LAKERS VS MAGIC (NBA FINALS)

For those wondering how the Lakers will beat the Magic in the finals but couldn't beat them in the regular season, here's a couple of observations about those two regular-season games, which the Magic won 106-103 in Orlando on Dec. 20 and 109-103 in Los Angeles on Jan. 16.

One, Jameer Nelson was the leading scorer for Orlando in both games, torching the Lakers for a total of 55 points. He was another one of those quick point guards who have torn up L.A. throughout the season. But Nelson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in February and won't be around to exploit the Lakers' biggest weakness. Midseason pickup Rafer Alston has had some effective games during the playoffs, but he won't lead the Magic in scoring this series.

Two, the Magic shot 40 percent or better on 3-pointers in both games, exceeding even their regular-season average of 38 percent. And they will have good shooting nights in the Finals. But will they have four of them?

The first is the Stage Fright Factor, the adjustment to playing in the Finals for the first time, as all of the Magic's top players will be doing. They'll see that this is not just another game. It will hit them the moment they step into the arena, with the banners and bunting hanging everywhere, the giant stickers on the court, the multitude of cameras affixed to the backboards, the reporters swarming around, the NBA Entertainment cameras in their faces from the breakfast table to the trainer's room.