Magical Win over Lakers
Fast forward to mid-May, it’s the NBA Finals and the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers are taking on the Orlando Magic. It’s a rematch of last year’s finals but this year the Magic have a little Vinsanity on their side. Now that the majority of the roster has NBA Finals experience, itcould make all the difference. If it does come down to these two teams, all you have to do is look back to Sunday, March 7, to see how it came to be.
On Sunday, the Magic battled the Lakers in Orlando, testing themselves against the best the league has to offer. Unlike last year’s Game 5, they prevailed. The difference in this game was the physicality and mean streak displayed by Magic forward Matt Barnes on Kobe Bryant and some big plays by Vince Carter. Barnes played Kobe tough and made it harder for him to produce the magical shots he is known for, including the attempted game tying shot at the buzzer, that he missed. Vince Carter went for 25 points. Neither of these players were part of the team that lost to LA last year. Barnes has brought an aggressiveness and ferocity to the Magic and Carter has brought the ability to create his own shot and take over a game when needed.
The Magic are the 2-seed in the East and its likely that only LeBron James, a less than 100% Shaq and the rest of the Cavaliers stand in their way of a finals repeat. The only thing that can stop the Lakers in the West is inconsistency or complacency.
The win over the Lakers will not only give the Magic the confidence to believe they can beat L.A. but will also give an extra boost they can take on the best of the best. It’s especially helpful that in the past few weeks they have defeated both the Lakers and the Cavaliers.
Critics will point to the Magic’s 2-0 regular season record against the Lakers, and subsequent failure in the finals last season as a reason not to put too much stock in this W. But it was they way the Magic won this game, with defense and forcing Kobe Bryant into a tough shot late in the game that could help them in their quest to erase the memories of last season and with their first-ever championship.
Chris Siciliano is frequent contributor to ATVN Sports.
