Barnes Gives Magic Edge(iness) to Beat Lakers
In a rematch of last season's NBA Finals, the Orlando magic and Los Angeles Lakers battled on Sunday - quite literally - in a game that should have most fans around the league begging and pleading that these two teams meet again in this year's finals.
The game itself was outstanding from wire to wire. The Magic wound up with all five starters scoring at least 10 points in taking a 10 point lead into the fourth quarter, while Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol combined for 54 of their own in erasing that gap by the end of the game.
The extra story of the night, however, was Matt Barnes. Matt has developed a reputation in the league for being a player willing to play aggressive, trash talk, and otherwise make the night miserable for his opponent by any means necessary.
Tonight, Barnes was guarding Bryant. He exchanged baskets, words, and blows with Bryant, culminating with an exchange late in the third quarter where Barnes faked an inbounds pass directly into Bryant's face, and then engaged in one last chest-bumping exchange after the whistle.
It's a small wonder that neither player was ejected for all their antics, but there's a bigger note here. What Barnes did today is exactly why Ron Artest in his prime would frustrate opponents. He would defend you like a glove, and occasionally add extra frustration by making key shots and elbowing you when nobody was looking, just for good measure.
Which leaves me wondering - when did Matt Barnes become the new Ron Artest? (For that matter, when did Ron Artest become Dennis Rodman?)
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