Missed opportunities are everywhere.
A great deal on something you’ve been wanting to buy that just ended. Just passing the last bailout exit before you hit huge traffic.
In sports handicapping I miss opportunities sometimes as well. A starting pitcher who has gone 110+ pitches in his previous 2 starts. A back-to-back game in the NBA when the whole team was out at the local bar until 2am last night. Some are easier to spot than others.
Ask Courtney Lee and the Orlando Magic about missed opportunities. Was Courtney Lee’s shot the easiest of the night? No. Was it a VERY good look considering time and situation? Yes it was.
Did the ball coming out of the basket end the Magic’s chances at an NBA Title? Probably so.
The difference between being tied 1-1 (thus the lower seed has stolen home court advantage) and being down 0-2 is rather significant.
In NBA history, 94.2% of the time teams winning the first two at home go on to win the series!
Only once has a team down 0-2 won the series when it’s happened in the NBA Finals!
And when the format of 2-3-2 is used (which I don’t particularly like but that’s another rant) only once has the team with 3 in middle won all 3 games. So unless this rarity happens again (and that’s very unlikely in this series) the Lakers will come back to Los Angeles no worse than needing to win 1 home game in 2 tries.
However, I don’t think it’s coming back to LA for anything more than a parade.
Lakers in 5
Magic win Tuesday, Lakers win the next 2 to take the title.
