The Magic swings to the Lakers

Well, game 4 brought a new game.  The 2nd quarters momentum swung to the Magic.  The Lakers unable to sustain a run to get over the 8 point deficit, and a depleted starting lineup plagued with foul trouble. 

The third quarter was, well a different ball game.  Ariza came alive with 13 points, the Lakers took the lead while the Magic watched their lead turn to the Lakers after 6 minutes into the third. 

The game was not over.  The fourth quarter brought other anxiety.  The Magic fought back as a home can, with screaming fans chanting “beat LA” and their shots continued to fall.  With 3 1/2 minutes to go, the Hedu tied the game at 79 -79 with 1 free throw and missed the next.  The shots came from the inside, Howard’s make and 1…  The Magic were on a roll. 

Ariza’s 3 pointer, tied the game at 82-82…  Whew, what a shot. 

Well not a lot of time to celebrate, Hedo pulls up and nails a 25 foot shot, putting the Magic up 3, then nails 1 mid range jumper with 1:34 left in regulation? 

C’mon… give me a break.  The reality of a 2-2 tie is sinking in, only a Lakers miracle can pull us through…

A miss by the Magic… a Kobe assist to a cutting Pau brings the score to 84-87 with 31 seconds to go.  The Magic are going to the line with 11 seconds left in the game?  Well it is Howard… could he miss both free throws?  Yeah he can and he did. 

After a Lakers timeout and Magic with a foul to give, the miracle was answered.  As Fish was running at Nelson, pushing the ball up the court, his defender falling inside the three point line, he raised up for the three.  My heart racing, cursing the shot selection but saw the shot fall, nothing but net.  It is a new 5 minute game, the Magic swings to the Lakers…

There was no doubt now… this was the Lakers game 4.  I just didn’t expect the dagger to come from Fish in OT, again… 

Fisher, no matter how inconsistent his shot may be at times… his Lakers legacy will be remembered.  Bigger than .4?  Yes sir.  He just sealed the championship for the team.  .4 brought the Pistons and the end of an era.

Ariza and Fish stepped up when the team needed to push through.  What a game, what a team effort. 

You can talk about Magic’s turn overs, missed free throws and not fouling Fisher all you want, but you cant take anything away from a resilient Lakers team, the 2009 champs.

Go Lakers!

The Player, The Fan, and The End of A Season by Chris Jaymes

It’s somewhat of a contradiction to say that  a series will begin after a 2-0 start since only 3 teams in NBA history have ever come back from 0-2 to win the championship, however it does mean that it’s possible.  Technically, the home team is expected to win their home games and the road team is desperately hoping to ‘steal’ one.  That said, the home team in the finals must go on the road for 3 games and is expected to ‘steal’ at least one.  So, as far as odds go, the team with the 2-0 start is obviously favored to win, especially seeing that this year’s home team, The Lakers, have the best road record for regular season wins.  Regardless of all the numbers and figures, the thing that makes things still exciting is the fact that anything is possible.

After game 1 of the finals turned into such a blowout, as a Laker fan you feel a sense of confidence, but then your brain begins to drift and wonder, if the next three games were like this one, would I have a sense of satisfaction.  Of course, I’d be happy, but when the excitement of the game ends after 3 quarters you lose the orgasmic finish that as a fan we all love so much, unless of course, your team loses.  As fans, we are all contradicted in this way.  What we demand of our team is worse than the pressures we impose upon our wives and girlfriends, we want absolute perfection from beginning to end, however… don’t take away the excitement of the journey.  You really can’t win if you’re a player and as a fan… you want the impossible.

Seeing that I’m an avid Laker Fan, I obviously want my team to win.  And obviously, a 4-0 win sounds wonderful and amazing, but at the same time, there is a selfish contradiction that doesn’t want this season to end.  It doesn’t want the journey to end, and the idea of having no basketball to look forward to for the next four months, no press conferences, no ESPN articles, no conversations with strangers at bars and grocery stores about what we’re going through is almost like a subtle death, and the impact of that death gets larger the longer your team continues to succeed.

The death of a successful season such as last year, getting worked by the Celtics leaves you stunned, as you got giving this gift of hope that carries you deep into June for everything to be deflated, and all the success is immediately forgotten by the omnipotent newfound failure.  Again, an unfairness imposed upon the players by the fan, as they now ‘failed’ regardless of the fact that they gave us as much basketball as they could have for that entire year.  Now, let’s assume the Laker were to find redemtion and win this season.  The death of the season is still there, but there is a larger light surrounding the outcome.  When the Lakers won three championships in a row in the early 2000′s, how did it feel??

The main thing that stood out to me during those summer days was a shift in the demeanor of the city as a whole.  At night, when you were out in public, there was a communal sense of lightness that everyone seemed to have.  There was an unspoken affinity that seeped through Los Angeles for a short period of time, and basically… everyone was just a slight bit nicer to everyone else without really noticing why or how.  This is what a player brings to a city after a successful run and something the are never fully credited for, aside from a massive paycheck and a massive amount of criticism when they begin the following season without absolute perfection.  When the lose, this lightness of being is replaced by an unspoken quiet, as the conversations quickly come to end and our ineffable link together is immediately abandoned.

That said, the question becomes… what means more to the fan, a 4-0 domination?  Or an elongated journey that sustains our basketball life just a little bit longer?  It’s a tough contradiction that I can’t honestly answer.  But I can say, I can’t thank The Lakers enough for continuing to giving me two years in a row of as much basketball as they could possibly offer, regardless of the outcome, and I can only hope that the fans of Orlando offer the same appreciation to their team, as we are both blessed fans at this point.

What will the Magic drag home?

Well, with .6 seconds left… Magic just about stole a 1-1 series tie.  But that was only an opportunity, not the outcome.  The Lakers fought through the game, earning each point through four quarters.  The game was full of loose basketball with bursts of offense and defense.  The Lakers claim 20 turnovers over the Magic and almost play clutch D at the tail end of the 4th. 

It was  playoff basketball.  Nail biting, relentless screaming and exhausting to the end…  It was a team effort.  Everyone contributed, even Farmar with two key 2nd quarter baskets to lift the lakers during the Lewis rampage.  Adjustments were made, but the Magic will hit their shots… this game could of been a Nuggets game 2. 

Kobe, Pau, Lamar, Ariza and team?  Thank you for the a Sunday Lakers game that not only went to overtime, but won.  It was a hard fought battle… 

Looking forward to a physical game three Tuesday with the Lakers making a game of it.

Yet another side of Kobe Bryant

For 12 years of playoffs, we have seen Kobe’s drive and motivation to win.  A warrior ready for the challenge, a desire to rise to the occasion.  Game 5 and 6 of the Nuggets series showed his ability to overcome any obstacles in his path.  Amazingly, it was not Kobe imposing his typical game on his opponents.  His vision seems to see the gaps in the opponents game and dictate pace on both side of the floor. What was different this time?

In 2004 came the Piston massacre.  Everyone stating the Lakers were going to win in 5 games.  Game 2 was a miracle win requiring a breakout game by rookie Luke and a long three by Kobe.  Karl Malone’s injury, the Colorado distractions… Whatever excuse you can conjure up, the Pistons were the better team.  The Pistons chemistry was the best I had seen.  Chauncey’s game rose to another level, catapulting the Pistons to a well deserved championship. 

The finals last year we different.  Everyone loose, laughing… mocking Paul Pierce’s wheelchair exit and miraculous reappearance.  So what… they lost game 1 and 2…  Then came game 4, the Lakers up 24 points, looking like this was going to be a series.  We all know what happened next, it was not about game 6… it was about game 4′s debacle.  I saw Kobe lash at his opponents, frustration boiling over, seeing the moment slip away.   Yet another opportunity lost.

Then came the 2009 finals.  Kobe has waited 5 years to get over these obsticales.  We felt it coming, like the calm before the storm…  Sullen, short, quick with his answers to the press throughout the week, leading to Game 1.  It seemed he had to force his answers as if he was loosing his voice. 

His voice was in his game.   Kobe would not allow his team to be distracted, dictating his game on the Magic and his teammates.  He has nothing to prove to anyone.  His voice was Kobe bearing his teeth.  His game providing anything the Lakers needed to win.  I have seen many sides of Kobe, but this was unlike anything I have seen from him or any other player… 

During the third quarter, I had already come to the reality Kobe will will his first Finals MVP.  Yeah, it was only game 1, but do you really think Kobe will let Magic steal this series from the grasp of his teeth?  This was 5 years of disappointment, 5 years of motivation.  Kobe vs. Lebron?  Come one, please… 

Is there any doubt this same game 1 Kobe will show up for the rest of the series?  If you need any more proof, check out his latest interviews.  No change in his demeanor, no chance for the Magic…

Go Lakers!