I have a feeling Kobe, DFish and Co. were drinking better than us this past weekend -- not that Moose Drool Ale and $10 stoggies are a bad thing.

Now that the dust, champagne, confetti and rioting has settled, let’s look back at some thoughts from a weekend in Vegas, my 32nd birthday (I’m feeling really old after this one) and, oh yeah, the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Finals in five games over the Orlando Magic:

• I might not love Derrick Fisher as much as ESPN Radio’s homerish crew of Mike Tirico, Hubie Brown and Dr. Jack Ramsay, but damn did that dude save the trip and the birthday. I don’t think I went to an ATM once this weekend thanks to the dough we bankrolled off those bombs he hit in Game 4.

• Speaking of sportsbooks, a look at the favorites to win the 2010 title: Lakers favored at 5-2, Cavs at 3-1, Celtics 5-1, Orlando 7-1, Denver 12-1. Thirteen teams are 100-1, including three from Calif. – Golden State, Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers. Time to shake your moneymaker Lambo and get some dough on them Clipps.

• Speaking of Vegas pros, where’s Lakers sixth man Ryantific’s contributions after this victory?

• What a difference a year healthy Trevor Ariza and unhealthy Kevin Garnett make.

• Who was the second best team in the playoffs this year? Thuggish Ruggish Nuggets get my vote.

• Anyone in the media going to ask Phil Jackson if he’s going to return next year? I know he’s under contract, but dude admitted he wasn’t himself this year and that this was a “learned” group that he didn’t exactly have to coach up. Big Phil’s got 10 rings as a coach, passing Red, dates a former Playboy model who is also the owner’s daughter, and has a cabin near some of the best fly fishing waters the world has to offer in Montana. What more does he have to prove?

• Kobe Bryant had plenty to prove during these Finals. And he proved worthy of the Finals MVP, even though he didn’t have his best series.

• What a great year and a half it’s been for Kobe. First MVP, gold medal, Shaq-less NBA title, Finals MVP. Awards aren’t everything, but they tend to be nowadays when trying to decide who’s the “greatest.” On a side note, did you know George Mikan, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek and Rick Barry never won MVPs? Crazy stuff.

• Is Kobe’s legacy that much greater now that he’s won a title without Shaq? In this day, maybe. But dude’s one of the greatest to play no matter what. Just think of all those great players who never won titles (Barkley, Ewing, Malone, Stockton, Iverson, Kidd, Nash), and Kobe’s got four!

• At the same time, let’s not forget Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant had plenty of help from Scottie Pippen Pau Gasol and  Tony Kukoc Lamar Odom and Steve Kerr Derrick Fisher this time around.

• So this one is a big one for Kobe. Those three with Shaq were largely because of Shaq. After all, Shaq won all three of those Finals MVPs, and also helped D-Wade and the Heat win a title a few years later (look at where the Heat were before and after that).

• Either way, you have to have experience and a big man (or in this day of centerless teams, a power forward like Gasol or KG or Duncan) to win an NBA title.

• Orlando has it’s big man, so the difference this year was clearly the experience (which is always key, especially for 32-year-old, broke-ass bloggers in Vegas). Kobe (31), Fisher (34), Phil (older than Yoda) had it. Dwight, whoever their starting point guard was on a given night, Stan VanG didn’t.

It’s nice to see being old pays off from time to time.

Kobe vs. Lebron. Too bad only their puppets are playing in The Finals.

According to Jeff VanGundy and ABC and ESPN and Fox Sports Net and Co.: Kobe Bryant is the “best closer in the game.”

Well, Tuesday night he wasn’t. Two huge turnovers and missing 12 of your final 16 shots (not to mention 5 of 10 free throws) would suggest otherwise.

But does this make Kobe any less of a “great closer?” Probably not. He is one of the best players of all-time, and certainly one of the most clutch players of our generation.

As J.A. Adande points out, even M.J., “The Greatest Closer, Starter and Everything in Between,” had some tough times in the fourth quarter.

But I have to raise the question, is Kobe Bryant really the best closer in the league?

With LeBron James around, at least there’s an argument there.

In fact, the numbers tend to suggest LeBron James was a better closer this season.

According to 82games.com, sortable stats from the regular season showed James shot for a better percentage (47.2% to 43.6%), had more points (7.7 to 7.3), rebounds (2.0 to 1.3) and assists (1.7 to 0.9) than Kobe in the fourth quarters of games.

And James’ “clutch” stats, meaning stats during the final five minutes of a five-point game, are through the roof – shooting 55.6% from the floor (to Kobe’s 45.7%) and 42.1% from 3-point land (to Kobe’s 40%).

In fact, if you average out their clutch stats over 48 minutes, they’re lines look something like this:

James: 55.9 points, 14.3 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, 3.5 steals

Bryant: 56.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.0 blocks, 1.0 steals

But it looks like Bryant will have the last laugh, and the ring, when this season is said and done.

So I guess in those terms, Bryant (with the help of his teammates) would be the better finisher in 2008-09. 

Again, too bad only their puppets are playing in The Finals.

Kobe or not to be, that is the question.

Thoughts from Tuesday’s NBA Finals Game 3, which the red-hot Orlando Magic won 108-104 over the Los Angeles Lakers:

• Where’s RK? Ryantific opts to hang out with the wifey rather than the boys and the Lakers lose their first game of the series. Coincidence? I think not. At least nobody threw garlic bread at the TV during this Lakers loss. Someone go get this guy out of his bunker.
• Kobe Bryant is the best closer in the game? All those costly turnovers late and missing 12 of your final 16 shots and 5 of 10 free throws ain’t exactly closing the deal if you know what I mean.
• After the first half, Beau C said “there’s no way they (the Magic) keep shooting this well in the second half.” After shooting 70 percent in the first half, they cooled down to a frigid 62.5 percent for the game. Brrrrr. NBA Finals record by the way.
• Somewhat NBA and L.A. related, how about Tim Floyd’s resignation at USC? I guess he’ll be helping out at the Bob Cantu camp this summer after all.
• Speaking of SoCal ball, there’s been a Jordan Farmar sighting, which made Beau C feel cool in his No. 5 jersey for the first time in the playoffs. Those 11 points he scored Tuesday bring his postseason average to 5.1 ppg!
• Speaking of no-shows, has anyone seen Andrew Bynum. Dude’s gonna have to change his name to Andruw if he keeps this up.
• Look, Skip to my Lou is having a series now that his coach finally showed some faith in him. Nice work Stan. Keep up the good work, and keep Nelson on the bench.
• Still, no time to panic L.A. fans. That Game 2 win was huge and will be the difference in this series.
• Slim predictions: Lakers win Game 4, take hold of the series, and close it out in five or six. But at some point between now and then, it’s certain either RK or Beau C will throw a piece of garlic bread at the screen … or throw an empty Sam Adams bottle at my face. One or the other.

Initial thoughts from Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which the Los Angeles Lakers won 101-96 in overtime to take a 2-0 lead over the Orlando Magic:

• Maybe I was hung over from that wedding last night, or from watching The Hangover this afternoon, or maybe tonight’s game was sick (not in a good way) and a snoooooooozer. I honestly fell asleep in the third quarter and felt nauseous by the fourth. Luckily it went overtime to make it somewhat interesting. But for a long time there, I didn’t think anyone was going to reach 100 points.
• The Hangover was an instant classic. Go see it. (Land of the Lost, however, not so much … but at least I got to watch it on work’s dime … and now I’m starting to think Pau Gasol played one of the Sleestaks … or maybe it was Chaka … I don’t know, the throat beard throws me off.)

• 

  I'd rather be ripping out my teeth.

  Tonight’s game was not a classic, be happy you didn’t pay $4,000 to see it in person – 15-15 after a quarter, 20 turnovers by the Magic, who got homered to death by the officiating crew in Los Angeles, and they still managed to force overtime: that’s how bad the Lakers played — just one game after putting together one of their best games of the postseason.

• The refs might have been worse. Where’s Joey Crawford when you need him? Dwight Howard blocks a shot by sticking his hand through the rim, and it’s a no call? Courtney Lee was fouled not once but twice on crucial plays down the stretch, plays that – if fouls were called – could have tied up the series with three huge games looming in Orlando.
• Oh yeah, and how many times did Kobe Bryant go to the line despite not being touched? Guess he’s getting the same star treatment LeBron James got in the Eastern Conference Finals. Then again, there was that turnover the refs said occurred because the ball went out of bounds off Kobe’s knee — even though it clearly didn’t. Someone should fine the zebras for once.
• EastSidePN radio honk Colin Cowherd spent all week saying the Cavs sucked and the Orlando-L.A. matchup would be a hundred times better. I usually agree with you Colin, but that argument was the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.
• This series sucks without LeBron. Plain and simple. And you can bet Nike, Vitamin Water, and those lame puppets that look nothing like LeBron or Kobe, are crying their eyes out right now. Nice marketing.
• Bringing back Jameer Nelson after the dude sat out for more than two months is a risky move — but so is letting Skip To My Lou run the point.
• Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar need nicknames. How about: “Catch & Shoot.” Those guys are gunners.
• Where’s Luke Walton?
• Hey, there’s Lamar Odom!
• After the game, I wasn’t surprised to hear Kobe say this:

“We’re about to kick it up. You better believe it. We’re close. You see what I’m saying? This is the Finals. We’re going to be ready to go.”

Really. This is the Finals? You’re going to be ready to go? You’re going to kick it up? Dude, shouldn’t that have happened like … I don’t know … maybe before tonight’s game.

But don’t worry West Coast Bias fanatics, the Lakers are going to start kicking it up here pretty quick. Wake me up when it happens.

Ryantific “The Lakers 6th Man”:

RK back in the day.

I think everyone is underestimating the Magic ,who just shut down the Cavs in 6.

They are bombing threes at a very high rate and they have Dwight in the middle. If the combination of Ariza, Kobe, and Shannon Brown can keep a hand up on the shooters, Bynum comes to play on Howard, and Lamar continues his great play, the Lakes will take it but it will definitely go 7.

Prediction: Lakers in 7.

BG “The Dodgers Batboy”:

BG at The Ravine.

Both teams lose their first home games but eventually the length and athleticism of Pau and Odom keep Turk and Rashard Lewis honest (something that Cleveland couldn’t do), and eventually the 3s will stop falling for the Magic.

Orlando did take the two games from the Lakers during the regular season, but in both contests Jameer Nelson was the high point scorer – and with him out I don’t see them winning more than 2 games.

Prediction: Lakers in 6.

Pembertonian “The Sr. Blogger”:

Señior Bloggor

In any sport, having momentum at the right time is often what propels a team to championship glory. And clearly the momentum in the NBA championships goes to the Magic, who neglected to read how good the Cavs were at home.

In that series, Dwight Howard proved how dominant he can be (watch for him to get even better next year), adding big points to his normal rebounding prowess.

Beyond Howard, the Magic don’t have as much personnel to match up against the Lakers, who have better support behind Kobe than the Cavs did for LeBron. Of course, that didn’t seem to matter during the season, when the Magic owned L.A., 2-0.

Look for this to rival that Bulls-Celtics series, with the final game will being determined in OT.

Prediction: Magic in 7.

BSlim “The Editor”:

Newspapers suck

Wow, I guess Senior Bloggers need their own blog entry when asked to submit a one-paragraph prediction about who will win The Finals. Then you go and pick the Magic, when you know deep down the Lakers will pull it out? Don’t make me remove your Senior privileges Patty.

Ha. During the Western Conference Finals, I kept asking myself who the Lakers would rather face in the Finals – Cavs or Magic. I think both teams present problems, particularly with a LeBron or DHoward on their side. But my answer was always “the Magic,” because that would give the Lakers home court, which I feel is the difference in this series. As long as the Lakers take care of business in the first two home games, I think Kobe will get his first title without Shaq along with that first Finals MVP. If the Lakers drop one of those first two, however, the series might not come back to L.A. So Games 1 & 2 are the key.

Prediction: Magic in 5 Lakers in 6.

UPDATE: Guess Barack agrees with me and BG. Excuse me, BG and I. Obama takes the Lakers in six games.

OK, so all anyone is going to talk about Monday morning at work is Bruno, aka Sacha Baron Cohen or “Borat,” tea-bagging Eminem at the MTV Movie Awards tonight.

Yeah, I saw it: watched the MTV Movie Awards with the wifey in between doing laundry, while the rest of the hommies played a poker tournament across town: that kind of crap tends to happen when you’re married with kids.

Anywho, in case you aren’t married with kids, and have a life, you can see the Eminem-Bruno 69 video here. Cover your eyes kids.

Probably fake, but funny nonetheless. If anybody deserved that, you know Eminem had it coming.

And the best part? It  sucked the … ummm … wind? …  out of AG’s own Zac Efron’s Best “Male Performance” (fittingly named) award.

Kobe Bryant slams on Dwight Howard a couple years ago ... pre-HGH days. He's a little bit bigger today.

Anyway, since this is a sports blog: we’ll get to the NBA’s version of this: when Kobe dunked on Dwight Howards face a couple years back. Thought it would be a nice precursor to The Finals this week.

Would somebody please fast forward the week to Thursday. I can't stand life without hoops.

Here’s the video of Kobe’s dunk on Superman if the pictures aren’t enough to get you in the mood.

Wait a minute.

This whole thing also reminds me of Shaq rapping “Kobe, tell me how my ass taste.”

After the Finals, Kobe hopes to be rapping a similar tune to Shaq.

Thankfully the NBA Finals start Thursday, when Kobe goes for his first ring without Shaq, because I don’t know how much more of these crappy posts you or I can take.

Update on the Finals odds

According to the fine journalists I’m sure over at casinogamblingweb.com, The Lakers are favored at -290 to win the series.

The Magic have betting odds of +240.

Host Los Angeles is favored by six in Thursday’s opener, with the total for the game initially listed at 206, according to the site.

Not sure what all that means? Me either. In Layman’s Ralph Lawler terms, they’re 2-5 favorites to win, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which advises Nevada sports books on betting lines.

At those odds, a winning $100 bet on the Lakers would return a $40 profit (Beau C and RK).