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ORLANDO -- The Magic traded Trevor Ariza to the Lakers early last season because they didn't think he was a good enough outside shooter for the kind of team they were trying to build.Ariza came back to haunt them Thursday night, shooting them right out of the NBA Finals.
Ariza, who has been relatively quiet through the first three games of this series, delivered a game-changing performance in the second half Thursday night. He didn't hit the biggest shots of the game – that was Derek Fisher – but he hit the shots and made the plays that set the stage.
The Lakers took an insurmountable 3-1 series lead with the 99-91 victory. No team in history ever has lost the NBA Finals after winning three of the first four games.
After missing all six of his shots in the first half, Ariza hit six of his eight shots in the second half when the Lakers forced the game into overtime. He made all three of his 3-point shots.
It was Ariza who sparked the Lakers after they trailed by 12 at halftime. Just before the second half started, Lakers coach Phil Jackson pulled Ariza aside on the court for brief chat. And it obviously worked.
"He just told me to be ready to play. At halftime, I already had told myself that I was going to be aggressive, to go out and make something happen,'' Ariza said. "Good things were going to happen.''
Ariza then scored nine points in the first five minutes of the second half. He had 13 in the period when the Lakers turned that 12-point deficit into a four-point lead. He had 16 points and seven rebounds in the second half. His final 3-pointer tied the game with 2:36 in the fourth quarter.
"I don't put any pressure on myself. I just go out and play the game,'' he said. "When you feel that pressure, that's when you start messing up. I tried to just clear my head in the second half and just play hard.''
Ariza will become a free agent this summer, hoping to capitalize on his surge through the playoffs. He was key in the Lakers win over Denver in the conference final, twice making big defensive play to help win key games. This time, it was third-quarter shooting that turned a game in the Lakers favor.
He said there was no extra satisfaction that he had beaten the team that traded him, but he didn't sound too convincing.
"I don't cry over the past or worry about spilled milk,'' he said. "I'm just focused on this team, and winning a championship.''
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