Quote:
Originally Posted by 34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j
Congrats Kobe and the gang, but let's not forget this was 2 missed free throws away from being a 3-2 series with the Lakers needing to take games 6 and 7.
|
Not true. Orlando won game 3 by 4 points but shot an NBA finals record 75% in the first half and 63% overall. If you do that and win your first home game by 4 points, it's a really BAD sign.
Game 4 was one the refs tried pretty hard to give to Orlando. The Magic shot 17 free throws in the fourth compared to 0 for LA. The Magic were also only called for 1 team foul in the entire quarter. In fact, the only free throws LA shot after the third quarter came with 3 seconds left in overtime when Gasol was flagrantly fouled by Pietrus. The officiating in that game was horrible.
As far as game 5, you can't assume the Magic were going to win for any reason. Another angle is to look at how LA has done from game 5s on in the past series. It's right around that mark that LA "figures" out what teams are going to do. The only game from game 5 on they've lost was a nasty blowout to Houston, who had everyone shooting the ball well.
Chuck: Odom and Ariza are the ones who are available in free agency but both want to stay in LA. Lamar has said multiple times he's willing to take less, but how much? Ariza was born and raised in LA, went to UCLA, and likes not having to do too much on offense. He'll take less than he can get elsewhere but how much? I think Buss pays the luxury tax for both and *maybe* Phil stays around for another year.