Spurs. However, the Magic would lose to the Boston Celtics in six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, marking the final games held at Amway Arena. CBS Sports has the latest NBA Basketball news, live scores, player stats, standings, fantasy games, and projections. Plus, watch live games, clips and highlights for your favorite teams! Kobe Bryant averaged 32.4 points and 7.4 assists in this series, which was the best combination of those categories since Jerry West averaged 37.9 points and 7.4 assists (1969). Having missed his first five three-point shots of the game, Fisher spotted up and hit a pivotal three-pointer over Jameer Nelson to tie the game at 87 with 4.6 seconds left. NBA All-Star Game MVPs 69; NBA Champion Starters (2000s) 50; NBA Players with Most Championships 48; NBA Finals Scoring Leaders 41; NBA Top 10 Scorers of the 2000s Minefield 40; NBA MVP Voting (2000s) 39; NBA 2000+ Playoff Points 21; NBA: Almost Back-to-Back Championship Wins 18; NBA Finals MVP and NCAA Champion 9; NBA Finals: Rematches 1 The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s championship series for the 2008–09 season. The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular-season series: After an evenly battled first quarter, the Magic took the lead thanks to field goals and assists from point guard Jameer Nelson, who was playing his first game since injuring his shoulder during the regular season in February. After the Magic were unable to convert, Kobe Bryant made a pivotal assist to Pau Gasol for a layup-and-one, giving the Lakers a 6-point lead and the eventual victory. This was the first NBA Finals series since 1984 to have two games go into overtime (Games 2 and 4); both were won by the Lakers. The perfect Tim Duncan Spurs sneaker exists. Tyronn Lue, a backup point guard with Orlando, appeared with the Lakers during their initial championship run in the early 2000s and faced his former team in the finals. The series win brought the Lakers' franchise championship total to 15, trailing only to the Boston Celtics. The series was the third straight championship the Lakers clinched on the road (after 2001 and 2002); the last time the Lakers clinched the championship at home was in 2000. Having achieved three Game 1 victories throughout the postseason (first round vs. Utah, conference finals vs. Denver, and NBA Finals vs. Orlando), Phil Jackson-coached teams were now 44–0 in series where they win the first game, later improved to 48–0 by the time Jackson retired after the 2011 NBA Playoffs. The NBA’s international offices grow the game of basketball globally by hosting NBA events around the world, creating sponsorship opportunities for local businesses, developing merchandising strategies with regional licensees, selling international TV packages, and overseeing regional public and media relations. Bryant was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals. The Magic, facing the prospect of the Lakers winning a championship on their home floor, came out with a good start, leading by as much as 9 in the first quarter. The Lakers earned their berth into the playoffs by winning the Pacific Division. With 1:27 left in overtime, Howard split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 91. NBA 80+ Points in First 5 Games . The Lakers picked up the pace in the 2nd quarter, but Rashard Lewis kept the Magic in the game, scoring 18 of the team's 20 points in the quarter, including the final 16, on his way to a playoff career-high and Finals franchise-high 34 points for the game. The tradition began in 2005 and ended for the 2010 series. This was also the last NBA Finals to be played at Amway Arena; the Magic moved to the Amway Center for the 2010–11 season. The championship was the fourth of the 2000s decade for the Lakers, most among all teams in the four major professional sports leagues in North America. In the Finals the Lakers won a hard-fought seven game series against the Celtics to retain the NBA title, becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the 2002 Lakers. Due to stellar defense by the Lakers, Dwight Howard was a dismal 1–6 from the field, his fewest made field goals in his playoff career, and finished with 12 points, 10 of which came from free throws. Leading by as much as 18 in the half, Los Angeles led by 15 going into the 4th quarter. In the next possession, the Magic missed another shot, bouncing the ball to Fisher, who passed it to Ariza, then to Gasol for a dunk, but Pietrus slammed both arms on his back, resulting in Gasol getting a technical foul and Pietrus a flagrant-1 foul. This series was nicknamed the "Disney Series" for its connections to The Walt Disney Company. The victory was noted by many as a personal success for Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, winning his first championship and succeeding in the playoffs without the presence of former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal where some people had previously speculated that Bryant could not "win one without Shaq". They played three physical series against the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets, winning in 5, 7, and 6 games, respectively. Dominant offensive play coupled with a spectacular defense by both starters and reserves from the second quarter until the buzzer helped the Lakers to win Game 5 and secure the series. Bryant averaged 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game during the series. The Lakers' only offseason change was the acquisition of Ron Artest from the Houston Rockets, in an essential trade where they let Trevor Ariza sign with the Rockets. Jackson also passed Auerbach and NHL coach Scotty Bowman for most championships all-time by a head coach in a major American sports league. After the 2011–12 season Stan Van Gundy was fired, and in a blockbuster offseason trade, Howard was traded to the Lakers, which he spent one season with the Lakers and later move to Houston Rockets. Going into the Finals, the Lakers finished off the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals with two good performances in Games 5 and 6, making analysts pick them as the favorites in the Finals. The official site of the National Basketball Association. This also included a 75% first quarter, also a Finals record. Although they trailed the Magic as much as 12 at halftime, the Lakers won Game 4 in overtime on the back of Trevor Ariza's 13 points in the second half and Fisher's pair of three-point clutch shots. With 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter and the game tied at 79, Howard converted a three-point play to give the Magic an 82–79 lead. Stay up to date on the latest NBA basketball news, scores, stats, standings & more. Following the game, NBA commissioner David Stern presented the Lakers with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and presented Kobe Bryant with the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Trophy during a presentation on center court at Amway Arena. Thank you for … However, the team failed to reach NBA Finals due to the rise of the Golden State Warriors. Kobe Bryant responded with a jumper of his own to tie the game. On the bench to witness it was a previous record holder, his assistant coach Patrick Ewing, who had 8 in Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals while with the New York Knicks. Remove Ads. For the Magic, Game 3 marked their first Finals game victory in franchise history after losing their first six Finals games, including being swept in their first Finals appearance in 1995. The Magic moved to the Amway Center the next season, then proceeded to lose in the first round for two straight years to the Hawks and the Indiana Pacers, respectively. Even Dejounte Murray called foul on ESPN's Spurs snub . Upon the game's finish, Oasis's "Don't Look Back in Anger" was played throughout Amway Arena. Watch NBA Games - Follow the game, scores and stats for NBA matchups. Our regional offices (and locations) are listed below: Rashard Lewis backtapped the rebound to center court, but the ball went to Pau Gasol, who ran in unimpeded for a dunk, giving the Lakers the lead for good. Needing just one free-throw to make the game a 2-possession affair, Howard missed both shots. Thus, Howard return to the Eastern Conference teams after signing with Atlanta Hawks. Get the best of Sporcle when you Go Orange. Each player defeated another fellow Olympic starter in his respective conference final series: Bryant defeated Carmelo Anthony's Denver Nuggets and Howard advanced past LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers. Again the Lakers won the top seed in the West, though winning just eight games less than the year before. Lamar Odom answered with back-to-back three-pointers to restore the Laker lead to double digits. Both teams got off to a slow start and were tied at 15 after the first quarter, setting a record-low for combined score (30) in the first quarter of an NBA Finals game. The two team captains (the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and the Magic's Dwight Howard) were teammates and starters on the United States men's national team the previous summer, winning a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Magic outscored the Lakers in the 3rd quarter to take a 2-point lead in the 4th. Down 33–28 with 8:38 left in the 2nd quarter, the Lakers went on a 10–0 run and never looked back. The 63rd edition of the championship series was played between June 4 and June 14 and was broadcast on U.S. television on ABC. With the game tied at 84, Rashard Lewis hit a jumper with 1:32 remaining to give the Magic a 2-point lead. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Utah Jazz in the best-of-seven Western Conference First Round, the Houston Rockets in the best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals, and the Denver Nuggets in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals. The Magic again won 59 games and the division title in the 2009–10 season, in which they let go of Hedo Türkoğlu to the Toronto Raptors and acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also the defending Western Conference champions), and the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic. The 2016 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2015–16 season, and the culmination of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.The Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks four games to two to win their fourth championship in franchise history. With a chance to take a 2–0 series lead, Kobe Bryant was blocked on a jumper by Türkoğlu, who gained control of the ball and called time-out with 0.6 seconds left. Out of the timeout, the Lakers elected to take the ball out at three-quarters court instead of half-court in order to space out the floor. However, despite the incredible shooting percentage, the Lakers managed to stay close for much of the game. It is the second time in Lakers history, after the 1984 and 1985 teams. Although the Magic won both regular-season matchups with the Lakers, Los Angeles was able to take four out of five games in this series. Then they won Game 4 on June 11 in overtime as well. The Magic shot a field goal percentage of 63% for the game, a Finals record. However, Kobe Bryant kept the Lakers in the game, scoring 13 of the team's 20 first-quarter points. However, after dispatching the Philadelphia 76ers in six games, the Magic stunned the Celtics by winning Game 7 in Boston. The overtime session began with a three-pointer by Rashard Lewis and two contested jumpers by Kobe Bryant to give the Lakers a 91–90 lead. With their team's win, Pau Gasol became the first Spaniard and D. J. Mbenga the first Belgian Congolese player to win an NBA championship. With 47 seconds left, Hedo Türkoğlu hit a jumper that was originally called a three-pointer. Head coach Phil Jackson captured his 10th NBA championship as a coach, surpassing Red Auerbach for most championships all-time by an NBA coach. Coming out of the half, Orlando cut the lead to 5 with 7:45 remaining in the 3rd on a three-pointer by Rafer Alston. Türkoğlu made another jumper with 1:34 remaining to give the Magic a five-point lead. Top 50 NBA Player Salaries (2013-2014) NBA Playoffs Top 10 (1990s) NHL Scoring Leaders 2015-2016. Out of a timeout, Türkoğlu rushed a three-point shot and missed. NBA Top 5 Scorers by Seasons Played. In Game 3, the Magic set the Finals record for the best field goal percentage with 63 percent, and the Finals record for best field goal percentage in the first half with 75 percent. In the next round, Orlando was given little chance by many to defeat the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, but a combination of three-point shooting and the inside presence of Dwight Howard created a matchup nightmare for Cleveland on defense, and Orlando ultimately won in six games. Orlando assistant coach Patrick Ewing had publicly "guaranteed" that Orlando would win Game 7.[2]. Support Sporcle. Down 87–82 with 31 seconds left, Kobe Bryant spun through the lane and passed to Gasol for a dunk to cut the lead to three. The Magic double-teamed Bryant in the backcourt, allowing him to pass the ball up to Ariza, who in turned passed it to Derek Fisher on the right wing. On the next possession, the Lakers would miss a layup and a jumper, but regained possession on an offensive rebound by Ariza and a loose-ball foul on Jameer Nelson. After another timeout, Türkoğlu threw a half-court lob to Courtney Lee, who had come free after a screen on his defender. The Magic won the Southeast Division to earn their berth. Kobe Bryant led the team to a Game 1 win with 40 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Your default site has been set for 7 days, 'NBA guarantees continued fight for social justice', Jokic pours in 38 as Nuggets level series against Blazers, BJ: We must have uncomfortable conversations. By virtue of their win this year and loss in the previous year, this marked tenth occurrence that the winners of the NBA Finals were losers in the preceding year's Finals, previously the Detroit Pistons had lost and won the Finals in 1988 and 1989 respectively. With the Lakers up 1 in overtime with 1:55 left, Derek Fisher stole a J. J. Redick pass and was fouled on the ensuing fast break, making both free throws. The Lakers ended the 3rd quarter on a 25–10 run, led by the fierce play from Kobe Bryant, who finished with 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, joining the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, and Jerry West to put up those numbers in a single NBA Finals game. Follow the action on NBA scores, schedules, stats, news, Team and Player news. The Lakers came out of the locker room aggressive and outscored the Magic 30–14 in the 3rd quarter, led by Trevor Ariza, who scored 13 points in the quarter, including two three-pointers. The Magic came out in Game 3 with fire. Down 40–36 with 7:11 in the 2nd quarter, the Lakers went on a 16–0 run, fueled by two 3-pointers and solid defensive play from Trevor Ariza. On the ensuing Magic possession, the Lakers played great defense and forced Courtney Lee to miss an awkward layup shot with 10.5 seconds left. The Magic were able to increase the lead to 12 at halftime. Spurs. After Hedo Türkoğlu hit a stepback 3-point shot, Howard blocked Gasol's jumper, giving him a single-game NBA Finals record with 9 blocked shots. The Lakers led by as much as 12 in the 2nd quarter and the score was 56–46 at halftime. Bill and Luke Walton became the third father-son pair to each win a championship as a player; the other father-son combinations are Matt Guokas, Sr. (1947) with Matt Jr. (1967) and Rick Barry (1975) with son Brent (2005 and 2007). Following the game, NBA commissioner David Stern presented the Lakers with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and presented Kobe Bryant with the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Trophy during a presentation on center court at Amway Arena. This was also the first odd season since 2001 that the San Antonio Spurs did not win the NBA Finals; they won in 2003, 2005, and 2007. The previous record holders, all of whom had blocked eight shots in a Finals game,[4] were: Bill Walton of the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 of the 1977 NBA Finals; Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the 1986 NBA Finals; Howard's assistant coach Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals; Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the 2001 NBA Finals; and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. The 25-point margin of victory was the 6th-largest in NBA Finals Game 1 history. Dwight Howard won Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year. Lue and another backup point guard, Anthony Johnson were the only players on Orlando's roster with NBA Finals experience. Trevor Ariza, the Lakers starting small forward, faced the team that traded him to the Lakers in 2007. With 33 seconds remaining, Dwight Howard was able to deflect, but not steal, a Derek Fisher pass, and Pau Gasol was able to again tie the game at 88 with a layup. The NBA Finals were staged under a 2–3–2 rotation, with the Lakers holding home-court advantage as they had a better regular season record than the Magic. However, Lee was traveling too fast and launched his layup from almost behind the backboard, causing it to miss. On the next Laker possession, the Magic played good defense, but Trevor Ariza was able to hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to tie the game at 82. Dwight Howard played a great first quarter, with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in the opening frame. In Game 6, Howard's stellar performance with 40 points and 14 rebounds helped the franchise earn its second Finals appearance (they were swept by the Houston Rockets in the 1995 Finals during Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway era). Down by six in the opening minutes of the 4th quarter, the Magic took a 76–75 lead halfway through the quarter, but were unable to increase the lead due to poor free-throw shooting, specifically from Hedo Türkoğlu and Dwight Howard. The Lakers were the favorite to emerge from the Western Conference, but their road to the Finals was a tough one. 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