Orlando 103, Cleveland 90 (Orlando wins series, 4-2)

The Orlando Magic earned the second Eastern Conference championship in the team's 20-year history on Saturday night, downing a overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers squad 103-90.

In the end, it only made sense that the Magic would hang on to beat the Cavaliers, despite Cleveland's best effort, and despite the brilliance of LeBron James(notes). The Magic have dominated that Cavs in regular season games over the last few years, including a 2-1 record in 2008-09 that featured two Magic blowout wins, and a close loss in Cleveland.

The pattern continued in the conference finals, with the Cavaliers only winning a Game 2 nail-biter on a LeBron James 26-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer, and a desperate Game 5 that saw James have to essentially go one-on-five in a contest Cleveland pulled out by 10. Beyond that, Orlando's matchup advantages essentially negated whatever top-heavy potency James and his Cavaliers (who went a league-best 66-16 in the regular season) offered.

And in the deciding Game 6, the Magic's equal opportunity approach evolved into a superstar-heavy attack that would make James proud. An unstoppable Dwight Howard(notes) poured in 40 points, along with 14 rebounds, four assists and several key defensive stops on James, as the Magic rolled.

The Magic played well enough in this series to more or less convince the watching public that this conference finals -- despite Cleveland's home-court advantage, and despite Cleveland's superior regular season record -- was no fluke. It was no upset, and it was no choke job by the Cavaliers. The Cavs had what it took to down just about every team in this league by a sound margin, but they never had any answer for Orlando, who ended up taking six of nine contests (six of Cleveland's 20 losses overall) in the regular season and postseason.

Matchups were the key. Cleveland's offense revolved around James dominating the ball, finding others and putting teams into foul trouble. With Howard anchoring the middle, James didn't exactly fall short with his individual statistics in the series (even a substandard, for him, Game 6 left LeBron averaging an astounding 38.5 points per game in the conference finals), but his domineering presence alone wasn't enough to pile up the points and stops needed to take four of seven from the Magic.

Throw in an amoeba-like defense surrounding Howard that can get out on shooters and render pick-and-rolls useless, sound help in transition and plenty of defensive depth, and you have a six-game win. Even with the best player in the world playing the best basketball he's ever played.

As stated, 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, eight assists per game over six contests for James against the Magic. Ridiculous. Against the league's best regular season defense, deep into May, in low-possession contests that limit an individual's ability to chalk up big numbers.

And yet, in a way, it hardly mattered. If Cleveland made a few tactical mistakes offensively, if LeBron turned it over a few too many times, if the free throws weren't falling, the Cavs were done. With Orlando's defense playing as it did, the room for error was just too miniscule to live with.

Though the Cavs stuck with the Magic early, ending the quarter with just a five-point deficit, the Magic deserve huge heaps of credit for treating their first quarter like a fourth quarter. Rashard Lewis(notes) decided to attack early, always a good sign, and finished the first 12 minutes with five points and a pair of rebounds. Same for Rafer Alston(notes), who traded Lewis' two rebounds for two assists. Courtney Lee(notes) hit a pair of jumpers, and Howard was an absolute load in the paint, turning four offensive rebounds into 13 points.

But it went beyond that. He was scoring on hooks, runners and drives. Howard, deep into the playoffs in his fifth season in the NBA, had finally become the go-to scoring center that turns great teams into championship teams.

It didn't matter who the Cavaliers tossed his way, and the late double-teams didn't matter either. Fourteen for 21 shooting and four assists. Those four assists? They didn't happen a few years ago. Or last year. Or this year. Same for those two turnovers. This is a man who used to average two turnovers a game just by setting illegal screens.

And in the second quarter, the defense took over, and the Cavs were pretty much defeated by halftime. A good chunk of the blame goes on Cleveland, who could not find a way to get James the ball (much less a good, high percentage, look) once he entered the game with about nine minutes to go in the half, as LeBron was an afterthought in Cleveland's attack. In the team's 96^th games of the season, that's inexcusable.

Credit the Magic, though. They tossed all sorts of roaming semi-double teams at James, forcing the Cavs back into a tired screen and roll attack that never seemed to produce. In the end, the Cavs put up about 102 points per 100 possessions, a mark that would leave them last in the NBA had they averaged it during the regular season.

And, really, they were lucky to get that. Anderson Varejao(notes) hit 7-12 shots, and I can't recall a single one that wouldn't have been a surprise had he missed. They were tough, tough looks. Same for a good chunk of Delonte West's(notes) nine field goals, and a few of Mo Williams'(notes) look were heat check 3-pointers taken despite not really being on fire to begin with. The Cavs were a few bad spins away from not even topping 75 points.

Let's make no mistake, though, as to who earned this win. Cleveland made some poor decisions offensively. Some of those shots (like Wally Szczerbiak(notes) air-balling two jumpers and missing an open 18-footer?) they want back. But the team's poor offensive output was mostly on the Magic. The Magic moved, the Magic covered, the Magic worked. The Magic won.

(It should also -- and it burns that we still have to even bring this up -- make the "NBA is fixed" lot look even more daft, if that's at all possible.

James had about five or six drives on Howard that could have easily been called a defensive foul -- I, personally, would not have called them a foul, but quite a few refs disagree with me -- and Howard got the non-call. James, in the league's last chance for a Kobe-LeBron Finals, couldn't get a call.)

Orlando worked the boards, it flattened its attack and went away from the screen and roll, it moved defensively, and it overcame what had to be an ungodly amount of pressure. For these guys -- Lee, Lewis, Alston, Mickael Pietrus(notes) -- to come out hitting jumpers? For the defense not to be hesitant, rather, quite potent? For Howard to hit 12 of 16 free throws? You should be incredibly, incredibly impressed with this team.

As you should be with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For the Cavs to win 76 games in 96 tries with this roster? That shines solely on a transcendent player who will only get better and better. One we can only hope can get the type of help a star (calling him "a star" almost doesn't do James justice) of his caliber deserves. For the season LeBron James gave us, in 2008-09? Thank you.

And thanks to the Magic, who clearly don't give a rip what you think. Who have been overcoming adversity and learning on the fly all season. Who have been guided by a brilliant coach in Stan Van Gundy who, last I checked, will have a season that will last almost two month longer than Shaquille O'Neal's(notes) 2008-09 "run."

Finals on Thursday. Lakers and Magic. Can't wait.

Related: Behind the boxscore