Lakers Cruise to 15th Title

The Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA Championship tonight by defeating the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers seized control of the series with a dominating performance by Kobe Bryant and great shooting by Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. The Lakers had a balanced team effort throughout all five games with contributions by Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, and even Luke Walton. The X factor throughout the entire series was the play of Odom and Ariza. They hit big baskets and made life difficult for Turkoglu and Lewis all series long. Fisher found his shooting stroke late in the series and his heroics in Game 4 all but sealed the title. This series was never in doubt and the Lakers should have swept the series. It became obvious that the Magic were overmatched when they shot 63% in Game 3 and still only held on for a four point win. This series exposed Dwight Howard and his limited offensive arsenal. If the Magic are to take the next step to being a championship team Dwight Howard has to become a more complete player.