Its May 7th 1995. The Knicks and Pacers are playing game 1 of the 2nd round, the Knicks are up by 6 with around 30 seconds left. Reggie Miller is about to make history. He is going to score 8 consecutive points in only 8 seconds, by making back to back 3s, along with some free throws. It set the tone for one of the best 7 game series in NBA history between the two teams, that would end in a Pacers victory. As amazing as this comeback is, it only happened because of multiple Knicks mistakes, notably missed free throws. Theoretically, if they played mistake free basketball, or at least made their free throws, it's not possible that a team could come back from that kind of margin… right? Let alone a single player scoring those points, like Reggie Miller did. Well, it's December 9th 2004. The Rockets are playing the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are leading 76-68 with 35 seconds left in the game. In 2004, the Spurs are the defending world champions, and one of the best teams of the 21st century, lead by coaching mastermind Greg Popovich, and legendary player Tim Duncan, and were 16-5 going into the game. The Rockets were a good team in their own right, expected to be a 50 win team. Despite this, they were on 9-11 on the year, which left many fans concerned for the future of the team. They were led by Tracy Mcgrady and Yao Ming, the 7’6 wonder. Now, Yao Ming is a much more popular player. His influence in China, and his size make him a very popular player. However, if you ask me, more people should know about Tracy Mcgrady. Now, Tracy Mcgrady is a Hall of Famer, and is far from unknown in the realm of basketball. That being said, during his 7 year prime, he was seen by many as an equal to Kobe Bryant, as the two had many great battles, which they fought to prove who the better shooting guard was. Obviously, Kobe is now seen as a top 10 player ever, because he was able to stay healthy, and in his prime for longer then Mcgrady. However, it should be known, that as easily as Kobe was a top 10 player ever, it could have been Mcgrady under the right circumstances. Back to December 9th, the game was relatively uneventful through the first three quarters. The score going into the final quarter was 58-56, which was pretty low. The game was defined more by good defense, than offensive spectacles. Then, the Spurs went on a run, scoring 18 points in 10 mins, to which the Rockets only scored 8. The rockets brought the score back to 74-68 with 35 seconds left in the game. Fans were getting a head start on traffic, and very few people were in the building. However, Tracy Mcgrady decided to step up for his team and have the performance of a lifetime. He started by sprinting up the court and pulling up at the three point line. Its a high difficulty shot, but not anything too hard for Mcgrady, and he sinks it, 76-71. The Rockets immediately intentionally foul, putting the Spurs on the free throw line. Unlike the Knicks, the Spurs make their free throws. The Rockets have the ball, and they give it to McGrady again. They set him a pick, putting him on Tim Duncan. He fakes the shot, gets Duncan in the air to draw contact. He heaves the ball towards the rim in a desperate attempt. Nothing but net. Mcgrady hits the free throw, and he completes the 4 point play. According to Tracy, this is the point where he felt unstoppable, that anything he shot would go in. After a Spurs timeout, the score was 78-75 and the Rockets intentionally foul again, putting Tim Duncan at the line. Again, he makes his free throws, as the Spurs continue to play mistake free basketball, as Popovich furiously tries to stop Mcgrady with a score of 80-75. The Rockets have the ball again, giving the ball straight to Mcgrady to take down the court. He gets to the three point line and pulls up, the ball goes in for three again, making the game 80-78. The Spurs now have the ball and are trying to hold on to the lead for the last 11 seconds of the game. However, Devin Brown, the Spurs point guard, has the ball stolen by Mcgrady with 8 seconds left after being trapped in the corner. Down by 2 and with enough time to take whatever shot he wants, and playing the best basketball of his life, he goes for the win. He gets to the three point line for the final heavily contested pull up three pointer, and lets it go. Its money. The Rockets win 81-80. The Spurs never made any major errors, and perfect aside from getting trapped in the corner. However, Tracy Mcgrady was on a level that has been seldom seen in basketball history. That was his career defining moment, and it happened on a random game, in the middle of the season. Sadly, it only went down from there. The Rockets got 50 wins, but were eliminated in round 1 by the Mavericks. The Spurs would go on to be back to back champions, further cementing the legacy of Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan.
Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady would take very different career trajectories from this time. Kobe kept his pace, and continued to win and dominate until he retired at 40, one of the 10 best basketball players ever. Tracy Mcgrady wasn't able to win as easily as Kobe, playing only 50 career playoff games and never making it past the 1st round. He never had a Shaq or a Pau Gasol, except for those few short years in with Yao Ming in Houston. Much like Yao, injuries kept limiting Mcgradys court time, and after a poor season in Houston cut short by injury, Mcgrady was traded to the Knicks, and finished his career as a journeyman, spending the last 3 years on 4 different teams. Tracy Mcgrady would then retire at only 32, a promising career derailed by a few injuries. Tracy Mcgrady plays at a position which is filled with some of the most dominant scorers ever, like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and now James Harden. He was often overshadowed by Kobe throughout most of his career, since he played under the bright lights of LA, while McGrady often went from team to team, none of which having the talent necessary to win. Kobe would later come out with a list of the most difficult players he had ever defended in his 20 year career. Even though he went up against guys like Kevin Durant and Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady was number 1. Kobe knew first hand how great McGrady was supposed to be, and for one night in December, even if for just 33 seconds, the Spurs found out too.
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