Unless you've slipped into a slight coma for the past week or so, you know all about the crushing upset the Orlando Magic pulled over the Cleveland Cavaliers, or, as most sports announcers would rather call them, the LeBron James'. You've probably also seen the Los Angeles Lakers, or, as Jerry West would like to call them, the LeBron James', pull out their respective Conference Finals' win over the Denver "Knucklehead" Nuggets.
Disappointments aside, forget about whom you'd rather see, take a moment and celebrate the NBA in all its glory. The Magic has proven that you don't need a bandwagon full of supporters to throw it down on your way to the Promised Land, and Kobe has proven that even a habitual complainer and a borderline scientologist (sorry, his press conferences remind me of Tom Cruise's interview with Matt Lauer) can prevail--to a point--without the Big Nickname mumblin' and stumblin' under the basket.
What we're going to witness, hopefully, is a full seven-game series of pure, unadulterated, highly entertaining basketball, with the winner being able to achieve the feat with gamesmanship, grace, and only three flagrant fouls per game.
For all the Sports Betting types out there, this one may be too close to call.
Undoubtedly, the homer oddsmakers will give the edge to the team playing on their home court. And, as such, it doesn't take a genius to realize that the Lakers get one more game at home, meaning that they're favored, by default, to win the series and walk off with the gold trophy. The only bad news to the winner: This year's trophy may be made of bronze. Obama took the gold for GM's new bailout package. Stern didn't complain; he's a commie.
The Lakers are already six-point favorites for game one, but, again, that's really no indication. Lines are all about inducing action on both sides. But in all honesty, it's doubtful that the Lakers will be able to hold off the Magic. The Cavaliers, although not possessing as much talent, were decimating their competition until the Magic came along. And the Lakers barely got past a Houston Rockets team bereft of T-Mac and Ming-a-ling for the better part of the series.
Maybe the best thing the Lakers could hope for is that their 2nd favorite son, #24, doesn't get dunked on by Howard and start having Shaq flashbacks out on the floor. Nothing says "ready to play" quite like a full-on panic attack.
Written By Cici
It looks like BSO is all on the Magic. But where is Mr. Littal he has been silent lately
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