The Lakers survived a tough test, but beat the Magic, 101-96, in overtime. The officiating was pretty awful in this game, especially in the first quarter and down the stretch. There was a series of calls late in the game that were all questionable and all went in the Lakers’ favor. Mickael Pietrus was called [...]
Via FanHouse
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June 08, 2009
by Matt SteinmetzFiled under: Lakers, Magic, PlayoffsWhen center Dwight Howard unties his basketball shoes for the last time, maybe a dozen or more years down the line, it's conceivable he could mentioned among the greats of the game at that position.At 23, he's already got some pretty impressive numbers, and they're likely to rise some more in the coming years. It'...
Via NBAtipoff
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June 08, 2009
In the first two games of the NBA finals, Rafer Alston has played terribly. He's been clanking open jump shots, attempting floaters when an open layup is available and just not playing his game. So I'm going to put on my SVG hat and ask myself: should Rafer start, or play in game 3?I would support a bold move here. This is the finals, everyone has to put every option on the...
Via Washington Times
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June 08, 2009
LOS ANGELES | Orlando guards Courtney Lee and Mickael Pietrus may be faced with the seemingly impossible task of guarding Kobe Bryant, but regardless of the difficulty, both are enjoying the challenge. Pietrus, a six-year veteran, is regarded as Orlando's best defender and comes off the bench to relieve Lee, a rookie. Both had their hands full in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, when Bryant...
Via MSNBC
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June 06, 2009
A look at the title matchup between the Orlando Magic and the L.A. Lakers.
Via Washington Times
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June 09, 2009
LOS ANGELES | Judging by the final score of the Orlando Magic's 101-96 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, it would appear the Eastern Conference champs did a much better job in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy begs to differ. The Magic scored 26 more points Sunday than they did in a blowout loss in Game 1, and they got 73 points from their frontcourt...
Via Charlotte Observer
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June 07, 2009
(By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer) Lucky to have a second chance, the Los Angeles Lakers grabbed it.Kobe Bryant and Co. held on and are in control of the NBA finals - just barely.Orlando rookie Courtney Lee missed a potential winning layup as regulation ended, giving Los Angeles another shot it didn't waste. Pau Gasol scored seven points in overtime as the Lakers, so dominant...
Via You Got Dunked On
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June 08, 2009
D-Wade throws it down over Rashard Lewis.
Via SoCal Sports Hub
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June 07, 2009
Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers started at a snail’s pace. But it certainly didn’t end that way.
After getting bounced by 25-points in Game One, the Orland Magic redeemed themselves with a terrific turn-around performance that fell just short of taking the series to Orlando tied at [...]
June 08, 2009
YOU SUCK!!!! LAKERS in 4!
Via Basketball ] MiamiHerald.com
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June 07, 2009
Kobe Bryant's quest for a fourth NBA championship and his first without former teammate Shaquille O'Neal has dominated the headlines in the NBA Finals.
Via LA Times
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June 08, 2009
The ESPN analyst and former player says it is asking too much of Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu to keep defending Kobe Bryant.
Jalen Rose played for the 2000 Indiana Pacers team that lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals, a highlight of Rose's 13-year NBA career. He averaged 23...
Via LA Times
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June 05, 2009
International journalists flood the Finals as the demand for the league's content rises.
In the Orlando Magic locker room Thursday there was French media interviewing Mickael Pietrus of France in French. There was a reporter from Turkey talking to Turkey's Hedo Turkoglu in Turkish...
Original Story:
"Orlando had a ton of open shots in the first half and just couldn’t convert."
Rafer, JJ, and Jameer played terribly. You can't win when your starting PG goes 1-8 from the field. All the credit to the Magic for adjusting to the Lakers game plan. We can all see that the idea of Pietrus as a "Kobestopper" is a joke. He stopped Kobe for 40 points in game 1. Kobe can foul Pietrus out at will just with reputation and a jab step. I really liked seeing Turkoglu on Kobe though. I think this is a really good match up defensively. Kobe is not used to having a mobile 6'10" guy guarding him and I think that his length really threw off Kobe's game. Kobe had a really poor game, the box score doesn't fully explain how bad it was. After 13 years in the league, Kobe is still throwing jump passes in the air and blaming the TOs on the other guy. He has no reason to call guys out on that when the jump pass is such a fundamentally poor choice of passes.
Orlando should look to it's own team for reasons why they lost. Calling this game as won or lost due to officiating is really a poor analysis of why the Lakers have won the first two games. The Lakes have clamped down on Orlando's interior game, eliminating all post-up game and driving lanes. The Magic has been reduced to a jump shooting team, and the Lakers have dared them to shoot it, really only guarding three guys: Hedo, Dwight and Rashard.