Superior Lakers about to make Magic disappear
Doyel: Finals far from done | Berger: Van Gundy keeps juggling
LOS ANGELES -- They got phantom calls from officials trying earnestly to drag this series out. They played harder, smarter and better. This time, they didn't allow Kobe Bryant to perform a prostate exam without a fight. Rashard Lewis was brilliant and Stan Van Gundy out-coached Phil Jackson.
They even got a big basket from J.J. Redick. The last time "Redick" and "big basket" were used in the same sentence was the ACC tournament four years ago.
Just about everything went their way. They played a beautiful game and still the Orlando Magic have morphed into the Orlando Tragic.
When you play the way the Magic did -- with passion, heart and smarts -- and still fail, you're dead. After a brutal 101-96 Game 2 loss, the Magic are so dead they're corporeal.
Goodnight, sweet Magic. It's over, it's finis, it's done. Unless there's a meteor strike in the coming week the Lakers will win another title.
In order for this series to even be remotely competitive, realistically, the Magic would need to win every game in Orlando. If you believe they can defeat the Lakers three straight times then you really do believe in Magic. And the Easter bunny, too.
Bryant might as well start spit polishing his post-Shaquille O'Neal trophy and book his offseason vacations to Colorado ... well, maybe not Colorado, but you get the point.
Since the Finals went to a 2-3-2 format in 1985, this the 13th time the home team won the two opening games. In 11 of the previous 12 instances, the team winning those two games went to win it all.
Drama? It's drained. There's more drama in Jon and Kate Plus 8. The NBA ... where REM sleep happens.
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| Kobe Bryant might argue, but his team is in control. (Getty Images) |
In fact, that's likely now Bryant's new motivating factor. He wants to make as big a statement as possible, and a sweep would do that.
• Lakers 101, Magic 96 (OT) | Series
It's simple to decipher what's happening here. The Lakers are just better. They're deeper, more talented overall, and somewhat shockingly they're better defensively. Toss in the fact that they have Bryant, who is playing with the kind of passion we haven't truly seen from him, and the explanation for what's happening in this series is clear.
The Magic would've had a solid chance to upset the Lakers in this series had they not committed 20 turnovers in Game 2 and lost. The importance of Sunday's game was verbalized perfectly by the Lakers' Lamar Odom: "We wanted to win the game just to keep the pressure on them," he said.
"It is most definitely heartbreaking when you feel like you had a chance to win this game and you let it slip right out of your hands," Lewis said, "especially playing on their home court. We most definitely wanted to get this win, take home-court advantage back to Orlando."
That pressure Orlando is now experiencing must feel like someone is standing on their shoulders. Still the Magic were saying the right things. Lewis remarked they've trailed teams before in the playoffs and come back -- and he's correct -- but the Philadelphia 76ers are to the Lakers what Rosie O'Donnell is to Halle Berry. It's just a different class.
The only hope the Magic have is that Los Angeles gets arrogant. But even that hope might've died a slow death after several things Bryant said in the postgame news conference. When Bryant was asked about the team's energy he answered abruptly, "We're about to kick it up."
So there's more to give? "You'd better believe it," he said. "We're close. You see what I'm saying? This is the Finals. We're going to be ready to go."
Uh-oh.
The Lakers are leading 2-0 and they still have another notch or two left?
Earlier in the news conference Bryant was asked by one goofball questioner why he wasn't smiling after the win.
"What's there to be happy about?" Bryant wisely responded.
You're up 2-0, he was told.
"The job is not finished," he said. "Is the job finished? I don't think so."
Technically finished? No.
Practically finished? Hell, yeah.
The only thing left for Los Angeles to do is start printing T-shirts and getting fit for their rings.
It was a nice ride, Orlando. There's no shame in being Eastern Conference champions.
No shame at all.
