Sportsfrog.com

LA 100. Orlando 75.

And b.o.r.i.n.g. If LA plays like that, and Orlando like it did, well, this will be one of the worst NBA Finals in recent memory.

Kobe eases to 40/8/8. Dwight Howard gags to a 1 of 6 from the floor. Not much else to say when surveying the wreckage that was Game 1. Either Orlando decides there is something left to accomplish this season and steps to the moment, or this will be a historic beatdown.

When it comes down to it, Cleveland’s lack of an answers for Dwight Howard was just as crippling as Orlando’s lack of an answer for Lebron James. Because when you add in the fact that Orlando’s front office was kind enough to provide Howard with some actual help, the reason for Orlando’s dominance in the match-ups between these two teams comes into focus.

Orlando 103. Cleveland 90. In a game that was not remotely as close as that final score.

New challenge for Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel? Re-firing the persecution complex that drove his articles throughout the Eastern Conference Finals. But first he must wallow in the mud one more time of feeling inferior to Cleveland. Geez man, get over it.

As for Cleveland, Terry Pluto in the Plain Dealer joins with a lot of the NBA watching audience in turning a raised eye to alleged NBA coach of the year Mike Brown:

1) What were the Cavs doing with James on defense? It was hard to know exactly who he was supposed to be covering.

2) Whatever happened to Joe Smith? It’s hard to believe they couldn’t have used another big man have helped underneath where Dwight Howard was terrorizing them.

3) What was the deal in the third quarters, where the Cavs were outscored in five of the six games? What happened to adjustments?

There’s so much more.

Brown made his reputation as a defensive coach, but never could come up with a scheme to stall Orlando for long, much less shut them down. The Magic averaged 103 points in this series, shooting nearly 49 percent.

He stubbornly refused to maximize James on defense by assigning him to defend either Rashard Lewis or Hedu Turkoglu for most of the series. He was not able to find a way to either stop Dwight Howard (40 points, 14 rebounds) inside or Lewis and the other shooters outside.

Ah, yeah. All that. And more. Heck, at one point I wondered why he didn’t stick Lebron on Dwight Howard. If Lebron is as good as everyone thinks he is and wants him to be, that would have been a Magic Johnson-esque move. The only guy on Cleveland remotely close to Howard in size, quickness, and strength is James. Maybe, at least once or twice, come down and see if he could have blunted some of Howard’s advantage?

At any rate, Cleveland is done and the far better team is moving on. And we are now one mere year from the free agency to end all free agency. Hard to think that Lebron is entirely sold on Cleveland long term at this point, given the lack of help that has been provided him.

Tadow.

LA 119. Denver 92. Not remotely close. Or interesting. The Lakers move on to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers team that is the presumptive favorite for the NBA title this year finally showed up, and it was something to behold. I think the frustration with them is that they don’t play like that more consistently.

As for Denver, anyone viewing the intro on ESPN to the start of the game, where the cameras in the locker-room caught George Karl’s final pre-game speech, knew that Denver was hosed. It was so uninspiring, the camera angle, which showed Karl from the side and included Chauncey Billups as he sat and listened, caught Billups at one point in a full blown yawn. Way to capture the moment, George Karl.

LA 103. Denver 94.

And that was pretty indicitive of how in control LA was of that game all night. As impressive as Denver was in their Game 4 win, is as impressive as LA was in Game 5. LA up 3 games to 2.

While we’re here, Lamar Odom is gutting it out. I had no idea how much. A lot, as it turns out:

The lump at the base of his spine was so large, it protruded through his white towel as he staggered around the locker room. “Yeah, it’s big,” said Lamar Odom. “Yeah, it hurts.” The protective girdle he wore under shorts was so complex, it protruded from his waist as he sprinted around the court. “Sometimes I felt like I could barely breath,” he said. “Sometimes I felt I couldn’t leave the ground.“

That doesn’t sound ideal. 19 points and 14 boards for Odom as he became the heart and soul of the Lakers for at least one night. Good for Odom.

Orlando 116. Cleveland 114. In OT.

And a 3 to 1 lead in the series for the Magic, who have now won 11 of their last 15 against Clevleand. Given that last stat, I am having a real hard time figuring out how the Cavs win three in a row at this point. And if Orlando goes ahead and puts this thing away in the next two games, it is not too hard to imagine irritation upon reflection setting in for Lebron James as the off-season unfolds. He needs some legit help. 44/12/7 was not enough last night. 8 turnovers too. And his coach (the alleged coach of the year) looks completely helpless to come up with something different to help. So would some team defense from the Cavs.

Cleveland’s front office might want to attend to all of that. Quickly. Something they have not been able to do in the last four years. Because Lebron’s unrestricted free agent year is coming fast. And the argument for him staying around Cleveland is taking a hit as this series unfolds.

But for one ridiculous shot, the Magic would have the Eastern Conference Finals by the throat. Heck, they may anyway. It was a relatively easy 99 – 89 Magic win last night in Orlando for a 2 games to 1 Magic lead. The fun part stemming from the game? The lingering bitterness from Magic fans and followers after the Lebron love-fest the whole world engaged in between Friday night’s finish and throughout most of Game 3. The lead line from the write-up in the Orlando Sentinel on the game:

While GM and the rain forests are waiting his magical touch, LeBron James couldn’t save the Cleveland Cavaliers — his personal project — on Sunday night at Amway Arena.

Heh. Not bad. 41 points for James, but a bad shooting night for him at only 11 for 28 from the field. Course, his teammates were worse. Much worse. He really had next to no help. At any rate, back to the irritation of the Magic fans and followers, go Mike Bianchi:

Give Stan Van Gundy and the Magic credit. They are the only ones in the league who refuse to be LeBron’s LeBootlicker. Gotta love Van Gundy barking at his team and telling them to quit being LeBron’s “witnesses” during Game 1. Or Dwight actually snarling at LeBron when the two got tangled up Sunday night. This why the Magic own the Cavs. This is why they’ve beaten them 10 of the last 14 times they’ve played. They don’t kneel down and kiss LeBron’s Nikes. They may give him his points (41 on Sunday), but they don’t give him their genuflection.

Excuse me if I sound bitter about the LeBron LeBoosterism. True story: As Sentinel colleague Brian Schmitz and I were walking down an empty hallway in Cleveland’s arena late Friday night after Game 1, a security guard started yelling at us: “Step to the side! Step to side!” What? Was this some sort of medical emergency? Were EMTs rushing some fallen fan to the hospital? Not exactly.

It was just LeBron being escorted to the media interview room. And, apparently, nobody occupies the same hallway as LeBron for fear the intruders might smush the rose petals being thrown at the king’s feet. Don’t get me wrong, this is not LeBron’s fault. He is an exceptional player, but the fawning fans, media and refs are making everybody sick of him. A classic case of LeBron LeBurnout.

And if you haven’t caught it, it’s only because you haven’t turned on ESPN since his buzzer-beater in Game 2. From hearing the commentators coo over him, you’d have thought LeBron had just scored the winning goal for the 1980 U.S. hockey team. The only thing missing was Al Michaels yelping, “Do you believe in miracles!”

I would imagine Cavs fans are uniquely postioned to understand this point of view, with memories of Michael Jordan/Craig Ehlo and the ensuing Jordan love (deserved, mind you) still fixed in theirs and everyones memories. That said, it is interesting to see how that dynamic might be working to help Orlando in this series. Something of a bunker mentality seems to be setting in, and whatever helps to spur a team to play its best is a good thing, particularly at this time of the year.

Oh, and Friday night’s goodness notwithstanding, that’s 10 Magic wins in the last 14 games against Cleveland.

Denver 106. LA 103. An already extremely entertaining series now looks to go the distance with Denver wresting the home court away from the Lakers and tying the series at one game a piece. As for those that are looking forward to a Kobe/Lebron finals? Denver is apparently finding some motivation in denying you the match-up. Go Kenyon:

“If they want to see that matchup, they can go play (the video game) NBA Live,” Denver’s Kenyon Martin barked after his Nuggets’ 106-103 win Thursday night here, tying the Western Conference finals at 1-1. “Everybody has anointed Los Angeles as the Western champions and Cleveland as the Eastern champions. We’re not going to lay down, by any means. If it’s meant to be, then they’re going to have to beat us. We’re not going to give it away.”

Apparently not. Series heads to Denver for Game 3. Insert your own Kobe/hotel joke here.

Orlando 107. Cleveland 106.

Lebron James was his usual dominant self, but pretty much the rest of his teammates took a pass on providing any help. That’s how 49/8/6 isn’t enough.

And, as Stan Van Gundy helpfully points out, you look a smarter as a coach when shots are falling. So Van Gundy looks brilliant as Rashard Lewis drains the three to put Orlando up, and Mike Brown looks brain dead for Cleveland’s last shot not being taken by James. Then again, James set up a wide-open Mo Williams, who simply bricked the shot.

At any rate, we have a series in this one. Orlando plays Cleveland tough normally (that’s 9 wins in their last 12 meetings for Orlando), and matches up well with them. And appears comfortable with letting Lebron get his, while they try and limit the damage elsewhere. That’s not the worst approach ever to dealing with the Cleveland James’.

I don’t know if Jerry West was poking Kobe Bryant on purpose or not with his declaration that Lebron James is the best player in the NBA (and he wasn’t wrong) but if he was, and if that was the reason Kobe responded last night, then well done to the Logo.

More likely Bryant could give a shit what an old man said, and simply was who he was, which is the best NBA player of his generation.

Lakers 105. Nuggets 103.

This series is going long.

…people stop trying to tear down Dwight Howard?

Just sayin’.

For all the shit Howard took for saying what was on everyone’s mind after Game 5’s meltdown against the Celtics, it is Orlando that is moving on after their 101-82 wipe-out of Boston in Game 7 yesterday. A blowout noteworthy because Orlando led only 66-61 heading into the fourth. And, for the second game since Dwight Howard dished truth, the Magic did not wilt.

Their reward: a rested, loving life, Cleveland Cavs team led by the best player in the universe. They might win a game in the series. If they are lucky.

Still, a nice comeback for a Magic team left all but dead early last week.