NBA Champion Lakers, etc.

And we have a new NBA champion....the LA Lakers!

• LA 99, Orlando 86... LA takes the series in 5, and Kobe gets his ring....a big-time effort by LA last night (coupled with a secret stinkbomb by Orlando) enabled LA to not even have to get back to LA to win the series....Kobe had 30, Pau had 14 and 15, Lamar had 17 and 10....sounds like about the exact standard lines for each of them in this sort of spot....They went out and took this one (+9 rebounding edge, 8 blocks, making 50% of their threes) but Orlando gets some blame... 41% shooting, 8-27 threes, 10-16 FT, and even a quite 11-10 game from Dwight Howard in this spot are pretty unacceptable....it's a young team with a young star, and you could almost sense the mediocre effort coming early in the game... at any rate, Phil Jackson takes the ring lead (10, wow) and Kobe cements his legacy in the all-time pantheon.....anything but a ho-hum night in LA when they get back I assume...
  
• Shaq to the Cavs? uhh.... I never liked the idea....but if they only have to deal Ben Wallace and Sasha? I'd do that instantly....on both sides btw....Phoenix just buys out Wallace/releases Pavlovic and suddenly they're saving $10 million...and Robert Sarver REALLY wants to save that $10 million
• MLB Roundup: Cliff Lee takes a no-hitter to the 8th...he's been very good again this year...just not quite up to the pace of last year (but who thought he would keep that going?).... Yankees 15, Mets 0....would you believe Santana started for the Mets? Yikes... and Orioles 11, Braves 2....same result....Derek Lowe starts for the Braves...gets utterly blasted....This team is infuriating to follow for anyone that doesn't know that....
  
• The US Open is going to the gate this weekend...I'm thoroughly excited to see what Mr. Eldrick Woods brings... after his mastery with the driver in his win last week...I think the field should be wary of getting in his path....