Win is what the Magic did. Holding off a hard charging Lakers team, Orlando’s hot shooting was enough for the victory. For the game, the Magic shot 62.5% from the field — an NBA record — and won by a final score of 108-104.

Leading the way for the home team was superstar bigman Dwight Howard. He finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Dwight Howard wins his first game in the NBA Finals (Image: Zuma Press)

Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston were also huge for the Magic. Lewis had 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Alston totaled 20 points and four assists.

For the Lakers, it was the Kobe Bryant show early and often. After scoring 20 points in the first half, he totaled 31 points and eight assists for the game. The Lakers also got 23 points from Pau Gasol on 9-for-11 shooting from the floor.

Game 4 will prove to pivotal. If the Lakers win, they’ll be on their way to the 15th championship in their franchise’s history. If the Magic win, we’ll have a competitive 2009 NBA Finals on our hands.

Post from: EveryJoe

Magic Hold on Late to Beat Lakers in Game 3

Kobe Bryant had almost a perfect outing in Game 1 but had to work much harder this time out. That said, he still finished with 29 points, eight assists and four rebounds. The Magic deserve credit for limiting Bryant to 10-for-22 shooting and forcing him into seven turnovers.

Helping out Bryant on the night were Paul Gasol, Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. Gasol had 24 points and ten rebounds, Odom had 19 points and eight rebounds and Fisher had 12 points, three assists and three steals.

Kobe Bryant got help from Pau Gasol and others (Image: Zuma Press)

After shooting less than 30% from the field in Game 1, the Magic got much better showings from their star perimeter players. Rashard Lewis had 34 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Hedo Turkoglu had 22 points, six rebounds and four assists. Dwight Howard was also very active, finishing with 17 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, four steals, four blocks and seven turnovers.

Although the 0-2 deficit will be difficult for Orlando to climb out of, the good news is that the next three games will be played in from of their fans. For the Magic to have a legit chance at winning the championship, they’ll need to win all three at home.

As for the Lakers, championship 15 can now be seen at the light at the end of the tunnel.

Post from: EveryJoe

Lakers Survive Overtime, Up 2-0 in Finals

Rafer Alston: Should he continue to start? (Image: Zuma Press)

So far in the playoffs, Alston is averaging 12.3 points, 4.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game. He’s shooting 37.7% from the field, 33.7% from beyond the three-point arc and 75% at the free throw line. Although his shooting isn’t too impressive, he’s already made a number of big shots.

In Nelson’s return during Game 1, he scored six points, handed out four assists and grabbed two rebounds. He connected on 3-of-9 shots from the field. During the regular season, prior to hurting his shoulder, Nelson was averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. His shooting was off the charts — 50.3% from the field, 45.3% on three-pointers and 88.7% at the charity stripe.

In Game 2, I think Stan Van Gundy should stick with Alston. Orlando needs to recapture the magic (no pun intended) that allowed them to make it this far. Nelson is a very good player but four months of rust will take some time to overcome.

Now if the Magic lose in convincing fashion again in Game 2, a change could be in order come Game 3.

Post from: EveryJoe

Alston or Nelson – Who Should Start?

Dwight Howard and the Magic started off with a thud (Image: Zuma Press)

Even though the Magic disappeared in Game 1, all they need to do to get back into this series is to take home a Game 2 victory. How do they do that? Here are five keys for the Magic to win Game 2:

1. Get Dwight Howard Going
Dwight Howard had all of one field goal made in Game 1. That simple won’t get it done. The Magic have to force the ball into him and allow him to use his strength and quickness advantage. Howard’s dunks are the key to open up the offense for everyone else.

2. Force Kobe Bryant to Pass
During the Game 1 route, Kobe Bryant had the ball way too much. Allowing him to rack up 40 points, eight assists and one turnover means that the Magic didn’t force him into tough situations nearly enough. The Lakers are extremely talented but forcing Kobe to trust his teammates is the way to beat them.

3. Pick a Point Guard
Jameer Nelson is back for the Magic. Rafer Alston played very well in the Eastern Conference side of the bracket. Now Stan Van Gundy needs to pick which point guard to grab the reins the wagon. The worst thing the coach could do is to make it so neither one finds a rhythm.

4. Rebound Better
The Lakers humiliated the Magic on the boards in Game 1. The Magic, even though they are bit undersized, have to do a much better job of competing on the glass. Orlando can’t fall into the trap of expecting Howard to grab every board.

5. Let it Fly
This isn’t the time for the Magic to get scared. They are a jump shooting team that lives off of three-pointers. If they don’t play carefree type of basketball, they can’t win. Relax. Have fun. Let it fly.

Post from: EveryJoe

Five Keys for the Magic to Win Game 2

Kobe Bryant made an early case for Finals MVP with a fantastic performance. The Lakers shooting guard totaled 40 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks in 38 minutes of play. He hit 16-of-34 field goal attempts, all eight of his free throws and only had one turnover.

Kobe Bryant - 2009 NBA Finals MVP?

Pau Gasol helped out Bryant with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Lamar Odom had 11 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

For Orlando, it was a long, long night on the offensive end. The Magic shot just 29.9% from the field and mustered only 32 points in the second half. Dwight Howard was only 1-for-6 from the floor, while Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu were a combined 5-for-21.

If the Magic are to come back and make this a series, they will need to shoot much better. They’ll also have to find some sort of answer to slow down Bryant.

However, the Lakers looked like the far superior team and appear destined to take home the 2009 NBA championship.

Post from: EveryJoe

Kobe Bryant Leads Lakers to Game 1 Win

Point Guards
Derek Fisher is a solid veteran and Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar are good backups but the Magic have the edge due not only to Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson, but also because Jameer Nelson may return.
ADVANTAGE: MAGIC

Shooting Guards
When Kobe Bryant is on one side of the equation, you know which team will have the advantage.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS

Small Forwards
While Trevor Ariza has played great this year in the postseason, Hedo Turkoglu is a better player. Add in Mickael Pietrus and it’s no contest.
ADVANTAGE: MAGIC

Power Forward
Rashard Lewis is a very good player but there’s no way he’s as good as the combination of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom that the Lakers can throw at him.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS

Center
Dwight Howard is now the best center in basketball. Andrew Bynum may one day be a great player but he’s not close to Howard at this point.
ADVANTAGE: MAGIC

Coach
Phil Jackson has won an ungodly number of NBA championship rings. Stan Van Gundy is probably best known to his uncanny resemblance to Ron Jeremy.
ADVANTAGE: LAKERS

With the tale of the tape in the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic tied at 3-3, we’ll use the homecourt advantage as the tie-breaker. That means that the Lakers will be your 2009 NBA champions by the time these finals are over.

Congrats, Kobe, on your 2009 NBA championship (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Lakers vs. Magic Finals – Tale of the Tape

Dwight Howard AKA Superman flies to the Finals (Image: Newscom)

Who will win the NBA Finals in 2009? On paper, I give the advantage to the Lakers. At this point of the playoffs, experience is a huge factor. The Lakers were here just last year while the Magic are in foreign territory. Despite the Lakers loss against the Boston Celtics last season, they undoubtedly learned a lot.

The Magic beat the Cavs due to the Cavs having a number of matchup problems. The Cavs couldn’t defend Rashard Lewis and struggled to find someone capable of defending Hedo Turkoglu. The Lakers have the mobility the defend Lewis and Turkoglu, so they won’t have the same matchup issues.

Dwight Howard is obviously going to be tough for the Lakers to stop but they have the size to slow him down a little bit. Andrew Bynum could be useful, as can Paul Gasol and Lamar Odom.

On the other end, the Lakers could be tough for the Magic to slow down. Kobe’s ability to hit the outside shot could negate Howard’s shotblocking at the rim. Howard could also find himself in a lot of foul trouble trying to defend all the various options the Lakers can use.

My prediction for the Lakers vs. Magic Finals?

Lakers in 6.

Here is the schedule for the 2009 NBA Finals:

Game 1: June 4 – Magic at Lakers – 9:00 PM EST
Game 2: June 7 – Magic at Lakers – 8:00 PM EST
Game 3: June 9 – Lakers at Magic – 9:00 PM EST
Game 4: June 11 – Lakers at Magic – 9:00 PM EST
Game 5*: June 14 – Lakers at Magic – 8:00 PM EST
Game 6*: June 16 – Magic at Lakers – 9:00 PM EST
Game 7*: June 18 – Magic at Lakers – 9:00 PM EST

Post from: EveryJoe

2009 NBA Finals – Preview and Schedule

Sticking the dagger into Denver’s hearts was none other than Kobe Bryant. The Lakers superstar finished the game with 35 points, ten assists and six rebounds in 42 minutes of play. He connected on 12-of-20 shots from the field and all nine of his free throws.

Helping out Bryant on the night were bigmen Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Both bigs finished with 20 points, with Gasol pulling down 12 and Odom grabbing eight. Trevor Ariza, who got off to a fast start, totaled 17 point on the night.

For Denver, the struggles were on both ends of the court. They couldn’t slow the Lakers and they had trouble scoring on the other end. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 25 points, but he hit only 6-of-17 from the floor. Chauncey Billups also struggled from the field, hitting 2-of-7 shots. Off the bench, J.R. Smith was arguably Denver’s best player. The young Nugget had 24 points in 32 minutes.

While the Nuggets now grab their fishing gear, the Lakers will sit back to see whether the Orlando Magic or the Cleveland Cavaliers advance to the 2009 NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference.

Kobe Bryant Headed to the 2009 NBA Finals (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Lakers Win, Headed to the 2009 NBA Finals