"It's only one game."
That's what almost every Lakers' player and/or coach said after game one. A game in which the Lakers led by ten at the half, 24 and the end of the third, and won by 25. The question now is, are the Lakers that good, or is Orlando that bad?
The Magic made just 30% of their shots (29.9 to be exact), and actually shot a better percentage from the three point line (34.8) than from inside of it. Dwight Howard was awful: one for six shooting, 12 points, three fouls and two turnovers. The Orlando "snipers", the guys other than Howard who buried Cleveland by shooting the lights out, made 10 of 40 shots.
The Lakers, on the other hand, did almost everything right. They outscored the Magic 56-22 in the paint, and out rebounded Orlando 55-41. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom made 12 of 23 shots, while Derek Fisher and Luke Walton made 8 of 11. At one point, a frustrated Stan Van Gundy yelled to his team, "guys, we're getting our a** kicked by Luke Walton!"
Kobe Bryant picked up where he left off in Denver (he had 35 points and 10 assists in the game six clincher), by scoring 40 points, with eight assists and eight rebounds. I think this has developed into the story of the finals. If they can't slow him down, Kobe will win his first NBA Finals MVP, and he'll lead the Lakers to his fourth title.
The weird thing is that Kobe isn't enjoying this--at least not yet. He is as serious as I've ever seen him, and answers most questions with a short, honest but terse, response. He grits his teeth after key plays, and screams at his teammates to focus. If you're a Lakers' fan, this is a very good sign.
It's almost like he's on a mission, and won't let up until it's done. I've never seen him like this before, and I've been covering the Lakers since his rookie season. My guess is that in game two, Orlando will double and triple team him, just to make somebody else beat them.
All that said, I expect a much more competitive game two. The other Lakers are going to have to step up, because I don't think the Magic are going to let Kobe continue at the pace he's on (75 points and 18 assists in two games? That's ridiculous). I expect Orlando to shoot much better, and for Dwight Howard not to go one of six shooting.
The Lakers will win, but in a much closer game, and if they do....all the pressure moves onto the Magic to win at home in game three.
Great points as usual. It's great to get an insiders perspective. Keep up the good work.
I'm torn - I want this to be over quickly yet I'm bummed that there are only a few games left for the season.
Posted by: K.Lani | 06/04/2009 at 11:53 PM
A "super serious" Kobe is just what the Lakers need, and he's going to stay that way until the series is won. He can smile and joke for several months AFTER James Worthy "hands over" the Gold bowl.
I think tonight's game set a tone that will continue. This series reminds me of the last several World Series, especially Boston v Colorado. Orlando is not one of the top five or six teams in the NBA, but got hot at the end and won an Eastern Conference of weak teams.
Kobe's intensity and all-around game, combined with over-all team defense, will mean a short, successful series.
Posted by: theHoundDawg | 06/04/2009 at 11:57 PM
Gotta love the lakers.. though I think that in gthe past years they've had their share of bad decisions, game-wise. don't you think?
Posted by: Orlando Hotels | 11/08/2009 at 06:32 AM