Read more about that magnificent crowd at the Coliseum here.
*This post is dedicated to Redlands' best, Robert "Pat Riley" Calderon, to my infidel, Lakers Nation brother-in-arms, Jaco Pastorius, and to the greatest broadcaster of all time, who is no doubt celebrating in Heaven, Chick Hearn!!!
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Kobe Bryant is one win from an NBA title to call his own. Derek Fisher got him there. Fisher forced overtime with a 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation and then drilled another one with 31.3 seconds to go in overtime as the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Orlando Magic 99-91 in Game 4 on Thursday night to open a 3-1 lead in the NBA finals.
It was the first time since 1984, when Magic Johnson's Lakers and Larry Bird's Celtics hooked up, that two games in a finals have gone to overtime.
When the clock expired, Bryant, trying to win his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal, looked at Tiger Woods and wiped sweat from his brow in relief. Fisher, who has bailed out the Lakers in plenty of big games before, thrust both arms in the air in triumph.
The Lakers can wrap up their 15th title on Sunday night in Game 5.
Bryant finished with 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol each had 16 for Los Angeles, which came back from a 12-point halftime deficit. Ariza had 13 of the Lakers' 30 points in the third quarter.
The Lakers are 7-0 following a loss in this postseason.
Unless they can force a Game 6, the Magic will remember this as another finals game that got away.
Dwight Howard was magnificent everywhere but at the free-throw line. Orlando's superman of a center had 16 points, 21 rebounds and a finals-record nine blocks. But he made just 6 of 14 foul shots, and it was his two crucial misses with 11.1 seconds to go in regulation that doomed the Magic.
First, Fisher, who has made a career of hitting memorable shots in clutch situations, pulled up and without hesitating dropped a 3-pointer over Orlando's Jameer Nelson with 4.6 seconds left to tie it 87-87. The shot stunned the Magic's maniacal crowd, which was hoping the home team could win its second straight finals game after dropping its first six.
"I was just going to take over and kind of survey the situation but Nelson was giving me a lot of space and I like to step into those 3s," Fisher said. "Even though I wasn't making them, I felt like I could do that. I felt good to help the team that way."
Fisher had missed his first five 3s, but came up with one the little left-hander will cherish forever.
"My teammates and my coaches kept giving me that confidence to continue to believe in myself," Fisher said. "I wanted to come through for the guys."
Just as they did in Game 2, Orlando had one final try, and this time guard Courtney Lee, who misfired on a tougher-than-it-looked layup in that loss, wasn't on the floor. The Magic inbounded the ball to Mickael Pietrus, but his long and contested jumper was off.
Bryant scored two quick baskets in the overtime, and Howard tied it when he split two free throws with 1:27 remaining.
On L.A.'s next trip, Ariza grabbed his own miss to get another 24 seconds and Fisher lined up and drilled his 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 94-91.
As he retreated down court and Orlando called a timeout, the Lakers bench stormed onto the court and surrounded the popular 34-year-old Fisher, who came back to the team after a short stint in Utah.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher ties the game at the end of regulation and hits a huge 3 to secure the lead late in overtime for the Lakers third win of the series, 99-91.
He drove the lane with 5:27 left in regulation, split two defenders and made a layup to tie the game at 77. He had the assist on Pau Gasol's layup that tied the score at 88 with 33 seconds left and insured the Lakers would get to overtime. There was the Redick steal and the ensuing free throws. And then with 26 seconds left, Fisher caught the inbounds pass and brought the ball up the floor and got it to Lamar Odom, who was fouled and made two free throws in the bonus situation.
Read about the Pau Gasol factor last evening here.
NBA post game breakdown here. Los Angeles Lakers take Game 2, winning 101-96 in overtime.
DENVER(AP) Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are heading back to the NBA finals after dispatching the pesky Denver Nuggets with a 119-92 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.
Bryant got plenty of scoring help from Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom as the Lakers shot 57.3 percent from the field to avoid having to play a Game 7 in the Western Conference finals back at the Staples Center.
They will finally get some much-needed rest after playing every other day for a grueling two weeks.
These Lakers, who are headed to their record 30th NBA finals and are seeking their 15th title, are a more grizzled group - but also more bruised and battered - than the one that fell to Boston in the finals last year.
"Now we're in a place where we didn't get the job accomplished last year,'' Bryant said. "Hopefully we will this time.''
Instead of cruising through the West this time, the Lakers survived an arduous seven-game semifinal series against Houston and a physical test against Denver.
The Lakers will face either Orlando or Cleveland in the finals. The Magic lead 3-2 and can clinch the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night at home in Game 6 and prevent the Kobe Bryant-LeBron James final that has basketball fans and corporate sponsors atwitter.
The finals begin Thursday, at Los Angeles if Orlando wins, and at Cleveland if the Cavaliers prevail. (Read entire article)
Mitch Kupchak, whom I tend to be relatively hard on, was classy as ever, especially receiving the Western Conference Championship trophy from old school, Showtime Era, James "Tomahawk" Worthy, 3 time World Champion and one time finals MVP.
This team has been beleaguered and maligned from all angles, even from Lakerdom, but tonight, just like in Game 5, they manifested the will, the valor and the temperament of a professional championship sports team!!!
*On a personal note, this post is dedicated to my fellow Lakers fanatic and infidel brother in arms, Jaco Pastorius, over at the Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
Pastorius with your depth and knowledge you should be working for the Buss Family/Lakers in some high end capacity!!!
Pictures and video courtesy of the LA Times.
