Buzz City came back in more ways than one tonight after the newly re-coined Hornets came back from a 24-point second half deficit to win, 108-106, in dramatic fashion. Recently extended Kemba Walker played hero while The Hero to a lot of us, Michael Jordan, gave a victorious fist pump that reminded us of our youth.
If you look at Kemba Walker’s shooting night for Charlotte, it can read like an uncomfortable extension of Kobe’s infamous edict after watching Deron Williams‘ poor shooting performance in last year’s playoffs. But that discounts another characteristic Kemba shares with No. 8: two of the nine field goals Kemba dropped — out of only 26 attempts — actually extended the game to overtime and then put Charlotte ahead for good with under five seconds left in the OT session he forced. That’s Mamba-esque conviction in yourself.
But it was the true GOAT who let loose with a primordial yell and a concrete cracking fist pump after Kemba’s overtime step-back nestled through the net.
Walker was 9-of-26 from the field and a dreadful 5-for-11 from the charity stripe. Then the game was on the line and he convinced himself the last 52 minutes and 50 seconds hadn’t actually happened — he was just playing hoops at the playground and wanted to stay on the court.
Perhaps Michael Jordan was fist-pumping the win, his prudence in extending Walker before Friday’s deadline, and the relief that came after his team earned such a dramatic victory following so much personally invested pomp to usher in this new Hornets era.
Or he just really freakin’ loves to win.
What do you think?
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