Now, the Magic hope to build on the momentum they created and even the NBA Finals at two games apiece tonight when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at Amway Arena.

Dwight Howard scored 21 points with 14 rebounds in Game 3, as Orlando finally put the ball in the basket and watched Kobe Bryant miss several shots and commit a key turnover down the stretch, as the Magic beat the Lakers, 108-104, to win the first finals game in franchise history.

"My teammates found me in good spots to score," Howard said after the game. "I tried to do the best I could."

Rafer Alston, after shooting a miserable 3-for-17 in the first two contests of the set, knocked down eight of his 12 shots and set the tone by scoring 13 of his 20 points in the first half.

Rashard Lewis donated 21 points, Hedo Turkoglu recorded 18 points with seven assists and six rebounds and Mickael Pietrus scored 18 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting.

The Magic shot an NBA Finals record 75 percent in the first half, and ended up making a Finals record 62.5 percent of their shots for the entire 48 minutes.

"It went in the basket tonight. It is a tried and true formula. I say this all the time, this is a crazy game," said Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy.

Bryant scored 17 points in the final five-plus minutes of the first quarter then went hot and cold for the rest of the contest, finishing with 31 points and eight assists. Pau Gasol added 23 points and Trevor Ariza contributed 13 points and seven rebounds.

"It is a series of adjustments," said Bryant. "We had an opportunity to win the game in spite of our miscues."

Bryant shot just 3-of-10 from the field in the second half and missed four free throws. In the fourth quarter, the game's best closer seemed to wear down and was just 2-of-6, missing all three of his three-point attempts and committing a key turnover in the finals 30 seconds when the Lakers had a chance to even the game.

"We are all frail as humans. Sometimes not as much as others," Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said about Bryant's failure to pull the club to the finish line down the stretch.

On Wednesday, Bryant, who has been playing basketball for three straight calendar years due to his commitment to USA Basketball, denied he was fatigued.

"As far as me hitting the wall, so what if I did?" a surly Bryant said. "I didn't, but so what if I did? I'll run straight through it."

The Magic certainly believe that and aren't expecting a second straight subpar performance from the league's best all-around player.

"We have to understand...he's not one to let it happen on back-to-back occasions," Alston said.

Despite the win in Game 3 Orlando is still fighting history to get back in this series and win its first NBA championship.

LA is a gaudy 38-1 in its franchise history when they have taken the first two games of a seven-game series. The early 2-0 advantage for the Lakers also marked the 13th time and the fifth straight season in which the home team has won the first two games of The Finals since the NBA went to a 2-3-2 format in 1985.

In 11 of the previous 12 instances, the home team winning both Game 1 and Game 2 has gone on to win the NBA Championship with the lone exception coming in 2006, when Dallas won the first two games at home but lost the next four straight to Miami.

In NBA Finals history, a team with a 2-0 edge has triumphed in The Finals 31 times, with only three teams ever coming back from an 0-2 deficit to win the title, the 1969 Boston Celtics (against LA), the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers and the 2006 Heat.

Meanwhile, Jackson, who is aiming for his record 10th NBA championship as an NBA coach, is a perfect 43-0 in the postseason when his team wins Game 1 of a set.

The Lakers, who are in search of the 15th title in franchise history, have also played exceptionally well after a loss in this year's postseason, compiling a 6-0 record.

Orlando, however, has been incredibly resilient in the playoffs and has already made a little history. Down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against last year's NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, the Magic recovered to win that set in seven games. The C's had been a perfect 32-0 in their history when taking a 3-2 edge.

"We've been through it," Van Gundy said earlier in the series. "As the playoffs have gone on, I'm given (his team) history lessons of just anything that can happen in the playoffs."

The series will remain in Orlando for Game 5 on Sunday.