FloaterDaily Brief
Friday, May 8, 2009Playoffs · 2 games
← May 7CalendarMay 9 →

2 games, none went to overtime. Every winner was ahead or tied at every quarter break.

Final · R2 · G3 · Box score
Celtics96
Magic117
Q1 ORL +4; Q2 ORL +12; Q3 ORL +9; Q4 ORL +21
Final · R2 · G3 · Box score
Lakers108
Rockets94
Q1 LAL +2; Q2 LAL +2; Q3 LAL +12; Q4 LAL +14
On this day · 2007–08May 8, 2008: 2 games. Top scorer: Chris Paul (Hornets-Spurs), 35 points.
May 8 in other seasons2026202520242023202220212019201820172016201520142013201220112010200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996
The lead · Conference semifinals · Game 3 · Lakers-Rockets

Kobe Bryant scores 33 as Lakers win in Houston

Dwight Howard goes for 17 points

Game flow · LAL margin at each break
-20-100+10+20TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0+2+2+12+14LAL AHEAD ↑HOU AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Lakers30202434108
Rockets2820143294
Who led
Kobe BryantPoints, last 10 games: 16, 16, 24, 26, 18, 38, 31, 32, 40, 33LAL33 PTS · 6 REB · 3 AST
Lamar OdomPoints, last 10 games: 8, 16, 13, 19, 21, 10, 26, 9, 7, 16LAL16 PTS · 13 REB · 0 AST
Metta World PeacePoints, last 10 games: 10, 17, 19, 9, 12, 10, 27, 21, 25, 25HOU25 PTS · 6 REB · 1 AST
Yao MingPoints, last 10 games: 23, 24, 11, 7, 21, 15, 17, 28, 12, 19HOU19 PTS · 14 REB · 2 AST
Second story · Celtics-Magic · R2 · G3

Orlando controls Boston start to finish

Orlando won 117–96, leading by as many as 21 at a break. Rashard Lewis led Orlando with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

Series tracker · Celtics-Magic
G1 · @ BOSORL95–90G2 · @ BOSBOS112–94G3 · @ ORLORL117–96
Lead changes
Lakers-Rockets4
Celtics-Magic0
The night in charts
Celtics-Magic combined for 213, 11 more than any other game
Points by game
Celtics-MagicCeltics 96, Magic 117
213
Lakers-RocketsLakers 108, Rockets 94
202
LAL won the closest game by 14
Closest finishes
Lakers-RocketsLakers 108, Rockets 94
+14 LAL
Celtics-MagicCeltics 96, Magic 117
+21 ORL
Turkoglu shot 8-of-12 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
TurkogluORL · 24 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL
67% (8-12)
OdomLAL · 16 PTS, 13 REB, 2 BLK, 1 STL
64% (7-11)
LewisORL · 28 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL
53% (9-17)
ScolaHOU · 12 REB, 10 PTS
45% (5-11)
World PeaceHOU · 25 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK
43% (10-23)
Final · Lakers-Rockets
Lakers 108Rockets 94
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Lakers30202434108
Rockets2820143294
The story
Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds as Los Angeles beat Houston 108-94

Metta World Peace led Houston with 25 PTS, 6 REB 16 PTS, 13 REB · 7-11 FG, 2-2 3PT

The swing

The Lakers won the third 24-14, their biggest quarter edge.

LAL lead by quarter
200 +2+2+12+14 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Final · Celtics-Magic
Celtics 96Magic 117
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Celtics1823282796
Magic22312539117
The story
Rashard Lewis' 28 points carried Orlando past Boston, 117-96

For Boston, Rajon Rondo had 15 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB 28 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST · 9-17 FG, 3-7 3PT

The swing

The fourth quarter, 39-27, was where the Magic built it.

ORL lead by quarter
300 +4+12+9+21 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+8.8points, last 3 playoff games vs reg. season avg
Points per game
8.5Reg. season avg17.3Last 3 playoff games

17.3 points a game over his last three playoff games, against 8.5 in the regular season (81 games). Today: 15 points in 21 minutes.

Losing minutes
−16.9minutes, last 3 playoff games vs reg. season avg
Minutes per game
28.9Reg. season avg12.0Last 3 playoff games

12.0 minutes a game over his last three playoff games, against 28.9 in the regular season (50 games). Today: 4 points in 12 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+14.5minutes, today vs reg. season avg
Minutes per game
18.3Reg. season avg32.8Today

33 minutes today, against 18.3 a game in the regular season (65 games). Line: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists.

Top performances

Kobe Bryant leads the day with 33

Kobe BryantPoints, last 10 games: 16, 16, 24, 26, 18, 38, 31, 32, 40, 33Lakers-Rockets · W
30.2 PPG playoffs to date · +3.1 vs his playoff average before tonight
33 PTS · 6 REB · 3 AST
Rashard LewisPoints, last 10 games: 13, 15, 16, 14, 17, 24, 29, 18, 17, 28Magic-Celtics · W
19.8 PPG playoffs to date · +9.2 vs his playoff average before tonight
28 PTS · 6 REB · 3 AST
Paul PiercePoints, last 10 games: 23, 18, 24, 29, 26, 22, 20, 23, 3, 27Celtics-Magic · L
21.5 PPG playoffs to date · +6.1 vs his playoff average before tonight
27 PTS · 3 REB · 6 AST
Metta World PeacePoints, last 10 games: 10, 17, 19, 9, 12, 10, 27, 21, 25, 25Rockets-Lakers · L
18.3 PPG playoffs to date · +7.5 vs his playoff average before tonight
25 PTS · 6 REB · 1 AST
Hedo TurkogluPoints, last 10 games: 16, 6, 16, 11, 17, 9, 12, 15, 14, 24Magic-Celtics · W
13.8 PPG playoffs to date · +11.5 vs his playoff average before tonight
24 PTS · 2 REB · 4 AST
Yao MingPoints, last 10 games: 23, 24, 11, 7, 21, 15, 17, 28, 12, 19Rockets-Lakers · L
17.1 PPG playoffs to date · +2.1 vs his playoff average before tonight
19 PTS · 14 REB · 2 AST