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The wait is over as the first two days of the 2009-2010 NBA season is over and done. We saw strong teams get beaten, players coming back (Mr. Arenas!), rookies who don’t play like one and more and more exciting plays. It’s just exciting isn’t it? So here are some of our thoughts from the first two days.

• The Cleveland Cavaliers are 0-2 after losing to the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors. Lebron James has been fantastic in the first two games but we still think that their lineup isn’t that strong this year even with Shaq and new addition Anthony Parker around. The Cavs need to get things together or else…
• Gilbert Arenas is back! We know it’s just one game but if you saw how he played he had thing in control on his way to a 29 point game where he had 9 assists. He didn’t record any assists but he shot well,10-21 from the field. It looks like the 2 years did his body good as he tries to revive his career.
• We loved Andrew Bynum in his first game where he posted a line of 26 points, 13 rebounds while shooting 9-15 from the field and 8-10 from the line. We have a good feeling that he will stay healthy this year.
• The Philadelphia 76ers really had a hard time against the Orlando Magic and we don’t like what we’re seeing with Elton Brand. As for Marreese Speights, this guy really looks like he will battle Samuel Dalembert for minutes and he could end up being their starter by December.
• So much for Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy saying that Dwight Howard can hit close to 75% of his free throw attempts. He started the year going 3-6.

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Check out this youtube video on Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. As we all know, the Lakers won it in 5 games in such a dominating way. So all Lakers fans, enjoy this video and relive the moment of your Lakers winning. (more…)

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers for winning the 2009 NBA Champs. Kobe Bryant and company did it. Yes they’re the best team in the NBA right now as they beat the Orlando Magic in 5 games with a 99-86 win in the Magic’s home court.

I’ve never been a fan of Kobe Bryant but I must say that I was impressed by his performance, leadership and the attitude he brought in this series and into the game of basketball as a whole this season. He was more mature and he really deserves respect for what he has accomplished.

As a whole, the Lakers were really the more experienced and the hungrier team this series. Coming from a tough loss to the Boston Celtics a year ago, they knew what had to be done in order to win the championship. They knew that it would take more than Kobe’s offense or even the triangle offense to finish off their opponents. They knew that it would also take defense and discipline among the whole team. And they did what they realized that’s why they’re now the NBA Champs.

As for the Orlando Magic, you really have to give these guys credit. They weren’t favorites to reach the NBA Finals with the defending champs Boston Celtics and Lebron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers trying to dominate the East. But as always they were just a resilient team who didn’t give up. They will still be strong next year but Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis will be 30 years old once the season starts and they’ve already reached their ceiling. They would have to find other ways to help improve their lineup if they would still want to compete next year for the championship.

Here’s a clip of game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic

At least I was right in choosing them? Well, as I was pretty confident that the Magic would win game 2 of the NBA Finals, I put some money on them and they were able to cover the +6.5 as they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 101-96.

I really thought that the Magic would actually win this game and not just in the odds. Well, they could have won it if Courtney Lee made his layup with less than a second remaining. But of course, we can’t put all the blame on him, could we? It was a total team effort and the best team would win that game. And so the Lakers did.

Even if my predictions in Orlando getting the win went wrong, I’m still quite happy with the predictions that I’ve made the other day. Some became reality like how Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu would bounce back. 

The two of them combined for 56 points on 20 of 38 shooting from the field and they combined to make 9 three pointers, which is four more than the whole Lakers team. Lewis scored 18 points in the 2nd quarter too keep the Magic close to the Lakers.

We also saw that the defense of the Magic improved as evidenced by them forcing Kobe Bryant to 7 turnovers and blocking his last second shot in regulation. While there defense improved, the Lakers also had a steady defense to force the Magic to commit an alarming 20 turnovers. 

Dwight Howard was there and he had a monster game in trying to lead his team past the Lakers. He finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks. He had a great shooting night too going 7-9 from the free throw line. However, he was also forced to 7 turnovers, which just cancels Kobe’s.

The thing that I might be wrong was Rafer Alston’s maturity. Well, it’s clear that he is being affected by the return of their real starting point guard, Jameer Nelson. He hasn’t voiced out anything yet, but it’s quite obvious in the way he has been playing. In game one, he said that there won’t be any problems, but it’s clear that he was affected. Yes, he sat the whole second quarter and you could lose your rhythm but you’re a proffesional. You have a job to do and he has to remember that this is the NBA Finals. You’ve got to play like you deserve to be here. If only Alston and Nelson could have just played better then the Magic could have won this game.

If you ask me who’s going to win game three I still don’t know. But one thing’s for sure, if they lose game three it’s over. That’s quite obvious especially against the Lakers. I’ll let you know by tomorrow who I think will win game three. I’m quite excited how about you?

The Orlando Magic were beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers in game one of the NBA Finals. It wasn’t just another loss because we are now in the Finals and every thing counts. Both teams have worked so hard this year that you wouldn’t want to give your opponent even the slightest chance of getting a win. That is what the Lakers did in game one but I’m doubting that it will happen in game 2. I like Orlando’s chances of winning game two even if it’s not in their home court and even if the odds are against them. Here’s why: (more…)

I’d like to congratulate the Orlando Magic for beating the odds and of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. I’m sure that they’re celebrating before they plan for their Finals showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve overcome a lot in this playoff and they deserve it. But I’m not sure Hedo Turkoglu will really overcome (more…)

The Orlando Magic were beaten by Glen “Big Baby” Davis’ buzzer beater in game 4 and they wanted to make sure they didn’t have any more close finishes in this series against the Boston Celtics. Well, that didn’t happen in Game 5 as they blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead and make it close again in the final minutes of the game. The Celtics won 92-88.

The Celtics can thank Stephon Marbury (more…)

It looks like the Boston Celtics just love an exciting finish to their games as they finished game 4 with a buzzer beater by Glen “Big Baby” Davis to win 95-94.

No one on the court would have guessed that Big Baby was going to take the last shot as the ball was originally with Paul Pierce but he got doubled. (more…)

Heading into game three without Jameer Nelson or Rafer Alston, the Orlando Magic looked like a team that would lack leadership with a thin back court. No worries as 34-year old veteran Anthony Johnson did his job to help the Magic win 117-96 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Of course, the Orlando Magic wasn’t just about the back court, they were more of their one man front court – Dwight Howard. He was everywhere on defense – rebounding and blocking shots. He finished the game with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. (more…)

Paul Pierce only scored three points in this game but the Boston Celtics still won game 2 against the Orlando Magic, 112-94. Thanks to Eddie House’s 31 points, a triple double by Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen’s 22 points, the Celtics have tied the series.

Rajon Rondo had his third triple double of the playoff with 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds. He also had two big dunks in the second half to help keep the momentum going. (more…)