If the pages on the calendar had been flipped to a month ago in Houston, or even a couple of weeks ago in Denver, maybe there would be reason to worry. Those were the Lakers that did more mailing it in than the throngs at the post office on April 15.

Back then, the Lakers would have been quite content to make the cross-country flight to Orlando and barely show long enough to hear the starting lineups introduced.

This time the Lakers were still battling for rebounds, still diving across the sideline to save loose balls and still chasing the down the Magic to commit fouls to stop the clock even when there weren’t enough tenths of seconds to expect anything but a miracle.

While Orlando’s 108-104 decision in Game 3 finally delivered the Magic’s first Finals victory in the 20-year history of the franchise, the truth is it did little to loosen the headlock the Lakers still have on the series. Consider that the Magic set a Finals record by shooting 62.5 percent from the field. Consider that five different Orlando players — Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Rafer Alston, Hedo Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus — all scored at least 18 points, another first in team history. Consider that Kobe Bryant uncharacteristically missed 5 of 10 free throws.

Then consider that the Lakers were still battling to pull the game out in the final 30 seconds.

A fan who was sitting behind the basket where the Lakers were shooting in the second half was constantly tossing a large red flag into the air. But rather than serve as a distraction, it may have been a huge red warning that Orlando had to play a near-perfect game in order to finally pull one out. It was something for the Magic to think about as the confetti rained down from the rafters at Amway Arena.

Game 3 was more up-tempo from the first two, but the Magic didn’t run wild on the Lakers. “The free throws we could have done better, but in every other aspect of the game, I’m happy with the way we competed,” said Pau Gasol.

The Lakers did compete, which might not seem like such a big thing unless you watched too many of those listless, lifeless road efforts in the earlier rounds. With a 2-0 series lead packed away in their luggage, the Lakers could have spent the evening at Disney World and played like a team with a cushion. Instead, they were scrapping, hustling as if the series was hanging in the balance.

While Bryant finished the game with a line — 31 points, eight assists — that looked typically splendid, it was uneven and anything but splendid. After making seven of his first eight shots and scoring 17 points to dominate the first quarter, he missed 13 of his last 17.

Bryant appeared out of sorts and out of sync all night at the free-throw line and appeared tired and unable to perform his routine Herculean feat of lifting the entire team as the game grew late. After his attitude ran from angry to possessed, even in the afterglow of the first two victories, Kobe blamed himself for not delivering in the clutch. Yet he seemed subdued and unworried.

“You know, we’re all frail as humans. Some not as much as others,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson explained with a grin and a shrug.

For all that the Magic did right to get the win, how many times can they expect to get an 8-for-12 and 20-point night from Alston? How many times can Pietrus run himself ragged playing defense against Bryant and still knock down 7-for-11, including the put-back dunk off Turkoglu’s missed jumper that steadied the wobbling Magic and broke the final tie of the game?

It all still comes down to defense and matchups and the Lakers continue to have a huge advantage with their big men — Gasol, Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza — getting the ball down low in scoring position.

While the Magic’s low-post scoring presence consists exclusively of Dwight Howard, the Lakers can make any entry to pass to Gasol and Odom, and even Andrew Bynum, and let them operate. Whichever of the Lakers’ big men is not being guarded by Howard can post up quite easily and get not a short jumper, but a layup.

All the Lakers need to do is get them more of those shots, since Gasol and Odom combined for only 17 between them. Yet the Lakers still outscored Orlando in the paint 40-36.

“For the most part, I think we controlled the tempo of the game pretty good,” Gasol said. “They didn’t get too many fastbreak points (10) or easy looks.

“Obviously, it was a close game, one that we would have loved to win. It could have gone the other way.”

The Magic know that too.

(nba.com)

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