CASPER
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The inside threat posed by Orlando Magic's All-Star Dwight Howard has given the Los Angeles Lakers a planning headache in their build-up to the NBA Finals.
Howard, the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, presents arguably the greatest challenge in the league with his imposing blend of sheer strength and athleticism.
The six-foot 11-inch, 265-pound center scored a playoff career-best 40 points on Saturday when the Magic crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-90 to clinch the Eastern Conference championship in six games.
"You've got your work cut out with him," Lakers center Pau Gasol told reporters after his team had completed their final practice session at Staples Center on Wednesday.
"You have to be aggressive, be quick, don't always go body to body, move your feet and you give yourself a chance.
"We've just got to be really aggressive," added the Spaniard, who is one of three seven-foot centers the Lakers can call upon to give Howard close attention in the best-of-seven series.
"Make him shoot those looks farther out in the lane, limit his dunks and offensive rebounds, limit his breaks because he runs to the heart of the lane and they look for him a lot there because of his strength advantage and athleticism."
ORLANDO SWEEP
Orlando completed a 2-0 sweep of the Lakers in the regular season, Howard recording double-doubles of 18 points and 12 rebounds in the first encounter and 25 points and 20 rebounds in the second.
"He had very good games against us, big numbers," Gasol said. "He's developing a pretty good post game and he's confident. They go more to him. We've just got to make it tough for him."
Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, who joined the Lakers from the Magic in November 2007, agreed.
"He's a big, big, big problem down there, especially when he gets the ball in the paint, deep in the paint," Ariza said. "You've either going to foul him or foul him. You can't really do nothing else.
"We've got to concentrate on trying not to let him get the ball so deep down in the post. We don't want to foul, but if we have to, we will. Just try to keep him out of the paint."
The Lakers host the Magic for Game One on Thursday at Staples Center
Howard, the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, presents arguably the greatest challenge in the league with his imposing blend of sheer strength and athleticism.
The six-foot 11-inch, 265-pound center scored a playoff career-best 40 points on Saturday when the Magic crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-90 to clinch the Eastern Conference championship in six games.
"You've got your work cut out with him," Lakers center Pau Gasol told reporters after his team had completed their final practice session at Staples Center on Wednesday.
"You have to be aggressive, be quick, don't always go body to body, move your feet and you give yourself a chance.
"We've just got to be really aggressive," added the Spaniard, who is one of three seven-foot centers the Lakers can call upon to give Howard close attention in the best-of-seven series.
"Make him shoot those looks farther out in the lane, limit his dunks and offensive rebounds, limit his breaks because he runs to the heart of the lane and they look for him a lot there because of his strength advantage and athleticism."
ORLANDO SWEEP
Orlando completed a 2-0 sweep of the Lakers in the regular season, Howard recording double-doubles of 18 points and 12 rebounds in the first encounter and 25 points and 20 rebounds in the second.
"He had very good games against us, big numbers," Gasol said. "He's developing a pretty good post game and he's confident. They go more to him. We've just got to make it tough for him."
Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, who joined the Lakers from the Magic in November 2007, agreed.
"He's a big, big, big problem down there, especially when he gets the ball in the paint, deep in the paint," Ariza said. "You've either going to foul him or foul him. You can't really do nothing else.
"We've got to concentrate on trying not to let him get the ball so deep down in the post. We don't want to foul, but if we have to, we will. Just try to keep him out of the paint."
The Lakers host the Magic for Game One on Thursday at Staples Center