Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson delivered a message focused to Dodger Nation on Tuesday, urging the team and fans to stay grounded despite the commanding start to the NLCS Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Dodger Nation, we haven’t accomplished anything yet in this Series vs. the Brewers,” Johnson posted on X. “We have to continue to stay focused, mentally and physically, and play good baseball!”
Johnson’s reminder comes as the Dodgers hold a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Brewers following dominant outings from Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers were able to steal both games in Milwaukee and have massively flipped home field advantage.
Magic Johnson Echoes Kobe Bryant’s’ Legendary Mentality
While the Dodgers look every bit like a team built for October, Magic Johnson’s message was a timely reminder that the job’s not done.
As the late great Kobe Bryant once said after Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals, when a reporter asked why he wasn’t happy with a 2-0 lead:
“What’s there to be happy about? Job’s not finished. Job finished? I don’t think so.”
Magic channeled that old Kobe moment
Magic Johnson channeled that iconic Kobe Bryant mindset, the “job’s not finished” attitude that has always defined LA sports greatness.
Just like Kobe in 2009, Magic made it clear that a 2-0 lead means nothing until the series is won and a team like the Brewers is more than capable of catching fire and coming back in this series
Dodgers Can’t Afford to Get Comfortable
Snell and Yamamoto combined for 17 innings of one-run ball through the first two games, setting the tone for a rotation that has been nearly unhittable throughout October.
But the Dodgers cannot afford to get comfortable.
Teams that drop the first two games in a best-of-seven MLB series face long odds, winning only about 16% of the time (15 out of 93 instances).
Still, it’s not impossible. The Arizona Diamondbacks proved that just two years ago, rallying from a 2-0 hole to stun the Phillies in the 2023 NLCS.
The Brewers entered the postseason with the best record in baseball, but their normally explosive offense has been quiet through the first two games against the Dodgers’ two aces.
During the regular season, Milwaukee ranked second in batting average, third in runs scored, and second in on-base percentage, proof of how dangerous their lineup can be.
If those bats wake up, this series is far from over.
Game 3 is set for Thursday at 6:08 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.
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