Effect of Rafer Alston and Derek Fisher Suspensions on Each Team's Game 3

The Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers will be without their starting point guards, Rafer Alston and Derek Fisher, Friday night for their respective Game 3's due to their suspension directly resulting in each players' transgression.

Fisher received his suspension based on his flagrant 2 foul on Houston's Luis Scola. Fisher saw Scola set up for a pick and brutally elbowed him in the chest, resulting in Scola flying backwards.

Alston received a technical foul after Eddie House has made a three-point field goal. At this time, Alston slapped House in the back of the head, leading to a confrontation between the two, in which House also received a technical foul.

How will these verdicts affect their respective teams?

For the Los Angeles Lakers, Fisher is obviously their starting point guard, but he is also a big-time shot maker for LA. The 6'1" sharpshooter also adds experience to the roster.

"Fish" is averaging 9.6 points per game this year in the playoffs along with grabbing and dishing about three rebounds and assists per game.

Being a team with a lot of depth, however, the Lakers will most likely start the young Shannon Brown, whom they acquired early in February.

The 6-foot-4 Brown is averaging 6.4 points per game in the playoffs. He is shooting .51% from the floor and .63% from beyond the arc in the playoffs this year, also.

The Orlando Magic have a much bigger hole to fill, however, with the suspension of Rafer Alston.

Alston was acquired from the Houston Rockets later in February after the news that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson would have to sit out the rest of the year after undergoing season-ending surgery on his torn labrum.

Alston brings leadership to a young Orlando team being in the league nine years and he is contributing 13.3 points per game in the playoffs.

Unlike the Lakers, however, the only other point guard that Orlando has on its' roster is the 11-year veteran, Anthony Johnson.

Johnson blew up for 25 points the day after Jameer Nelson sustained his season-ending injury, however, has not played well since then or in the playoffs, averaging only 4.9 points per game in 15.8 minutes per game.

The bright side for the Magic is that they return rookie Courtney Lee from a fractured sinus. Lee has had a brilliant rookie season and has carried his terrific play into the playoffs.

If needed, which all indications lead to, Lee can step into the point guard position and run an offense.