Today's Finals review looks at the 1980 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Could the Sixers win a title for Julius Erving, or would L.A. have "Magic" in the air? Let's see:

The Los Angeles Lakers had fallen on some lean years in the late 1970s. Despite landing superstar center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Milwaukee in 1975, the Lakers had not reached the Finals during his first four years there, and had won only two playoff series during that time. With Jabbar aging (he turned 32 during the 1979-80 season) and with a rookie head coach (Jack McKinney), could the Lakers turn things around and contend?

Philadelphia fans had a different kind of frustration. After landing Julius Erving from the Nets in 1976, 76ers fans expected a championship. Though "Dr. J." led the Sixers to the Finals in his first season there, they too had no titles to show for their acquisition. Both teams looked for changes in 1979-80. But the Lakers had an ace up their sleeve.

The Lakers, behind #1 draft pick Earvin "Magic" Johnson, went 60-22 to have the West's best record despite coach McKinney being forced out early in the season with an injury, elevating assistant Paul Westhead to the top spot. Jabbar averaged 24.8 PPG and 10.8 RPG, winning his record sixth regular season MVP. Meawhile, Johnson averaged 18 PPG and 7.3 APG and was runner-up to Larry Bird for Rookie of the Year.

Meanwhile, the Sixers went 59-23 to finish second behind the Boston Celtics in the East. Erving had another great year, with a NBA-career best 26.9 PPG and 7.4 RPG. The Sixers were determined to put their past failures behind them as the 1980 playoffs began.

In the playoffs, the Lakers rolled past the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 1, then smashed the defending champion Seattle Supersonics 4 games to 1 to advance to their first Finals since 1972. The Sixers had a slightly longer road; they beat the Washington Bullets 2 games to zero in a preliminary round series, then beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 1, then had a surprisingly easy time beating the Celtics 4 games to 1. That set up a matchup of Jabbar and Erving, which was expected to be the featured attraction.

Game 1 saw the Sixers get out to a 39-30 lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Lakers eventually rallied to tie the game at 53. With Darryl Dawkins saddled with foul trouble, the Lakers took control in the third period. Philadelphia shot just three of their twenty attempts from the field (including two layups), and Erving was held to just one point in the period, as L.A. took a 84-70 lead into the fourth when the Sixers made a comeback attempt. With the Lakers ahead 78-62, Philadelphia rallied behind Erving (11 points in the fourth) to come within 92-88 with six minutes left. Norm Nixon hit Mark Landsberger with a layup, though, and Philly came no closer as the Lakers won 109-102. Game 2 saws Maurice Cheeks get hot for the Sixers, hitting each of his first eight shots to get Philly rolling. A defensive switch by Sixers coach Billy Cunningham (he put Dawkins on PF Jim Chones and Caldwell Jones on Jabbar) helped Dawkins emerge with 25 points and seven rebounds as the Sixers led by as many as 20 in the first half and by 18 after three periods at 89-71. That's when L.A. made a run to close within 105-104 with 30 seconds left in the game. The Sixers got a huge basket from Bobby Jones, though, to push the lead back to three, and when Nixon missed a three-pointer, the Sixers emerged with a split with a 107-104 win.

Game 3 saw the Lakers, who had lost nine straight times at the Spectrum, race out to a 31-18 1st quarter lead, as Johnson (who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds) and Abdul-Jabbar (33 points, 14 boards) dominate the Sixers, who had no answer for the duo. L.A. led by 14 after two and 19 after three, and held off the Sixers 111-101. Three Lakers (Jabbar, Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes) finished with a double-double. Game 4 saw one of the series' (and NBA's) greatest moments when, in the 3rd quarter, Erving spun around the backboard, got past three Lakers defenders, and hit a layup to send the Philly crowd into a frenzy. Caldwell Jones and Dawkins held Jabbar in check; though he scored 23 points, he shot 11 of 27 from the field. Still, L.A. had a chance to tie late in the game, but Johnson's inbound pass was stolen by Bobby Jones, preserving a 105-102 Sixer win and a 2-2 series.

Game 5 looked like L.A. would put the Sixers out of their misery, as Jabbar once again looked dominant against Dawkins. He had 26 points through 2 1/2 quarters when he stepped on another players' foot and sprained his ankle. Despite this, the Lakers outscored the Sixers 14-8 to finish the period up eight. Jabbar would return despite the injury, and he helped L.A. to a 12-point lead before the Sixers made their move. Once again, Erving led the way, scoring 16 in the fourth and 15 of the Sixers' final 19 points. Erving eventually tied the game at 103 with 43 seconds left, but then Abdul-Jabbar scored on a dunk and was fouled. After he hit a free throw, the Lakers led 106-103. After Henry Bibby stepped out of bounds on an attempted three, L.A. hit two freebies to seal a 108-103 lead. The Lakers now led 3 games to 2, but Abdul-Jabbar chose to sit out game six to rest his ankle. Everyone expected a game 7 in L.A. Everyone, that is, except Magic Johnson.

In game 6 at Philadelphia, Westhead allowed his rookie PG to start at center in Abdul-Jabbar's place. The move facilitated the change of pace from a half-court style to a fast-breaking style, and the Sixers weren't initially ready for it. But the first half would be close throughout, as the game was tied at 60 at the half. However, L.A. scored the first 14 points of the third, taking a 74-60 lead and provoking boos from the Philadelphia crowd. Wilkes scored 16 of his 37 points in the period, as he and Magic (who scored 22 in the first half and 20 in the second) dominated the scoring for the Lakers. The Sixers eventually cut the lead to two points on three occasions in the fourth period, but after doing it again at 103-101, they would get no further, as they fell prey to the relentless fast break. The twenty-year old Johnson finished with 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists as L.A. won the title with a 123-107 victory, and in the process, won the Finals MVP. That game established the Lakers as a team to be feared in the West in the 1980s, and helped establish Magic as more than just an energenic player, but as one of the best in the NBA. The era of "Showtime" had begun.

1980 NBA Finals Leaders: Scoring per game
L.A. Lakers: Abdul-Jabbar, 33.4 PPG; Johnson, 21.5 PPG; Wilkes, 21.3 PPG
Philadelphia: Erving, 25.5 PPG, Dawkins, 20.2 PPG; Cheeks, 14.7 PPG

1980 NBA Finals Leaders: Rebounds per game
L.A. Lakers: Abdul-Jabbar, 13.6 RPG; Johnson, 11.2 RPG; Wilkes, 7.7 RPG
Philadelphia: C. Jones, 8.3 RPG; Erving, 7.0 RPG; Dawkins, 6.0 RPG

1980 NBA Finals Leaders: Assists per game
L.A. Lakers: Johnson, 11.2 APG; Nixon, 7.0 APG; Michael Cooper, 3.3 APG
Philadelphia: Lionel Hollins, 8.8 APG; Cheeks, 6.7 APG; Erving, 5.0 APG