OC Register: Lakers are ruining Finals for Orlando

Mamba · Jun 13, 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. – They smashed this city's spirit and their opponent's hopes.

They withstood the best of Dwight Howard (21 rebounds, nine blocks) and capitalized on the worst of Dwight Howard (eight missed free throws).

They made Rashard Lewis look as scrawny as Rashard Lewis' goat whiskers and exposed the vulnerability of Coach 'Stache Van Gundy.

Honestly, what's with Orlando's penchant for dated facial hair? Expect Courtney Lee to arrive for Game 5 looking like Robert E. Lee, who could have hidden Rafer Alston in his beard.

But the worst thing the Lakers did Thursday in taking a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals was crush a 7-year-old girl.

Gina Incandela has sung the national anthem before eight Magic playoff games. Orlando was 7-0 on such occasions before the Lakers' 99-91 Game 4 victory.

So today, little Gina is just another kid on summer vacation, another central Florida resident trying to figure out how Howard can make an impossible underhanded half-court shot during warmups but miss two clinching free throws three hours later.

In this series — the largest series in franchise history — Orlando now has lost once because one of its starters couldn't make a layup and again when its best player couldn't make a free throw.

"We still believe," Howard claimed after the latest loss. "There's no reason to have any doubts."

No reason? To have any doubts?

No team has come back from a 3-1 hole to win the Finals, and 29 have tried.

The Magic just lost despite being awarded 17 more free throws than the Lakers.

The Magic couldn't win at home even on a night when Kobe Bryant shot 11 of 31.

No reason? To have any doubts? And you wonder why we listen to anything players have to say.

Asked if he was surprised he played the entire fourth quarter and overtime, Orlando's Jameer Nelson said: "I didn't realize I was out there playing. I'm not worried about what's going on or anything."

Please understand that we did not make up this comment. It actually was delivered through a member of the Magic's public relations department, meaning they could have withheld its distribution or at least edited it into something that made sense.

Instead, it now can be reported that Orlando was guided during the most crucial stretch Thursday by a point guard who didn't realize he "was out there playing." No wonder the Lakers finished on a 12-1 run.

And no wonder Nelson gave Derek Fisher enough room for Fisher to shoot himself into Lakers franchise forever with his tying 3-pointer in the final five seconds of regulation.

In these types of series, the players like to say they take what the defense gives them. In Game 4, Nelson basically gave Fisher and the Lakers the championship.

Of course, Fisher still had to hit the shot. Which he did — twice — the second one severely wounding the Magic and dampening the mood of Amway Arena.

Thankfully, before the Finals began, the city of Orlando passed a temporary law allowing bars to serve alcohol until 3 a.m. At times like these, that extra happy hour can be vital, especially when there's a two-day gap before the next game.

"We could have lost," Laker Pau Gasol said, "and those 48 hours would have been some of the worst of our lives."

Instead, the Lakers now must ready themselves by fighting the temptation to be too ready. Only Bryant and Fisher among them have been NBA champions; the rest could be quaking with anticipation by breakfast on Sunday.

By the way, the O'Brien Trophy is here, having traveled from Los Angeles to Orlando after Game 2.

If you haven't noticed, the NBA and ABC have been trying desperately to manufacture an aura about the shiny award, something similar to what exists with hockey's Stanley Cup, only a lot cheaper and significantly more fake.

Fittingly, the O'Brien traveled here on Southwest Airlines, connecting through Denver, no less.

It was greeted at the local airport by Orlando's mayor, Buddy Dyer, who you think would have been busy cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of another outlet mall or something.

The Orlando Sentinel dispatched a reporter to cover the event, a reporter who then filed a story in which she "interviewed" the trophy.

And central Florida folks wonder why they're continually being depicted as bumpkins?

The truth is these are hard-working, well intentioned people who are not that difficult to like.

Then there's Hulk Hogan, who attended Game 4 wearing sunglasses, a "Beat L.A." T-shirt and skin more leathery than the basketball in use.

Hogan is a Magic fan from way back, gotta be last month, at least.

Well, the Lakers smashed him, too.

One more crushing defeat to go and no one around here is safe, from the little girl with the huge, powerful voice to the big wrestler with the giant, blond mustache.
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http://www.ocregister.com/articles/orlando-lakers-magic-2463051-game-fisher

Mamba · Jun 13, 2009

I'm happy we're ruining it for them :]

huevonkiller · Jun 13, 2009

A lot of bias about how Orlando is choking, rarely do you hear about the calls going against LA making those "chokes" irrelevant.

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OC Register: Lakers are ruining Finals for Orlando

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OC Register: Lakers are ruining Finals for Orlando

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