Game 3 Adjustments: Lakers-Magic

1) Keep the offense moving: the big thing Orlando has struggled with offensively this season is getting into the paint. Even when Dwight Howard gets the ball in the post, he is having trouble getting into the paint.

The Magic are getting the ball knocked away and poked out. Orlando's success this postseason has come because of the team's ability to get Howard going inside or the ability to drive the ball inside and kick out. That has been largely stopped in the first two games.

Orlando started doing something the team has not done. Moving without the ball. It widely worked, but it is a new wrinkle to the offense Orlando will have to continue integrate.

Los Angeles is covering the pick an droll extremely tightly and the defender's length is giving the team difficulties in penetrating. Add the Lakers' very good rotation to cover Dwight Howard as he rolls to the basket, and it is a perplexing problem for Stan Van Gundy to solve.

Orlando did find some success with three-man action with Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Howard working the pick and roll together (with Lewis typically setting up in the corner). But this depends on the team hitting jumpers. And we have learned in this series, that might not happen.

The Magic must work to get to the basket more. This means when they drive through the lane, they have to belooking to score. Numerous times, the team was looking to pass first rather than score. That kind of mentality will not win games in the Finals.

By moving off the ball, the team can make the defense work a little more and create space for Dwight Howard. That means getting Lewis moving toward the perimeter on flare screens or Turkoglu working across the lane on curl screens.

Orlando must find new, unpredictable ways to score. Los Angeles has simply figured out how best to defend Orlando's pick and roll.

2) Keep playing physical defense: it hurt the Magic for Mickael Pietrus to be on the bench for the end of the game. And those last two fouls were very "iffy" at best -- I suspect superstar calls for Kobe Bryant. Despite Pietrus fouling out, he did a very good job defensively in staying physical with Bryant.

That, I believe, is the key to the Magic's defensive effort. They must try to be more physical than the Lakers. Los Angeles is not a physical team, Orlando can be.

Howard was a bully on the boards and began to assert himself on defense more, repelling Lakers from the paint. Pietrus was also physical with Bryant and kept him from going to the paint as much as he could (also helpful to note, Bryant deferred to his teammates throughout the night).

Orlando has to continue to frustrated Los Angeles' defense this way and play physical. It threw off the Lakers' timing a little bit and allowed the Magic to stay in the game.

3) Control the ball and the pace: two things Orlando did horribly wrong in Game Two -- turnovers and failing to take advantage of a plus-nine advantage on the boards.

Part of the Magic's problems offensively were the 20 turnovers they committed. Hard to win any game with that many miscues, forced or unforced. Orlando has to limit these turnovers.

The team can do it in the way I described above, but it really comes down to just taking care of the ball. It is all about not forcing offense and not dribbling into traffic. Passes were generally on target throughout the game and Orlando got much better looks than in Game One.

But turnovers kept the team from finishing off this game. Give credit to Los Angeles for being extremely active. But as 3rd Quarter Collapse likes to always say, execution matters.

The pace also was slowed to a crawl at times and that does not favor Orlando. When the team gets a huge rebounding advantage, it must look to run. The Lakers shot the ball pretty well, but the Magic were reluctant to run.

I think ugly games like Game Two favor Orlando, but the team must look to push the pace and beat Los Angeles down the court. The Magic will find success if they can get into their offense before the Lakers set their defense. That will be key to getting their first victory in this series.

Game 2: Los Angeles Lakers 101, Orlando Magic 96

Hedo Turkoglu lobbed the ball toward the rim, like he did two years ago in a regular season game against the Spurs. Rashard Lewis set the pick and Courtney Lee came off.

He caught the ball and tried to lay it off the backboard, only to see it fall off the front rim. Lee shook his head after missing his second potentially game-winning basket in Game Two.

Recovering from a horrid effort in Game One, Orlando had the right moves to get the franchise's first Finals victory but fell off the front rim.

The Magic failed to execute in the overtime period as Kobe Bryant slashed his way to the rim and caused havoc offensively. Bryant finished with 29 points to lead Los Angeles to a 101-96 win and a 2-0 series lead.

Orlando had a much better effort in this game, especially on the defensive end. The two teams combined for 30 points in the first quarter, the lowest for any first quarter in Finals history. The physical play favored the Magic as they bided their time waiting for their shooting to come around.

As Stan Van Gundy noted to sideline reporter Dorris Burke in the first quarter, Orlando's effort on offense did not change. It got better as the game went on, but the team still struggled. The Magic went to the locker room down five points thanks to 20 first half points from Rashard Lewis.

Lewis scored 34 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had seven assists, putting in one of his best games in an Orlando uniform. In the third quarter, Hedo Turkoglu woke up. Turkoglu carried the team to the fourth quarter as he often does and finished with 22 points.

It was good to see the shots start to fall (although there were still a few that went halfway down and then back out, Orlando will need to solve those LA rims to win this series). But the offense was far from perfect.

Orlando had eight turnovers in the first quarter and finished with 20 in the game. It was still hard for the team to find good looks. Dwight Howard was used as a decoy for much of the game as he struggled to work his way in the post against the Lakers' double teams.

Howard generally passed the ball well, but Los Angeles' length continued to bother him. And it continued to bother the perimeter players. It was difficult throughout the night for the Magic to catch the ball in positions to shoot and driving lanes were cut off.

The Magic attacked it a lot more and did not look as scared about going after the Lakers as they did in Game One. Orlando started to match Los Angeles' physicality. But the team did not do it enough of the game.

At times, the Magic still looked to pass and still struggled. The turnover numbers say it all as Los Angeles poked the ball away and still interrupted Orlando's offense.

Defensively things looked a lot better. Orlando did a good job keeping Bryant out of the lane -- for the most part -- and forced others to beat them. They did with Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol getting some good bounces and hitting their shots.

The Magic were much grittier and scrappier on defense. They won the rebounding battle 44-35 and gave up only four offensive rebounds. This was much improved from Game One and something Orlando should look to keep.

In the end, this game was a missed opportunity. The Magic played much better and should have won this game. Los Angeles continued to frustrate Orlando offensively, but the team still had a chance to win. I expect things to change greatly at Amway Arena.

But home court alone will not change things. The Magic will need to find a way to keep their offensive flowing and execute to win Game Three. It will not be easy.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Lakers Game Two

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily talks with Kurt Helin of Lakers blog Forum Gold and Blue in advance of Game Two.

-Hoops4Life of Bleacher Report says Rashard Lewis has earned his paycheck. With the clutch performances he has given this postseason and Orlando's presence in the Finals, it is hard to argue.

-A Lakers fan's suggestions on how the Magic can improve in Game Two.

-Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline talks with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about the state of the 7-foot center in today's NBA.

-Oh how the mighty, or in this case JJ Redick and Adam Morrison, have fallen as Mike Freeman opines.

-Sean Deveney of the Baseline says Game Two is all about adjustments and offers his changes in strategy for the Magic for tonight's game.

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel writes about the journey of Brian Shaw and how everyone wants to see him continue his success.

-Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel believe Orlando should go all in and start Jameer Nelson in Game Two.

-Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel says momentum could swing to Orlando if the team can get a Game Two win. It would also set history as the Magic's first Finals victory.

-Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times is confident the Lakers will win the series, but remembers a time earlier this postseason when they blew out a team one night and then got beat the next. It has been a roller coaster ride to the Finals for Los Angeles.

-Mark Jackson, writing for The Orlando Sentinel, writes the Magic must get one of their perimeter weapons to produce to open up lanes for Dwight Howard.

-Lakers.com previews Game Two with assistant coach Brian Shaw.

-Forum Blue & Gold previews Game Two and makes some good points about Orlando's decision to attack the wings rather than hitting the Lakers right up the middle.

-Henry Abbott of TrueHoop gets Adonal Foyle to talk about Orlando's resiliency.

Game 2 Adjustments: Magic-Lakers

1) Look to score and attack the basket: The thing that amazes me about this Orlando team time and time again is its ability to make the extra pass to find the open shooter and typically the better shot.

The Magic simply were passive on both sides of the court. As SportsCenter put it on its Twitter feed: "Josh E:The Magic looked happy to be there.The Lakers looked like they wanted to win 4 games in 1 night. And Kobe looked better than them all"

That is all that needs to be said. The effort was sort of there. The aggression was not.

Dwight Howard got the ball in the post and did not look to tear down the basket. Rashard Lewis settled for mid-range jumpers instead of going for the rim. Hedo Turkoglu hit his first couple shots and stayed on the perimeter.

Orlando is a better team when it attacks the basket and everyone looks to score. The 3-point shots are not just opened by Howard's presence in the middle. They are opened by everyone driving to the hole and causing the defense to collapse into the paint.

The Magic looked nervous on the big stage after Kobe Bryant offered his knockout punch in the second quarter. Things were rushed and the team was out of control. But for Orlando to have success in this series, it must look to score and play a fluid offense.

Kobe Bryant had that killer instinct and it was clear he wanted tot ake over the game. Howard needs to do the same and be a leader for his team.

2) Be more physical on defense, especially with Bryant: everyone in the Playoffs has pointed out that the Lakers are not the most physical of teams. Orlando is not seen as a physical team, but it is.

The Magic were scared this game (read above). They did not match the Lakers' aggression level. Sometimes jumpers do not fall... but not like this.

I remember Orlando's first game against Los Angeles. Bryant went off for 41 points, but I came away impressed with the job Keith Bogans did. Bogans was tough and physical with Bryant. I cannot recall Bryant driving to the hoop and getting easy shots at the basket. It was a tough 41 points (and it was on bad shooting).

The Magic are going to be fine with Bryant getting his points (barring 81-point outbursts) as long as others do not get involved -- notice how Phil Jackson pointed this out discretely during the game. But Orlando has to keep Bryant on the perimeter and, like defenders against Howard, us the team's fouls against him.

On the inside, it is OK to take a couple fouls to push people out of the paint. Orlando needs to win the physical battle and that means limiting offensive rebounds. Los Angeles simply outworked Orlando on this end of the court.

3) Bounce back: Orlando has been real good at bouncing back this entire season. This is one game. A 25-point blowout still counts as one win in the series. So this series is still competitive. The Magic cannot forget that.

They must bounce back strong in Game Two. That means a good start. An aggressive effort on both offense and defense. And a quick memory.

Who knows if Orlando is going to win Game Two. But the Magic will give a better effort for sure.

LATE Magic Wands: June 5, 2009

-Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated discusses the art of flopping.

-Former Magic center Ben Wallace may retire after Cleveland ousting from the postseason.

-Dennis Rodman now on Twitter.

-The Puns are Starting to Bore Me update the latest LeBron James and Kobe Bryant puppet commercials in light of Saturday's Game Six win.

-The WNBA's Phoenix Mercury will have an advertisement prominently displayed on their jerseys this year. Could it open the door for the NBA to have ads emblazoned on their jerseys?

-Going to the Finals will pay big dividends for the Magic.

-As long as the fans want him, Dwight Howard wants to be in Orlando. This article provides an interesting look into the motivations of a star player as he weighs whether to leave the city that drafted them or stay.

-It's OK Gators fans, Tim Tebow paid for his very expensive courtside seat to Game Six against Cleveland last Saturday.

-Former Magic coach Brian Hill compares Dwight Howard to Shaquille O'Neal. Let the fun ensue.

-Maybe now Dwight Howard is out of LeBron James' shadow.

-This trip to the Finals is clearly for the fans.

-There is an economic windfall from Orlando's advancing to the Finals. Translation: more money for Orlando businesses thanks to the city pride in its team.

-ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy talks to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman about the upcoming NBA Finals.

-Funny movie posters for the NBA Finals!

-Sweet wallpaper from The Orlando Sentinel for the NBA Finals.

-Kobe & LeBron: you will take this VitaminWater commercial and you will like it!

-Be sure to join the Twitter game against the Lakers. Put the hash tag (those happy "#" that underline the following word) before BeatLA on all Tweets tonight and for the rest of the series. Or copy and paste this: #BeatLA. Go Magic!

-NBATV is expanding its reach and Bethlehem Shoals of the Baseline blog hopes they find a way to take advantage of it.

-John Paulsen of The Scores Report says Otis Smith is the real Executive of the Year and defends his move to trade a much-improved Trevor Ariza last year.

-Lakers fans apparently REALLY hate LeBron James.

Game One: Los Angeles Lakers 100, Orlando Magic 75

At the beginning of the second quarter, Jameer Nelson checked into the game for the first time since injuring his shoulder in the first week of February. After four months, the Magic were finally complete and had their leader on the court.

And Nelson quickly made an impact. He scored four points and had four assists very quickly as the Magic took a five-point lead in the early second quarter.

But something was off. Nelson lacked the aggression he had the rest of the season. He was not looking to score and deferred to teammates. Maybe it was the glorification of his play from the beginning of the season, but something seemed off.

For his first game back, Nelson played pretty well. He scored six points and had four assists in 23 minutes. But like the rest of the team, something was missing despite getting some good looks offensively.

Orlando shot 29.9 percent (read that again, please because you will never see that again in an NBA game) and got beat by a more aggressive and determined Los Angeles team, dropping Game One 100-75 at the Staples Center last night.

There is not much that needs to be said offensively. The Magic stuck to the perimeter and, as was pointed out in the broadcast, were clearly bothered by the Lakers' length on the perimeter in the post.

But the looks Orlando was getting were not bad. The team missed all, and I mean ALL, its open shots and settled for jumpers with Dwight Howard struggling on the inside.

It was clear in Game One that this series will rest on Howard's play. Howard scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. He shot just one of six from the floor but mad 10 of his 16 free throws. Howard clearly became passive in the second half after getting frustrated in the post by Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Howard's passes out to the perimeter garnered empty shots and the team could not close the gap.

It was a gap built by Kobe Bryant and pretty much Kobe Bryant alone. Bryant scored 40 points, 18 in the third quarter, and despite pretty decent defense took it to the Magic and got whatever he wanted.

The Lakers outscored the Magic 29-15 in the third quarter, expanding a 10-point halftime lead. Los Angeles' defense started shutting down Orlando's drives and continued to chase the shooters off the arc and back into the traps in the middle.

That is really all that needs to be said about this game.

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

-Jerry Crowe of the Los Angeles Times talks about how Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant were nearly teammates... on the Clippers.

-As far as coaching is concerned, Stan Van Gundy and Phil Jackson could not be more different, Mike Bianchi writes for The Orlando Sentinel.

-The Lakers and the Magic are still escaping the shadow of Shaquille O'Neal.

-Bethlehem Shoals of the Baseline blog says versatility is the key to the success of the Magic and Lakers. and it might be a sign for the future in the NBA.

-Mike Freeman of CBS Sportsline compares the 2009 Magic to the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants of two years ago. Both are equally tough and both are huge underdogs despite their successes so far.

-Third Quarter Collapse sits down with various NBA experts and bloggers to answer some questions about the series.

-Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated says the role players will be key to winning the NBA Finals.

-Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes Orlando is making the three the new two.

-Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times says the Lakers remember their defeat last year against the Boston Celtics and want some redemption from it in a title this year.

-Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe reports former Magic assistant coach Clifford Ray feels like a proud papa after seeing his student, Dwight Howard, reach the NBA Finals. Ray was an assistant coach during Howard's rookie season and grew very close with him during his one season working with him.

-John Denton writing for ESPN talks about Dwight Howard's maturation in this postseason.

-Andrea Adelson of The Orlando Sentinel profiles the man, Otis Smith, who built the Magic.

-Jon Nichols writing for Hardwood Paroxysm graphs the correlation between regular season series victories and postseason series victories.

-Rashard Lewis in an interview with Sporting News says the Kobe-LeBron commercials did inspire the Magic and what happened when he met Magic/Lakers fan Tiger Woods.

-Are the Magic just hot? Maybe not. According to some stats from Tom Ziller of NBA FanHouse the current stretch by Orlando is not just a flash in the pan.

-Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says a Kobe championship is very much about showing up Shaquille O'Neal (who won the title with the Heat as a supporting character).

-erivera7 of Third Quarter Collapse runs some projection numbers on Jameer Nelson and finds out that his return (statistically speaking) might be just a slight improvement over Anthony Johnson. Either way, it is looking less likely Nelson will play.

-Marc Berman of the New York Post writes a championship ring as a coach for Patrick Ewing would be as satisfying as a championship as a player.

-Otis Smith bought a 1989 Corvette Convertible for the parade he hopes the Magic will get in a few weeks. It certainly will be bigger than the last parade they got -- when they first became a team.

-Chris Erskine of Los Angeles Times asks the nation: Why does everyone want to beat LA? Los Angelinos are quite nice. And in honor of that I will say, "BEAT THE LAKERS!"

-The Ghost of Finals Past still follows Nick Anderson. A Magic win would do a lot to vindicate the now-front office ambassador.

-The Disney bet is on. And between Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer and Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

-Kobe Bryant is racing against Father Time to get his title, writes Mike Bresnehan of the Los Angeles Times. And not only is his legacy at stake, but also maybe Pau Gasol's.

The Jameer Nelson question

Last week when Jameer Nelson told NBATV that he might return if the Magic reached the finals, my thoughts were: good to see he is still being competitive and that his rehab is going well. Let's get there first.

Well, we are here. And so apparently is Nelson.

After tearing his labrum in his shoulder in early February, the prognosis was for his return in August. No chance of making the court for the playoffs.

But Nelson has proven once again to be the determined little warrior that steals the Magic Dancers' hearts. The fifth-year point guard went through a full-contact practice Tuesday with the second team before the team left for Game One of the NBA Finals in Los Angeles.

Supposedly, he was put through some difficult drills -- like running shoulder first through screens set by Adonal Foyle (he may love everyone, but that is a big dude to run into). It is unclear whether he will actually be able to play and can be, at best, listed as day-to-day.

The Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday that Nelson will not play in Game One tonight and his return for the Finals is slim. But there still might be a chance the six-foot spark plug could suit up for the Magic (can anyone say misdirection?)

That leaves the question for Otis Smith and Stan Van Gundy: should you play Jameer Nelson in the NBA Finals?

Undoubtedly, you would want one of your best players available for the biggest series in the franchise's history. Nelson, before his injury, was undoubtedly an NBA All Star and having his best season.

But, while you do not want to assume the window to win a title will be open for multiple seasons, Nelson is a key component of the team. It would be difficult for the team to repeat last year's success if Nelson is continually out of the lineup with constant injuries.

It is a difficult question to answer. When Nelson seriously began discussing playing in this series, I wanted to protect him for the future. There was no reason to mess up the good thing Orlando had going with Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson manning the point.

Having said that, now it appears Nelson is closer to full strength then everyone thought. It might be beneifical for Orlando to have their speedy all-star point guard to run around Derek Fisher and the Lakers for 10-15 minutes per game (don't expect anyone to keep track of his minutes, there is no reason to hold him back if he can produce... injury or not).

In all the previews I have read the caveat mentioned in the Magic's season sweep was the presence of Nelson. Having him back in the lineup could be a key factor to a victory.

It would be tough for the team to have Nelson in and out of the lineup. Whatever decision is made has to be made and stuck to. There can be no waffling.

In this new era of Magic basketball where the fans don't cling to the past and live for the now. I think Nelson should play. I flew home from school in Chicago for Game Six saying "when are we going to get back here?" And that is a real question the Magic should be asking themselves in this evaluation.

Nelson gives Orlando a chance to win this series, even in limited minutes. If he can prove himself up to game speed and contribute even a little, it is worth the risk. If Nelson plays Game One and wakes up the next morning with a tight shoulder, perhaps Orlando shuts him down for the rest of the series. If he comes out in Game One and scored 12 points with three or four assists in 15 minutes, then Nelson has done his job and has made the risk well worth it.

It is much better than asking what might have been.

Keys to the Series: Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers

1) Impose your style: the big matchup everyone is talking about in advance of the NBA Finals is how Orlando is going to contain Pau Gasol with Rashard Lewis in the post and conversely how Gasol is going to keep track of Lewis on the perimeter. It is a very interesting matchup between two all stars and one that will likely determine each individual game.

The simple answer is that whichever team makes the other adjust will win.

Dwight Howard has done a great job against the Lakers this season. Why? Both times he got Andrew Bynum in foul trouble in the first quarter and more or less knocked him out of the game. Bynum's stat line against Orlando says it all: 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 22.5 minutes per game in the two meetings this year. Plus he shot seven of 17 from the floor.

Bynum is not having the greatest postseason either. So if Howard can knock him out of the game because of foul trouble, it forces Gasol (who is a better post defender than Bynum and a much smarter and more seasoned player) to cover Howard and forces Lamar Odom into the game.

This could be good or bad, depending on the type of game Odom is having. But Lewis will have a difficult time shooting over Gasol on offense -- luckily he has taken to driving to the hoop more -- and defending him in the post. Gasol is quicker and smarter than Glen Davis or Anderson Varejao and will not be as easy to take advantage of as those two.

Thus it is even more important to get a more favorable matchup for him and force the Lakers to play the Magic's style. If Orlando lets Los Angeles keep two posts in the game, it makes it easier for them to double Howard, to pack the paint against drives and to force Orlando into becoming a jump shooting team.

2) Use the LeBron defense as the Kobe defense: easier said then done and LeBron James did have an incredible series until he ran out of gas in Game Six. But the same principal applies.

Orlando must make Kobe Bryant a scorer. He is not going to get to the hole as much as James and he is a much better shooter. Orlando survived two big Bryant games this season and earned the sweep. Bryant averaged 34.5 points and 7.0 assists per game in the two meetings. More importantly, the Magic forced him to take 27.0 shots per game to get those points. He has to become a volume shooter in this series for the Magic to win.

Don't think Kobe will make it easy for the Magic to do. He now has plenty of video of the team's strategy to guard James at his disposal and he will find some little weakness in Orlando's defense. It will be extremely difficult to copy the defensive performance the team did against the Cavaliers. Plus the Lakers have a better supporting cast surrounding their superstar.

But despite the better supporting cast, Kobe is still the one that makes the team go. If Orlando can force him to be a volume shooter than it makes it less likely that he will be passing to his teammates.

Again, this strategy may or may not work if Bryant is both shooting the ball at an efficient rate AND the Lakers are running their offense through Gasol in the low post.

Orlando has to do a good enough job in the first couple games to force Bryant to become a volume shooter and hurt his team by taking away its offensive fluidity.

3) Don't be satisfied: I was too young to remember too much from the 1995 NBA Finals (I was what six?). But reading retrospectives on the team and analysis from that time period and it is clear Orlando was happy just to reach the Finals. Beating the Pacers was an accomplishment and the season was a success.

The Houston Rockets, on the other hand, were an experienced title team and expected to win another championship.

Sounds eerily familiar.

I will not lie. Making the NBA Finals is a tremendous accomplishment for this team and this franchise. I would consider this season a success whether Orlando wins or loses this series.

But opportunities like this do not come around often -- as the 1995 team learned when Michael Jordan returned, led his Bulls team to a NBA record 72 wins and an NBA championship. Shaquille O'Neal left and the rest is history.

The team cannot be satisfied with just reaching this point (even if some fans are... look at those season ticket sales after Saturday's game). It has to consider this a once in a lifetime opportunity and something not to be squandered. After all, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett are both waiting in the wings salivating over the opportunities next year provides.

The Magic's window will be open for a while, but you cannot play like it is when you are in the Finals. This is the only opportunity that matters.

Orlando cannot get discouraged after a loss in this series (especially if it is in Game One) and has to continue to fight and claw on each possession.

Stan Van Gundy has done a great job inspiring this team and they always seem to find a way to eke out wins. I have said this numerous times, but this is the sign of a great team. I have complete faith the Magic will not be satisfied and will adjust to anything the Lakers throw at them.

The NBA, where curses get broken

Excuse this blog for feeling somewhat purposeless. The Curse of the Big Aristotle has all but been broken. The Orlando Magic are back in the NBA Finals -- against the Los Angeles Lakers no less.

I wore my conference championship shirt throughout the day after flying back to school in Chicago (and yes, I did fly home just for the game) and could do nothing but smile. After 14 years of doubt, frustration and failure, that mid-90s swagger had returned.

Orlando has faced down its doubters all season.

Many did not think the Magic could take the next step to become an elite team. Their start proved them wrong.

When Jameer Nelson went down, many thought the season was over. A quick trade for Rafer Alston patched things over and kept Orlando in the hunt.

Philadelphia and Boston both took leads in the first two rounds of the playoffs, making many question the merits of coach Stan Van Gundy. Could he overcome his "Master of Panic" moniker.

Superstar Dwight Howard was criticized for his outbursts against his coach and his struggled on the court. Then in Game Six against Cleveland, he proved he can take over games when necessary and that he might now be the most unstoppable force in the league (when he puts his mind to it).

No journey to a championship can be smooth. LeBron James and the Cavaliers learned that the hard way (is there any other way?). Cleveland had a hell of a season, but when matched up to an experienced, battle-test Orlando squad, the team could not dig in and face up the adversity.

The Magic could. And that is why history no longer matters as a fan of this team.

I caught myself earlier today from talking about the future. But then I realized that kind of talk is useless right now. Because for the first time in a long time, Orlando is not playing for the future.

The Curse has indeed been broken.

The team can win this thing now.

All that gloom and doom Magic fans are accustomed to should slowly dissipate once the Larry O'Brien Trophy is painted behind the logo at center court at the Amway Arena and we realize how close we are to finally earning our first championship.

I will admit, I was one of the doubters. I thought next year was the year the Magic climbed the ladder and broke through to the Finals. The Conference Finals was my goal for this team (to this point, everything has been gravy). Even against a Cleveland team I knew Orlando matched up well with, I thought James' destiny would be too much against an inexperienced -- and to that point -- inconsistent squad.

Orlando continues to prove the doubters wrong and keeps us on this (pardon the pun) Magical ride.

My gut tells me the Lakers can do the same to the Magic as I thought the Cavaliers could. But I know this team is much better than I can imagine or give them credit for. Everything past the second round is no longer gravy. There is a much bigger prize to be had.

And when you get this opportunity to win a title, you cannot squander it. You never know when Michael Jordan will come out of retirement.

That is why I think Orlando is going to win this series. In six games.

The individual matchups do not matter. The Magic are the better team in this series. They are the more gritty team in this series. They will play with the most heart.

There is no reason for this team and their fans to be satisfied with oh so close anymore. The championship is right within our reach.