Dave McMenamin of NBA.com: “Bryant has taken on the reputation as the game’s ultimate closer, and deservedly so, but it was Gasol who was 3-for-3 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and overtime, compared to Kobe’s 3-for-7 and 7-for-8. Bryant finished with 29 points and eight assists. Gasol had 24 and 10 rebounds. The Lakers finished the game making their last 14 free throws, buoyed by Gasol’s marksmanship reminiscent of Game 6 of the West finals when they went 24-for-24. Could that ever happen with Shaq still around? The Magic adjusted to the pick-and-roll that Bryant and Gasol perfected in Game 1. On Thursday, the play propelled Kobe to 40 points and eight assists. Sunday, it accounted for several of Bryant’s seven turnovers as he got stuck with nowhere to go thanks to Orlando’s big men hedging out to help. But the two of them kept at it, never giving up on the play and talking about ways to make it work. ‘Their whole defense is cocked toward me and Pau, so we’re in constant dialogue that we can see, adjustments that we can make on the fly, and we’ve been kind of trying to time that up the right way the whole game,’ Bryant said. ‘It just didn’t work out for us and at the right time it did.’”
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: “Gasol doesn’t beat you with overpowering strength, but understated savvy. ‘His hand-eye coordination is remarkable for someone that size,’ the Lakers’ Lamar Odom(notes) said. ‘He never drops the ball. He’s great at catching and delivering really quick, keeping the basketball high. He’s one of the best basketball players I’ve ever played with.’ Soft doesn’t survive as Kobe’s co-star. Soft doesn’t thrive with his body entangled in Dwight Howard. This isn’t football, where sheer physical strength is far more rewarded with results. This is basketball, where the game will forever reward the simple genius of passing and catching and shooting the ball. His footwork is magnificent, a European staple that comes from a generation of soccer players who eventually picked up the ball and started bouncing it. He doesn’t treat basketball in the obsessive way that Bryant does. He goes to museums and concerts and sits for hours in sidewalk cafes sipping coffee. Gasol was the perfect complement to Bryant – tough enough to take Bryant’s berating, but smart enough to compartmentalize the cursing and be wiser for it.”
J.A. Adande of ESPN.com: “Kobe Bryant did not have ‘a good game at all as far as his standards go,’ according to Phil Jackson. (Bryant missed three of five shots and committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter). Orlando marksman Rashard Lewis had more obstacles in his shooting drills two hours before tipoff than he did once the Lakers took the floor. The Lakers’ backup backcourt players provided four points. No wonder Jackson described the feeling after this victory as ‘a sense of relief.’ That’s still better than ‘most definitely heartbreaking,’ which is how Lewis depicted it. There was only beauty to be found on a relative scale, emerging from the numerical comparisons. Look at all of the little things that added up to a Lakers victory. The Orlando Magic committed 20 turnovers that led to 28 points, including three turnovers that the Lakers converted into four points during the five-minute overtime. The Lakers took 28 free throws and made 24, the Magic took 27 and made 20. And once again, with the potential for the game to swing either way the Lakers came up with a critical steal. Trevor Ariza did it to Denver twice on inbound plays and Sunday night Fisher pilfered Orlando’s J.J. Redick.”
Matt Calkins of The Press-Enterprise: “Sunday night, the Magic was clearly attacking Lakers center Andrew Bynum, trying to get the 7-footer in foul trouble. It worked. And it was punished severely for it. Bynum stepped off the court, Odom stepped on — or stayed on when he would have otherwise rested — and delivered a devastatingly efficient offensive performance, scoring 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and putting the game out of reach with two free throws in overtime. It was a feat reflective of what has been surprisingly consistent play from perhaps the league’s most mercurial player. Odom’s past four stat lines have read: 19 points and 14 rebounds in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, 20 and eight in Game 6, 11 and 14 in Game 1 of the Finals and 19 and eight Sunday night. All of the performances took place after awkwardly landing on his back in Game 4 of the Houston series, which prompted pain that remains today. ‘He’s come through in every game,’ Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ‘I know he’s struggling out there at the end of the game, but he still came through in a big way for us.’”
John Schuhmann of NBA.com: “In 103 games this season, only three times have the Magic turned the ball over more than they did on Sunday. Part of the problem was the Lakers’ length. The Magic found it tougher to dribble and pass against L.A.’s rangy, long-armed defenders. Also, L.A. is giving Howard a different look by forcing him baseline and double-teaming him there. But for the most part, the Magic can only blame themselves. ‘They’re long and athletic,’ Turkoglu said. ‘Still, in the end, we’re the ones making that pass.’ Howard, who committed seven turnovers, brought the ball too low and wasn’t strong with it when the Lakers’ guards doubled him down low. The first turnover in overtime came when Derek Fisher took the ball from Howard on a post move under the basket. ‘I’ve just got to do a better job of finding my teammates and being aware of the guards coming in the paint for strips,’ Howard said afterward. ‘As a team, we’ve just got to do a better job of not turning the ball over. That’s how they got going on the offensive end, because of our turnovers. And it gave them the game tonight.’”
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “Van Gundy has morphed into Larry Brown right before our eyes, falling in and out of love with players from one timeout to the next. And you can’t blame him. When your guards shoot 6-for-26 and your team gets ‘crushed’ — Van Gundy’s word — by 20 turnovers, it’s time to hold backcourt auditions between Games 2 and 3. Van Gundy coached his backside off in this game, proving once and for all that he’s one of the top two or three sideline tacticians in the league. From a clipboard standpoint, he’s even better than his more decorated counterpart in this series, Phil Jackson. The result — a 101-96 overtime victory for the Lakers — doesn’t add up. The Magic should’ve won this game, dysfunctional backcourt and all. Orlando was trailing 69-68 with 8:50 left in the third when Van Gundy gave up on his point guards. Alston, who was 1-for-8 at the time, went to the bench. For a while, it appeared he wouldn’t return to the scorer’s table for the rest of the series. If you’re a Magic fan, that would’ve been just fine. Van Gundy went with the 6-foot-10 Hedo Turkoglu to run the offense, because nobody else could. It was a huge gamble, and it took guts, and the Lakers should consider themselves lucky because it almost worked.”
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “The fact is, Dwight is too predictable in the paint. Because his moves are so basic, Lakers defenders seem to know what he’s going to do when he catches the ball. He had seven of the Magic’s 20 turnovers in Game 2 after recording only one field goal in Game 1. ‘We’ve got to take care of the ball,’ Dwight said. ‘ This is a learning experience for me. I’ve got to really do my homework and find ways to beat (their defense).’ Dwight must be more like Kobe this summer. He must work harder than anybody with the intention of becoming better than everybody. Kobe puts in marathon six-hour, six-days-a-week workouts during the offseason. Which is why when somebody asked him before this series began if he has prepared extra hard for these Finals, it was insulting to him. ‘I can’t step up my preparation,’ he said, ‘because I prepare as much as I can all the time.’ There’s a reason Kobe has played in more games (219 if you count the NBA regular season, playoffs and Olympics) than anybody over the last 18 months and, yet, he is still able to tirelessly score 40 points in Game 1 and 29 in Game 2. If the Magic have any hope of rebounding from this 2-0 deficit, must outwork, outwit and, most importantly, out will Kobe.”
George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: “After Sunday’s loss, the body language didn’t look so good. Howard was slouched on his chair, arms crossed, staring at nothing in particular. Athletes get paid a ton of money to do what they do, but they are human. Think of how hard it is for anyone to come back to work the next day after botching a big project. You don’t want to look your boss in the eye. You don’t want to look at your co-workers, either. You want to crawl and hide. The Magic don’t have that option. They will be back in Orlando for three games, all before sellout crowds. All before people who experienced the heartbreak with them, from home, from restaurants, from bars. Their hearts are broken today, too. It is the nature of sports. If Lee hit either of those shots, think of how much different this conversation would be. The Lakers would no longer have home-court advantage, and Van Gundy would again have played all the skeptics for fools for dismissing the Magic after just one game. Van Gundy doesn’t fancy himself as a guy who worries too much about the psychology of sports. But for the Magic, the 2009 NBA Finals have very much become a mind game.”
Jim Alexander of The Press-Enterprise: “There are grounds for optimism for the Magic. Orlando won the rebound battle Sunday night, 44-35. It showed signs of thawing out after its shooting was in the deep freeze for the first three halves of the series. And it came close to winning even though (a) Dwight Howard was ordinary offensively and (b) the point guard position was a mystifying puzzle, with neither Rafer Alston nor Jameer Nelson contributing much. Which may have contributed to (c) 20 turnovers, seven of them by Howard and five by Hedo Turkoglu. The key may be whether Orlando can quicken the pace in its halfcourt sets. When the ball was moving quickly, the Magic was getting good looks Sunday night. ‘We’re really good when we move the ball and attack,’ Turkoglu said. ‘They’re long, athletic and they crowd into the paint, so if we keep it moving it’s really going to give them a hard time. We have to read, attack from there and make better decisions.’ Quick ball movement might disrupt what has been a successful delayed double-team on Howard. The Lakers have mixed things up enough defensively to keep the Magic guessing, enabling them to harness Orlando’s big man even though their own center, Andrew Bynum, has been slowed by fouls.”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “Though the Knicks likely will take a combo-type guard in the June 25 NBA Draft, Knicks team president Donnie Walsh will eye a center with his $5 million mid-level exception during free agency, and Orlando’s 7-foot backup Marcin Gortat is very high on his list, The Post has learned. The Knicks had no interior defensive presence, and that’s Gortat’s strength. He also blocks shots and rebounds. (The Knicks were last in blocked shots the past two years). The Polish big man originally was drafted by coach Mike D’Antoni’s Suns in the second round of 2005, but they traded his rights. Gortat probably will not be re-signed because he plays a smallish role as Dwight Howard’s backup and the Magic can’t pay him accordingly. Gortat said the Knicks could be an ideal spot. Gortat (four points, three rebounds) played 15 minutes last night as Magic coach Stan Van Gundy often used a twin-tower alignment to combat the Lakers’ size. Magic general manager Otis Smith can match any offer, but said he knows it will be a financial challenge to retain Gortat. ‘He’s got the best job in America, playing behind my best player, playing 8 to 10 minutes,’ Smith said. ‘He goes out and does his job and probably has the best work ethic of anyone in the locker room. Can he start for another team? Yeah he can.’”
Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press: “Three weeks into his tenure as head of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, David Kahn is still something of a mystery to me. There was talk of a breakfast meeting in Minneapolis. But at 8 a.m., all I’d be able to do is drool into my oatmeal. And with Mr. Kahn’s extended vocabulary, I might become disoriented. From what has been in the paper, however, it’s pretty clear he isn’t going to sugarcoat anything. He is painfully aware the team needs an awful lot of work. It also was interesting to read that, to this point, he has had virtually no contact with the current players. When he does pick up the telephone he might be surprised at what he discovers. Forward Ryan Gomes, for example, doesn’t sugarcoat anything, either. He, too, is aware that some things have to change for the Wolves to get into the playoffs. ‘Playing in the West, it takes 50 wins to get in,’ Gomes said. ‘We’ve won 24 and 22 games the last two years. That’s half of what we need to get in. Over 164 games we’ve won 46. We have to get better. The only way we are going to do that is to take it on ourselves.’”
Graydon Gordian of 48 Minutes of Hell: “According to Forbes, with 1.6 million inhabitants, San Antonio was the 20th largest market in the NBA in 2008. Although I’ve had a difficult time finding more recent statistics, I don’t imagine the current numbers are that drastically different. In comparison to franchises like the Lakers, the Knicks, or even the Mavericks, San Antonio’s size and demographics put the Spurs at an acute financial disadvantage. As a counterbalance to the realities of geography, the Spurs have systematically focused their attention on foreign prospects. I use the term systematically for a reason: I don’t believe our history of intensely scouting international talent is just a tendency. I believe it is a conscious attempt by management to expand the team’s media market. … The Spurs are the most popular NBA team in Argentina. We are one of if not the most popular team in France. We are already highly regarded in Israel and if we were to draft Omri Casspi, we would undoubtedly grab hold of the loyalty of the majority of Israeli NBA fans. And now, if we do intend to sign Yiannis Bouroussis, the Spurs will inspire the affection of not only Olympiakos fans (who are quite passionate) but numerous casual Greek fans as well. San Antonio may be the 20th largest market in the NBA, but the citizens of Spurs Nation reside around the globe.”
Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue: “So much debate is going on around Memphis these days about the #2 pick in the draft and whether or not the Grizzlies will take Ricky Rubio with that selection. If the Grizzlies do will the team have to make additional moves to quarantee Rubio will sign with the Grizzlies. Some people consider this draft pick a referendum on Mike Conley. Why? It seems that drafting another PG, especially one with strong ties to the Spanish League and a hefty buyout clause, means that the Grizzlies either have to trade the pick to a team more needing a PG right away or trade Conley to give Rubio the guaranteed playing time needed for Rubio to buy out his contract in Spain. Many have suggested using the 2nd pick with another big name player or two would be better to move up in the draft to take Blake Griffin. The gaps created by such a move could easily be filled with free agents this summer. Finally people have suggested that the Grizzlies don’t need a player as talented as Ricky Rubio and the franchise would be better served using the pick to trade down in the draft and to pick up some veterans to fill in the gaps in the roster. That opinion is a small minority of voices being heard however. The one thing I agree with in these varying opinions is that this is a referendum for the Grizzlies. There may not be a more important summer for the Memphis Grizzlies ever. There certainly hasn’t been a more important summer so far. The referendum however isn’t about the players. It is going to be a vote on the competancy of the Front Office and ticket sales are going to be the ballots.”
Marc J. Spears of The Boston Globe: “Boston’s frigid February weather likely plays a big role in hurting the chances of bringing the All-Star Game back there for the first time since 1964. Although the Celtics have mentioned potential interest in the game, commissioner David Stern said he has not received a bid from Boston for 2012, and president Rich Gotham said the team isn’t currently looking into hosting. While Stern said cold weather is ‘not a deal-breaker,’ he also acknowledged warm-weather cities are more attractive to fans. ‘I think there’s a pattern emerging,’ Stern said during a news conference before Game 2 of the Finals last night. ‘I think that our guests seem to come in greater numbers to warm weather, and that’s something that we’re going to have to face up to and deal with as we seek to attract the largest number. I mean, the Finals are being shown in 215 countries in 43 languages, and All-Star weekend somehow attracts a lot of people who don’t even make it to the Finals because they can make their plans very much in advance. So not only do the owners and team representatives like warm weather, but our international broadcasters like tourist destinations.’”
