Penny Hardaway v. Heat 1997 Playoffs Game 3

People who follow the NBA today forget how good Penny Hardaway was before all his injuries. For all of his great performances, this, to me, was the defining moment of his career.

Shaquille O'Neal had moved on to the Lakers, and the Magic had suffered through a tumultuous 45-37 season that included the firing of Brian Hill and several injuries to key players. Hardaway himself missed 23 games due to injury, and many felt he was responsible for the player mutiny against Hill. Waiting for the Magic were the powerful Miami Heat, coached by Pat Riley and anchored by Alonzo Mourning. The Heat had finished 61-21 and would go on to the Eastern Conference Finals after rallying to defeat the Knicks in the next round.

In the first two games of the series, the Heat dominated, obliterating the Magic in every facet of the game. The same thing was happening in Game 3, as the Heat took a 20-point lead in the second quarter. The Magic, who had been swept out of the playoffs in each of the last three years, probably had that same result on their minds.

But then, Hardaway took over, carrying his battered team to victory. Starting power forward Horace Grant was out for the series, starting center Rony Seikaly broke his foot in the second quarter, and starting swingmen Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott were severely limited throughout the game. At one point, the Magic were forced to use Danny Schayes at center, but it didn't matter. Hardaway put the team on his back, scoring 26 first-half points to lead a rally and inspiring others like Darrell Armstrong and Gerald Wilkins to big performances. He ultimately finished with 42 points, and though the Magic eventually lost the series in five games, it was a classic example of a guy taking over a game like few can in any era of the NBA.

Announcers: Verne Lundquist and Doc Rivers.