Hulne: LP must find fuel in the ‘hurt moment’
Published 10:14 pm Monday, March 23, 2015
Every time a great team loses a close game on a big stage, there will be plenty of flashbacks.
Coaches and players alike will look back and scramble to see what they could’ve done differently to stop the other team from winning. It could keep them up all night and it could keep them up for weeks.
Lyle-Pacelli’s Brooke Walter consoles her sister Courtney Walter after Courtney’s shot missed at the buzzer against Ada-Borup in the Class A Minnesota Girls State Basketball Touranment semifinals Friday at Williams Arena. LP fell 54-52. Herald File Photo
When a team or player finally latches on to that play that ultimately decided the game, I call it the ‘hurt moment.’ It’s the moment, that if you somehow erased that play from happening, the game’s outcome would’ve been different.
Sometimes it’s a play that happened at the very end of the game and sometimes it’s a play that changed the entire momentum of a contest.
Back in 2013 the San Antonio Spurs were closing in on an NBA title as they led the Heat 3-2 in a seven game series. They led game six by 13 points late in the third quarter and they held a five point lead with 28 seconds left in the game. San Antonio’s ‘hurt moment’ came when Ray Allen found himself free for a step-back 3-pointer off an offensive rebound and he drilled it to tie the game.
The Heat would go on to win the game in OT and they take game seven to win the NBA title.
If Allen misses that 3-pointer and the Spurs grab a rebound, Miami most likely has to watch the Spurs celebrate on their home floor.
The Lyle-Pacelli girls basketball team was in a similar situation against Ada-Borup in the Class A semifinals Friday in Williams Arena. LP led 45-35 with nine minutes left in the game and they were up 52-49 with less than 1:30 left in the game.
To me, LP’s ‘hurt moment’ came with 1:09 left in the game when AB’s Lexi Merkhens drilled a cold-blooded 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:09 left. If Merkhens misses that shot, LP likely rebounds the ball and closes the game out at the free throw line.
But she made it, and it changed the game and LP’s season completely.
Now let’s look what the Spurs did in 2014. Despite having a roster full of old guys who had their hearts ripped out of their chest in that 2013 finals, the Spurs put together a dominant season and came back and crushed the Heat in five games in the NBA Finals the following year. This was no fluke.
The Spurs were able to take the ‘hurt moment’ of that Allen 3-pointer and convert it into fuel for their next season. By focusing on how close they were to winning a championship, the Spurs were able to work that much harder to get back up and come back stronger the next season.
I don’t think LP head coach Justin Morris has San Antonio head coach Greg Popovich on his speed dial, but LP can learn a lot from that Spurs team. LP shouldn’t forget about Merkhens’ 3-pointer or the loss to the Cougars. They should use it.
Every time a player is tired and doesn’t want to go to the gym this summer, they should think about Merkhens. Anytime a player starts to think they’re ready to win a championship next season, they should think about Merkhens and push themselves even harder. And when next season comes, LP should keep that shot by Merkhens on their minds throughout the whole season.
I think LP has the talent in place to win a Class A state championship next season. But the question is, will they have the drive?
If they focus on their ‘hurt moment’ from 2015 they might have a chance.
Follow Rocky Hulne on twitter @RockyHulneADH
