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When Lee Missed, Magic Lost Series

Jun 8, 2009 – 2:00 AM
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Jay Mariotti

Jay Mariotti %BloggerTitle%

Courtney LeeLOS ANGELES -- It was an exquisite lob, I'll admit, the start of what could have been the most glorious moment in the long, quirky, one part Disney World/one part Mickey Mouse history of the Orlando Magic. The so-called "Turkish Michael Jordan," Hedo Turkoglu, briefly lived up to the nickname by hurling a fabulous inbound pass from the sideline to the basket, where Courtney Lee had beaten Kobe Bryant with a half-second left in regulation. All he had to do was catch the ball and make a tough layup for one of the most classic finishes ever in the NBA Finals.

Lee caught the ball by the basket. Asked what he thought to himself at the time, Bryant replied, "[Bleep]." But the rookie missed the layup, banging it off the rim as all of L.A. exhaled and Stan Van Gundy's entire body wiggled in agony.
Filed under: NBA, Sports

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