Magic fans have to be thinking it's 1995 all over again.
With a chance to make it a two possession game, up 87-84, Dwight Howard stepped to the line. Eleven point one seconds.
The first, a line drive with little rotation. Long.
One more.
Howard wiped his brow and mouthed a few words of encouragement before taking aim.
Rotation and arc restored, the shot soared high into the Amway Arena air, but Howard shifted his weight. Deep inside he knew.
Long again. Timeout. Lakers ball.
Orlando had been given its chance, much like its 1995 team when Nick Anderson clunked four consecutive freebees in Game 1 to open the door for Houston to storm back and tie at the end of regulation, win in overtime and sweep the series.
Now it was time for the experienced Lakers to take charge.
Off the inbound pass from Lamar Odom, Kobe Bryant found Trevor Ariza who swung the ball cross court at midcourt to veteran Derek Fisher. Seven seconds.
Despite obvious woes, including brutally inaccurate shooting throughout the postseason, the gritty veteran cleared past troubles from his mind and pulled up from downtown -- open to shoot because Magic guard Jameer Nelson sagged below the arc defensively.
Swish. Tie game.
Orlando's Mickael Pietrus rushed a shot wide and deep right as time expired, knowing too well it was only a matter of time that the Lakers would prevail. After all, they had weathered the Magic storm, mounting a comeback after trailing at halftime by 12.
Orlando briefly held a lead after a trey from Rashard Lewis on the first possession of overtime. But the team's courage was gone -- replaced by halfhearted hustle and more carelessness (a key turnover with the score still close; 17 in all).
Los Angeles and Bryant found their old gunner to be true again; Fisher drained the game-winning three with 31 seconds to play and Pau Gasol's two dunks secured the 99-91 Lakers win Thursday, putting Los Angeles one win away from an NBA title.
And with history on its side, holding a 3-1 advantage, it seems almost inevitable Bryant and the Lakers will get their first -- without Shaq.
The youthful, resilient men in blue and white were right there. Instead they'll leave this night, and perhaps season, feeling but one free throw short, one turnover away.
Notes:
Kobe Bryant found late-game success when he entrusted the ball in another's hands. Twice he passed the ball in overtime and twice the Lakers scored -- a Pau Gasol dunk and Fisher's game-winning 3-pointer. Even on the brink of his first championship without O'Neal, he still hasn't realized the only way to make that dream happen is through his teammates, not by himself.
Bryant has struggled with his shot in the crunch, due in part to great defense from either Pietrus or someone else and poor shot selection. He followed a 1-of-5 fourth quarter Tuesday in Los Angeles' 108-104 loss with a 2-of-8 effort Thursday. After two characteristic Bryant makes at the front end of overtime (pullups from the right elbow and free throw line), he started to press a bit with his shot, selecting to shoot, and missing, despite being well defended.
Get this: The Lakers are 6-1 this postseason when Fisher scores more than 10 points. He finished with 12.
Orlando missed 15 free throws (22-of-37), including five (2-of-7) in the backend of the fourth quarter. Howard finished 6-of-14 from the charity stripe.
Speaking of the Orlando big man, Howard set a single-game Finals record with nine block shots. He also hauled in 21 boards.
Though his stellar help defense kept the Magic in the game, he proved to be somewhat of a liability on the court, thanks to eight missed free throws, seven turnovers and several rushed, awkward looking shots.
