LOS ANGELES: Humiliated after losing last year’s NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for redemption when they lock horns with the Orlando Magic in this season’s best-of-seven finale.
The Western Conference champion Lakers, back in the finals for a 30th time as a franchise, host the Magic in tomorrow’s Game 1 in downtown Los Angeles.
“Redemption, we use that word all the time,” Lakers All-Star guard Kobe Bryant told reporters at the team’s training facility in El Segundo on Monday. “It’s a word that I’m familiar with.
“It’s tough for a team that goes to the NBA Finals to get back there the next year. We managed to do it somehow and now we’ve just got to make the most of it.” Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who is bidding for a record 10th NBA Championship, agreed his team were desperate to make amends for their 131-92 demolition by Boston in Game Six last year.
“We’re just looking at this as something to redeem last year’s loss,” Jackson said. “We know what it feels like to lose and we want to come out and amend that.”
This year’s finals feature an intriguing match-up, pitting the supreme closer Bryant and the Lakers’ renowned triangle offense against the inside threat of Dwight Howard and the outside-shooting Magic.
“It goes from a completely different series to Orlando,” Bryant said of the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers’ opponents in the Western Conference finals.
“Carmelo (Anthony) was going to hit you, he was going to bang you. Now it goes to Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis who are equally as dangerous, just different styles.
“We’re going to have our work cut out. It’s another team, a different situation. We have quite a bit of work though to get ready for this series.” The biggest threat facing the Lakers is Howard, who scored a playoff career-best 40 points on Saturday when the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-90 to clinch the Eastern Conference championship in six games.
Jackson hinted that Howard could be guarded at various times in the finals by each of his seven-foot tall centers — Andrew Bynum, Spaniard Pau Gasol and DJ Mbenga.
“We have three centers and we are real comfortable with that,” Jackson said. “Three big guys that have solid bodies.” Jackson believed Bynum had steadily improved during the playoffs, despite not having regained full mobility following his return from a knee injury.
“Andrew knows a little bit more about his role, being able to plug the middle, being the stopper back there physically, what he has to do,” he said.
“Last Friday night, he had to take two early fouls just to stop penetration. And even though he sacrifices himself, he knows that’s part of his role.”
Bryant, seeking a fourth NBA Championship ring in his sixth finals appearance, felt the Lakers had become a much improved team over the last 12 months.
“Although we gained a lot of experience last season, this post-season has been tougher, more challenging,” he said of a Lakers unit that beat the Utah Jazz in five games, the Houston Rockets in seven and the Nuggets in six. “We have matured a lot more because of that.”
Jordan to coach 76ers
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers introduced Eddie Jordan as their new coach — the team’s third since the start of last season. Jordan signed a three-year contract with the 76ers, taking his third NBA coaching job.
“This team has a good core group, has future stars in the waiting,” Jordan said. “Now it’s time to go uptown.”
Philadelphia went 41-41 this season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Eastern Conference champion Orlando. Jordan was fired by Washington in November and is 230-288 in coaching stints with the Wizards and Sacramento Kings.
Led by a nucleus of Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers have made the playoffs two straight seasons and were knocked out in the first round each time. Star point guard Andre Miller is an unrestricted free agent.
Jordan emerged as the winner among a group of candidates that included Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau, Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey and Sixers scout Chris Ford.
The Sixers also interviewed Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and spoke with Villanova coach Jay Wright.
Jazz to play Real Madrid
Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz will play Real Madrid as part of the NBA’s Europe Live preseason tour.
The Jazz will face the Spanish club at Madrid’s Palacio de Deportes stadium on Oct. 8, the NBA said yesterday from the Spanish capital.
Madrid last played an NBA club in 2007, when it beat the Toronto Raptors 104-103. Jazz guard Deron Williams said: “It’s a great test for us.”
The game part of the North American league’s preseason rollout, which will also see Utah come up against the Chicago Bulls at London on Oct. 6.
