MySports Today

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-91 in overtime on Friday night in Orlando to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the NBA Finals.  Derek Fisher was the unsing hero for the Lakers, as he banged down a 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 87 and send it into overtime.  With the game tied in overtime Fisher nailed another 3-pointer to put the Lakers up for good.  Only 2 players in NBA history have more 3-pointers in the NBA Finals – Robert Horry and Michael Jordan – pretty nice company (Jordan has 6 rings and Horry has 7 rings).

The Lakers overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to win Game 4, outscoring the Magic 30-14 in the 3rd quarter to take a 4 point lead to start the 4th.  The Lakers are now 7-0 in games following losses in the playoffs in 2009.  The only way the Lakers will be denied a championship is if they lose 3 straight games to the Magic – they haven’t lost 3 games in a row all year long.

Kobe Bryant had another impressive night – 32 points (despite making only 11 of 31 shots), 7 rebounds and 8 assists.  Bryant was 8 out of 8 from the free throw line, as the Lakers made 15 of 20 free throw attempts (back to that later).  Pau Gasol (16 points and 10 boards) and Trevor Ariza (16 points and 9 boards) were also instrumental in the win with their big nights.

For the Magic, Dwight Howard starred in just about every way.  Howard had 16 points, 21 rebounds and 9 blocked shots.  But he turned the ball over 7 times and missed more free throws than he made – he was 6-14 from the charity stripe.  That was the Magic’s main downfall – they shot only 59.5% from the free throw line, missing 15 of their 37 attempts from the line.  Any one of those shots gets made, we’re looking at a series tied at 2 with a pivotal Game 5 Sunday night in Orlando.  Instead, the Magic now have their backs against the wall.

Random note, Tiger Woods and his wife Elin were in attendance, as was singer Rihanna.

Stay tuned for great NBA action on Sunday on ABC.  Game 5 is scheduled to start at 8PM EST in Orlando.

Anne V – please step up to the plate.  In our latest installment of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models photos, we turn to Anne V to light up our day.  Anne Vyalitsyna is a dynamic, 23-year old Russian model who has had an illustrious career since the age of 15.  Anne V has appeared in Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Gloss and countless SI Swimsuit Issues.  She has also hit the runways for famous designers, including Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs, just to name a few.  We hope Anne V keeps plugging away on the global circuit for years to come.  Not so sure about the bear one, but at least the teddy bear was muzzled.  Enjoy…