April 23, 1993: Orlando Magic vs. New Jersey Nets (4 a.m.)
The Orlando Magic’s day on NBATV will conclude Monday morning with a classic game that will be remembered for one reason when it should be remembered for two.
The famous image of this game is Shaquille O’Neal tearing down the basket toward the end of the game. An amazing feat from the rookie that showed off his power and potential. O’Neal was a true terror even as a young player. And this was his most impressive physical display — he had already torn down one basket in Phoenix.
But this game also deserves to be remembered for another reason. . . Nick Anderson came off the bench for his lone 50-point game in the 119-116 win.
Suffering from the flu, Nick Anderson promised coach Brian Hill to give him everything he had when he was called off the bench. He certainly did a bit more than that in this impressive scoring performance in a Magic win.
Be sure to tune in Sunday for a full day of classic Magic basketball. I may even be tweeting some thoughts as we watch the games.