Magic-Lakers: Orlando Finds Magic Touch

Staring down the barrel of a 0-6 record in finals franchise futility, the Orlando Magic found their stroke offensively, hit their free-throws down the stretch, and stiffened defensively writing a new chapter in franchise history defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 108-104 in Game Three Tuesday night before capacity Amway Center crowd that was raucous and rowdy from the start.

"The one thing that you can't question about our team is our resiliency," said a visibly elated Stan Van Gundy during his post-game news conference after his team narrowly escaped with the four-point must-win at home that turned a 0-2 deficit into a 2-1 sparkling glimmer of hope that extended the championship series.

Orlando's lights-out shooting performance from the field set NBA records for accuracy with an astronomically high 75 percent in the first half and a 62.5 percent average for the game.

It was tale of two halves for Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. His championship dreams turned into a bit of a nightmare, after a stellar 21-point shooting display in the first half, the perennial All-Star was ineffective in the second scoring only 10 points thanks to improved close out Orlando defense and an inexplicably poor performance at the free throw line.

In his post-game press conference a contrite Bryant confessed, "My rhythm was off at the charity stripe." Kobe not only led his team in scoring with 31 points and four three-pointers but he also tallied team dishonors in turnovers (four), fouls (five) and free-throws misses (five). "It was a bad night."

After withstanding a ferocious onslaught from the Magic and with only seconds to go the Lakers stood on the brink of putting the Magic into a 0-3 abyss that 88 others before had been unable to overcome in NBA history.

Read more at Bleacher Report