Game 1 of the NBA Finals will start Thursday in Los Angeles as the Lakers host the Orlando Magic.
![Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard talks with reporters at the teams basketball practice facility after a meeting in Orlando, Fla., Monday, June 1, 2009. The Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday in the NBA Finals. [John Raoux/CCTV/AP Photo]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090603/001ec94a1ee40b90318251.jpg "Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard talks with reporters at the teams basketball practice facility after a meeting in Orlando, Fla., Monday, June 1, 2009. The Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday in the NBA Finals. [John Raoux/CCTV/AP Photo]") |
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Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard talks with reporters at the teams basketball practice facility after a meeting in Orlando, Fla., Monday, June 1, 2009. The Magic will face the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday in the NBA Finals. [John Raoux/CCTV/AP Photo]
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The oddsmakers will probably favour the Lakers, but should that be the case? Well, let's break down this match-up position by position and see just who may have the upper hand heading in.
We begin in the middle with the big men. The Lakers don't want to repeat their loss to the Boston Celtics in last year's finals, amd they wil have to limit Dwight Howard in the paint. Howard is simply a beast down low.
The Lakers young center, Andrew Bynum will certainly have his hands full. Bynum hasn't been 100 percent these playoffs and we simply can't see him stopping Howard himself. Don't be surprised to see a rotation of Laker's bigs trying to get the job done.
In the last game of the eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Howard scored a career-high 40 points and 14 rebounds. The edge is clearly in the Magic's favour.
Next Power Forward. In regular season games against the Magic, Pau Gasol only averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds, but he has had a good playoff run.
His opposite number on the Magic is Rashard Lewis, whose 3-point accuracy will continue to be a problem. As well, he can stretch the floor in ways that Gausol can't and create space for Howard down low. If he can be consistent in his shooting, that will cause a headache for the Lakers.
