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Henry Abbott Whole bunch of confetti on the floor.
Henry Abbott Get the brooms. Not for the Magic. For the Magic confetti.
Henry Abbott The Los Angeles Lakers and the never-ending possession. The confetti is falling, but the game may not be over yet.
Henry Abbott Thorpe says he'd run any play that was quick right now. Two or three. Kobe drive. Pau in post.
Henry Abbott Lee, Alston, Pietrus, Nelson -- 18 of 28 from the floor. So unlike Game 2.
Henry Abbott Dwight Howard with the strip. He has had some big-time steals in this series. What big man steals better?
Henry Abbott That Orlando play didn't work. Howard catching just inside the 3-point line?Henry Abbott Not like him.
Henry Abbott Kobe Bryant is five of ten from the line.
Henry Abbott They announced that shot as a 3 and the arena went nuts. Couple of minutes later, they took a point away. Three point game 1:06 left. Tense.
Henry Abbott @NBAjerseyworld Got a message saying "Wow that's a lot of tweets. Try again later."
Henry Abbott Rafer and Howard were freaked out about Kobe, and Gasol gets his easiest bucket of the night in middle of crunch time.
Henry Abbott Got in trouble with Twitter for too many Tweets. Come on, it's the Finals! I'm live from Orlando! It's show time. Free the TrueHoop!
Henry Abbott Thorpe thinks Turkoglu is on drugs right now. That's a joke, but he's not happy with how he lacks intensity on D.
Henry Abbott Rafer earned these minutes, for sure.
Henry Abbott Rafer too.
Henry Abbott Kobe checking in.
Henry Abbott Just about the time the buzzer sounds, he actually shows the clipboard to the Lakers.
Henry Abbott Kobe Bryant is pacing his way through the timeout. No Lakers have talked all timeout, but Phil is scribbling furiously on a clipboard.
Henry Abbott Jameer switched onto Gasol and fought hard against the much bigger player. One brownie point.
Henry Abbott Both teams have weird lineups. Walton Farmar Ariza Odom Gasol. Nelson Pietrus, Turkoglu Battie Howard.
Henry Abbott RT @KDonhoops Bit of a warning -- Kobe hasn't driven, all game. If he decides to play ugly, this could be a huge fourth quarter for him.
Henry Abbott Heading into the fourth only two players with three fouls: Bryant and Lee. Howard has two, as do Gasol, Ariza, Lewis and Turkoglu.
Henry Abbott Hedo looked a little lackadaisical against Kobe on the perimeter.
Henry Abbott Kobe's points in the second half: Two. That's why Lee is still in.
Henry Abbott They're doing the wave in here.
Henry Abbott Dwight Howard's putback was the Magic's second offensive rebound of the game.
Henry Abbott Kobe and Courtney are mixing it up like crazy. Elbows, grabbing ... it's on.
Henry Abbott Make that eight of ten.
Henry Abbott Pau Gasol has only missed one of his seven shots. Alston is seven of nine.
Henry Abbott Defenders coming at Dwight Howard from everywhere. He came awfully close to getting Pau with an elbow.
Henry Abbott Courtney Lee staying in the game guarding Bryant much longer.
Henry Abbott Thorpe trains his players if they drive baseline, the finish needs speed and violence. Lee's finish a minute ago made him so happy.
Henry Abbott Good foul call on Lee. Has to keep those hands up, not out into Bryant's body. I know 'cause his coach is sitting on my left.
Henry Abbott Rafer had Dwight on the break, but that wasn't the right pass. Too low, too early.
Henry Abbott @j_d_hastings Hell no! I had to walk like 750 yards and wait in line for that. It's precious! Course then Thorpe ate it all anyway.
Henry Abbott Hedo has six assists, including a couple of bold visionary ones. He's not settling.
Henry Abbott Exiting the tunnel, taking the floor for half 2: Jordan Farmar, me carrying a bowl of snack mix, DJ Mbenga, then the rest of the Lakers.
Henry Abbott From TV: 75% FG% from Magic in first half, best ever in NBA Finals.
Henry Abbott @adamcbest Magic best points per possession D in NBA, and tied LA in Game 2 with terrible O.
Henry Abbott I don't know if Courtney Lee is easier to score on than Michael Pietrus. But I know Kobe thinks he is. He's 100% shoot on Lee.
Henry Abbott Rafer had Pau on him, meaning Fisher was trying to keep Howard from the O board. A shot is a good idea, but not into side of backboard.
Henry Abbott Wow. That was a pass from Bryant.
Henry Abbott Really weird the Magic could totally solve their offensive problems and still trail.
Henry Abbott Thorpe: "Right now, neither team has any idea how to guard the other."
Henry Abbott Hollinger points out that was a double dribble by Pietrus. Very clear on the arena replay.
Henry Abbott I think Kobe just looked at Tiger after making that shot.
Henry Abbott RT @espndb From ESPN Research: Last player to score 17 in 1st qtr of @NBA Finals game before Kobe Bryant? Kenyon Martin in 2002 vs. LA.
Henry Abbott Lakers three of eight from downtown, including that big-time Farmar 3 to answer after the alley-oop.
Henry Abbott What a pass. Dwight Howard wasn't even all that open, but Turkoglu snuck it through. Or over.
Henry Abbott Tony Battie just leveled Vujacic with a pick. Wow.
Henry Abbott RT @johnhollinger@TrueHoop And Kobe just might get that 80 (17 on 10 shots right now)
Henry Abbott The Lakers are letting Rafer Alston do whatever he wants as a scorer, while taking away the passes.
Henry Abbott At this stage of Game 2, it was 15-15. Tonight 27--31. Nearly twice the game, early.
Henry Abbott Looked like a foul to me. Mickael Pietrus had a couple in the bank from Game 2, though, I guess.
Henry Abbott Thorpe wants Howard to rest now, around the quarter break.
Henry Abbott Rafer Alston AND Tony Battie hitting shots? If the Magic lose, blame their D.
Henry Abbott Thorpe: "I don't know what the Lakers were supposed to do on that last play, but I guarantee it wasn't 'leave Rashard Lewis wide open.'"
Henry Abbott Rafer Alston is laying claim to the point guard minutes down the stretch.
Henry Abbott Kobe Bryant really thought he was fouled on that last drive.
Henry Abbott Thorpe: "If I'm Stan, I'd let Kobe get 80, or maybe 50." Hollinger: "If you're Sam Mitchell, you'd let Kobe get 80."
Henry Abbott Notice how Kobe Bryant hung back for so long? His teammates did everything for several plays. Now it's his turn.
Henry Abbott Rafer Alston gets an open jumper out of Howard in the pinch post. Alston made jumpers are like oxygen for Orlando's offense.
Henry Abbott There's your bounce pass.
Henry Abbott Thorpe is calling for bounce passes into the post -- Howard is athletic enough to get them, and the long-armed Lakers can't get them.
Henry Abbott Courtney Lee just made a jumper, and bought himself two more minutes of playing time.
Henry Abbott I feel like Dwight Howard spends some plays determined, more than anything, not to foul.
Henry Abbott That was a goaltend, but it was a great goaltend. Lakers have four possessions, four attempts in the paint.
Henry Abbott Laker bench up and cheering already.
Henry Abbott Feel free to not try to grab the offensive rebound, Orlando.
Henry Abbott They're doing really inventive things with aerial lifts. Not sure why, but they're doing it.
Henry Abbott Nick Anderson, first Magic pick ever, takes the mic for introductions. Lights off, mascot is dropping from rafters, flames from scoreboard.
Henry Abbott Lots of blue shirts. Some of them say Kobe Cheats (ask his wife). Low blow.
Henry Abbott Steve Nash, Tiger Woods, John Hollinger ... all kinds of superstars on hand.
Henry Abbott RT @ShotDrJrLive blog: Phil says Pau committed "basket interference" on Courtney Lee attempt: http://bit.ly/PChnu
Henry Abbott Liveblogging 2009 NBA Finals Game 3 - http://tinyurl.com/l4uao9