Silky Smooth
All-Star
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Where: Quicken Loans Arena
Time: 8:30pm
TV: TNT
Radio: WTAM 1100
Game 1
Cleveland Cavs Head Coach Mike Brown
Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy
Cavaliers
Mo Williams
Delonte West
Lebron James
Anderson Varejao
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Cavs Bench
Magic
Rafer Alston
Courtney Lee
Hedo Turkoglu
Rashard Lewis
Dwight Howard
Magic Bench
SILKY SMOOTH'S FACTS
CAVS
- Execute on both ends of the floor.
- Our backcourt needs to provide offense along with the defense.
- Get all the rust out early in the game and get back to playing the way we can.
- Transition defense.
Magic
- Contain Lebron(ha
) - Execute on both ends of the floor.
- Make shots.
- Run.
Eastern Conference finals preview - Cleveland vs. Orlando
By John McMullen, NBA Editor
(Sports Network) - The Orlando Magic laughed in the face of history Sunday, dispatching the most storied franchise in the game, the Boston Celtics, in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series.
Now, the Magic must pass an even sterner test when they kick off the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland against LeBron James and the well-rested Cavaliers.
Buoyed by hot three-point shooting and a strong push to start the fourth quarter, the third-seeded Magic turned out the lights on the defending NBA champions by pulling off a feat never accomplished before against the Celtics.
Hedo Turkoglu scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and set a playoff career-high with 12 assists, as Orlando routed the C's, 101-82, in the deciding Game 7.
The Magic, who dropped the fourth and fifth games of the series in disheartening fashion, rallied to force a decisive contest with an 83-75 triumph on Thursday. On Sunday, the Magic brought down the anvil, sending the Celtics to their first-ever series loss when taking a 3-2 edge in a best-of- seven set. Boston had been 32-0 in previous series when holding such a lead.
"When you look at a team that's 32-0 when leading a series 3-2 and come in and win by 19 points that's a big win," said Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy. "I can't say I've ever had one that I've been happier about."
Dwight Howard contributed 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks for the Magic, who surged by netting the opening 11 points of the last quarter and gained their first trip to the East finals since 1996, when they were swept by the eventual champion Chicago Bulls.
"It's a whole new ball game, Cleveland's well-rested," said Howard. "We're coming off a tough series. I think the biggest thing for us is going into Cleveland with the same mentality we had tonight, which is starting the game and finishing the game with great intensity."
The Cavs, led by league MVP James, haven't lost yet in the playoffs following sweeps over Detroit and Atlanta, and are an astonishing 43-2 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavaliers, who have won all eight of their postseason games by double- digits, an ongoing NBA record, have been off since finishing off the Hawks on May 11, but now face a team they lost to twice in three meetings during the regular season.
"We're going to take advantage of the rest time we have," James said after disposing of the Hawks. "It's wear and tear because it's the postseason. We're looking forward to our next challenge."
The eight straight playoffs wins are also a franchise record for the Cavs but James has been careful to ward off any possible complacency.
"Why should we celebrate? We're a team that's fighting for a championship," said James. "We're happy that we're playing great basketball, but anything short of getting to the finals or trying to compete to win it...we don't want to put ourselves in a position like that. We're not taking for granted what we're doing right now."
These two teams have never met in the playoffs before but the Magic have dominated the Cavs in recent seasons, winning eight of the past 11 meetings. They are also 3-1 in their last four games in Cleveland -- barely losing the most recent game at the "Q" on a controversial three-second call on Howard in the waning moments.
A few weeks later in Orlando, the Magic embarrassed the Cavs by handing them their worst loss of the season, 116-87.
"Our defense has picked up," Howard said. "That's what its going to take against a great team like Cleveland. They shoot the ball well, they have LeBron James and they are a tough team but in order to beat those guys it has to start with defense."
MATCHUPS:
POINT GUARD: Mo Williams, not James, may be the final piece to Cleveland's championship puzzle. While James led the team in most offensive categories, Williams got everyone involved with his unselfish play and earned an All-Star nod in February. The 6-foot-1 guard can stretch a defense with his three-point shot and carry the offensive load if James is not firing on all cylinders. Williams has netted 17.8 ppg and 4.1 apg in the postseason thus far.
Williams' counterpart, Rafer Alston, wouldn't be with the Magic if it wasn't for All-Star guard Jameer Nelson going down with a shoulder injury. Nelson was injured back in February, forcing the Magic to acquire Alston from Houston in a three-team trade. The former playground legend is a streaky shooter that uses his quickness to penetrate and create havoc. When the jumper is falling, Alston is tough to deal with but he will turn the ball over at times and isn't consistent enough on the defensive end,
EDGE: CAVS
SHOOTING GUARD: Cleveland's Delonte West battled back from injury and depression to enjoy a stellar 2008-09 campaign. The Saint Joseph's product isn't a top-tier scorer but handles the ball well and gives you an honest day's effort at both ends of the floor. With James, Williams and West on the floor, it gives Mike Brown three capable ball-handlers and it's virtually impossible to trap or pressure Cleveland.
Courtney Lee is slowly rounding back into form after suffering a fractured sinus in the first round of the playoffs against Philadelphia and that's big for Orlando. The rookie is no superstar but he has the quicks and athletic ability to chase and make things difficult for the Cavs' wing players. The one-dimensional J.J. Redick has been starting in Lee's place. Redick can certainly shoot the ball when given open looks but Cleveland is too good defensively and will run Redick off the three-point line. You can also bet Brown will put on target on Redick at the defensive end whenever he is on the floor.
EDGE: CAVS
CENTER: Howard will dominate at times but his immaturity and shaky free-throw shooting are always on the back-burner. The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, Howard finished the regular season leading the league in both rebounding and blocked shots. The double-double monster gave both Philly and Boston fits inside at times and is averaging 19.6 points, 16.6 rebounds and nearly three blocks per contest in the postseason.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a quiet player but his contributions to the Cavs are striking. The 7-foot-3, 260-pound Lithuanian has been a model of consistency and has the size and physical strength to make things a little more difficult for Howard on the low blocks. Ilgauskas also has a deft passing touch and can score facing the hoop or with his back to the basket. His lack of quickness, however, will make things rather easy for Howard on the offensive boards.
EDGE: MAGIC
SMALL FORWARD: James has been the games' best player this season by a wide margin and was rewarded with the first of what figures to be many MVP awards. James finished second in the NBA in scoring with 28.4 points per game, led the Cavaliers in every major offensive category and even finished tops in blocks and steals. The only weakness in his game is a consistent jumper. When that's falling, forget about it. James is averaging a stunning 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in the playoff thus far and is a daily triple-double threat playing at the highest level of his superlative career.
The sharp-shooting Hedo Turkoglu was bothered by an ankle sprain toward the end of the regular season and it continued to hamper him early in the playoffs. The Turkish star has struggled with his shot throughout the postseason but Van Gundy hopes a strong Game 7 against Boston will put Turkoglu over the hump.
Turkoglu averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-leading 4.9 assists per contest during the season but that has fallen to just 14.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 4.4 apg in the postseason. A lack of explosion and lift has really affected Turkoglu and he is shooting just 42.1 percent from the floor in the playoffs.
EDGE: CAVS
POWER FORWARD: Polar opposites here. Cavs power forward Anderson Varejao is a solid inside defensive presence but isn't much of a scorer. Varejao uses his energy and length to change shots down low.
The Magic's Rashard Lewis, meanwhile, is a solid offensive player, averaging 17.7 points and 5.7 rebounds during the regular season. A three-point specialist, Lewis was battling a nagging right knee problem early in the playoffs but now looks healthy.
The All-Star Lewis has one of the best strokes in the game but he has put that in his pocket against both Philadelphia and Boston, spending more time on the blocks. The former SuperSonics star has averaged a team-best 19.8 ppg and 6.2 rebounds thus far in the playoffs.
EDGE: MAGIC
BENCH: Both benches feature plenty of firepower. Veteran forward Joe Smith has been a godsend for Brown after signing late in the season. A capable scorer, Smith really makes a difference with his rebounding and interior defense. Swingman Wally Szczerbiak and guard Boobie Gibson can both fill it up when hot and big men Ben Wallace can always come in you need rebounding, defense and an energy boost.
Moving Redick into the starting lineup takes away the designated sharp-shooter from Van Gundy's bench but Orlando still has Mickael Pietrus, big men Tony Battie and Marcin Gortat along with veteran point Anthony Johnson.
EDGE: EVEN
COACHING: Van Gundy is a loud mouth and his rotation has been questioned by his own All-Star center. Brown, meanwhile, is an even-tempered mentor that quietly pilots his team with few waves. The NBA's Coach of the Year, Brown is better equipped to handle crisis than the impetuous Van Gundy.
EDGE: CAVS
PREDICTION: The Cavs have more playoff experience, the best player in the game and a more competent coach. That said, Orlando's ability to get hot from beyond the arc can make up for a lot of mistakes and figures to get them a game or two. Fatigue could also be a key component in this series. Orlando just wrapped up a seven-game war with Boston after needing six games to dispose of a bad Philadelphia team. Meanwhile, the Cavs will have had nine days off after sweeping Atlanta.
Expect Cleveland to taste defeat for the first time this postseason at some point in this series but don't expect them to face a stiff challenge throughout.
CAVS in 5
LINK
Playoff Preview: Cavs vs. Magic
By: Sam The Bullshit Whisperer Last Updated: 5/18/09 10:02 AM ET | 2013 times read
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on TNT - First game of series
There are several points to consider when talking about the Eastern Conference finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers
and Orlando Magic:
* The Magic are coming off a series in which they eliminated defending champion Boston in Game 7 on the Celtics' home floor. They won two straight to finish it off, ending the Celtics' perfect all-time record (32-0) when leading a series 3-2.
* The Magic have dominated the Cavs in recent seasons, winning eight of the past 11 meetings. They are 3-1 in their last four games in Cleveland -- barely losing the most recent game at Quicken Loans Arena on a controversial three-second call (on Dwight Howard) in the closing moments.
* A few weeks later in Orlando, the Magic embarrassed the Cavs by handing them their worst loss of the season (116-87 on April 3).
* The Cavs have LeBron James and the Magic don't. The Cavs also have the home-court advantage and experience in these types of situations, as three starters -- James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Vaerjao -- played in the Finals two seasons ago.
* Again, the Magic just wrapped up a seven-game playoff series. Before that, they beat Philadelphia in six. Meanwhile, the Cavs will have had nine days off after sweeping Atlanta. They have yet to lose a playoff game this season.
What does it all mean? We're about to find out. In the meantime, here's a look at the matchups:
Center - Zydrunas Ilaguaskas vs. Dwight Howard
Clearly, Howard is younger, stronger and more nimble, but this is still an intriguing matchup for a couple of reasons. First, Howard is most effective when playing near the basket, and particularly, above the rim -- while Ilgauskas, despite standing 7-foot-3, hasn't looked down at the rim in years. He has become much more comfortable facing the basket on the perimeter, a deadeye shooter who's lethal if you leave him to stop a penetrating LeBron James or Mo Williams (are you listening, Dwight?). Also, Big Z should not be overlooked on D. He may lead the league in flat-footed blocked shots (if there were such a category), and while he and Anderson Varejao aren't nearly as physical as Boston's frontline, Howard is likely to find them to be even more pesky. EDGE: Orlando.
Power Forward - Anderson Varejao vs. Rashard Lewis
This could spell trouble for the Cavs, and often does. The reason? Because Lewis is so effective on the perimeter, with the range and ability to penetrate as a shooting guard. And while Varejao and backup Ben Wallace are good team defenders, neither is an on-the-ball, lockdown type. The further away from the basket they get, the worse they become. That's the opposite of Lewis. Best of all for Lewis, Varejao will barely make him work on defense (same goes for Wallace). Lewis can't completely ignore the Wild Thing, but he doesn't need to overly exert himself either. And that, of course, will free Lewis to help on James. The Cavs best bet here is to play Joe Smith a lot, which is something that's very likely to happen. EDGE: Orlando.
Small Forward - LeBron James vs. Hedo Turkoglu
No question, James has just as big of an edge here as he does over everyone else in the league. But Turkoglu shouldn't be completely overlooked -- not after the job he did on 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce in the previous round. Did Turkoglu shut down Pierce? Uh, no. But he did frustrate him from time to time, and kept Pierce busy on the defensive end. Granted, LeBron is the most complete package in the league, a better all-around threat than Pierce so he has the clear advantage here, obviously. At the same time, Turkoglu presents more problems for James than anyone James has faced in the playoffs so far. EDGE: Cleveland.
Shooting Guard - Delonte West vs. J.J. Redick
Actually, it's hard to tell who will start for the Magic in this series: Redick, or rookie Courtney Lee. Redick was the starter against the Celtics as Lee worked his way back from a major injury to the sinus cavity. And while Redick may not be the defender Lee is, he should get at least a little of the credit for helping to make Ray Allen so miserable, shouldn't he? At the same time, you can't expect Redick to defend LeBron -- something Lee did fairly well (or as well as can be expected) during the regular season. Lee has also been more consistent offensively than Redick. But when Redick gets hot, you better watch out. He's also a wonderful free-throw shooter, a department in which the Magic are severely lacking. Either way, West is superior. He's perhaps the most underrated backcourt defender in the league, and is a strong finisher near the basket and pretty good perimeter shooter. He can also play point guard in a pinch. No in the Magic's entire backcourt is as versatile. EDGE: Cleveland.
Point Guard - Mo Williams vs. Rafer Alston
Boston's Eddie House isn't the only player Alston once felt like smacking upside the head. He and Williams also had a brief (although clearly less violent) run-in earlier this season, when Alston was still a member of the Houston Rockets. Alston did a decent job on Williams in that game, but unlike Williams, Alston does not have the greatest player in the game to feed off of. Alston sometimes looks tight, as if he's still trying to figure out when to shoot, when to pass, and who wants and needs the ball where. Meanwhile, Williams have fit seamlessly into the Cavs' scheme. He hasn't been as great during the postseason as he was during the regular season, but he's still been pretty darn good. And Cavs' opponents had better run for cover if he gets any better. EDGE: Cleveland.
Benches
Joe Smith has the been the Cavs' answer man in reserve ever since returning to the team following a brief stint with Oklahoma City. Need a basket? Smith's your man. Need some hustle plays, a big rebound or defensive stand? Again, turn to Smith (and Cavs coach Mike Brown often does). Need a positive example on the floor and in the locker room? Well, Smith will be there. Assisting his cause in the frontcourt is muscle-bound and hustling defensive presence Ben Wallace. The good news for the Magic is Marcin Gortat has been quite the find, offering tons of energy plays and a little power in the low post. Meanwhile, the Magic's Mickael Pietrus is one of those athletic swingmen who can play (and especially, defend) practically any position. He has proven to be invaluable against the Cavs. In the backcourt, the Cavs will be relying on the three-headed long-range bombing of Wally Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic -- while the Magic will turn to either Lee or Redick, depending on who doesn't start, and veteran point guard Anthony Johnson, whom Brown described in one word: "Solid." EDGE: Cleveland.
Coaching - Mike Brown vs. Stan Van Gundy
Brown kept his promise and turned the Cavs into a quicker-paced, more opportunistic team, and his opening up of the offense was a big reason the Cavs finished with the league's best record and have won every playoff game so far. Of course, if the Magic thought Boston's defense could be tough, well, just wait until they get a load of Cleveland. Brown is the mastermind behind that strategy as well, and his ability to make adjustments seems to improve by the game. As for Van Gundy, his unmatched passionate behavior on the sidelines often carries over to his team on the floor. He can match wits with anyone when comes to Xs and Os, and while Brown won the award, no would have been protesting had Van Gundy won coach of the year. EDGE: Even.
Overall, the Cavs have more experience playing in big playoff series and the best player in the game. While these teams may be even on paper … well, as Kenny Smith said on TNT, LeBron James will rip that par apart. And he will indeed be the difference in this series.
PREDICTION - Cavs in six.
LINK
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