Lakers
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Magic
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Arena named for ...
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Office supply company (Staples Center)
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Cleaning supply company (Amway Arena)
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| Advantage: Lakers. Their postseason record at home since moving into Staples Center before the 1999-2000 season is 61-13. Orlando's home mark in the playoffs through the years: 29-18. And whatever they call it, this place is the O-rena to most folks. |
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Climate
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Sunshine with haze
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Sunshine with humidity
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| Advantage: Push. Cleveland in June wouldn't have been bad. |
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Natural disasters
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Earthquakes, fires, mudslides
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Tornadoes (more than hurricanes)
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| Advantage: Magic. Both locales had Shaquille O'Neal blow into and out of town, so that part's a push. |
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Ritzy ZIP code
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90210
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34786
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| Advantage: Magic. Who would you rather have for neighbors: Tiger Woods, Ken Griffey Jr. and Vince Carter, or Britney Spears, Ed McMahon and Tom Arnold? |
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Popular tourist stop
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Disneyland
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Disney World
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| Advantage: Magic. Being first matters, but Uncle Walt was just warming up with his starter theme park. |
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Famous season-ticket holder
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Jack Nicholson
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Tiger Woods
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| Advantage: Lakers. The coolness needle would swing the Magic's way if they won three of the first four games in the Finals and Woods (and everybody else in the stands) shows up for Game 5 -- on Sunday, June 14 -- wearing a red shirt. |
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Fill in the blank: Magic _____
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Johnson
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Kingdom
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| Advantage: Lakers. But Orlando would win a "Best Actual Lake" category (Lake Buena Vista). |
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Superstar's nickname
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Black Mamba
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Superman
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| Advantage: Push. Stuart Scott is the only person who actually refers to these guys by those names. |
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Superstar's impact
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Kobe Bryant can take over a game on the scoreboard.
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Dwight Howard can take over a game at both ends of the floor.
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| Advantage: Magic. It helps Orlando that it just survived a conference finals game-planning for LeBron James. |
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Head coach and the legend he's chasing
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Phil Jackson, hoping to break his tie with Boston's Red Auerbach as coach of nine NBA champions.
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Stan Van Gundy, hoping to break his tie with younger brother Jeff in making it to -- but not winning -- an NBA Finals.
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| Advantage: Lakers. At least Jackson's target isn't still moving. |
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Superstar's foul vulnerability
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Bryant has five technical fouls in the playoffs -- two more and he'll be suspended for one game. But he hasn't fouled out of a game since Jan. 27.
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Howard also has five Ts. He has fouled out four times in the postseason, three times in his past six games.
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| Advantage: Lakers. Howard cannot hide on defense, making him susceptible to whistles and foul-trouble sitdowns. |
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Coach's nickname
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Big Chief Triangle
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Master of Panic
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| Advantage: Lakers. Bonus points because Jackson's moniker was bestowed on him by Stan's brother. |
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Assistant coach who really impresses in airports
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Patrick Ewing
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| Advantage: Magic. At 46, Ewing still has enough spring in his step to get T'd up in the conference finals. |
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Rings on active roster
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Six (Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, three each)
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Two (Tyronn Lue, two)
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| Advantage: Lakers. Even Lue got his with L.A., in 2000 and '01. |
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Franchise history
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Has gone to the playoffs 56 times. Fourteen NBA titles.
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Has gone to the playoffs 11 times. No titles.
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| Advantage: Lakers. Duh. |
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2008-09 offensive stats
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106.92 points per game, 47.4 FG%, 77.0 FT%, 23.26 assists, 13.5 turnovers, 12.4 offensive rebounds per game.
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101.04 ppg, 45.7 FG%, 71.5 FT%, 19.42 apg, 13.9 tpg, 10.0 off. reb.
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| Advantage: Lakers. |
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Defensive stats
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99.26 points allowed, 101.8 defensive efficiency, 44.7 defensive FG%, 31.5 defensive rebounds per game, 15.5 turnovers forced per game.
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94.35 ppg, 100.5 def. efficiency, 43.3 defensive FG%, 33.3 def. rpg, 13.1 tpg.
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| Advantage: Magic. |
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Reborn after escaping losing franchise
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Trevor Ariza
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Mickael Pietrus
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| Advantage: Magic. Pietrus' defensive skills were wasted in Golden State. Ariza, once he left the Knicks, at least got to the playoffs twice with Orlando. |
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"Soft" player
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Pau Gasol
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Rashard Lewis
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| Advantage: Lakers. Gasol is a versatile finesse player, more capable of providing help even if his shot isn't dropping. |
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Best import
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Gasol
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Hedo Turkoglu
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| Advantage: Lakers. Slight edge -- Turkoglu was the NBA's Most Improved player in 2007-08 but Gasol is a two-time All-Star and All-NBA third team selection this season. |
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Most likely no-show
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Lamar Odom
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Jameer Nelson
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| Advantage: Magic. At least Nelson's team knew what it was getting from him, night after night, in these playoffs. |
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College stud, pro dud
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Adam Morrison
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J.J. Redick
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| Advantage: Magic. Redick only appeared once vs. Cleveland but has hit 16-of-41 postseason three-pointers. Morrison hasn't played since April 12. |
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Best rookie
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Sun Yue
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Courtney Lee
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| Advantage: Magic. Lee has been the best rookie remaining going on three straight rounds now. |
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Eager to prove ...
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It can win one without Shaq.
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It can win one. With or without Shaq.
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| Advantage: Lakers. In six games. |
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