Lakers-Magic: The Black Mamba Turns Kobe-Haters into Motivators

Kobe Bryant sent a message to detractors who doubted his ability to win a fourth championship, and his first without Shaquille O’Neal.

The Black Mamba is going to strike early and often, using all his potency to acquire the title he failed to capture after being thwarted by the Boston Celtics in last year’s NBA Finals.

The relentless serpent attacked the Orlando Magic from all angles in a 100-75 Lakers win in Game One.

Bryant proved that this was an entirely different year for his team and his seriousness resulted in his first 40-point game in his sixth Finals appearance.

For all the Kobe-haters who felt the Lakers would falter if he shot 30-plus times, the shooting guard's all-around mastery included 16-of-34 shooting along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists to suppress any such thoughts.

The 2008 MVP immediately bombarded his opponent in an unpredictably disarming performance.

Unlike the normally reserved first-half Bryant that we’ve seen throughout the playoffs, Bryant came out firing on all cylinders with an 18-point outburst in the first half.

Minus this year’s NBA MVP LeBron James, the Finals could become the Kobe Showcase.

According to Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, it’s too late.

Van Gundy told his team: “This series is all about Kobe.”

Either the Magic are playing Phil Jackson-like mind games with the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant or they truly have no answer for the steady attack of the mamba.

Mickael Pietrus, the defense specialist acquired by the Magic in the offseason to stop Eastern Conference wing players like the Boston’s Paul Pierce, Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, and the Cleveland’s LeBron James, seemed somewhat exasperated when he told reporters that he could only “hope for the best” against the Western Conference's premier perimeter player.

A religious Dwight Howard, the Defensive Player of the Year, didn’t appear confident that his team could contain Kobe Bryant, telling reporters at the postgame conference that the best way to stop Bryant may be to “pray that he misses.”

Undoubtedly, the Magic will have a lot more to say after Game Two, with Van Gundy yet again adjusting to the opposition as he has throughout the highs and lows of the Magic’s postseason.

Don’t expect a second consecutive poor performance from the resilient Magic, who struggle when the three-pointer isn’t falling.

Though the Magic suffered its worst loss of the 2009 playoffs, the Black Mamba can't finish off his potential prey in one game.

The Magic escaped, wounded but alive. They did have a few positives from Game One.

Superman wasn’t afraid of a snake and was his team’s best player, finishing with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks.

Howard should convert more than one field goal in the remaining games of this series after finishing 1-of-6 from the floor.

Howard’s had a double-double in 17 of the Magic’s 18 playoff games, missing the plateau by one rebound in a game versus the Cavs.

But Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu turned cold, shooting a combined 5-of-21, the tandem totaling only 21 points.

The mamba, after all, is known for making his victims turn cold on sight.

Jameer Nelson was a bright spot off the Magic bench, shaking off the shoulder injury that had kept him out since February. Nelson wasn’t tentative at all, and the high-scoring point guard who had torched the Lakers in two regular season meetings, looked to involve his teammates.

Marcin Gortat played well with four blocks and eight rebounds, and could create an intriguing matchup for the Magic against the Lakers big frontcourt.

If Los Angeles continues to start Pau Gasol alongside fellow seven-footer Andrew Bynum, Van Gundy  could slide Gortat into the center slot in certain situations, using Howard’s athleticism to form an equally imposing front line, especially on the defensive end.

The Magic will need to improve immediately because the Black Mamba requires little time to immobilize his victims.