Alonzo Mourning says Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has developed such a floor presence during the playoffs that the former NBA star can’t figure out what exactly it is coach Phil Jackson is doing on the bench.
Mourning says Bryant is the one who is driving the mission of the current Lakers team. Mourning says the communication level with his teammates has been especially obvious in the Finals against Orlando.
“I think Phil is just showing up, to tell you the truth, and Kobe is doing all the work to make this team successful,” said Mourning, who won an NBA title with the Miami Heat and retired this year.
Ratings holding.
Television ratings for the Finals are holding up from last year even though Lakers-Magic isn’t as glamorous a matchup as the 2008 series between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
ABC said Orlando’s 108-104 victory Tuesday night in Game 3 earned a 10.1 overnight rating. That’s down 6 percent from the 10.8 for last season’s Game 3, which featured a Celtics team with far more tradition and a bigger market than the Magic.
Room for improvement.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar doesn’t see much future for Dwight Howard in all those rim-rocking dunks and power moves from the Magic center.
The NBA’s career scoring leader would like to see Howard not rely so much on his size and athleticism and make himself a player his team can turn to when it counts. Maybe even throw in a sky hook or two.
“He’s still offensively kind of raw,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He doesn’t have a go-to move yet. Right now, he’s kind of predictable.”
The Associated Press
NBA Finals schedule
Lakers lead series 2-1
June 4: L.A. Lakers 100, Orlando 75
June 7: L.A. Lakers 101, Orlando 96, OT
June 9: Orlando 108, L.A. Lakers 104
Today: L.A. Lakers at Orlando, 7 p.m.
Sunday: L.A. Lakers at Orlando, 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m.*
June 18: Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m.*
* if necessary
