The euphoria of the Charlotte Bobcats making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history is over. Now the team must pick it up if they expect to win some games against the Orlando Magic.

After being down as much as 22 points in game 1, the Bobcats got to within five but ran out of time and lost 98-89.

On one hand, I could see the game as a moral victory because they scraped and clawed their way back. But there’s another side to the coin, since Charlotte could have actually won this game.

In fact, when Orlando’s All-Star center, Dwight Howard, ends the game with five points and seven boards, the Bobcats ought to come away with a victory. But the team’s slow start in the first quarter, their turnovers and the above-average three-point shooting of the Magic spelled a loss instead.

There were some bright spots.

Gerald Wallace came out like gangbusters, to no surprise. Most people forget that he was on the bench with the Sacramento Kings when they made some deep runs into the Western Conference playoffs in his first few years in the NBA, so he’s been around the intense environment of a playoff series.

After getting lit up in the first quarter by Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton showed up in a big way in the second half, helping fuel the Bobcats’ run. Stephen Jackson also got on track as the game went along, before going down with a hyper-extended knee.

Come Wednesday, though, the Bobcats will need to hit the floor in the opening quarter at Amway Arena with a competitive fire in their bones, along with a focused mentality. As good as the Magic played, this game simply boiled down to how Charlotte hurt themselves.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda just doesn’t win ball games, fellas.
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Damon Ford is a former journalist who is now a public relations professional working in the public and private sectors in Charlotte.
 

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