LOS ANGELES (AP) -The big man nobody was talking about came up huge for the Lakers.
Pau Gasol dominated overtime with seven of his 24 points, helping Los Angeles defeat the Orlando Magic 101-96 Sunday night to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals.
Most of the focus had been on the matchup between Gasol’s teammate Andrew Bynum and Orlando star Dwight Howard. But Gasol muscled his way into the picture in his usual calm and cool way.
The Spaniard was 10 of 11 from the free throw line, grabbed 10 rebounds – all on the defensive boards – had two steals and a blocked shot in nearly 44 minutes.
Tied at 88, Gasol stripped the ball from Howard to begin overtime. He then scored the Lakers’ first two points on free throws.
sket and getting fouled. Bryant pointed his index finger at Gasol and they hugged before Gasol made the free throw to keep the Lakers ahead 97-91.
Gasol added two more free throws, as the Lakers went 24 of 28 from the line.
A year ago, Gasol admitted he was just happy to be in his first finals after three playoff appearances with Memphis. The Lakers were blown out in a Game 6 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Gasol helped Spain win a silver medal in the Beijing Olympics, then he returned to the Lakers and diligently hit the weight room. He bulked up, determined to be more of a presence despite a frame that is far from the prototypical body of a big man.
Now, he’s helped move the Lakers within two wins of the franchise’s 15th championship.
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