No Tricks Needed: Lakers Make Magic Disappear

The opening act (half) seemed to portray what we all were expecting; a back-and-forth affair between two proven NBA heavyweights, but once the second half began, Kobe decided to take Superman’s cape and use it to make the Magic disappear.  Poof!  Just like that, Kobe began to mesmerize the nearly 19,000 fans at Staples Center with his own magic act.  Bryant unleashed 18 of his 40 points in the third quarter, which deflated Orlando’s confidence with a 26-point deficit. 
 
Although his stats would disagree, Kobe wasn’t the only reason for the lack of Magic on the Finals stage. The real wizard behind the Game 1 win, in my opinion, was Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson. It seemed the Lakers had spent the last several days studying every second of every game of the Eastern Conference Finals between Orlando and Cleveland.  For every high screen set Orlando called in this game, and there were several, the Lakers were already waiting in the paint for Dwight Howard to roll, or better yet, close on all Magic players nesting upon the three point line. The Magic offense that was too much for the Cavaliers to handle was no match for the suffocating Lakers defense. It was obvious Phil Jackson, coaching in his twelfth NBA Finals, outwitted his novice counter-part Stan Van Gundy.
 
The Lakers were a full-blown Hollywood production compared to Orlando’s portrayal of a Disney cartoon from the 1930s.  However, the Magic did have one trick up their sleeve Thursday night, and that was making the shooting success that beat Cleveland non-existent. The Magic shot only 30 percent all night and a dismal 8-of-23 from the 3-point line.  After sending LeBron James home to consider Cleveland night life vs. New York night life, Dwight Howard had only 12 points on 1-for-6 shooting. That isn’t going to cut it; not against a team led by the hungriest player for a championship since Michael Jordan in 1991 vs. this Lakers organization.  
 
After watching Kobe and the Lakers perform on the biggest NBA stage, Magic fans better hope Dwight and the rest of the Magic got all of the nerves out and learned that the NBA Finals is a whole other level then their previous playoff series. Orlando better realize quick that beating the King and his Cavs was a walk in the park compared to what they now face in a focused and championship starved Kobe Bryant & company. If they are relying on Stan Van Gundy’s daily reminder that the Magic get no respect and the NBA Finals are all about Kobe, they better get ready for the eternal link to the 1995 Magic team who got schooled by another experienced championship team (Houston Rockets) led by another all-time great (Hakeem Olajuwon).