Updates
Wed, May 27th 2009, 06:35
MAGIC WIN GAME 4, ONE VICTORY FROM NBA FINALS
The Orlando Magic got a big 3-pointer from Rashard Lewis at the end of regulation and some tough inside play from Dwight Howard in overtime to pull within one victory of advancing to the NBA Finals.
Lewis hit a go-ahead 3-pointer near the end of regulation and then Howard made it stand up with 10 points in overtime as Orlando defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-114 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The victory allowed the Magic to put a 3-1 stranglehold on the series. The Magic now have three shots to get one more win that would put the franchise in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995.
Considering the way the Magic have dominated the Cavs – they are one LeBron James miracle shot at the end of Game 2 from already being in the Finals and sweeping the Cavs – Orlando seems like a lock to play for a championship now. Since 1947, NBA teams that jump up 3-1 are 182-8 in the series. That means they go on to advance 95.6 percent of the time, odds that the Magic can live with now.
``You can almost taste it,’’ said Orlando’s Rafer Alston, who had his best game of the playoffs with 26 points. ``We’ve got to win one more game but it won’t be easy.’’
The Magic know that because James and the Cavs didn’t go down Tuesday night without a fight. James had another 44 points, including two clutch free throws with five-tenths of a second remaining and Cleveland trailing by two points.
But James did seem to tire in the overtime period from having played 49 minutes, including all 29 minutes of the second half and OT. In overtime, he missed four of his seven shots and turned the ball over three times. For the game, he made 13 of 29 tries, hit four 3-pointers and 14 of 18 free throws. He added 12 rebounds, seven assists, but had eight turnovers.
The raucous crowd inside Amway Arena had to hold its breath down to the very last second because James had the ball in his hands. Trailing by two, James beat a double team to get the ball and launched a potential game-winning shot from midcourt that grazed the side of the rim.
``I always feel I can make any shot I take,’’ James said afterward. ``I was just hoping I could make one more.’’
The Magic led by as much as eight in the fourth quarter, but somehow trailed 98-97 with seven seconds to play. That’s when Lewis, the hero from Game 1, hit another crucial go-ahead 3-pointer. Howard picked off two defenders with a screen, freeing up Lewis for the go-ahead shot.
James got a favorable whistle at the end of regulation and made two free throws, with the last one hanging on the front of the rim for what seemed like an eternity.
But the overtime belonged to Howard and the Magic. The star center had two dunks to open the period and scored 10 of Orlando’s first 13 points of the period. He made another seven of nine free throws in the game, including two with 21 seconds left that iced the biggest win of his professional career.
Now, the Magic must go back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Thursday and try to close out the Cavs and qualify for The Finals.
``We have an excellent opportunity in front of us,’’ Howard said. ``We can’t think that anything’s going to be easy. As a team, we believe that anytime we step on the floor and play our brand of basketball we can win.’’