@ Day/Date: Sunday, 2/8/04 At: TD Waterhouse Time: 9:30 am(PT) TV: ABC Los Angeles Lakers: 29-18 Quick fact: Lakers have struggled lately, only winning 4 out of their last 10. However, they have played much better as a team since the return of Shaq. Orlando Magic: 13-39 Quick fact: It has not got much better for the Magic since the start of the season, they are 2-8 in their last 10 and are only 6-16 while playing at home. Probable Starters Frontcourt Shaquille O'Neal/Andrew Declercq Slava Medvedenko/Juwan Howard Devean George/Keith Bogans Backcourt Derek Fisher/Tracy Mcgrady Gary Payton/Tyronn Lue Keys to the game <u>Lakers</u> <ul>[*] Grabbing rebounds will be a key for the Lakers this game, since Magic are weak inside, they need to take advantage.[/list] <ul>[*]Throw the ball in to Shaq, and let the offense flow around him. LA also needs scoring production out of the backcourt from Payton and Rush.[/list] <ul>[*]Play good on-ball defense around the perimeter, and defend the paint as well.[/list] <u>Magic</u> <ul>[*]Orlando will have to play solid defense, as well as scoring key baskets down the stretch.[/list] <ul>[*]Make some kind of a battle occur on the inside vs Shaq, don't let him score easy points, double him.[/list] <ul>[*]Let the offense flow through T-Mac, he will be the Magic's only hope in this one.[/list] Key Players Shaquille O'Neal/Gary Payton --- Tracy Mcgrady/Keith Bogans The 'X' factor Are the Magic capable of hitting down the stretch shots, grab key rebounds, and contain Shaq under the basket? My predictions Lakers will take this one easily. Not sure if T-Mac will play, but either way the Lakers will take this one. Magic don't have the inside toughness to take on the most dominant player in the NBA. Payton/Fisher will give LA nice offensive production while the Big Fella dominates in the inside, Lakers by 15, or possibly less due to losing big leads in the 2nd half. BTW: Laker_Fever, for any further previews, feel free to use the banner that I put up top, if you want. Just put something together, saw the idea from Sasha.
Against the Magic with no T-Mac, this should be a fairly easy victory for L.A. I say that because G.P. will be definitely be outplaying Lue, and I think Rush is playing better than Gordon this season. Shaq should dominate Orlando, which he usually does. Just like all the other teams in the east, they have no answer for him. Then again... who does? Lakers by 8
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Phreeze:</div><div class="quote_post">Against the Magic with no T-Mac, this should be a fairly easy victory for L.A. I say that because G.P. will be definitely be outplaying Lue, and I think Rush is playing better than Gordon this season. Shaq should dominate Orlando, which he usually does. Just like all the other teams in the east, they have no answer for him. Then again... who does? Lakers by 8</div> My bad, just stuck my head into the Magic forum. T-Mac will be playing tommorow, but I know we'll still take the Lakers to win it.
Lakers better win this game. Shaq usually plays well against his former team, but it's too bad the fans won't get to see Kobe vs. T-Mac in this game. The Magic have had trouble on the inside all season, and they will struggle with Shaq all game long. Lakers by at least 8 in this game.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ANiMuS:</div><div class="quote_post">T-Mac could definitely keep the Magic in this game if LA puts Fisher on him.</div> No way will the Lakers put Fisher on him...I would never do that. T-Mac will shoot over him like an ant... I think Lakers will win this one if T-mac is out but if hes in I would call it a toss-up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MVPlaya:</div><div class="quote_post">No way will the Lakers put Fisher on him...I would never do that. T-Mac will shoot over him like an ant... I think Lakers will win this one if T-mac is out but if hes in I would call it a toss-up.</div> I agree i expect to see fox a-lot this game along with bryon russell maybe. Neither can guard t-mac tho.I call a upset here Magics by 3. I look for the glove to abuse lue and take him to school. T-mac is gonna be to much for the lakers to stop tho.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MVPlaya:</div><div class="quote_post">No way will the Lakers put Fisher on him...I would never do that. T-Mac will shoot over him like an ant...</div> For some reason LA had Fisher guard Iverson for a large portion of the game a few nights ago. I could see them on enough crack to have Fisher guard McGrady from time to time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting ANiMuS:</div><div class="quote_post">For some reason LA had Fisher guard Iverson for a large portion of the game a few nights ago. I could see them on enough crack to have Fisher guard McGrady from time to time.</div> Deavan George will guard T-mac, and I suspect payton will guard Bogans...Fish will probably guard lue, they did practice against each other a whole bunch back in the day...
Halftime: Magic 53 --- Lakers 48 Lakers jumped off to a 1st quarter lead, but when Shaq went out the game, everything went bad for LA. Orlando was able to spark a early 2nd quarter run and the Lakers had nothing to answer, that's what has killed them this half. That was a horrible quarter played by the Lakers, no defense at all. I'm proud that Kareem Rush is stepping up, he's the guy who kept us in the game hitting key shots throughout the 2nd. If the Lakers continue to let the Magic run the fastbreak, this could be trouble, they need to get set-up in their defense, because that makes it a lot harder for Orlando to score. Down the stretch baskets will be huge for this game, and whoever's superstar steps up rather it is T-Mac on Orlando's side, or Shaq on the Lakers side, will go home with the win today. Though right now, McGrady is questionable to come back. EDIT: McGrady is back in the game, and is killing the Lakers early in the 3rd. This one is getting ugly.
Lakers defense = horrible Absolutely horrible, at the rate this game is going right now, I'd say the Lakers would have to at least cut the lead to 10 heading into the 4th, to have a chance in this one. Magic 77 --- Lakers 61 Nearing the end of the 3rd quarter.
Wow, the Lakers are getting owned . It's about half way into the 3rd quarter and the Magic are up 79-61. The Magic are playing great on defense, I don't think anyone on the face of the earth would have ever predicted the Magic to be up by 18 points at this point, or any point for that matter, in this game. Also, Rick Fox needs a hair cut .
End of the 3rd quarter. Magic 81 --- Lakers 67 I highly doubt the Lakers will make a 4th quarter comeback, with the way they are playing right now. If they start off this quarter hot, and play some solid defense which they haven't done all game, then it is possible for a Laker comeback. McGrady is killin. EDIT: Uh oh, Lakers are creeping back up on the Magic WITHOUT Shaq and Payton in the lineup. LA has cut the lead to 8 just at the start of the 4th, let's see if they can keep this up. We need defensive stops, defense will win this game. Magic 81 --- Lakers 73 EDIT: Luke Walton is playing great ball right now, the flow of the offense is being worked around him, and he has delivered nice passes setting up easy buckets for the Lakers. The confidence for LA is building back up! Magic 87 --- Lakers 86 Around 5 minutes left to go in the game. Let's do this Lakers!! EDIT: Lakers have just taken the lead, crazy. Lakers 90, Magic 87. EDIT: Lakers are controlling this one leading the Magic 93-90 with 2:39 left to play. Gotta get the ball to Shaq everytime, now that the game has came down to this. Let them foul, but Shaq has to hit the free throws for LA to win this one. EDIT: Magic have now pulled a 3 point lead for themselves, Shaq has not even touched the ball the last 3 times down the court. They should have left the lineup that they had in, just with Shaq inserted. Rush by far has given LA a better offensive game than Payton, and they put GP in for him. When you have the lead, your supposed to dump it in to Shaq. Well here we go, 28.4 seconds left, Magic up 96-93. EDIT: Soon as we were about to call it a nice defensive stand by the Magic, GP found Fox wide open for a 3, and he nailed it with 11.7 seconds left. 96-96, let's see if this ball goes to T-Mac or Howard. EDIT: D FISHER!!! Careless dribbling by Strickland, Fisher makes a nice defensive play, Lakers take the lead 98-96 with 4.1 seconds left. LAKERS WIN!!!!!!!
That's what makes championship teams, what a comeback by the Laker's bench. How's Fox's hair look now??? LAKERS WIN!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting OgShowtime:</div><div class="quote_post">How's Fox's hair look now???</div> The same as it did 30 minutes ago when the Lakers were down by 18, lol.
This was a wild game. Leads switched in the last few minutes of the game, Lakers had their 4th quarter run, then Magic took the lead right back from the Lakers. Rick Fox comes up huge and hits a clutch 3 with 11 seconds seconds left to tie it at 96. Then Fisher comes up with a big steal, makes the nice pass to Payton as that gave LA back the lead 98-96. And then GP makes the nice block at the end, as time ran out. As much of a veteran Rod Strickland is, I'm suprised he was dribbling the ball so carelessly. Fisher just came and robbed that one from him, big play by Fish and Fox in the final minutes of the game. This has to be one of the best Laker wins of the year, not how they played, but the hustle towards the end of the game. Lakers played horrible throughout the whole game, but the lineup of Fisher-Rush-George-Walton-Grant put LA back in it, as Luke made a huge impact making several passes to set the Lakers up for easy scores in the paint. Was dissapointed Shaq didn't touch the ball in the final minutes of the game, but Lakers came out with the win and that's all that matters. On the other hand, Magic played well throughout the game and hit down the stretch shots that they needed, but it was a no defense 4th quarter for them, a perfect example of how defense wins games. Great performance by T-Mac, but Orlando just came up short. Strickland let his guys down, I honestly thought Howard or T-Mac were going to find a way to score on that possession, since they had been dominating all game. Box Score
What the hell!??!?! another early game... I just woke up less than an hour ago and now I find out the game was over... dammit!!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Phreeze:</div><div class="quote_post">What the hell!??!?! another early game... I just woke up less than an hour ago and now I find out the game was over... dammit!!</div> You missed a good one man, probably the most intense Laker game this year.
