http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3555996 10 games that shaped the NBA season Story Tools: Print Email Elliott Kalb / Special to FOXSports.com It was a crazy year in the NBA. Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant met in the Western Conference Finals last year. This year, their Timberwolves and Lakers failed to even qualify for the postseason. At the beginning of the season, Mike Fratello and George Karl were television analysts. Now, they're leading their teams into the playoffs. There are over 1,200 games each season, but the following ten were the ones, in my opinion, that were the most compelling, influential, and impactful. 1. Nov. 19 in Detroit: Indiana 97, Detroit 82 Of course, it wasn't the Pacers' blowout victory on the court that made this game so memorable. It was the melee in the stands with 45 seconds remaining that made this the most lasting image of the 2004-2005 season. Indiana's Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson went into the stands to attack Pistons fans who had thrown objects at them. The craziness spilled onto the court, where Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal threw a knockout punch at a fan. Pistons coach Larry Brown said that, "I'm just embarrassed for our league and disappointed being a part of this with young people seeing that." Impact: This equivalent of a two-car accident between the best cars in a race, the "crash" (and suspensions) slowed each of them down and allowed a third (the Miami Heat) to take control of the Eastern Conference. 2. Dec. 25 in Los Angeles: Miami 104, Lakers 102 (overtime) This was Shaquille O'Neal returning to Los Angeles, to play against Kobe Bryant. This was one of the great duos in NBA history, combining for three titles. None of the other great duos in history ever played against each other. The game turned out predictable. Kobe scored the most points (42). Shaq got the most applause. And Dwyane Wade had the biggest impact on the game, leading the Heat to an overtime victory. Impact: The Heat won their 11th straight game, and would finish with 16 more victories than they had a year earlier. The Lakers would drop 22 games from last year, and finish out of the postseason for the first time since 1994. 3. Nov. 24 in Salt Lake City: Chicago 101, Utah 99 These two franchises had met in the NBA Finals less than seven years earlier. That is a lifetime in the NBA. The Bulls hadn't made the playoffs since then, and came into this game 0-9. Rookie Ben Gordon scored 22 points (including some big free throws at the end of the game) and the Bulls avoided starting the season 0-10. Impact: That first victory started a playoff run for the Bulls. Since then, the team is 47-25, and Gordon's contributions in the fourth quarters have been a major reason why. 4. Dec. 9 in Houston: Houston 81, San Antonio 80 I had seen the Rockets play in person twice before this game, and they were a struggling team. They won only 8 of their first 19 games, and new addition Tracy McGrady did not look comfortable in the offense. The Rockets entered the game having dropped their last seven games in San Antonio. After Tim Duncan made a free throw with 62 seconds remaining, the Spurs led 74-64. "We got a miracle," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy would say later. I'll say. Tracy McGrady exploded for 13 points in the final 35 seconds, including a game-winning three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left. Impact: The Rockets still had some fiddling to do with their roster, but the combination of one of the best centers (Yao Ming), one of the best coaches (Van Gundy) and a superstar of the highest order (T-Mac) have led the Rockets to a 42-20 mark since that comeback. 5. Feb. 27 in Phoenix: Boston 120, Phoenix 113 (overtime) The Celtics traded for former Celtic Antoine Walker, as general manager Danny Ainge was forced to admit a mistake. The game in Phoenix (the league's best team) was the second for Walker in his familiar Celtic uniform. Walker scored 33 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and had six assists. Suddenly, Boston was 2-0 with Antoine. . 6. April 11 in Denver: Denver 122, Golden State 106 The Nuggets clinched a playoff spot, and won for the 22nd time in 24 games by defeating the Warriors. Carmelo Anthony had 32 points on just 16 shots, and Andre Miller had 16 assists. Denver had 38 assists on their 46 hoops, and had an NBA season-high 43 fast-break points. Impact: George Karl took over the team on January 28, and it took some time to get his message and style across. How about his team going 24-4 since the All Star game? He took over an 11th place team in the west, and made them a tough out in the upcoming playoffs. 7. April 1 in Philadelphia: Dallas 100, Philadelphia 82 Last year, the Mavericks had Steve Nash, Antawn Jamison, and Antoine Walker on their roster. This year, Nash has led the Suns to the best record in the league. Walker has led the Celtics to a division championship, and Jamison has led the Wizards to their first playoff berth in seven years. And Dallas has improved! How? Defense does Dallas! Don Nelson stepped down on March 19, and Avery Johnson took over and stressed defense. Last year, the Mavs allowed 101 points per game. This year, it's down to under 97; and it's even better than that since Avery took the reigns (they allow less than 94 points per game). This game in Philadelphia marked the first time all year Dallas was at full strength ¡X they got center Erick Dampier back in the lineup after he missed 21 games. Impact: Dallas was always a team that shot free throws well, rarely turned the ball over, and utilized the talents of Dirk Nowitzki. Now, they had a team committed to playing defense, and the results were showing. 8. April 14 in Philadelphia: Philadelphia, 126 Miami 121 (overtime) There are so many games throughout the year that Allan Iverson imposed his will upon. I could have chosen a November 12 game between the Sixers and Pacers. In that game, Iverson his a game-winning field goal as time expired. Stop the presses! That was the first time in A.I.'s nine-year career he won a game at the buzzer. But it wasn't the last. He did the same with an 18-footer to beat Toronto on March 25. On April 15, against Indiana, Iverson scored 16 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter to lead Philly to a must-win. But Iverson's masterpiece was on April 14 against Miami. Despite two bad thumbs, Allen Iverson scored 38 points, dished out 16 assists, made huge steals, and turned the ball over only twice in 53 minutes. The Sixers overcame a 48-point night by Wade. Impact: Iverson carried his team into the NBA Finals in 2001, and is showing signs that he is capable of doing so again. After nine seasons, he is still the quickest player in the league. 9. Nov. 10 in Cleveland: Cleveland 114, Phoenix 109 (overtime) The Suns entered the game in Cleveland having won their first four games of the year, all by at least 10 points. I was at this game, and knew the Suns were for real after watching a 30-11 run give Phoenix a 19 point lead at the end of three quarters. But then I saw Lebron James turn into Michael Jordan. He scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, and had the big assist to Ilgauskus which sent the game into overtime. Impact: James proved that he was everything his marketing people said he was. And the Suns would have been 14-1 in their first 15 games were it not for King James. 10. Dec. 8 in San Antonio: Seattle 102, San Antonio 96 The Sonics entered this game 15-3, which was surprising since they were 37-45 a year ago. The Spurs entered the game 16-3, and riding an eight-game winning streak. Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlisimo told me later that Seattle just smoked the Spurs, ran all over them that night. Seattle jumped out to a 19-point halftime lead at the Spurs' SBC Center. Impact: This game established Seattle as a legit playoff team. If not for injuries at the end of the season, and the parallel rise of the Phoenix Suns, the Sonics would be even more highly regarded entering postseason play. Elliott Kalb is the author of the new book, "Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball?" (Available at Amazon.com or his website www.elliottkalb.com.)
The "McGrady Miracle" was such a great moment that it's tempting to think it turned the season around, especially among people who don't follow the Rockets closely. in reality, the Rockets followed up that game with a 78-point performance and a 24-point loss to Dallas, then lost twice to Charlotte in the next two weeks. If the season had turning points, it was Van Gundy's decision to let the offense run through McGrady and then the trades in late December that brought John Barry and David Wesley. From the start of the season, the Rockets some pieces in place to be a dominant team. They just had to get past the Charlie Ward/Tyronne Lue/Andre Barrett/Rod Strickland stages and put the right players around McGrady, Yao and Sura.
It didn't turn the team around on the court, but I think it was a turning point in the sense that Yao, the team and the coaches got their first real tast of what a monster they had in McGrady. A once-in-a-lifetime player. For the first time in the season, there appeared to be real possibilities for a team that seemed doomed. After all, this wasn't some Mickey Mouse team he beat; this was the Spurs. As long as they could keep things close, the Rockets were always going to have a guy on their team that could perform miracles. They'd be in every game. That can do a lot for your confidence.
IMO, the game (or games) that defined us was the 4-game west coast road sweep.... including the blowout in Phoenix, and gutsy win in Seattle. It showed us what we are capable of.. that is, taking one of the best in their homecourt, and win. From that moment, I believe that few of us had any doubt what this team can do. I believe it's also around that time that the "Fire Fundy" thread vanished.
