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Kobe 40, Lakers beat Magic in Finals Game 1

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant, playing like a man possessed, scored 40 points and the Los Angeles Lakers, who have waited nearly one year for a chance to erase bitter memories of a Boston beatdown and a championship they felt belonged to them, pounded the Orlando Magic 100-75 in Game 1 on Thursday night… Not even the return of All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson from a four-month layoff following shoulder surgery could help the Eastern Conference champions. Orlando center Dwight Howard was engulfed by two and three Lakers every time he touched the ball and scored 12 points—10 on free throws—on just 1-of-6 shooting… The Magic went just 8-of-23 on 3s and shot only 30 percent overall… Bryant, who added eight rebounds and eight assists, knows the Magic are still dangerous.

The AP reports: Bryant usually waits until the final quarter to close out his opponents but he buried the Magic with an 18-point third quarter in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center on Thursday. “I was taking what they gave me. They want to back off and give me a shot, I am happy to take it,” Bryant said. “We wanted to keep our energy up and make sure we stayed the aggressor.” Pau Gasol had 16 points and Lamar Odom 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who trying to make amends for losing in last year’s final to the Boston Celtics. Bryant, who wants to prove he can win an NBA ring without former Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal, showed once again that he can raise his level of play and intensity with each new playoff series.

The AP reports: The Lakers shot 46 percent from the field and 15-of-18 from the free-throw line as they smothered Orlando’s three-point shooters. The Lakers took the lead for good 34-33 on a Bryant jump shot with 7:05 left in the first half.

The AP reports: Stan Van Gundy surely wanted to put his hands over his eyes in the fourth quarter Thursday night as the Los Angeles Lakers mopped up what was left of his Orlando Magic. He had seen more than enough of Kobe Bryant, more than enough of a surprisingly tough Laker defense that kept Superman from getting airborne. “There was nothing I liked,” Van Gundy said. “What was there to like?” David Stern might have said the same thing. The NBA commissioner did his best just before the game to hype the finals as a fitting climax to one of the league’s best seasons ever, though he was probably secretly waving the pom-poms for the Kobe-LeBron matchup that never came.

The AP reports: All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson returned to the Orlando Magic for Game 1 of the NBA finals, playing the entire second quarter before struggling in the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. Nelson finished with six points on 3-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes of the Magic’s 100-75 loss. “I thought he played well in the second quarter. I was happy. I thought he was getting in the paint on his pick-and-rolls,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I thought he was making really good plays.”

Howard scores 40, Magic beat Cavs, advance to Finals

The AP reports: Overlooked and begging for respect all season, the Orlando Magic can no longer be ignored. After 14 frustrating years, they’ve returned to the NBA finals. Dwight Howard dominated inside for 40 points, Rashard Lewis added 18 and the Magic, a team that can make 3-pointers drop from thin air, hit 12 in a 103-90 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night. The Magic will be making their first finals appearance since 1995, one year before Shaquille O’Neal bolted as a free agent for Los Angeles, leaving this Florida franchise in ruins… James scored 25 in his worst game of the series, but the 24-year-old was magnificent for most of it, adding to a legacy still in its infancy. But the league MVP had to do most of it alone, as Mo Williams lost his shooting touch and Cleveland’s bench was badly outplayed by Orlando’s reserves. Delonte West added 22 and Williams 17 for Cleveland, which went 0-5 in Orlando.

Bryant leads Lakers past Nuggets, back to finals

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant had 35 points and 10 assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers back to the NBA finals with a 119-92 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals 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 back at the Staples Center.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Lakers outscored the Nuggets by 5 in the first quarter, 8 in the second, 3 in the third and 11 in the fourth. Los Angeles shot 57.3% for the game, Denver 43.8%. Both teams were hot from three-point range, but the Lakers were awesome, nailing 9-of-16 from outside the arc. Trevor Ariza had three of those 3-pointers.

For the Lakers, Bryant had 35 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists (just 1 turnover). Pau Gasol (8-of-12) had 20 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Lamar Odom had 20 points and 8 rebounds. Trevor Ariza (awesome 7-of-9) scored 17. And Luke Walton (5-of-7) scored 10.

The Lakers hit a perfect 24-of-24 free throws, and outrebounded the Nuggets 38-27.

For the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony (6-of-17, 12-of-15 free throws) had 25 points but little else. J.R. Smith (10-of-17, 4-of-9 threes) had 24 and little else. Kenyon Martin had a quiet 13 points and 5 rebounds. Chauncey Billups got shut down, shooting just 2-of-9 for 10 points and 9 assists (but 5 turnovers). Dahntay Jones, Nene and Chris Andersen did little, though the Birdman blocked 3 shots.

LeBron triple-double, Cavs beat Magic 112-102

The AP reports: With Cleveland’s wondrous season on the line, LeBron James had 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, and Mo Williams, who boldly predicted his team would come back and win this tight-as-can-be series, added 24 points in the Cavaliers’ 112-102 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 on Thursday night… James scored 21 points in the second half—17 in the fourth quarter—and had a hand in 29 of Cleveland’s 34 points in the final 12 minutes. Hedo Turkoglu scored 29 to lead Orlando, and Dwight Howard had 24 and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 2:22 remaining when he was called for his sixth personal foul while trying to stop James on a drive.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Odom rises, Lakers beat Nuggets 103-94 in Game 5

The AP reports: With Kobe Bryant luring double coverage then passing to his teammates, the Lakers owned the fourth quarter in a 103-94 victory Wednesday night that gave them a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 22 points—on just 13 shots—Lamar Odom had 19 points and 14 rebounds despite an aching lower back and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 10 rebounds… Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points, hitting 12 of 13 free throws, and Kenyon Martin and Chauncey Billups added 12 points each for the Nuggets. The teams were tied after the first, second and third quarters for just the fourth time in NBA playoff history… “I thought they got the benefit of the whistle,” George Karl said. “Every player in my locker room is frustrated, from guards to big guys. Gasol goes after at least 20 jump shots, 20 shots to the rim and gets one foul; our big guys have 16. Nene has six fouls, three or four of them don’t exist.”

Howard leads Magic to 116-114 OT win over Cavs

The AP reports: Dwight Howard scored 10 points in overtime and Orlando, raining down 3-pointers like a Florida thunderstorm, withstood 44 points and the last-second fling by LeBron James for a 116-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals… “You can almost taste it,” said Orlando’s Rafer Alston, who scored 26 points… Howard finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds and again made his free throws— 7 of 9—and the Magic made a team playoff record 17 3-pointers. Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus had 17 points each for Orlando… James added 12 rebounds and seven assists, but he had eight turnovers for the Cavs, whose season of seasons is slipping away… Mo Williams, who guaranteed the Cavs would win Game 4 and the series, scored 18 points, none after the third quarter. Delonte West added 17 for the Cavaliers.

Nuggets even Western finals against Lakers at 2-2

The AP reports: The Denver Nuggets are so much more than just Carmelo Anthony. A dominating effort on the boards and a great performance by the bench helped the Nuggets overcome a below-par effort from an ailing ‘Melo on Monday night, when they raced past the Los Angeles Lakers 120-101, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece… “Even before I twisted my ankle, with my stomach, I didn’t have my legs early in the game,” Carmelo Anthony said… Anthony finished with 15 hard-earned points on 3-of-16 shooting, but it hardly mattered because, unlike in Game 3 when his shot also wasn’t falling, his teammates came to the rescue. Six of them scored in double digits, led by Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith with 24 apiece… “They whooped us, period,” said Kobe Bryant, who scored 34 points… Martin had 13 points and 15 boards, Nene pitched in 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Chris “Birdman” Andersen added 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who outrebounded the Lakers 58-40.

Balanced Magic get 51 free throw attempts, beat Cavaliers 99-89

The AP reports: Dwight Howard scored 24 points—14 on free throws—and Rafer Alston added 18 as the Orlando Magic, sick of seeing replays of LeBron James’ dramatic buzzer-beater to win Game 2, downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-89 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the series. A physical game from start to finish, there were 86 free throws attempted, 58 personal fouls called, two technicals, and a flagrant. The officials spent half the night stepping between players on both sides as tempers flared inside an overheated Amway Arena. In the first half, Mo Williams had his left eye split open by Orlando’s Anthony Johnson, who nailed Cleveland’s point guard with an elbow… James scored 41 on just 11-of-28 shooting and missed five free throws in the fourth quarter. And once again, Cleveland’s superstar didn’t get enough help from his teammates. Williams, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot a combined 13-of-37.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Cavs were quiet in the first quarter, but the Magic went cold in the second, leading to a 41-41 halftime score. The Magic then outscored the Cavs by six in the third quarter and by five in the fourth.

The Cavs shot just 37.2% from the field and only hit 5-of-26 (19.2%) three-pointers.

Orlando lived on the free throw line, getting 51 attempts, hitting 39. Dwight Howard hit 14-of-19 free throws, Hedo Turkoglu 12-of-12. The Cavs went 26-of-35. LeBron James alone had 24 free throw attempts (hitting 18), while the rest of Cleveland went to the line 11 times.

The Magic had balance: Dwight Howard had 24 points and 9 rebounds, Rafer Alston had 18 points and 3 steals, Mickael Pietrus (4-of-9) came off the bench for 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, Rashard Lewis (5-of-8) had 15 points (but little else), and Hedo Turkoglu shot a miserable 1-of-11 but his 11-of-12 free throw shooting resulted in 13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

For the Cavs: LeBron James (11-of-28, just 1-of-8 threes) had 41 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals, Mo Williams (just 5-of-16) had 15 points, 7 rebounds but more turnovers than assists, and Delonte West (5-of-11) had 12 points and more turnovers than assists. Other than Zydrunas Ilgauskas contributing a mere 9 points and 9 rebounds, barely anyone else on Cleveland did much of anything.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Bryant scores 41, Lakers beat Nuggets 103-97

The AP reports: Trevor Ariza’s(notes) clutch steals are punching a dagger in Denver’s season just as much as Kobe Bryant’s(notes) big baskets. For the second time in three games, Ariza stole an inbounds pass in the final minute to help Los Angeles beat the Nuggets, this time 103-97 at the Pepsi Center for a 2-1 lead that restored the Lakers’ home-court advantage in the Western Conference finals. Ariza, whose steal of Anthony Carter’s(notes) lazy lob sealed the Lakers’ win in the series opener, sliced in front of Carmelo Anthony(notes) to swipe Kenyon Martin’s(notes) inbounds pass with the Lakers clinging to a two-point lead with 36 seconds left… “Trevor, he’s very crafty, he’s long, he’s fast, he’s quick and he’s a ball hog,” said Bryant, who scored 41 points… Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points but just three after halftime, and Denver lost at home for the first time since March 9.

InsideHoops.com notes: The Lakers shot 45.8%, the Nuggets 39.3%. Both teams struggled from three-point range, with the Lakers hitting 6-of-19, the Nuggets just 5-of-27. And the Lakers had 45 free throw attempts but only hit 31 of them, while the Nuggets connected on 26-of-51.

For the Lakers, Bryant (12-of-24, 15-of-17 free throws) had 41 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Pau Gasol (7-of-12) had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Trevor Ariza (5-of-8, 3-of-5 three-pointers) had 16 points. Derek Fisher had 3 steals.

For the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony (just 4-of-13, but 12-of-14 free throws) had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, but more turnovers than assists. Chauncey Billups (just 5-of-15) had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Chris Andersen (6-of-9) was great off the bench with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Nene had 13 points. J.R. Smith (just 4-of-15) had 10 points and 6 assists. Dahntay Jones scored 10.

LeBron buzzer-beater lifts Cavaliers over Magic

The AP reports: LeBron James dropped a 3-pointer from the top of the key over Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu as the final horn sounded Friday night to give the Cavaliers, their season a heartbeat from major trouble, a 96-95 victory over the Magic that evened the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece… Taking the inbounds pass from Mo Williams, James only had time to turn his shoulders toward the rim and fire. As the high-arcing shot dropped through, James sprinted into the arms of his delirious teammates as 20,562 stunned fans hugged in disbelief… One second before James’ shot, Turkoglu hit a 12-footer in the lane to give the Magic, who overcame a 23-point deficit in the first half, a 95-93 lead. Cleveland called a timeout and set up a play for James, the league’s MVP who finished with 35 points… Rashard Lewis scored 23 points and Turkoglu had 21 for the Magic, who have now lost four games at the buzzer in these playoffs. Dwight Howard scored 10— 20 below his Game 1 performance—and added 18 rebounds. Williams had 19 points—on 7-of-21 shooting—and Zydrunas Ilguaskas had 12 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland.

Read LeBron James post-game quotes, discussing his awesome shot and more.