Lakers Go Up 1-0
You would think the Orlando Magic would be a bit embarrassed and angry after losing to the Lakers by 25 points in game one of the NBA finals Thursday.
LA won 100-75, taking control in the second quarter and never looking back. Orlando was only down by 10 at half, 53-43, but the Lakers pulled away from there. Orlando never got close in the second half. The lead was already up to 24 (82-58) after three quarters.
Orlando center Dwight Howard did not sound embarrassed afterwards, though.
“Nobody is upset or angry that we lost,” Howard said afterwards. “We understand what we have to do as a team. Nobody was hanging their heads afterwards.”
It sounds strange that Howard and the Magic wouldn’t be angry that they are now
down 1-0 in the finals. But then, games one and two are in Los Angeles and the Lakers are favored to win the home court battles.
Kobe Bryant, who dropped 40 points to lead the Lakers in game one, isn’t making a big deal of the 25 point win.
“This is a resilient Orlando team,” Bryant said afterwards. “This (loss) is nothing to them. The best thing we can do is forget it.”
Surely the Magic hope to play better in game two. They missed 54 of their 77 shots in game one. They know they can’t win unless they shoot better than that.
There is precedent for a turnaround. Former Laker great Earvin (Magic) Johnson cautioned against counting Orlando out.
“The Boston Celtics beat us by over 30 points in 1985 but we came back to win the series,” Johnson said on ESPN’s post game show. “You have to forget about game one.”
Maybe the Magic’s poor shooting in game one was partly from first game jitters. This is only the second appearance in the NBA Finals for the Orlando franchise. The first time was over 10 years ago when Shaquille O’Neal was on the team.
The Lakers on the other hand, are making their 30th appearance in the finals. This is the sixth finals for Kobe Bryant, who already has three rings.
Even with experience and history on their side, the Lakers don’t expect game two Sunday to be another breeze. They know, if Orlando’s shots start falling, things can change in a hurry. Just ask LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
