Anatomy of a Fall – Yahoo Sports

When a writer tells a story from beginning to end, proceeding in order, it is called linear narrative or chronological narrative. More formally, it’s referred to as ab ovo narration (Latin for “from the egg”), a term from Horace’s Ars Poetica, meaning the story begins at the very origin of events and unfolds in sequence.

Conversely, starting from the end and working backward is called reverse chronological narrative or simply reverse chronology. A famous example is the film Memento.

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But when a story opens specifically at the ending or a dramatic moment and then explains how events led there, it’s often described as beginning in extremis or using an analepsis (a flashback structure).

Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

| Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Yesterday, I was at work and could not watch the game live. My plan was to head home, retreat into my bubble, and watch it from beginning to end. Unfortunately, a friend texted me the score at half-time. I was annoyed and asked for no further updates, but at the same time, it felt good. Our Spurs were leading by 27 at half-time at the MSG, in the pivotal Game 4. We were on our way back to San Antonio with a chance to restore home-court advantage.

When I got home, I decided to tune in from the start of the 3rd quarter. I didn’t feel I needed to revisit the first two quarters to understand how we’d built such a momentous lead, one that could have written NBA history, and so I bypassed this beginning in extremis…

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I suppose you all know the ending anyway, no spoiler needed here. But the real question is no longer the result; it’s how we got there. How do you end up on the wrong side of history in just two quarters when, just 24 minutes earlier, you were firmly on the right side of it?

Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn

| Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

My disappointment, let’s be honest, my fury, was overwhelming last night. I could barely sleep. So I decided to rewatch the game in full, this time with a linear narrative.

Before I get to the autopsy, though, I need to share a conversation I had with a friend in the hours…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/anatomy-fall-024203393.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-12 02:42:00

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