Eastern Conference:

Cleveland 90 - Orlando 103

Dwight Howard dunks one of his 40 points on his team's way to the Finals. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Orlando wins series 4-2

• The much-hyped Kobe-LeBron finals will have to wait. This year, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic will be the ones to match up against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Orlando ousted the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were the regular season’s best team, behind a dominating performance from the Magic’s young center, who tallied 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists, including shooting 12-16 from the line. Rashard Lewis added 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Mickael Pietrus had 14 and 5 off the bench for the Magic.
• LeBron James was able to carry his team to a couple of wins, but he couldn’t do it for this entire series. James had 25 points (on 8-20 shooting), 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Delonte West had 22 points on 9-19 shooting, and Mo Williams (who guaranteed a series win) had 17 and 5 assists. Zydrunas Ilgauskas only scored 2 points, and added 7 boards.
• Rafer Alston and Hedo Turkoglu shot poorly, combining for only 8-28 from the field, but it was just enough for the Magic, who rode Howard’s playoff career-high to build a lead that they would not relinquish. There was simply no stopping Howard on a night when he attempted 16 of his team’s 21 free throws.
• LeBron James heads quietly into the offseason, but his team’s performance begged for anything but silence. Once again, his supporting cast has come up short. Once again, James had to carry his team throughout a tough series. The Cavaliers of the regular season, them of 66 wins, of faux photo ops, of starters resting in the fourth quarter - where did they go? Cavs’ management once again has the issue of James’ pending free agency to contend with, as I believe this exit is a blow to their campaign for James to stay in Cleveland, starting this offseason, when they can attempt to re-sign him before he can opt out in the summer of 2010. New York and all the other teams who are dreaming of LeBron in 2010 were probably rooting for the Magic to beat the Cavs, and they got what they wished for. Of course, Cavs management will try their best to keep the King in Cleveland, but their time is definitely running out.

*****

Finals Preview:

• So, onto the Finals! I like Orlando’s chances against Los Angeles, although I admit it will be an uphill climb for the Magic. Kobe Bryant is hungry for his first ring since the long-gone days of the Kobe-Shaq era, and this Lakers team has already been in the big stage last year, where they fell short against the Celtics. Another year of experience and being toughened up by the playoffs (7 games against Houston, and 6 against Denver) will have LA ready.
• The Magic did sweep the Lakers in two regular season meetings, but Orlando still had Jameer Nelson then. My friend Favian has a point about Rafer Alston being no Jameer Nelson, but still a decent replacement, having been tested throughout the playoffs by matching up against Andre Miller, Rajon Rondo, and Mo Williams. Derek Fisher is a decent point guard, but Alston seems about a match, considering the work he has gone through with the other guards. However, it’s the finals, and with both teams having been challenged by tough opponents, I don’t believe that the regular season results can be used as an argument against either team.
• The Lakers would need Lamar Odom to continue his recent strong play, or else it’ll be a case of a Big Three (Dwight, Hedo and ‘Shard) versus a Big Two (Kobe and Gasol). Odom is the best candidate to be that third wheel for the Lakers, since Andrew Bynum hasn’t been performing up to par since his injury. Of course, if Bynum steps it up, then the Lakers will be much stronger, obviously, as either he or Odom can play the sixth man role. Bynum has the size to match up against Howard, however, his recent performances haven’t exactly been a source for inspiration, so I wouldn’t really count on him. (Incidentally, Bynum played poorly in those two regular season games against Howard and the Magic.)
• The bench and role players’ performances are always key in any matchup, and I like the way Orlando’s role players have performed lately. Pietrus has been assigned to LeBron James in their series, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the one who will be playing a lot of minutes guarding the Black Mamba. J.J. Redick, who did a good job on Ray Allen in the Boston series, might also be asked to play some minutes guarding Bryant (although he hasn’t been played in a while). Marcin Gortat, Tony Battie, and Anthony Johnson should be able to provide quality minutes off the bench. However, the Lakers’ role players - Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, and yes, even Sasha “The Machine” Vujacic, have been playing decently. Their play will be a key as to which team will prevail.


Kobe Bryant and Coach Phil Jackson await the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.

• Meanwhile, Courtney Lee, the fearless rookie of the Orlando Magic, will be counted on to match up with Trevor Ariza’s performance, at least in terms of points and hustle plays. Ariza, who had formerly been a member of the Magic before being traded, has stepped up his game in the playoffs. He will probably be assigned to guard either Turkoglu or Lewis (depending on who the Magic have on the floor), and he has showcased his defensive mettle in the past couple of rounds with game-changing plays in crunch time. If Odom and Bynum aren’t up to being the third part of a Big 3 for LA, then Ariza has the skills to emerge as the complement to Bryant and Gasol.
• The Lakers are quite a different team from the Cavaliers, with their main similarity being the presence of a high-scoring superstar swingman. The Lakers’ Gasol presents a more difficult matchup for the Magic’s bigs, as he is a younger and stronger version of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. It’ll be interesting to see how Stan Van Gundy and the Magic’s coaching staff adjust to the different look of their next opponent. Phil Jackson and the Lakers’ staff also have some adjusting to do, from battling a couple of teams who relied on a strong swingman offensively (Ron Artest for the Rockets, since Yao Ming got injured early in their series, and Carmelo Anthony for the Nuggets) to a team who relies on a dominating post player to create looks.
• I’m excited for this series, and I guess I’m even more psyched because I believe that the best teams from each conference are the ones who are matching up in the Finals. It’s DisneyWorld versus Disney Land - which side are you on?