NBA - Orlando Magic v LA Lakers

11 June 2009

Preview By Tipster Jumbo (New Zealand)

The Magic won Game 3 and are looking to get back to even here if they can win tonight,personally I have my doubts...

The Magic as we all should of known did step up and play well in Game 3 their first game of this Finals series at home but the real question is can they keep on wining here in the next two games in Orlando,Based on what the Lakers have been serving up so far this Series and this entire post season and the odds are stacked against them...

The Magic shot at 62% fro the field in Game 3 and in the first half were hitting at an amazing 76% but the fact is that while they had the best shooting game ever in an NBA Finals game they only won by 4 and when you consider a few things there are reasons to believe that the Lakers will bounce straight back here,one is that Bryant had his best first quarter but his worst overall shooting performance in this Series and also missed 5 free throws that is pretty much unheard of from him,Bryant couldn't close out the game this time and so expect a better alround performance from him tonight,secondly is that the lakers lost by 4 but shot themselves at 51% from the field and made more 3 point shots than the Magic and lastly the Lakers got limited points from Gaso,Odoml and Bynumm who have been huge in the opening two games of this series ,expect that to improve here tonight.All in all though the Magic went well in all areas of that last game and they will feel good about that,Alston played well and so did all of the Magic with 5 players in their line up going into double figures,the confidence they will of got fro that should serve them well but I still don't think that the Magic can win all 3 games at home and even if the Lakers lose tonight I have no doubts they will bounce right back and win a game before they head back to LA for Game 6.

Each time the Lakers have lost this post season they have bounced back straight away not losing two consecutive games this entire post season,The Lakers have lost 6 of their 21 games so far this post season but they have bounced back well in the next game winning each game after a loss by an average margin of 10 points and they have also won 2 of those games after a loss on the road i the Series against the Jazz they lost Game 3 88-86 but bounced back in the next game to win 108-94 and then i their Series against the Nuggets they lost Game 2 at home 106-103 and then bounced back still in Denver to win 103-97..To make it even worse for the Magic is that the Lakers after a loss in any game this post season have come back to win by an average margin of 10 points,really the Lakers are the team to beat here and that series of games against both the Rockets and Nuggets has really set them up nicely,they have always been a good road team but now they have played and lost by wide margins against sides that they should of beaten and they have learnt from that and as such things are looking grim for the Magic in Game 4 of this Series.

It's hard to see the Lakers losing here really and i'm going with them,I do not think that the Lakers can wrap this up here in Orlando but winning one of these two remaining games here is the key and I expect the Lakers to do just that...Good Luck.