Trouble in the Third

The Chicago Bulls improved to 22-4 at the United Center with Friday’s 99-90 victory over Orlando. The Magic’s Dwight Howard had a monster performance, scoring 40 points in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to snap the surging Bulls’ three game winning streak. Chicago is tied with Miami for second in the conference. Three Chicago players scored in double figures. The Bulls limited Orlando’s three point shooting and outrebounded the visitors 54-40. Luol Deng led Chicago with 26 points and MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, finished with a double-double.
Jameer Nelson, the Magic’s point guard who burned the Bulls in the last meeting between the teams, played just eight minutes. Nelson exited with an injury in the first quarter as Chicago pulled ahead 24-23 at the end of one. Howard was strong from the field and nearly impeccable from the line but received little help from his teammates. The Magic managed to hold a 51-46 advantage at the half courtesy of Howard’s rebounding and dominant offense. The rusty Bulls made just five of their first twenty field goal attempts but rallied after the half to trim the Orlando lead.
Deng scored 14 third quarter points to pace Chicago’s comeback. Rose scored 26 points and added 12 rebounds as the Bulls hit their stride heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulls held Orlando to just 4-of-14 shooting in the third. Chicago hit the 34 point mark in the third quarter, doubling up Orlando, who scored just 17. The Bulls made 13-of-21 shots in the table-turning third. Carlos Boozer contributed a massive 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls, who maintained their lead throughout the final quarter. Gilbert Arenas pocketed 11 buckets off the Magic bench, but Rose put the game away on a pair of free throws in the final minute to hold off a late push by Orlando. The Central-division leading Bulls knocked down 8-of-18 from the arc in the win. Howard finished just five points shy of a career high in scoring.

Parting Points: Congrats to Kim Clijsters in her three set comeback triumph over Li Na.

Celtics Crush Conference

The big, bad blazing Boston Celtics knocked the Orlando Magic out 96-84 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday at TD Garden. Boston advances to the NBA championship series, where they patiently wait the winner of the Western series between L.A. and Phoenix. The Celtics charged out to an early lead in Friday’s clincher on their way to a second NBA finals appearance in three seasons. Boston’s Paul Pierce outshined Orlando’s Dwight Howard with 31 points and 12 rebounds, and banked 4-of-5 3-pointers. Pierce, the eight time All-Star, collected nine points from the free throw line. Howard finished with 28 points and a dozen boards, while failing to take a shot from beyond the arc.
Rajon Rondo logged 35 minutes for the home team. He set the tone by driving home 12 of his 14 points in the first quarter and picked up a game high six assists along the way. Boston carved up the Magic 30-19 in the opening quarter after Orlando’s Jameer Nelson tied the game at 14-14. Nelson committed five turnovers for the sloppy Magic and scored 11 points. The Magic hardly challenged the inspired Celtics the rest of the contest. Boston blossomed their advantage to 55-42 at the half. J.J. Redick had three blocked shots for the visitors, but was held in check most of the night. Redick scored seven points in 23 minutes, the same amount as Orlando’s Rashard Lewis in half the time.
Ray Allen added 20 points, knifing his way through Orlando’s defense and sinking three from downtown in the Boston triumph. Allen exploded in the third quarter with ten of the Celtic’s 27 points. Boston’s Kevin Garnett shot 50% from the field and also scored in double figures, with 10. Orlando’s off-season acquisition, veteran Vince Carter, had 17 points as his dreams for a championship were nixed in his hometown. Carter ignited the Magic to highlight a mini-run in the second quarter as Orlando trimmed the Boston lead to 14 points. But it was Boston’s bench that answered with a promenading and pulverizing performance. Backup point guard, Nate Robinson, threw up 13 points in the second quarter to increase the Celtics’ point margin.
Boston knotted 11 of the first 13 points in the third quarter to continue their scoring prowess. Stan Van Gundy’s mediocre Magic were out-rebounded 56-44 and shot just 59% from the line. Orlando’s 20 fast-break points allowed didn’t help either. Boston’s offense broke down the Magic with a firm presentation. Kendrick Perkins delivered his only bucket, a smooth 14-footer from the baseline with one and a half minutes left in regulation to all but seal the deal for the composed Celtics.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “The Impression That I Get” by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones

A well-pitched game from Matt Cain yesterday against Arizona. It’s about time his name came up this season.

Patrick Crayton asked for an immediate release from the Cowboys. Yawn…

Thursday Take-Twos (The Howard Edition)

Either the Celtics are running out of steam, or the Magic finally found their engine. The NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals is 3-2 in favor of Boston after Orlando shortened the gap on the Celtics’ three game lead Wednesday in Florida’s Amway Arena. The Magic incredibly have a plausible chance to winning the series. However, no team in NBA history has ever overcome a 0-3 deficit to win a seven game series. Dwight Howard and guard, Jameer Nelson, combined for 52 of the Magic’s 113 points in a 21 point Game 5 victory. Ironically, Orlando also shot 52% from downtown last night. The series heads to a pressure-packed Boston Friday, where the home Celtics could possibly be without Kendrick Perkins. The starting center for Boston was lost in the second period last night after picking up a technical foul, his seventh of the post-season. The league issues mandatory suspensions for exceeding the foul limit. The inundated Celtics also played without Glen Davis for the final quarter after Big Baby took a Howard elbow to the mouth and lost a tooth.
Orlando showed a bit of punch in a physical game, parading out to a 51-37 second quarter edge. J.J. Redick burst off the bench to give the Magic a much needed boost. The former Duke standout tallied 14 points to add to Orlando’s frenetic pace. Boston trailed 57-49 at the break. The Celtics couldn’t sustain a solid 3-point defense against the Florida hot hands. Nelson was 4-for-5 from the arc and Matt Barnes added three from the rainbow. Howard grabbed 10 rebounds and clamped down on the Celtics with five blocked shots. Superman stood on his platform as the team’s cornerstone Wednesday two days after the Magic stole an overtime Game 4 in Boston.
The Magic had an answer to every Celtics’ charge even when Boston trimmed their lead in the third quarter. Shooting guard, Vince Carter, struggled for the Magic but Rashard Lewis stepped up in the fourth quarter to lift the hosts to a second straight win. Lewis rattled off five consecutive buckets in the final period and finished with 14. Boston basketed just 17 points in the final quarter. Rasheed Wallace led the way with 21 points, followed by Rajon Rondo’s 17 for Boston. Ray Allen had a game high seven assists, but it wasn’t enough to send the Celtics to the NBA championship series. Allen and company have two more chances to put away this series.
Everyone has heard of Dwight Howard. Tim Howard? Maybe not so much. Tim Howard is one of three goalies named to the 23-man U.S. World Cup roster, finalize yesterday by Coach Bob Bradley. I decided to check into the number one goaltender who will try to lead our country to a soccer title this summer. Howard is a 31 year old Everton, England star. The six year veteran of England’s Barclay Premier League is not the oldest goalkeeper on the team, by the way. The American is expected to be one of the core leaders for Bradley’s U.S. squad next month. Many consider him in the top ten talent-wise for glovemen in the world. Howard was born in North Brunswick, New Jersey (one of three Jersey born on the team) and has occupied the number one position for the U.S. since 2006. He is a FIFA Gold Glove and U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year winner. Howard was also on the fourth place U.S. Olympic team that competed in Sydney in 2000. Bradley is banking on a bolder, better finish in South Africa with Howard in net again.
Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard is arguably close to the most-feared slugger in the National League (behind Albert Pujols). You wouldn’t have known it last night, as Howard was fanned twice and went 0-for-4 at the plate against the Mets. The MVP first baseman has seen his batting average dip below the .300 mark and he continues to leave runners on base. Would it make sense to move Howard from the clean-up slot? I think Charlie Manuel needs to insert some challenge into his struggling infielder’s head. He’s had four hits in his last 18 at-bats, and has struck out at least one time in all six of those games. Howard has eight dingers on the season, but hasn’t registered a multi-homer game yet. The Phillies’ first baseman had his best game on May 17th, where he drove in six runs in five plate appearances against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yes, the same Bucs who have had something close to 17 straight losing seasons. It’s time for Ryan Howard to step up to the plate and dish out hits. Philadelphia relies on his bat, just as the Orlando Magic depend on Dwight and U.S. Soccer will soon look to Tim for the answers.
Parting Points: “I thought what I felt was simple, and I thought that I don’t belong”- Lisa Loeb
Is it just me or is there absolutely no buzz around the French Open this year?

Owning Orlando

Unless you’re an extreme optimist or really do believe in magic, chances are you have the Boston Celtics in this year’s NBA Finals. The Orlando Magic are in a 3-0 hole and Boston is just one victory away from their second trip to the finals in two seasons. The Celtics can punch their championship tickets Monday night in Boston with a win in game four of the seven game series. Saturday, the Celtics coasted to a 95-71 pasting of mistake-prone Magic. After ripping off eight riveting playoff contests, the Magic have gone cold, dropping three straight. Their chances of coming back to take the Eastern Conference are slim to none with the way Doc Rivers’ Celtics are dazzling.
The Celtics opened the game 14-0 to steal the stage from the Beantown tipoff. Boston cruised to a 20-5 uncontested run in taking a 27-12 first quarter lead at TD Garden. The Celtics completely dominated Orlando with championship-style defense. Boston forced 11 Magic turnovers in the first half and smothered their Easter n rivals with 51.2% shooting. The Celtics’ offense dished out 14 assists before the intermission and saw six players finish in double digits by the end of the game. Glen Davis led the balanced Boston shooters with 17 points off the bench. Paul Pierce recorded 15 points and nine rebounds and Rajon Rondo ruled the show in assists, with 12. Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace also contributed with aggressive numbers. Allen had six assists and 14 points, while Wallace whipped Orlando from beyond the arc with pair of treys off the bench. Wallace notched 10 points as the hungry Celtics won without their injured swift shooter, Kevin Garnett.
The defending Eastern Conference champion Magic were propelled by Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter on offense. The 28 year old Nelson was 3-of-9 from downtown and tallied 15 points. Carter also bucketed 15 in the loss. Dwight Howard virtually vanished and was a nonfactor for the Magic. The 6’11” Howard had a team high seven rebounds but managed just seven baskets. The Magic shot over 83% from the charity stripe but were continually outhustled down the court and beaten in the paint. Rashard Lewis went 2-for-8 from the field and scored a disappointing four points. Lewis missed all four 3-point attempts. Orlando found themselves down by 28 points in the third quarter and trailed by as many as 32 at one point in the final session. Davis provided the energetic spark for Boston and Orlando couldn’t match his celebrated athleticism. The Celtics out-rebounded their opponents 43-36 and were colossal in converting from long range. They annexed a ridiculous 12 steals and made the Magic look miserable in handling the basketball. Orlando never led during the lopsided game three affair as their front court couldn’t put anything together.

Parting Points: Sad song of the day - “It’s For You”- The Fray

Let the French Open begin!

Hawks in Hole

The Atlanta Hawks flapped their wings early but it was the Orlando Magic who took flight in the second half of last night’s Eastern Conference Semifinal Game 2. Orlando pushed their winning streak to 12 with a 112-98 comeback win at Amway Arena. The Magic are the league’s only undefeated team this post-season and have a 2-0 edge in the series against Atlanta. The Hawks built an eight point lead in Game 2 after losing to Orlando by 43 points in the series opener. Atlanta never threatened the Magic over the last nine minutes of the game, however. The defending Eastern conference champions turned the deficit into a win as Atlanta’s offense stalled down the stretch. The Magic buried the birds 28-15 in the fourth quarter to cap off the comeback. Orlando’s Dwight Howard finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Four players scored at least twenty points for the Magic in Thursday’s win.
Howard was sent to the bench in early foul trouble after a commanding 19 point first quarter by the All-Star. Al Horford led the charge for the visiting Hawks with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Crawford was a bucket shy, with 23 points in the loss. It was a struggle for Atlanta at first as the Magic scored on nine of their first eleven possessions for a double digit advantage in the first. Horford collected 14 second quarter points on 5 of 6 shots. The Hawks made all ten free throw attempts in the second quarter to finish the half 15-of-15 from the charity stripe. They also took advantage of Howard’s absence by attacking the rim on a 15-3 second quarter run. Atlanta took a 57-49 lead into the intermission before the Magic put a stop to the Hawks’ run.
Orlando erased Atlanta’s nine point edge with an 11-2 run to begin the third quarter. Jameer Nelson banked a 3-pointer as time expired in the third to put the Magic ahead by one point. Nelson scored 20 points and dished out six assists in the valiant victory. The Magic firepower continued to stymie Atlanta’s porous defense. Vince Carter became the hero of the second half, and finished with 24 points on the night. Carter and Mickael Pietrus gave the home team a 98-87 lead with 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to deflate the Hawks. Crawford missed on four consecutive shots and the Hawks scoring lull put them in a grim fourth quarter hole. Joe Johnson finally found the basket to trim the Hawks’ deficit to 98-89 with just over seven minutes remaining. Johnson had 19 points, but the Hawks’ Southeast division rivals increased their lead to 19 points to put the game out of reach. Howard was red hot from the line and Carter was a blocking beast who found his shooting touch in time. The Magic shot 55.9% to the Hawks’ 41.3% from the field. Atlanta’s effort was much improved from Tuesday’s road embarrassment, but it’s going to take an extra force to overtake Orlando. Saturday’s Game 3 is at Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

Parting Points: The Habs tie the Pens and Franzen goes crazy against San Jose to give Detroit a win.

Loaded Legendary Lakers

Phil Jackson has gold band number ten and Kobe Bryant his fourth. The two Lakers legends are loaded with rings and have cemented chairs in the NBA hall. The Los Angeles Head Coach and MVP each earned another NBA championship after the Lakers overcame Orlando 99-86 in Game 5 of the Finals. L.A. stomped the Magic 4-1 in the series to claim their title. It was the 15th franchise championship for L.A.. Los Angeles’ 15 titles are two shy of Boston’s all-time record. Sunday’s trophy raising was Jackson’s fourth with the Lakers and tenth of all time, and places the legend as the winningest coach in NBA history. The Zen Master passed famed Celtics coach, Red Auerbach, on the all-time list. Game 5 marked Jackson’s 300th career playoff game.
Bryant was declared Finals MVP and captured the coveted championship seven years after winning with Shaquille O’Neal and a year from failing against Boston. Sunday, Bryant scored 30 points and averaged 32.4 during the series. Kobe finished with six rebounds, four blocked shots and five assists. The tall Spaniard, Pau Gasol, chipped in 14 points and reeled in 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. Despite falling behind by nine points in the first quarter, L.A. fought back with a leaping surge in the second. The Lakers trailed halfway through the second quarter before taking off. Derek Fisher nailed a three pointer to set the stage for the purple pests. They went on a 16-0 run, capped by forward, Trevor Ariza, scoring 7 of his 15 points and Fisher hauling in five. Ariza excelled and effectively drew fouls while attacking the basket. The Magic went about four and a half minutes without scoring a point during the second quarter Lakers lashing.
The Lakers lapped up a ten point lead, 56-46, as they headed into the locker room following the stellar second quarter. Orlando went on their own brief run after halftime. Their third quarter rally cut a ten point deficit to a five point Lakers lead. The Magic’s errant and inefficient play doomed them down the stretch. Lamar Odom controlled the paint and stepped up for L.A. with two 3-pointers for 6 of his 17 points. Odom also had 10 rebounds for a team that was in front of Orlando by as many as 18 in the second half. Bryant seemingly put the game out of reach with a jumper over Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu with eight ticks remaining in the game. Stan Van Gundy called a timeout but the Magic were prematurely raising the white flag on this Flag Day.
Los Angeles would not need a Game 6 for their most recent title. The Magic were never able to recover, turning the ball over and playing poorly. Orlando committed ten turnovers in the middle periods and were blanketed with little room to shoot. Los Angeles had a healthy advantage on the glass all night as the Magic were unsuccessful in recovering loose balls. Coach Van Gundy’s team shot just 8-of-27 from long range as they fell at home and lost a chance to return to Los Angeles. For a team that relies heavily on the three, this was not the night for the Magic to take off. Rashard Lewis led Orlando with 18 points but was only 3-of-12 from the arch. Dwight Howard grabbed 10 rebounds while scoring 11. Superman was never a factor last night, taking just nine shots and never getting things going to lead his team.
The Lakers were the better basketball team. They were the best all season and so remarkable they didn’t drop three straight games at all. The beat down in Boston a year ago seemed to inspire Bryant most. The All-Star Laker came out with a desire to win and completed his mission. The 30 year old would not come up short in 2009 and his outstanding play earned him the most valuable player. He took control of all possessions and showed grit when the games were on the line. Kobe became the only Laker besides Magic Johnson to record 8 assists in six consecutive postseason games. He also became the first since Michael Jordan to tally at least 25 points and have 8 assists in three straight Finals games. Although Bryant was the main ingredient in the Lakers’ recipe for success, role players mixed in some necessary reinforcements. The team’s nucleus was just as vital to victory as the beloved Bryant. Fisher was a steadying force in capturing his fourth ring. He came back to L.A. after stints in Golden State and Utah to propel the offense behind Bryant. Fisher’s three-point shot to force overtime and then 27 footer to seal the deal in the extra session of Game 4 was an important play. The 34 year old came into Game 5 trailing only two players for most three-pointers in NBA Finals history. Bryant was helped by the entire L.A. roster. In Game 5, four of his teammates scored in double figures to assist his incredulous effort. Gasol played second fiddle and was rewarded with a ring following his voyage from Memphis 16 months ago. The European adequately defended Lewis at the post and held Howard in check throughout Game 5. Players like Jordan Farmar went from works in progress to mature ball handlers. Odom went from a derailment in decline to a developed destructive defender. Odom, Ariza and Andrew Bynum all came through with tenacious toughness, deliberate dribbles, rattling rebounds and jiggling jumpers. Jackson’s in-game strategies were intangible factors throughout the series. The Lakers ridiculously defended their court by forcing focus, confronting Orlando guards with pressure and applying an ardent attitude.
Orlando was not short on chances in at least two of the Finals contests. In Game 2, Courtney Lee missed an alley-oop layup in the final seconds of regulation that would have given the Magic a victory and tied the series at one. Instead, the Magic settled for a hard-fought loss. Had Howard made his free throws to ice the match with 11 seconds remaining in Game 4, the Lakers might not have been celebrating their 15th championship in Amway Arena last night. Instead, Orlando’s life expectancy in the finals was short-lived and Los Angeles restored their franchise with another terrific title.


Parting points: Happy Birthday to Andy Pettitte.
Band of the day- Days of the New

Brawny 'Bron

LeBron James could use a little help. The brawny game-breaking MVP of the NBA dropped 41 buckets in another shooting spree Saturday. But it was Dwight Howard who propelled the Orlando Magic to a Game 3 home win over LeBron‘s Cavs. Howard’s 24 points against Cleveland put Orlando up 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Superman’s high-flying, feverish intensity breathed new life into Orlando. A game in which the Cavs were coming off their best win in franchise history, Cleveland was outplayed by a mentally tough Magic team. There was no game-ending “Le Shot”(as some are christening the basket from James), in Game 3. Instead, the fervent Magic downed Cleveland 99-89 in a physical battle from tip-off.
Howard was dominant, but got himself into early foul trouble. He sat out for a majority of the first half, seeing only 28 minutes of court time. The Magic moved the ball around and got out to a fast start, regardless of Howard’s benching. Howard was 14-19 from the line after being criticized as an eminently poor free throw shooter. Orlando beat Cleveland from the line and in 3 point shooting. As a team, the Magic shot 35% from long range compared to the Cavs’ contemptible 19%. James was only 1-8 from the 3 point range and 18-24 from the charity stripe. LeBron missed an uncharacteristic five key free throws in the fourth quarter. The Cavs are relying too much on 3 point shots as their main ingredient. They need more production from Lebron’s teammates if they are going to stop the energetic, confident Magic. Cleveland continues to play cautiously, clank jumpers and turn the ball over carelessly. Too many needless free passes were called last night, in my opinion. There were 86 free throws combined between both teams.
Cleveland and Orlando did their best to decimate each other, leading to 58 personal fouls, two technicals and one personal foul being called. The Cavs did not get extensive aid from Mo Williams, Delonte West or Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Ilhauskas fouled out of the game for Cleveland and went an inexcusable 0-3 from the arc. Williams had 15 points, 7 boards and 3 assists, and West added 12 buckets with a rebound and 3 assists. The three walking wounded (Williams was hit in the eye in a sordid squirmish with Anthony Johnson) shot an unsightly 13 of 37 combined, and Williams was 5 of 16 alone.
After last April’s thumping, the Cavs have lost six of their last seven in Orlando. The Cavalier’s bench has been exposed this entire series. The crisp Magic create mucho match up problems for Cleveland’s defense. In Game 1, the Cavalier defense allowed Orlando to shoot 61% from the floor in the second half. They couldn’t get a good grasp on the Magic big men last night either. Rafer Alston posted 18 points for the marauding Magic. He also had 3 assists and 3 steals. Mickael Pietrus piled in 16 shots, grabbed 6 rebounds and 2 steals, and pummeled the Cavs with 2 blocked shots. Hedo Turkoglu gave Cleveland all they could handle with 10 rebounds and 7 assists in an Orlando team high 41 minutes on the hardwood.
The Cavs are still having trouble covering Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. The Magic double-whammy can shoot and defend the perimeter. Even Cleveland’s league-best defense cannot prevent the pounding from Orlando’s role players. Hedo went an entire quarter without registering a field goal, and the Magic still held the lead Sunday. Howard controlled the paint and made his free throws last night. When Dwight is doing that, his team is pretty unstoppable. The three put Cleveland at a disadvantage in the backcourt. The Orlando bottom-feeders are also bothering and smothering the Cavaliers. Cleveland will have to quickly respond with a solution to salvage the seven game series. In the first two quarters, Cleveland outscored Orlando by 28 points. It seems they get off to early leads, only to crumble and slow down in later quarters. The Magic have come back in all three games because of horrid starts.
James keeps Cleveland within striking distance by simply suiting up each day. He is the foundation of the team and inspires confidence. LeBron put on a clinic shooting the ball in Game 1, finishing with 49 points. His Game 2 classic clutch captured Cleveland’s heart for sure. And last night he took charge, but there is little more he can honestly do to carry the Cavs. The Cavs pulled within 4 points in the fourth quarter after Howard picked up his fifth foul with 2:34 on the clock. Pietrus came off the bench to pluck a pair of free throws, and the Magic appeared to be in control of the game with a 94-86 lead. But in stormed Superman. LeBron’s three point attempt was blocked by Howard. The referees issued Dwight another foul, this one for three shots. James was perfect from the line with little time remaining in the game. Williams missed an open 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining. Orlando simply outplayed their opponents to secure the ten point win.
If not for LeBron’s unbelievable game-winner Friday night, the Magic might be up 3-0 in this series, with hopes of closing it out in Game 4. Even after the devastating, gut-wrenching loss, the Magic had the momentum headed home for a third match. The Cavaliers failed to invade Orlando and win two in a row. The Magic are successful when doubling James at the 3-point line with Pietrus and Turkolglu. James’ team unravels around him as he seems to get better and better. Cleveland is successful (see Game 2) when they do not allow Howard to touch the ball. Orlando shipped the ball to Howard on five of their first six offensive possessions last night. His six noxious points rang for a 9-2 Orlando lead. When he was off the court, the Magic had to cling to a one point lead by intermission. The Cavs also play well when executing the pick-and-roll, freeing Williams for jump shots and creating opportunities at the corner. The All-star guard Williams has been missing in action this series. It is a problem that has plagued the Cavs. His shooting inefficiency mirrors many of his teammates, leaving James alone to defend the Magic and carry the Cavs. The results for Mike Brown’s team are not there. The defensive side of the floor has no mojo and the coach isn’t getting gritty games from his guards. Williams is an excellent shooter and Cleveland needs him to perform. If not, the one-man LeBron show is going to come to a grotesque end for the best team in the East.

Parting points: Happy Memorial Day. It’s unofficially SUMMER! Things that I love about summer include reading on the beach, listening to baseball games, the smell of suntan lotion, watching lightning bugs in my backyard, Hemingway novels and REM’s Reveal album.

Magic Miracle

Before the NBA season began, I predicted the Magic winning the Eastern conference. I was adamant about NOT choosing the defending champion Boston Celtics, and I thought if any team could take down LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, it would be Orlando. The two teams tip-off for the Eastern finals on Wednesday. The Cavs come into the game boasting the fact they are the first NBA team in history to win each of their first seven postseason games by double-digits. They steamrolled through the first and second rounds against inferior and injured teams in Detroit and Atlanta. The Cleveland Cavalier club is comprised of contact and connected contributors. Orlando has little chance of beating them, but I am still holding out hope for a Magic miracle.
The Orlando Magic enter Game 1 in Cleveland after a resounding Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics Sunday night. The Magic’s demonstrative defeat Sunday was the first time in 33 tries a team has overcome a 3-2 deficit against Boston. They dethroned the most storied NBA franchise and somehow have managed to survive some setbacks this post-season. Orlando handed the Cavs their worst loss of the regular season in April and hold a 2-1 series lead. It’s the first time since 1996 Orlando has advanced this far into the postseason. The Cleveland loss on April 3rd signaled the last time the Cavaliers were really challenged as a team. The Magic defeated them 116-87 in Orlando. Although the Cavs were not a well-rested bunch at the time, they were coming off a 13 game winning streak. Orlando snapped the streak, shooting better than 50 percent from the field and going ahead of the Cavs by an insurmountable margin. Wednesday marks the first ever playoff meeting between the teams. Orlando has dominated in recent seasons, winning eight of the past eleven. If the Magic are to whittle out wins in this series, they are going to need to a strong defense. The Orlando defense has stepped up and are going to have to contain show-stopping MVP, James.
James led the team in most offensive categories for the Cavs, but Mo Williams adds a final piece to Cleveland’s championship puzzle. Mo is an unselfish player and an All-star point guard. His three point shots can carry the offense when James does not get the ball. Delonte West, battling back from injury, can also help on defense. The former St. Joseph’s player does not contribute points offensively for the Cavs, but handles the ball well enough on the floor. The Orlando defense will have a difficult time trapping Cleveland with James, Williams and West as a tenacious trio. Rafer Alston was acquired from Houston in February and displays quirky shooting and quickness for Orlando. His penetration up front creates havoc and he is tough to defend when he isn’t turning the ball over. The rookie, Courtney Lee, may have found his form for the Magic as a mediocre shooting guard. His athleticism and speed make things happen. Duke product, J.J. Redick, was a terrific college player but his one-dimensional style is a bad match against the defensively-minded Cavs. He probably won’t get many splendid three points off. During the regular season, Cleveland held opponents to a league high 32 percent 3 point shooting. I give the Cavs the backcourt advantage because of Alston’s recent struggles and Redick’s inconsistency.
Head Coach for the Cavs, Mike Brown, will probably center defenders around Redick and All-star, Dwight Howard. During the April loss, Cleveland’s main problem was defending the outside shot. Brown’s game plan will focus on limiting Orlando’s looks. Look for the Cavs to attack Howard early and often. Howard has blossomed as an offensive juggernaut under the tutelage pf assistant coach, Patrick Ewing. Dwight has fantastic footwork and is a tough player to guard. Howard is prone to shaky free throw shooting but he finished the year leading the league in rebounding and blocked shots. The Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight has dominated, averaging 16 rebounds and three blocks each game of the postseason so far. He led Orlando with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in the finale of the Boston series. Howard has to emerge as a leader if Orlando is going to have a chance. He was suspended in game one of the Philadelphia series for elbowing Samuel Dalembert. All eyes will be on Howard and James in this showdown series. The superstars have each elevated their games and carried their teams to new heights all year. James has been the game’s MVP this season by a wide margin. He also finished second in scoring with 28.4 points per game. LeBron lacks a consistent jump shot but his stunning style and unprecedented ability to carry his team make him a superlative star. LeBron’s presence practically outweighs any Orlando advantages. He renders it difficult to play on both sides of the ball with his spectral shooting and swatting slapdowns. James is a triple-double threat each and every time Cleveland hits the hardwood, especially at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs are an astonishing 43-2 at home.
Hedo Turkoglu, the Turkish shooter, has struggled this postseason. Orlando head coach, Stan Van Gundy, liked the intensity he saw from Turkoglu during the rout in Game 7 in Boston. Turkoglu put up 25 points and 12 assists in the game. Ten points were scored in the fourth quarter, setting a playoff career high. Van Gundy will call on Hedo late in the game if Orlando needs free throws because of Howard’s horrible history at the line. The big, versatile Turkoglu is no slouch but needs to play more explosively for Orlando in the next round. His 42 percent shooting won’t cut it against the best Eastern team. Seven foot Lituanian center, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, is a deft passer with fine touch for the Cavs. His quiet contributions and consistency should make things more difficult for Howard on low blocks. He does lack quickness but his size and strength make up for the shortcoming.
The Cavs have a power forward in Anderson Varejao. His solid inside defense is his best attribute and he uses his energy to rebound shots down low. Howard presents a big problem for Cleveland, but with Varejao starting and Ben Wallace coming off the bench, the Cavs are equipped to handle him. Orlando counters with All-star, Rashard Lewis. Lewis has a solid offensive game, averaging 17 points during the regular season. Lewis’ specialty is the outside bucket and he has one of the game’s best strokes from the three point line. Lewis is also an excellent blocking defender and rebounded and averaged over 15 points against Cleveland during the regular season.
Both benches feature firepower but the Cavs may have more depth. Joe Smith, Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak are all capable of clutch plays. Brown signed Smith late in the season and he has been splendid ever since arriving alongside Lebron. The 14 year veteran forward is a quality reserve who plays well, flirting with finesse on the interior defensively. The big men of the bench for the Magic don’t stack up against Smith and Wallace. The Magic do not have the variety Cleveland enjoys in pine riders, Anthony Johnson, Mickael Pietrus and Tony Battie. Johnson is a veteran point guard and Pietrus can rebound well. But, the Magic face a stern test against backcourt reserves Daniel Gibson and Szczerbiak. Both can fill in when hot and Wallace boosts the defense whenever he takes to court.
The Cavs are a team poised to win now. It will be an incredible miracle if the Magic win the series. I do not expect a Cleveland sweep this round. I believe Orlando has the guns to shoot their way to at least one win. It’s a credit to coach Van Gundy his team has already advanced this far. I know he took the blame for Game 4 in Boston, and Howard criticized him for Game 5, but Van Gundy did win 59 games. Howard knocked his head coach for not getting many touches late in the game and remarked about Van Gundy’s substitution patterns. Still, Orlando proved, with their effort in the deciding game, they wanted the series more than Boston. It would be tremendous if the Orlando effort paid off again against the Cavaliers. Brown is probably the more competent coach and his team won’t be suffering from fatigue after two easy sweeps. Orlando wrapped up a seven-game war in Boston Sunday but if they limit their mistakes and come out strong in Game 1, they may plug into the championship.

Parting points: Does anybody really like Theory of a Deadman’s song, “Hate My Life”?