Game 5: And the Winner Is...

...Your Los Angeles Lakers! The Purple and Gold defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 to take the series 4-1, and were crowned NBA Champions. The game looked like a nail-biter as Orlando had a 2-point lead after the first quarter. But the Lakers stormed back, and outscored the Magic 30-18 in the second to enter halftime with a comfortable 10-point lead. It was all Lakers after that as they held on to win the game, the series, and the title. Orlando shot just .415 from the field for the entire game, and failed miserably on rebounds, 47-36. The Lakers were not perfect, but 8 blocked shots and 13 offensive boards helped pad their lead. Kobe Bryant was named MVP of the Finals as he had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocked shots. Lamar Odom had 17 points and 10 boards off the bench, and Pau Gasol added 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Trevor Ariza chipped in 15 points, and Derek Fisher threw in 13. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 18 points, and Dwight Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Editor's Note: My Apologies

I thought he was too old. I thought he was just a shell of his former self. I thought he could provide nothing to this retooled Laker offense. But I was wrong. Derek Fisher has still got it. He definitely proved that yesterday. Not only did he recognize the poor defense of Jameer Nelson, he took advantage by hitting his most clutch shot to date. Fisher then went on to hit a tie-breaking three in overtime that put the Lakers up for good. Fisher entered the season as the grizzled veteran, a player with loads of talent and even more experience. Unfortunately, his age has taken it's toll on him, and he appeared to be slower than a starting point-guard should be. His struggles even led Phil Jackson to use Shannon Brown, a player acquired mid-season purely for salary-cap purposes. But Fisher remained persistent. He never quit trying to make the shots he used to when he was younger, and his determination payed off. Fisher is now the toast of Los Angeles, just like he was five years ago.

Game 4: The Fish that Saved LA Pt. 2

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-91 in overtime, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The Lakers entered the second half down by 12, but stormed back in the third quarter to take a 4-point lead. The Magic quickly responded, and took what looked like a sure 3-point lead with only seconds left in the game. However, Derek Fisher sent the game into overtime with a long 3-pointer. In OT, Fisher again hit a 3-pointer to give LA the lead for good. The Lakers won the OT period 12-4. Orlando was nowhere near their dominant shooting from Game 3, going 31-for-74 from the field. Their fatal flaws were the free-throws and the turnovers though; the Magic were 22-for-37 from the charity stripe and committed 17 turnovers. Kobe Bryant had 32 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had 16 points as well, all coming in the second half. Fisher finished with 12 points. Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic, scoring 16 points, grabbing 21 rebounds, and blocking a record 9 shots. Hedo Turkoglu added 25 points, and Mickael Pietrus had 15 off the bench.

Game 2: Lakers Sweep Home Stretch

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 101-96 in overtime, taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. The series heads to Orlando for the next three games. The Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by two, but managed to send the game into overtime as Courtney Lee missed an alley-oop layup. LA won the OT 13-8. Both teams struggled to sink shots early in the game, as both teams tied at 15 at the end of the first quarter, the lowest scoring first in Finals history. The score was at 40-35 Lakers going into halftime. Orlando vastly improved their shooting, going .423 from the field, including 10-for-30 behind the arc. The Lakers countered by forcing 20 turnovers, but lost on the boards, being out-rebounded 44-35. Kobe Bryant led the way for the Purple and Gold with 29 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher had 12 points and three clutch steals, and Lamar Odom was 8-for-9 off the bench, scoring 19 points and landing 8 rebounds. Rashard Lewis was deadly for the Magic, hitting six 3-pointers and scoring 34 points, throwing up 7 assists, and taking 11 boards. Hedo Turkoglu added 22 points, and Dwight Howard had 17 points, 16 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocked shots.

Game 1: Lakers Escape Denver's Clutches

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 105-103, taking an early 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers nearly lost the game, at one point trailing by 13, before they took the lead for good in the last seconds of the fourth quarter. Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer as time expired at halftime to put the Lakers up by one, but Denver came back to take a 2-point lead at the end of the third. LA out-rebounded the Nuggets 46-37, including 17-7 on the offensive boards. Denver's key flaw came at the charity stripe, as they were just 23-for-35. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 40 points, and Pau Gasol added 13 points and 13 boards. Derek Fisher scored 13 as well, and Trevor Ariza grabbed 3 steals, including one on an inbounds in the last seconds with Denver down by two. The Laker bench was outstanding, scoring a total of 27 points as opposed to Denver's 16. Carmelo Anthony ripped LA's interior defense apart as he scored 39 points, and Chauncey Billups added 18 points and 8 assists.

Game 3: Five's For Fighting

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 108-94, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers were without the services of Derek Fisher after his suspension, but made the most of his absence as all starting five Lakers scored in double-figures. LA held Houston to just .417 shooting from the field and forced 17 turnovers, compared to the Purple and Golds' six. The Rockets had 19 offensive rebounds, but could not outscore the Lakers in all four quarters. Kobe Bryant finished the game with 33 points, and Jordan Farmar had an impact in his first career start, getting 12 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and two steals. Lamar Odom added 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza scored 13 points and grabbed 4 steals. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points before leaving the game with a flagrant-2 foul in the final seconds of the fourth quarter after hitting Pau Gasol hard. Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Fisher Suspended

Derek Fisher was suspended for Game 3 of the series with the Houston Rockets. Fisher was issued a flagrant-2 foul, which meant automatic ejection from the game. It also meant his play would be reviewed by the NBA to see if a suspension was in order. Fisher received the foul after pushing Luis Scola near the end of the third quarter. Fisher will either be replaced by Jordan Farmar or Shannon Brown in the starting lineup.

Game 2: Lakers Even Series

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets , evening the series at one game apiece. The game became very physical very fast, with five players collecting technical fouls and Derek Fisher was ejected with a flagrant-foul 2. The Lakers opened up the gate early with a 41-point first quarter, but the Rockets quickly turned the tide by tying the score at halftime. However, LA out-scored Houston by 13 in the second-half and held on to win the game. Kobe Bryant put up 40 points to lead all scorers, and Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds. Fisher had 12 points as the Lakers were a perfect .500 from the field. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points, and Carl Landry added 21 points off the bench. Artest was also ejected after engaging in an argument with Bryant.

Game 1: Rockets Stun Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Houston Rockets 100-92, dropping the first game of the Western Conference semi-finals. The Lakers managed to shoot just .448 from the field, including a meager 2-for-18 from behind the arc. LA committed 26 fouls, and sent Houston to the line 29 times. The Purple and Gold only had 19 free-throw opportunities, and hit just 12 of them. Kobe Bryant scored 32 points and collected 8 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Yao Ming dominated with 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Ron Artest scored 21 points and threw in 7 assists. Aaron Brooks easily overcame his matchup with Derek Fisher to get 19 points. The Lakers lose their home-court advantage with the defeat.

Lakers Hit Sweet 60, Look for More

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 93-81, their 60th win of the season. It was the first time the Lakers hit the 60 win mark since the '99-'00 season. The win also came after Cleveland fell to Orlando, putting LA just one win back of the Cavs in the race for the best record in the NBA. Houston made 18 turnovers, and the Lakers held the Rockets to just 37 points in the second half. LA won despite shooting .395 from the field. Kobe Bryant had 20 points and 7 assists, and Pau Gasol led with 23 points in addition to 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher scored 15 points and grabbed 5 steals. DJ Mbenga led the bench with 8 points and 2 blocked shots. Yao Ming had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Ron Artest led Houston with 21 points. Luis Scola had 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Pau Shines and Kobe Falls in Lakers' Clincher

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets 103-95, clinching the top spot in the Western Conference and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs up to the Finals. Kobe Bryant sprained his ankle after getting wrapped up with Devin Harris near the end of the second quarter, but returned in the second-half. New Jersey crept closer to the Lakers, at one point cutting a 22 point deficit to just 3 in the fourth. The Lakers pulled away every time the Nets got close, shooting .471 from the field. Jersey committed 22 turnovers and went 8-for-17 from the charity stripe, contributing to the loss. Pau Gasol had a season-high 36 points to go with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Derek Fisher scored 18 points, and Kobe had 14 with 9 assists, scoring 12 points in the second-half. Vince Carter led the Nets with 20 points, and Harris had 13 with 14 assists.

Lakers Keep Rolling with Win

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 92-77, keeping them one game behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers faced a scare after losing the second quarter 30-14, but came out of halftime to take the third 31-13. Detroit had only 25 points in the first and third quarters combined, shooting just .395 from the field overall. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 30 points, and also grabbed 8 rebounds and had 7 assists. Derek Fisher followed with 15 points, and Lamar Odom had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Will Bynum scored 25 points and had 11 assists off the bench to lead the Pistons in both categories, but Antonio McDyess was the only other Piston to score in double-figures, getting 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Lakers Enjoy Texas Two-Step

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 102-95, clinching the Pacific Division and a playoff spot. LA shot .518 from the field, but the Spurs went 11-for-17 from 3-point range. All five Laker starters scored in double-figures, the Laker bench outscored San Antonio 24-19, and the team outscored the Spurs 35-17 in the first quarter. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol both finished with 23 points, and Lamar Odom had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza both finished with 10 points. Tony Parker had 25 points and 9 assists for the Spurs, and Michael Finley also had 25 points. Tim Duncan had 16 with 11 rebounds.

Lakers Avoid Thunderous Collapse

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-93, their 10th win in 11 games. Kobe Bryant passed Adrian Dantley to become the 19th all-time scorer in the NBA, just one game after passing Laker-great Elgin Baylor. The Lakers had to fight a serious comeback from OKC, with their lead being cut to just one point with 9 minutes left in the game. LA shot .526 from the field, including 7-for-15 from 3-point range. Bryant finished the game with 36 points, and Pau Gasol had 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Derek Fisher scored 12 points, Luke Walton had 11, and Jordan Farmar came off the bench to score 10. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points to go with 10 rebounds, and former-Bruin Russel Westbrook finished with 14 points. Kyle Weaver came off the bench to score 16.

Kobe, Fisher Help Lakers Escape Hornets' Clutches

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets 115-111 in overtime, their 45th win of the season. The Lakers built a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter, but blew it after giving up a plethora of 3-pointers and trailed 98-95 with just seconds left in the game. However, Derek Fisher hit his own 3-pointer to tie the game with 14.3 seconds left, and a defensive stop sent the game into overtime. Kobe Bryant scored 11 points in the extra five minutes, and Hornets-star Chris Paul fouled out with 1:32 left in OT. LA won overtime 17-13. Kobe finished the game with 39 points, and Pau Gasol had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Fisher and Luke Walton each scored 14 points, and Lamar Odom had 12 with a game-high 17 rebounds. Rasual Butler led the Hornets with 31 points, and Paul added 21 points and 16 assists.

Lakers Get Back on Track

The Los Angeles Lakers started the second half of the season by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 96-83, their 43rd win of the season. Atlanta shot a meek .369 from the field, and only sank 2 three-pointers. The Lakers out-rebounded the Hawks 67-39 and blocked 9 of Atlanta's shots. No player from either team scored more than 15 points. Trade-acquisitions Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown both played in the fourth quarter, and combined for 1 point, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds. Lamar Odom continues to rip up the backboard, scoring 15 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. Pau Gasol had the third triple-double of his career with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Derek Fisher scored 14 points, and Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza, and Jordan Farmar each had 10. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 14 points.

Lakers Face Cold Snap

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Utah Jazz 113-109, snapping their 7-game losing streak. The Lakers could not contain Utah, allowing the Jazz to amass a .586 shooting percentage. The Lakers could only score 22 points in the third quarter, and were just 5-for-19 from three-point range. LA could not take advantage of Utah's 9-for-18 shooting at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, as Mehmet Okur and Paul Millsap each made three-point plays with less than two minutes left to give the Jazz the lead for good. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 37 points, and Lamar Odom continues to sizzle with 19 points and 19 rebounds. Pau Gasol scored 16 points and former-Jazz Derek Fisher added 13. For Utah, Deron Williams led with 31 points and 11 assists, and Okur scored 22 points and and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Lakers Ruin Cavs' Home-Cooking

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91, dealing Cleveland their first home loss of the season. The Lakers improved to 41-9 and took a game-and-a-half lead over the Cavs for the best record in the league. LA held Cleveland to just 30 points in the second half while scoring 50 points in the half, not long after the Cavaliers had a 10 point lead at halftime. Cleveland shot .391 from the field, but 11-for-23 from three-point range. The Lakers shot .489 but 3-for-20 from behind the arc. Kobe Bryant fought the flu to score 19 points, but Lamar Odom stole the show. Odom scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, including 15 points in the third quarter to help give LA a permanent lead. Pau Gasol had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Derek Fisher finished with 13 points. LeBron James was shut down for the entire game, scoring just 16 points on 5-for-20 shooting. Zydrunas Ilgauskus had 22 points and 9 rebounds, and Mo Williams added 19 points. With the victory, the Lakers went 6-0 on their road-trip, despite the absence of Andrew Bynum in four of those games.

Lakers Make Final Statement

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated their rival Boston Celtics 110-109 in overtime, snapping the Celtics' 12-game win streak and extending the Lakers' win streak to 5. The victory also avenged their loss at TD Banknorth Garden in Game 6 of the Finals which clinched the title for Boston. LA swept the season series with the Celts by holding them to a .452 shooting percentage and forcing 16 turnovers that were converted into 24 points. The Lakers were just 17-for-29 from the charity stripe, but their 12 steals helped make up for it. Kobe Bryant led LA with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 4-for-8 shooting from three-point range, despite his 10-for-29 total shooting. Pau Gasol had his own double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Lamar Odom had the most impact out of all with 20 points, including two free-throws with seconds left in OT that gave the Lakers the lead. Derek Fisher scored 13 points and had 5 assists. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 22 points, and Paul Pierce had 21 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Garnett scored 16 points, but fouled out with 4:22 left in regulation. Rajon Rondo had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists, and Eddie House finished with 16 points as well.

Lakers Slide Past Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 115-107, their 39th win of the season and 4th on this road trip. The Lakers committed just 5 turnovers, shot .506 from the field, and forced 10 blocked shots. Kobe Bryant followed up his stellar performance from Madison Square Garden by scoring 36 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and getting 5 assists. Pau Gasol had his second straight 31 point game to go with 15 rebounds. Lamar Odom had 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Derek Fisher finished with 12. Joey Graham had a career-high 24 points for the Raptors, and Jermaine O'Neal scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.