Eddie’s (back) in the House
June 13th, 2008, 1:23 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Mark Heller
Former ASU star Eddie House went from forgotten to front-page fodder after Thursday night. This Associated Press photo became a popular choice among Internet sites and sports section covers across the country Friday morning.
Did you turn the channel after the first hour (heck, even 30 minutes) of Thursday night’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals?
Hope you turned it back.
The Boston Celtics pulled off an unbelievable 21-point comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history since the organization starting keeping the NBA’s statistics in 1970.
In the middle of it all was Arizona State product and NBA journeyman Eddie House.
It’s been an unremarkable postseason for House. He barely played in the early series against Atlanta and Cleveland, mostly because of Sam Cassell.
That changed Thursday night with 11 points, including a couple of crucial jumpers in the fourth quarter, on a night when the rest of the Celtics launched duds from outside.
House nudged his way back into the picture, and his Thursday exploits became an instant topic during the lull between Games 4 and 5.
Despite the five “DNP — coach’s decision” designations this postseason, 19 total minutes in five games against Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals, and a pair of zeros in the first two games of the NBA Finals, House bided his time, in-part because he’d been there before.
In his 1999-2000 senior season at ASU, House shot 0-for-16 against Brigham Young, and the Sun Devils lost, 78-67.
Following an 11-day holiday break, House scored 37 points in the first half against San Diego State (he finished with 48 points).
Three weeks later came the 61-point night against California in double overtime, part of a stretch in which he averaged 36 points per game for seven games.
A week after the Cal game, he was “held” to 25 points against Washington State. He scored 12 points in the first three minutes before the Cougars used a triangle-and-two defense, in which the “and two” jobs were to guard House.
I’d bet the House he’ll see more playing time on Father’s Day for Game 5. An NBA championship makes for a great gift, one not even his three children can offer.
