He was aggressive from the start, dunking off a feed from Pau Gasol, making a 12-footer and scoring a layup off a rebound in the first four minutes.

He was part of the reason Howard shot so poorly -- one for six.

"He had some times out there that I thought he played [Howard] really well," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "Offensively, he had some opportunities that he converted on, which we like."

Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds, though he played almost 35 minutes to only 22 for Bynum, who picked up his fourth foul 9:38 into the third quarter.

A year ago, Bynum was watching from the sidelines. Now Orlando is going to have to keep an eye on him.

"This was big for me, even though I'm not playing my best Basketball," he said. "Just to be a part of it is way different from last year, when I had crutches and was having surgery."

Thanks, teacher

When the Lakers played in the NBA Finals last season against the Boston Celtics, it was a new experience for many of them.

They didn't know what to expect in Game 1, and it showed.

This year, as the Lakers prepared to play Game 1 against the Magic, they had a better feeling about themselves.

They weren't giddy this time. They were serious about winning a championship.

"I don't know how to actually describe it," forward Lamar Odom said. "It's when you go to first grade, it's your first time going to school and you're nervous. Then you go to second grade, you're still a little nervous, you still feel the same, but it's something that you're used to. Experience is a teacher within itself. So we know what to expect, the energy it takes to play this game."

Odom was pressed into duty often because of Bynum's foul trouble. He finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds in almost 32 minutes.

Jameer or no Jameer?

Orlando guard Jameer Nelson played for the first time since suffering torn cartilage in his right shoulder, earning admiration from the Lakers before he even took the court.

"We've had a couple shoulder operations in the last three, four years and we know how tenuous that is as an injury," Jackson said. "It really requires a lot of healing. It's a real dangerous thing. There's not a lot of support in that joint."

Nelson looked good while playing the entire second quarter, but he faded in the second half. One of his shots was spiked volleyball-style by Gasol and another short one was airballed.

Nelson finished with six points and four assists in 23 minutes. He made only three of nine shots.

"I thought he played well in the second quarter," Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He had four assists. I thought he was making really good plays. And then in the second half I didn't think he was very good at all. . . . He was forcing shots and plays."

Sorry, guys

The Lakers and Magic will not be able to practice at Staples Center on Saturday because of a late-morning WNBA game between the Sparks and Detroit Shock.

The Lakers and Magic will instead take turns practicing within the more restricted confines of the Lakers' training facility in El Segundo, where a media crunch is expected.

Etc.

Jackson is 43-0 in playoff series when his team wins a Game 1. Kobe Bryant is 19-0 when his team wins Game 1.

Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com