Empty the Bench

By: Christopher Thell

Wow. Now that was fun – the perfect game to watch and the perfect start to the Finals.

Los Angeles, led by Kobe Bryant at his ass-kicking finest, trampled the Magic in the second half and cruised to a 100-75 statement win in Game One.

Now, there are those fans who like their contests to be, well, tightly contested, and enjoy seeing things come down to the final moments; they crave buzzer-beater drama.

Not me, my friends. Not me. Too gosh darn nerve wracking. A convincing blowout is far superior, as you can sit back and relax, savoring your team’s dominance and impending victory while also keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level.

Up ten at the half, the Lakers took control in the third quarter, as Kobe notched 18 of his game high 40 points in the period and the Purple and Gold never looked back. Seemingly every Laker played well, and Bryant was simply too much for Orlando. He literally scored in every way imaginable and the Magic didn’t have an answer. Lee and Pietrus were simply too raw.

It’s amazing what a year can render. 12 months ago at this time it was the Lakers who looked like deers in the headlights in their first Finals contest against Boston, losing on the road. They looked out of sorts and scared.

Fast forward a year, and it was the Orlando Magic who looked out of sorts and scared. They shot a measly 30% from the field and were out rebounded 55-41. Dwight Howard looked more like Clark Kent than Superman, as he only attempted 6 shots from the floor, making a mere one, and was never a factor.

Of course, Howard will play better and the Magic won’t be bricklayers from the field all series, but you just get the sense that this is LA’s year. Kobe simply isn’t going to allow this team to come up short.

And, given the stunning statistic that Phil Jackon is 43-0 in playoff series in which his team wins the first game, well, it’s good to be a Lakers fan right about now.

Like eating those first few bites of an outstanding steak, one that you know you’re going to savor and remember for awhile, the display of basketball that the Lakers put on Thursday night makes you think that Game One is the genesis of what is going to be a very tasty journey to a championship.

More Postcards From LA:
- Volume One
- Volume Two
- Volume Three
- Volume Four

The popular Postcards From LA series is back for a 2009 Lakers run at the NBA Championship. As long as the Los Angeles Lakers survive through the 2009 NBA playoffs, Empty the Bench’s West Coast correspondent Christopher Thell will be submitting a local fan’s take on his beloved Lakers’ postseason trials, tribulations and successes.

Possibly Related Content:

1. Postcards From LA, Vol. 6: One Fan Tracks His Lakers Through the 2009 NBA Playoffs


2. Postcards From LA, Vol. 7: One Fan Tracks His Lakers Through the 2009 NBA Playoffs


3. Postcards From LA, Vol. 3: One Fan Tracks His Lakers Through the 2009 NBA Playoffs


4. Postcards From LA, Vol. 4: One Fan Tracks His Lakers Through the 2009 NBA Playoffs


5. Postcards From LA, Vol. 2: One Fan Tracks His Lakers Through the 2009 NBA Playoffs