Analyze this

Do you ever watch something on TV and think, hell, I can do that? Answer the question right on Jeopardy, catch the winning touchdown pass, report on a hurricane in a driving wind? I do that many nights when watching sports recaps on league networks, like #NBA TV, or on the world wide leader in people screaming over one another, #ESPN. Last night was no different. I often get most frustrated with the fixation on last-second moments in close games, like the recent game between the #New York Knicks and #Washington Wizards.

Understand this, it isn't that I think the analysts–NBA analysts in this case–are wrong or do a bad job. I just have a different outlook. I get that the game-winning shot in final seconds is where the drama is, but the fact is that last shot only counts for two, just like all the others. The story of the game was when Washington's #Bradley Beal drove to the basket and hit a layup with just under seven seconds left, giving the Wizards a 102-101 lead, which turned out to be the final score.

Rather than set up a play during a timeout, the Knicks hurried the ball up the court in the closing seconds, with #Carmelo Anthony missing a rushed shot at the buzzer. Should they have called a timeout? Should they have played better help-side defense? What could the Knicks done better to win the game, the analysts pondered.

Umm...how about hit any shot they missed during the game. Sure, there is inherent drama in the closing seconds, but the Knicks missed seven free throws. Beal's shot would have merely tied the game had they hit one of those. Had they made 34 shots from the floor rather than 33, the Wizards would have lost anyway–or at least forced a three or fouled the Knicks late or something.

#John Wall hit the first shot of the game for the Wizards, with 11 minutes to play in the first quarter. How come that's not the winning shot? Take that shot away and Washington loses. Why does the shot at the end mean more? And why is it the Knicks blew it? Poor defense late in the game? What about poor perimeter defense in the entire game? The Wizards shot over 61% from three-point range. That's ridiculously high, by the way, in case you aren't a big basketball percentage relevance person. How warm is it supposed to be today? 148 degrees. That's a comparison of how good 61% from three range is. They also shot better than 51% from the floor, which is, again, on the high side.

Maybe the Knicks didn't play poor defense in the final seven seconds insomuch as they played poor defense for the first 47 minutes and 53 seconds of the game. Or maybe Washington was just hot that night.

OK, how's this: The Knicks rotate on the drive by Beal and he misses the shot or definitely doesn't pass to a wide-open shooter. That's guaranteed? Oh, I mean, they call a timeout, set up a play and it works perfectly, they hit a shot and win the game. That's it?

No. And do you know why? You lose sometimes. The Knicks didn't have an opportunity with seven seconds to win the game, they had opportunity after opportunity after opportunity for 48 minutes to win the game. But they didn't. And even if you nail down the exact 'why' for the loss, it doesn't matter. It's still a loss.  And the point is, everything counts. Every free throw, every rebound, every turnover, every pass, every made basket–games aren't made up of final-second moments. Every inch and every second counts as much as the next. If only the Knicks had played better defense against Wall in the opening minute, we wouldn't be having this discussion.