The Finals: Game 4 Recap

Tags: derek fisher, kobe bryant, pau gasol, trevor ariza

The Lakers 99-91 Game 4 victory last night over the Orlando Magic marked the first time since 1984 that two NBA Finals games went into overtime.

And needless to say, this game did not disappoint.

Starting out just as powerfully as they had ended Game 3, it was obvious that the Magic came out of the gates with a fierce determination to keep up that game's incredible shooting percentages and tie up the series.

But then came halftime.

Down by 12, the Lakers launched into an unstoppable 3rd quarter counter-attack, resulting in numerous Orlando turnovers that Kobe and company gladly capitalized upon. As regulation minutes were winding down in the 4th, the two teams jostled for the lead. Trevor Ariza kept the Lakers involved with keydefensive rebounds that limited Orlando's second chance attempts. And with the Lakers down by three and only about 6 seconds remaining Derek Fisher knocked down what would be one of two clutch 3-pointers to send the game in to overtime. During the extra minutes the Magic fought to take back control, but the combined Laker effort and another key Fisher 3-pointer with :31 seconds left on the clock helpd the Lakers clinch the Game 5 victory.

Ending the game with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, Kobe and the Lakers are one game away from capturing the NBA Championship title that eluded them just a year ago. For the Magic, the threat of seeing their incredible season come to an end is looming as they return to Los Angeles. With so much to play for on both sides, expect nothing but great basketball on Sunday night when Game 5 tips off.