INTERCEPTED: NBA Finals Game 4 Recap & Analysis

We left off with a very HOT Magic team that walked away from a close and extremely tough Game 3. The Magic silenced all of the nay sayers and proved that they belonged in the Finals after all. But something I noticed in Game 2's OT was how quickly Orlando's energy fizzled out during those final 5 minutes in OT...and I have to say when the Lakers forced OT I was almost confident that they would win. Something happens to Orlando in overtime but this game was different than game 2. In last nights game Orlando SHOULD have won in OT. The numbers were in their favor all night. Chocolate Shoulders (D. Howard) didn't have many points on the board but he had 14 rebounds and 3 blocked shots at the end of the first half. The same couldn't be said for the Lakers who had 3 of their top players (Gasol, Bynum & Odom) in foul trouble in addition to two technical fouls by Ariza and Phil Jackson. Kobe however, had 16 pts. by the half, but with his teammates in foul trouble the game was shaping up to be a blowout in favor of the Magic. All 12 Laker players had seen action before the 3rd qtr. which is NEVER a good thing. The crowd was in it, the refs clearly were as well, and the Lakers just looked dissheveled and lost. Funny thing is for all of the fight and effort from the Magic in the first half...something began to happen during the middle of the 3rd quarter and what I saw was a Magic team that dare I say it...thought they had done enough and had the Lakers beat. (I know I'm going to get grilled for that statement but they played differently after the first half.)

Orlando kept fighting...but shots were no longer automatic, and the fouls were stacking up left and right against them. And the turnovers...OMG...19 in all and many many missed FG shots. Which I know is sheer luck, but for a team that relies on jump shots every shot taken has to count. Not to mention the fact that they have no closer and with Howard being almost completely shut down thus far in the finals you have to make virtually all of your FT's.

In the end both teams traded the lead with Orlando edging past the Lakers by 3 pts. and 7.5 seconds left on the clock. But that was enough time for D. Fisher to give his best Robert Horry impersonation sinking a last minute 3 pt'er to tie the game and with his second well into OT it was too much for the Magic to overcome and the sunk any chance of them winning this game and some would say this series. Of course there are still games left to play but the Lakers are now in position to winning just one more game and they're be World Champions.

The game was everything a crucial game 4 should be. And as with everything else in this series for the Lakers...they continue to outlast and out play their opponents on their way to another championship ring.

Here's some fun reading...

Kobe & Dwight remain civil during their dispute.

Ladies and Gentlemen Mr. Derek Fisher

I don't care what anyone says...Phil Jackson has coached the BEST and lead them all to rings. He is the BEST!

Coach Bryant?...let the hate begin.

Taking a page out of their East Coast counterparts. Laker fans in East LA get rowdy.

And just for S's & G's since they decided to add themselves to all of the Game media attention...somehow I feel like they did this on purpose. Here's for story!

Ok folks! See you on Sunday for Game 5. Not sure if I'm gonna live blog but I'll be around.