Note: This is an old post from my Multiply site last May 24, 2009.
One second remaining. I was sitting in my sofa looking gloomy. I was in such a laid back mood an hour ago because the Cleveland Cavaliers were leading by as much as 23 points. Twenty three. The same number of their MVP – LeBron James. One second remaining. That was how much time Hedo Turkoglu left the Cavs with after he hit his cold-blooded clutch jumper. The Orlando Magic are leading by two and after one second, they could be on their way to a 2-0 lead which would make it highly improbable for Cleveland to climb from as the next games would be held in Florida. One second remaining. I was like the Cleveland fans shown on TV – we looked doomed because we once thought that this could be our season. But no, the Magic have diffused our hopes by wiping out the normal large leads the Cavaliers come up with at the Q where they are 39-2 in the regular season. I was so confident on the Cavs whenever I watch them at TV because they will just blow out their opponents easily. This time, it felt like they were so vulnerable. One second remaining. And like the Cleveland fans, I am on a “here we go again” mode. I never had a team which won the NBA Finals ever since I started watching on summer of 1994. My Utah Jazz fell from Jordan’s Bulls. They were always a contender but they always came up short until Malone and Stockton decided to hang their jerseys. Cleveland never had a dominant team but it had a chance of going deep in the playoffs in the past four years. I can still say the same for Utah. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The closest team I rooted for to win the NBA championship was Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in 2006. Them and Shaq’s Lakers. After one second, it will be another heartbreak.
One second remaining. This had the likes of Game 1. We had a second remaining to come up with a shot and it was after a jump ball. I ended up in frustration then. It was the same storyline in Game 2. We blew a huge lead and the Magic, with all the momentum they got after beating the Celtics, were beating us in clutch. One second remaining. Mo Williams has the ball. He passes it to LeBron. Great! At least we will live or die by our greatest player. Number Twenty Three heaves a rainbow shot from beyond the arc – twenty three feet away from the rim. One second is slipping. 0.3. 0.2. 0.1. The red lights start to show up in the backboard. It seemed like the ball was up in air for ten seconds. I should be tense but Hedo’s previous shot took the life away from me. I was just watching. The arc was quite high and LeBron was well-defended so I am uncertain if it will go in. The ball starts to fall. It reaches the rim and it went through. Swish! KABOOM! I was suddenly jumping and screaming at the top of my lungs. It just took one second and my despair turned into jubilation. Like me, Quicken Loans arena exploded with cheers and the Cleveland Cavaliers were celebrating as if they won a championship. I was going nuts to a point that my mother was telling me to stop celebrating because I should be embarrassed of our neighbors. But I just could not care. This was a huge highlight. Instant classic game.
One second. That is how quick the tides could change in basketball. This is why I believe it is the most exciting sport ever. One second. That is how long it takes for a legend to be born. That time difference is how it takes to turn a depressed crowd into a rejuvenated one. One second. It is all clutch. This is where the great are separated from the good. There are 47 minutes and 59 seconds in the basketball game but people will just be talking of how great that second was.
This is why I love this game. I love close games. No matter how I felt despair prior to that shot, I love tight matches. When your team faces adversity, it will boil to how they perform in the final seconds of the game. These are the times when fans bring out their biggest uproar. These are the moments that people will be talking of for years – possibly to their sons and grandsons. I know that some fans hate close matches. This is because these have the tendency of putting you into a major heart break after the opposing team kills your team with a buzzer beating shot. It hurts but it delivers the most entertainment value. I would rather see my team lose in a closely-fought match than lose in large leads. It is because it shows that they had the heart to fight it to the end. They had their final stand.
Either way, I still love it the most if my team wins in a thriller. Why? Because it reflects composure and focus. It is succeeding over strong adversity. I want to be celebrating. I want to be in the winning end when people are talking of this clutch shot. Ever since I started watching basketball since 1993, I had my fair share of glorious moments and I will be discussing these.
Kenny Redfield hits the game-winning three of the Game 2 of the Purefoods-Alaska PBA Finals 2nd Conference of 1994. I will never forget this because this is the very first-ever basketball game that I have seen live. I was an avid Purefoods fan then and seeing their import, Kenny Redfield, shoot this clutch three in the dying seconds of the game to win the game for my team has got to be one of the special moments of my childhood. I never had the swagger that I have right now when I was watching then. I was just sitting all the time with my father and the only time I stood was in the final minute when everyone was standing. I did not shout or jump for joy then because I was too shy then. I surely rejoiced at home when Purefoods claimed the trophy after four games.
Ryan Buenafe makes a circus of a layup to beat UE in the elimination round of UAAP Season 71. Dude, this is one helluva game. We were about to get our 2nd loss in the eliminations as we were down by 8 points against UE. However, the Blue Eagles were able to pull through and put the game in overtime after triples by Chris Tiu and Ryan Buenafe. Chris, however, had to be sidelined due to cramps. We seemed beaten but Ryan Buenafe, our sterling rookie, came up with one clutch play which had me replaying for several times because I could not figure how he made it against two defenders. All I knew was that I was celebrating after I saw it went in.
Michael Jordan hits the buzzer-beating fadeaway overy Bryon Russel in the Game 1 of the Bulls-Jazz Finals in 1997. Ouch! I had a share of clutch shooting defeats (like Rashard’s last Game 1) but this was one of the most remarkable. His Airness showed how it was done by shooting this tough but perfectly released shot. I could not help but imitate it when I was playing basketball in our compound then.
Alvin Patrimonio hits a Hail Mary shot over Shell defenders in a PBA All-Filipino Cup elimination game. Over all the years, I watched Captain Lionheart score clutch shots to bail Purefoods. I must admit that this molded my growth in loving clutch moments because it shows if you have the heart to shoot when it matters the most. In this game, Shell should have had the upper hand but Jun Marzan choked by missing two free throws. As the seconds dwindle down, Alvin Patrimonio scores on a jumpshot despite of great defense. I clearly remember this one because this is the first time I heard the term ‘Hail Mary shot’. I love that term.
Dwyane Wade sinks clutch free throws to fully resurrect the Miami Heat after being down 0-2 to win the pivotal Game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals. This has got to be one of the best Finals games I have ever watched even if Bill Simmons remarks this one as badly officiated. Dwyane Wade carried his team to beat the Mavs by making a jumper in the dying seconds of regulation and by shooting free throws despite Dallas leading prior to it. Wade was simply legendary in this series.
Chris Tiu hits the game-winning three in the second round of eliminations to sweep the La Salle Green Archers in 2007. There are numerous Chris Tiu game winners that I witnessed that he has become the most clutch UAAP player in memory but this one was extra special because I was watching at the green side of things. I was with my officemates and I had no choice but to keep quiet the rest of the game. When Chris hit the three, I could not help but rejoice while we were in the sea of green spectators. I even gave Rachel a high five then because we were the only Ateneans in the crowd.
LA Tenorio hits a step-back three that completed the comeback from Adamson’s big lead in the first round of UAAP Season 67. I can still remember that it was the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It was the first game after Larry Fonacier was officially out of the season due to his ACL injury. We were down by a large lead in the first half after the Falcons had a good offense. Slowly but surely, the Eagles clawed up in time for Tenorio to hit his patented step-back game-winning three that ended with the Ateneo community celebrating and showing Larry’s mother in tears. If there was a game that could have strengthened the Ateneo fans in our failure years from 2003 to 2007, this would be it. This was the start of the clutch winning moments that we experienced for the next years. This was the compelling moment where we believed that against all odds, win or lose, we are going to cheer for our team. It was a long way to victory but this is the part of the journey that we should cherish because it taught us to rise above adversity.
Game 4 of Chicago versus Boston this year. Their series will go down as the greatest first round series ever. I even stayed up until 3 AM to watch this game because it was so awesome. Game 6 was actually better than this but I was not able to watch it live. Nevertheless, Game 4 was awesome because even if I was not rooting for any team, I could not help but get amazed. No one just wants to get beaten. Just when the Bulls looked defeated, Ben Gordon makes a magnificent three point shot to tie the game. This did not have a buzzer beater moment but it was just awesome to be noted as one of the moments I remember in recent memory.
Larry Fonacier blocks MacMac Cardona in Game 1 of the UAAP Finals in Season 65. Who says offense only gets the glory in clutch moments? This awesome stop still remains as the best clutch UAAP moment for me because it changed the whole direction of the Finals. The 13-1 Archers are down for the first time and the Blue Eagles are suddenly one game away from reaching the goal. The other thing that was cemented in here was MacMac Cardona suddenly found his kryptonite. He was blocked twice and probably was demoralized on it. You know what? MacMac became successful only after Larry was injured.
John Stockton shoots a game-winning three to put the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals for the first time in history. I thought the Jazz are about to lose this game to the team that usually beat them in the 90s – the Houston Rockets. The Jazz were down by ten in the fourth quarter and it seemed like we were heading for a Game 7. But John Stockton – the greatest pure point guard who ever lived – led the Jazz to come back. He finished it by scoring the game-winning rainbow shot that had me double high fiving Dad. Promised Land, here we come!
With a second remaining, Macky Escalona lobs a pass to a wide-open Doug Kramer for a tip-in win in the Game 1 of the UAAP Finals Season 69. It had the similar making of the Cleveland win. The opposing team was heavily celebrating after the clutch shot that left one second in the shot clock. The clutch shooter pretty much annoyed me with his arrogance. But as long as there is still time, miracles can happen. I was jumping up and down in Gen Ad when Doug Kramer made this shot. It was a beautifully set up play drawn by Norman Black. In one second, momentums change.
In one second, things can change. That is the beauty of sports. It makes you reflect and realize how valuable real life lessons are. Never give up as long as there is life. When I was watching Game 2, I seemed devastated after Turkoglu’s shot. I thought we were done for the season. The Magic have crushed whatever the Cavs have built up for their momentum in the first two rounds of the playoffs by decimating whatever large lead Cleveland could come up with. After one second, things changed. I was rejoicing. Yes, we may have barely won that game but it surely swung the momentum bigger than a five-point win because it was a game winner by LeBron James. The Cavs should be more prepared of the issues in the first games by now and more importantly, they could have gained the confidence that they lost. I once stated that Cleveland needs to lose a game or two prior to the Finals if they want to be the champions. This is because adversity brings the best in you. It makes you realize that you are not there yet and it would keep your head down so that you would try your best every step of the way. Like what Chris Tiu stated in his championship speech in Gesu last year, “Adversity makes champions.” The Lakers are having some. The Cavaliers should also get some. Will this be for the better or for the worse? I do not know but we will see in the following games.
I am just sure of one thing. We are witnesses.
One second remaining. I was sitting in my sofa looking gloomy. I was in such a laid back mood an hour ago because the Cleveland Cavaliers were leading by as much as 23 points. Twenty three. The same number of their MVP – LeBron James. One second remaining. That was how much time Hedo Turkoglu left the Cavs with after he hit his cold-blooded clutch jumper. The Orlando Magic are leading by two and after one second, they could be on their way to a 2-0 lead which would make it highly improbable for Cleveland to climb from as the next games would be held in Florida. One second remaining. I was like the Cleveland fans shown on TV – we looked doomed because we once thought that this could be our season. But no, the Magic have diffused our hopes by wiping out the normal large leads the Cavaliers come up with at the Q where they are 39-2 in the regular season. I was so confident on the Cavs whenever I watch them at TV because they will just blow out their opponents easily. This time, it felt like they were so vulnerable. One second remaining. And like the Cleveland fans, I am on a “here we go again” mode. I never had a team which won the NBA Finals ever since I started watching on summer of 1994. My Utah Jazz fell from Jordan’s Bulls. They were always a contender but they always came up short until Malone and Stockton decided to hang their jerseys. Cleveland never had a dominant team but it had a chance of going deep in the playoffs in the past four years. I can still say the same for Utah. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The closest team I rooted for to win the NBA championship was Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in 2006. Them and Shaq’s Lakers. After one second, it will be another heartbreak.
One second remaining. This had the likes of Game 1. We had a second remaining to come up with a shot and it was after a jump ball. I ended up in frustration then. It was the same storyline in Game 2. We blew a huge lead and the Magic, with all the momentum they got after beating the Celtics, were beating us in clutch. One second remaining. Mo Williams has the ball. He passes it to LeBron. Great! At least we will live or die by our greatest player. Number Twenty Three heaves a rainbow shot from beyond the arc – twenty three feet away from the rim. One second is slipping. 0.3. 0.2. 0.1. The red lights start to show up in the backboard. It seemed like the ball was up in air for ten seconds. I should be tense but Hedo’s previous shot took the life away from me. I was just watching. The arc was quite high and LeBron was well-defended so I am uncertain if it will go in. The ball starts to fall. It reaches the rim and it went through. Swish! KABOOM! I was suddenly jumping and screaming at the top of my lungs. It just took one second and my despair turned into jubilation. Like me, Quicken Loans arena exploded with cheers and the Cleveland Cavaliers were celebrating as if they won a championship. I was going nuts to a point that my mother was telling me to stop celebrating because I should be embarrassed of our neighbors. But I just could not care. This was a huge highlight. Instant classic game.
One second. That is how quick the tides could change in basketball. This is why I believe it is the most exciting sport ever. One second. That is how long it takes for a legend to be born. That time difference is how it takes to turn a depressed crowd into a rejuvenated one. One second. It is all clutch. This is where the great are separated from the good. There are 47 minutes and 59 seconds in the basketball game but people will just be talking of how great that second was.
This is why I love this game. I love close games. No matter how I felt despair prior to that shot, I love tight matches. When your team faces adversity, it will boil to how they perform in the final seconds of the game. These are the times when fans bring out their biggest uproar. These are the moments that people will be talking of for years – possibly to their sons and grandsons. I know that some fans hate close matches. This is because these have the tendency of putting you into a major heart break after the opposing team kills your team with a buzzer beating shot. It hurts but it delivers the most entertainment value. I would rather see my team lose in a closely-fought match than lose in large leads. It is because it shows that they had the heart to fight it to the end. They had their final stand.
Either way, I still love it the most if my team wins in a thriller. Why? Because it reflects composure and focus. It is succeeding over strong adversity. I want to be celebrating. I want to be in the winning end when people are talking of this clutch shot. Ever since I started watching basketball since 1993, I had my fair share of glorious moments and I will be discussing these.
Kenny Redfield hits the game-winning three of the Game 2 of the Purefoods-Alaska PBA Finals 2nd Conference of 1994. I will never forget this because this is the very first-ever basketball game that I have seen live. I was an avid Purefoods fan then and seeing their import, Kenny Redfield, shoot this clutch three in the dying seconds of the game to win the game for my team has got to be one of the special moments of my childhood. I never had the swagger that I have right now when I was watching then. I was just sitting all the time with my father and the only time I stood was in the final minute when everyone was standing. I did not shout or jump for joy then because I was too shy then. I surely rejoiced at home when Purefoods claimed the trophy after four games.
Ryan Buenafe makes a circus of a layup to beat UE in the elimination round of UAAP Season 71. Dude, this is one helluva game. We were about to get our 2nd loss in the eliminations as we were down by 8 points against UE. However, the Blue Eagles were able to pull through and put the game in overtime after triples by Chris Tiu and Ryan Buenafe. Chris, however, had to be sidelined due to cramps. We seemed beaten but Ryan Buenafe, our sterling rookie, came up with one clutch play which had me replaying for several times because I could not figure how he made it against two defenders. All I knew was that I was celebrating after I saw it went in.
Michael Jordan hits the buzzer-beating fadeaway overy Bryon Russel in the Game 1 of the Bulls-Jazz Finals in 1997. Ouch! I had a share of clutch shooting defeats (like Rashard’s last Game 1) but this was one of the most remarkable. His Airness showed how it was done by shooting this tough but perfectly released shot. I could not help but imitate it when I was playing basketball in our compound then.
Alvin Patrimonio hits a Hail Mary shot over Shell defenders in a PBA All-Filipino Cup elimination game. Over all the years, I watched Captain Lionheart score clutch shots to bail Purefoods. I must admit that this molded my growth in loving clutch moments because it shows if you have the heart to shoot when it matters the most. In this game, Shell should have had the upper hand but Jun Marzan choked by missing two free throws. As the seconds dwindle down, Alvin Patrimonio scores on a jumpshot despite of great defense. I clearly remember this one because this is the first time I heard the term ‘Hail Mary shot’. I love that term.
Dwyane Wade sinks clutch free throws to fully resurrect the Miami Heat after being down 0-2 to win the pivotal Game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals. This has got to be one of the best Finals games I have ever watched even if Bill Simmons remarks this one as badly officiated. Dwyane Wade carried his team to beat the Mavs by making a jumper in the dying seconds of regulation and by shooting free throws despite Dallas leading prior to it. Wade was simply legendary in this series.
Chris Tiu hits the game-winning three in the second round of eliminations to sweep the La Salle Green Archers in 2007. There are numerous Chris Tiu game winners that I witnessed that he has become the most clutch UAAP player in memory but this one was extra special because I was watching at the green side of things. I was with my officemates and I had no choice but to keep quiet the rest of the game. When Chris hit the three, I could not help but rejoice while we were in the sea of green spectators. I even gave Rachel a high five then because we were the only Ateneans in the crowd.
LA Tenorio hits a step-back three that completed the comeback from Adamson’s big lead in the first round of UAAP Season 67. I can still remember that it was the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It was the first game after Larry Fonacier was officially out of the season due to his ACL injury. We were down by a large lead in the first half after the Falcons had a good offense. Slowly but surely, the Eagles clawed up in time for Tenorio to hit his patented step-back game-winning three that ended with the Ateneo community celebrating and showing Larry’s mother in tears. If there was a game that could have strengthened the Ateneo fans in our failure years from 2003 to 2007, this would be it. This was the start of the clutch winning moments that we experienced for the next years. This was the compelling moment where we believed that against all odds, win or lose, we are going to cheer for our team. It was a long way to victory but this is the part of the journey that we should cherish because it taught us to rise above adversity.
Game 4 of Chicago versus Boston this year. Their series will go down as the greatest first round series ever. I even stayed up until 3 AM to watch this game because it was so awesome. Game 6 was actually better than this but I was not able to watch it live. Nevertheless, Game 4 was awesome because even if I was not rooting for any team, I could not help but get amazed. No one just wants to get beaten. Just when the Bulls looked defeated, Ben Gordon makes a magnificent three point shot to tie the game. This did not have a buzzer beater moment but it was just awesome to be noted as one of the moments I remember in recent memory.
Larry Fonacier blocks MacMac Cardona in Game 1 of the UAAP Finals in Season 65. Who says offense only gets the glory in clutch moments? This awesome stop still remains as the best clutch UAAP moment for me because it changed the whole direction of the Finals. The 13-1 Archers are down for the first time and the Blue Eagles are suddenly one game away from reaching the goal. The other thing that was cemented in here was MacMac Cardona suddenly found his kryptonite. He was blocked twice and probably was demoralized on it. You know what? MacMac became successful only after Larry was injured.
John Stockton shoots a game-winning three to put the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals for the first time in history. I thought the Jazz are about to lose this game to the team that usually beat them in the 90s – the Houston Rockets. The Jazz were down by ten in the fourth quarter and it seemed like we were heading for a Game 7. But John Stockton – the greatest pure point guard who ever lived – led the Jazz to come back. He finished it by scoring the game-winning rainbow shot that had me double high fiving Dad. Promised Land, here we come!
With a second remaining, Macky Escalona lobs a pass to a wide-open Doug Kramer for a tip-in win in the Game 1 of the UAAP Finals Season 69. It had the similar making of the Cleveland win. The opposing team was heavily celebrating after the clutch shot that left one second in the shot clock. The clutch shooter pretty much annoyed me with his arrogance. But as long as there is still time, miracles can happen. I was jumping up and down in Gen Ad when Doug Kramer made this shot. It was a beautifully set up play drawn by Norman Black. In one second, momentums change.
In one second, things can change. That is the beauty of sports. It makes you reflect and realize how valuable real life lessons are. Never give up as long as there is life. When I was watching Game 2, I seemed devastated after Turkoglu’s shot. I thought we were done for the season. The Magic have crushed whatever the Cavs have built up for their momentum in the first two rounds of the playoffs by decimating whatever large lead Cleveland could come up with. After one second, things changed. I was rejoicing. Yes, we may have barely won that game but it surely swung the momentum bigger than a five-point win because it was a game winner by LeBron James. The Cavs should be more prepared of the issues in the first games by now and more importantly, they could have gained the confidence that they lost. I once stated that Cleveland needs to lose a game or two prior to the Finals if they want to be the champions. This is because adversity brings the best in you. It makes you realize that you are not there yet and it would keep your head down so that you would try your best every step of the way. Like what Chris Tiu stated in his championship speech in Gesu last year, “Adversity makes champions.” The Lakers are having some. The Cavaliers should also get some. Will this be for the better or for the worse? I do not know but we will see in the following games.
I am just sure of one thing. We are witnesses.
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