Every team wished they had a Mason... It's funny when Magic fans say that Phil Jackson playoff record when his team wins game one will be 43-1. Rafer Alston was correct when he said he felt unconformable with Nelson playing. SVG is at least doing the correct thing from out on this point. Rafer Alston will continue to start for the Orlando Magic despite Jameer Nelson's return - ESPN
Nelson was playing too good to be ignored before the injury. He deserves the right to play in the Finals. Especlially if you want his head on straight next year. - But that was the wrong time at the wrong game.
Do you think that the Magic steal it sunday? A better question would be can they hit some uncontested jumpers?
I think the biggest question for Orlando is if the can stop LA on D. Even when they had it rolling offensively early in the game they never really showed that they could stop them. I think they can score.
If Lewis had not made his threes, the Lakers would be up 20 now. Kobe didn't break a sweat and will be ready to take over if the Magic try to make a run at it. Once again to many three balls by Magic (Alston's shooting is killing them) and it looks like they are [strike]kryptoniting[/strike] double teaming Superman and dude cannot even get close to a dunk.. Andrew Bynum's fouls are not as bad as Amir's, but he is starting to inch that way...
Maybe Courtney Lee should take off his goggles the next time he goes up for a layup?? Two critical misses by the roookie that could have flipped this series.
About 4 phantom fouls in a row to end regulation? + a few the other way on Howard earlier in the 4th quarter when he didn't get touched. It really is a plague.
Right about both of those misses. The pass to him at the end of regulation was perfect. When given the opportunity, he's got to make that kind of a play in order to win a championship.
Great game tonight....magic prove that they belong. Local radio and the Around the Horns guys thought series was over after game 1...(maybe the Phil 43-0 record had something to do with it..) Magic can still make the Laker fans sweat if the come out and win games 3 and 4, and then really get them nervous by sweeping all three. They just have to take one game at a time. The guard play is hurting the Magic. JJ Redick played to tentative down the stretch and SVG didn't trust Jameer or Rafer and Lee blew two layups. The key to the game may have been that Pietrus fouled out to soon and was not available in crunch time or the OT. Two many turnovers hurt them too.
In case you got nothing to do between travel days, take a peak at these pics and think about what you could be doing if you had just taken those acting and music classes when you were back in school....you get court-side seats.. Celebs shine at NBA playoffs - NBA- nbcsports.com Maximize screen for full affect.
Admittedly, it isn't that hard, but SVG is seriously outsmarting himself. Put them what brung you in the game and win or lose with them. Even JVG at one point last night was marveling at how few minutes some Magic lineup or the other had played together all year. Someone needs to start thinking less.
Not to late to draw up some new plays for the Magic as SVG needs to figure out what to do about the double team of Howard. DHow needs to get the ball deeper so that he can get to the hoop easier or find the open man that is not standing out on the arc waiting to shoot a three ball. Those pesky hands of Fisher, Odom and Gasol caused Superman to have 7 TO's. Also why do they have to take 30 three ball attempts? Those work in Orlando, but not that much on the road. As indicated the 4 guards have to better job of penetrating and shooting. Why Redick was in there in crunch time is beyond me?
Kobe finally wins his ring without Shaq. Howard not better than Shaq. Howard's better than Shaq. Now that both Kobe and Shaq have won rings without each other, is it possible to reunite for their 5th? Phil Jackson passes Auerbach. Auerbach still better than Phil Jackson. Will Howard leave Orlando? blah blah blah The only thing left to do in this series is a word orgy of Kobe-Shaq-Howard-Zenmaster permutations for dumb columnists. DAMN YOU COURTNEY LEEEEEE!!!!! Back to all things Pistons.
Disappointing series thus far for me. I'm not really rooting for either team, and these foul calls on both big men (Howard and Bynum) are getting old. Sure, they commit their share of dumb ones, but these ticky tack fouls are ridiculous. This could be one heck of an interesting battle in the paint, yet instead the refs have decided to call touch fouls in the post while simultaneously looking the other way when kung fu grips happen out on the perimeter. With calls like these we would have never seen more than 10 minutes of Ewing vs Olajuwan.
Stan needs to go back to the drawing board. Dwight needs to be more effective + someone slap Rafer Alston in the head please. The Magic are good at home...if they take the next three which would be sort of epic. Could we see Phil's record become 43-1?
Exactly! There's such a discrepancy on how the games are called. Perhaps, they should transfer all foul goddesses (Kobe, Wade, Lebron et al) to the Globetrotters. Then show can be show and we can watch real games.
If they accomplish that, they will officially become *the* team in the East. I highly doubt it. They may win the next one, but LA will probably wrap this up in 5.
