The Bogey Game: Bojan Bogdanovic saves the Indiana Pacers
The Bogey Game. If you’re reading this article I’m sure you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about: on Friday night, April 20th, Bojan Bogdanovic stepped on the court to play the Cavaliers and stepped off a Pacer legend.
I was there for the Bogey Game. I was there, section 5, row 12, seat 8, along with the 300,000 people who will eventually say they were there too, on the night Bojan Bogdanovic got ignited-napalm hot and incinerated the Cleveland Cavaliers defense during an unforgettable fourth quarter.
Bogdanovic scored 15 points in that final period, although it felt like a hundred. They were the types of shots that warp space and time. Each made 3-pointer felt like it was worth five and permanently absolved him from past flubs and errors. Each made shot ripped a roar out of Pacer fans’ lungs not only in the Fieldhouse but in homes in Lebanon, bars in Lafayette and at rehearsal dinners in heaven-knows-where.
And that’s the magic of it, no? The moment an ordinary, average NBA player etches himself, as if chiseled in granite, in the hearts of an entire fandom. Those moments are rare.
There was the time, in 1995, when Orlando’s Brian Shaw sunk a decisive bucket, then Reggie Miller sunk the decisive three, then Penny Hardaway sunk the really decisive three, then Rik Smits hit the walk-off ultra-decisive jumper, that invoked a bedlam that nearly collapsed Market Square Arena’s roof.
Or there was the time, in 1998, when Reggie Miller wrapped around a screen, shoved Michael Jordan, and lasered a three that basically won game four. He also had that fun moment, although it was in New York when he loosed the barrage of successful shots from which this website derives it’s name.
Those moments are frozen indelibly in the minds of Pacers fans who either saw them live, or years later on YouTube, or both. Those are the moments that make legends
That was what happened on Friday night. Bojan Bogdanovic entered Bankers Life Fieldhouse that afternoon and walked out immortal.
It wasn’t just the fourth quarter, Bogdanovic played a great game for the entirety of it. I mean he had 30 points and 4 rebounds. He also continues to play the most sound defense on LeBron James that any Pacer has mustered these playoffs.
The Pacers, however, hadn’t played a great game.
This was unexpected: game 3 was their moment to triumph, everyone could feel it, and they were getting their asses kicked by Cleveland. Indy turned it over 20 times, and the Cavs scored 24 points off those turnovers.
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Ten of those turnovers came in a disastrous first half, where Cleveland was better and the referee whistles were frequent. Until they weren’t. A turning point seemed to be on the final shot of the half, a deep two missed by Oladipo.
It was a foul, except referee (God Bless him) Josh Tiven didn’t call it, then almost-kinda-sorta stepped over Oladipo as he walked to the scorer’s table. The place was incensed at Tiven, at being down 17, at everything.
And it was in that fury, where the tide turned.
The Pacers showed all season that you can’t give up on them. Vic got it started, 16 seconds into the second half with a very deep two. Then Indy held Cleveland to 12 (12!) points in the third quarter. Little by little, the 17 point lead dwindled away until it was nothing. Gone. And then Bogdanovic happened.
6:10 left in the game: score tied at 77, Oladipo drove right, flung a pass to an open Bogdanovic on the right wing, Bogey fired, Bogey was fouled by Kyle Korver, the whistle shattered a momentarily hushed Fieldhouse, the ball kissed the iron as it fell through, the Fieldhouse already rocking became bedlam.
5:41 left in the game: Pacers lead 81-77, a team effort. George Hill throws a pass that was deflected by Thaddeus Young to Domantas Sabonis, who hands it to Oladipo, who losses it to Cory Joseph to tossed to an open Bogey. The same spot, the same result, whatever is beyond bedlam floods the stands. People were gleefully looking to hug anyone.
2:26 left in the game: Pacers lead 86-84, with 4 seconds left in the shot clock, Bogdanovic catches a pass from Oladipo then releases a shot from Zionsville, good.
Next: Game 3 Grades, I'm guessing Bogdanovic graded out well
More stuff happened afterward like LeBron James almost spoiled the moment. But after that last three, the game felt over, or at least that the result was written in the stars. A celestial array that Bogdanovic joined that night, a star that will not soon be forgotten.