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Lakers/Magic Finals Game 2 Chat

by


LAKERS
We’ve talked about how Game 2 really sets the tone for the series. This one will be closer than game one, let’s see if the Lakers can play up another level.


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Comments

  1. Mohan says

    I’ve had far too many moments during these playoffs where I thought, “yes, the Lakers are here and ready to dominate at championship-level intensity”, only to see them disappoint in the following game. Let’s hope the Lakers create a new pattern tonight.

  2. chris h says

    mohan, dudde you gotta say “this one’s for Warren” when you’re first poster.,
    but hey, that’s behind us now.
    go lakers!
    focus, match the intensity! cause they’re gonna bring it tonight, they can’t afford to go down 2 – 0

  3. Mimsy says

    Randy Smith actually pulled off the afro-goatee combination… that in and of itself is admirable. Rest well, Randy.

    Now, bring on the game! I want to see Bynum dunk over Howard again.

  5. Birdman says

    Iā€™m here at the Staples right now (good karma for LA tonight, since whenever I go into their games, they are undefeated).

    And as usual, the opening moments suck.

    No love for your team there, Mr. Introducer!

  6. Mimsy says

    Okay. I have to say this. I can’t keep it to myself anymore.

    We. Must. Stop. With. The. Crotch-Cam.

    Please, stop zooming in on that area! I don’t care how he’s sitting. Please.

  11. Mimsy says

    I think we would rather let Courtney Lee finish on any given possession than Howard of Turkoglu.

  13. adam t says

    2 possessions. 2 contested jumpshots. No post up, no triangle. Needs to change

  14. Mimsy says

    Wow, they’re calling this tight. I missed that part of the pre-game thing, who are the refs tonight?

  17. Mimsy says

    That was one of the sicker goal tends I’ve ever seen… What are the odds of not getting your fingers stuck in the net? Risky, Dwight, risky…

  20. 3ThreeIII says

    >.<

    If Howard can block shots from INSIDE the hoop, then yeah, that will be pretty easy for him.

  21. glove32 says

    If they let Howard put his hand through the basket he will block shots all night

  23. adam t says

    I like our help on Howard but we’ve gotta rotate better. They aren’t going to miss shots all series.

  24. sT says

    Mohan, Warren is from the Philippines and every time he got the first post the Lakers won the game that day. I do not like these long jumpers by the Lakers so far.

  28. Mico says

    Everything is tight now… but to be fair to the refs, both teams are getting similar calls.

    I hope they call a 3 second violation on howard as well… he seems to camp in the shaded lane a lot

    Another thing I hope for is that they be consistent not only with regards to calling fouls for both teams but also consistent in the way they call fouls throughout the game

  29. Nick the Great says

    Neither team is shooting all too well right now. Interesting that Kobe is starting in cruise-control again, setting up teammates. I wonder if the Lakers continue to struggle shooting how long it will be before he tries to impose himself on the game a little.

  32. Mimsy says

    #30,
    If he does figure that out, we can never let Shannon Brown lead a fast break again.

  35. Kurt says

    I like that last possession better, the Lakers kept attacking the rim despite the big lineup in from Orlando. The Lakers need to do that. No more PUJITs for a while.

  38. Zephid says

    I don’t like the fact that Ariza gives up his dribble when trying to pass into the post. This allows teams to just shade off him and dare him to shoot an off rhythm three. He needs to keep his dribble, take a couple steps to one side, then pass the ball into Gasol and let him punish the Magic.

  40. glove32 says

    it looks like 3 seconds will be called tonight. The players need to adjust and move through the lane quickly

  43. adam t says

    Nice excerpt from over at SlamOnline’s live blog:

    While wandering around and watching the players warm up, I bumped into a former NBA player who (while insisting on speaking off the record) insisted the Magic will not be winning this series.

    ā€œThereā€™s no way Orlando can win playing this style of basketball,ā€ he said. ā€œThis drive and kick stuff might work in the East, but it wonā€™t work against a Western Conference team thatā€™s used to playing against big men. Also, Dwight Howard only has one post move. How can you spend the entire summer playing with the Dream Team and still come back with just one post move?ā€

  44. 3ThreeIII says

    I looked at it again, and I don’t understand the first foul called on Bynum. You HAVE to be allowed your own space on the floor.

    At worst, that should have been called on Howard, but realistically, there was no call there.

    If the referees are blowing the whistle at that level of contact, they will be out of breath before the second half, with blistered lips…

  45. Kurt says

    The Lakers are the more efficient offense so far, at a pathetic 68.8 points per 100 possessions. This is not pretty.

  47. Birdman says

    LA peeps are looking into their mobiles more often than into the game.
    Definition of BORING.

  48. Mimsy says

    In the defense of every player on the floor, it’s very hard to get in a shooting rhythm when the whistles go off every 15 seconds. Which is why we need to attack the paint instead.

  50. harold says

    wow, we’re going to have a really high scoring game at this rate šŸ˜‰

    maybe Magic wants to prove that they can win scoring 75.

    If both teams keep this up, the team that scores 75 may win by double digits.

  56. joe wright says

    Pau is awful today in the offensive end but he is doing an AWESOME work on Howard.

  57. Mimsy says

    @lakergirl
    Took the words right out of my mo… er, keyboard. Shoot a jumper or dunk it! Snarl!

  58. harold says

    Who said Orlando won’t shoot 30% again?

    Let’s see if we can keep this up while getting some boards.

  59. Birdman says

    Gasol is “out the zone” .

    He is now taking too many quick shots because Dwight had his shot blocked once.
    And he’s doing a 7-foot teardrop.

  60. glove32 says

    not a pretty quarter. The Lakers actualy had a higher fg% at 30% to the Magic’s 28.6%

  62. 3ThreeIII says

    I agree Lakergirl. When Walton gets that pass to you in the paint, after drawing the defensive rotation, you have to attack the rim. Go hard, and you will get the contact, the foul, and maybe the dunk/lay-up.

    Per the referees… I am having trouble believing that they are actually calling 3 Seconds and Moving Screens. Of course the game is disjointed! The players are stunned!

  63. Reed says

    I thought our defense was beautiful. If we keep that up we have nothing to fear.

  64. Joe says

    Bad quarter by both teams but you have to give credit to the defense. Both teams played really hard defense, the offense will pick up in the second quarter.

  66. Andreas G. says

    Awful is a strong word;) He did have that one nice dunk (the goaltend one), the nice post move with the left, and the interior no look pass to LO. But sure ā€“ he’s had better offensive quarters.

    If the Lakers can keep up this kind of D, I’m not too worried however. Kobe and Pau will get going; they usually do.

  69. harold says

    As a ‘rational’ fan though, I am very pleased that we can and are playing defense.

    Offense will come, in the name of Kobe if all else fails.

  71. glove32 says

    The Lakers need to do a better job on the boards. They are giving up too many 2nd attemps

  77. emh101 says

    I don’t mind the players having to adjust to how the refs are calling the game, but it seems the refs are throwing a lot at them that they had been letting go before.

  78. Nick the Great says

    Getting three-plus minutes of rest for Kobe and Pau while adding a couple points to the lead is a steal in my book. It’s still been all jumpers on offense to start the quarter though…

  79. Travis says

    yo the refs are slowing this game down a ton. everythings a foul. way different from game 1.

  80. 3ThreeIII says

    Yeah…. explain that second foul on Luke to me…

    Was that a “Lack of Chivalry” call? Is he supposed to hold a door open for Lewis there?

    All that said, the defense has been scrappy, and awesome.

    Lamar’s block on the break was sweet, but so was the fact that ALL FIVE Lakers were at the basket after sprinting back.

    Very, very nice!

  81. Birdman says

    Laker fans, pardon me for asking this, but I can’t stop wondering about this for about a long time now, when the away teams scores below 100, do the opponents get free tacos as well?

  82. yoo yoo says

    Isnt if funny how Van Gundy comes out saying he doesnt want to use post game interviews to bitch about calls, yet all of a sudden since that interview in cavs series Dwight Howard gets just about every call his way. I find it humorous how easily Bynum gets whistled when you pretty much could nail Howard every time down the court for an elbow, moving screen or body contact… whatever van gundy..Its all good though, the Lakers dont need the calls to win.

  83. harold says

    Free tacos to the person who can find Sasha’s shot.

    Then again, life would have been too easy had Sasha shot like he did last year.

  85. D-RED says

    Yoo Yoo look at the fouls and tell me which team is in foul trouble. You comment was at the wrong time

  86. Mimsy says

    And on a more serious taco note, I thought that if you have a ticket you get tacos? Someone else who has actually been to Staples probably knows better than me though.

  94. yoo yoo says

    total bs, the one guy that gets screwed more then anyone in this entire playoffs has been poor bynum, I dont think I have seen him hack a player once this playoffs, the refs just pick on him. Time for Phil to come out and call out the double standard, then Dwight could get back to the bench, although the way he shoots I kind of like him out there.

  95. emh101 says

    Bynum can be a black hole on offense now and then. Pau is much better at passing it back out and finding the open or slashing teammate.

  96. Chad says

    I actually dont mind that foul on Bynum, He was racing down the court and just got caught off guard as the ball handler cut right in front of him. Im just glad he didnt show any signs of pain from the fall.

  97. Zephid says

    Why all the Sasha hate? He missed the shot because he got a horrible pass from Farmar. He’s also brought back the old Bob Cousy trick of running underneath a player going up to shoot instead of contesting late.

    I’d complain more about Farmar, who’s taken 2 average shots and 3 really bad ones, also with a couple turnovers and stupid fouls. I’d like to see more Shannon Brown at this point.

  104. harold says

    Was gonna say we got to rebound better, but if we can get a steal, I guess I won’t mind.

  105. Travis says

    my favorite part of this game is the laker D. its here again tonight. really good sign.

  106. Chad says

    wow, the lakers cant buy a foul against howard, he flies in and practically lands on gasol and the call goes against pietrus

  108. Andreas G. says

    Any time when Pau and Kobe are a combined 1/10 and the Lakers are still winning, there are reasons to feel good about the outcome.

  109. Nick the Great says

    No Lakers in double figures, Kobe’s only taken four shots, the team is shooting less than 40%, and we’re leading by 3 (soon to be 5?). I’ll take it.

  110. kehn says

    seriously though – can we buy a defensive rebound? Way too many 2nd shot chances for the Magic, at least they’re bricking most of them

  111. yoo yoo says

    I think we kind of want him out there if hes gonna keep shooting at a 20 percent clip.

  112. lakergirl says

    Since we’ve missed most of our free thros does that mean that our focus is a little off?

  116. Mico says

    i think the overall idea of this game has turned to

    well shots are missing anyway, might as well fire three pointers šŸ˜›

  117. Mimsy says

    We should probably stop doubling off of Lewis if he keeps shooting like this…

  119. Kurt says

    Mimsy, the Lakers are doubling in the post and have to rotate off Lewis, and the Magic are moving the ball so much better this game. Lewis is benefiting.

  120. Anonymous says

    please, please, refs dont put bynum into foul trouble.. i do not want to see so much odom

  125. harold says

    I guess we went to the middle this game, since Lamar and Pau are our leading scorers…. with 7 pts each.

    Kobe and Ariza with 6 pts each.
    Fisher and Bynum with 5 pts each.
    Farmar with 4pts.

    Talk about balanced scoring.

  126. 3ThreeIII says

    Wow that was the best 1st quarter I have ever seen. High scoring, lots of defensive plays, good adjustments by the coaches with the substitutions! Fun to watch!

    Wait… what?

    That was the 1st HALF?

    Oh… well… *sigh*

  127. Mimsy says

    That last bucket by Gasol better be on a replay or highlight. Seriously… you show a player sitting down on the bench during the home team’s last possession of the half? Oh wait, you’re ABC. Never mind. Your camera works is always horrible.

  128. John says

    I dont want to see rashard lewis sitting down when pau is making a bucket inside. crack work ABC

  129. j. d. hastings says

    Maybe I’m old fashioned but I’m usually of the mid that when only one player has mad more than 1 field goal in a game, you probably shouldn’t leave him completely wide open to hit 2 3 pointers in a row.

  130. Chad says

    cant complain too much about being up by five with the way Lewis is shooting, it speaks volumes of how well the majority of our defense has been able to hold up to Orlando’s adjustments and higher energy level than last game

  133. yoo yoo says

    I love six points on five shots, i guess some of these heads forget the lakers do better when kobe isnt launching it.

  135. Travis says

    I like how Kobe put it. they made adjustments so now we go make ours. that tells you that even though the lakers aren’t up by much, they are confident that they are able to do much of what made them successful in game 1. I like our chances.

  136. yoo yoo says

    I get depressed when Shannon Brown doesn’t see the court though, that guy gets me fired up. I really think Brown and Ariza are the greatest steals in Laker history, when you consider we gave up guys that I wouldnt want on my rec league squad.

  140. Andreas G. says

    yoo yoo: How about giving up Kwame for Pau?;)

    I agree with you though ā€“ I really like both Trevor and ShanWOW.

  141. Birdman says

    The halftime show totally describes both teams tonight: They perform but they don’t know why the hell are they performing.

  143. Mimsy says

    #136,
    I’ll call that bet and raise you with the “Kwame Brown and scrubs for Pau Gasol”-trade. šŸ™‚

  144. Nick the Great says

    We may be slowing Dwight with some good D, but he’s already got 11 rebounds. That guys is just a beast on the boards, there’s nothing else to it.

  147. yoo yoo says

    if balls dont ever go in the basket your seven footers are gonna get rebounds.

  148. Birdman says

    Sasha has been +3, took only one good shot, had 1 rebound, and held Redick to a 0-of-5 shooting, considering he has a team-leading +0 this series.

  150. 3ThreeIII says

    yoo yoo: Um… Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the combination plate of center Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters, and rookies Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman.

    So, yeah… not even close, just saying.

    I like our chances to make adjustments, and use Walton and Brown in the second half to wear their wings down.

    Then, with a bit of treatment for the doink he suffered in the first half, Kobe time.

    As has been said, when Gasol and Bryant give you not a whole lot, and you are still leading, you have to like your chances in the second half.

    Still, Orlando is scary, so let’s hammer them down.

    CUT OUT THEIR HEARTS!

  152. luubi says

    this game is making me nervous. If the Magic have someone else making shots and stop turning the ball over, Lakers are in real trouble.

  154. harold says

    Okay, not the best way to start the second half.

    That’s two quick turnovers by Fisher…

  155. Cayucos Surfer says

    Speaking of tennis, are we at a match right now? I can’t hear the crowd at all. I hate Staples. Cheer for your damn team!

  156. Mimsy says

    In the crowd’s defense, this is a boring game to watch… I have a hard time staying interested over here, and I have affordable beer close by!

  159. yoo yoo says

    If Orlando is happy to be in this game, they should recognize Houston or Denver would be up by double digits right now.

  161. Shaky says

    DREW WTF??? What the heck was that 4th foul? Why are you jumping into Turk there? WHY? And how are you even pretending to be surprised?

    My remote control needs to stay at that spot I just threw it to, if it knows what’s good for it.

  162. yoo yoo says

    When did Howard become the Michael Jordan dude gets more love then Kobe or Lebron, ridiculous.

  166. harold says

    Gotta start attacking the middle and get some fouls… this looks like a game that may be decided on the FT line.

  171. Andreas G. says

    Say what you want about JVG ā€“ that comment about Ewing was hilarious:D

  173. Kurt says

    Ariza forced to rotate onto Howard and the Magic can’t score, Ariza with the steal and the big dunk going the other way.

    By the way, loved Fisher’s Steve Nash impersonation on the possession before that.

  177. kehn says

    7-0 edge to Orlando on the offensive glass – with any kind of offensive rebounding, we’re doing a lot better than our current and fragile 3 pt lead.

  178. yoo yoo says

    NBA’s awards are such a joke so retarded Ariza not on all defensive team, but Howard other then a through the rim block once again worthless on D. Ariza is the best defender in this series.

  179. Nick the Great says

    I have literally been wringing my hands in this second half. The Magic have come out with considerably more energy in this second half, also Hedo is starting to get some jumpers to fall. Thankfully, Skip still can’t hit the broadside of a barn and our offense has also been a little more inspired than in the first half. This one feels like it is going to go down to the wire.

  181. passerby says

    just have to stop orlando cuts and drives. that seems to be their last stand strategy inside-out with kick-outs. once those start dropping, this will be closer. lakers look sharper in this series. i feel good about our game 2 chances than in hou or den unless we breakdown. not likely with kobe on go go mode. go lakers

  182. emh101 says

    I don’t know if I agree with that, yoo yoo. I think Howard is a great defender and his and his team’s stats through the season show it.

  185. harold says

    We’re approaching the penalty really quick while the Magic foulded just once this quarter.

    Really?

  186. yoo yoo says

    yeah blocks are a joke of a stat Camby isnt even a half way decent defender but just like howard could get beat on the post, but come help for a noisy block. Pau when he gets the ball gets whatever shot he wants/

  187. Ryan says

    Rebounding is a part of playing defense and Howard is the best rebounder in the game. On top of that how many shots around the basket does Howard change per game. Howard deserved the DPOY award he got.

  188. Cayucos Surfer says

    The refs are just destroying this game.. for both teams.. and fans as well.

  189. passerby says

    man, orlando must be this good to make it this far on this system. something tells me we need a kobe explosion to end the 3rd

  190. luubi says

    I don’t get the lakers. Lewis makes shots and they leave him open. But they double team Howard b/c he had one dunk?

  192. j. d. hastings says

    Kurt- could you let the fans that the game started?

    There is no flow to this game. First team to find it wins. Right now, one team gets 2-3 good possessions, then let the other team do the same.

  196. passerby says

    man if lamar shoots his j’s this well, we could do much better. how is this a foul on lamar?

  198. Ryan says

    Need to stop Doubling Howard every time. Change up the defense. double sometimes and not others, bring the double from different places. And bring the Double as Howard makes his move not before he does.

  199. 3ThreeIII says

    Too much Fisher, not enough Bynum…

    Let’s get to the 4th with a lead of 5 or so, and then focus hard on defense.

  200. Birdman says

    When the refs are calling the game loose, you see the results: Game 1.
    When tight: Game 2.

  201. Kurt says

    JD. It’s been a hard game for the fans to get into. So many fouls, a slow pace, long timeouts. Just no rhythm. But Kareem just got a nice hand.

  203. Andreas G. says

    In my opinion, they are doubling Howard too much. Let’s see if he can make a couple of shots first. It’s not like he’s been lighting Pau up?

  206. yoo yoo says

    Anyone else realize our best point guard doesnt even play, its so funny phil is to stubborn to play Shannon even though the dude comes in cold every game and is the best small man on the floor. Very strange for a zen man to not go with the present, I know we can without him but not only is he the best defender and shooter of our points hes a crowd pleaser.

  207. yoo yoo says

    fisher needs to make a couple more of those to jusify his moon bootb defense while brown and farmar sit there watching.

  209. Lewis says

    Phil needs to put Drew ASAP back In the game let him foul out his presence defensively is being missed right now

  210. j. d. hastings says

    The energy in this game is like its the middle of february. Dial it up, Lakers. Kobe’s last 2 shots were just ill-conceived, based on thinking about what happens IF they go in, rather than executing a high percentage play (like his assist to fisher, which was an excellent play).

  211. glove32 says

    I do not know if the Lakers can give Kobe a rest at the start of the 4thQ. He needs to be in the game

  212. Mamula says

    We need to get some stops… offense will come off our stops. We should not give Magic any reason to feel confident in this series

  214. Will says

    Lakers are playing sloppy and shooting cold and are still only down by 2. If they can focus in the 4th they should take this.

  215. harold says

    We’ve been totally driven out of the paint tonight.

    Gotta attack more and get the game to closing mode with FTs. Limit Howard by getting FTs so he can’t participate in transition offense.

    Seriously, we made no baskets in the paint this quarter and that’s really not gonna cut it.

  216. Joe says

    This looks really bad for the Lakers. They have had no offensive rhythm the whole game, a bench mob that cant score well will be on the floor for them, unless Bryant is left in. This is gonna be a really important first 4-5 minutes of the quarter. We gota contain the Magic hot shooters better

  217. joe wright says

    Kobe has to wait the game arrives to him.Don t force such ugly shots.You are not going to get a Jordan-like performance every day.Keep sharing the ball and play hard D one-one on Howard.Start with Drew and when he get fouled out switch to Pau.That would do it.

  219. 3ThreeIII says

    This is the Finals, and you have 42 hours of rest before Game 3 in Orlando.

    Kobe needs to play in the 4th.

  223. harold says

    Odom and Bynum with 4 each.

    Our team already racked up 3.

    This is a recipe for disaster.

  225. Mimsy says

    The worst part with the refereeing is that you know the conspiracy theories and paranoia is going to continue anyway… no matter how they call it.

    On that note, Lamar is doing great despite being hacked on every possession. I like what we’ve gotten from him so far.

  227. Kurt says

    That turnover was on Brown, you stay in that pressure relief spot in the corner until the shot is up.

  234. harold says

    Unless we start drawing some fouls, this game is going to be really, really, painful.

    On the bright side, if we do pull this one off, it has to be demoralizing.

  237. Mimsy says

    harold, it not a matter of drawing fouls. It’s a matter of the refs calling them.

  242. Birdman says

    Refs should have counted that 3 on Kobe. WOW. just Wow. I almost dropped my laptop.

  243. harold says

    Mimsy, in that case, I see another 25k fine coming up for PJ and the Lakers.

    We’ve attempted less FTs than they’ve made, and still only behind two. I guess there’s something to that, but we really have to get something going.

  244. emh101 says

    The Lakers are not in position to rebound as they were last game. Is that a result of the Magic being more energetic on the boards or the Lakers less so?

  246. Cayucos Surfer says

    OK.. I officially hate Steve Javie. This is ridiculous. Good, clean defense is a foul, and fighting through a screen is illegal. soo.. how are we supposed to stop them again?

    im sure it will even out as we get to the end of the game.. i hope.

  247. yoo yoo says

    I am not worried, unless the refs take it away the better team should win tonite.

  248. Andreas G. says

    Seriously, sometimes I wonder how you guys live with all these commercial breaks. There’d be riots in Europe if they did this to soccer games.

  251. kehn says

    This game, our guys probably get called for a foul by looking at the Laker Girls funny.

  255. Mimsy says

    I am now at the point where I am genuinely thinking: If they are calling just about anything anyway, why not just do a Rondo? Knock some teeth out, injure someone. You’re going out anyway, go out causing damage.

    I’d be ashamed of that thought if I wasn’t so frustrated by the way this has been officiated. This is either deliberate bias or glaring incompetence, and I’m not sure which is worse.

  256. harold says

    With us being in the penalty, the refs are now in a position to save any botched offensive possession by the Magic.

    This is going to get uglier unless we witness something great again.

  257. lakergirl says

    Whats the defination of clutch free throws? 2 free throws with 4mins left?

  258. yoo yoo says

    im sick of the NBA,if the lakers lose by two on top of all the bad calls we gotta look at a dude blocking a shot through the rim, i mean that has to be the worst missed call in the history of pro sports. you got three dudes watching the basket.

  264. glove32 says

    Turkoglu does that alot, use his off hand to push the defender out of the way

  265. harold says

    FINALLY! Magic in the penalty too.

    Good god, now we are in for some clutch FT shooting.

    Dwight vs. Kobe

    Let’s see how this ends.

  266. Andreas G. says

    Has anyone else noticed that the refs don’t dare to call any more bad fouls after getting yelled at by Jack?;) Respect.

  267. Mimsy says

    Okay… trying to be constructive here. There’s 3 minutes left and we have Kobe, Pau, Lamar and Ariza. Let’s FOCUS!

  274. yoo yoo says

    I agree a close game is better for the memories but im sick of bad officiating, not just for the laker just the whole playoffs. Like all the bs flagrants, then brad miller gets decked and nothing. The fact that these dudes know they are getting criticized but between the whole crew they cant see a dude put his hand through the hoop. I mean its just attrocious. We would be better off letting dudes call their own fouls, and shoot for it.

  283. Cayucos Surfer says

    This is pretty much about what i expected for this game. Close down to the wire. We haven’t been able to get any flow going at all, and part of that is poor officiating, but a big part of it is that were just being indecisive with the ball. Too many turn overs and bad decisions.

  284. Zephid says

    Don’t the Lakers realize that Turkoglu isn’t going to drive late in the game. He always does the drive-fake, step-back jump shot.

  286. yoo yoo says

    you cant get stops with fisher on the floor if you watch the defensive breakdowns he has just been burned over and over all nite.

  287. 3ThreeIII says

    This is EXACTLY what Lakers fans have been dreading.

    Up and Down calls. No rhythm. Orlando hanging around and then making shots late.

    Go Lakers!

  288. DB says

    What I don’t understand is why they don’t force Hedo right! Everyone should know he’s gonna step back to the left for that shot.

  298. Zephid says

    I want to see Kobe catch the ball on the wing, screen from Gasol, cross-screen by Ariza for Odom, Odom cuts to the lane and gets a lay-up due to all the attention paid to Bryant.

  300. yoo yoo says

    Now can we get those two points back from the refs… they can change a two to a three two quarters later but they cant review a goaltend, amazing happens.

  303. Adrian says

    Please no OT.. Lamar’s already got 5, and the refs will do everything to take this one away from us

  310. Kurt says

    Mimsy, it was a foul any time but that late. Has to be a mugging with the game on the line like that. Just the way it is.

  318. yoo yoo says

    its a no lose situation tonite either we win im happy or i get to hear phil criticize the officiating in post game either way, its all good.

  330. Mamula says

    Kobe sagged off… Had Lee made it, Kobe would be under a lot of criticism tomorrow

  331. Mimsy says

    Okay, I know this goes against all my comments about the refs in this thread so far, but let’s not turn into the kinds of fans that blame everything on the refs. And I don’t mean that personally to anyone commenter here, especially not since I’m guilty of it myself at times.

    We should have rebounded better and moved the ball better. We made mistakes on defense, and our shooting % was not the best, and those factors more than the refs, are why we are now going into over-time.

    Let’s not join the conspiracy theorists and become the types of fans that we hate. We don’t need the refs’ help to win games. And because we don’t, we should be honest enough to admit that it’s not because of them we sometimes lose.

    Now, we are going into over-time. Let’s get them. Let’s win this.

  333. yoo yoo says

    I want to hate the Magic but I realize I just hate the NBA and its geriatric overpayed overprotected officials.

  335. yoo yoo says

    crap Kobe is in “he cant guard me mode” be prepared to ride or die with Kobes.

  337. Nick the Great says

    That point that Van Gundy just made about Fish is the smartest thing he ever said. If I am the Magic, I am just trying defend his shot when he drives, don’t give him passing lanes.

  338. yoo yoo says

    drews not allowed to play more then two times down the court without a foul.

  344. Chad says

    FIsher is having a great game, very veteran right now, he is an important presence on the floor for us

  350. Mimsy says

    I take back anything negative I might possibly have said earlier about Fisher leading a fast break.

  353. chris h says

    still too much time, don’t let up!
    match the intensity! they won’t give up!

  362. yoo yoo says

    Kobe needs to learn that he has to be a star to get calls like that, oh and Howard arguing a call. Its official
    I hate Dwight Howard.

  367. Nick the Great says

    Even if Orlando loses this game, they showed us that they’re going to make it a series. Lakers can’t give up a three here, do not double Dwight, just don’t do it. Stay with your man.

  368. harold says

    Laker D bailing out Kobe’s O.

    Now if we can get this, we’ve handed them a blowout and a close loss in OT.

    And we can’t lose 3 in a row, even at Orlando, can we?

    Looking good…

  375. Birdman says

    Seriously, Magic plays an A game and we’re still capable of winning the game?

    73 points from Lewis, Turkoglu, and Howard. Check.

    10 made threes. Check.

    +11 in rebounds. Check.

  386. Mimsy says

    Lamar made two free throws! Phew!

    I really hope I have some of that vodka left… I need something very nerve-numbing after this ordeal.

  387. 3ThreeIII says

    I need a drink, a shower and a throat lozenge!

    We win a game where toughness, and determination, mattered most! Um, and a bit of luck with Lee missing that alley-oop at the end.

    Win by 25, win by 5, still a win!

    Go Lakers!

  388. barry g says

    lots of not-so-great decision making by kobe in this game. THANK GOODNESSS WE GOT THIS ONE.

  389. DB says

    Sheesh, survive it right! But give the guys credit for hitting clutch free throws down the stretch. It’s a very good thing Jameer Nelson isn’t at 100%, or they would have won this going away…We really need to move the ball better on offense in game 3.

  390. j. d. hastings says

    Phew. That game was painful for 3 quarters, but the last 2 periods were all about execution. Both teams had stretches of great execution and poor execution. Clutch plays by both teams- some great team prep by SVG- but the lakers do just a little more.

  391. kehn says

    I’m not sure if that win makes me feel good or bad. Happy we held serve at home, that we executed when we had to, that we survived a strong, strong Orlando effort; not happy that we struggled all game long to guard fkn Hedo and Lewis and the defensive rebounding has got to pick up. Still – win’s a win and almost all of our guys made some bigtime contributions.

  392. Don W says

    man, first time in a long time other lakers won it instead of Kobe down the stretch. Actually more like despite Kobe.

  393. Mike says

    now the orlando magic have to win 4 out of 5 against the lakers. not sure if that is going to happen

  395. james says

    if orlando had reliable guards they would be very good, i think with a healthy nelson they beat us

  397. Birdman says

    LA still undefeated when i attend a Kobe game. šŸ˜€
    LA still undefeated this season when they wear their Sunday white uniforms. šŸ˜€

    But guys, remember, they had 2 wins as well in the Finals last year.

  398. joe wright says

    Lamar&Pau are clearly the MVP of the game.
    43pts (plus 2 stolen) 18rebs 70%FGM

  399. VI Guy says

    Mimsy,

    Channel 7 ABC is doing a post game if you’re in L.A.–unfortunately w/out my favorite Laker commenter Michael Cooper.

    Wow, whatta win….

  400. Joe says

    I got to say it. The Lakers won because they were “tough” haha. I mean Lakers could not get a flow offensively the whole game, Turk and Lewis were hot, Kobe wasnt dominant, yet we still pull out a win. What a great effort and a classic game!

  401. j. d. hastings says

    EXTREMELY ANNOYING: I get NBAtv with the league pass instead of the sports package. They let nbatv continue all the way through Friday. Now, suddenly they cut it off. Why string me along until right now??

  402. Mimsy says

    glove32,
    I don’t get FSW… šŸ™

    Heh. My husband just found it on ESPNEWS. Sweet. Channel 207 for anyone with DirecTV.

  405. Kev says

    I swear, this Lakers team is going to give me a heart attack at a young age. Did you see those last 2 shot by Courtney Lee at the end of regulation OMFG! OK now that I have caught my breath lets move forward to game 3. Imho the Lakers can wrap this up quickly If Farmar and Sasha show up on the road. The Magic are collapsing hard on Kobe and leaving shooters open. So far Sasha and Farmar have been a disaster when they have been on the court offensively and defensively. Another thing please stop doubling Howard, he is no Olajuwon in the post by any means. I would rather see Howard trying to score in the post one on one than letting Lewis and Hedo get clean looks at the basket.

  406. yoo yoo says

    I know that this could never happen as if the Lakers win its auto kobe MVP, but I really feel like the MVP through two games is Lamar. And damn, Pau and Lamar making clutch freethrows, I am ready to redo last years finals. The Refs played really good tonite for the Magic, just one win in the next three and were good, I think the Lakers will be back to playing good basketball for game three, that team is pretty awful unless they make threes however I fear they will next game.

  407. Peanut Butter Spread says

    Lakers got really lucky on this one.

    Too lucky for my comfort.

    If Courtney Lee had made that layup at the end of regulation, the Lakers would be going into Orlando 1-1.

    If the Magic had Nelson at 100%, the last two games would have possibly the Lakers down 0-2.

    I think the defense is paying too much attention on Dwight. Stop doubling the guy, pay attention to Hedo and Lewis for heaven’s sake!

    The Lakers looked lethargic tonight. Slow on defense, slow on offense. It was a really weird game to watch, the crowd wasn’t into it until like the 2 minute mark of the 4th quarter.

    Game 3 is pivotal. For Orlando it’s a must win and I think for the Lakers, it’s also a must win just because I’m seeing 2006 Miami-Dallas flashing through my eyes right now.

    I hope the Lakers bring it, but I think everyone should probably expect a win from Orlando, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won with a blowout.

  408. emh101 says

    Odom is certainly a key to our team, but Kobe opens up the floor for the rest of the team. He takes the double teams and drives and draws the defense in. Lamar gets what he gets mainly because of what Kobe does.

  410. wiseolgoat says

    with all due respect to Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday”, BASKETBALL is a game of inches. One inch to the left and an inch less pressure on Lee’s oop and we’re tied 1-1. An inch to the right and Hedo and Lewis can those 3s instead of having them swirl in and out. An inch lower and Pau’s dagger layup and-1 just becomes 2 FTs. If Howard sticks his arm out an inch longer then Fish’s pass to Gasol gets deflected for a turnover instead of game-tying dunk.

    Today the inches went our way instead of theirs – by destiny, experience, skill, or luck – and we pull out a gutty win.

  411. pw says

    102. You mean the same Lamar who consistently left Rashard Lewis open on at least 15 possessions. Some of those possessions, I have no clue what exactly he was doing in the paint. And that too when Lewis was making every jumper from anywhere on the court.

  412. Peanut Butter Spread says

    Lamar’s shirt isn’t too bad. It’s a nice blue color? He looks relaxed in the shirt. I admit, I actually like LO’s fashion. Most of it anyways.

  413. Chris248 says

    I think this is one of those exceptions where the winning team will need to make adjustments for Game 3.

    On defense, we need to show Lamar a picture of Rashard Lewis so he knows who to pick up on defense. Lewis had a great game but some of his points came from Lamar hanging out in the key then closing out late. And I have no idea what happened on that play where Kobe was clapping his hands where Derek, Kobe, and Lamar all basically had their back to Lewis as he drained a three. But I think this is not a difficult fix.

    On offense, I wish we would keep the flow going and take open shots when the offense creates them. I felt Derek and Pau had open looks that they then complicated by faking, and creating a worse shot.

    I also hate Ariza’s body language on offense, especially when he camps at the three-point line with his arms up, even after the play is over (and why is he camped at the three when we only needed a two to win the game on the last play?).

    But Trevor did great on defense and I’m glad the officials did not buy in to all of Hedo’s gesticulations.

    I don’t think we’re in danger of a 2006 delayed sweep, but we should take care of business and finish it off in Orlando.

  414. Mimsy says

    Let me clarify regarding the shirt: In and of itself it’s pretty horrible, however, Lamar not only pulls it off, but looks very comfortable and happy in it, which means that although still a pretty bad shirt, it looks good on Lamar.

    I’m not sure if that made sense… and it should also be pointed out that compared to Craig Sager, Lamar has impeccable taste.

  415. Peanut Butter Spread says

    LOL Mimsy.

    I think that’s why I like LO’s taste in fashion. It’s so unusual, yet he makes it work. The jackets, the shirts, the suits, the vests, he somehow just works it. He can pull it off.

    I’m still not happy with the win. Too many open 3s. But I guess a win is a win.

  416. harold says

    It’s a bit late to change our defensive philosophy, which basically was ‘give up 3s but stop 2s.’

    Not something i’d condone against this Magic, but oh well, I’m thinking we can’t lose 3 in a row and that means we take one in Orlando šŸ˜‰

    The silver lining here, for us, is that we survived a pretty bad kobe tonight.

  417. Don W says

    Reporter: What did you think on the last play with Courtney Lee?
    Kobe: “Shit”

  418. Anonymous says

    14 free throws in a row to end the game, nails.

    I love how ESPN chose not to show the press conferences after the game and instead gave us a breathless report on Brett Favre. Jeez, let this guy just retire and go away.

  419. Dex says

    When the Magic failed to convert with .8 seconds remaining a forked vein appeared under the skin of my forehead, pulsed once and exploded, whipping around like an out-of-control fire-hose and dappling my small living room in blood as bright and red as largish paintball splatters. I’ve Googled it but no beans. Does anyone know if I should be worried or not; there’s no pain, just a flap of skin and a slight swath of naked skull and I’m paler than usual. But really happy about the win.

  421. sT says

    A win is a win, but yeah, it could have gone either way tonight. I will take the 2-0 going to Orlando though, anyday. Can’t wait to see what FB&G puts up to talk about this game before Tuesday.

  422. Mimsy says

    Speaking of fashion, who is the guy with the huge Laker fur hat? I like him! He asks smart questions. šŸ™‚

  423. lakergirl says

    409 Mimsy, i actually liked Lamars shirt. The Military style shirt is definately back in vogue this season

  424. Kurt says

    422. That’s Vic the Brick, local radio personality. Some people hate his shtick, but radio is about shtick. And the guy has a job despite the radio upheaval in this city, so in that sense it works for him. But he is out there.

  426. glove32 says

    Mimsy,
    that is Vic the Brick, he does updates on the local FOX station in Los Angeles AM 570

  427. yoo yoo says

    Quick question I was out drinking, did anyone ask anyone about the Dwight Howard block, cuz i seet this dude whining about the missed shot at end of regulation, but bottom line the Lakers had already won by two.

  429. Steve W says

    Seems to me that Turkuglo uses his off hand to fend off the defender every time he dribbles. Why isn’t this called a foul on him?

  430. yoo yoo says

    Ariza, Pau, Kobe, Lamar, Brown, Fish, Bynum, Farmar

    or

    Worthy, Magic, Kareem, Woolridge, Scott, Cooper

    damn yeah that team was sweet I hope we look back on this squad as being up ther, but damn I forgot how sweet that Shotime squad was.

    I think as Laker fans we can live with Howard not fouling out but lets hope next game they stop treating Bynum like Danny Fortson, and let him actually play. The dude is ready to blow up but cant dust off his shorts without a whistle.

    By the way this has been a lot of fun chatting with you all.

    GO LAKERS>

  431. greencrow333 says

    Even though others are complaining about how the Lakers played defense I think it was fairly good, especially in the backcourt. Orlando shot 41.8 percent overall but their backcourt,(including Pietrus), was a combined 6 for 26(23 percent) overall and only 1 for 12(8 percent) from three point range. After watching the game and then looking at the boxscore it seems that the only facet of the game the Lakers got beat on was rebounding. The Lakers made more field goals, shot a higher percentage and made more free throws. I think anytime a team does that they are pretty much assured of a win. Up 2 to 0 feels pretty good, grin, let’s see if Orlando can beat the Blue and Gold four out of five.

  432. yoo yoo says

    Sorry I am bored last post I swear….

    Whats more soul crushing losing by 25 or losing a nail bighter?

  434. Snoopy2006 says

    -Lamar came up big, keeping us in the game when other Lakers wanted to give it away. Scrappy play, hitting all the bunnies he sometimes misses. Clutch FTs too. Yes, he left Lewis, but the defensive gameplan was to help on Dwight and Odom had to rotate. I wouldn’t blame LO too much for that.

    -Fish played beautifully tonight. Of course, he still made some decisions that, had they gone wrong, would have looked stupid (e.g. forcing the break on Turk). But the game is about results, so Fish will get his props. Hit his shots, made some key passes.

    -Turk’s defense on Kobe was extremely impressive. Good timing with the hands, bodied him up well, and generally didn’t let his lack of foot speed become a factor.

    -Ariza just played some great, gritty D. Admittedly, I can understand Magic fans’ beef because Ariza is allowed to get away with more contact on Turk than Magic defenders can get away with on Kobe, but that’s the nature of the NBA. Ariza made the most of it.

    -Seems like anytime Luke Walton was in the game, Courtney Lee was not.

    -Both Kobe and Dwight had a high # of TOs. Both teams had solid defensive strategies against the superstars. I feel a bit bad, but Dwight’s lack of a post game is really being exposed here.

    -If you took the best centers in the league today and put them in the late 80s/early 90s, they’d be fairly unremarkable. Even the least of the great big men (Ewing, Mourning) played both ends of the floor in ways that Yao and Dwight don’t. If you could combine Yao’s O-game with Dwight’s D, however…wow…

  435. yoo yoo says

    Check this… for all his scoring Lewis plus minus was minus six tonite… worst on the team, goes to show no defense and long ball isn’t the way to win a championship. Laker’s high man was Lamar Odom plus ten, coming off the bench that is pretty impressive in a close game.

  436. Snoopy2006 says

    Steve W – Because almost every great wing player in the league does it, including Kobe and Melo.

  440. harold says

    Blowout? check.
    OT nailbiter? check.

    now…

    away win?
    away clincher?

    can we get them both?

  442. harold says

    Off topic, but anyone else see a lot of Blue and Gold as opposed to Purple and Gold?

    Ever since HD, some of the digital feeds can’t seem to capture purple and make it look blue… just like average digital cameras.

    Noticed that some feeds were better, but still there are lotsa feeds where the jerseys are blue when they should be purple.

  443. R says

    Speaking of Hedo illegally using his off hand, I think it was he who had the ball knocked free and then pushed a Laker away so he could retrieve the ball (No whistle).

    Still, the first quarter “no call” on Howard’s absolutely obvious goaltend was even more amazing. Uh, how inept can these refs be? Are they having some sort of stupidity contest?

    And, btw, I rarely worry about calls, figuring they typically more or less even out over the course of a game. But jeez.

  444. chearn says

    If Van Gundy decides to go to a no guard lineup at any point in Orlando we should full court pressure whom ever has to bring the ball up. Keep a fresh guard rotation and full court pressure them into making mistakes they are not a good passing team anyway, so this will add to their turnover woes, and hopefully a Laker victory.

  445. Darius says

    I’m late to this party because I had to watch this game on the DVR. So, I apologize if these observations have already been made…

    Tonight, the Magic showed why they are in the Finals. They made several key adjustments that worked out in their favor. First, they were much more effective in the P&R. Howard was able to get a piece of Ariza much more consistently than in game one, and it affected our defense in a major way. Wondering why Lewis found himself more open on the perimeter? Wonder why Hedo was able to get to his step back jumper more often? Look no further than Howard holding that screen just a tick longer and allowing Hedo to get a bit more space and Howard to get a cleaner roll to the basket. And when our PF has to show on Howard’s roll AND chase Lewis around the arc and you’ve got problems. The Magic also did a much better job bottling Kobe up on the P&R. Howard is one of the most gifted help defenders in the league for a reason. He was able to show on Kobe (limiting Kobe’s space to shoot his jumper) and still recover to the paint to put a body on our bigs + rebound – no small feat. He *is* an amazing athlete. Like I said, the Magic did several things well and showed their worth in this game. I’m not sure if fans thought a 25 point win meant that we were clearly a higher class team, but that wouldn’t be the proper conclusion – something that the players and coaches were stressing over the past two off days.

    As for the Lakers, I’m not sure why so many have said we won this game despite Kobe or that Kobe didn’t play that well. Yes, he had seven turnovers. Yes he took some long jumpers that didn’t drop. But when the game was on the line he made some very difficult shots, drew fouls, and made the key play in the closing minutes when he set up Pau on his and-one. Remember, the guy did give us 49 minutes and worked his tail off for most of it. Orlando made his job much more difficult tonight and he still came through when it mattered.

    A couple of other points about the game, bullet style:

    *I thought we were undisciplined in the way that we took too many long jumpers. Sure, those shots were open, but in game 1 those were shots that we passed on to look inside instead. And while these shots didn’t lead to fast break plays outright, Orlando did push the ball back at us and on several plays this led to cross matches where our guards ended up on Lewis and he was able to get open shots on smaller players. Farmar and Sasha were the biggest culprits here (even though Sasha only took that one three) and it’s no coincidence that they only played 6 and 5 minutes respectively – and in an overtime game to boot. Ariza was also uneven on offense taking 6 threes and also forcing some inside shots in a contested lane.

    *Van Gundy changed his substitution patterns and it took away some of the advantages that we exploited in game one. Walton never saw a single minute of action where either Lewis or Hedo weren’t playing SF, essentially negating his post game. We saw a big line up with Hedo, Lewis, Gortat, and Howard all in the game at the same time essentially removing any rebounding advantage and making their P&R defense even that much stronger. Lee also didn’t play as many minutes – making Kobe play against size more often as he found himself matched up with Pietrus or Hedo for long stretches. So, when you combine these bigger defenders and better P&R defense, you’ve got Kobe working harder to get his points.

    *Orlando still doesn’t have an answer for our skill bigs. Gasol and Odom feasted on the inside and on the mid post, getting into the creases of the defense and making mid range jumpers. We all know that Kobe is the engine of this team, but Orlando better find a way to control these guys or they’ll find themselves in a similar situation to tonight – playing well themselves but still not coming up with enough at the end to win. Odom especially was big as he flashed his all court game on the biggest stage. Odom turned several of his six defensive rebounds into opportunities to push the ball, he made a couple of jumpers against Gortat early which gave him crucial space to operate later in the contest, and was constantly putting pressure on the Orlando D with his movement. I do understand that he left Lewis several times, but I as I explained earlier our PF has multiple responsibilities on the P&R and Orlando only runs that play 50-60 times a game. And as I said in my comments before this series started, Orlando is going to get open looks this series. It’s inevitable. On a certain level, we’re just going to have to accept that and hope they miss some and that the rest of our defense is up to the task against the other facets of Orlando’s arsenal.

    *I feel comfortable in saying that Fisher has stabilized some from his earlier struggles in the playoffs. I’m not ready to say he’s back to being Mr. Reliable or that he’s the guy he was even 3 years ago, but he played a much more controlled game. He made several good plays and hit a couple of big jumpers (including that three that tied it in the middle of the fourth quarter). It’s nice to see that he’s playing okay again after all his sub standard play against Houston (and somewhat against Denver too).

  446. Snoopy2006 says

    Props should be given to Bill Bridges, who (if I remember correctly) before the series began predicted that SVG would be the first to blink and play Gortat and Howard at the same time.

  449. dave in hillsboro says

    401, j.d. hastings,

    I get NBATV as a result of League Pass as well, and they didn’t cut me off. But, take heart, you didn’t miss anything. NBATV has no post-game press conference coverage in the Finals. It’s all on ESPN News and Sportscenter. I can’t say that I’m thrilled with this. NBATV is the best when it comes to not cutting off speakers, always airing the complete press conference live.