Lakers vs Magic Pick and
Preview
NBA Finals - Los Angeles Lakers
(77-23) Vs. Orlando Magic (71-30)
Kobe versus Dwight might not have the same ring to
it, but Orlando Magic fans will have no problem being the substitute performer
on the NBA's biggest stage.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic
will begin play in the 2009 NBA Finals on ABC, Thursday in Los Angeles at Staples
Center.
The 2009 NBA Finals will not provide NBA fans with the expected
superstar matchup of Kobe versus LeBron. Those fans unhappy that the projected
Los Angeles-Cleveland pairing won't happen, however, may be surprised at the
talent of Orlando's Dwight Howard. Howard had a playoff-career-high 40 points to
help the Magic eliminate Cleveland and LeBron James, setting up the Lakers-Magic
2009 NBA Finals pairing.
Season Results - Orlando won both season
meetings with Los Angeles this season, despite being a slight underdog in both
Lakers-Magic games.
On Dec. 20, the Lakers were favored by 1.5 points,
but they lost 106-103 at Orlando. Now-injured Jameer Nelson had 27 points to
lead the Magic, while Howard added 12 rebounds. Howard, who sometimes struggles
from the free-throw line, made 8 of 11 foul shots in the fourth quarter to ice
the win. Kobe Bryant had a then-season-high 41 points, but it wasn't enough for
the Lakers, who made only 41.4% of their field goals. Orlando hit 48.6% of its
shots.
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WINNER FREE On Jan. 16, Orlando traveled to Los Angeles and won 109-103.
Nelson again led the Magic, this time with 28 points, while Howard had 20
rebounds to go with 25 points. The Lakers led the Magic by 1 point entering the
fourth quarter, but Orlando took control late. Bryant had 28 points, 13
rebounds, and 11 assists for the Lakers. Again, the Lakers struggled from the
field, making only 39.8% of their field goal attempts. Orlando, which won
outright as a 4.5-point underdog, made 44.6% of its shots.
In the two
Lakers-Magic meetings, Orlando outrebounded Los Angeles, 94-80.
Lakers -
After a 65-17 regular season, the Lakers are 12-6 in the playoffs. Los Angeles
eliminated Utah, 4-1, in round one. Houston pushed the Lakers to a seventh game
in round two, but the Lakers recorded a lopsided victory in the deciding game,
winning the series, 4-3. Denver gave the Lakers a scare in the Western
Conference final, but the Lakers won the series, 4-2, blowing out the Nuggets in
the final two games.
Including the playoffs, the Lakers have lost only
seven games at home. Los Angeles is 44-7 in Staples Center this season.
Unlike Orlando, Los Angeles has been a heavy favorite to reach the 2009
NBA Finals since posting the best record in the NBA's Western Conference this
season. It's not a surprise that Bryant has led the Lakers in scoring in 15 of
18 playoff games and in 63 of 82 regular-season games. Pau Gasol has had a
strong series of performances in the playoffs, too, averaging 18.2 points and
11.3 rebounds in the post-season.
ATS in the playoffs, the Lakers are
9-9. They've split their last 10 games ATS, and the Lakers have been favored in
15 of their 18 playoff games. For Thursday's opening game of the 2009 NBA
Finals, the Lakers are an early 6-point favorite over the Magic.
Magic -
Orlando has a 12-7 record in the NBA playoffs so far. At one point in the
opening round, Orlando trailed Philadelphia 2-games-to-1, but the Magic rallied
to eliminate Philadelphia, 4-2. The Magic then ousted defending NBA champion
Boston, 4-games-to-3, impressively winning Game 7 on the road. In the
Orlando-Cleveland series, the Magic were undefeated at home, eliminating the
Cavaliers, 4-games-to-2.
The Orlando Magic entered the NBA playoffs as
the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Orlando was the forgotten team in the
East, as Cleveland had claimed the #1 seed in a dominating regular-season run,
and defending champion Boston was the #2 seed. However, the Magic eliminated
both teams en route to the 2009 NBA Finals.
Magic fans might be wondering
how good their team could be with Nelson, who suffered a season-ending injury
just before the All-Star Break. Nelson was leading Orlando in assists and was
fourth in scoring at the time of the injury. The Magic were 36-10 before
Nelson's injury, but, including the playoffs, they are 35-20 without him.
ATS in the playoffs, Orlando lost its first four games. However, the
Magic have been hot ATS of late, winning seven of their last eight.
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