NBA Finals: Keys To Game Two
June 7th 2009 10:44
Can Orlando slow down Kobe and even the series at one?
Well now that we have that pesky added off day out of the way, it's time to break down Game Two of the NBA Finals.
To be blunt, Orlando was demolished in Game One after a pretty solid start. They had no answer for Kobe Bryant and couldn't have hit water if they fell out of a boat from the field. It was the nightmare scenario for the Magic and it was just painful to watch. Imagine being on the court for that fiasco.
Either way, I feel that Orlando has to win this game or at least have it go down to the wire to have any chance in the rest of this series. If the Magic suffer back-to-back humiliating defeats, it could kill any chance of Orlando making this a series.
Well what I'm going to do is give three things each team has to do to win tonight. Sound good? Okay, let's do it!
Los Angeles' Keys to Victory
1. Roleplayers Must Step Up
Let's face it, after Kobe Bryant singlehandely put the Magic out of their misery on Thursday night, we all know they are going to throw double team after double team in his direction. We've seen that Kobe is willing to go to his guys when teams do this (See: Game 6 vs. Denver). Now when guys like Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza get the ball, they have to do something with it. They must score and score effectively to keep Orlando honest. If not, I don't think the Kobe Bryant Show can get it down by himself.
2. Continue to Pressure Dwight Howard
One of the things the Lakers did very successfully in game one was to keep Howard out of his comfort zone. Andrew Bynum and company did a great job of moving their feet and really making Howard work on the offensive end. Howard only hit one shot in game one and if the Lakers can get a similar stat line tonight, there's no way Orlando wins this game. LA's bigs need to remember they have six fouls and to use them. Bynum did a great job of this Thursday night and had a great game. The Lakers are going to need him to be big again tonight.
3. Keep the Pedal to the Metal
If there's one thing the Lakers have done at times this year and last year, it's show they are unable to hold on to a lead. This didn't happen in game one because Kobe simply would not allow it to happen, but the Lakers did blow a 24 point lead against Boston last year and have seen leads slip at times this postseason. If Los Angeles can get the Magic down the way it did Thursday night, they need to keep hammering them until there's nothing left. Orlando made a habit of coming back on Cleveland in the conference finals and the Lakers can suffer a similar fate if they don't keep applying the pressure.
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Orlando's Keys To Victory
1. Get Superman the Rock
It's not a complex formula. Dwight Howard is your best player and your best player should have more than eight shots. I know he had some foul trouble and he was being bothered all night by the Lakers' bigs, but he has to get more touches. Howard also has to demand these touches, if he's the leader of this team like he says he is, he has to assert his dominance. There's no way that Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum should have slowed him down the way they did, regardless of how good the Lakers' game plan was. If Superman can soar tonight, so will the Magic.
2. Less Jameer Nelson
This may be the biggest reason that the Magic lost game one. Nelson played 23 minutes and all of the second quarter if I recall correctly. After a hot start by Nelson, the wheels fell right off of the bus and Orlando quickly stagnated and they went ice cold from the field. Stan Van Gundy admitted he played Nelson too long after the game but it should have been common sense that you shouldn't play someone who hadn't played since February 23 crucial minutes. Van Gundy was atrocious on Thursday and must get better. Rafer Alston needs to carry the load for Orlando tonight, he did a great job of getting people involved. This leads me into my final point...
3. Hit Your Open Shots!
If there was one thing Orlando did right Thursday night, it was manufacture good shots. However, hitting them was another story. Orlando shot 30 percent from the floor, which is atrocious. The Magic should play Alston more tonight and that should free guys like Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis up for good looks. Alston had Turkoglu going pretty good early on before Stan Van Gundy blew the game. Orlando was controlling the game for most of the first half and if Orlando hits their open jumpers, it will free up Howard and the Magic will have a great chance of evening this series.
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Well ladies and gentleman, that should do it for my preview of game two. I'm not sure if I'm going to be here for a live blog or not, we'll see how I'm feeling closer to the tip. Either way, make sure to come back after the game where I'll give you my thoughts. Enjoy the game!
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