The away game with Portland Trail Blazers was one that any Hollywood movies would have been made of. Action, excitement and to top it all, a nerve-wracking finish! If a game is decided in the last minute or rather the last few seconds, you have all rights to call it a thriller! Thriller it was and before we could go overdose with the adjectives, let us get down to the facts of the game. Bottom-line, Orlando Magic beat Trail Blazers 109-108.



Surely, coach Stan van Gundy came to the game after saying his prayers. The winning seal coming off a 25 foot effort from Hedo Turkoglu just 0.3 seconds before the finish, allowed Orlando Magic to nudge ahead of the Trail Blazers. When Hedo scored, the score line was reading 106-108 against the Orlando Magic. What really was needed from Turkoglu when he had the ball in his hand was to shoot and shoot did he!

As Hedo moved up the mid line to launch an attack, no one knew if he would go for a 25 foot effort. Most people including the Trail Blazers thought that an assist was on the way. The circumstances that really preceded the effort of Hedo had a story to tell in themselves. But yes, the fact is that Hedo had the ball in his hand, and all the Trail Blazers had to do was to guard their citadel with what they had got. Suddenly, all that transpired in the preceding three and something quarters went into oblivion. As of now, all eyes were really focused on Hedo.

As Hedo moved up the ranks, coach Stan prayed he shoots. He knew there would no way Hedo or any other player could score if they tried to move up and dribble around. The only way to score here was a 3-pointer and that could have been done by a tip-in. Then came a cry from the sidelines, "See the glass. Go for it." This really summed up what Stan was thinking and praying all this while.

Almost as a show of solidarity to his coach's words, Hedo threw from 25-foot. The whole stadium stood up from their seats. In a matter of few seconds, the joy amongst the home crowd turned to disbelief and utter horror as the ball crashed and went in the net. The Trail Blazers had lost a home game from a position where they just could not lose. Orlando Magic players including Stan ran on to the court to club Hedo. Indeed he was the Hero!

Someone's joy is someone's despair. Some Trail Blazers were seen cursing themselves after they allowed Hedo to take an impossible shot. He did and the rest, as they say is history.