Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, Game 3 (Lakers lead 2-0)
Either the Orlando Magic will be energized by a return home for Tuesday’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals and will turn this into a competitive series, or the Lakers will all but clinch another title for the franchise but putting Dwight Howard and Co. in an 0-3 hole.
However, oddsmakers at WagerWeb.com do have some faith in Orlando, listing the Magic as 4-point favorites tonight.
Of course, this series is one missed layup from being tied to one, as the Magic’s Courtney Lee missed that tougher-than-it-looked attempt at the end of regulation in Game 2. But Orlando certainly had to be pleased in the performances of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, as those two combined for 56 points.
However, on the negative side, the Magic’s backcourt of Rafer Alston, Jameer Nelson, J.J.
Redick, Mickael Pietrus and Lee were a combined 6-of-26 from the field. Redick got a surprising 27 minutes in Game 2, but that was partly because Lee was ineffective and Pietrus fouled out.
But Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are dominating the backcourt matchup – most people thought Fisher might the L.A.’s weak link in this series. Alston is just 3-for-17 in this series, while Nelson is 4 of 12. The Magic have two fast-break points in two games.
Coach Stan Van Gundy went without a true point guard down the stretch in Game 2, but that didn’t work, either.
“I’m not sure I got another lineup to throw out there that you haven’t seen, now, OK,” Van Gundy said. “… I don’t have another one now. We played with no point guard, we played conventionally. … What do they say? Just keep throwing stuff on the wall and hope that something sticks.”
In addition, Magic big man Dwight Howard just can’t seem to get on track offensively in this series with just six made field goals in only 16 attempts. Howard is averaging 14.5 points a game and shooting 37.5% in the NBA Finals, well below his numbers of 21.7 points and 62.2% shooting in the playoffs before the Finals. Howard had seven turnovers in Game 2 and has been outplayed by the Lakers’ Pau Gasol.
The Magic averaged 101 points in the regular season but are at 85 per game in this series.
Only 14 NBA teams in 222 attempts have ever come back after losing the first two games of a best-of-seven series. This isn’t the first time the Magic have been in a hole this postseason, as they trailed the Celtics 3-2 and the Sixers 2-1. Orlando didn’t lose in three home tries in the East Finals against Cleveland but did lose once at home to both Boston and Philly.
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