LOS ANGELES - A year ago, Pau Gasol was maligned — and not without reason — as the personification of all that was lacking in the Lakers.

On Sunday, he was the best player on the floor. More than that — if you'll accept the perfectly reasonable premise that good defense is evidence of a hearty spirit — then he was also the toughest.

People can take what they want from this game: the shot that rookie Courtney Lee almost hit at the end of regulation, Rashard Lewis' 34 points, the 23 second-half points Kobe Bryant scored on his "off" night. But the real difference in this game, the Lakers' margin of victory, was Gasol, heretofore typecast as the soft European. To be more accurate, it was Gasol outplaying the bigger and stronger Dwight Howard.

The better basketball player beat the better athlete. The second star outplayed the Franchise. Mr. Softee beat Superman.

Consider their lines in the box score. Gasol's was 24 points, 10-for-11 from the free-throw line and 10 rebounds. Howard was 5-for-10 from the field, a very respectable 7-for-9 from the line, 17 points and 16 rebounds.

Those might seem like perfectly respectable numbers for the young center, but they are below Howard's playoff average for shots, shooting percentage and points. The expectations of Gasol might be partly based on a stereotype. The expectations of Howard, on the other hand, are largely self-imposed. Hey, it's hard to cut a guy much slack after he starts running around in a cape and calling himself Superman.

What happened to that player who finished off Cleveland with a 40-point masterpiece? For the second time in as many games, Superman was a no-show. A more revealing stat was Howard's seven turnovers. But again, if you root for the Magic, don't dwell on Lee's missed layup. Consider Howard's inability to safeguard the ball down low. Think of all those times he turned into a defender or threw an errant pass out of the double-team.

Tuesday's game

• Lakers at Magic, Game 3

Sunday's game

• Lakers 101, Magic 96 (OT) (Lakers 2-0)

FOXSports.com analysis

• Playoff results, schedule
• 2009 NBA Playoff Central
• Behrendt: Magic improve, but still lose
• Whitlock: NBA Finals truths
• NBA Finals predictions: Expert picks

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Video

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• Highlights: Magic vs. Lakers, Game 2

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Photos

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The coach went on, praising Gasol for his ability to "find angles" on brawnier players at the defensive end. "It's not as easy as it might appear, with his slight or slender build."

Then again, it's worth mentioning that Gasol was playing a little out of position. "We like the fact that he's on Lewis," said Jackson.

By then, you almost forgot. As the game began, Gasol was checking Lewis. Going into the series, it seemed (at least to me) that this was the offensive matchup that most favored Orlando. Gasol is nimble as seven-footers go. But Lewis is not only the more mobile, but also the most prolific three-point shooter in basketball.

So here's something else that won't show up in the box score. Of Lewis' game-high 34 points, only two of them came in the first quarter when Gasol was playing him. And that basket came off a broken play. Actually, with two championship games now in evidence, it seems that Lewis — who shot 2-for-10 against the Lakers last Thursday — scores only when Gasol is not checking him.

Not bad for a soft European. "I think, because a guy has a set of skills and is more of a finesse player, then he's labeled as a soft player," said Gasol.

For sure, it takes a lot of skill for one man to defend a team's best perimeter shooter and its outrageously muscular center.

But don't you know Gasol never, ever listens to all the people who call him soft.

"I don't really care much about comments like that," he said.

But even as he said it, you knew he hoped the Celtics were watching.