Magic attempt to make another favorite disappear
It was with relative ease that Dwight Howard helped the Orlando Magic make Le-Bron James disappear from the postseason.
Pulling the same trick on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers could be a much tougher act for the Magic. The Lakers opened as minus-250 favorites to win the NBA Finals.
The Lakers are 6-point favorites and the total is 206 in Game 1 on Thursday in Los Angeles.
A potential showdown between James and Bryant was expected to be a major draw for the sports books. With the Cleveland Cavaliers gone, the show goes on, and it still could be a good one.
"There's no doubt everybody was looking for a LeBron-Kobe matchup. But if it was only going to be one of them, I would choose Kobe, as far as the level of interest," Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said.
"As long as the Lakers are in the Finals, it's going to be a pretty good matchup for the books."
Cleveland opened as an 8-1 favorite over Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals. It obviously was a bad line, as the Magic used Howard's power and a 3-point shooting barrage to win in six games.
By contrast, the Lakers might be seen as cheap favorites at minus-250 in the best-of-7 series. But with the respect Orlando has earned, The Gold Sheet handicapper Bruce Marshall said he thinks it's a "steep" number.
"Orlando has got a fighting chance. It's a very, very dangerous team. This team has got a lot of firepower," Marshall said. "I could see this series going seven games, and I could see Orlando perhaps doing it.
"I really think the Lakers would have taken Cleveland out in maybe five games. A huge X-factor is the officiating, which has been so inconsistent. You never know how they are going to react with Kobe in L.A. and (coach) Phil Jackson with his whining."
The NBA Finals have gone seven games only once in the past 14 years. The Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in six games last year.
The Lakers returned to dominant form Friday by blasting the Denver Nuggets 119-92 to win the Western Conference finals in six games.
Howard scored 40 points as the Magic eliminated Cleveland 103-90 on Saturday. Orlando swept two regular-season games against the Lakers.
"The Lakers hit a couple speed bumps during the course of the playoffs, so they can't be an overwhelming favorite," Kornegay said. "Maybe the Cavs were overrated, but I think you have to give credit to the Magic."
The Hilton has posted 20 proposition bets for Game 1. Bryant's total points is set at 311/2 and Howard's total at 211/2.
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.
MAGIC EVALUATE NELSON’S STATUS FOR FINALS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando is evaluating All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson for a possible return to the Magic lineup for the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Magic spokesman Joel Glass said Sunday that Nelson’s rehabilitation from a shoulder injury is ahead of schedule but that his status remains uncertain.
Nelson has been out since early February with what had been called a season-ending shoulder tear.
Magic president Bob Vander Weide told The Orlando Sentinel after Saturday’s win against Cleveland that he wanted Nelson to take another MRI exam and consult with doctors for a possible comeback.
Nelson has been working out and has said he has full range of motion. But Magic general manager Otis Smith has repeatedly said there is no way Nelson could return this season.
Nelson averaged 16.7 points and 5.4 assists in 42 games this season before the injury.
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