Outside of San Antonio, Gary Neal isn't very well known. Outside of San Antonio, the only reason you would know Gary Neal is for all the wrong reasons. (See J.R. Smith, Tyreke Evans and the handshake fail). Or maybe you only know Gary Neal because of his sexual assault charges back in college.
But regardless of the reason, one must admit the great job he's done this season. A guy that came out of Summer League, received a guaranteed contract, and only saw the floor thanks to an injury to rookie James Anderson.
His shot was more than just a game tying three-pointer to send it into overtime. His shot was more than just an opportunity to stave off elimination.
Gary Neal has nothing to lose. The complete opposite is true about the San Antonio Spurs if they were to have been eliminated.
Tim Duncan's NBA career is on it's farewell tour. With one season left, and a possible season-long lockout looming, the end could be closer than we expect. Manu Ginobili's injury history and two years remaining could also spell his end. If two of the "big 3" retire, what's Coach Popovich's motivation to continue coaching? The Spurs could very well be lottery bound in 2012.
With that shot, Gary Neal has put all that to rest. Or at very least, kept the Spurs on life support. We all know that the end is near. And even if the Spurs pull off a miracle and win this series, what are their chances against the Thunder? Or the Lakers?
But what matters is that the dreams of a fifth NBA championship are still alive. The River Walk still glimmers with hope of one more championship river parade. San Antonio's passion and support for the Spurs has never been stronger.
In reality, the Spurs could get blown out tonight and none of this would matter. But regardless, Gary Neal has cemented himself into San Antonio folklore. In between Steve Kerr's game 6 versus the Mavericks and Sean Elliott's Memorial Day Miracle.
Those 1.8 seconds mean a lot more than the chance to fight another day. It could be the momentum boost the Spurs need to win this series and catapult them through the playoffs. They could end up holding this franchise together for one more season. The rebuilding process is on hold once again and could give way to another deep playoff run. Or it could be that those 1.8 seconds just delayed the inevitable.
But one thing is certain. That buzzer-beater will never be forgotten.
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