Basketball Championships

Did you ever notice you can never find a conspiracy when you need one? That Kobe Bryant-LeBron James matchup we didn't get started looking a lot better Thursday night as the Lakers reduced the Orlando Magic to its constituent parts, which it must try to put back together by Sunday. For the record, as every player associated with both teams emphasized, it was one game and this isn't over. It just feels as if it is.

Andrew Bynum, the one with the still-smarting knee and the curiously shaky game, played Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard to a relative draw, more than enough to allow the Lakers to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals with ease, 100-75. Bynum was averaging only 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in the playoffs before Thursday, but he had nine points and nine rebounds despite fighting foul trouble throughout the game.

President Obama believes in many unbelievable phenomena. He believes General Motors will rise again from the depths of bankruptcy. He believes Muslim and Arab nations will someday embrace America and vice versa. He believes we can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil in 10 years. He believes Republicans and Democrats can actually set aside their partisanship and work in unity to bring our nation back from the depths of war and recession. Yes, our president believes in many incredible things.

Enough about his tumbling jumpers, his tentacle defense, his towering rebounds, his touch passing. Did you see his teeth? The story of the NBA Finals opener Thursday could be found in Kobe Bryant's mouth. Seriously, did you see his teeth? During the Lakers' 100-75 victory over the Orlando Magic, Bryant openly ground them as he ground his way to 40 points. He visibly clenched them as he fought for eight rebounds and flicked out eight assists. He bared them as he bared his soul.

Here we are, and it really doesn't get any bigger than this with only four games to play in this year's NBA Finals. The thrill, the excitement and the anticipation that come with waiting for Jeanie's next tweet, twit or the latest amateur home video released by Phil & Jeanie. But first the latest installment of "Phil & I," moments before Game 1, the YMCA coach they've put in charge of Orlando asked the obvious question: "Are you intimidated at all by Phil Jackson or his championship resume?"

Those mouse ears, that ogre, that donkey . . . there's something familiar about this place. Of course! It's Orlando, home of Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, innumerable other theme parks and the Magic, a thrill ride in its own right, if one in danger of being shut down for the season after the Lakers went up, 2-0, in the NBA Finals on Sunday. That was pending further developments, of course.

The Orlando Magic had just lost a tough one to the Lakers, in overtime no less, but instead of looking toward the future, the coaching staff brought up the past. After all, Orlando is used to seeing deficits in playoff series. The Magic trailed Boston, 3-2, before rallying to win an Eastern Conference semifinal in seven games. Philadelphia had a 2-1 lead on Orlando in the first round but didn't win another game.

The door opened to the Lakers coaches' office 30 minutes after Sunday's Game 2 at Staples Center and there sat assistant coach Brian Shaw, slumped, tie askew, his chin resting in his hand. Shaw is in charge of putting together the Lakers' game plans for their games against the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals, and he had just witnessed his team escape in overtime -- and even then only after Courtney Lee missed a layup off a lob pass at the end of regulation.

Fans of both the Orlando Magic and the Lakers found reasons to complain about officiating after the Lakers' 101-96 overtime victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night. The subject: goaltending. Most of the attention focused on what happened during the final tenths of a second in regulation -- when the Lakers' Pau Gasol wasn't called for goaltending as he touched the rim while Magic guard Courtney Lee attempted a game-winning layup.

On second thought, we'll take the weekly rate. So much for the overlooked phase of this series. Reeling back here from Los Angeles, the Magic turned back into its torrid-shooting self, upending the Lakers, 108-104. Thus ended the Lakers' hopes of a quick knockout. Now they're here through Sunday, on a target range, in the midst of a folk movement.