LAKERS!

The Lakers polished off Orlando last night in what was their best game of the series. No excuses about missing open shots as LA played suffocating D and did not allow Orlando good looks at three-point shots or for them to get into a rhythm.

As usual, the Laker defense, led by Ariza's steals, got them going on the 16-0 run that ended things. Balanced scoring (5 guys with 10+ points) made things easy for them on offense. They were also faster to the ball and out-rebounded the Magic.

The media, always looking for the easy story took to comparisons. Is Phil Jackson a better coach than Red Auerbach because he now has 1 more championship (10 to 9)? Does Kobe belong in the same breath as Michael Jordan?

For the first, the answer is yes. When Auerbach and the Celtics were dominant there was no free agency. Once you had a player you had him for life. Russell, Cousy, Jones, Havlicik, etc weren't going anywhere. This isn't to discount what he did. Keeping guys that motivated for that long is no mean feat. But, from year to year he knew who he was going to have, could mold them to play his style and discipline them more easily. Jackson had a different cast around his stars pretty much each year. He's won with a dominant big man (Shaq) and without.

I'm a huge Kobe fan, but I'm not ready to put him on the same level as Jordan. Magic Johnson, yes, but not MJ. Bryant has just learned to really get his teammates involved (see the number of assists he had in the Finals). If he keeps doing that and gets a couple of more rings, then he'll prove it. In the meantime, he is the best player in the game and we should enjoy him for what he is and quit worrying about who he is not.

LAKERS!