By losing the first the first two games of this series, the Orlando Magic have secured their place in history, trailing only the old Baltimore/Washington Bullets as the team with the most consecutive losses in the NBA Finals before getting a victory.
The Bullets lost nine straight consecutive games. They were swept by Milwaukee in 1971. They were swept by Golden State in 1975. They lost Game 1 in 1978 before beating Seattle and winning the NBA title that year.
The Magic have lost six, adding these two to 1995 when they were swept by the Houston Rockets. Can they make it seven tonight? Here are the first six in chronological order:
Loss 1 in Orlando against Rockets (1995):
This was the young guns team led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. They stormed out to an early 20-point lead, looking like champions, even when the Rockets rallied. The Magic lost the lead, but then regained it and led by three and had the ball when Nick Anderson was fouled with 10.5 seconds remaining. Anderson missed two free throws, got the rebound and was fouled again. He missed two more free throws, setting up a game-tying 3-pointer by Kenny Smith that sent it into overtime. They lost 120-118 when Hakeem Olajuwon tipped in the winner with less than a second remaining.
Loss 2 in Orlando against Rockets (1995):
The Magic never recovered from the devastation of Game 1. They came out flat, fell behind by 22 points in the first half, and never seriously challenged. For the Rockets, it was their seventh consecutive road win in the playoffs, making sure they left Orlando with a commanding lead. It was 117-106 in a game that was not as close as the final score.
Loss 3 in Houston against Rockets (1995):
The Magic came to Houston still thinking they could recover, even though no team ever had lost the first two at home and still won an NBA title. As good as Shaq and Penny were together, Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler of Houston were even better. Olajuwon had 31 points and Drexler had 25, but it was Big Shot Robert Horry who hit the game winner, a 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining for the 106-103 victory.
Loss 4 in Houston against Rockets (1995):
The worst part here was the schedule, forcing the Magic to wait two extra days before the inevitable would happen. They were beaten before this last one even began. Olajuwon did as he pleased against Shaq, getting 35 points and 15 rebounds. He closed the game with a rub-it-in 3 pointer from the corner to close the 113-104 victory for the Rockets, who made history by beating four consecutive opponents that had won at least 50 games during the regular season.
Loss 5 in Los Angeles against Lakers (2009):
The Magic looked like they had stage fright against the much-more experienced Lakers. They shot a woeful 29 percent from the field, and they allowed Kobe Bryant to completely dominate the game. Magic star Dwight Howard managed just one field goal as his team went down in blazes to open the Finals. Compared to the well-focused Lakes, the Magic just didn't play with the right kind of urgency for a game so big, losing 100-75.
Loss 6 in Los Angeles against Lakers (2009):
While the previous game was just poorly played, this one was a heart-breaker because they had every opportunity to win and they played considerably better. Courtney Lee missed a tough layup at the end of regulation that could have prevented overtime. Kobe Bryant didn't play well, and he gave the Magic hope. Yet they committed 20 turnovers and once again struggled offensively. Rashard Lewis had 34 points and 11 rebounds, but Dwight Howard didn't dominate around the basket like some expected. Lakers won 101-95 in overtime.
