The NBA Finals, formerly known as the NBA World Championship Series, are contested at the end of the NBA playoffs every season to determine the winner of the league's championship. The series has been held every year since 1947, when it was the BAA Championship Series. The series determined the champion of what was then the Basketball Association of America from 1947-49, when the league merged with the National Basketball League to become the NBA. Under the current format, the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference meet in a best-of-seven series with the team holding home-court advantage hosting the first two games and the last two games, if necessary. The team with the better regular-season record gets home-court advantage for the Finals. If the two teams posted the same regular-season record, then the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. If they split their two meetings, the tiebreaker becomes conference record. The winner of the NBA Finals receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The current trophy was first awarded in 1978, and renamed after former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien in 1984.

The foundation of the Basketball Association of America brought professional basketball to a major national stage for the first time. In the early years of the league, teams that had played in other leagues before the formation of the BAA dominated play, winning two of the three championships awarded in the 1940s. This decade also saw the only championship ever won by a team that would eventually fold -- the 1948 Baltimore Bullets, who joined the league from the ABL, lasted just six more full seasons before folding 14 games into the 1954-55 season.

The league's first full decade began the way the previous one ended, with a championship by the Minneapolis Lakers. The Lakers dynasty, led by center George Mikan and coach John Kundla, dominated the early part of the decade, winning four championships in five seasons. The Lakers' run was interrupted only by the Rochester Royals, who won the only championship in their franchise history in 1951. The team, currently known as the Sacramento Kings, has yet to return to the Finals. The end of the decade saw the emergence of Red Auerbach's Boston Celtics dynasty. After drafting Tom Heinsohn and trading for Bill Russell in 1956, Auerbach steered his Celtics to three consecutive Finals appearances to close out the 1950s, winning the title in 1957 and 1959.

Auerbach's Celtics teams continued their run of success in the 1960s, cementing their status as one of the most successful dynasties in all of sports. Boston won nine of the 10 championships in the 1960s, failing to win only in 1967 when Wilt Chamberlain led the Philadelphia 76ers to the title. Chamberlain was a key figure in the decade's most dynamic individual matchup, battling with Celtics center Bill Russell as both a member of the Warriors (in Philadelphia and San Francisco) and the 76ers. The decade began with the Celtics wrapping up their rivalry with the St. Louis Hawks. The two teams, who met in the Finals twice in the 50s, played in both 1960 and 1961, with Boston winning each time. The Celtics' most frequent opponent in the Finals during this decade was the Lakers, who had moved to Los Angeles since their meeting in the 1959 NBA Finals. Boston and Los Angeles met six times in a span of eight years in the 1960s, with the Celtics winning all six series. The last two meetings came with Russell serving as a player/coach, having replaced Auerbach after the 1966 Finals. Russell himself retired after the 1969 Finals.

With Auerbach and Russell no longer holding court in Boston, the league became wide open, with eight different teams winning championships in 10 seasons during the 1970s. The New York Knicks, who won the first championship of the post-Russell era, and the Celtics each won twice during the decade. The Lakers finally broke through for their first title since the early '50s in 1972, winning 69 games in the regular season and defeating the New York Knicks in the Finals. The Knicks won the rematch a year later for their second title in the decade. Including the Knicks, six of the eight franchises who won a title in this decade have failed to win one since. The league made history in 1975, when Al Attles led his Warriors against K.C. Jones' Bullets in the first championship series in the four major professional sports to feature two black head coaches. The decade ended with the then-Washington Bullets (not the same franchise as the 1948 champion Baltimore Bullets) and the then-Seattle SuperSonics meeting in back-to-back series, with the Bullets winning in 1978 and the Sonics winning in 1979.

With popularity and ratings plummeting, the league needed a spark, and it got it in the form of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, a pair of young stars who met in a memorable 1979 NCAA championship game. Johnson was the first one to break through for a championship in the NBA, teaming with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to win as a rookie in 1980. Bird got his championship the next year, with Johnson coming back to win in 1982. The run of Johnson/Bird titles was interrupted by the 76ers in 1983, but in 1984, the league finally got a matchup of the two dynamic superstars in the NBA Finals, with Bird leading his Celtics to a 7-game win over the Lakers, maintaining the status quo in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. The Lakers finally figured out the Celtics the next year, and added another title over Boston in 1987. When all was said and done, the Lakers and Celtics combined for eight titles in the 1980s, with Johnson leading the Lakers to five championships and Bird winning three with the Celtics. The end of the decade saw the emergence of a new power in the East: the "Bad Boys" of the Detroit Pistons. After struggling to get past the Celtics, Detroit broke through in 1988, only to fall to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Pistons got their revenge a year later, closing out the decade with the first championship in franchise history.

Detroit opened the 1990s with a successful defense of its title against the Portland Trail Blazers, but the real competition was coming from its own conference. After years of successfully holding off the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs -- much like the Celtics had done to the Pistons in the mid-80s -- the Pistons finally fell to Chicago in 1991, setting the stage for the NBA's greatest dynasty since the 1960s Celtics. Chicago reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 1991, knocking off the defending champion Pistons in the conference finals, then dispatching five-time NBA champions Magic Johnson and his Lakers in the Finals. It was the first of three consecutive titles for the Bulls, who pulled off what Pat Riley couldn't in Los Angeles, a "three-peat." However, after the 1993 Finals, Jordan retired, opening the door for another star from the 1984 draft to earn his championship rings. Hakeem Olajuwon led his Houston Rockets to their first title in 1994 and repeated in 1995 despite Jordan's return to the NBA in time for the playoffs. Jordan did not lead the Bulls to the Finals in 1995, losing to Shaquille O'Neal and the Magic, who in turn were swept by Houston in the Finals. Coming off the disappointment of the 1995 playoffs, Jordan and the Bulls came back on a mission in the 1995-96 season, going 72-10 and winning the first of three more consecutive titles. After winning six championships in the decade, Jordan retired again after the 1998 Finals (and the NBA lockout that followed), as did head coach Phil Jackson. Scottie Pippen was traded to Houston, ending the Bulls' dynasty and making way for the San Antonio Spurs to win their first championship.

As the Finals moved into the new millennium, there was a familiar face leading the champions. Phil Jackson returned from his brief retirement to lead the Lakers to three consecutive championships to open the decade, this time leaning on center Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal's top nemesis in the Western Conference during the 2000s was Spurs center Tim Duncan, who had won the last Finals MVP award of the 1990s. Duncan led his team back to the top in 2003 and would win twice more, in 2005 and 2007. O'Neal returned to the Finals with the Lakers in 2004 but was upset by the Detroit Pistons. After that series, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, whom he would help win a title in 2006, though Dwyane Wade was named the MVP of that series. As the decade drew to a close, the league crowned a familiar champion. The Boston Celtics, who hadn't won the title since 1986, took home the championship in 2008, using a "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, defeating their old rivals the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. The Lakers came back the next season and defeated the Orlando Magic in five games, becoming the first team since 1989 to win a title the year after losing. It was their fourth title of the decade, the most of any team in the NBA.

The winner of the NBA Finals gets the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the original Walter A. Brown Trophy in 1978. The O'Brien Trophy originally retained the name of its predecessor, but was renamed after outgoing commissioner Larry O'Brien in 1984. The team that wins the championship gets permanent possession of the trophy, and a replacement is commissioned by the league. The trophy, comprised of nearly sixteen pounds of sterling silver and vermeil (sterling silver with 24-karat gold overlay) and standing about two feet tall, is etched to resemble a basketball net. A single rod extends from the base to the ball, giving the appearance of a play in motion. The regulation size sterling silver and vermeil basketball rests along the rim of the net. The trophy is created each year in the Tiffany & Co. silver shop.

How good was Michael Jordan? Not only was he a great player, he was a great winner. Jordan is one of seven players in the history of basketball to win an NCAA title, an NBA title and a gold medal. Jordan will be the sixth of those players in the Hall of Fame.

Player	NCAA Champion	NBA Champion	Olympics
Quinn Buckner	1975-76 Indiana	1983-84 Celtics	1976
Magic Johnson<	1978-79 Michigan State	5 titles w/Lakers	1992
K.C. Jones<	1954-55 San Francisco	8 titles w/Celtics	1956
Michael Jordan<	1981-82 North Carolina	6 titles w/Bulls	1984,1992
Clyde Lovellette<	1951-52 Kansas	1953-54 Lakers, 1963-64 Celtics	1952
Jerry Lucas<	1959-60 Ohio State	1972-73 Knicks	1960
Bill Russell<	1954-55, 1955-56 San Francisco	11 titles w/Celtics	1956
>in Basketball Hall of Fame

Most Rebounds in Single Postseason
Since ABA-NBA Merger (1977 Playoffs)

Player	Team	Reb
'03 Tim Duncan	Spurs	369
'00 Shaquille O'Neal	Lakers	355
'09 Dwight Howard	Magic	353

Most Points in Single Postseason
NBA History

Player	Team	Pts
'92 Michael Jordan	Bulls	759
'95 Hakeem Olajuwon	Rockets	725
'01 Allen Iverson	76ers	723
'00 Shaquille O'Neal	Lakers	707
'09 Kobe Bryant	Lakers	695

Largest Margin of Victory
Road Win to Clinch NBA Finals, All-time

Team	Won By	Opponent
'80 Lakers	16	76ers
'74 Celtics	15	Bucks
'68 Celtics	15	Lakers
'09 Lakers	13	Magic

Most Points
5-Game NBA Finals Series, All-time

Player	Pts	PPG
'01 Allen Iverson, PHI<<<	178	35.6
'65 Jerry West, LAL<<<	169	33.8
'01 Shaquille O'Neal, LAL	165	33.0
'09 Kobe Bryant, LAL	162	32.4
'91 Michael Jordan, CHI	156	31.2
<<

Dwight Howard recorded 21 rebounds at the age of 23 years and 185 days old in Game Four. Only two players in NBA history registered 20-or-more rebounds in an NBA Finals game at a younger age than Howard: Tom Heinsohn in 1957 (22 years, 230 days old) and Bill Russell (five times in 1957, his youngest age being 23 years, 47 days old).

Kobe Bryant becomes just the 8th player in NBA history to win at least 4 titles and one regular-season MVP in his career.

At Least 1 MVP and 4 Titles
NBA History

Player	MVPs	NBA Titles
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	6	6
Kobe Bryant	1	4
Bob Cousy	1	6
Tim Duncan	2	4
Magic Johnson	3	5
Michael Jordan	5	6
Shaquille O'Neal	1	4
Bill Russell	5	11

Taking into account Kobe Bryant's regular-season MVP award (from 2007-08), he becomes only the 13th player in NBA history to win at least 1 MVP and 1 Finals MVP, joining the following list.

At Least 1 MVP and 1 Finals MVP
NBA History

Player	MVPs	Finals MVPs<<
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	6	2
Larry Bird	3	2
Kobe Bryant	1	1
Wilt Chamberlain	4	1
Tim Duncan	2	3
Magic Johnson	3	3
Michael Jordan	5	6
Moses Malone	3	1
Shaquille O'Neal	1	3
Hakeem Olajuwon	1	2
Willis Reed	1	2
Wes Unseld	1	1
Bill Walton	1	1
>>NBA Finals MVP began in 1968-69

Kobe Bryant becomes just the 6th player in NBA history with at least 1 MVP, 1 Finals MVP, and 4 titles, joining 3 Hall of Famers and 2 active legends.

At Least 1 MVP, 1 Finals MVP, and 4 Titles
NBA History

Player	MVPs	Finals MVPs<<	NBA Titles
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	6	2	6
Kobe Bryant	1	1	4
Tim Duncan	2	3	4
Magic Johnson	3	3	5
Michael Jordan	5	6	6
Shaquille O'Neal	1	3	4
>>NBA Finals MVP began in 1968-69

Kobe Bryant finished second in the MVP voting this year behind LeBron James, but went on to win the "more important" MVP award by taking home the Bill Russell Finals MVP award along with his 4th NBA title. This is just the 9th time in NBA history that the runner-up in the MVP voting went on to win the NBA title in the same season, and the first time since Michael Jordan did it back in 1997.

Runner-Up in MVP Voting Winning NBA Title That Season
NBA History

2008-09 Kobe Bryant, LAL<<

1996-97 Michael Jordan, CHI<<

1984-85 Magic Johnson, LAL

1980-81 Larry Bird, BOS

1976-77 Bill Walton, POR<<

1971-72 Jerry West, LAL

1959-60 Bill Russell, BOS

1958-59 Bill Russell, BOS

1955-56 Paul Arizin, PHW

>>Won Finals MVP (began in 1968-69)

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson become the 6th "perennial All-Star"/head coach combination to win at least 4 titles since 1970-71. They join a couple of great Laker duos from the 1980s, Phil Jackson with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the 1990s, and the Spurs' Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich, who have won 4 titles together in the past decade.

Most NBA Titles By Player-Coach Combination Since 1970-71
Among Players With 5+ Career All-Star Selections

Player & Coach	Titles
Michael Jordan & Phil Jackson	6
Scottie Pippen & Phil Jackson	6
Kobe Bryant & Phil Jackson	4
Tim Duncan & Gregg Popovich	4
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Pat Riley	4
Magic Johnson & Pat Riley	4

The Lakers become the first team in 20 years to win the NBA title the season after losing in the Finals. They are the 10th runner-up to make it back to the Finals and win the next season in NBA history.

Teams to Win NBA Title
Season After Losing in NBA Finals

Team	Finals Opponent
2009 Lakers	Magic
1989 Pistons	Lakers
1986 Celtics	Rockets
1985 Lakers	Celtics
1983 76ers	Lakers
1979 Sonics	Bullets
1973 Knicks	Lakers
1959 Celtics	Lakers
1958 Hawks	Celtics
1955 Nationals	Pistons

The Lakers' title victory means that each of the 12 teams in NBA history that has won at least 65 regular season games and made it to the NBA Finals has won the title.

Most Wins in Single Regular Season, Made Finals
NBA History

Team	W-L	Finals Result
1995-96 Bulls	72-10	Won NBA Title
1996-97 Bulls	69-13	Won NBA Title
1971-72 Lakers	69-13	Won NBA Title
1966-67 76ers	68-13	Won NBA Title
1999-00 Lakers	67-15	Won NBA Title
1991-92 Bulls	67-15	Won NBA Title
1985-86 Celtics	67-15	Won NBA Title
2007-08 Celtics	66-16	Won NBA Title
1970-71 Bucks	66-16	Won NBA Title
2008-09 Lakers	65-17	Won NBA Title
1986-87 Lakers	65-17	Won NBA Title
1982-83 76ers	65-17	Won NBA Title

With their 15th NBA title after a 65-win regular season, this Lakers team can now argue that it belongs up there with some of the best in franchise history. All 4 Laker teams that won at least 65 regular-season games won the NBA title that postseason.

Best Regular-Season Record
Lakers History

Year	W-L	Playoff Result
1971-72	69-13	Won NBA Title
1999-00	67-15	Won NBA Title
2008-09	65-17	Won NBA Title
1986-87	65-17	Won NBA Title

The Lakers' win in the Finals is their 100th playoff series win all-time. Not only are they the first franchise to reach 100 series wins, but their performance this postseason puts them atop of the playoff series win percentage list, passing their hated rival, the Boston Celtics.

Best Postseason Series Record
Minimum 10 Series Played, NBA History

Team	W-L	Win pct
Lakers<<	100-41	.709
Celtics	71-30	.703
Bulls	35-22	.614
Spurs	32-25	.561
Knicks	40-35	.533
>>Trailed Celtics entering 2009 postseason

Pau Gasol becomes the first player born in Spain to win an NBA championship, while Sasha Vujacic becomes the third player born in Slovenia to win a title. They are the 8th and 9th European-born players to play at least 1 game in the Finals for a title-winning team.

European-Born Players to Win NBA Championship
Players Who Played A Least 1 Game in NBA Finals

Player	Birth Country	Title Season(s)
Pau Gasol	Spain	2009
Sasha Vujacic	Slovenia	2009
Tony Parker	Belgium	2003, '05, '07
Beno Udrih	Slovenia	2005, '07
Francisco Elson	Netherlands	2007
Rasho Nesterovic	Slovenia	2005
Darko Milicic	Serbia-Montenegro	2004
Slava Medvedenko	Ukraine	2002
Toni Kukoc	Croatia	1996, '97, '98

Pau Gasol is only the third European-born player to win a championship as a significant contributor (averaging at least 20 minutes per game in the postseason) on a title-winning team.

European-Born Players to Win NBA Championship
Averaged At Least 20 Minutes PG in Postseason

Player	Birth Country	Title Season(s)
Pau Gasol	Spain	2009
Tony Parker	Belgium	2003, '05, '07
Toni Kukoc	Croatia	1996, '97, '98

The Magic lose in the Finals for the second time, making them the 9th franchise to lose in their first 2 NBA Finals appearances.

Franchises to Lose in 1st 2 Finals Appearances
NBA History

Team	Seasons
Magic	1995, 2009
Nets	2002, 2003
Jazz	1997, 1998
Suns	1976, 1993
Rockets	1981, 1986
Bullets	1971, 1975
Pistons	1955, 1956
Nationals	1950, 1954
Knicks	1951, 1952

Dwight Howard and the Magic's loss in the NBA Finals means that teams featuring the Defensive Player of the Year are now 1-4 in their last 5 NBA Finals appearances. Such teams are 4-4 all-time in the Finals.

Defensive Player of the Year in NBA Finals
Since Award Began in 1982-83

Player	Opponent	Result
'09 Dwight Howard, ORL	Lakers	L, 4-1
'08 Kevin Garnett, BOS	Lakers	W, 4-2
'05 Ben Wallace, DET	Spurs	L, 4-3
'01 Dikembe Mutombo, PHI	Lakers	L, 4-1
'96 Gary Payton, SEA	Bulls	L, 4-2
'94 Hakeem Olajuwon, HOU	Knicks	W, 4-3
'90 Dennis Rodman, DET	Trail Blazers	W, 4-1
'87 Michael Cooper, LAL	Celtics	W, 4-2

This was the 5th time since 1970 that an All-NBA first team center faced off against an All-NBA first team guard in the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for Dwight Howard, his loss to Kobe Bryant means he's the only one of the "big guys" to lose to the "little guys" in these five matchups.

All-NBA 1st Team Center vs All-NBA 1st Team Guard
NBA Finals Matchups Since 1970

Year	Center	Guard
2009	Dwight Howard, ORL	Kobe Bryant, LAL<<
2002	Shaquille O'Neal, LAL<<	Jason Kidd, NJN
2001	Shaquille O'Neal, LAL<<	Allen Iverson, PHI
1983	Moses Malone, PHI<<	Magic Johnson, LAL
1970	Willis Reed, NYK<<	Jerry West, LAL
>>Won NBA Title

Stan Van Gundy winds up on the losing end in his first NBA Finals appearance, but he shouldn't hang his head. The previous 10 coaches making their Finals debut with a team that did not have home-court advantage (the team that is generally the "underdog" in the series) also lost in the Finals. The last coach to win in that situation was Pat Riley, who led the Lakers to a title in his first Finals appearance in 1982.

First NBA Finals Appearance as Head Coach
On Team Without Home-Court Advantage, Last 25 Years

Coach	Opponent	Result
'09 Stan Van Gundy, ORL	Lakers<<	L, 4-1
'07 Mike Brown, CLE	Spurs	L, 4-0
'02 Byron Scott, NJN	Lakers<<	L, 4-0
'01 Larry Brown, PHI	Lakers<<	L, 4-1
'00 Larry Bird, IND	Lakers<<	L, 4-2
'99 Jeff Van Gundy, NYK	Spurs	L, 4-1
'97 Jerry Sloan, UTAH	Bulls<<	L, 4-2
'96 George Karl, SEA	Bulls<<	L, 4-2
'91 Mike Dunleavy, LAL	Bulls<<	L, 4-1
'90 Rick Adelman, POR	Pistons	L, 4-1
'88 Chuck Daly, DET	Lakers	L, 4-3
>>Coached by Phil Jackson

Hedo Turkoglu has played on 3 different teams during his 9-year NBA career, but no matter where he goes, he can't seem to do one thing: beat the Lakers in the playoffs. All 4 times that his team has met the Lakers in the postseason  no matter what round it has been in - Hedo's squad has seen its season come to an end.

Hedo Turkoglu's Teams vs Lakers
Postseason Meetings

Team	Round	Result
2008-09 Magic	NBA Finals	L, 4-1
2003-04 Spurs	Conf Semis	L, 4-2
2001-02 Kings	Conf Finals	L, 4-3
2000-01 Kings	Conf Semis	L, 4-0

Hedo Turkoglu has played on 3 different teams during his 9-year NBA career, but no matter where he goes, he can't seem to do one thing: beat the Lakers in the playoffs. All 4 times that his team has met the Lakers in the postseason  no matter what round it has been in - Hedo's squad has seen its season come to an end.

Hedo Turkoglu's Teams vs Lakers
Postseason Meetings

Team	Round	Result
2008-09 Magic	NBA Finals	L, 4-1
2003-04 Spurs	Conf Semis	L, 4-2
2001-02 Kings	Conf Finals	L, 4-3
2000-01 Kings	Conf Semis	L, 4-0

This is Kobe Bryant's 1st NBA Finals MVP and his 4th NBA title. He becomes only the 7th player in NBA history to win at least 4 NBA titles with at least 1 Finals MVP (which began in 1968-69).

At Least 1 Finals MVP and 4 Titles
NBA History

Player	Finals MVPs<<	NBA Titles
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	2	6
Kobe Bryant	1	4
Tim Duncan	3	4
John Havlicek	1	8
Magic Johnson	3	5
Michael Jordan	6	6
Shaquille O'Neal	3	4
>>NBA Finals MVP began in 1968-69

Even if the Magic win Game 5, history is not on their side: No team has ever won the NBA title in the 2-3-2 format (since 1985) by winning the final two games of the NBA Finals on the road. Nine teams have trailed 3-2 in the Finals in that situation since 1985 and none have come back to win the title. In fact, the only team even to take it to a Game 7 was the Pistons against the Spurs in 2005.

Of the 62 prior NBA titles won, 35 were clinched at home and 27 were clinched on the road. Two of the last three NBA titles (2007 Spurs, 2006 Heat) were clinched on the road. Boston clinched at home last season.

One more win will give the Lakers their 15th NBA title. Nine of the Lakers 14 titles saw the deciding game won in at home. But each of the last two Lakers championships have been clinched on the road (2001, 2002).

Most Championships
NBA History

Team	Titles	Last Title
Celtics	17	2008
Lakers	14	2002
Bulls	6	1998
Spurs	4	2007

The Lakers lead the series 3-1 and history says this series is all-but over. In the history of the NBA Finals, teams that hold a 3-1 series lead have never lost... in fact only 2 teams have ever forced a Game 7 -- the 1966 Lakers and the 1951 Knicks.

NBA Finals Result, When Team Leads Series 3-1

Won in 5	14
Won in 6	13
Won in 7	2
Lost in 7	0

Kobe Bryant's 11-31 shooting performance in Game 4 was the worst shooting performance in an NBA Finals game by a player that took MORE than 30 shots since Scottie Pippen's 12-35 shooting in Game 3 of the 1993 Finals against the Suns.

MULTIPLE OT GAMES IN NBA FINALS SERIES
All-Time

Year	Matchup	Home Team W-L
2009	Lakers vs Magic	1-1
1984	Lakers vs Celtics	1-1
1974	Celtics vs Bucks	1-1
1970	Lakers vs Knicks	2-0
1957	Celtics vs Hawks	1-1
1952	Lakers vs Knicks	2-0

The Lakers with three wins in the NBA Finals equal their playoff win total in their previous 2 NBA Finals appearances. This is the 7th time this decade in which a team had a 3-1 lead or swept the NBA Finals after 4 games. ('03, '05, '06 were 2-2 after 4.)

30.0 PPG and 8.0 APG
1st 4 Games of NBA Finals

Player	PPG	APG
'09 Kobe Bryant	33.3	8.0
'91 Michael Jordan	31.5	11.8
'70 Jerry West	34.5	8.0

Kobe Bryant has his 4th straight Finals game with at least 25 points and 8 assists.. The only other player with 4 straight is Michael Jordan, who did it in 7 straight from 1991-1992.

1st NBA Finals series with 2 separate OT games since 1984 (Lakers and Celtics, games 2 and 4).

20 REBOUNDS, 5 BLOCKS
NBA Finals Game, All-Time

Player	Opp	Reb-Blk
2009 Dwight Howard	Gm 4 vs LAL	?-?
2003 Tim Duncan	Gm 6 vs NJ	20-8
2003 Tim Duncan	Gm 1 vs NJ	20-7
2001 Shaquille O'Neal	Gm 2 vs PHI	20-8
1977 Bill Walton	Gm 6 vs PHI	23-8
>Blocks have been recorded since 1973-74

Dwight Howard: 3rd player in last 10 years with 20 rebounds and 5 blocks in an NBA Finals game (others are Shaq in 2001 and Tim Duncan twice in 2003).

Dwight Howard, 5 blocks: the last player with 5 blocks in a single half of a NBA Finals game was Ben Wallace in Game 3 of the 2005 NBA Finals vs the Spurs.

Dwight Howard already has 5 blocked shots. The record for an NBA Finals game is 8, done 5 times, most recently by Tim Duncan in the clincher against the Nets in 2003.

Dwight Howard had 11 first quarter rebounds. In the last 20 years, only 2 other players have had 10+ rebounds in any quarter in the Finals: Ben Wallace had 10 in the third quarter on 6/15/04 vs. Lakers; Dennis Rodman had 10 in the third quarter on 6/7/96 vs. Seattle.

If the Magic win, it will be the 8th time in NBA Finals history that the home team has won each of the 1st 4 games of the series. In the previous 7 instances, the team with home court advantage has ended winning the series 4 times (2005 Spurs, 1997 Bulls, 1976 Celtics and 1955 Nationals). The 3 times the team with home court advantage lost are obviously the only 3 teams that came back from down 2-0: the 2006 Heat, the 1977 Blazers and the 1969 Celtics

Pau Gasol is shooting only .357 (5-for-14) from the field in the first quarter in this series. From the second quarter on, Gasol is shooting .783 (18-for-23) from the field in the 2009 Finals.

Dwight Howard is shooting .664 from the field at home in the 2009 playoffs. That is over 100 percentage points higher than his road field-goal percentage in this year's playoffs (.560).

Stan Van Gundy has posted a 24-6 (.800) career record at home during the postseason. Only five other head coaches have won at least 80 percent of their home games in the playoffs (minimum: 20 games): Phil Jackson (134-24, .848), Al Cervi (24-5, .828), K.C. Jones (60-13, .822), Larry Bird (22-5, .815) and Johnny Kundla (41-10, .804).

Derek Fisher will be appearing in the 30th NBA Finals game of his career tonight. Only one other active player has appeared in as many NBA Finals games as Fisher: Shaquille O'Neal (30).

Orlando rookie Courtney Lee has started each of the first three games of this series. Only one rookie over the last 20 years has started at least three games in an NBA Finals series: Richard Dumas (six starts for Phoenix in 1993).

Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds in Orlando's Game Three victory. Howard has now recorded 20 double-doubles in the 2009 playoffs. Only four other players have posted a double-double in at least 20 games in a single postseason: Moses Malone in 1981 (20), Charles Barkley in 1993 (22), Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 (21) and Tim Duncan in 2003 (22).

Kobe Bryant was 5-for-10 from the free-throw line in the Lakers' Game Three loss. That marked the fourth time in his career that Bryant missed as many free throws as he made in a postseason game in which he had at least 10 attempts from the line. Bryant also did that on June 4, 2000 (6-for-12), May 5, 2002 (4-for-10) and April 28, 2008 (4-for-10)

Kobe Bryant has scored 633 points in this year's playoffs, the same total he scored in the postseason last year. Only two other players in NBA history have scored 600-or-more points in back to back postseasons: Michael Jordan (1992-93) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994-95).

Kobe Bryant has scored at least 25 points and handed out at least eight assists in each of his last three NBA Finals games. Only one player in NBA history has recorded 25+ points and 8+ assists in three straight Finals games: Michael Jordan (seven straight from 1991 to 1992).

How important is tonight game for Orlando? The Magic are the 305th team in NBA history to trail a best-of-seven series two-games-to-one. Of the 151 teams that won Game Four to even the series 2-2, 31.1 percent went on to win the series and of the 153 teams that lost Game Four to fall behind 3-1, only 5.2 percent went on to win the series.

Dwight Howard is the only player in the shot clock era to score 20-plus points on six field goal attempts or fewer in an NBA Finals game.

Players with 100+ Points and 20+ Assists
First 3 Games of NBA Finals

Player	Pts-Ast	Opponent
'09 Kobe Bryant, LAL	100-24	Magic
'93 Michael Jordan, CHI	117-20	Suns
'92 Michael Jordan, CHI	104-25	Blazers
'69 Jerry West, LAL	118-24	Celtics

Highest FG Pct In NBA Finals Game
NBA History

Team	FG Pct	Opponent
'09 Magic	62.5	Lakers
'91 Bulls	61.7	Lakers
'87 Lakers	61.5	Celtics
'85 Celtics	60.8	Lakers

The Magic shot 13-of-16 in the second quarter, tied for the third-best mark in Finals history:

Best FG Pct in a Quarter
Finals History

Team	Opp	FG Pct
'91 Bulls	Lakers	85.0
'89 Pistons	Lakers	82.4
'09 Magic	Lakers	81.3
'84 Lakers	Celtics	81.3
'86 Celtics	Rockets	81.3

The Magic shot 75.0% from field in 1st half (24-32) breaking this record: The highest FG pct for one half in NBA Finals was: 70.6 --- 76ers vs Lakers, June 6, 1982 (76ers went on to win game, but lose series).

The Lakers are 38-1 in best-of-seven series in which they have held a two-games-to-none lead in their franchise history. The Lakers only loss in that situation came during the 1969 NBA Finals against Boston. Since their loss to the Celtics, the Lakers have won 30 straight best-of-seven series in which they have held a 2-0 lead.

The Lakers win in Game Two was the 41st victory in the NBA Finals for Phil Jackson as a head coach. Jackson now holds the NBA record for victories in the NBA Finals, breaking the tie he was in with Red Auerbach entering Game Two.

Dwight Howard has registered a total of 31 rebounds in the first two NBA Finals games of his career. Only five other players who made their Finals debut in the last 40 years have recorded as many rebounds as Howard through their first two NBA Finals games: Larry Bird (42), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (41), Bill Walton (36), Tim Duncan (31) and Willis Reed (31).

" The Magic have lost six consecutive NBA Finals games. Only one team has had a longer losing streak in the NBA Finals than Orlando currently has: the Baltimore/Washington Bullets (nine straight losses in the Finals from 1971 to 1978).

" The Lakers have lost each of their last six road games in the NBA Finals. That is one short of the NBA record for most consecutive road losses in the NBA Finals. Fort Wayne lost seven consecutive road games spanning the 1955 and 1956 Finals.

" Kobe Bryant has recorded two 40-point games at Amway Arena during the regular season in his career (41 on November 12, 2004 and 41 on December 20, 2008). That is tied with Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson for the most regular-season 40-point games by any visiting player in this arena since it opened prior to the 1989-90 season.

" Orlando has attempted 497 three-point field goals in the 2009 playoffs, the highest figure by any team in a single postseason in NBA history. The previous record was 483 three-point field goal attempts by the Rockets in the 1995 playoffs. The Magic have made 181 of those attempts, which is eight shy of the record for the most three-point field goals made in a single postseason. The Rockets made 189 three-point field goals in the 1995 postseason.

" The Magic lost Game Two despite having a lead entering the fourth quarter, marking the fourth time in the 2009 playoffs that Orlando has lost a game in which they have led at the end of three quarters. Only one team in NBA history has suffered more losses when leading after three quarters in a single postseason than Orlando has this year: San Antonio in 2003 (five). Four other teams had four such losses: Dallas in 2006 and 2005, Utah in 1997 and Chicago in 1992.

" This is the fifth consecutive season that the home team has won the first two games of the NBA Finals. The last team to go home for Game Three with the series tied was Detroit in 2004.

Only two Magic players are shooting 40% or better in this series. Those players are Tony Battie (50.0%; 2-4 FG) and Rashard Lewis (45.2%; 14-31 FG).

Kobe Bryant has 69 points and 16 assists through the first two games of the NBA Finals. The last player to have at least 69 points and 16 assists through the first two games of an NBA Final series was Michael Jordan in 1997. Bryant is only the third player (Jordan, Jerry West) to accomplish the feat.

69 Points and 16 Assists
Through First 2 Games of NBA Finals

Player	Points	Assists
2009 Kobe Bryant, LAL	69	16
1997 Michael Jordan, CHI<	69	17
1992 Michael Jordan, CHI<	78	21
1991 Michael Jordan, CHI<	69	25
1969 Jerry West, LAL<	94	18
>named Finals MVP

Under the current 2-3-2 format of the NBA Finals, implemented in 1985, 14 teams have won the first two games of the Finals. Out of those teams, only one team led the Finals 2-0, but lost the series. That was in 2006, when the Mavericks led the Heat 2-0, before Miami won the next four games to win the NBA title. The Magic have trailed 2-0 on seven different occasions in their postseason history. They have never won a playoff series in which they trailed 2-0.

Trailed 2-0 in NBA Finals
Came Back to Win Title

Team	Opponent	Won In
'06 Heat	Mavericks	6 games
'77 Trail Blazers	76ers	6 games
'69 Celtics	Lakers	7 games
<

Orlando: 0-1 vs Houston in 1995. Lakers are 6-8 all time. There have been 34 OT finals games entering tonight.

1st OT game in NBA Finals since Game 5 in 2006 (Heat defeated Mavericks).

the Lakers defeated Orlando by 25 points in Game One. Prior to this season, five teams lost the first game of the NBA Finals by 25-or-more points. Only one of those teams came back to win the series: the Lakers vs. Boston in 1985 (lost by 34 points; won series in six games).

Orlando lost by 25 points in Game One despite having a lead at the end of the first quarter. Only two teams in NBA history have lost an NBA Finals game by 25-or-more points after leading at the end of the first quarter: Seattle vs. Washington on June 4, 1978 (led 21-19 after one quarter; lost by 35) and Boston vs. the Lakers on June 2, 1985 (led 29-25 after one; lost by 25).

Kobe Bryant became the third different player to score 40+ points in an NBA Finals game under Phil Jackson (Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan are the others). No other head coach has had more than two different players record a 40-point game in the NBA Finals under them. Four coaches have had two: Pat Riley, Fred Schaus, Paul Seymour and Paul Westhead.

Andrew Bynum was in the starting lineup for the Lakers in Game One at the age of 21 years, 220 days old. Over the last 40 years, only four players have started an NBA Finals game at a younger age than Bynum: Portland's Johnny Davis in 1977, the Lakers' Magic Johnson in 1980, San Antonio's Tony Parker in 2003 and Cleveland's Daniel Gibson in 2007.

The Magic scored only 75 points in their Game One defeat. Only two teams scored as few as 75 points in the first game of an NBA Finals in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55): Detroit vs. San Antonio in 2005 (69) and the Lakers vs. Detroit in 2004 (75).

Orlando made only 29.9 percent of their field goal attempts in Game One. Over the last 40 years, only one other team made less than 30 percent of their field-goal attempts in an NBA Finals game: San Antonio vs. New Jersey in Game Four in 2003 (28.9 percent).

Derek Fisher is shooting .461 from three-point range in the NBA Finals in his career. That is the second highest career three-point field-goal percentage among the 27 players with at least 40 attempts from three-point range in NBA Finals history, behind Ray Allen (.524).

Has anyone realized that the college superstars of the 2005-06 NCAA season are going head-to-head in this series? Well, kind of. J.J. Redick is a role player for the Magic and Adam Morrison is at the end of the bench for the Lakers. Morrison has not played for the Lakers in the 2009 postseason.

J.J. Redick vs Adam Morrison
2005-06 Season in NCAA

Player	Redick	Morrison
Teams	Duke	w/Gonzaga
PPG	26.8<	28.1<
FG Pct.	47.0	49.6
AP 1st-team All-American	Yes	Yes
Overall Pick in 2006 Draft	11	3
>Morrison led NCAA; Redick was second

We took a look at which Lakers defended Dwight Howard in Game 1, how much that player defended him, and how effective they were at guarding Howard. This looks at all Magic half-court possessions, not just the ones where Howard took a shot or drew a foul. This only looks at half-court possessions because it provides a clear look at how the Lakers plan to defend Howard. So, fastbreak possessions and last-second end-of-quarter possessions are not included.

Defending Dwight Howard
Magic Half-Court Offensive Possessions

Primary Defender	Possessions	Pct.	Howard's Numbers
Andrew Bynum	41	56.2	7 pts (1-5 FG, 5-8 FT)
Pau Gasol	27	37.0	5 pts (0-1 FG, 5-8 FT)
Lamar Odom	4	5.5	0 pts (0-0 FG, 0-0 FT)
D.J. Mbenga	1	1.4	0 pts (0-0 FG, 0-0 FT)
>double-teamed on 5 of 73 possessions (6.8%)

In Game 1, Jameer Nelson was on the floor for more than 23 minutes, much longer than most expected him to play in his first NBA game since February. This limited Rafer Alston to about 24 and a half minutes of playing time, as one or the other was on the court the entire game (but never both at the same time). The Magic were -19 with Nelson on the court as compared to -6 with Alston on the court - something Stan Van Gundy might want to consider when determining their playing time in Game 2.

Magic Point Guards
Game 1 vs Lakers

Qtr	Time Span	Player	Plus/minus
1st	12:00	Rafer Alston	+2
2nd	12:00	Jameer Nelson	-12
3rd	7:53	Rafer Alston	-8
3rd/4th	7:14	Jameer Nelson	-8
4th	4:40	Rafer Alston	0
4th	4:13	Jameer Nelson	+1

In Game 1, Pau Gasol had somewhat of a lackluster first half, but really turned things up in the second half.

Pau Gasol
Game 1 vs Magic

Half	First Half	Second Half
Points	6	10
FGM-FGA	3-7	4-5
Rebounds	3	5
Turnovers	2	0

Since 1991, Kobe Bryant is just the 3rd guard to drop 40 while not connecting from beyond the arc. In the previous two occurrences, both D-Wade and MJ went on to win the NBA Finals MVP.

40 Pts, 0 3-Pt FG in NBA Finals
Guards, Since 1991

Player	Opp	Pts
2009 Kobe Bryant	vs ORL	40
2006 Dwyane Wade<<	vs DAL	43
1993 Michael Jordan<<	vs PHX	55
>>Won NBA Finals MVP

While Kobe Bryant showed off many aspects of his offensive repertoire in Game 1, he did most of his damage off the pick-and-roll and in the post. For the Magic to have success guarding Kobe in the remainder of this series, they may want to try limiting him to more isolation plays, where he was 2-9 from the field in Game 1.

Kobe Bryant
Breakdown of Shooting by Play Type in Game 1

Type	FG	Pts<<
Pick and Roll	7-10	15
Post-Up	4-9	11
Transition	1-3	6
Isolation	2-9	4
Other	2-3	4
>>Includes FT

Out of the two predominant defenders, Kobe Bryant was defended more by Mickael Pietrus, but shot the ball more per touch vs. Courtney Lee. 32 of his 40 points came against Lee and Pietrus

Kobe vs primary defenders
Game 1 vs Magic

Defender	vs Lee	vs Pietrus
Possessions	21	36
No. of touches	20	31
Touches no shots	7	15
FG-FGA	6-11	8-16
FT-FTA	2-2	2-2
Pts	18	14

Orlando was outscored by 19 points when Dwight Howard was on the floor for his 34:58 of playing time in Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals. His backup, Marcin Gortat, had four points, eight boards and four blocks, and the Magic were only outscored by 3 with Gortat on the floor for a total of 20:06.

The Lakers are the 2nd team in NBA history to close out the conference finals and start the NBA Finals with wins of at least 20 points. The other team to do this was the 1961 Boston Celtics. The Lakers are the 1st team in NBA history to win each by 25 points

Kobe Bryant took 34 shots in Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals. The Last player to attempt at least 34 shots in a Finals Game was Allen Iverson, in Game 1 of 2001 (35 shots, 48 points). Prior to that, you have to go back to Jordan's last game with the Bulls (Game 6, 1998). Kobe taking 34 shots in 38 minutes is even more of a feat. The last player to take at least 34 shots in 40 minutes of less of playing time in a playoff game was Michael Jordan -- 36 shots in 40 minutes in Game 2 of the '93 Finals against the Suns.

Most Points in Game 1
Since NBA-ABA Merger

Player	Pts	Opponent
'01 Allen Iverson	48	Lakers
'01 Shaquille O'Neal	44	76ers
'00 Shaquille O'Neal	43	Pacers
'09 Kobe Bryant	40	Magic

Orlando has reached the NBA Finals as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. In the 26 years since the NBA instituted the current playoff format, this is only the third time that a team seeded third or lower has reached the finals out of the East. The only other teams not seeded first or second in the East to reach the finals were New York in 1999 (eight) and Detroit in 2004 (three).

Phil Jackson will be appearing in the NBA Finals at the age of 63. Only one head coach in NBA history has reached the NBA Finals at an older age than Jackson: Larry Brown (64).

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are each appearing in the NBA Finals for the sixth time, and Orlando is the sixth different opponent they will be facing in the finals (they faced Indiana in 2000, Philadelphia in 2001, New Jersey in 2002, Detroit in 2004 and Boston in 2008). Only two other players in NBA history have faced at least six different opponents in the NBA Finals: Robert Horry (seven) and Shaquille O'Neal (six).

Notable Celtics Trios
First Year as Teammates

1962-63	Cousy, Havlicek, Russell	Won Title
1980-81	Bird, McHale, Parish	Won Title
2007-08	R. Allen, Garnett, Pierce	Won Title

The Celtics' 17th Championship is the most in NBA history -- and the 3rd most in major sports history... Only the Yankees and Canadiens have more... They've been playing the World Series since 1903 and the Stanley Cup Final since 1927... The NBA Finals didn't start until 1947, so Boston's done their work in considerably less time.

MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS
MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN PRO SPORTS

Yankees	26
Canadiens	24
Celtics	17

MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS
NBA HISTORY

Celtics	17
Lakers	14
Bulls	6
Spurs	4

A year ago, Celtics fans were calling for Doc Rivers' head. Now he's on top of the NBA world. His Celtics are the first team to win the title after missing the playoffs since the 1977 Blazers did it with Bill Walton and Dr. Jack Ramsay.

Won NBA Title
Season After Missing Postseason

2008 Celtics

1977 Blazers

1975 Warriors

1956 Warriors

1948 Bullets<<

1947 Warriors<<

>>First season in league

Largest Margin of Victory
NBA Finals History

Team	Opp	Margin
'98 Bulls	Jazz	42
'08 Celtics	Lakers	39<<
'78 Bullets	Sonics	35
'85 Celtics	Lakers	34
'61 Celtics	Hawks	34
>>Clinching game

Largest Margin of Victory
Title-Clinching Game

Team	Opponent	Margin
'08 Celtics	Lakers	39
'65 Celtics	Lakers	33
'49 Lakers	Capitols	21
'60 Celtics	Hawks	19

Most Career Points
Before Winning First Title

Oscar Robertson	23,578
Wilt Chamberlain	23,442
Jerry West	22,988
Gary Payton	21,455
Mitch Richmond	20,497
Kevin Garnett	20,378

Won MVP and NBA Title
Active Players

Player	MVP(s)	Title(s)
Kobe Bryant	2008	2000-02
Tim Duncan	2002-03	'99, '03, '05, '07
Kevin Garnett	2004	2008
Shaquille O'Neal	2001	2000-02, '06

Celtics Leading Lakers 3-2
In NBA Finals, All-Time

Year	Series Result
2008	?
1984	W, 4-3
1968	W, 4-2
1966	W, 4-3
1963	W, 4-2

Largest Halftime Deficit Overcome
NBA Finals, Shot-Clock Era

Team	Opponent	Pts
2008 Celtics	Lakers	18
>>1970 Knicks	Lakers	14
>>1975 Warriors	Bullets	14
>>1983 76ers	Lakers	14
>>Won series

Played All 48 Minutes of Regulation
NBA Finals, Last 15 Seasons

June 12, 2008	Ray Allen, BOS
June 13, 2003	Jason Kidd, NJ
June 10, 2001	Kobe Bryant, LAL
June 9, 2000	Jalen Rose, IND
June 9, 1995	Robert Horry, HOU

The Lakers' win closes the series deficit to 1 game. This is the 3rd time since 1980 that the Lakers have trailed 2 games to 1 in the Finals. In both of the previous series, LA lost game 4, and then went on to lose the series in 5.

Lakers Trailing 2-1
Since 1980 in NBA Finals

Year	Opponent	Game 4 Result
2008	Celtics	?
2004	Pistons	Lost<<
1991	Bulls	Lost<<
>>Lost series in 5 games

Dwight Howard looks to become the 5th Defensive Player of the Year to win an NBA Title:

Defensive Player of the Year
Won NBA Championship

2007-08	Kevin Garnett	Celtics
1993-94	Hakeem Olajuwon	Rockets
1989-90	Dennis Rodman	Pistons
1986-87	Michael Cooper	Lakers

Road teams are 16-46 all-time in Game 1 of the NBA Finals (.258 win pct.). Of those 16 winners, only 8 went on to win the title.

In NBA history, the team that wins the first game of a best-of-seven series wins that series 78.8% of the time. In NBA history, the team that wins the first game of the NBA Finals wins that series 72.6% of the time (45-17). The last team to lose Game 1 and go onto to win the NBA Finals was the Heat in 2006, who actually lost the first two games of that series.

The Lakers have a storied history. The franchise began playing in the 1948-49 season as the Minneapolis Lakers, led by superstar George Mikan. The Lakers won the NBA title in their inaugural season. Now, 60 years later they will face the Magic in an attempt to win their 15th NBA title. The Magic began playing in the 1989-90 season.

Magic vs Lakers
Franchise Comparison

Team	ORL	LAL
First Season	1989-90	1948-49
MVP Awards	0	8
NBA Finals App.	2<	30<
NBA titles	0	14
>includes 2009

Of the 15 players currently on the Lakers active roster, only three have not played a game in the NBA Finals. Those players are Andrew Bynum, Adam Morrison and Sun Yue. And, Bynum would have played in the 2008 NBA Finals if not for a knee injury. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are the only current Lakers who have won the NBA title. Bryant and Fisher were both on the 2000, 2001 and 2002 Lakers. Conversely, only two players on the Magic have played in the NBA Finals. Those players are Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue. And, Lue is the only player on the Magic who has won a title. He played in and subsequently won the 2001 NBA title with the Lakers.

The Magic and Lakers have employed a few of the same players in past years. Trevor Ariza (LAL) and Tyronn Lue (ORL) are active players on the Lakers and Magic that have played for both teams. A total of 17 players in NBA history have played for both the Lakers and Magic. The most notable of those are: Shaquille O'Neal, Horace Grant, Doug Christie, Danny Schayes and Brian Shaw. Currently, Shaw is an assistant coach for the Lakers under Phil Jackson.

The Magic are 9-0 in this postseason when holding their opponents to 90 points or less. Orlando is 3-7 when allowing more than 90 points in a game this postseason.

The Magic will be the first team in NBA postseason history to face three teams with 60 or more regular season wins each. That's quite a feat. And, consider that there were only three teams that won 60+ games in the 2008-09 regular season. Orlando faced the 62-win Celtics in the Conference Semifinals, the 66-win Cavaliers in the Conference Finals and now the 65-win Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Magic will be the first team in NBA history to face each of the top three regular season teams in the postseason since the 1995 Rockets.

In the 2009 postseason the Magic have been able to knock down their three-pointers. That has opened up the inside game. Below is a breakdown of how the Magic have scored in the 2009 playoffs. The vast majority of the team's points come in the paint.

Orlando Magic
2009 Postseason

Distance	FGM-FGA	Total Points	Pct. of Team's Points
In the Paint	370-676	740	39.6
Mid-Range Shots	134-314	268	14.3
Three-Pointers	163-444	489	26.1
Free Throws	374-512	374	20.0

Dwight Howard had 52 touches, 40 touches in the paint, in the series-clinching Game 6 of the Conference Finals against the Cavaliers. That led to a postseason career-high 40 points for Howard. Earlier this postseason, Howard publicly voiced his displeasure at the lack of touches he was getting. It is clear that when Howard has more touches, good things happen for the Magic.

Dwight Howard Touches
Last 9 Games

Category	Touches	Touches In Paint
Magic Wins	33.3	22.0
Magic Losses	25.0	18.3
>ORL: 6-3 in last 9 games

Hedo Turkoglu has been outstanding in the 2009 postseason, serving at times as the team's primary ballhandler, clutch scorer and matchup problem. Turkoglu has improved his scoring and assists in each round of the postseason thus far.

Hedo Turkoglu
2009 Postseason

Round	PPG	APG
First Round	11.8	3.3
Conf. Semis	16.3	5.3
Conf. Finals	17.2	6.7

Jameer Nelson tore his labrum in his right shoulder on February 2 against the Magic. He underwent shoulder surgery to repair the injury on February 19, the same day that Rafer Alston was acquired in a three-way trade with the Rockets. Nelson was thought to be out for the season. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is on June 4, 145 days after the surgery was performed. The team lists Nelson as "out" for Game 1 on the injury report. Since 1983-84 season, only three players who played in NBA Finals did not play in a game in previous rounds of playoffs: 2008 Chris Mihm, LAL 2007 Shannon Brown, CLE 2006 Jason Kapono, MIA

Luke Walton is trying to win his first NBA title. His father, Bill, won titles with the Blazers (1977) and Celtics (1986). Two father-son tandems have previously each won an NBA title - Brent Barry (2005 and 2007 Spurs) and Rick Barry (1975 Warriors) and Matt Goukas Jr. (1967 Sixers) and Matt Goukas Sr. (1947 Warriors).

Entering the 2009 Finals, only one active player has more career postseason games than Derek Fisher.

Most Postseason Games Played
Active Players

Shaquille O'Neal	201
Derek Fisher	171<<
Kobe Bryant	170
Tim Duncan	160
>>15th all-time

Let's revisit an outstanding trade for the Lakers that involved their NBA Finals opponent, the Magic.

Nov. 20, 2007

Magic Get:	Brian Cook and Maurice Evans
Lakers Get:	Trevor Ariza

Since the trade: Ariza has become a key player for the Lakers, he appeared in all 82 games this season averaging nearly nine points per game. Maurice Evans is no longer in Orlando (plays for Hawks). Brian Cook is no longer with the Magic (now plays for Rockets)

There are only four active players with career postseason averages of 18 PPG, 9 RPG and 53% shooting. Two of them -- Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard -- will meet in the 2009 NBA Finals. The other two are Elton Brand and Shaquille O'Neal.

Since the NBA introduced the 3-point line prior to the 1979-80 season, no team entering the NBA Finals has averaged more 3-pt field goals than the Magic this season. They are averaging 8.6 3-pointers per game in this postseason, which bests the 1995 Houston Rockets who went on to sweep the Magic in those finals.

Most Postseason 3-pt FG Per Game
Team Entering NBA Finals

Year	Team	3-pt	Finals Result
2009	Magic	8.6	?
1995	Rockets	8.4	Won
1995	Magic	8.1	Lost
1996	Supersonics	7.7	Lost
2007	Spurs	7.6	Won
>>>Through Conference Finals

The Magic won both of its games against the Lakers during this regular season. Last year, the Celtics beat the Lakers twice during the regular season and then beat them in the Finals. But the four previous Finals matchups that involved a sweep during the regular season saw the team that got swept turn the tables and win the title.

Phil Jackson is now 50-21 (.704) in playoff games in which his team had a chance to clinch a series. Only one head coach has a better record in potential series-clinching games than Jackson (minimum: 15 games): Gregg Popovich (24-8, .750).

Best Win Percentage in Potential Series-Clinching Games
NBA History

Coach	W-L	Win Pct
Gregg Popovich	24-8	.750
Phil Jackson	50-21	.704
Bill Fitch	11-5	.688
Johnny Kundla	20-12	.625
>>Minimum 15 games

Most 30-Pt, 5-Reb, 5-Ast Postseason Games
NBA History

Michael Jordan	51
Jerry West	35
Larry Bird	32
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	29
Kobe Bryant	26

Most 30-Point Playoff Games
NBA History

Michael Jordan	109
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	75
Jerry West	74
Kobe Bryant	61 <<
Elgin Baylor	60
>> Most among active players

Most 30-Point Playoff Games
Active Players

Kobe Bryant	61
Shaquille O'Neal	55
Allen Iverson	36
Tim Duncan	35
Dirk Nowitzki	34

Most 30-Point Games in Single Postseason
Lakers, Last 15 Years

Player	Year	30-Pt Games
Shaquille O'Neal	2000	13
Kobe Bryant	2009	12
Kobe Bryant	2008	12
Kobe Bryant	2003	9

Dwight Howard is a young, powerful center for the Magic, who has led the team to its second NBA Finals appearance. Comparisons have and will continue to be drawn to former Magic center Shaquille O'Neal, who led the franchise to its first NBA Finals in 1995.

Dwight Howard vs Shaquille O'Neal
Seasons Leading Magic to Finals

Player	Howard	O'Neal
Season	2008-09	1994-95
Seasons in NBA	5	3
PPG	20.6	29.3<
FG Pct.	57.2	58.3
RPG	13.8<	11.4
BPG	2.9<	2.4
>led NBA

If the Lakers take Game 1, this series is all but over. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher are among the best all-time when winning Game 1 of a postseason series.

Best Postseason Series Records
When Winning Game 1

Player	W-L
Shaquille O'Neal	26-0
Derek Fisher	23-0
Steve Kerr	23-0
Kobe Bryant	22-0
Bill Russell	22-0
>must have played in Game 1

When Phil Jackson's teams win the first game of a postseason series, his teams are 43-0 in those series.

This is the 12th NBA Finals appearance for coach Phil Jackson. That moves him into sole possession of first place on the all-time Finals appearances list for coaches. Jackson won in his first nine trips to the Finals, but has lost his last two Finals series (2004, 2008). Jackson and Red Auerbach are tied for the most NBA titles as a coach with nine apiece.

Most NBA Finals Appearances
Coaches; NBA History

Coach	Finals App.	Finals W-L
Phil Jackson	12<	9-2
Red Auerbach	11	9-2
Pat Riley	9	5-4
>includes 2009

The Celtics are 12-1 at home this postseason, with their only hiccup a Game 2 loss to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.. The 12 wins ties the NBA record for most home wins in a postseason... Boston would like to close this game out before having to go to a Game 6, but if so they could set the new home wins mark.

Most Home Wins In Single Postseason
NBA History

Team	Wins	Playoff Result
'08 Celtics	12	?
'88 Lakers	12	Won Title
'84 Celtics	12	Won Title

Rajon Rondo added his name to a VERY impressive list with his 16 assists in Game 2. Only Bob Cousy and Dennis Johnson have had more in a Finals game for Boston.

Most Assists in NBA Finals Game
Celtics Franchise History

'59	Bob Cousy	Lakers	19
'57	Bob Cousy	Hawks	19
'85	Dennis Johnson	Lakers	17
'08	Rajon Rondo	Lakers	16

Most 3-Pt FG Made
NBA Finals History

Robert Horry	53
Michael Jordan	42
Derek Fisher	40<<
Michael Cooper	35
Kobe Bryant	31<<
Scottie Pippen	30
>>Includes 2 3-pt FG each in Game 4

MVP Power Forwards Since 1984
In First Career Finals Game

Player	Year	Pts
>>'08 Kevin Garnett, BOS	2004	24
>>'06 Dirk Nowitzki, DAL	2007	16
>>'99 Tim Duncan, SA	2002	33
'97 Karl Malone, UTAH	1997	23
'93 Charles Barkley, PHX	1993	21
>>Won game

Highest Win Pct
NBA Finals History

Team	W-L	Win Pct
Spurs	16-6	.727
Bulls	24-11	.686
Bullets<<	4-2	.667
Heat	4-2	.667
>>defunct franchise

Teams Up 3-0 in NBA Finals
Since NBA Merger ('76-77)

Year	Team	Opponent	Game 4 Result
2007	Spurs	Cavaliers	Won
2002	Lakers	Nets	Won
1996	Bulls	SuperSonics	Lost
1995	Rockets	Magic	Won
1989	Pistons	Lakers	Won
1983	76ers	Lakers	Won

NBA Finals Sweeps
All-Time

'07 Spurs

'02 Lakers

'95 Rockets

'89 Pistons

'83 76ers

'75 Warriors

'71 Bucks

'59 Celtics

Fewest Combined Points in NBA Finals Game
Shot-Clock Era (Since 1955)

'55 Nationals vs Pistons	145
'07 Spurs vs Cavaliers	147
'99 Spurs vs Knicks	147
>>Spurs won both games

Fewest Points in NBA Finals Win
Last 50 Years

'07 Spurs	Game 3	75
'03 Nets	Game 4	77
'99 Spurs	Game 5	78
'97 Jazz	Game 4	78
'99 Spurs	Game 1	80
'05 Spurs	Game 7	81

Tim Duncan
Fewest Points, NBA Finals Game

Year	Opponent	Points
2007	at Cavaliers<	14
2005	at Pistons	14
2005	at Pistons	16
2005	vs Pistons<	18
2003	vs Nets	19
>Won game

16.0 PPG By Bench Player
Single Postseason, Last 10 Years

2007	Manu Ginobili, SA	16.8
2007	Leandro Barbosa, PHX	16.6
2005	Jerry Stackhouse, DAL	16.1
2003	Nick Van Exel, DAL	19.2
1999	Latrell Sprewell, NY	18.0
>Min. 10 games off bench

Largest Halftime Leads
NBA Finals History

Year	Team	Opponent	Pts
1985	Celtics	Lakers	30
1970	Knicks	Lakers	27
2007	Spurs<	Cavaliers	25
1960	Celtics	Hawks	25
>Only team to win by fewer than 14 points

Overcoming 2-0 Series Deficit
NBA Finals History

Year	Team	Opponent
2006	Heat<	Mavericks
1977	Trail Blazers<	76ers
1969	Celtics	Lakers
>Won in 6 games

30 or More Points in Finals Debut
Since 1989

Year	Player	Opp	Pts
'06	Jason Terry, DAL	MIA	32<
'01	Allen Iverson, PHI	LAL	48
'99	Tim Duncan, SA	NY	33
'96	Shawn Kemp, SEA	CHI	32
'91	Michael Jordan, CHI	LAL	36
>20th player all-time

Won First NBA Finals Game
Team History, Last 50 Seasons

Team	Opp.	Series Result
'06 Mavericks	MIA	L, 4-2
'99 Spurs	NY	W, 4-1
'78 Sonics	WSH	L, 4-3
'71 Bucks	BAL	W, 4-0

Most Years in League Before Making NBA Finals
Active Franchises

Franchise	Seasons
Cavaliers	37
Mavericks	26
Nets	26
Bulls	25
Pacers	24

Most Points Scored
First 4 Games in NBA Finals

Player	Points
'67 Rick Barry	165
'01 Allen Iverson	141
'06 Dwyane Wade	129
'70 Willis Reed	127

Won NBA Finals
After Trailing 2-1 In Series

Team	Opp.	Games
'84 Celtics	LAL	7
'78 Bullets	SEA	7
'77 Blazers	PHI	6
'69 Celtics	LAL	7
'62 Celtics	LAL	7
'57 Celtics	STL	7
>>Teams trailing 2-1 are 6-42 in a best-of-7 series

Best FT Pct. By NBA Finals MVP
Since 1969

Player	FT Pct.
'87 Magic Johnson	96.0
'86 Larry Bird	93.9
'75 Rick Barry	93.8
'04 Chauncey Billups	92.9
>>Shaquille O'Neal: 38.7 FT Pct. in 2000 Finals (worst by an MVP)

Highest Career PPG
NBA Finals History, Min. 10 Games

Player	PPG
Rick Barry	36.3
Michael Jordan	33.6
Shaquille O'Neal	32.6
Jerry West	30.5
Bob Pettit	28.4

Notable Players With 3 Championships
With 3 Different Teams

League	Player	Last Team
NBA	Robert Horry	SA
NBA	John Salley	LAL
MLB	Jack Morris	TOR
NHL	Claude Lemieux	COL
>>None in professional football

Fewest Points Scored
NBA Finals Game 7

1952 Lakers	65
2005 Pistons	74
1951 Knicks	75
1951 Royals	79<<
>>Won Game

Won 3+ Finals MVP Awards
NBA History

Player	MVPs	Team
Tim Duncan	3	Spurs
Shaquille O'Neal	3	Lakers
Michael Jordan	6	Bulls
Magic Johnson	3	Lakers

Most Playoff Games Played
Without Winnning NBA Title

Karl Malone	193
John Stockton	182
Sam Perkins	167
Charles Oakley	144
Derrick McKey	142

Most Teams Coached
Before Winning 1st NBA Title

Coach	Total	Teams
Larry Brown	7	DEN, NJ,SA,LAC, IND, PHI, DET
Jack Ramsay	3	PHI, BUF, POR
Red Auerbach	3	WSH, TRI, BOS

Did You Know: The lowest career scoring average for an NBA Finals MVP is 10.8 PPG by Wes Unseld (1978 Bullets).

Triple Doubles
in NBA Finals Clinchers, All-time

Player	Opponent	Pts-Reb-Ast
'03 Tim Duncan, SA	Nets	21-20-10
'88 James Worthy, LAL	Pistons	36-16-10
'86 Larry Bird, BOS	Rockets	29-11-12
'85 Magic Johnson, LAL	Celtics	14-10-14
'82 Magic Johnson, LAL	76ers	13-13-13

20+ Pts, 20+ Rebs, 10+ Assts
NBA Finals Game, All-Time

Player	Year	Pts	Reb	Ast
Tim Duncan	'03	21	20	10
Dave Cowens	'76	25	21	10
Bill Russell	'65	23	25	10

3+ Consecutive NBA Championships
All-Time

Team	Consec. Titles	Next Season
'00-02 Lakers	3	???
'96-98 Bulls	3	DNQ
'91-93 Bulls	3	L East Semis
'59-66 Celtics	8	L East Finals<<
'52-54 Lakers	3	L West Finals
>after 8th straight NBA Title

Coaches with Most Titles
4 Major Sports

Phil Jackson	NBA	9
Red Auerbach	NBA	9
Scott Bowman	NHL	8
Toe Blake	NHL	8

Highest Scoring Teammates
NBA Finals History

'62 E. Baylor	J. West	71.7
'63 E. Baylor	J West	63.3
'02 S. O'Neal	K. Bryant	63.0
'66 J. West	E. Baylor	58.9
'61 C. Hagan	B. Pettit	57.8
>>Min: 25 PPG Each

With a loss to the Lakers, Allen Iverson becomes the 7th player all-time to win the regular season MVP before losing in the NBA Finals. He becomes the first MVP to accomplish this uninspiring feat since Karl Malone won the MVP in '97. Malone just edged out Michael Jordan for MVP that year, but when Malone's Jazz faced Jordan's Bulls in the Finals, Malone struggled while Jordan went on to collect the 5th of his 6 Finals MVPs.

Regular Seasons MVPs to Lose in Finals

'01	Allen Iverson	PHI
'97	Karl Malone	UTAH
'93	Charles Barkley	PHX
'89	Magic Johnson	LAL
'85	Larry Bird	BOS
'74	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	LAL
'58	Bill Russell	BOS

Most Common Finals Matchups

Matchup	Series
Celtics-Lakers	10
76ers-Lakers	6<<
Knicks-Lakers	5
Celtics-Hawks	4
<< Lakers: 5-1 vs 76ers

Ron Harper and Robert Horry each earned their 2nd NBA crown with the Lakers after previously winning at least two titles with the Bulls and Rockets respectively. The only other player in NBA history to win multiple titles with two teams was "the worm" himself, Dennis Rodman. odman was a part of the Bulls' run in Chicago after winning two titles with Detroit's "Bad Boys" previously.

Won Multiple NBA Titles With Multiple Teams

Player	1st team	2nd team
Ron Harper	Bulls	Lakers
Robert Horry	Rockets	Lakers
Dennis Rodman	Pistons	Bulls

Won NBA Finals Games 3,4,5 on Road

Team	Opp.	Series Result
'01 Lakers	76ers	W, 4-1
'91 Bulls	Lakers	W, 4-1
'90 Pistons	Blazers	W, 4-1
'53 Lakers	Knicks	W, 4-1

Allen Iverson has established a new standard for pts scored by a player making his debut in the Finals...Until Wednesday night, four players were tied atop this list with 37 pts-most recently done by New York's Willis Reed in 1970...Bob Pettitt and Bill Sharman combined for 73 pts in their classic duel in game 1 of the '57 Finals...

Most Points
In NBA Finals Debut

'01	Allen Iverson	PHI	48
'70	Willis Reed	NY	37
'67	Rick Barry	SF	37
'57	Bob Pettit	STL	37
'47	Joe Fulks	PHI	37
'91	Michael Jordan	CHI	36
'57	Bill Sharman	BOS	36

NBA MVP TRIPLE CROWN
IN SAME SEASON

Player	Team	Season(s)
Shaquille O'Neal	Lakers	'99-00
Michael Jordan	Bulls	'95-96, '97-98
Willis Reed	Knicks	'69-70
>>All-Star, Reg. season & NBA Finals

30+ Points in Each Game of Series
NBA Finals History

Year	Player	Team	Games
'00	Shaquille O'Neal	LAL	6<<
'95	Hakeem Olajuwon	HOU	4<<
'93	Michael Jordan	CHI	6<<
'67	Rick Barry	SF	6
'62	Elgin Baylor	LAL	7
<

Highest PPG
NBA Finals History

Year	Player	PPG	GAMES IN SERIES
'93	Michael Jordan, CHI	41.0	6
'67	Rick Barry, SF	40.8	6
'62	Elgin Baylor, LAL	40.6	7
'00	Shaquille O'Neal, LAL	38.0<<	6
'69	Jerry West, LAL	37.9	7
>>Reached 30 pts & 10 rebs in each game

WON NBA TITLE
1ST FINALS APPEARANCE SINCE 1950

TEAM	NBA SEASON
'99 SPURS	23RD
'91 BULLS	25TH
'77 BLAZERS	7TH
'71 BUCKS	3RD
'57 CELTICS	11TH
'51 ROYALS	3RD

Won Consecutive Titles
With Different Teams, Last 5 Instances

'98-99	NBA	Steve Kerr	Bulls-Spurs
'95-96	NHL	Claude Lemieux	Devils-Avalanche
'94-95	NFL	Deion Sanders	49ers-Cowboys
'93-94	NFL	Ken Norton	Cowboys-49ers
'61-62	NHL	Al Arbour	Blackhawks-Maple Leafs

Multiple Titles, Same State
Since 1980

1999	Stars, Spurs
1995	Rockets, Cowboys
1989	Athletics, 49ers
1988	Lakers, Dodgers, 49ers
1986	Mets, Giants
1981	Dodgers, 49ers
1980	Lakers, Raiders

MOST POINTS
BY KNICKS PLAYER IN FINALS GAME

'70 Willis Reed	38
'70 Willis Reed	37
'70 Walt Frazier	36
'99 Latrell Sprewell	35
'99 Allan Houston	34
'73 Dave DeBusschere	33