Missed alley-oop still haunts Magic's Lee

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic guard Courtney Lee hasn't been able to get his missed alley-oop attempt at the regulation buzzer in Game 2 of the NBA finals out of his head.

The rookie from Western Kentucky said the best way he could think of to try to forget the potential game-winner was to watch it over and over and move on.

"When I was at home, I was just beating myself up a little bit," Lee said Tuesday before Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers. "But then when I got in here (Tuesday), my teammates were picking me up a little bit. That was my main goal, to just get it out of my head."

The Magic had the ball on the sideline with the game tied at 88 and 0.6 seconds left Sunday night in Los Angeles. Rashard Lewis set a pick on Kobe Bryant that freed Lee to cut to the basket, and Hedo Turkoglu lofted a pass that led Lee right under the hoop. The Magic lost in overtime and fell to 0-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Adding to Lee's torment, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said about an hour before Game 3 that, according to the strictest interpretation of the rules, goaltending should have been called on Pau Gasol of the Lakers on the play. Gasol's right hand grazed the net and his fingers banged into the rim.

Jackson called the rule "kind of archaic" and said while the call should have been made, it didn't affect the shot.

The play joined Nick Anderson's four missed free throws from the 1995 finals as the most heartbreaking moments in franchise history. Lee said the replays didn't necessarily make him feel any better about the miss but that it did allow him to put it in his past.

"During the game, I felt like I had a good look," Lee said. "Seeing how I missed it, I was floating under the basket, just watching it over, it helps me get over it."

LITTLE BIG MEN: Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar longs for the days when NBA big men worked on their drop step, pivot play and inside moves.

Maybe even a Skyhook or two.

In recent years, Abdul-Jabbar, the most prolific scorer in league history, has seen young frontline players who wish they were dribbling in the backcourt.

"Everybody wants to shoot the 3-pointer," the Los Angeles Lakers legend said. "It's like Lotto fever. They all want to be 7-foot point guards."