Van Gundy Blames Himself For Magic Loss

[duncan228]

Van Gundy blames himself for Magic loss (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txmagicvangundy&prov=st&type=lgns)

Stan Van Gundy and the Orlando Magic have already come back from crushing defeats this postseason. They will have to do it one more time.

Orlando was one second away from taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James turned that one second into one of the toughest losses in Orlando history. He hit a straightaway 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 96-95 victory Friday night.

Van Gundy blamed himself for allowing James to get off the shot that set off a wild celebration in Quicken Loans Arena.

“I’d like to have that last one back from a coaching standpoint,” Van Gundy said. “I should have defended it differently. It’s crushing enough to lose as a coach, but when you feel like you’re the guy who could’ve made the difference, it hurts a lot more.”

Van Gundy wouldn’t divulge what he would do differently, for fear the same situation might arise later in the series. But he described in great detail how the Cavs were trying to set up James for a lob at the basket that could have sent the game into overtime. When Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu took that away before the inbounds pass, James bounced out to the top of the 3-point arc and hit the game-winner.

“Stan was in our huddle,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “That’s exactly right. We were going for the lob, Hedo took it away, so LeBron said, ‘I’m going to win it.”’

Turkoglu went from being a hero - his 12-footer in the lane with one second left gave the Magic a 95-93 lead - to watching James’ shot float well over his head.

“It’s tough. Now you’ve got to go home and watch it on TV over and over again,” said Orlando’s Dwight Howard, who had 10 points and 18 rebounds. “I know I won’t be able to sleep and the rest of my teammates won’t be able to sleep. But we’ve got to get over it. The series is tied 1-1 and we know what to do to beat this team.”

Orlando has been in this position plenty of times. Of the six games it has lost during these playoffs, four have been in the final seconds.

“It’s been a pretty resilient team all year, from tough losses and times where we’ve gotten blown out,” Van Gundy said. “The bottom line is I didn’t get it done. I know … what I could have done on that play tonight. It’s hard to take that responsibility and sit up here. That’s a tough one.

“We had a great opportunity tonight. I didn’t get it done, and now we have to go home and try to take care of business.”

[Jacko]

Magic better be steaming after that loss. Come out and kick ass in Game 3!

[NewJerSpur]

I try to abstain from cussing online (do it way too much in person), but: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.......ck.

[NewJerSpur]

Magic better be steaming after that loss. Come out and kick ass in Game 3!

:tu Absolutely FURIOUS.

[iggypop123]

i think howard needs to eat some more mcdonalds, or better yet some in and out. why not the 100x100?
http://ebestagent.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/135153272_cbaca52f11_o.jpg

[sa_kid20]

I guess he could have put more pressure on the in-bound pass but if LeBron is gonna make that shot so be it. They still stole the HCA and are in control of this series IMO.

[RsxPiimp]

stupid defensive scheme. he should;ve put a 7 footer to block the inbound passers view. similar to what phil jackson did on game 1 against nuggets.

[BandWagon Cavs Fan]

http://i43.tinypic.com/20koqs7.jpg

[NewJerSpur]

You owned up Van Gundy, now it's time to regroup and go to work.

[024]

i don't think van gundy could have called a better defensive play. they denied james the lob and hedo stuck to james pretty closely even after lebron gave him a small push. james just made a contested 3 pointer.

[NewJerSpur]

Guard the line....tie game doesn't beat you. At least Stan is in Mike's head and knows what he's throwing out there.

[ducks]

i don't think van gundy could have called a better defensive play. they denied james the lob and hedo stuck to james pretty closely even after lebron gave him a small push. james just made a contested 3 pointer.

why let them shoot the three a 2 they tie
3 they win:bang

[angel_luv]

Great shots happen.

Cleavland is lucky they won that game. They completely let the Magic back in it, on their home court and already down a game.

The Magic is going to win this series.

[DrHouse]

All Game 2 showed us was how completely overrated CLE is when going up against elite teams. Their record is deplorable against quality competitin for a supposed championship contender. They were lucky to squeeze that game out and everyone knows it.

Expect the Magic to come out very strong in Game 3 and not dig themselves into a deep hole. The Cavs are a one man show when push comes to shove.

[Flux451]

I would have made someone else shoot it. Double Lebron. Leave the passer alone.

[JoeTait75]

All Game 2 showed us was how completely overrated CLE is when going up against elite teams. Their record is deplorable against quality competitin for a supposed championship contender. They were lucky to squeeze that game out and everyone knows it.

Orlando would take LA's lunch money, Gregory- and everyone knows it.

[Findog]

I guess he could have put more pressure on the in-bound pass but if LeBron is gonna make that shot so be it. They still stole the HCA and are in control of this series IMO.

Yeah, if it hadn't been on a buzzer beater, they would be thinking about how they captured HCA, played the Cavs tough and are in control.

They were a centimeter from taking a 2-0 lead while coming home. The Cavs would've been hard-pressed to come back from that. But the Magic have shown plenty of resiliency in overcoming Big Baby's dagger, the blown lead in G5 against the Celtics and in overcoming huge deficits in the first two games in Cleveland. This is not a team that curls up in the fetal position and feels sorry for itself; they shrug it off, dust themselves off and get back up. It will be interesting to see how they respond.

[BlackBellamy]

Van Gundy Blames Himself For Magic Loss of Team's Snacks.

[DrHouse]

Orlando would take LA's lunch money, Gregory- and everyone knows it.

:lmao that's why they are a whopping 0-2 against the Lakeshow this year with two double digit losses.

The Lakers can D up the Cavs the same way the Magic can and expose LBJ's role players for what the really are.

The sad thing is the Cavs are getting every call imaginable and they still have trouble winning games. It's going to be a rude awakening in ORL.

[Ghazi]

:lmao that's why they are a whopping 0-2 against the Lakeshow this year with two double digit losses.

The Lakers can D up the Cavs the same way the Magic can and expose LBJ's role players for what the really are.

The sad thing is the Cavs are getting every call imaginable and they still have trouble winning games. It's going to be a rude awakening in ORL.

ORL is 2-0 v LA fwiw.

[Ghazi]

Anywho, I expected Magic to make ECF but they've impressed me a GREAT deal! They actually look like the better team against Cleveland, didn't think that would be the case. Although perceptions change rather quickly.

All of this without Jameer Nelson. I don't think people realize how big of a gap there is between Nelson and Rafer fucking Alston. That's a HUGE loss of productivity and yet they may still win it all this year.

[jmanu20]

ORL is 2-0 v LA fwiw.

I assume that's what House meant considering I have seen posts from both him and other Laker fans about how "scared" they are of Orlando.

Let's not jump the gun kids, lol. You should first focus on the likely beatdown LA is going to receive tonight in Denver.

[JoeTait75]

:lmao that's why they are a whopping 0-2 against the Lakeshow this year with two double digit losses.

The Lakers can D up the Cavs the same way the Magic can and expose LBJ's role players for what the really are.

The sad thing is the Cavs are getting every call imaginable and they still have trouble winning games. It's going to be a rude awakening in ORL.

This is about how Orlando would own the Lake Show in a series, Gregory. If you want to talk about the problems the Cavaliers have against L.A. start a thread about it.

I would obviously love for the Cavaliers to win this series... but watching Vujabitch and Walton try and check Turk and Pietrus would be a nice consolation prize as far as pure comedy is concerned. Not to mention watching Pao and Bynum try and check Dewey Howard. :lol

[DrHouse]

No this thread is titled "Van Gundy Blames Himself For Magic Loss" you stupid fuck.

And at least the Lakers don't have the audacity to say shit like "I don't see this team beating us 4 times". Arrogance is why the Cavs will lose. They didn't respect the Magic, bought into all the media hype about their team, and got bitch slapped both games.

[NewJerSpur]

Yeah, if it hadn't been on a buzzer beater, they would be thinking about how they captured HCA, played the Cavs tough and are in control.

They were a centimeter from taking a 2-0 lead while coming home. The Cavs would've been hard-pressed to come back from that. But the Magic have shown plenty of resiliency in overcoming Big Baby's dagger, the blown lead in G5 against the Celtics and in overcoming huge deficits in the first two games in Cleveland. This is not a team that curls up in the fetal position and feels sorry for itself; they shrug it off, dust themselves off and get back up. It will be interesting to see how they respond.

Well said. :tu