The night was sticky in central Florida, the Lakers arrived in Orlando with a mission to reverse the seven-year drought that plagued the city of Los Angeles. 3 wins to 1 in a row and some Magic that came from standing in the previous matchalso in Florida, taking the game to overtime.
Van Gundy’s defense tried to make LA’s triangle collapse with special emphasis Kobe Bryant roaming the dance floor.
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On the other side of the court a pack of bulldogs awaited the Magic. Trevor Ariza and Derek Fisher were sharpening knives to kill any chance for the Magic and stop any player not named Dwight Howard from scoring.
The contest started with the Magic on fire, Lewis and Turkoglu leading the locals and Howard battling Bynum under the rims. Phil Jackson gave the ball without hesitation to Kobe Bryant, who performed one of his classic performances at his most murderous version to chain a set that would break the Magic’s dominance.
The Lakers’ rotation itself surprised Van Gundy. Jackson took Bynum out of the game to bring in the series’ X factor like Lamar Odom, who allowed the Angelenos to open up the field and Howard had to defend Gasol. The Spaniard shined and conquered the color at the Amway Arena in Orlando withn 14 points and 15 rebounds on 66% shooting.
The Lakers broke open in that second quarter with a 30-18 run and gradually increased that distance as the minutes ticked by.
Odom’s entry left more room for Bryant to take advantage of Gasol’s reading of the game in the pick-and-roll, which opened up a series of opportunities that led to his 30 points. On the other hand, Pow completely canceled out Howard who finished with just 11 points on 33% shooting after signing a flawless season and leading Orlando to their second Finals.
The horn honked and the dash went red. Immediately after the invasion of the field by the players in purple. Gasol hugged Ariza to immediately immerse himself in the champion’s circle.
Algarbia took over the Catalan, he was finally NBA champion, the first Spaniard, the only one until this year 2019 despite the efforts of his professional colleagues. “It’s a dream come true,” Gasol said after the celebration. A dream that would be repeated a year later, getting revenge on the Celtics and enjoying the honey of success once again.
Spain woke up with all the headlines covered by the image of the laughing center hugging the Larry O’Brien trophy. Drenched in champagne and sweat, Gasol placed his name among the greatest of the best league in the world.
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