| Only Shocking Outside Of Orlando Authored by Alex Kennedy - May 21, 2009 - 12:54 pm
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They had the rest, playing in five fewer games than the Magic this postseason. They were on their home court where they had only lost two games this season. They had the King, who would score 49 points while shooting 67% from the field. They had a sixteen point lead at one point in the second quarter. But none of that mattered on Wednesday night.
The Magic, who have faced a fair share of adversity during these playoffs, were able to chip away at Cleveland’s large lead throughout the second half and pulled ahead for the first time in the fourth quarter. The two squads exchanged several clutch shots but it was Rashard Lewis’ three pointer with 14.7 seconds left that would be the dagger, giving Orlando the 107-106 win.
Led by Lewis, Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu, who combined for 67 points, 26 rebounds, and 18 assists, the Magic were able to steal home court from the previously undefeated Cavaliers and earn the respect of fans and analysts across the country.
Prior to the start of the game, ESPN’s Avery Johnson gave several keys to the game for Orlando “just to give their fans some sort of hope” while message boards and bloggers predicted a Cavaliers’ sweep. “Can't we just skip this whole series and just send the Cavs to the Finals already? Waste of time,” said one message board poster.
In the first half, these predictions looked fairly accurate. The Magic couldn’t hit a shot, left Cleveland’s shooters wide open, and couldn’t get a call in the paint to save their life. Further proof of the Cavaliers smooth sailing came at the end of the second quarter when Mo Williams caught the inbounds pass and drilled a buzzer beating shot from behind the opposite three point line to give Cleveland a 63-48 lead.
But in the second half, Orlando’s three point shooting and stifling defense proved too much for the opposition and the Magic stunned the previously untested Cavaliers.
To anyone who has followed the Magic, this win isn’t as shocking as it may seem. Sure, the comeback and fashion of the win were surprising but the fact that they stole a game in Cleveland? Not so much.
Over the past three seasons, the Magic are 7-3 against the Cavaliers and have matched up very well against them. Even before Dwight Howard became the dominant force he is today, Cleveland had trouble stopping him in the paint. Orlando has also done a good job of forcing Cleveland’s role players to beat them while tiring James out, a strategy that worked to perfection in the first game of the series. The rest of the Cavaliers shot 41% from the field while James, who led his team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks, had to burn a timeout late in the fourth quarter to catch a breather and was left hobbled over at midcourt with cramps after the final buzzer sounded.
Orlando’s biggest victory over Cleveland came on April 3, 2009. Seven players would finish in double digits for the Magic who would lead by forty-one points before pulling their starters. The final score was 116-87 and the beat down provided Orlando with confidence and further proof that they could play with the NBA’s elite teams.
The Magic know the Cavaliers differently than Atlanta or Detroit, who were each swept by Cleveland. Orlando knew of the holes and weaknesses that this team possessed and had already taken advantage of them twice during the regular season, winning the season series 2-1.Going into the franchises’s first Eastern Conference Finals since 1996, the Magic knew what they had to do. Penetrate, kick out, and hit the open shots. Lock down on LeBron, make the supporting cast beat you. Hustle, hustle, and hustle some more. And most importantly, don’t let them intimidate you.
This was an issue for both the Pistons and Hawks, who seemed content just making it into the playoffs or out of the first round. They were intimidated by the league’s Most Valuable Player. By the sixty-six wins the Cavaliers accumulated during the regular season. By the spectacular home record. But after what Orlando has faced this postseason, the Cavaliers are just another team. After a first round series against the Philadelphia Sixers that was too close for comfort, questions arose about the Magic. Why couldn’t they hold onto big leads? Did they depend too heavily on their threes? How would they fare against an even better opponent?
A Dwight Howard suspension, Hedo Turkoglu slump, and Game 6 statement later, the Magic were ready to face the Boston Celtics. But again, Orlando’s inconsistency hurt them. One game they were beating Boston easily on the road and the next they were blowing double digit leads at home. Trailing 3-2, the Magic would have to win one game at home and one game on the road to advance. Orlando took Game Six at home, but there was no celebration. They knew what was ahead of them. They knew the odds were against them as Boston was 32-0 when up 3-2 in a series and were 17-3 at home in Game Sevens. They knew Boston fans would scream their lungs out for their team and that the Celtics would come prepared to defend their championship.
As if this wasn’t a hard enough task, matters got worse when Dwight Howard complained to the media about the amount of touches he was receiving, effectively calling out his coach. He then guaranteed a series win, a bold prediction echoed by assistant coach Patrick Ewing. Questions arose about Stan Van Gundy’s future with the club due to his head scratching strategies late in games and questionable use of timeouts. But against all odds, the Magic did it. After forty-eight minutes of three point swishes, spectacular defense, and overall dominance, Orlando clinched the series with a 101-82 win.
Everything the team has been through has brought them together and made them stronger. In a postseason where they’ve had their starting center and point guard each suspended one game, their starting shooting guard and small forward each hurt and playing through injuries, and five games decided at the buzzer, the Magic have become numb to everything. The pressure and odds against them is old news to the Orlando players who are just staying focused on the goal at hand.
With Jameer Nelson recently hinting at a possible comeback should the team make it to the Finals (“It’s definitely possible,” said Nelson when asked about a return in the next two weeks), things seem to be clicking for the Magic at the perfect time.
"When they start talking about the Eastern Conference [on TV], all I keep hearing about are the Celtics [and] the Cavaliers. I want to change that," Howard prophetically said last season. With all of the momentum and advantages now on their side, the Magic have already started to change this and are finally being respected as a legitimate contender and not just a “waste of time.”
Alex Kennedy is a featured contributor for RealGM.com and can be reached at swishkennedy@yahoo.com. |
