2002-03 roster that Vandeweghe had assembled, and Kiki made matters worse by bringing in Cooper to take over as head coach. The Cooper hire cost the Nuggets a higher playoff seed.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Carmelo Anthony

Melo couldn't stay out of trouble in 2004. First, he was cited for marijuana possession at DIA that his cousin conveniently took the blame for (the old "that wasn't my pot!" excuse). Second, he feuded with Olympic coach Larry Brown in Athens and found himself benched on the 2004 Team USA that embarrassingly finished with a bronze medal. Third - and perhaps the worst/dumbest - Melo was caught on a "Stop Snitching" DVD in which alleged drug dealers explain what happens to people who cooperate with the police. Melo didn't improve much on the floor, either, and found himself (rightfully) in Karl's doghouse early and often.

2005-06 (44-38, 1-4 in the playoffs)

Unable to build off the team's incredible run under Karl to conclude the previous season, injuries ravaged the Nuggets and they limped their way to a 44-38 record. K-Mart and Camby missed 26 games apiece and most tragically, Nene succumbed to the Nuggets power forward curse and was lost for the season with an ACL and MCL tear after just one game. At the time, the Nuggets marketing and PR team spun the season as as success under the guise of "Northwest Division Champs" and that the Nuggets were a three-seed entering the postseason. But this was before the NBA properly seeded division winners who have mediocre records. The Nuggets were such a weak three-seed, that the Clippers purposely tanked games to face them in the first round...and when they got their wish, the Clippers clocked the Nuggets in five games. Oh, and that was the Clippers only playoff series win since becoming the Clippers in 1978. Overall, the season was a mess from from the top down (as chronicled in detail at the time by the Denver Post's Thomas George). Vandeweghe would be let go at season's end and was replaced by Mark Warkentien (and eventually Rex Chapman, too). Dysfunction, egos and injuries had set the Nuggets back a few steps.

Non-Stiff of the Year: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and Andre Miller

Melo and Miller played in 80 and 82 games, respectively, and carried the Nuggets in 2005-06. Melo improved his scoring average by over six points per game and his field goal percentage went up, as well. Miller - the modern day NBA "iron man" even if he doesn't condition well in the offseason - was a steady hand as always, starting in all 82 games and dishing out over eight assists per game.

Stiff of the Year: Kenyon Martin

Recovering from microfracture surgery and frustrated by knee tendinitis, K-Mart was pretty surly for much of the season and was morphing into a locker room cancer. He allegedly didn't get along with coaches or teammates (according to George's article, K-Mart's teammates questioned his commitment to recovery and work ethic) and it all came to an ugly head during halftime of Game 2 at Los Angeles, when K-Mart went at it with Karl and several teammates. K-Mart was benched for the remainder of the game and eventually su spended for the duration of the series.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: Reggie Evans

As perhaps a microcosm of the dysfunction and lack of respect for the game that was taking over the Nuggets, "The Joker" grabbed Clippers center Chris Kaman's testicles while fighting for a rebound during Game 1 of the Clippers series.

2006-07 (45-37, 1-4 in the playoffs)

In spite of it being K-Mart's turn to succumb to the Nuggets power forward curse (he would play just two games all season) and losing their first three straight games by a total of five points, the Nuggets would win 12 of their first 21 games with Melo playing the best basketball of his career. That all changed abruptly on Saturday, December 16th, 2006. In New York facing the Knicks (who had embarrassingly beaten the Nuggets in Denver in Game 3 of the season), the Nuggets found themselves up 19 with 75 seconds to go. Karl - alleged by some to want to rub the victory in Knicks coach Isiah Thomas' face (Thomas had recently sandbagged Karl's good friend Larry Brown) - left his starters on the floor, prompting Thomas to send in his "goon squad" and make the Nuggets pay. What began as a hard, unnecessary, dangerous, around-the-neck foul on J.R. Smith by the Knicks' Mardy Collins erupted into a full-scale brawl...culminating with Melo's cheap shot punch on Collins. Melo would be suspended 15 games and Smith 10, prompting Nuggets management to attempt to salvage the season by bringing in super star guard Allen Iverson from Philadelphia in exchange for Miller, Joe Smith and two first round picks. Little did we know that the fun was just beginning.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

Welcomed with open arms by Nuggets fans and his new teammates, Iverson made an immediate impact on the Nuggets (on and off the floor, in good ways and bad). But with Melo out 15 games, Iverson was able to keep the Nuggets afloat and competitive almost by himself. When Melo and Iverson finally got to play together for a long stretch, the Nuggets reeled off nine straight wins and 10 of 11 to finish out the season strong as the hottest team in the NBA.

Stiff of the Year: Isiah Thomas

In addition to sinking the Raptors as an incompetent vice president, sinking the CBA in a summer as an incompetent commissioner and sinking the Knicks as an incompetent president/coach/alleged sexual harrasser (hell, Isiah was an incompetent broadcaster, too), Isiah would sink the Nuggets season in one fell swoop by commandeering his players to take out the Nuggets starters in that game.

Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith

Even though Isiah "started it," Melo and J.R. were unable to keep their heads cool and unnecessarily exacerbated an already ugly situation, ruining the Nuggets entire season as a result.

2007-08 (50-32, 0-4 in the playoffs)

Entering 2007-08, the Nuggets would finally have a training camp with their full roster participating from the get-go. With Melo and Iverson having ample time to play together, optimism in Denver was higher than it had been since entering the 2004-05 campaign. So high was the optimism, in fact, that Kroenke had over $83 million invested in the team's payroll (second or third highest in the league at the time) and Melo and K-Mart started floating out "60 wins" as a realistic goal. But even with Iverson appearing in all 82 games, Camby playing 79, Melo 77, K-Mart 71 and vast improvements seen in the games of bench players J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza, the Nuggets weren't able to secure a playoff spot (an eighth seed no less) until the 79th game of the season with a big win at Golden State. As an eighth seed, the Nuggets got worked over by the Lakers in an embarrassing four-game sweep: a series which saw Melo bark at Karl "don't just sit there!" and the benching of Iverson early in Game 3 that didn't go over well. Prior to the Nuggets final regular season game, Melo would get arrested on suspicion of a DUI. It became evident that the A.I. experiment was an expensive failure.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Nene

After being diagnosed with testicular cancer and undergoing surgery to remove his right testicle, Nene remarkably returned to play again on March 27th against the Mavericks, giving the Nuggets a much needed emotional boost that helped them secure a playoff spot down the stretch.

Stiff of the Year: George Karl

Stuck in an admittedly tumultuous and difficult situation, Karl spent much of the 2007-08 sitting on his hands during games while the Nuggets unraveled on the court. While the Nuggets head coach got called for just one technical foul all season (second to last in the NBA), his players finished in the top two in personal fouls, technical fouls, flagrant fouls and ejections. The inmates were running the asylum as Karl's coaching record in Denver got extended to a paltry 3-16 over four years. Karl would later admit to SI.com that "...the last couple of years, I was confused." Watching Karl's Nuggets routinely take nights off that season, so were we.

2008-09 (54-28, 10-6 in the playoffs)

Disappointed with his lack of return on investment, Kroenke gave an edict to management to slash payroll during the 2008 offseason. Camby would be shipped out to the Clippers in exchange for a trade exception, coach and fan favorite Eduardo Najera would not be re-signed, Iverson's contract wouldn't be extended and things were looking grim entering the 2008-09 campaign. But what loomed as a disaster instead became a season of reformation and rejuvenation. Karl came into training camp as "Fiery George" again, Melo won a gold medal with Team USA and learned a thing or two from Kobe Bryant on what an NBA work ethic really is and K-Mart, fully healthy, came into camp with an apology to his coach and teammates and a vow to work harder and play better. With former NBA castaways Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Dahntay Jones added for next-to-nothing (by NBA salary standards) and Nene in real basketball shape for the first time ever, the Nuggets were quietly confident that they had a special season on their hands.

The lone chink in the Nuggets newfound armor would be Iverson who, upset by not receiving a contract extension, showed up to camp out of shape and several steps slow. Remarkably, Nuggets management was able to pull off one of the great trades in Nuggets history by shipping Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups. By adding Billups to a roster primed to take off, the Nuggets would shock the basketball world by tying a franchise record with 54 wins and going toe-to-toe with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Simply put, it was the greatest full season of Nuggets basketball since the 1984-85 Nuggets made it to the conference finals and hopefully a sign of more good things to come in the decade ahead.

Non-Stiff of the Year: Chauncey Billups

The Denver-born Billups - who had been cast off by Issel years earlier without ever given a fair hearing as a Nugget - immediately proved to be the perfect leader for the Nuggets. Coming off six consecutive conference finals appearances with the Pistons, Billups would make it seven when he led the Nuggets there.

Non-Stiff of the Year Runner-Up: (tie) Nuggets Management and George Karl

After years of placing talent over character, the Nuggets GM "troika" of Warkentien, Chapman and team adviser Bret Bearup had assembled a roster stocked with good character guys and also deserve credit for not panicking after the 2008 playoff debacle. Warkentien would be rewarded with the NBA's Executive of the Year Award, but it should have been shared by all three guys. Karl, meanwhile, turned in one of his finest performances as an NBA head coach while bridging whatever gap had existed between him and his mercurial stars Melo, J.R. and K-Mart.

Stiff of the Year: Allen Iverson

The NBA will soon be announcing their "All Decade Team" and it will be fascinating to see if A.I. makes the squad. One of the greatest players of the decade, Iverson ultimately proved to be a bad fit for the Nuggets and a bad influence on Melo and J.R. This became painfully clear when the Pistons imploded after bringing Iverson on board in exchange for Billups.

Overall, the '00s were a great decade for Nuggets basketball: six straight playoff appearances, two 50-plus win seasons, All-Star players and thrilling performances (how many game-tying and game-winning shots has Melo made?!). And while it would have been nice to see a few more playoff series victories prior to last season, the memories of the Bickerstaff and Issel Administrations are still prominent enough for me to appreciate what's been going on recently.

Fortunately for Nuggets fans, four of our best players - Melo, J.R., Nene and rookie Ty Lawson - still have many seasons ahead of them and hopefully will remain in a Nuggets uniform into the next decade. At the very least, we're guaranteed that the new decade starts out reasonably well and it will be fascinating to see where this franchise is standing in 2020.

Thanks for the memories and Go Nuggets!!

Photos courtesy of AP and NBAE/Getty Images

Game 14: Miami Heat (8-5) vs. Orlando Magic (11-3)

DolPhanDave — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:16:39 -0000

Tonight the Heat will open up their season series against inner state rivals from the town of tourists. Dwyane Wade and co. will head north on the turnpike and hopefully show us some good, solid defensive basketball. It will be tough against the Magic who have won six straight games against the Heat and 12 of 13 in the overall series.

Dwight Howard has been dominating centers all season, and thanks to the wonderful world of fantasy basketball I've been able to see him shut guys down all year. It will be interesting to see how Jermaine does considering how well he has been offensively.

Another problem lies in former Heat point guard Jason Williams, who has stepped up since the injury to Jameer Nelson. J-Will has started three games for Nelson, averaging 9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2 steals, playing in over 30 minutes. Doesn't it hurt twice as bad when an x-player burns you? I'd watch out for Williams tonight, especially against the much less experienced Mario Chalmers.

GAME NOTES

The Heat have won 17 straight games when shooting over 50% (dating back to last season)

Tonight D-Wade will start his 400^th game in a Heat uniform. Only Glen Rice and Alonzo Mourning have reached this milestone.

Wade also has scored at least 30 points in 6 of the Heat's 13 games.

Quentin Richardson will miss his third straight game with a sore back.

Tipoff from Amway Arena is at 7:30pm. Lovely arena, isn't it? No no, I'm being serious! Very reminiscent of the Heat's old stomping ground...at least for me.

Heat dominate Knicks on Opening/Tim Hardaway Night.

DolPhanDave — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:15:11 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Browse more photos »

Opening night could not have gone any better. It began with a wonderful ceremony for Tim Hardaway who got to watch his #10 jersey get lifted up into the American Airlines Arena rafters. It's very true that Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning made the Heat what they are now, a team with a winning history and dedicated, loyal fans.

Those fans were rewarded tonight, as the Heat dominated the Knicks on both ends of the floor, cruising to an easy 22-point victory. As we saw in the second half of the preseason, the Heat continued to shoot the lights out, shooting 56% from the field as a team, and 7-of-15 from 3.

Every player shot the ball well last night. The Heat's worst shooter was actually their leading scorer, as D-Wade shot 10-for-22 for 26 points. He still struggled with his jumper, missing his first 5 long-range shots, but found his stroke late and hit back-to-back 18-footers.

Jermaine O'Neal was definitely the player of the game for the Heat. He opened the game with turnaround jumper, then made a very nice pass to D-Wade for an easy layup. He was also the force we have been begging for on the glass, grabbing five 1^st half rebounds.

He wasn't done there, grabbing another 5 in the first six minutes of the 3^rd quarter. Jermaine was also scoring at ease, finishing the game 10-of-12 from the field and starting the season with a 22-12 double double. Games like this will be HUGE for the Heat if O'Neal can consistently bring this kind of effort.

GAME NOTES

-Mario Chalmers started out very aggressive, hitting 3 of his first 4 shots. He finished a solid 5-of-7 (11 points) and dished out 4 assists as well. He looked good running the point, and defensively his positioning was much improved, but that can be said for several of our young guys. Good job, coaches.

-Speaking of the Heat coaches, you know they were loving the two new guys (Richardson and Arroyo) drawing offensive fouls in the 1^st quarter. Richardson would take another charge in the 3^rd quarter.

-One cool moment was when Dwyane Wade stole a Knicks inbound pass, did a mid-air 360 to lay it in and put the Heat up by 22. In the first game of their 22^nd season the Heat had a 22-point lead. What could be cooler then that? How about winning by 22!

-I could really get used to Udonis Haslem coming off the bench and playing just like he always does. He was drilling his outside J's but was still getting dirty in the paint. 8 points and 9 boards along with his usual great defense; it seems for at least one night Erik Spoelstra looks like a genius.

-Quentin Richardson had a solid debut, despite not taking a shot until the 2^nd half. He drilled his first two jumpers, including a trey, and his D was up to par.

-Daequan Cook showed us a little bit of the improved ball handling that was advertised throughout training camp, but his shooting was just as good as ever. He was confident when putting the ball up and I thought he moved very well without the ball. We just have to hope that he keeps it going for an entire season, as opposed to the 2^nd half sputter of a year ago.

-The Heat must have played well if it's this late in the post and I'm just getting to Michael Beasley. Beas looked good playing both the 4 and the 3, but the best part of Beasley's game was his defense. His positioning and footwork made him look like an entire different player.

-Offensively, Beasley is such a natural scorer it's difficult for him to look bad. Now that he is driving the ball as much as shooting from the outside, he'll get that much more room to maneuver.

-Wasn't it nice to see someone other then Chris Quinn coming off the bench in relief of Mario Chalmers?

-James Jones only made it into the final 2 minutes of the game, but still drilled his first and only trey of the night. Spoelstra said after the game that guys like Jones will get more minutes, that tonight it was just the beast of the rotation.

-Joel Anthony: solid bench D. 2 blocks and 3 boards in 19 minutes don't do him justice.

Next game is Friday night when Jermaine O'Neal leads the Heat back into his old stomping ground, Conseco Fieldhouse, to face the Pacers.

Tim Hardaway's #10 to hang in the AAA rafters

DolPhanDave — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:44:42 -0000

The Miami Heat announced today that they will retire Tim Hardaway's #10 before the Heat's regular season opener on October 28th. After having nobody's jersey retired for the first 20 years of the teams existence, this is the second number to go up in the rafters this calender year. Alonzo Mourning's #33 went up in the AAA on March 30th.

You had to figure it was only a matter of time before Timmy 'this-a way, that-a-way' Hardaway's number was retired, as he and Zo we're the guys to get this team on the map. In the mid/late 90's, Timmy and Zo were the main components of a team that was championship caliber for several years...if only they had played at a different time then Jordan and the Bulls. (Ironically, Jordan's #23 is also a retired number in the AAA, along with Dan Marino's #13).

Hardaway ranks as the Heat's all-time leader in assists (2,867), 3-pointers (806) and 3-pointers attempted (2,263). The University of Texas-El Paso product also ranks among Miami's all-time leaders in field goals attempted (fourth), double-doubles (fourth), points (fifth), field goals made (fifth), free-throw percentage (fifth), steals (fifth), double-figure scoring games (fifth), free throws made (seventh), free throws attempted (eighth), games started (eighth), minutes (eighth), games played (10th), defensive rebounds (11th), total rebounds (13th), field-goal percentage (16th) and three-point percentage (16th). He also owns the Heat single-season assist record, recording 695 in 1996-97.

Timmy played in the NBA for 13 years. He was an all-star 5 times, as well as a 5-time All NBA team member. He also won a gold medal (along with Alonzo Mourning) with Team USA during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

This looks to be the beginning of a series of Heat jerseys to be retired. Pat Riley has said that that there would be several banners hanging at the AAA after the initial retirement ceremony for Alonzo Mourning.

Follow the jump to find a couple video's. One is a Tim Hardaway mix, the other one is a clip of a bunch of buzzer beaters. I suggest you jump to the 1:06 mark to see my fondest memory of Timmy, and game-winning 3 at home against the Knicks.

Orlando Magic News for September 11th: Praise for All-Star Dunkers, an Evaluation of Rashard Lewis, and a Marcin Gortat Programming Note

Ben Q Rock — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

Browse more photos »

The 10 best dunkers of the last decade

It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that Orlando Magic All-Stars and slam-dunk champions Vince Carter and Dwight Howard rank highly on Kelly Dwyer's list of the best dunkers of the last decade. Dwyer's effusive in praising Vince's dunking acument, if not his game:

Vince Carter is annoying as hell. On that, we can all agree.

But he can dunk. And he's gotten everyone.

[Frederic] Weis. Dikembe Mutombo. Alonzo Mourning, repeatedly. The Pacers, the Celtics, the whole flippin' NBA.

Not only is he the best dunker of the last decade, he's the best of all time. And that's someone with Michael Jordan bedsheets talking.

It's annoying as hell, but VC can throw down. Bow down.
Top 50: Rashard Lewis, no. 38

SLAM lists Rashard Lewis as the league's 38th-best player, and says only Howard will surpass him in importance to this year's Magic team:

After Dwight Howard, Shard will be the second-most important piece of the puzzle this season for Orlando. Dwight will continue to do his thing, looking like the Incredible Hulk under the basket. Jameer Nelson will play his part, setting the table for everyone. As revitalized as Vince Carter may be this coming season, you can’t help but think that he’s salivating at the prospect of winning while being the third or fourth banana some nights. In many ways, Shard is the glue of this team’s core.
Marcin Gortat and Poland are playing well in EuroBasket 2009

The Orlando Sentinel has a look at Marcin Gortat's performance in Eurobasket, and lists how you can watch the next games he'll play in the tournament.

Orlando Magic & Retired Jerseys: Shaquille O'Neal, Part IV

erivera7 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:18 -0000

Photo is courtesy of the Orlando Magic.

View full size photo »

An introduction.

"Why did I end up on the [Los Angeles] Lakers? Actually, in the summer of 1996, [former Orlando Magic general manager] John Gabriel sealed me going to L.A. Like I said, I was the highest-paid player on the team until Penny [Hardaway] signed his deal. I was happy for Penny. Figured my payday was around the corner. Then Gabriel said, "We can't give you more than Penny. We don't want to upset Penny."

When he said that, I was out. [...]

Orlando offered me $69 million over seven years. Jerry West, the Lakers president, was talking $98 million. He was cutting guys left and right to make room for my salary. After I heard Alonzo Mourning was getting $110 million, my leverage was increasing by the day. When the Magic found out what the Lakers could do, then they tried to come back. [...]

And the truth is, I really had no intention of going there until the games with Orlando started."

It's only fitting that the final part of this mini-series ends with Shaquille O'Neal, undisputedly the most controversial player to play for the Orlando Magic franchise.

With Shaq, there's the good and there's the bad.

Let's start with the good.

When O'Neal arrived to the city of Orlando from Louisiana State University during the summer of 1992, the organization's fortune changed forever. The Magic, after three years of playing the role of being the NBA's doormat, transformed into a league powerhouse nearly overnight. With Shaq, Orlando had a clear, identifiable superstar to promote its city and its franchise. Likewise, the league was on notice.

O'Neal came to dominate, and dominate he did.

Before there was such a thing as a YouTube sensation, the hype level of a player rose via highlights on the local or national sports channel and via word of mouth. People marveled at the rare combination of athleticism and strength that Shaq displayed on the court in his rookie season. As such, O'Neal's legend quickly grew and popularity quickly skyrocketed when he dismantled not one, but TWO basketball hoops (the NBA was forced to build "Shaq-proof" baskets, as a result).

Here's another example of O'Neal doin' work in his second season with the Magic.

If scoring 53 points (a career-high in Shaq's career, at that point) during the 1993-1994 regular season doesn't make you say 'wow', then maybe blocking 15 shots does make you say 'wow' because that's what O'Neal did in the same year against the New Jersey Nets. Want to know the complete stat-line of that game?

24 points, 28 rebounds, 15 blocks.

Ridiculous.

Shaq continued to dominate in his third season by leading the NBA in points per game (29.3) - the first time a player from Orlando accomplished such a feat. Unfortunately for Shaq, it wasn't all roses that year as he was outclassed against Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1995 NBA Finals, a series where the Magic were swept.

Shaquille O'Neal, via Shaq Talks Back:

I don't know if we could have won [the series] because we really got caught up in just being there, and didn't concentrate enough on winning. That was partly my fault. One of the reasons we lost is because I respected Hakeem [Olajuwon] too much. Wasn't bowing him, wasn't fouling him, wasn't talking my usual smack. I was just being nice, respecting my elder. Whenever I hit him, I'd ask him, "You OK, Hakeem?"

Hakeem never said anything. He just took the pounding and came back at you. He'd go into a herky-jerky move. You'd be over here, he'd be over there, shooting a fade-away jumper. When he had that Dream Shake going, it was lights out, buddy.

In O'Neal's fourth and final season with Orlando, the big fella had to deal with a thumb injury that sidelined him for a portion of the beginning of the regular season. Shaq eventually returned and helped guide the Magic to the team's one and only 60-win season. The year didn't end on a high note, though, as the Chicago Bulls (fielding, arguably, the best team ever) romped Orlando in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. I believe the quote is, "revenge is a dish best served cold".

Once the summer hit, all eyes were on the Orlando Magic and Shaquille O'Neal, as the organization & the player reached a crossroads that would change the direction of the franchise, forever. The details of that saga will be addressed in a minute.

I turned to Benjamin Golliver's "formula" made in a write-up over a year ago at the superb Blazersedge to ascertain whether O'Neal deserved an analytical and a statistical breakdown. After I noted that Shaq met a majority of the criterion listed in Ben's post (for example, O'Neal was a superstar on the 1995 NBA Finals team for the Magic), I surmised that Shaq deserved an examination.

Before I begin, I want to make it explicitly clear that I'm not advocating against or for an Orlando player in this mini-series. The main purpose of these posts is to figure out who in Magic history has a legit argument for such an honor, and let the community decide accordingly (there will be a poll so that people can chime in).

So, without further ado, let's begin.

As I've stated in my my previous posts, I enlisted the help of Jon Nichols of Basketball-Statistics and, also, Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus to a.) add an APBRmetrician's unbiased perspective and b.) provide statistical data.

Beginning (by Jon Nichols):

If we are indeed ignoring tenure with the team, Shaquille O’Neal should be a lock to have his jersey retired by the Magic. In his four seasons in Orlando, he posted numbers that rivaled his career best. Like Maravich, Walton, and Barkley, he will be a Hall of Famer. Although the feelings in Orlando towards Shaq are not always positive, there’s no doubt that his contributions during his four years were enormous.

Shaq's career PER of 26.9 is among the highest in the history of the NBA. Not only has he been efficient (career Offensive Rating of 113 despite his free throw shooting woes), but he has never been shy of carrying the workload (his career usage rate is only slightly below 30%). His career Defensive Rating of 101 is impressive, as well. Although his best years may have come in L.A., his performance wasn't that much worse in his first few seasons in Orlando. In fact, his two most efficient offensive seasons came in his second and third seasons with the Magic. The only thing keeping his PER's from being career highs those two seasons was the fact that his deft passing ability was not out in full force yet.

Of course, you really don't need all of those numbers to know the Magic should have his jersey retired. Simply put, O'Neal made the Magic matter as soon as they drafted him. Had it not been for some great Rockets and Bulls teams, the Magic could be holding two Finals championships in their trophy case.

Middle:

Credit goes to Nichols for the PER graph and Pelton for the WARP data.

This is a prime example where the numbers speak for themselves.

End:

Although Nichols brings up valid points in his assessment of Shaq, "should be retired" and "will be retired" are two completely different things. There's no argument that O'Neal is or isn't worthy of having his number hang in the rafters - he is. But harkening back to the summer of 1996 ..

Rather than rehash the same material that has been written over, and over, and over again (usually from the media), I'll refer you to pages 44-48 of O'Neal's book, Shaq Talks Back, for his take on the sequence of events that lead to his departure (I strongly suggest reading what he had to say).

Shaq is not excused for his behavior before he left and his comment about Orlando - "a dried-up pond" - helped further develop friction between the city, the media, the player, and the team. It was an ugly divorce, to be sure, but it's worth figuring out what created the messy breakup in the first place. Clearly, everyone involved in the situation is to be blamed. O'Neal felt betrayed, so he lashed out...

... and continues to lash out on the Magic organization to this day. It should be stated that Shaq does like to talk, so who knows whether the things he says is fodder or not, but it doesn't change the fact that he has said spiteful words towards Dwight Howard ("a good player, but everything he's done, I've invented") and Stan Van Gundy ("a master of panic").

Despite everything, O'Neal has maintained residence in Orlando and has organized events within the city, such as the Sixth Annual Shaq's Mama Said Knock You Out fundraising event, which takes place next month. Shaq has remained a presence within the Central Florida community, even during his time with the Lakers, Heat, Suns, and now, Cavaliers.

Shaquille O'Neal, also, will forever remain a part of the Orlando Magic's history, but it appears he'll be no more than a footnote. A shame, really. Shaq will go down as one of the most dominant players to ever set foot in the NBA, and normally, greatness deserves to be honored and recognized, but that may never be the case with O'Neal and the Magic.

It is what it Is.

Accolades:

1993 NBA Rookie First Team

1994, 1996 All-NBA Third Team

1995 All-NBA Second Team

1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 NBA All-Star (starter each year)

1996 Olympic Gold Medalist (USA men's national basketball team)

Awards:

1993 NBA Rookie of the Year

Franchise Leaderboard:

Blocked shots (824)

Blocked shots per game (2.7)

Poll

Does Shaquille O'Neal deserve to have his jersey retired by the Orlando Magic?

Yes

149 votes

No

247 votes

396 votes | Poll has closed

Daily Links 8/12

FLCeltsFan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:59:54 -0000

Herald Hall of Fame honoring Alonzo Mourning
Kurt Rambis says he couldn’t pass up Timberwolves opportunity
Cavaliers eyeing Leon Powe
Globe Powe leaves Celtics for Cavs
Report: Cavs close to deal with Powe

CelticsBlog    Leon Signs With Cavs
LOY's Place    Did Danny Miss Out?
In the Books - Heinsohn, Don't You Ever Smile? Part 3
Red's Army    Leon Looking for Revenge? Bring It
Celtics tried to get Powe back
There Isn't Room For Leon
Green Street Source: Powe to sign two year deal with Cavs
Celtics Circuit   Lester Hudson? Not Right Now.
Celtics Hub     How will I deal with Powe’s departure?
NESN    Report: Cavaliers Closing in on Powe
Rambis Crosses Paths With McHale Once Again
Celtics Town   Leon Powe's ACL Injury Cost Him A Lot Of Money
Fernsten's Follies   Forecasting the Green
Lex Nihil Novi   Shelden-Baby Presser (in part)
Doc
Fitch Upset About Loss to Bucks (81-82)
The First Baby-Powe Matchup
Layup Drill   Leon Powe disses Boston for Cavs
What Kurt Rambis means to Minnesota
Nick's Sports Blog    Early NBA standings predictions
Every Joe   Leon Powe Joins the Cleveland Cavaliers
Telegram Hiatt court's in order
Crunch Sports Glen Davis Gives Boston Depth
Inside Hoops   NBA rumors - daily nba rumors
Wizards sign Fabricio Oberto
Hoopsworld    NBA AM: What Is Next?
NBA PM: Trades Bolster East
Six Teams On The Way Up
Waiting for Next Year   Anderson’s Allegations, Thoughts on Powe, and Cheesy Browns Posters
NBA Free Agency: Leon Powe to Visit Cleveland
Commercial Appeal    Three others audition for Griz
Rivals    Report: Pitino tells cops he paid for abortion
Inside Bay Area    Former Cal star Leon Powe plays big role in community
Ohio.com   Cavs sign free-agent forward Leon Powe
CSNE    Choosing The New Celtics Dancers
Nola.com   It's re-gain one, lose one for the Boston Celtics
Examiner   Why the Celtics brought Big Baby back
Orato   Stephon Marbury's Online Confessions NBA Star Criticized for Online Behavior
High School Hoop     Austin Rivers not as solid to Florida
Dimemag   The most important 2010 free agent nobody’s talking about
Source: Cavs Sign Leon Powe
ESPN    Source: Cleveland Cavaliers, Leon Powe agree on two-year, $1.77M deal
Sir Charles in Charge    The Latest On Reggie Miller, Leon Powe, Linas Kleiza, and More
Eagle Tribune Celtics present North Andover foster mom with new court
SI.com   Kurt Rambis surrenders Lakers dream for Timberwolves security
Detroit Free Press    Shock's Smith, Zellous make opponents pay at charity stripe
Hardwood Paroxysm   Ten Thousand Strong at Least
Mashable    What Does Google Think of Twitter?

Fun Fact of the Day

dishingoutdimes — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:00:10 -0000

More photos » by Rick Bowmer - AP

Kevin Durant can score with the best of them. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Browse more photos »

In the 3-Point Era in the NBA (1979-2009), only 26 players have had a Player Efficiency Rating of at least 20 with at least 2000 minutes played in their 2nd NBA season. Kevin Durant is among them. In terms of points scored in their 2nd season, Kevin Durant ranks 7th among this group of players.

Who are the other 25 players?

Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Vince Carter, David Robinson, Mark Aguirre, Tim Hardaway, Dwayne Wade, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Allen Iverson, Kevin Johnson, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Steve Francis, Pau Gasol, Elton Brand, Yao Ming, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Carlos Boozer, Chris Paul, Chris Webber, and Andrei Kirilenko.

It appears as though Durant is in good company!

Durant is also only the 37th player in the shot clock era (1954-2009) to score over 1800 points in his 2nd NBA season, only the 17th player to do so in the 3-Point Era, and only the 11th player to do it since 1990 (basically the last two decades).

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks: The Rivalry part 2

DolPhanDave — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:15:07 -0000

The first big Heat-Knicks game of the 96-97 season came in April with the two teams battling for the Atlantic Division crown. A controversial 3-pointer by Sasha Danilovic that would've tied the game in the final minute was ruled a 2 after the referee's convened, and the Heat ended up losing by one. Miami still managed to hold off the Knicks for their first Division title and the 2^nd seed in the East (of course Chicago was #1). New York didn't fall far in the standings, claiming the 3 seed.

Before the teams could meet in the playoffs, the Heat had to first get past Orlando in the 1^st round. A series that was much better then some would've thought saw the home team win each game, including a series winning 5^th and deciding game for Miami. Meanwhile, the Knicks breezed through a 1^st round sweep of Charlotte, and the 1^st ever Heat-Knicks playoff series was set.

Game 1 was close until the very end, but Patrick Ewing put the game away in the final minute with a big dunk. The Heat rebounded in Game 2 thanks to a big three-pointer by Jamal Mashburn, and the series was tied heading back to Madison Square Garden. It was there that the Knicks took hold of the series. It was Ewing again in Game 3, but this time it was his defense. He came out to the three-point line to block Tim Hardaway's game-tying 3 attempt, then secured the ball and the game for New York. Game 4 was pretty much all Knicks as they cruised to an 11-point win and a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 is still probably one of the most memorable Heat games in the franchise's history, and it certainly had a lasting effect on this playoff series and the Heat-Knicks rivalry as well. During the 4^th quarter of a lop-sided Heat win, Miami forward P.J. Brown and Knicks point guard Charlie Ward were jostling for position after a missed free throw, but Brown flipped Ward over his shoulder, body slamming the smaller player. This led to the memorable brawl between the Heat and Knicks, which took place under the basket in front of the Knicks bench, leading to several Knicks leaving the bench to join the fight. Unfortunately for New York, those players were Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, John Starks and Larry Johnson, all of whom were suspended 1-game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.

Ewing, Houston and Ward all missed Game 6 while Johnson and Starks sat out Game 7. The Knicks were unable to be as competitive without their core group of players, and the Heat came away with an improbable win against a Knicks team many thought were poised to take down the mighty Chicago Bulls (who beat Miami 4 games to 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals).

Needless to say, the rivalry was in the midst of its most heated times. The following season Miami won their 2^nd straight Atlantic Division crown, while the Knicks fell all the way to the 7^th seed. This meant that the Knicks wouldn't have to wait until the 2^nd round of the playoffs to get another shot at Miami, as the teams would meet in round 1. As if the Knicks weren't mad enough after the way the previous years playoffs went down, New York was also denied a victory by NBA Officials when a would-be game winning tip in by Allan Houston was waived off, apparently being touched after the buzzer. Replays would show otherwise, but the NBA denied the Knicks protest.

With the Heat poised to make another run at the Bulls and the Knicks falling in the standings, the 1^st round series was still surrounded by drama following the previous year's playoff meeting. However this year the Knicks would be without Patrick Ewing, who was out with a wrist injury. The teams split the first 4 games, with neither team looking amazingly better then the other. Game 4 would be another memorable one, and again it was due to a fight. This time it was between former Hornets teammates Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson. If you recall, neither landed a punch despite about 20 being thrown, but the lasting image is of Jeff Van Gundy hanging on Zo's leg during the fight.

Unfortunately, this led to suspensions for both players and the Zo-less Heat lost Game 5 at home despite making a crazy comeback attempt. The Heat trailed by 20 at the half, but thanks to a lot of clutch shooting by Timmy Hardaway drew within 2 points in the 4^th quarter. The Knicks would again take over and soon the lead was back at 13, and the game was out of reach for Miami.

The teams were now even at 1 win apiece in Playoff meetings, but little did they know that destiny was not finished messing with the Heat and Knicks.