Game Six: Orlando Magic 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 90

There is no other way to lead this.

After a 14-year absence, the Orlando Magic are returning to the NBA Finals.

The ticket was punched emphatically by Dwight Howard. Howard scored a career playoff high 40 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. He was dominant from the beginning, and for the first time all series looked like he was the best player on the court.

LeBron James was non-existent, seemingly running out of gas after carrying the load and averaging more than 40 points per game thus far. James did not score in a tell-tale second quarter and only 25 points on eight of 20 shooting.

But as the rest of the series went, it was more about what the star's supporting cast could do.

Rashard Lewis supported Howard with 18 points and eight rebounds. He was aggressive attacking the hole and not settling for 3-point shots. Mickael Pietrus was also aggressive and Courtney Lee was a nice surprise, finally breaking out with eight points.

Offensively though, this game was ultimately about Howard. He was finally the center of the offense Magic fans have imagined him to be. He got anything he wanted in the post. When the double team came, he dished out to the perimeter.

This was Orlando's most complete effort of the series -- and maybe even the playoffs. The offense was flowing. The 3-point shots were generally falling (12 of 29) but they were coming off of the post ups, or drive and kicks.

It was the Magic's offense working at its most efficient.

The defense complemented the offense on the other end too. Orlando kept James out of the paint for the most part as he settled for jumpers. The Magic had a difficult time keeping Delonte West in check. But with James looking mortal, it did not matter.

Orlando locked down Cleveland's secondary unit and took control of the game with a 28-15 second quarter. This was Lewis time and then Howard time and it gave the Magic a 16-point lead heading into the half.

The Cavaliers fought back early in the second, but could get no closer than nine points the rest of the way. The Magic never outright blew them out, but were never threatened either.

And that was it.

It was a rocking party in the O-Rena and the fans certainly did their part. It was an energetic building and once Orlando seized the lead, it was pretty certain the game was over.

This has been a long time coming for Magic fans. And I simply cannot put the emotions into words.

What They're Saying: Cavaliers vs. Magic Game Six

-Bethlehem Shoals of the Baseline blog on Sporting News admits he has had some playoff fatigue. Which is why he finds the Magic so refreshing.

-Dwight Howard will be ready for the big time. But that time is not now, according to Gregg Doyel of CBS Sportsline. When Howard does not get calls or struggles, he complains and yelps instead of oging about his business harder the next time.

-Orlando's best bet? Win Game Six. Brian Schmitz writes the Magic must look at Game Six at Amway Arena as their Game Seven.

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel says Orlando has to find a way to get the ball out of LeBron's hands. Whether that means double-, triple-, quadruple- or quintuple-teaming. Hell, just throw the kitchen sink at him see if that works.

-LeBron James is not feeling any pressure writes Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel.

-Obviously Cleveland's offense operates around LeBron James. Tim Povtak of NBA Fanhouse writes James will dare the Magic to stop him again as he goes one-on-one from the top of the key.

-Chris Sheridan chronicles the ghosts of the O-Rena and whether or not it will matter as the Magic try to close a series out on their home floor.

-For the first time all series, confidence should be high on both sides, writes David Thorpe of Scouts, Inc. He thinks it is going to be an interesting game tonight and that Delonte West, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Rafer Alston and Rashard Lewis will be the keys to the outcome. Ultimately, he picks Cleveland but says Orlando is not out on the road in a possible Game Seven.

-Interestingly enough, Orlando is 5-0 when Dwight Howard picks up a technical foul.

-Cavs blog Fear the Sword has some nice links to Cleveland-related stories.

-Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer talks about how LeBron James is expanding his high post game to be "the nail" in this series.

-Maybe the supporting cast is not so bad. At least that is what +/- numbers from the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggest.

-LeBron James has breathed some life in to a downtrodden Cleveland society and economy and has raised some big bucks for the NBA and the Cavaliers.

Game Six Adjustments: Cavaliers-Magic

1) Don't fall in love with the 3-pointer: one thing this team has struggled with as a 3-point shooting team is the attempts it takes. Orlando took a team playoff record in Game Three and fell in love with it again in Game Five.

Game Four it worked. Game Five it did not.

Orlando made just eight 3-pointers in 25 attempts. When the Magic's offense gets stagnant, it is because they stand around the 3-point line and shoot the first good look they can find. This is good when they make these shots. But you are not going to make these shots for long.

The good 3-point shot comes when Cleveland has to pack the paint to defend Dwight Howard or to stop drivers. Orlando needs to be a drive and kick team. The team cannot depend on the 3-pointer to win them this game or any game from this point on.

It is a simple game for Orlando against Cleveland. Get to the basket, work the mismatches, feed Dwight Howard the ball in the post, and hit open jumpers.

2) Beat the James Gang: it is clear LeBron James is going to do whatever he wants in this series. He has had one of the best individual performances in a seven-game series of all-time. He is simply unstoppable when he wants to score.

But Orlando has done a good job limiting his most dangerous weapon -- his playmaking ability. That is until this game.

James had a triple double with 12 assists and four in the final quarter. His teammates were finally hitting shots, but it was because James was getting them involved early and putting them in position to score.

Just watching ESPN late on Thursday night and Rachel Nichols brought up an interesting adjustment. Mike Brown put James in the middle of the court to try to eliminate where the Magic can help from. It makes it tougher for Orlando to rotate to shooters as he drives or tries to pass.

Orlando must continue to force James to be a scorer. He cannot be a distributor. When James passes the ball, the Magic must run the shooters off the 3-point line and recover quickly.

Orlando can win if Mo Williams has a good game. The Magic showed that in Game Five. Even with Williams playing well, they had a chance to win the game.

What Orlando needs to adjust is the effectiveness of Delonte West (13 points), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (17 points) and Daniel Gibson (11 points). Those are the type of players who were due for some decent games (maybe not this good) but should regress back to the mean in Game Six.

Limiting LeBron's help is THE key for the series defensively. Orlando must make Mo Williams take tougher jumpers and chase these role players from comfortable set shots.

3) No wasted possessions: the free throw thing is driving me crazy. Orlando had a chance to close out the lead, but kept wasting possessions and chances to tie the game or take the lead or extend the lead they had for such a short while.

It is unfathomable for anyone besides Dwight Howard to miss free throws (maybe Marcin Gortat). Missing a free throw is like a turnover in my opinion.

Orlando cannot waste possessions like this. The turnovers are down. But it is important with James playing as he is to give up as few points as possible. It has been proven that this series is pretty close. The Magic are +2 overall in the series.

Magic Wands: May 29, 2009

-LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony have not tired from their busy summer in Beijing. In fact, as Sean Deveney of The Baseline, it has strengthened their resolve this postseason.

-Carlos Arroyo was named the MVP of the Israeli League for helping Macabbi Tel Aviv win the league title.

-At least Orlando beats Cleveland in tourism. LOL.

-Florida guard Nick Calathes will not be entering the NBA Draft and has apparently signed a contract with Panathanaiokas.

-What Dwight Howard should have done to win Game Two against the Cavaliers.

-Dwight Howard is apparently not a huge fan of those mildly entertaining LeBron James-Kobe Bryant puppet commercials Nike has put out. It is no secret the whole world wants the dream matchup of Lakers and Cavaliers in the Finals.

-ESPN is opening a research and development lab at Disney.

-ESPN Outside the Lines has a nice story about former Magic player Cuttino Mobley and his fight with a congenital heart defect.

-Memphis and maybe Derrick Rose might be in trouble for recruiting violations and improper payments.

-Bill Simmons laments a change in the NBA. And demands better officiating. This should be a golden age for the NBA.

-Chris Broussard on the impossibility of life after Michael Jordan.

-NBA referee Violet Palmer is going to be an adviser for NCAA officials.

-Orlando has a night life problem that needs to be fixed if the team is to host the All Star Game... and maybe even the Finals.

Game Five: Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Orlando Magic 102

LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. Kobe Bryant is good. LeBron is better.

With his team facing elimination, needing a win against a team it has simply could not beat the last three seasons, James took over when it mattered most and willed his team to a victory. It was clear from the opening tip, James was going to rule this game like the king his nickname suggests he is.

After blowing a 22-point first quarter lead, James scored 17 points and had four assists in the fourth quarter to hold off the Magic's rally and force a Game Six on Saturday night with a 112-102 win.

James took over in the fourth quarter to help Cleveland distance itself and win the game. But this game was won by the James gang.

From the get-go, Mo Williams made sure he would be the difference in this game. Williams hit six of his nine 3-pointers and scored 24 points. He was aggressive and finally hit his open shots.

It was Williams who helped the Cavaliers rout the Magic in the first quarter and helped them build a 22-point lead. James was relatively quiet in the first quarter.

The Magic were outworked and outhustled. They looked slow and uninterested -- much like the beginning of the first two games.

But Orlando had another run in them. As poorly as the team played in the first quarter, it pushed itself and closed the gap to a manageable amount by halftime. The Magic can clearly play with the correct energy and effort to win this series. For some reason in Cleveland, Orlando cannot do it for 48 minutes.

But they finally showed up in the second quarter. So it was an even game entering the third quarter.

At that point, it became about execution. For the most part, Orlando executed well. Then the team did not. The Magic fell in love with their 3-pointers and it got them in trouble as they could not hit them this time. They shot eight for 25 from beyond the arc, led by Rafer Alston's dreadful one for seven performance. Rashard Lewis struggled shot one for five from beyond the arc too.

In Game Four, those shots went down. In Game Five, they did not.

Orlando was most successful in this game when the team involved Dwight Howard on the pick and roll or attacked the basket off the dribble. Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds before fouling out with 2:20 to play (that was when you could tell the game was over -- the Magic trailed by eight after giving up the shot and foul to James).

This is what Orlando must do. The team cannot settle for jumpers. The Magic must always be looking to attack. That is something this team has always struggled with.

Cleveland came out with a lot of energy tonight. It was something Orlando could not match. Slowly, the Magic climbed back and brought the energy. Orlando could not execute enough at the end to pull out the win.

All these games have been toss ups. The Magic finally hit a rut where they could not execute enough to win. Certainly without their best player and key cog, it became much tougher. James simply did not want to lose tonight.

It will be tougher for Cleveland to do this in Orlando. Stan Van Gundy should let these guys know, their backs are against the wall now.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Cavaliers Game Five

-Henry Abbott of TrueHoop breaks down Dwight Howard's technical fouls this postseason. Luckily his tech from last night's game was rescinded, so he is two away from a mandatory one-game suspension.

-The return of "Skip 2 my Lou"

-Whit Watson of Sun Sports/FSFlorida fame says the NBA must address its officiating issue after some bad calls or perceived bad calls in the Orlando-Cleveland series.

-The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst and Mary Schmitt Boyer break down Game Four and make some good points about the series so far.

-Superstars can get away with "taunting" or emotional outbursts after big plays. Even Michael Jordan.

-Bethlehem Shoals of the Baseline blog explains why LeBron James is so difficult to officiate -- he is the perfect mix of speed and power never before seen in the NBA.

-Stan Van Gundy is winning the coaching battle by a mile with Mike Brown according to Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline.

-Cleveland is searching for answers with its back against the wall entering Game Five, Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel writes.

-Orlando's wild Playoff ride might be getting bumpier. Getting one more game to get to the finals will not be easy, according to Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. The team, though seems up to the challenge.

-Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel says the Magic should feel confident heading into Quicken Loans Arena with a chance to close out the series.

-Bradford Doolittle of Basketball Prospectus explains why statistically Orlando is a bad matchup for Cleveland. The Cavaliers just cannot solve the Magic puzzle.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily breaks down the poor performance of Cleveland's bench. Interestingly enough, the Cavaliers are 0-5 when no one besides LeBron James scores more than 18 points. They are 2-0 when someone does.

-David S. Glasier of the The News-Herald in southern Ohio says coach Mike Brown and his Cavaliers are keeping the faith. Each game (except Game Three) has been within Cleveland's grasp and this series could have easily swung the other way. Having said that, he is still having trouble solving Orlando.

-Chris Perkins of the Palm Beach Post writes about Rafer Alston's unlikely journey to becoming a starting point guard for a conference finalist.

-Bill Simmons laments a change in the NBA. And demands better officiating. This should be a golden age for the NBA.

-Jay Mariotti tries to figure out what is in LeBron James' future as it appears Cleveland failed once again to surround their transcendent superstar with enough pieces to win a title.

-How the pick and roll has made Dwight Howard better, according to Kevin Peltonen (Insider only)

-David Thorpe of Scouts Inc. breaks down Game Four and says Stan Van Gundy did a good job adjusting to Mike Brown. Thrope says to expect another close game.

-Rob Peterson of NBA.com breaks down the keys for Game Five.

-Perhaps some mind games at Quicken Loans Arena before Game Five.

-Sometimes it is as simple as making shots.

Game Five Adjustments: Magic-Cavaliers

1) Can't be timid or afraid, remain aggressive: Cleveland will throw everything it has at Orlando in a do-or-die Game Five. In fact, it is pretty safe to say that every game, the Magic will see the Cavaliers best in the next game (or three games).

Dwight Howard said he was treating Tuesday's Game Four like it was a Game Seven. He will have to do the same tomorrow night in Game Five. If Orlando learned anything as a franchise from the 2003 debacle against Detroit, it is that you cannot take any game in the series for granted.

The Magic must find a way to close this series out as quickly as possible. The last thing you want to do is give LeBron James another chance to do something amazing (like he did throughout Games Two and Four).

This is why Orlando cannot be afraid or play like it has a game in hand. The most important thing the team can do is continue to play aggressively and fight. It is important to dictate the tempo. At times Tuesday, Orlando was not doing this.

It still seems there is some fear of what James will do and some panic in the team. Seeing a four-point lead disintegrate late (or watching Cleveland extend the lead to eight at the end of the first half) are signs that Orlando sometimes does not play in an attacking mode.

When the Magic attack, the Cavaliers simply do not have the answers to match up with them.

2) 3-pointers must come within the offense: the Magic are a 3-point shooting team. I have come to accept this even with my hatred for the shot as a primary strategy.

It is hard to expect Orlando to shoot like the team did in Game Four every night. Thirty 3-point attempts in one game is just ridiculous. Making 17 of them is even more amazing. It very well saved the game for the Magic.

It is cliche to say "live by the three, die by the three." Orlando did that in Game Four. When the Magic were hitting 3-pointers, they were almost impossible to beat. When they settled for them, the Cavaliers made their move.

Orlando falls in love with the shot. It is no secret.

It remains imperative that the Magic work for 3-pointers within their offense and look to the post or to attack the basket at all times. Orlando cannot settle for 3-pointers just because they are "on" that night.

3) Protect the ball and treasure possessions: I have said this before, but Orlando must continue to eliminate run outs and fast break opportunities for Cleveland. These are easy opportunities and take away the Magic's inherent advantages in this series.

Cleveland has been successful this series only when the team gets out on the run. This comes from turnovers and long rebounds. Long rebounds come from long shots -- like 3-pointers.

It is important for the Magic to make sure they limit these opportunities for the Cavaliers. Stopping run outs is order No. 1 defensively for the Magic. James is virtually unstoppable when he gets a running start.

This is one way to keep him from doing so.

Game Four: Orlando Magic 116, Cleveland Cavaliers 114

When the game is on the line, superstar step up.

LeBron James knows this. When his team trailed by four points late in the game, he willed his team to a one-point lead with time winding down. When Rashard Lewis hit a fade-away 3-pointer that gave the Magic a two-point lead, James drove the lane and drew a blocking foul on Mickael Pietrus to get to the line for the game-tying free throws that sent the game to overtime.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, Orlando too has a superstar. Even if he did not get the same treatment at the end of Tuesday's fourth quarter, he came through when his team needed him most.

Dwight Howard scored 10 of his 27 points in overtime, helping the Magic take control in the overtime period and hold on for a 116-114 win. With it, he helped them take a commanding 3-1 series lead. But we all know how Orlando does with 3-1 series leads in the past.

This series is far from over even with the Magic on the doorstep of their second NBA Finals. And they certainly weathered a great effort from Cleveland. It was an up-and-down affair with both teams taking big leads, including the Cavaliers taking an eight-point lead to the half.

Throughout the night, Orlando had a difficult time keeping Cleveland out of the paint. James, of course, got where he wanted. But Mo Williams was also more aggressive -- and more effective -- and Delonte West also looked to attack, taking advantage of some over-aggressive (or careful) Magic defense.

But Orlando had some new tricks offensively too. Mainly the dominance of Howard on the inside early and the (over)use of the 3-point shot.

Howard had most of his points in the first half and in overtime. But offensively, this game was all about the shooting. The Magic shot 17 of 38 from beyond the arc. Shooting 40 3-pointers is incredible. Most of them were good looks that came off of good ball movement, some were off of poor shot selection.

I am admittedly not a huge fan of 3-pointers as a strategy, but it saved the Magic tonight. And when you can hit almost 50 percent, it is a good night.

Rafer Alston was also much more aggressive and he was hitting shots. It seems like the streaky shooting of Orlando's starting point guard is finally turning good. Alston has forced a lot of action and again forced LeBron James to focus on defense -- now that he splits time between Alston and Rashard Lewis.

Speaking of Rashard Lewis, he struggled throughout the night. But once again awoke in the fourth quarter. Lewis hit a tough fade-away bank shot and that fade-away 3-pointer that gave Orlando a critical 3-point lead.

The defense overall, was not fantastic. There were certainly moments for the team (and Orlando stepped up when it needed to), but Cleveland had its best offensive game of the series. It was only counteracted by an incredible offensive night from the Magic.

There looked to be some tentativeness at times because of the foul calls, but Cleveland was also more aggressive going to the basket. The Cavaliers settled for jumpers a lot less than they have in previous games in this series. Orlando did a good job adjusting as the game went on, but still never could pull away.

Don't get me wrong, this was a huge win for Orlando. Going up 3-1 is very different than going back to Cleveland tied at two. It does give the Magic some breathing room, but also tests their killer instinct and will ready them for the finals like nothing else can.

This series should be over for all intents and purposes. Orlando has done a great job closing out Cleveland and finding ways to win games.

But they cannot depend on the Amway Arena crowd to carry them in Game Six. Everyone has questioned this team all the time. A win in Game Five would silence any critics.

What They're Saying: Cavaliers vs. Magic Game Four

Sorry I did not post anything about Game Three. I was out of town and did not have access to the Internet and actually could not even watch the game (the hotel we were staying at did not get TNT, don't they know it is the Eastern Conference Finals?).

But I heard we did really well. Does not matter if the Magic do not get the big one tonight...

-Woody Womack of Orlando Magic Daily was inside the Cleveland locker room after Game Three and the air was that of quite confidence. The players that are playing are saying the right things like Mo Williams' quote: “We're giving these guys too much respect. They are a good basketball team, but so are we.” But some of the role players whose minutes have been cut short are having their nerves tested by this adversity.

-Kyle Williams of The Bleacher Report says balance has been the key to Orlando's success in this series against Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been unable to find anyone to stop Mickael Pietrus.

-Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline writes that Orlando's dirty little tricks are becoming an annoying habit. He says the team is crossing the line between "gritty and dirty." Certainly the Magic let their emotions get the best of them sometimes, but calling this a dirty team is a little far. Inexperienced and emotional is certainly in the realm of the discussion.

-erivera7 of 3rd Quarter Collapse writes about the emergence of Mickael Pietrus in the postseason after struggling throughout the season.

-John Cherwa of The Orlando Sentinel comes right out and asks the question: Are the Magic roughed up by the referees? Who knows the answer. But the Sentinel does know Orlando's records against each referee this season. Surprisingly, the Magic are 7-0 when Steve Javie is officiating.

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel lays out why tonight's game is a must-win for Cleveland. And Brian Schmitz also explains the importance of being up 3-1 rather than being tied 2-2 heading into Game Four.

-Anthony Johnson appears to be earning his new-found boxing nicknames after an elbowing incident with Mo Williams in Game Three.

-Hedo Turkoglu might be the most boring player in the league.

-Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm has some nice charts explaining why the Magic are getting more from their players than the Cavaliers.

-LeBron James has had a tough time shooting, but it might not be because of Orlando's defense according to Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily.

-One thing never changes in the league: teams win titles. That's why Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the other 28 teams in the NBA want to see Orlando and Denver succeed.

What They're Saying: Cavaliers vs. Magic Game Three

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel writes after Game Two that the Magic and Nuggets deserve the respect of their more highly glamorized opponents and the national media. Even after both teams split their two games on the road, they may not be getting it.

-Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel writes after Game Two that just because Orlando was able to compete and take one game in Cleveland, it does not mean winning the next three will be so easy. Just like we are telling our friends we can compete with Cleveland, Cavaliers fans are prepping for a long, competitive series. Nothing will be easy.

-Hedo Turkoglu: outstanding player or well-coached? Brandon Ribak of Bleacher Report wonders.

-Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel explains briefly how important it is to have a strong supporting cast around your superstar.

-Respected beat writer Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says once the Cavs come down from that emotional high, there are lots of things to worry about in this series.

-Kyle Williams of the Bleacher Report argues that momentum favors the Magic despite James' Game Two heroics.

-Get excited for the triumphant return of former Magic head coach Chris Jent.

-Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports the Magic are not phased by losing at the buzzer again.

-LeBron James might be staying in Cleveland after all. News of Chinese investors possibly buying in the Cavs and opening the door to business opportunities in China. Full article from Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

-Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports the Cavs are still coming down from the high of a buzzer-beating Game Two victory.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily breaks down Dwight Howard's touches in Game Two. After dominating the first game, he really was a non-factor in the second one. As I said in my adjustments for tonight's game, Orlando has to find a way to keep him involved, whether it is in the pick and roll or feeding it to him in the post. Orlando has to find a way to establish him and make him a real threat rather than just a lingering threat. That also means, Howard has to be more active to get his position on the low block against Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Game 3 Adjustments: Cavaliers-Magic

1) Be ready at the tip: There were two one-point games in Cleveland. The common thing in both games was the Cavaliers getting off to hot starts and taking control of the game early, forcing the Magic to dig themselves out of a hole.

I wrote in my adjustments for Game Two that Orlando could not get down by 16 points and have a chance to win. Well, I was wrong. The Magic found a way to come back from a 23-point deficit and nearly pull out a win.

The bottom line is, the Magic can blow out the Cavs. Take out the first quarter in each game, and the Magic are winning by double digits. Obviously, a different first quarter changes the complexion of the game. But it is clear Orlando can keep pace with Cleveland.

If the Magic are ready from the tip in Game Three, they will not necessarily easily win this game. But it is not far from reason to think Orlando will have more control of the game so when that third quarter spurt that has occurred in both games does happen, it will be to extend a lead than to come back from one.

As Stan Van Gundy said in Game One, Cleveland has never had to face a deficit in this postseason. Orlando has. As many have pointed out already, four of the Magic's six Playoff losses have come at the last second.

After Game One against Philadelphia -- when Andre Iguodala shocked Orlando with a last-second dagger -- the team took a 28-point lead before holding on for a five-point win. After Game Three against the 76ers -- when Thaddeus Young improbably hit a layup over Dwight Howard -- Hedo Turkoglu nailed a game-winning basket to tie the series at two.

After Game Four against Boston -- when Glen Davis hit a baseline jumper at the buzzer -- Orlando blew a 14-point lead in Game Five. They won the series in seven of course.

So the Magic have some experience responding from these games, albeit in a wide amount of way.

2) Keep Dwight Howard involved: Orlando wanted to get the ball to Howard early and often and that is part of the reason why Cleveland was able to jump on the team early.

The Cavaliers changed their defensive strategy on Howard in Game Two. They brought a double team with Anderson Varejao helping Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Howard struggled with the double of the two big men and was forced into some silly turnovers.

Despite that, Howard still had a pretty good half. He just missed his free throws. Even with that, he was a non-factor offensively in the second half. He kept his head and effort defensively and was important to Orlando's comeback.

But the Magic have to find a way to keep him involved on the offensive end. He still created a lot of space for shooters and the threat of him was a big part of the comeback. But Howard needs to get his points.

Orlando looked to get him involved in the pick and roll and it freed up Turkoglu and Lewis. Until Cleveland started doubleteaming the guy with the ball. Howard was open and the team was not looking for him.

Charles Barkley pointed it out on Inside the NBA, Cleveland has no way to guard Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu if James is not covering them. Expect James to be put on one of them in Game Three. That makes Howard's involvement even more important.

3) Limit the unforced errors: Orlando dug itself a hole because of some unforced errors.

The Magic had 12 turnovers, nine in the first half (I believe). Throw that with a 68 percent (17 of 25) performance from the line and you have a lot of points the Magic left on the board.

These were widely fixed in the second half. But in a one-point game, it matters. Both of the games have been one-point games, so clearly every little error matters.

The Cavaliers are going to make good defensive plays and make the Magic take shots they do not want to take. But unforced turnovers and missed free throws always hurt. The missed free throws especially are frustrating.

No one can play a perfect game. But Orlando has shown it can play a near perfect half. You have to if you are going to erase the deficits the team has erased in this series. But to build a lead and keep it in this series, it will take that kind of an effort.

Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers 96, Orlando Magic 95

LeBron James may have completely changed the sports culture in Cleveland.

Hedo Turkoglu calmly nailed a fall away jumper with one second left to make Cavaliers fans scramble to come up with a new "The X" moniker. The Magic held a two-point lead with one second to play and a nearly insurmountable 2-0 series lead against a team that has simply had the Cavaliers number.

But there is a reason I personally believe James can be better than -- gasp -- Michael Jordan.

Orlando pushed James out two feet beyond the 3-point line and he calmly hit a fallaway 3-pointer to answer to give Cleveland a 96-95 win in Game Two. Sending the series to Amway Arena tied at one.

Comments on James' shot: see my lead for my Game One story. James is an incredible talent and it is absolutely true that Orlando, nor any team, can defend him. He had another big game with 35 points on 12 of 23 shooting.

And James set the tone in this game. After getting criticized, and rightly so, for shooting too many jumpers in Game One, he attacked the basket and really created problems for the Magic's defense.

Early in this one, LeBron was getting to the line, creating easy shots for himself and for his teammates. More importantly, he played with a whole lot of energy.

It was an energy that the Magic lacked early in the game. Credit Cleveland's defense for once again getting into the passing lanes, poking at the ball and harrying Orlando early. The Magic were clearly in no mood for the Cavs' pesky guards.

Turnovers and fast break opportunities helped Cleveland build a 23-point lead. Howard was completely frustrated in the paint thanks to the peskiness of Maurice Williams and the large body of Anderson Varejao. It led to numerous first half turnovers.

Howard struggled to get anything going after scoring 30 points and getting anything he wanted in the paint on Wednesday. Howard finished with just 10 points on three of eight shooting. Unlike in Game One, he struggled at the line making four of his eight attempts. He was a complete non-factor offensively in the second half and was more of a threat than an actual participant.

What perhaps really changed, besides a change in defensive effort, between the first quarter and the rest of the game, was the play of Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. For the second straight game, Orlando got big efforts from those two in the second half.

Turkoglu finished with 21 and Lewis had 23. The two hit a bunch of big shots and led the Magic on the comeback trail.

There is no question that Stan Van Gundy is no longer the master of panic. His team has a lot of mental toughness and never gave up despite falling into a hole again.

Save for a miracle James shot, the Magic did what they needed to do to pull out a win. There are plenty of ways they need to adjust before Game Three.

Lewis and Turkoglu came up big offensively. Mickael Pietrus did a great job defending James late in the game. And Howard manned the paint and forced Cleveland to hit jumpers again.

It is pretty hard to believe that Orlando nearly won a game where it had to make another big road comeback. But the team nearly did. As John Hollinger pointed out on Twitter and Kenny Smith pointed out, Lewis did not do a good enough job guarding the inbounder on the final play.

But that is nitpicking. If the Magic play 48 minutes, they win this running away.

The last point that needs to be made is in this video of Maurice Williams.

In a one point game, this play mattered. Early in the game, Williams threw the ball at Dwight Howard. That is an automatic technical foul. That is one point opportunity Orlando did not have that it should have.

Expect Williams to get fined, but that point is gone and so is a chance at a 2-0 series lead.

I don't like piling on the referees, especially after close games like these or games with big swings like this one where it is clear the Magic had their opportunities, but that one is pretty egriegious.

I know none of them saw it, but it was clear something happened. Video showed something happened. And it did matter in the end. This call is worse than the Denver-Dallas call in the last round.

There is still a lot of work to do in this series. Just because the Magic should have won this game does not mean they will automatically take Games Three and Four and take control of the series.

There is a long way to go in this one.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Cavaliers Game 2

-Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel says all the pressure in this series is on LeBron James to validate his career so far. Kyle Hightower concurs.

-Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse says Cleveland does not have the formula to win a title. They are the sore thumb with only one superstar (yet two All Stars) on their team.

-John Hollinger jumps back on the Bandwagon and realizes that Orlando just may know how to defend Cleveland. And in the Playoffs, when matchups matter, that means a lot.

-Let the bulletin board material exchange begin!

-Dwight Howard and LeBron James are taking a lot of the attention of this series. But Game One was a battle of the benches. Orlando's did a good job holding the tide and keeping the team in it, Cleveland's bench did not.

-Either the Magic are a team of destiny, or Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel needs to be put in an insane asylum. After a hokey column where he talked to Rocky Balboa and Paul Revere, he now talks to Elvis Presley. Apparently they are all Magic fans. Read at your own risk.

-Rashard Lewis has done more than earn his dime in this postseason. Orlando's oft-criticized, high-priced free agent has really come into his own this postseason. Like the Magic, he has flown under the radar but has stepped up when needed.

-Courtney Lee and LeBron James share a really unknown bond. The two came up in high school together -- although in different states. Lee was part of the No. 2 team in the nation, James was on the No. 1 team. Lee worked James' high school camp last summer and the two are actually quite close.

-This postseason has been as much about the validation of Stan Van Gundy as anything else involving the Magic. George Diaz explains We are All Witnesses... to Stan Van Gundy. He is certainly making Shaquille O'Neal eat his words.

-Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm lauds Stan Van Gundy and George Karl for their ability to stick to their adjustments in this postseason. Because when matchups matter, some improvisation is important to winning.

-erivera7 of 3rd Quarter Collapse has a thorough review of LeBron James' shots in Game One. Which James shows up for Game Two will likely determine part of the outcome.

-Patrick McManamon of the Akron Beacon-Journal says defense is going to win the East. And there are some tough covers on the Magic for the Cavs.

Magic Wands: May 22, 2009

-Relive the greatest play in Magic history. Amazing how things came into place so perfectly in this game. Thanks to 3rd Quarter Collapse for the find.

-X's & O's of Basketball says Malcolm Gladwell's theory about pressing as a way for David to defeat Goliath is actually incorrect. In youth basketball, full-court press stunts growth and the way this article sounds makes it seem like an easy way out. Good thing to teach the kids. The Gladwell article is a good read though.

-Sports targets a very specific audience, so whenever it wins TV ratings it is a big deal. As Hal Boedeker of The Orlando Sentinel reports, the Magic's Game Seven win over the Celtics was the highest rated TV show Sunday night in Orlando.

-When you forget to look at your schedule this happens. Now the NBA has to throw down with the WWE for the Pepsi Center on Monday. Looks like the NBA wins.

-So where did the 1995-96 team go? Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel tracked them all down... or found them at least.

-Someone has pointed out what a bad year it has been for the NBA. First Kevin Duckworth died before the season. Then Norm Van Lier and Johnny "Red" Kerr passed away. Wayman Tisdale passed away last week. Of course, Chuck Daly two weeks ago. And now news that Jerry West has been dealing with a heart ailment in secret throughout his life. Hope for the best for the NBA logo.

-Shaquille O'Neal is taking broadcasting lessons at Syracuse. Maybe he should go to a real journalism school like Northwestern next time. Full disclosure: Go 'Cats!

-Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse finally gets Stan Van Gundy to explain his attire.

-How the NBA Draft Lottery actually works.

-Welcome to new Orlando Sentinel columnist Shannon J. Owens. It appears the Sentinel is finally re-arranging their staff and have found some pretty good replacements for David Whitley and Jerry Greene. Her first column proclaims Orlando as a legitimate sports town!

-Dwight Howard's new Adidas commercial. Very sweet. And also very Free Darko'ish.

-The 2012 Olympic team in London might look familiar. Many of the stars from the 2008 team in Beijing appear to be on board for a two-year commitment. That is assuming they win the World Championships next summer in Turkey.

-Puppet LeBron James learns about the un-stoppable.

-A kind of old video, but still very true. Dwight Howard is a beast.

Game 2 Adjustments: Magic-Cavaliers

1) Keep LeBron James on the perimeter: Stan Van Gundy summed it up best in his post game press conference. He has no clue how to guard NBA MVP LeBron James. I do not think anyone has.

But here is my best educated guess. Keep him shooting jumpers.

James is most dangerous when he is doing what he was doing in the first half. That was getting his teammates involved and scoring when he knows he needs to. All that assist-making stopped in the second half and that is when the Magic really did a good job coming back.

They closed out on shooters, cut off James' driving lanes and forced him into being a jump shooter. James is going to go down as one of the best players to ever play this game. If he can score 50 on jump shots, like he pretty much did tonight, so be it. I do not mind losing to him on jumpers. Neither should Orlando.

The first key to this series was contain the Cavs. The Magic did that in the second half of Game One. They have to continue to force James to defer to his teammates in tough situations.

I thought in the first half, Orlando overthought defending James. The Magic seemed to send a double team almost immediately, but half-heartedly with Dwight Howard and left a lot of holes in the defense. The second half was much better, with Mickael Pietrus doing a great job keeping James on the outside. Even when he drove, Pietrus was not afraid to body him up and did a good job forcing him to his second move.

There is no way to stop James. There is a way to make him dominate the ball and have the rest of the Cavaliers watch. That is what Orlando did successfully.

2) Feed the beast inside, no one can guard Dwight Howard: on our side, Cleveland has no answer for Dwight Howard. Howard scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while not getting enough mention in my recap from yesterday -- it happens when Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are the heroes.

But believe it when Howard's big game opened up space for Lewis and Turkoglu to score. The Magic must continue to find ways to get Howard involved even if Cleveland tries a new scheme to defend him.

Howard was really the only thing going in the first half and helped the Magic ride the tide of the Cavaliers' momentum.

Cleveland does a lot of things well defensively. They poke at the ball a lot on drives and they get out to shooters. It gave Howard a lot of space to operate and he was virtually single covered -- virtually because he moves faster than Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- the whole game.

Something is going to be open against this team. But Howard has to remain aggressive and continue to feel he can dominate games like James can for the Cavaliers.

3) Protect the ball: As I said above, Cleveland is extremely good at poking at the ball and getting turnovers. The team's ball pressure above the 3-point line was really incredible. Do not expect the Cavaliers to have the same defensive breakdowns they had in Game One. If the Magic find themselves down 16 again in this series, they are not coming back.

Orlando cannot give Cleveland run-out opportunities and fast breaks off turnovers. James is too good in the open court and Cleveland's point guards -- Maurice Williams and Delonte West -- thrive on the break.

Turnovers at the top of the key were killer in this one. The Magic have to do a better job protecting the ball at the top of the key and when they drive in.

Cleveland had to work hard against Orlando's defense in the second half. Turning the ball over just gives them an easy opportunity to score -- especially since the Magic have no one to match up to James' speed.

Game 1: Orlando Magic 107, Cleveland Cavaliers 106

Incredible. Undescribable. Indecipherable. Indelible. Unbelievable.

Dwight Howard fouled out. LeBron James was on to the tune of 49 points, six rebounds and eight assists. An equation for a Magic loss in a Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Those demons of "lack of mental toughness" and "unpreparedness" began to crop up as the Cavaliers ran circles around the Magic to take a 14-point halftime lead.

Maybe those demons were exorcised in the first minute of the game. Dwight Howard's early jam that tore down the shot clock reminded the TNT crew of another Orlando big man.

Then in the fourth quarter, after mounting a 16-point comeback on the road and looking completely lost after 24 minutes of play, Rashard Lewis came free on the right wing and nailed a shot over Zydrunas Ilgauskas to give the Magic a one point lead with 14 seconds to play.

James could not get free against Mickael Pietrus and dished out to Maurice Williams who found Delonte West, who hit a 3-point less than 30 seconds earlier to give Cleveland the lead and create the end of the game's back-and-forth drama. West missed his shot and the Magic held on as Williams missed a desperation 3-pointer off a jump ball.

There are no words to describe this win. If winning Game Seven was the biggest win in Magic history, it just got trumped.

Cleveland was 39-2 in the regular season at the Quicken Loans Arena and had a 16-point lead while dominating every facet of the game. The Magic did not show up until the middle of the second quarter.

But give Orlando credit. The team found a way to keep LeBron in check despite having a big game. James shot 20 of 30 from the floor. It appears that less than half of them were from inside the paint.

When Cleveland was playing great it was because James was attacking the basket and getting others involved. That is how the Cavaliers need to play. When James is forced to shoot jumpers, it makes Cleveland's offense stagnant.

Meanwhile on the other end, Dwight Howard got what he wanted offensively. Neither Zydrunas Ilgauskas nor Anderson Varejao could control him. The only people that could were the officials as Howard was in foul trouble for much of the game. He scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

At the end of the game it was Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis finishing strong. The two had the final 17 points for the Magic including two big shots by Lewis in the final 30 seconds.

When those two players are agressive, it is extremely difficult to defeat the Magic.

It is still unfathomable to describe how gritty this win is. I have noted all season how the Magic just find ways to win, even when they do not have their best game. The Cavaliers will come back strong in Game Two. Their active hands on defense really bugged the Magic and they pass too well and defend too well to not come back with a more concerted effort to keep Orlando from taking two in their building.

But Orlando gutted out this win. And it was a big win. The important thing is to stay hungry.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Cavaliers Game One

-Bleacher Report's Jared Wright gives five reasons why Cleveland will win the series. And Brandon Ribak gives his reasons why Orlando will win.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily lists three reasons why he thinks Orlando can defeat Cleveland.

-Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie asks five questions entering the Eastern Conference Finals.

-Matt Watson of NBA FanHouse, Cavs in four really? You said it yourself, Orlando seems to bug Cleveland more than any other team. You have to figure the Magic will push the Cavaliers even a little bit. I guess that is why they call it a FANhouse. It is full of goo-goo-eyed LeBron lovers who do not actually know anything about basketball.

-Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse says this series will determine which team got the better No. 1 pick. LeBron was taken No. 1 the year before Dwight Howard and the two have skyrocketed to the top of the NBA.

-The Cavaliers are learning their lessons from three tough games against the Magic this season, Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel reports.

-Courtney Lee will make his triumphant return to the starting lineup for Game One, according to The Orlando Sentinel. Once again, great job in the last series JJ Redick.

-A bunch of interesting side plots in this series. Including the matchup between father, Magic assistant coach Brendan Malone, and son, Cavaliers assistant coach Mike Malone. Also, former Orlando head man Chris Jent is an assistant with Cleveland.

-Remember when Dwight Howard said Orlando would win a title at the beginning of the season a few years ago? Well, the Magic are on the doorstep. And don't think they will let this opportunity slip. You never know when you will get back to this point.

-Cleveland fans know suffering, Kyle Hightower writes for The Orlando Sentinel.
Blogger: The Curse of the Big Aristotle - Edit Post "What They're Saying: Magic vs. Cavaliers Game One"
-Playoff basketball has brought the communities of Cleveland and Orlando closer together. Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel tells a great story of what Magic basketball has done for one area family.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily highlights how the Magic might cover LeBron James this series.

-Eight keys to winning the series from erivera7 of 3rd Quarter Collapse. Much more detailed than my three keys, but we highlight many of the same things.

-It may not mean anything, but Ben Q Rock of 3rd Quarter Collapse reveals that Rafer Alston loves playing against the Cavaliers.

Keys to the Series: Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

1) Contain the Cavs- the first point you have to mention whenever you say the words Cleveland and Cavaliers is LeBron James. There is no avoiding this matchup and stopping him is a bigger question.

Plain and simple, the man is on a mission to win an NBA title. He already got his MVP trophy this season and wants another golden trophy to add to his mantle. And he has already proven that he can take over a game and win it by himself (see his 25 straight points he ran off Detroit the last time he was in a conference final).

While the Magic have won eight of the past 11 games against the Cavaliers, James has still played well. This season, he averaged about 30 points and seven assists against Orlando. Clearly stopping him is impossible. He will inevitably get his.

The trick is to reduce his assist numbers. Expect the Magic to defend him much the way they defended Paul Pierce at the end of the Celtics series. I see Courtney Lee or Hedo Turkoglu trying to draw him into traps or immediate double teams. The key is really getting the ball out of his hands and containing the rest of the Cavaliers.

That can be done. And Orlando can do it. The Magic's defense is much better than any other the Cavaliers have seen this postseason. Their rotations are better and everyone remembers Dwight Howard's block of James in a 30-plus point romp in early April. Howard presents a significant road block to James' driving attempts.

It is key to make him a jump shooter and limit his assist opportunities.

2) Keep the ball moving: perhaps the thing Orlando struggled most with in the Boston series is ball rotation and avoiding too much one-on-one play.

The Magic, like the Cavaliers, are a hockey assist team. They often need the extra pass to get the look they want or to get the defense out of position enough to open driving lanes.

Howard will do his job and keep attention centered in the paint. But his primary job will continue to be as a deterrant on the defensive end. I think right now, that is still all Orlando can consistently rely on him to be. Cleveland also does a good job frustrating Howard and the team has more big bodies to throw at him.

Thus it becomes more important for the Magic to avoid standing around and watching Turkoglu or Howard go one on one. It is more important for them to draw double teams and force the Cavaliers to rotate on defense and pass back out to the 3-point line or drive, kick and drive again.

This was performed perfectly in Game Seven against the Celtics. Orlando rarely settle for a bad shot and the team built its lead with some unselfish basketball. It helps when shots are falling certainly.

Good looks will be tougher to get against a very good defensive team in Cleveland. But it is definitely possible.

3) Superstars must rise: having said what I said above about Howard playing against the Cavaliers' defense. It is still imperative that Howard remain active and dominate on defense and offense.

He is the Magic's superstar. There is no doubt about it. And calling out Stan Van Gundy in Game Five seemed to awaken him a little bit. I think he took the criticism he received after that well and channeled it properly on the court.

Now against a different opponent, Howard has to force some action and be the superstar. No questions asked. That does not mean taking wild running hooks. He still has to play within himself. But he has to find ways to dominate even when he is not getting touches or getting calls or getting shots to fall.

We all know James is going to come to play every night. It would not surprise me to see him score 40 a night (and believe me Orlando will be fine with that if that is half of Cleveland's points).

But Howard has given uneven efforts throughout this postseason. Games Six and Seven against Boston have perhaps been his finest basketball. He is a presence even when he does not have the ball on offense -- and makes the defense pay when they forget him -- and he is obviously a force defensively.

In addition to Howard, Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu also have to take some increased aggression.

The scores are going to be low in this series again. These are two defensive teams. It is going to be important for the cream to rise to the top. It starts with Howard, goes to Lewis and Turkoglu and filters to the rest of the team.

This is going to be a very interesting series. Orlando matches up incredibly well with Cleveland and can definitely steal a few games in this series.

The Cavaliers have not pushed yet this postseason and it will be interesting to see how they react when they do -- although they are very seasoned, so I am not expecting a whole lot of panic in them.

Magic in the conference finals? Still hard to believe

Orlando led by five points entering the fourth quarter. It was the type of situation in the team's series with Boston that was precarious.

Then the Magic extended the lead to double digits and built their lead back to 17 points. Even with the lead, it still seemed the Celtics had a great chance to close out and make a Game Five-type comeback. To Orlando's credit, the team learned its lesson and closed out the game.

And even with the Magic pulling away, it is tough to imagine them being in the Eastern Conference Finals. This was a series they should have finished in five.

But in the true character of the team, the only celebration was Rashard Lewis raising his arms and embracing Dwight Howard as the clock at the TD Banknorth Garden went to zero.

I will get to Cleveland a little bit more tomorrow.

But it still has not completely hit me that the Magic are in the conference finals, halfway to an NBA title. I have played the "this team is not ready to win a title" card all season. I still do not think the team has that special something to get the eight more wins it needs to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

What a step for this team though.

To get to this point for the first time in 13 years is an incredible accomplishment that deserves some recognition. I am sure after some reflection in the offseason -- or tip off on Wednesday -- I will begin to realize what this team has accomplished.

But perhaps right now, I am too close as a fan to appreciate everything. I guess I cheer like a coach. I expect perfection and after a game, I turn my attention to the next game. With a Finals berth only four wins away, it is a greedy get greedier proposition.

Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1996 is a fantastic accomplishment worth celebrating. It is just hard to celebrate as you get ready to go to war with a realistic -- and it is realistic chance -- to win a series.

But the Magic have certainly gained the respect of their hometown. Going to Game Four, made me extremely happy to be a Magic fan. I had not been to a playoff game since Game Six in the 2003 first round against the Pistons and the atmosphere was fantastic.

The city has gotten behind the team again. And people who were not fans before this year are fans for the first time, or fans again.

It is a good sign, but excuse me for not celebrating quite yet. There is plenty of work left to do. Reflection and celebration for a great season -- and this is a great season -- are for the offseason.

Game Seven: Orlando Magic 101, Boston Celtics 82

Ray Allen. He was the talk of the entire series. When would the sharpshooter break out of his slump.

Hedo Turkoglu too could not be found this series. And in Game Seven there was nothing left for them to hold back.

Allen finally found his scoring touch with 23 points, but so did Turkoglu to the tune of 25 points. Orlando got the kick it needed extending a five point lead in the fourth quarter to 17 to get a 101-82 series-clinching victory at the TD Banknorth Garden.

This game was a work of beauty offensively. Orlando more or less used the pick and roll exclusively in this game and got Dwight Howard going to the basket early. The pick and roll worked especially well with Turkoglu attacking the basket.

Orlando was very rarely stagnant. The team dished the ball from inside out and, for a change this postseason, actually hit its 3-pointers. The Magic hit 13 of their 21 3-pointers. Don't think that did not matter. It was clear that when the first few 3-pointers fell through, that the Celtics would be in for a long night.

Orlando is nearly impossible to beat when those shots are falling. The team shares the ball so well and Howard takes up so much attention that it opens everything in the offense up.

What was more important is that when the Magic took the lead, they continued to attack and continued to stay aggressive. Orlando played exactly how it wants to offensively.

Howard was not even the most aggressive player offensively. He scored just 12 points on five of nine shooting. His best looks offensively came off of pick and rolls and the fast break. He struggled getting anything going in the post.

A lot of credit to Kendrick Perkins for the great defense this whole series. I am sure Howard will be happy to see Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the next series.

He made his mark on the defensive end. Howard's 16 rebounds and five blocks set the tone for the entire night. And once again he was a presence.

The Magic again did a great job on Paul Pierce. Every time he touched the ball he was draped by two defenders and had to work to get his points. For the most part, the defense kept him away from the basket. Pierce had a poor performance in Game Seven with 16 points on a paltry four of 13 shooting.

Completing the team effort, Mickael Pietrus stepped up off the bench with 17 points and missed just one shot. Pietrus was an underrated cog in this series. He played good defense off the bench and hit some big shots to keep the Magic offense going at times in this series. This was the reason Orlando signed him this summer.

If it were not for injuries all season, this would have been the kind of performance to be expected from him throughout the season.

As Stan Van Gundy said after the game, tomorrow we go back to work. Tonight is the night to celebrate a crucial victory for the franchise.

Orlando reached the conference finals for the first time since 1996 and appear to be firing on all cylinders -- much like at the end of the Philadelphia series -- entering the next round. Hopefully it does not wear off.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Celtics Game 7

-Great video from Knicks blog Seven Seconds or Mess analyzing Boston's defense against Dwight Howard. It is no secret that Howard struggles against the Celtics, but this video does a great job breaking down exactly how they do it. More importantly it shows that Hedo Turkoglu has got to start hitting some shots.

-ESPN holds a roundtable answering the big questions before Game Seven.

-Somehow the Magic find a way even without a real threat to take over in the fourth quarter as Brian Schmitz writes in The Orlando Sentinel.

-The New York Times looks in to the JJ Redick vs. Allen matchup. Even with Redick's superb defense, Allen could still go off for 20 in the first quarter. But Redick has certainly set the tone for how the Magic defend Allen with his great play to open games.

-Patrick Ewing went on ESPN Radio in Washington D.C. and guaranteed a Magic win. Of course he thinks Orlando is going to win, but you don't say that on radio! Doc Rivers tells the Boston Globe that he is very happy that he did. Ewing does not have a good track record with guarantees.

-Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse says the Celtic mystique does exist if they find a way to pull out Game Seven. This series has been about the junkyard dogs of the Boston team and not the "Big Three."

-What Game Seven might mean for future of the Celtics.

-Michael White of The Orlando Sentinel is worried about JJ Redick starting Game Seven. But as several Magic fans, including myself, have tried to argue, Redick has not been horrible this series... at least on defense.

-Game Seven is a big turning point in the franchise according to Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. This is Dwight Howard's NCAA Tournament. It is one-and-done for the teams.

-Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel tells Magic fans to disparage and ridicule their team. It might be the only way to give them the adversity they need to win.

-Mike Moreau of Scouts Inc. offers his thoughts on the adjustments each team should make. Expect Boston to stop the silly turnovers and space its shooters better with Orlando constantly double-teaming Paul Pierce. Orlando will probably continue to try to get Howard involved and increase his energy level. In the end, he thinks the experience and home court will win the Celtics this series. To me, that is shaky ground to stand on (it is not a basketball reason), so I would expect a close game.

-Adonal Foyle puts what Orlando has to do simply in his blog for The Orlando Sentinel.

-Orlando Magic Daily's Woody Womack tracked down some local NBA experts and got their predictions for the decisive Game Seven. As expected, they are all pretty split on the subject.

-Rajon Rondo is incredibly stubborn and expects greatness in everything he does. So much so that he refused training wheels when he learned to ride a bike at four and continues to be the perfectionist that makes Boston go.

-Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe says this game is anything but a foregone conclusion. History means nothing and both teams know they left opportunities out on the floor this series.

Game Seven Adjustments: Magic-Celtics

1) Attack and kick: Orlando has not been shooting well in this series, it is no secret. Even wide open shots are rushed and not falling. But the Magic have been able to survive thanks to their ability to drive and get to the basket.

Whether the ball gets to Dwight Howard inside or not, Orlando must continue to find a way to attack the basket and get to the free throw line (the team shot 31 free throws to Boston's 13) or kick out to shooters.

What the Magic did very well in Game Six was continuing to attack even after the first kick out. Boston's defense is very very good. But Orlando has shown it can get to the basket, it must continue to do so.

2) Establish Howard or Lewis in the post: the Magic have two great post presences in this series. Lewis has gotten a lot of good looks in the post and has attacked the basket strong with Glen Davis or Brian Scalabrine on him.

Dwight Howard became a much more aggressive presence in the post and looked to score. He took a few ill-advised shots and the Celtics continued to frustrate him the post, but Game Six was by far his best in the series.

Getting a good post presence is important for this team. It is the best chance Orlando has at scoring in this series, working inside-out from the post. They have to work to establish this presence to set up everything they do.

It was great to see a mix of Howard and Lewis going in the post. It might be good to try to get Hedo Turkoglu going in the post. It seems to have gotten Lewis going and I think Orlando needs to try to do what it can to get Turkoglu going.

Either way, keeping the ball in the post is an easy way to take advantage of a mismatch and put the stars in easy places to attack the basket and score.

3) Be prepared for any and everything: this is Game Seven. There is nothing to be left behind. Boston is very experienced in these Game Seven situations. Orlando is not.

Don't know if that will help or not.

But the Magic have to be willing to try any and everything and cannot be afriad of anything. They must play with a fantastic effort ot pull this win out.

Something like the one they got in Game Six, only probably twice as much.

The Magic are certainly capable. They have proven to be a resilient bunch. Execution and desperation will be key. Orlando cannot get beat to loose balls and cannot get outhustled.

This could be the last game of the season for both teams, and both will play like it.

JJ Redick should be starting

It is no secret, JJ Redick had another bad shooting night in Game Six. He shot 0 for 7 and even missed a free throw. It has not been a great shooting series for him either. He is shooting at a 28.9 percent clip this series and averaging 6.5 points per game.

So why oh why would I continue to say Redick should start ahead of nearly season-long starter Courtney Lee?

Redick entered this league as a sharpshooter and that is still probably his best skill -- no matter how poorly he shoots. But he has developed into a pretty decent defensive player and the job he has done on Ray Allen has been quite good.

A look at Allen's stats, the player Redick has been assigned to guard at the beginning of games at least, reveals some of the answers.

Allen shot a paltry two for 11 in Game Six last night and is shooting 30.7 percent from the field in the series. He has hit on only 13.9 percent of his 3-pointers. This season, Allen shot 39.8 percent from beyond the 3-point arc and is widely considered to be one of the best shooters in the league right now (I know I marveled at his shot during pre-game warmups in Game Four).

The Connecticut product certainly had some big games against the Bulls in the first round and was certainly not slumping entering this series. So why has he struggled?

Part of the reason has to be Redick. Redick has done a great job keeping up with Allen as he runs off countless screens and has done a great job crowding Allen and forcing him to catch the balls in areas where he is not comfortable shooting or not ready to shoot.

Credit some of the team defense for that too. Dwight Howard, or whoever is guarding the last Allen pick on the perimeter has done a good job hedging out to him to discourage a pass or give Redick time to get to him.

Even when Allen has been open, Orlando has done enough to throw him off rhythm or even second guess himself. Allen certainly has not done a good enough job attacking the rim.

But Redick deserves more credit than I think a lot more people want to give him for his defensive job on Allen.

During the regular season, Redick had an allowed eFG% of 46.3 percent. Not too bad. And according to the stats used in a Fantasy League I am in that uses deeper level stats, he has had a -1.6 percent impact on opponent's eFG% (don't know if you will be able to access this, but there is the link anyway. If you are into this sort of things, I highly suggest contacting Ben and getting in one of the test leagues, it is a LOT of fun. The Web site is xohoops.com).

The +/- in this series has also been interesting to look at.

Redick has a +0 this series, including a +20 in Orlando's blowout win in Game Three. That is not great for a starter, but you are not expecting to get a whole lot of point production from Redick whether he is starting or not.

Ray Allen on the other hand has had some wild swings. Overall, he is -4 for the series. He had some great games, including a +19 in Game Two -- the only game really where he found it easy to score. But he also had some miserable games, including a -15 in Game One.

The bottom line is that it is tough to say whether the Celtics are getting more production with Allen on the floor. And that can be credited to the job the defense has done on him. It starts with Redick.

Now, Redick certainly should not be on the floor at the end of games. His shot is simply not falling right now and Courtney Lee is a much better (or more versatile) offensive option.

But Redick, I think, really sets the tone for the type of defense the Magic want to play against Allen. The fact that he himself is a shooter who uses similar strategies, I think, helps too.

There is no reasont to change what is already working. Redick will most likely return to the bench for the next round as Orlando will opt for the more physical Courtney Lee on LeBron James. But for now, Redick is doing a great job on Allen and is deserving of the playing time he is getting.

Magic Wands: May 15, 2009

-The wonderful story of The Polish Hammer.

-The Magic have a new song to commemorate their playoff run this year. Sadly, it is not "Ain't No Stopping the Magic." Anyone find that yet?

-A moment of silence for former Magic coach and Hall of Famer Chuck Daly, who passed away last Saturday.

-Introducing NBA Europe. But wouldn't it be a better idea to try and create a league of the already established superpowers and try to bring them into the NBA fold. I know that is David Stern's master plan.

-TNT continues to get solid ratings for the Playoffs.

-Don't usually like Bill Simmons, especially after his tweet that complained about Dwight Howard stepping over the free throw line on his intentional miss in Game Five... again, Bill, really? You are complaining about a missed call in that game? But I digress. Simmons sat down with Malcolm Gladwell to talk about sports and some random network stuff. I am taking a class on this and while Simmons litters (read: dominates) the conversation with too much sport and pop culture references, Gladwell's brilliance hopefully shines through.

-Magic fan photo gallery!

Game Six: Orlando Magic 83, Boston Celtics 78

Orlando trailed all night. Shots were not falling. And elimination seemed almost certain.

Don't tell that to Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. All three had a hand in the Magic's come-from-behind Game Six victory that sent the series back to Boston for a decisive Game Seven on Sunday.

Howard demanded the ball and he got it. Establishing a low post presence that opened driving lanes and gave the Magic easy ways to score. He not only was more aggressive on offense, but also attacked the boards better and made sure he owned every rebound.

Superman had 23 points and 22 rebounds.

Lewis was the man Orlando tried to get it to throughout the game. He was active driving to the lane and did not just simply spot up at the 3-point line. Lewis had 20 points on seven of 18 shooting, missing all four of his 3-point shots.

But it was Turkoglu's determination that ultimately put this game away.

Turkoglu could not hit a shot. Every time the ball left his hand, nothing seemed to go right. Then he came alive in the fourt quarter, as he often does. Turkoglu hit a big 3-pointer to turn a three-point lead into a six-point lead and effectively end Boston's chances to close out the series in Orlando.

He finished with seven points on three of 13 shooting, but the three he hit were the ones that eventually mattered.

And the final numbers on the scoreboard is all that mattered. It read: Magic 83, Celtics 78.

This was a gutsy effort from Orlando. With rumors and controversy swirling after Howard's comments after Game Five, the Magic could have easily folded. Instead, they banded together and won on a night when they were really struggling.

The defense really stepped it up tonight and it all started with the effort from Howard. The Magic forced 19 turnovers, helping cancel out the overall poor shooting effort. Orlando shot just 36.6 percent and trailed for most of the night, and by as much as 12.

The Celtics certainly had their opportunities to pull away. Orlando went through stretches where the team could not score, but came up with the stops it needed.

A gutsy effort is the only way to describe it. The Magic had their backs to the wall and even trailing the entire game, they found a way to pull this one out.

But the feeling of relief that there is a Game Seven should give way to the fact that this team has accomplished nothing. Orlando just survived another day. The real accomplishment comes after winning Game Seven, something that will certainly not be easy to do.

What They're Saying: Celtics vs. Magic Game Six

-Lot of consternation going on with Dwight Howard's comments about Stan Van Gundy after Game Six. Some believe the Magic might be crashing and burning before our very eyes. Either way, some weaknesses in the makeup of this team have been exposed this postseason and Otis Smith has his work cut out for him to fix it this offseason.

-Dwight Howard attempted to explain his comments on his blog Wednesday. I think he was just venting some frustration. You do not want to do that to the media, but in the end, Van Gundy WILL be the coach of the team next year and hopefully the team will be better for this experience.

-John Hollinger rips apart Dwight Howard's comments on Stan Van Gundy with some interesting stats. Not saying the Magic are better without Howard, but having him in the game changes sometihng for the worse.

-X's and O's of Basketball believes Stan Van Gundy may have lost the locker room in the wake of Game Five. Either way, he wonders why Howard vented his frustrations to the media instead of talking openly and honestly with the coach.

-Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel has some interesting insight into Dwight Howard's questioning of Stan Van Gundy after Game Five. Van Gundy is apparently at piece that he will one day be run off by the superstar, Howard backed off his comments and takes his role as franchise player seriously and the two are prepping for Game Six tonight.

-erivera7 of 3rd Quarter Collapse goes over some keys for Orlando to force a Game Seven. Included in there: start Courtney Lee (not sure about that one as JJ Redick has played fantastic defense on Ray Allen this series), play Marcin Gortat (always a good decision) and make Rashard Lewis the No. 1 option on offense.

-Nate Jones of NBA FanHouse states what I think a lot of Magic fans were thinking after Game Five: We really miss Jameer Nelson.

-After 94 games this season, it could all end Thursday night in Amway Arena.

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel says Superman cannot be super unless he delivers in the Playoffs. Right now, the Magic look like they are folding and playing soft. They will need to toughen up to force a Game Seven.

-Bob Ryan and Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe preview Game Six and the feud between Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy. They find it mostly unfounded and think the Magic will win... although the feud has brought in some doubts in their mind.

-Paul Ego of The Puns are Starting to Bore Me writes an open letter to Dwight Howard begging him to ignore his offensive struggles and focus on defense -- where he can make the biggest impact for his team.

-Ben Q Rock of Third Quarter Collapse breaks down Dwight Howard's touches this series and concludes that Howard has not been effective at all on offense this series -- outside of putbacks and offensive rebounds. The only fault with Stan Van Gundy is not involving him in the right kind of plays to get him points.

-John Hollinger wonders why all Orlando and Boston's 3-pointers are not falling. It is a good question or an explosion waiting to happen.

-Mike Moreau of Scouts Inc. says Orlando should get more drives off ball reversals in Game Six. Also expect Boston to focus more on defense and defending the pick and roll and those driving lanes. Moreau's prediction: there will be a Game Seven.

-Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe says the Celtics are preparing for a more focused and desperate Magic team tonight. The apparent divisions could bring the team closer.

-Kendrick Perkins expects a much better effort from Dwight Howard tonight. He has been up to the challenge so far.

-Adonal Foyle provides his thoughts on what Orlando must do tonight to win. Surprisingly he does not suggest that he should play and get the ball. Foyle is cool like that. He will actually be blogging for The Orlando Sentinel from now on. Hopefully he will still be in a Magic uniform, he is a joy for the roster.

Game 6 Adjustments: Celtics vs. Magic

Well, here it is. Orlando is facing elimination for the first time this postseason. Completely untested waters for this team as it is do-or-die win-or-go home time in Orlando. Whatever tricks Stan Van Gundy has left, he better use them Thursday or else the season is over. And that is a very difficult prospect to stomach.

1) Ride your star: Dwight Howard was simply a non-factor at the end of Game Five. He was not touching the ball and Orlando was not trying to get it to him. The reason the Magic have not been able to finish these games this postseason is because they lack someone who can simply score whenever he touches the ball.

They have tried Hedo Turkoglu to varying success and Jameer Nelson is not walking out of that locker room with a protective shoulder pad and a jersey on. That means Howard has to be the Magic's horse and they have to be willing to go as far as he takes them.

If Howard is going to be the superstar we all know he can be, this has to be his game on both ends of the floor. Anything short of a 20-20 game from him has to be considered almost unacceptable (unless they win). Howard has to provide the stats that go along with the effort and the Magic have to allow him to do that.

It is true, he has struggled mightily to score this series. Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis do a great job pushing him out of his comfort zone. But Howard has to know he is better than both of them and still do what he wants.

On defense, he has to be the force rebounding the ball. He cannot leave Davis or Perkins alone, but he still must challenge perimeter breakdowns in the paint. When the ball goes up for a rebound, it must be his.

Orlando can only go as far as Howard takes them. And Howard needs to take them to a victory Thursday.

2) Control the defensive glass: this was the Magic's most glaring weakness in Game Five. Boston grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and every one seemed to hurt.

The biggest of course was Kendrick Perkins rebound after Rajon Rondo's air ball and tied for the biggest was Rondo's rebound after Ray Allen missed a shot with about 20 seconds left after that blown call (and it was a blown call by the referees).

Howard cannot be the only one rebounding. Rashard Lewis has to come in and box out Glen Davis and rotate to help Howard out. Hedo Turkoglu has to crash the boards better. Everyone has to ensure the Celtics do not get second chance points. It is clear Boston can out-execute Orlando down the stretch. Giving them second opportunities only hurts more.

3) Believe: the Game Five loss stings. Stings a whole hell of a lot more than Game Four did. I walked out of Amway Arena after Game Four confident that if the Magic shot the ball better, they could easily defeat the Celtics.

Orlando certainly did that before shutting down in Game Five.

As Turkoglu said, it is tough to explain how Game Five and control of the series got away. From everything I have heard from friends, reports about the game, the locker room and my own feelings, the confidence in the Magic Kingdom is a little rocked right now.

But it is NOT impossible to win Game Six. The Amway Arena crowd, which by the way was absolutely electric in Game Four, will be behind the Magic to force a Game Seven on Sunday.

The Game Five loss IS only one game and the series is still a manageable 3-2. The Magic have shown they can win in Boston once and they nearly did it twice. It is not hard to imagine Orlando being able to win Game Seven (although it will not be easy).

But do not think winning Game Six will be easy either. There is a long way left to go in this series.

The wounds from Tuesday's game will sting, but the series is far from over. Orlando has to seize the moment. The team cannot wait for Boston to have an off night or roll over and head to the TD Banknorth Garden on Sunday.

The Magic must step up and tell the world they can and will reach the Eastern Conference Finals.