In Game 1 the Magic shot a dismal 29% from the floor and ended up losing 100-75. Kobe Bryant, who is making his sixth NBA Finals appearance, had 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Some other noteworthy stats from Game 1: Orlando's star center Dwight Howard took SIX shots from the floor, and the big trio of Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu combined to shoot 6-of-27 from the floor, good for 33 points. I knew coming into Game 2 that there was no way Orlando would play as poorly as they did in Game 1, and I also knew that Orlando would not shoot 29% from the field again.
In all honesty, the Lakers got pretty lucky to win Game 2. I felt like the refs bailed out the Lakers on a few plays down the stretch, and after a stellar Game 1 performance, Kobe Bryant came out and played "subpar" to his standards. Orlando could have easily won this game in regulation if Courtney Lee had made a layup with .06 seconds left. For those of you who may not have seen the play, Lee came off of a pick set by Dwight Howard and was driving to the hoop with nobody near him. Rashard Lewis threw a lob pass to Lee, which he caught in midair and attempted to lay the ball in at the same time. Lee was unsuccessful, and the game went into overtime, where the Lakers eventually won. In Lee's defense, the angle on the layup was pretty bad, and I don't know how many people would have been able to convert that play.
Even though I'm a Lakers fan, it really annoys me when people say the Magic lost the game because Lee didn't make the layup. First of all, the dude is a rookie, cut him some slack. Second of all, if anyone is to blame because of Orlando losing, it's either the entire team or head coach Stan Van Gundy. Orlando still could have won the game in overtime, but they didn't. Also, Lee shouldn't have even been in the game! He played a whopping 12 minutes prior to that play, yet Stan Van Gundy put him in why? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that JJ REDICK PLAYED 27 MINUTES!!!! How retarded is Van Gundy, I mean really? Why the hell would you play a guy who played maybe a game or two in the Eastern Conference Finals at all, let alone 27 minutes??? Does Van Gundy know this is the NBA Finals? Maybe he's just trying to get his brother Jeff to make fun of him on national television.
So Game 3 is tomorrow night in Orlando, and I'm picking the Magic to win because there is NO way the Lakers are sweeping them. Everyone usually plays much better when they are at home, a team usually execute much better when they are at home, and a team usually get more calls from the refs when they are at home. If the Magic lose, the series is over, so I expect them to play with a lot of desperation. I expect the game to be close, but I'm still picking the Magic to win.
By the way the Dodgers still have the best record in baseball at 39-20.
On a sad note, I had to say goodbye to one of my best friends who is enlisted in the armed services. He leaves next week for Georgia, where he will receive his basic training. I remember when he told me he was going to enlist a few months ago, and how quickly the time has gone. I'm going to miss the guy a lot, but it's because of the selfless people like him that I do not have to enlist. May God bless Ben Guido, he truly is a hero and one of the best human beings I have ever met.
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