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NBA

LeBron's Reality: Magic Simply Better

Posted May 25, 2009 2:29AM By David Whitley (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Cavaliers, Magic, Playoffs

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ORLANDO -- LeBron James hit an 11-point shot at the buzzer to give Cleveland a 100-99 win over Orlando Sunday night.

That's the first paragraph you were supposed to be reading today. Instead, it's time to face reality.

There are no 11-point shots. James is not Zeus. And it will take a lot more than a last-second loss to demoralize the Magic.

"We were able to overcome 'The Dagger,' " Stan Van Gundy said.

If they gave points for sarcasm, he just won coach of the year. Van Gundy was referring to the 3-pointer James hit to win Game 2.

It was immediately compared to Magic Johnson's baby hook to beat the Celtics in '87, Gar Heard's turnaround jumper versus Boston in '76, George Washington's victory over Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown.

The stunning shot was supposed to set everything right with the NBA's world. Cleveland would be propelled into the Finals and the Magic would accept their nice parting gifts.

A funny thing happened on the way to utter despondency.

Series-changing shot? What series-changing shot?

"We were joking about it," Rafer Alston said. "It was over. There was nothing we could do about it."

Now the more you see of this series, the less it appears Cleveland can do anything to stop Orlando. The Magic won 99-89 to move within two games of ABC executives taking cyanide capsules.

No LeBron in the Finals?

The real question is why anyone is surprised. Philadelphia beat the Magic on two last-second shots in the opening round. Boston took command of round two on a buzzer-beater by Big Baby Davis.

Latest NBA Playoff Photos

    Orlando Magic forward Mickael Pietrus reacts after being fouled during action against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic defeated the Cavaliers, 99-89, at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida, Sunday, May 24, 2009. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

    MCT

    Musical entertainers Usher, left, and Chris Brown share a conversation during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Magic won 99-89. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

    AP

    Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) is fouled by Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, of Lithuania, in the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. Orlando won 99-89.(AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

    AP

    Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) throws down a dunk in front of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams in the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. Orlando won 99-89.(AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

    AP

    Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, left, of Turkey, and Rashard Lewis congratulate each other at the end of the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Magic won 99-89. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

    AP

    PGA golfer Tiger Woods watches Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. Orlando won 99-89.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

    AP

    Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, right, goes up for a shot past Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, of Lithuania, in the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. Orlando won 99-89.(AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

    AP

    Musical entertainers Usher, left, and Chris Brown share a conversation during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Magic won 99-89. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

    AP

    Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, left, and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard share a few words during a timeout in the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Magic won 99-89. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

    AP

    Musical entertainer Usher, left, shows actor Chris Tucker his cell phone during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, May 24, 2009. The Magic won 99-89. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

    AP


In case you didn't notice -- and most national observers apparently didn't -- Orlando came back to dominate both series.

"I don't think our guys have anything to prove in terms character and mental toughness and all that," Van Gundy said.

Yeah, but this time it's against the King. James had his usual tour de force Sunday night with 41 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. His teammates again did a lot of watching -- and missing.

The Cavs have now made 18 of 70 3-pointers. Will somebody please tell Delonte West and Mo Williams that the series has started, and their team is one miraculous shot away from being down 0-3.

"It's just one game," coach Mike Brown said.

Yeah, but you don't have to be Hubie Brown to recognize the trends. The only man who can stop Dwight Howard is Dwight Howard, and he just might the way he's accumulating fouls. But Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao cannot do anything with Orlando's center.

The Cavs also can't match up with Orlando's forwards. Hedo Turkoglu is a 6-11 point guard half the time and Rashard Lewis is just hanging out waiting to launch his bombs if Howard is double-teamed. When Cleveland comes out on him, he blows by the defender or dumps it back in to Howard.

It's the kind of thing that could get inside a team's head, though don't say that to the Cavs. Turkoglu did after Game 2, which drew a scoff from the King. But listen to this.

"Coming down court we're already at a disadvantage," Williams said. "They create a lot of matchup problems for us. It's evident. It's not a secret. Everybody knows it."

If that doesn't sound like a case of being inside a team's head, you need an audiologist. But again, why is anyone surprised?

The Magic won eight of the previous 11 games against Cleveland going into the series. None of these games will be pretty, not the way the teams are attacking at each other. But Orlando is deeper and Howard is even making free throws. He was 14-for-19 Sunday night and said he owed it to a song he heard at halftime.

"It was one of the dance songs," he said. "I kept thinking about dancing the whole time and the free throws were going in."

OK, Howard hitting free throws is surprising. As for everything else that is transpiring, why the shock?

Because LeBron has gotten inside our heads. We've all been conditioned to believe James will walk on water all the way to the NBA Finals.

"We're very confident," he said. "I know I am as an individual."

As for his Cleveland cohorts, they can't be feeling as comfortable. The Magic may not be inside their heads, but that might not even matter.

Not when it's increasingly apparent Orlando is the better team.

Tags: dwight+howard, DwightHoward, lebron+james, LebronJames, stan+van+gundy, StanVanGundy

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