NBA NOTES - ORLANDO SUFFERS MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE LAKERS WIN TITLE

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

LAKERS GO FISHEN TO WIN THE TITLE - KOBE MVP - The series was over after game four when Orlando gave up a 3 point lead with less than a minute remaining. The bite, the fight the fierce light in their eyes was gone after game four… IT WAS OVER. Orlando Suffered From the Shoulda Woulda, Coulda Disease

LAKERS GO FISHEN TO WIN THE TITLE

Monday June 15, 2009

The series was over after game four when Orlando gave up a 3 point lead with less than a minute remaining. The bite, the fight the fierce light in their eyes was gone after that game… IT WAS OVER.

Orlando Suffered From the Shoulda Woulda, Coulda Disease. Shoulda, woulda, coulda doesn't apply when you lose. The bottom line is if you don't take care of business or if you snooze you lose is more appropriate.

The Los Angeles Lakers franchise won their 15th NBA title and they went fishen (the correct improper spelling) to do it. Their ancient 34-year-old guard Derek Fisher was the fly in Orlando's ointment in game four when he hit a three point shot with only 4.6 seconds remaining in the clock and that pretty much was all she wrote for the Magic as his dagger went deep into the soul of the their team.

You could see the look in the Magic's eyes as the look of a loser. Their lack of NBA Finals playoff experience was the unraveling factor as the Lakers went from a 91-91 tie with only 40 seconds remaining to win by eight and a 99-91 final score. From that point it was rudimentary. The inexperienced Magic were victims to NBA Finals pressure. They just showed up while the Lakers romped in game five walking away with a 99-86 victory and the title.

Orlando made far too many mistakes. They played a weak defense by not being aggressive enough and giving the Lakers too much room to shoot. Prior to game four the NBA telecast showed the Magic teasing Hedo Turkoglu about not playing his man close enough and giving him too much room to shoot in game three. Coach Stan Van Gundy noted that he didn't run at the shooter to cause him some problems. Turkoglu responded that he did have his hands up.

The same situation occurred in game four when Fisher drilled his three pointer that sent that game into overtime. The guilty non defender was guard Jameer Nelson who due to an injury hadn't played from the middle of the season until the Finals against the Lakers. He hadn't played in the playoff series leading up to the finals showdown with the Lakers and was rusty and not in physical or mental NBA Finals game shape. His lack of defensive play against Fisher exposed that scenario.

Nelson's appearance in the finals could also be interpreted as a coaching error as Van Gundy seems to be in love with Nelson and did not respect the talents of Rafer Alston a mid season acquisition from the Houston Rockets who replaced Nelson when he was injured. Alston stepped in and helped guide the Magic to the playoffs. Alston was in shape and in rhythm with the team while Nelson was not. In game four Nelson played 26 minutes to Alston's 27. Alston was more productive scoring 11 points to Nelson's two.

The other grave Magic error was the Magic's inability to make free throws in game four as they converted only 22-37 while the Lakers hit 15 of 20 attempts. The Magic's star center Dwight Howard could have iced that game and have had the Magic tie the series 2-2. If he had made two free throws when they had a three point lead at 94-91 the game could have been out of reach. Making two would have given them a five point lead and enough time on the 24 second (time of possession limit) clock for another possession. Making only one would have given them a four point lead forcing a two possession situation. Again that didn't happen and the results fall into the shoulda, woulda, coulda category.

The usually dependable Rashard Lewis had a terrible shooting night for Orlando making only 2 of 10 attempts. This could be a result of the NBA Finals pressure. Yes we said could as in the coulda category. That game was the turning point. From that position the Lakers had history on their side as ALL of the previous 29 NBA Finals teams with a 3-1 series lead won the title and this was no exception.

As expected Kobe Bryant made his all-star presence known with his stellar performances that resulted in a 32.4 ppg average throughout the series. Treavor Ariza was the glue that helped the Lakers make it through the playoffs as he repeatedly came up with key defensive plays and steals. The versatile Pau Gasol was a major force and Lamar Odom was also a key performer. They won the title as a team.

The Lakers and Kobe won a title without Shaquille O'Neal who previously joked that Kobe couldn't win a title without him. It was a statement that was thrown into Kobe's face since it was made after the Miami Heat won a title with Shaq after he was summarily dissed and dismissed by the Lakers organization when friction erupted between the two as to who was the leader of the team that won three-peat NBA titles 2000, 2001 & 2002.

At the post game press conference Kobe and his teammates won he NBA title and he walked away with the MVP trophy. To his can't win without Shaq critics Kobe had an answer, "I don't have to hear that idiotic criticism no more."

NOTE:

Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his 10th NBA title as a coach surpassing the legendary former Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach. It was also his 300th game as a coach in the NBA playoffs an NBA record.

Part 2 - THE LAKERS 15 TITLE TEAMS