In honor of the Orlando Magic making their second-ever NBA Finals appearance, here's the best of the worst from their championship series debut.

The Worst of Game 1:

The Orlando Magic: Playing in their first NBA Finals at home in front of a wildly out-of-control sellout crowd, the Magicians started the game like a stomach full of cheesy double beef burritos covered in fire sauce. As a result, Orlando led by as many as 20 points in the second quarter. But Houston cut the lead to 11 at the half and then outscored the Magic 37-19 in the third quarter to lead 87-80 going into the fourth. The Enchanters would eventually succumb in overtime, 120-118. And here are the reasons why:

Shaq: The Diesel went 10-for-16 from the field and nearly recorded a triple-double (26 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists). Unfortunately, the Big Butterfingers couldn't hang on to the ball (finishing with a game-worst 7 turnovers) or contain Hakeem Olajuwon (who had a game-high 31 points). But his biggest blunder came in the final seconds, when he went for the block on Clyde Drexler instead of sticking to Olajuwon...who tipped in the game-winner with three-tenths of a tick left on the clock.


Orlando's perimeter defense: As if it wasn't bad enough that Shaq couldn't control the paint, the Magic couldn't stop Houston's air attack either. Mario Elie went 7-for-11 from the field and Kenny Smith drained 7 three-pointers...which set an NBA Finals record. (Smith notched another Finals record by knocking down 5 of those threes in the third quarter.) The Rockets finished 14-for-32 from downtown (setting a new team record), compared to 9-for-30 for Orlando. Apparently "magic" is no substitute for a good oldfangled "hand in the face."

Nick Anderson: Poor Nick. He scored 22 points (9-for-18), hit nearly half of his team's threes, grabbed 11 boards, and dished out 5 assists while also contributing a team-high 3 steals. He even blocked a shot! But he will only -- and, like, forever -- be remembered for, well, go to the 4:45 mark in this video:


That's right: He bricked two freebies with 10.5 seconds left, actually managed to come away with the offensive board (forcing Houston to foul him again), and then gonged TWO MORE free throws. Oh the fail on that sequence is off the charts. For more on this tragedy, let's consult Nick's Wikipedia page:

Game One of the NBA Finals against the defending champion Houston Rockets, at the Orlando Arena. With the Magic up by three points late in the game, Anderson, typically a 70% free throw shooter, missed four consecutive free throws that could have sealed the victory for Orlando. Kenny Smith hit a three-pointer for Houston shortly thereafter, tying the game and sending it to overtime. The Rockets went on to win the game in overtime and eventually swept the Magic, winning their second consecutive NBA Championship. As a result of this incident, some Orlando fans began to label Anderson with the derogatory nicknames of "Nick the Brick" and "Brick Anderson."

Two seasons after the 1995 finals, Anderson's career took an abrupt downward spiral, largely due to a sudden inability to shoot free throws, and he even suffered an injury in Game 3 of the conference finals in a rematch against the Bulls and was out for the season. During the 1996-97 season, Anderson free throw shooting percentage tumbled to a career-low 40.4% and his scoring average to 12.0 points per game. Anderson had to be removed from the closing minutes of several close games due to his undependability at the charity stripe.

His struggles worsened through the first half of the 1997-98 season. Through January 27 of that season, Anderson was averaging only 6.5 points per game, and shooting a paltry 36.3% from the free throw line...

You get the picture. It was bad. Basically, those four missed free throws destroyed Brick's, er, Nick's career. According to a Sports Illustrated article, "[Anderson] was so hesitant about going to the line that he stopped driving to the basket, afraid of getting fouled. His timidity reached the point where the Magic had to include an incentive in his contract -- based on how many free throws he shot -- to keep him from hiding on the perimeter." Eventually, Nick consulted a sports psychologist, who helped him bump his free throw percentage back into the 60s, but the damage was done.

Update! Basketbawful reader Jwoey commented: "Don't forget the other thing Nick Anderson will never be remembered for because of Game 1. He's the only player in NBA history to score 50 points in a game off the bench." Indeed. It happened on April 23, 1993. On a night in which Shaq busted his second backboard of the season, Nick exploded out of his warmups to shoot 17-for-25 from the field, 4-for-7 from distance and a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. Mind you, he scored that 50 points in only 33 minutes. That's one freaky efficient performance. And the Magic won 119-116. Shaq had only 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting and nearly fouled out. Orlando's second-best player that night was Scott Skiles (19 points, 9 assists and only one fewer rebound than Shaq). Bernard King had his best game of the season for the Nets (24 points, 10-for-16) and would play only four more games before retiring.

Donald Royal (Magic) and Pete Chilcutt (Rockets): Each man recorded a one trillion in Game 1.

The Worst of Game 2:

The Orlando Magic: After the heartbreaking way they lost Game 1, you'd assume that the Magic would absolutely KILL THEMSELVES to win Game 2...right? Well, if you thought that, you're probably the kind of person who believes all those Chuck Norris facts. (And if you believe those facts, I know a rich man in Nigeria who's dying and wants to give you all his money. All I need is your bank account number...) This game proved that you can never overestimate the heart of a non-champion. The Magic came out with the kind of energy you'd expect in Game 2 of the preseason. They were down 22 at the half and never really challenged again as the Rockets coasted in for a 117-106 victory. It was the Rockets' seventh straight road win, breaking the record of six in one NBA playoff series set by Chicago in 1991, and Houston's ninth playoff road win overall, breaking the record of eight set by the 1981 Rockets. This also marked only the second time in Finals history where the winning team won Games 1 and 2 on the road. (As many of you pointed out, the 1993 Bulls-Suns Finals was the first time.) I guess what I'm trying to say is: Historic fail.

Nick Anderson, quote machine: Said the Brick: "Our backs are already against the wall. If we lose Game 3, we're shoved into the closet. You could say we're desperate. We lose Game 3, then, basically, we're barely peeping out of a hole."

Tree Rollins, quote machine: Despite going down 2-0, Shaq's seldom-used backup was in high spirts after the game: "We got 'em right where we want 'em. We're loose. We've got nothing to lose." It would turn out, however, that they had plenty to lose.

Pete Chilcutt: He recorded his second consecutive one trillion of the Finals.

The Worst of Game 3:

Shaq: The Big Fella once again had a big-time game: 28 points (11-for-17), 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks. However, he missed almost half his freebies (6-for-11), committed a game-high 4 turnovers and got destroyed on the defensive end by Hakeem, who had game-highs in points (31) and rebounds (14). (Olajuwon also had a team-high 7 assists.) Poor Shaq. The 1995 Finals must have been like being covered in flesh-eating bacteria. Amusingly enough, Shaq remained confident his team could come back and win the series: "We've gone down to the wire in all the games. We just got to get that first win and go from there."

Nick Anderson: Remember that Sports Illustrated article I referenced above that said "[Anderson] was so hesitant about going to the line that he stopped driving to the basket, afraid of getting fouled"? Well, check out these numbers: Anderson attempted 14 shots, 12 of which were from beyond the arc. All four of his made field goals were threes. He had zero free throw attempts. Basically, Nick would have been taking his shots from out of bounds if they refs would have let him.

Dennis Scott: I'm not going to mince words here: Dennis Scott sucked in the 1995 NBA Finals. He went 3-for-10 in Game 1 and then again in Game 3. Amazingly, he was even worse in Game 3, going 2-for-11...which included a dreadful 1-for-9 three-point shooting performance. It was like Scott was receiving electric shocks to his genitals every time he attempted a shot. And in retrospect, I really hope that was the case.

Orlando's perimeter defense: Kenny Smith was 1-for-7 and missed all four of his three-point attempts and Houston went only 7-for-19 as a team. But Robert Horry began his transformation into "Big Shot Rob" by drilling a three-bomb with 14 seconds left to help the Rockets eke out a 106-103 victory and a 3-0 series lead. Go to the 4:05 mark:


Horace Grant: In case you didn't watch that video, it was Ho Grant that got dotted by Horry's three.

Charles Jones: Talk about your useless stints. Jones logged 12 minutes of PT and finished with 4 fouls and a turnover. He didn't even attempt a shot.

Pete Chilcutt: That's right...a third straight one trillion!!

The Worst of Game 4:

The Orlando Magic: Swept. All in all, a pretty embarrassing way to finish the season, especially considering they were heavy favorites heading into the Finals. It became only the sixth time in league history that a team lost 4-0 in the championship series. Again: Historic fail.

Shaq: The trend of this series continued in Game 4, as Shaq padded his stats (25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) but set a game-high in turnovers (6) while getting used like an old-school Atari joystick by Hakeem (35 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals). The Dream even knocked down a three-pointer! It's not surprise that Olajuwon was a unanimous choice for Finals MVP. Looking back, it's mildly surprising Shaq didn't become The Big Relocated Witness after this series.

Orlando's perimeter defense: Again with the trends! Robert Horry (21 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists) kicked in four triples and Mario Ellie (22 points, 4 steals) went 4-for-6 from downtown and 9-for-11 overall. Basically, the Magic couldn't stop Hakeem in single coverage and they paid dearly if they tried to double-team him. Not surprisingly, that lose-lose situation led to, well, a big loss.

Nick Anderson: His unraveling became complete in this game, as he played only 31 minutes, shot 1-for-5 and finished with as many points as fouls (4).

Penny Hardaway, quote machine: "I feel like we let the entire Eastern Conference down and let ourselves down by not winning a game. If we had to play the series over again, I don't think they'd be four games better than us. But they were in this series." It's a real shame that David Stern didn't let them play this series over again. It would have been a real joy to hear what Penny had to say after watching his team get swept twice.

Pete Chilcutt: He never got into the game, which means that he AVERAGED a one trillion in his first and only NBA Finals appearance...despite appearing in three out of four games. That should earn him a bronze statue in Basketbawful's All-Lacktion Hall of Shame.

Rudy T, quote machine: And here's the classic speech: "Never underestimate the heart of a champion. I don't have a vocabulary to describe how I feel about this team, about their character, about their guts. No one in the history of the league has done what this team has done. We won more road games than anybody. I don't know if a player has ever played as great as Hakeem Olajuwon did all through this playoff series. I don't know if a team has made a major trade during the course of a year and kept their chemistry together. This is a special team. Everybody we beat during the playoffs could have been a championship team. The lack of respect for this team has to stop. I'm the proudest guy in the world."

Labels: 1995 NBA Finals, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Worst of

An artist's interpretation of our interview with Henry.
ESPN's TrueHoop is as routinely awesome as a Tim Duncan bankshot or a Phoenix Suns fast break. TrueHoop's founder and man of fortune is Henry Abbott. Fair-minded and well-spoken, Henry provides a continuing commentary not about the game of basketball, but about the essence of basketball: Its players, events, and culture. Yesterday, he was kind enough to answer a series of questions that were designed to delve into his heretofore untapped dark side. Unfortunately, the interview didn't lead to Henry choking people with his mind or executing order 66. But we did learn -- among other things -- that he loves t-shirt cannons, watches HBO serial dramas, knows what solipsism means and can use it in a sentence, and thinks that Larry Bird is...not pretty. Read on to find out more about the things Henry doesn't like about basketball, and a few things he does.

Basketbawful: You love hoops. That much is obvious. But there must be something you hate about basketball. A pet peeve. An annoyance. A perturbation, if you will. What is it?

Henry Abbott: Oh, I sound like an old man with this I'm sure, but I get so tired of going to an NBA game, and being directed by the Game-Ops people to be UP AND INTO IT at every stupid moment there's a dead ball. I think events need to have a certain pace -- exciting times, and more restful times. Times you stand up, and times you sit down. Times you talk to your friend, and times you scream your guts out. I'd rather have the wild and exciting parts coincide with the most exciting parts of the basketball game -- not the timeouts.

Basketbawful: Red Auerbach is resting peacefully in his grave now that you've said that. I hate the manufactured excitement, too. Do you participate or tune out?

Henry Abbott: Usually I'm in the media section, where you pretty much are required to look glum. It's the code. If I'm with friends, though, I'll try to make the best of it.

I should make a side note: I love the t-shirt cannon. Don't want the t-shirt. Don't care about the hoopla. I just think the t-shirt, tumbling high as hell through the air, is beautiful, in the sense that that kid in American Beauty loved his video of a plastic shopping bag swirling around in the wind. Somebody needs to make a scene in a movie where time stops as we watch that little bundle of t-shirt make its way through stadium space. It's amazing, somehow.

I'm also kind of partial to the parachute drop.

But I will not abide people telling me to stand up during the timeout, when we were all seated during the game. If the game requires it, I'm up.

Basketbawful: What annoys you most about basketball players? This can be a generalization, or something specific regarding a particular player or group of players.

Henry Abbott: A fair percentage of all celebrities are so self-centered it hurts. Many are not, but some are. I learned the fantastic word "solipsism" in a Korean Civilization class in college, it was describing the former Korean dictator Kim Il Sung, but you could also use it on some NBA superstars.

Word-tastic Trivia: Solipsism is the theory that the self can be aware of nothing but its own experiences and states. It's the educated man's way to say that people are, by nature, selfish bastards.

Basketbawful: Same question, but replace "players" with "coaches."

Henry Abbott: Some coaches feel emboldened to scream at people and demean them. I accept that happens sometimes, but I think it's good if we agree that is not the best part of sports, and is worth avoiding.

Basketbawful: On the flipside, how can certain coaches deal with players who won't listen? Particularly players who you know are going to play? (Like when Chris Ford tried to put the clamps on Allen Iverson.)

Henry Abbott: That's the deal, right? They won't listen. I'll tell you that right now, before you take your coaching job. None of them will, unless you have something special to tell them. They don't have to. You make x and have a non-guaranteed contract. They make 10x and have guaranteed contracts. Ergo, you can lead them only as far as you can entice them. They are mice. Your coaching plans better smell like cheese.

Honestly, though, I was thinking more of, say, Gregg Popovich ripping some foreign reporter a new one.

Basketbawful: Random question: Favorite superhero?

Henry Abbott: Terry Porter. Don't even tell me he's not a superhero.

Basketbawful: I wouldn't dream of it. I loved Terry on those late 80s / early 90s Blazers teams. But what was up with that scar on his arm?

Henry Abbott: I asked him about that! I always assumed he was in some fearsome Wisconsin street gang. (That was always faulty logic.) The truth, he says, is that he was "a Curious George" one time when his mother was cooking, and a huge pot of boiling water dumped on his arm. Terrifying moment of his life -- and he says he's still a little wary approaching hot things on stoves.

Basketbawful: Okay, what annoys you about team owners / general managers / etc.

Henry Abbott: Owners are typically billionaires living out their dreams. Many are great, obviously. But that unrestrained, bigger than life feeling can lead to the same kinds of harassment, DUI, and sexual weirdness stories that dog superstar athletes. Thrown in some obscure transactions starring taxpayer dollars, and I'm sure there's plenty of reason for concern.
Basketbawful: What kinds of things do basketball fans do or say that gets you riled up?

Henry Abbott: Drunk idiots yelling, in any environment, can be annoying. It doesn't bother me much, but I imagine it will start to as my kids get older and I start taking them to games.

Basketbawful: What about fans in non-game situations? Particularly the increasing scads of bloggers and commenters. They / we can be pretty reactionary at times.

Henry Abbott: Oh, yeah, but what did you expect? I have low expectations for the level of discourse, and have pleasant surprises day in and day out.

Basketbawful: I know you're a Portland Trailblazers fan. What's been your worst, or most painful moment (or moments) following the Blazers?

Henry Abbott: Probably that moment when Shaquille O'Neal threw down that monster alley-oop, all but assuring Portland would not make the 2000 Finals. That collapse was dreadful to watch. That team didn't deserve it, but I had defended Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire and the like in stupid sports discussions for years. Then they just lost their minds. And if they had held on to their massive fourth-quarter lead, they would have won a title. A title!

Basketbawful: Hey now, hey now! Don't go disrespecting my Pacers. They may have lost to L.A. in the Finals that year, but they matched up better against the Blazers (if only because Rik Smits' corpse was trying, and failing, to defend Shaq) and in fact swept the season series against them. I don't think the Blazers winning the title was a foregone conclusion.

Henry Abbott: Must you take that from me, too?

Basketbawful: Right. Sorry. Uh, moving on then...what has been your overall worst moment as a basketball aficionado, period?

Henry Abbott: Times 1-100 that I have been stood up by some big shot who promised to meet or call at a certain time. A lot of people in the NBA work on their own schedule, and if they're famous, that's something you just have to kind of roll with.

Basketbawful: Random question: Favorite movie?

Henry Abbott: Does The Wire count as a movie? I was raised on stuff like The Life of Brian, Apocalypse Now, The Fugitive, and The Empire Strike Back. I have seen a million better movies since those days, but nothing has nestled so deeply in my soul.

Basketbawful: No, The Wire doesn't count. It's great drama, though. Speaking of drama, have you ever felt the glorious power of hatred toward a particular player or team? Even if that hatred didn't last. Like maybe an old Trailblazer rival?

Henry Abbott: No, honestly, the Blazers are the best entertainment I know of, but they're still only entertainment. In a world with wars and shootings, I can't bother to hate someone for how they play basketball.

Basketbawful: Okay, okay. Maybe you've never hated anybody. But has there ever been a team or player that just got under your skin, and that, on some level, you enjoyed seeing them be defeated (fairly, in a good game)?

Henry Abbott: I grew up in Portland! So the only real answer is the Lakers. But I don't really dislike any of the Laker players, and at this point they're not so terrible to me.

Basketbawful: That was a beautiful answer. Down with the Lakers! Uh, anyway. On the subject of Trailblazer rivals...everybody knows how Michael Jordan tormented Portland in the '92 Finals. But Larry Bird tormented Portland throughout his entire career. He averaged over 30 PPG a game against them. There was one four-year stretch (1984 through 1988) that he averaged over 40 PPG against them. He had two games against them in which he had over 40 points and a triple double (47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists on February 14, 1986; and 49 points -- the record for most points scored while recording a triple double -- 14 rebounds, and 12 assists on March 15, 1992). He beat the Blazers with buzzer beaters in '85 and '86 (in the '86 game, he hit buzzer-beaters in both regulation to tie it and overtime to win it). He also had the famous buzzer-beater in '92 that you see in almost every Bird highlight reel. Were you aware of this? Do you have any idea why Bird hated the Blazers so much? Did rampaging Trailblazers attack his hometown when he was growing up or something?

Henry Abbott: In basketball terms, consistently playing your best against a certain opponent is not hatred. That's respect. That means he circled those games on his calendar.

Basketbawful: Back in middle school, I could not beat the first Mega Man game on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. I got so mad that I put the game away and swore I'd never play it again. Of course, I played it again later that same day. Have you ever felt that way about basketball? Like you didn't want to watch it anymore? Or maybe you didn't want to watch a particular team or player anymore?

Henry Abbott: Honestly, no. There are moments I'm dissatisfied with this or that thing about basketball. But I know not how to quit it. Never occurred to me.

Basketbawful: Who, in your opinion, is the worst player in the NBA today? In your lifetime? In NBA history?

Henry Abbott: Honestly, I don't even know how you judge that. Presumably it's some lumbering center -- seven-footers have the fast-track to NBA contracts -- who almost never saw the court.

Basketbawful: I'll translate that answer to "Greg Ostertag," then. How about this. Who was the worst player you remember for a team you actively rooted for? Somebody you prayed wouldn't get any PT, and who made you cringe any time he touched the ball.

Henry Abbott: It made me cringe to watch Patrick Ewing shooting all those jumpers against smaller defenders. But he's not close, obviously, to terrible. If I had a functioning memory I could probably give you a better answer.

Basketbawful: Name the top five ugliest basketball players you've ever seen.

Henry Abbott: Larry Bird. Larry Bird. Larry Bird. Larry Bird. And Larry Bird.

Basketbawful: Ouch. Was that really necessary? Okay, look, I'll admit that Larry was not an attractive man. Yes, his face would melt cheese. But is he really uglier than Gheorghe Muresan? Or Popeye Jones? Jake Tsakalidis? Mengke Bateer? Chris Kaman? Admit it. You're still bitter about how Bird used to scorch the Blazers.

Henry Abbott: I'm not trying to be mean. In fact, I feel bad. Bird never did anything to me. An Eastern team you see twice a year, max, on TV? They barely even touch your season record. If you're a kid who loves the Blazers and the NBA, you hope to see a big show from the Birds of the world. It's not like we saw him in the playoffs. That's when enemies are made. So, to clarify, he really is that ugly. I hate to say it, but that is my belief.

Basketbawful: You know we all love you, Henry. But occasionally someone disagrees with you. Sometimes strongly. What's the worst e-mail / comment / response from a fan you've ever received?

Henry Abbott: Oh, just about every day I get something from some nut job teenager calling me the worst names said teenager can possibly imagine. Teenagers are pretty imaginative these days!

Labels: Henry Abbott, Larry Bird, Portland Trailblazers, Terry Porter, TrueHoop, Worst of