The NBA Finals get underway tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Lakers begin their quest for a 15th NBA championship by hosting the Orlando Magic, a franchise making just its second trip to the Finals and still seeking its first title.

In anticipation of this year’s Finals, we here at Operation Sports decided to simulate the championship series using NBA 2K9 and NBA Live 09 (sorry NBA 09 fans). Yesterday, Bryan Estrella brought you the 2K9 simulation, which saw the Magic win the series 4-1. Today it’s my turn to do the prognosticating, courtesy of Live 09. In honor of the occasion, I’m decked out head to toe in Adidas gear and I have a pail full of Sprite beside me. So depending on what you think of Live 09, you may want to get your bookie on the phone (via T-mobile, of course).

The Set-Up

Live 09 lacks a true playoff mode, so I’m simulating individual games using the proper venues. For the simulation, I downloaded the latest DNA rosters, used the game’s default sliders and let the CPU control both teams over full 12-minute quarters. Let’s get to the results…

Game 1

Magic 98 Lakers 92

Game Summary: Thanks to strong play from Dwight Howard (12 points and five boards in the quarter), Orlando jumped out to an early 27-22 lead in the first quarter. The Lakers came back to tie the game at 35-35 before another Magic run pushed the halftime score to 46-40 in favor of Orlando. Pau Gasol led the Lakers in the first half with eight points and five rebounds, while Kobe Bryant was held to just six points on 3-for-10 shooting. Howard paced the Magic, shooting 7-for-13 from the floor for 14 points to go along with eight boards.

With the Lakers trailing by 12, Bryant finally began to assert himself in the third quarter. A steal and a trio of assists brought the Lakers back to within six at 56-50. Mickael Pietrus nailed a long two-pointer, a short jump shot and a circus lay-up to end the quarter, giving the Magic a commanding 74-60 lead. The teams more or less traded baskets down the stretch, with the Lakers eventually coming up short as Orlando took Game 1, 98-92.

Key Contributors
Howard led the Magic in points (18) and rebounds (15), while also chipping in two blocks and one steal. Rashard Lewis also had 18 points, while Marcin Gortat contributed five blocks. Gasol led the way for the Lakers with a team-high 22 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots. Bryant finished with 17 points, one rebound and five assists.

Magic lead series 1-0

Game 2

Lakers 95 Magic 76

Game Summary: Facing the prospect of going down 0-2 before heading to Orlando for up to three straight road games, the Lakers got off to a quick start as Derek Fisher (Derek Fisher!) led L.A. to a quick 19-10 lead. Thanks to 11 first-quarter turnovers, the Magic trailed 25-16 after one. In the second, the Lakers built their lead to 35-20 before a nice run by the Magic cut the deficit to 37-32. The first half ended with the Lakers leading 45-40. Lamar Odom led the Lakers with nine points, while Andrew Bynum chipped in seven rebounds. Courtney Lee led the Magic with eight points, while Howard had six points and six boards.

Midway through the third quarter, following another Orlando run, Rafer Alston hit a three with Fisher in his face as the shot clock expired, giving the Magic their first lead of the game, 62-61. This also marked the first lead change of the series. However, a strong finish to the quarter gave the Lakers a 71-64 lead. The Magic looked lifeless in the fourth, scoring just four points in over six minutes of play to begin the quarter. An 8-0 run by the Lakers pushed the score to 85-70. Orlando managed just 12 points in the final quarter, losing Game 2, 95-76.

Key Contributors
Gasol and Bryant led the Lakers with 17 points apiece. Bynum contributed 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Howard led the Magic with 16 points, 15 boards and four blocks.

Series tied 1-1

Game 3

Lakers 103 Magic 90

Game Summary: Bryant scored eight of the Lakers first 12 points to help Los Angeles keep pace with a quick start by Orlando. The Magic shot just 34 percent from the field in the second quarter and, as a result, they trailed 47-42 at halftime.

Bryant hit a fall-away three to open the second half, while the Magic committed seven turnovers in the third quarter, including several off outlet passes directly following defensive rebounds. L.A.’s dynamic trio of Bryant, Gasol and Odom dominated the third quarter while Bynum blocked four shots, giving the Lakers a 73-63 lead going into the final quarter. Orlando shot lights out in the fourth, going 13-for-20 (65 per cent) in the quarter, but another seven turnovers prevented them from gaining any ground. Despite five players scoring in double figures, Orlando lost Game 3, 103-90.

Key Contributors
Howard once again led the Magic with 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Alston also had 14 points for Orlando. Bryant picked up 26 points on 12-for-23 shooting. Gasol had 14 points, 12 boards and three blocks, while Bynum added 14 points, eight rebounds and six blocks.

Lakers lead series 2-1

Game 4

Magic 97 Lakers 87

Game Summary: Facing the threat of going down 3-1 in the series, the Magic came out flat in Game 4, spotting the Lakers a quick 11-0 lead before rallying to close the deficit to 23-18 by the end of the first quarter. Bryant and Gasol dominated the early going for the Lakers, with Bryant scoring 11 first-quarter points and Gasol adding six points and eight rebounds. In the second quarter, Lee gave the Magic some life, dropping in seven quick points and adding three assists. By halftime, the Magic had narrowed the gap to just 48-45 in favor of the Lakers.

Orlando really took control of the game in the second half, thanks to the combo of Howard and Rashard Lewis, who each had eight points in the third quarter. Howard also contributed five rebounds and three blocks in the frame. In the fourth, Tony Battie came off the bench to help seal the victory and even the series.

Key Contributors
Howard led the Magic with 24 points, 10 rebounds and a staggering nine blocks. Lewis also contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds. Battie chipped in 10 points and nine boards in just 17 minutes. Bryant and Gasol were the lone standouts for the Lakers, with Bryant picking up 30 points on 14-for-28 shooting while Gasol added 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Bynum was a force on the defensive end, recording six blocked shots.

Series tied 2-2

Game 5

Magic 93 Lakers 84

Game Summary: In the 2-3-2 format the NBA employs for the Finals, Game 5 of a tied series is more or less a must-win game for the team without home court advantage. Nevertheless, the Magic displayed little urgency in the first quarter, quickly falling behind 28-20. The Lakers then hit seven consecutive shots to begin the second quarter, pushing their lead to 43-27. Unlike Game 4, the Lakers received contributions from a variety of players in the first half, leading to a 54-38 halftime lead. DJ Mbenga was a surprise star for the Lakers, contributing nine points and five blocks in the half. JJ Redick led the Magic with nine points.

Down by 16 coming out of the half, the Magic responded with a much better third quarter, led by Howard’s 10 points. The Lakers reverted to their Game 4 ways, relying heavily on Gasol (six points) and Bryant (four points). By the end of the third quarter, the Magic had cut the deficit to 10, trailing 73-63. Orlando dominated the fourth quarter. Howard and Lewis each had eight points, with Howard also picking up five rebounds. The Magic shot 54 per cent from the field in the quarter, while the Lakers were a woeful 5-for-21 (24 per cent). That differential allowed the Magic to complete the comeback, winning 93-84.

Key Contributors
Howard had another big game for Orlando, recording 26 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Lewis added 16 points and 11 boards. Bryant had 20 points for the Lakers, while Gasol added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Fisher had his best game of the series, contributing 13 points. After a hot start, Mbenga scored only two points in the second half, but nevertheless finished with 11 points and five blocks.

Magic lead series 3-2

Game 6

Lakers 83 Magic 73

Game Summary: With a chance to wrap up their first-ever NBA title, the Orlando Magic traveled back to Los Angeles for Game 6 against the Lakers at the Staples Center. Both teams got off to relatively slow starts with turnovers and poor shooting playing a bigger role than in perhaps any other game in the series to that point. Hedo Turkoglu’s nine points and three rebounds helped give the Magic a narrow 37-36 lead at halftime. Howard got off to a very slow start, going 0-for-4 from the field for just one point in the opening half. Bryant struggled as well, shooting just 3-for-16 for six points.

The lead changed hands several times early in the second half before the Lakers finally managed to open up an eight-point edge at 57-49. Thanks to Bryant’s 13 points in the quarter, Los Angeles was able to push the lead to 63-55 by the end of the quarter. The Lakers continued to play well early in the fourth quarter, establishing a 72-59 lead before the Magic began to mount a comeback. Orlando was able to cut the lead to just five points, but that’s as close as they would get. Los Angeles hit several key shots down the stretch to ensure a seventh and deciding game, winning 83-73.

Key Contributors
Bryant scored 26 points for the Lakers, including 20 in the second half, while Gasol added 19 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. Bynum also made an impact, contributing 14 points, nine boards and five blocks. Lewis led all scorers for the Magic with 16 points, while Howard had a relatively quiet night with 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Series tied 3-3

Game 7

Magic 89 Lakers 80

Game Summary: With the title on the line, both teams came out strong in Game 7, matching each other shot for shot throughout much of the first half. The notable exception was Bryant, who shot just 2-for-6 for four points in the opening half. At the break, the teams were deadlocked at 41-41. However, in the second half Howard put the Magic on his sizable shoulders, recording 14 of his team-high 22 points and driving them to an 83-74 lead before getting into foul trouble midway through the fourth quarter. With Howard on the bench, Battie filled in admirably, helping to hold the Lakers at bay and ensure Orlando its first NBA title.

Key Contributors
Howard again led the Magic when it counted, scoring 22 points to go along with 14 rebounds and five blocks. While Howard sat with foul trouble, Battie helped maintain Orlando’s lead and ended up with 10 points, seven boards and four blocks. Gasol had 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks in a losing cause, while Bynum added eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Bryant disappeared in the most important game of the year, recording just eight points on 3-for-9 shooting.

Magic win series 4-3

Conclusion

It would appear that this year’s crop of basketball videogames seem to favor the underdog, as both NBA 2K9 and NBA Live 09 predict the Orlando Magic will emerge as the 2008-2009 NBA Champions. We’ll have to wait until tonight to begin to see how closely these games will mirror real life.

Series Notes

Virtual Kobe Bryant animates extremely well, but his interactions with teammates look scripted and robotic. That alone sold me on Live 09’s realism … I’m not sure how it’s possible, but virtual Dwight Howard looks more like an ordinary human being than the real Dwight Howard does … Several times throughout the series Andrew Bynum cleanly rejected Howard as he attempted a monster dunk. If this happens in real life, I’ll eat my Adidas hat … For NBA Live 10, EA really needs to include celebrity sightings in games in Los Angeles. I want to see Jack courtside … EA also needs a new Stan Van Gundy model for NBA Live 10. The one they have now looks like it’s missing about 75 polygons … Every time I saw the “Impossible is Nothing” banner rotate on the scorer’s table, I chuckled. Tell that to the guys who have to try to model Sasha Vujacic’s hair.