MAGIC HOLD GROUND

 

(Image taken from NBA.com)

The 2009 NBA Finals were well underway with the Lakers facing the Magic. The Magic certainly weren't fancied in this matchup and sure enough, Game 1 in LA led to Phil Jackson's team destroying their opponents. The teams stayed in LA for Game 2 and this time around, the Magic put up more of a fight and took the game into overtime. Impressive, but the Lakers then took the edge in the later period to go 2-0 up in the series. Now however, the action switched to Orlando for Game 3. Time was running out for the Magic. They not only needed to win this game but realistically, needed to hammer the Lakers if they were going to have the momentum to turn the series round.

Well the Lakers clearly had other ideas and dominated the opening minutes of the game, holding the Magic scoreless for well over two minutes. The home side then responded but didn't quite look able to turn the game around initially. When they finally did so, taking a 13-12 lead with 6:00 left in the first quarter, it proved shortlived, the Lakers went on another surge. The Magic came back to tie the game, but the Lakers replied and this looked to be their quarter. Sure enough, the Lakers led 31-27 at the first buzzer with Kobe leading the scoring with 17 points. Impressive and worrying for the Magic, who now needed to find another gear.

Well the Lakers continued to run the show in the early stages of the second quarter, the Magic doing enough to tread water but that was it. With 8:21 left in the half the Lakers led 41-36. However the Magic weren't going away. With less than five minutes on the clock they took the lead for the first time in the quarter and though the next minute and a bit was low scoring, Stan van Gundy's crew were now duelling for the lead with their fans in their ears. The Magic were on to win that duel and came in at half time with a 59-54 lead. Rafer Alston was proving that he still had what it took, leading his team on 13 points. Now it was the Lakers that had to come up with something.

The Magic picked up where they left off in the third quarter and the Lakers weren't sure what to do about it. The Western Conference champions made an effort later on, cutting the gap down to one with 7:24 left in the quarter and their free throw shooting was starting to let them down. The Magic replied by holding the Lakers scoreless for the best part of three minutes and effectively said "this is our house, you are at our mercy and we won't show you any". van Gundy had his feet up and the Magic led 81-75 at the end of three. Alston was on 19 points by now with Dwight Howard also getting his act together to the tune of 17 points. Phil Jackson had some work to do.

The Magic stayed "solid and simple" throughout the early stages of the 4th quarter and the Lakers looked like they would just be treading water for the rest of the game. That didn't look like changing for a while, and yet the Lakers weren't getting destroyed either. That looked like it would be a mistake as the Lakers got themselves back within shooting distance. This game was nowhere near over yet and the Magic fans were getting nervous. 2:41 left in the game and the Lakers tied it at 99. After that though, the Magic just grinded it out in a timeout heavy(ARRGGGH!!!) last couple of minutes, winning the game 108-104 for their first Finals win in franchise history - congratulations to them! "Superman" Howard saved the day with 21 points and 14 rebounds, backed up by Rashard Lewis with 21 points and 5 rebounds.

Will that give them the momentum to turn the series round? I wouldn't bank on it but we'll see.

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