finals roundup \ News and notes

Buzzer bummer: Orlando Magic guard Courtney Lee hasn’t been able to get his missed alley-oop attempt at the regulation buzzer in Game 2 of the NBA finals out of his head. The rookie from Western Kentucky said the best way he could think of to try to forget the potential game-winner was to watch it over and over and move on. “When I was at home, I was just beating myself up a little bit,” Lee said Tuesday before Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers. “But then when I got in here [Tuesday], my teammates were picking me up a little bit. That was my main goal, to just get it out of my head.” The Magic had the ball on the sideline with the game tied at 88 and 0.6 seconds left Sunday night in Los Angeles. Rashard Lewis set a pick on Kobe Bryant that freed Lee to cut to the basket, and Hedo Turkoglu lofted a pass that led Lee right under the hoop. The Magic lost in overtime and fell to 0-2 in the best-of-seven series. Adding to Lee’s torment, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said about an hour before Game 3 that, according to the strictest interpretation of the rules, goaltending should have been called on Pau Gasol of the Lakers on the play. Gasol’s right hand grazed the net and his fingers banged into the rim.

Little big men: Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar longs for the days when NBA big men worked on their drop step, pivot play and inside moves. Maybe even a Skyhook or two. In recent years, Abdul-Jabbar, the most prolific scorer in league history, has seen young frontline players who wish they were dribbling in the backcourt. “Everybody wants to shoot the 3-pointer,” the Los Angeles Lakers legend said. “It’s like Lotto fever. They all want to be 7-foot point guards.” Currently working as a special assistant with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar has spent the past few seasons years working with Los Angeles centers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, helping them develop their interior games. Gasol came to L.A. with a polished repertoire as international veteran while Bynum, who joined the league out of high school, was raw. The 21-year-old Bynum has been Abdul-Jabbar’s pet project and the extra work has been paying off. Bynum, who missed the finals last season after being sidelined by a knee injury, entered Game 3 averaging 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in the first two games. “He’s coming along,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Andrew’s confidence is growing and he’s just starting to tap into his potential.”

Magic singer: The Magic brought out their secret weapon for Game 3. Orlando is 5-0 in the playoffs — 6-0 on the season — when 7-year-old Gina Marie Incandela sings the national anthem, and another one of her stirring renditions echoed around Amway Arena on Tuesday night. Incandela was diagnosed at an early age with Pervasive Developmental Disorder — Not Otherwise Specified, Autism, or PDD-NOS. Her parents, Michelle and Dwayne, feared their daughter would not be able to speak at one point. But working with teachers who used music to help her speech, she slowly started humming songs around the house. She eventually learned the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and sang it with incredible bravado. She has wowed players and fans in Orlando throughout the playoffs. Tuesday night was her fifth straight appearance before a Magic home playoff game.

Associated Press