LOS ANGELES (AP) -The Orlando Magic keyed on Lakers star Kobe Bryant with a number of defensive schemes in Game 2 of the NBA finals, switching defenders and collapsing on him whenever he drove the lane.
That opened up things for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, who combined for 43 points and 18 rebounds in the Lakers’ 101-96 overtime win.
Orlando initially threw Mickael Pietrus at Bryant, and Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick also took turns. It at least slowed Bryant down: he managed 29 points in this one.
“The first game he kind of did a good job of picking his spots off of coming off the pick and roll and elevating it,” said Magic guard Courtney Lee. “We did a good of taking that away.”
But doing so gave Gasol and Odom an opening.
“See, that’s the thing when you’re throwing two guys at one person. Obviously there’s going to be somebody open. We just have to do a better job of rotating,” Lee said.
ook three defenders with him when he drove the lane with 1:14 remaining in overtime. Bryant then kicked out a pass to Gasol, who was posted up just on the outside of the box.
Score: 96-91 Lakers, and Gasol at the free throw line after a foul.
“We just put Dwight (Howard) in a situation where he had to make a choice, simple as that,” Bryant said. “Pau and I timed it perfectly with him being parallel to myself and him having the right angle to get it to him just in case Dwight committed.
“He committed, and I got Pau an easy bucket, and one.”
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NELSON’S REDUCED MINUTES: Magic point guard Jameer Nelson only played seven-plus minutes in the fourth quarter and sat out overtime.
“Whenever we get our minutes, no matter who it is, we go out and play. Nobody’s complaining about minutes or moping,” Nelson said. “It was coach’s decision. Everybody wants to be out there and everybody can’t. I’m not complaining it.”
Redick played 27 minutes for the first time since the Eastern Conference semifinals, when the Magic played against Boston. Nelson wound up playing 16 minutes.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said all his guards struggled.
“J.J. played real well, but he was like the rest of our guards – he struggled to get it in the basket. I thought he played real well, but I thought those back-to-back plays sort of turned it their way,” Van Gundy said.
Redick finished with five points on 2 of 9 shooting. He missed an open 3 in overtime and turned the ball over when attempting to get a pass into Howard.
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CALL HIM SKIPPER: Phil Jackson the baseball coach?
That’s right. Jackson’s first coaching job was as a baseball coach when he went to school at the University of North Dakota in the late 1960s.
Jackson liked the job, but found basketball to be more of a challenge.
“Jerry Reinsdorf always used to say, well, it’s probably more difficult than coaching baseball because you’ve always got to make a move. Every single move is another chess situation for you,” said Jackson, referring to the Chicago White Sox owner as well as his former boss with the Bulls.
No disrespect to Joe Torre of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the all other baseball managers out there.
“I definitely follow the major sports’ championships, and I think that Joe’s low key manner is something to what I have. He seems to be able to take everything in hand, also handle the players’ personalities I think is a big part of that,” Jackson said.
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BUSS’ PERSONAL PR: Jeanie Buss won’t be updating you with scores or highlights from the NBA finals. But she will tell you what “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad is wearing when she shows up to watch the Lakers play the Orlando Magic.
Buss’ Twitter feeds and video interviews with Lakers coach and boyfriend Phil Jackson are a hit with fans and media members.
“I knew I couldn’t Twitter about how the team is playing or basketball stuff, but I can make you feel like you’re at the game,” said Buss, the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss and the vice president of business operations for the team.
“People started asking me what the score was, so I started throwing it up there once in a while.”
Jackson constantly gets questions about his video diary from one particular sports writer. The video entails Buss quizzing Jackson about the upcoming game either at their home or on the way to Staples Center.
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HORSES NEAR STAPLES: Nope, just former Lakers player Rick Fox and jockey Iggy Puglisi playing a game of H-O-R-S-E in front of Nokia Live and across from Staples Center before Game 2 of the finals.
The game was played for the Breeders’ Cup coming to LA.
Fox, who won three championships with the Lakers, won the game after getting off to a slow start.
“Once my shot warmed up, I was good,” said Fox, whose name has been splashed in headlines lately because of his relationship with “Dollhouse” star Eliza Dushku.
ust trying to get to know each other without too much media scrutiny,” said Fox.
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BANK SHOTS: There was a moment of silence before Game 2 for Randy Smith, the former Buffalo Braves All-Star who died Thursday at 60 after a heart attack. … Kris Allen, who won American Idol, sang the national anthem. … The Magic shot 42 percent from the field, a significant increase from 31 in Game 1.
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