NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers Fire on All Cylinders in Game One

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Well, I generally write about football, but I pride myself on loving all sports. So here I go…

Plus, the “Trojan” in me and my Los Angeles origins allow me to be a huge Lakers fan. In Los Angeles today—and this past week—we have been gearing up for a Finals that means a lot: revenge from last season, bringing another championship to the City of Angels, and of course, Kobe’s attempt to win his first title without The Diesel.

Well, the Lakers came out tonight with no regrets. From the very beginning, everyone was playing with a "sense of urgency,” something Kobe Bryant stressed they needed to do.

After losing both games to the Orlando Magic in the regular season, they were going to have their hands full again. This just in: Dwight Howard is no softy.

The overwhelmingly most physically demanding player in the league is such a tough task to handle in the frontcourt, no matter who sits on the other side of the court.

But Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and even Lamar Odom came to play. Bynum got into foul trouble early, but did a phenomenal job not allowing Howard the big play—the dunk.

All three of the Lakers' big men did exceptionally well. Pau Gasol had 16 points and eight rebounds, while Bynum had nine points and nine rebounds. Lamar Odom—coming off the bench—was spectacular, putting down 11 points while grabbing 14 off the glass.

We knew rebounding and the Lakers' frontcourt play was going to be a factor, and the Lakers came to play.

While the frontcourt maintained spectacular play throughout the contest, it was ultimately the Lakers’ superstar that carried the victory for the fans in Staples Center on Thursday night.

Kobe Bryant was unconscious. His 61st 30-point game in the postseason was also his first 40-point affair.

Kobe took the team on his shoulders. And on a relatively poor shooting day (16-34) he showed why he is a former MVP and three-time NBA Champion: he kept attacking, was perfect on free throws, and so tough while driving to the basket.

Aside from garnering a whopping 40 points, he dished out eight assists and pulled down eight boards.

Truly a master of the game.

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