it's tough to lose

Of course it hurts to lose an NBA Finals game that you should have won. But what I mean is that to lose a game like this is really hard. It takes a focused effort from multiple players to blow a game like this.

With 1 minute to go, the Magic have the ball, up 5, at home. You do not lose that game. Here's who blew it:

With 50 seconds left and no one knowing what to do, the Magic could have called one of their 3 timeouts. They didn't call a timeout or a play and ended up with a missed field goal from Rashard Lewis. (Blame: Coach, Lewis)

After Kobe sets up Gasol for a dunk, the Magic are up 3 with 31 seconds left. 7-second differential between the shot and game clock. Again, no timeout, but they do get it to Howard under the rim who is locked up by Kobe. Up 3 with 11 seconds left, and Howard misses both free throws. All he needed was one. (Blame: Howard. I know he's a big guy but you have to make 1 in that situation if you want to be a great player.)

10 seconds left, Lakers down 3. Their lineup: Kobe, Fisher, Ariza, Odom, Gasol. In this case, you obviously don't want Kobe to take a 3. But you don't let Fisher take one either. Since they took it out in the back court, you could have fouled with 6 seconds left and made them make free throws. At the very least you have to prevent Kobe or Fisher from getting an open 3. (Blame: Coach, Nelson).

Okay, it's tied with 4 seconds left. Plenty of time. You advance the ball with a timeout and have two to spare. They "run the inbound play" but no one comes to get the ball. So they burn a timeout. (Blame: Coach, players on court except Turkoglu)

After a timeout, they draw up a new play but still no one comes to get the ball. (Blame: Coach, players on court except Turkoglu) but Turkoglu doesn't take a timeout (Blame: Turkoglu) and forces it to Pietrus. He dribbles around Fisher and fires a bad fadeaway with 2 seconds left. At that point there was no one in front of him. I know he was trying to beat the clock, but you keep going. (Blame: Pietrus)

So that's how you a blow a game like that. You have every player make a mistake, and your coach repeatedly makes mistakes. And that was just to get to overtime.