Cleveland at Orlando

Cloudy Currently: Orlando, FL
Temp: 61° F
  • Game info: 8:30 pm EDT Tue May 26, 2009
  • TV: TNT

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer May 25, 7:09 pm EDT

Preview | Box Score | Recap | Series Breakdown
  • Print

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—Tinted sunglasses concealing the cuts and bandages framing his puffy left eye, struggling Cleveland guard Mo Williams(notes) plopped down on a table inside a ritzy hotel ballroom on Monday and quickly proclaimed the Cavaliers were not in any trouble.

Far from it.

“We’re the best team in basketball,” he said.

Really? The Cavaliers, winners of 66 regular-season games and their first eight straight in the playoffs, certainly haven’t looked superior to the Orlando Magic.

They can’t stop Dwight Howard(notes) inside. They can’t contain Orlando’s squadron of outside shooters. They are missing easy, open shots. They’re not giving LeBron James(notes) enough support, and they trail 2-1 in the Eastern Conference finals.

Williams remains confident.

“They deserve respect,” he said. “They are a good team. But we are the best team in basketball. I don’t feel that they’ve had to adjust to us one time in the series.”

So, Mo. You’re sure the Cavaliers will win Game 4 on Tuesday night and rally to win the best-of-seven series. Willing to guarantee it?

“Guarantee we’re going to win the series? Yeah, yeah,” he said. “We are down 2-1. But there is nobody on this team and definitely not myself that says we are not going to win this series. Yeah, it is going to be tough. We know that. We get this game tomorrow, go home, still got home-court advantage.

“We don’t see ourselves losing two out of three at home.”

The Magic brushed off Williams’ boast.

“We just got to go out there and play,” Howard said. “We can’t worry about what other guys are saying.”

James didn’t flinch when told Williams had guaranteed the Cavaliers would advance.

“He should. There’s no other reason why we should be here,” he said.

Orlando, relishing the underdog role in its first conference finals appearance since 1995, won 99-89 on Sunday night in a disjointed Game 3 that included personal fouls, technicals and a flagrant on Magic reserve guard Anthony Johnson(notes) for his elbow to Williams’ face in the second quarter.

The blow opened cuts above and below Williams’ eye, and Cleveland’s point guard said he was still feeling a little woozy from an unexpected shot he felt was intentional.

“My head’s still ringing,” said Williams, who refused to take off his shades to show the wounds. “The game of basketball is not played with throwing punches, throwing elbows.”

Johnson refused to get drawn into a verbal war with Williams, who was called for a block on the play that bloodied him.

“I was trying to get to the rim and make a play and I drew a foul,” Johnson said. “Elbows are a part of the game—good and bad. Sometimes it turns out in a bad manner as last night. Elbows are a part of the game, as it is in hockey, as it is in other sports.”

Never one to miss a chance to state his case, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy defended Johnson and challenged the Cavaliers’ contention that it was a cheap shot.

“They can say whatever they want,” he said. “It’s one of the few times you’ll see a guy with the ball in his hands driving to shoot getting a flagrant foul. I’m not saying he deserved it or didn’t deserve it, it’s just a rare play. It’s usually the guy on defense making it. There’s a lot of things go on we can complain about and they can complain about.

“I was upset at the number of times that they flopped last night. I mean, Ben Wallace(notes) and Mo Williams fell down more times than a baby learning to walk.”

James was asked if the Cavaliers would retaliate.

“For what?” he said. “We’re just trying to get wins.”

James has been doing his part. His teammates have not.

The league’s MVP is averaging 41.7 points in the series. But there have been extended periods when it’s LeBron and only LeBron vs. the Magic. The Cavs, so together on and off the court all season, have become a one-man show at the worst time possible.

Williams (32.1 percent), Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) (38.2) and Delonte West(notes) (41.9) are not shooting up to their standards, and James had his first “off” night in Game 3 (11 of 28), but he scored 41 and had the Cavaliers within five points in the final minute.

James understands he can’t win a championship by himself.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “I know they can play a lot better. They know they can play a lot better. I don’t want to put pressure on those guys. They’ve just got to come out and do it. We just got to knock shots down.”

The Magic feel as though they haven’t gotten their proper due all season. While a potential James-Kobe Bryant(notes) showdown in the NBA finals has been fueled by popular TV commercials featuring puppets of the superstars, Orlando’s players have been wondering: Hey, what about us?

“It’s disrespectful when everybody’s counting us and Denver out trying to win a championship,” said Howard, who made the Cavs pay for fouling him by making 14 of 19 free throws in Game 3. “It’s like, forget the Magic, forget Denver. They want to see LeBron and Kobe go at it. So that is disrespectful. The only way you get respect is by going out there and taking it.

“My mind-set is making people respect us.”

James is locked in on ending Cleveland’s 45-year title drought. A loss in Game 4 would place the greatest season in Cavaliers’ history on the brink of collapse.

“I think we’re fine. I’m fine,” he said. “I’m excited about Game 4, and as long as I stay upbeat we have a chance—of course. I’m confident and I’ll make sure the rest of the guys are confident.”

Associated Press writer Antonio Gonzalez contributed to this report.

Updated May 25, 7:09 pm EDT
digg del.icio.us
more

Team Comparison

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Cleveland 66-16 1st Central / 1st East 100.3 91.4 Road 27-14 Lost 1 7-3
Orlando 59-23 1st Southeast / 3rd East 101.0 94.4 Home 32-9 Won 1 5-5

Notes

F LeBron James banked in a 41-foot shot to beat the halftime buzzer, capping a 20-9 run that gave the Cavaliers a 12-point lead. ... C-F Ben Wallace, who missed Cleveland's final two regular-season games with a strained knee, played 11 minutes Saturday. He collected just one rebound while failing to take a shot. ... The Cavs are only one of five teams to win 39 regular-season home games.

Apr 18, 6:45 pm EDT

April 22 C Dwight Howard's previous playoff high was 29 points against the Raptors in the first round last year. He had 31 points and 16 rebounds in his 15th career playoff game. ... Central Florida resident and the Magic's most famous fan, Tiger Woods, was sitting at his courtside seat across from Philadelphia's bench. ... F Rashard Lewis had missed the last three games with right knee tendinitis. F Hedo Turkoglu had been sidelined for the last two games with a sprained left ankle.

Apr 19, 10:33 pm EDT
NBA

835 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. jeff b
    835. Posted by jeff b Thu May 28 2:47pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    #836....http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090528&sportCat=nba
    good article here....the fans should demand the refs be in the post-game pressy's just like the players and coaches!!!!!
  2. high school ref.
    834. Posted by high school ref. Thu May 28 10:20am EDT

    Report Abuse

    The best officiating took place in game four. So thanks to Joe Derosa, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster for a well done game. This also made it possible for Orlando to take the 3-1 lead. Allow the best team to show its stuff. I also believe that a drastic overhaul of the officiating needs to be taken, so younger people know what basketball is suppose to look like. Consistency is what is needed, because each set of referees are looking for different calls to make, and teams are having problems altering their style of play to fit the different styles of reffing, even though it is suppose to happen that way. The other aspect that seems very upsetting is how the league office is making all these changes to calls after the games with recinded flagrants and calling flagrants that were not called during the game, which really hurts the credability of the calls made during the game. Maybe pay the refs enough money to do this profession only, like the players, and the quality of the calls will increase.
  3. Winston Patrick H
    833. Posted by Winston Patrick H Thu May 28 4:04am EDT

    Report Abuse

    The 3-1 advantage by the Magic over the Cavs doesn't necessarily mean that the magic has dominated the cavs. Watching this series is exciting. The cavs have the MVP but the Magic have a better coach. Yes, that's right. Mike Brown sucks. The Magic has been running their Screen and Roll since game 1 effectively and efficiently and Mike Brown has never found an answer to defend it. A very exhausted LeBron tried to take over the game in game4 to no avail. Why was Mike Brown contented in watching LeBron take those 3's and jumpshots? Was he waiting for a miracle? No matter how talented LeBron is, he's still human...and he can be beaten. The Magic has exposed that. Stan Van Gundy? No need to make adjustments, if it ain't broke don't fix it, right? The Magic's got talent, discipline, and determination.
    They have a dominant big man, and they are allowing him to be dominant. And the Magic shooters have the confidence to take their shots because they know they have a very good chance to get the ball back in case they miss the shot. And for the Cavs? They have the MVP and relied on him too much. Even Mike Brown has relied on him too much. But still, I'm enjoying this series. D12 and LeBron...growing right before our eyes. They'll be great...they'll take on each other for years to come.
  4. Darryl
    832. Posted by Darryl Wed May 27 11:06pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Varajao flops like a fish out of the water!!! I gave Varajao a 6.5 on his last flop, I had to give him deductions for not grabbing his head as he looked for the nearest (Cavs favored ref) like he always does!! Go Magic!!
  5. joe
    831. Posted by joe Wed May 27 10:12pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The intelligence level of the people who post here is at an all time low. People take time out of their day to post a bunch of garbage, then they check back to see if anyone has responded to their inflammatory comments. Man, talk about childish and pathetic, get a life already basketball "fans".
  6. Simple
    830. Posted by Simple Wed May 27 9:04pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    and tha fact remains 3:1 in favor of Magic..Thats it!! Hehehe
  7. mr. steady
    829. Posted by mr. steady Wed May 27 8:44pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Looks like it's goodbye to KOBE-LEBRON Finals... Too bad mr.mvp can't really get his team through... Where have all the 'picture taking scenes' gone? Cavs always celebrate too early not knowing theyll be in a deep s*** 1-3 deficit because of thier child like antics. Magic has done a great job defending homecourt. Well done.
  8. <i>lookalive57</i>
    828. Posted by lookalive57 Wed May 27 7:31pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Poor Howard and "if that was Lebron...". How about that "screen" he set so Lewis could hit the 3 at 4.1? He should play hockey or football. Cleveland got hosed cuz that screen should have been a foul...Lewis doesn't get open w/o it. BTW, I am not a fan of either team, I just hate whining by guys who get away with so much.
  9. <i>brad.willson</i>
    827. Posted by brad.willson Wed May 27 7:21pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Post # 694 Vijay..... You keep saying how the Magic and the east are nothing in comparison to the west. Well, if you did your homework you will know that the Magic owned the Lakers in the regular season beating them 2-0 in the series.
  10. richard f
    826. Posted by richard f Wed May 27 6:35pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    To Wildcard

    My point is Orlando is spanking Cleavland without the help of the refs.
    Orlando needed the refs to beat Boston. Punch Paul pierce in the face, bloody his nose, send him to the locker room and not even a foul called. It was as pathetic. Under one net they called everything, including phantom fouls, under the other net, nothing.

    Get it together Cleavland.
  11. <i>csurf1962</i>
    825. Posted by csurf1962 Wed May 27 6:31pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Where are all of the loudmouth Cavs fans namely John O, Sandy O, and Leo? These 3 talked so much S H . T all year about how great their team was and how Kobe and the Lakers would be in trouble if the 2 met in the final. Well guess what - only 1 team is going to the final and it's not the OVERRATED Cavs. You see the King is great but he hasn't learned how to finish yet. Plus the rest of his team STINKS!!!!! Gentlemen, have a nice time watching the Black Mamba and the Lakers play the Magic in the finals.
  12. Paching
    824. Posted by Paching Wed May 27 6:31pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    The ref that made that bad call should be suspended and the other two for allowing him also,treat them like the players, but the refs should only be allowed three bad calls automatic suspention.That'll make em think twice before making those game changing bad calls.
  13. vegascutie
    823. Posted by vegascutie Wed May 27 5:51pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    did you guys see that 1 second inbound, mo williams was @#$%ing, that the buzzer went as he touched the ball, pay back is a @#$%, hehe and the refs keeps them on the game (the CAvs) like it or not thats the truth..I will say that howard will be charged another T will missed 1 game and the cavs will win the east series the refs will keep them on the series, I am sorry to say
  14. Wildcard
    822. Posted by Wildcard Wed May 27 5:50pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    richard f. I don't understand your point and you make no sense.
  15. richard f
    821. Posted by richard f Wed May 27 5:14pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Talk about choking. Orlando needed the refs to beat Boston. Come on Cleavland get it together.
  16. g A y Ni Gg a
    820. Posted by g A y Ni Gg a Wed May 27 4:41pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    la@#$%
  17. The Orena
    819. Posted by The Orena Wed May 27 4:07pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Cavs fans, you need to rise up and throw Delonte West in that lake you live by. He's a piece of crap, and while you're at it go ahead and throw the rest of your crappy city in that lake too. This way you won't be known as the Mistake by The Lake. You can rebuild, but just do it across the lake, you know, over in Canada? We don't want your crap in the U.S. anymore. With the Good of the United States in Mind, Orlando
  18. mitchell v
    818. Posted by mitchell v Wed May 27 4:02pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Dropping some knowledge on those Lebron fans out there remember he took the Cav's to the finals once before. True but lets be honest before Kevin Garnett decided to leave the west and go east the was a conference without a chance of winning anything. The only team there was Detroit. True he bet Detroit to get to the championship but lost to the Spurs in four. So don't speak as if when he got to the championship the first time he really had to compete. The west has been the dominate conference since Shaq came to the Lakers so watching the eastern conference playoffs was like watching the final four on channel 2 and watch the NCAA champions being showcased against the NBA. So if your going to speak about he go to championship before remember he really isn't proven. Truthfully if the Celtics were healthy we wouldn't have Lebrron conversations because we'll talking about the rematch from last year. The Cavaliers were supposed to be swept but Lebron flucked up and made another game winner. vernellmitchell@yahoo.com
  19. Lj
    817. Posted by Lj Wed May 27 3:54pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Looks like the Magics are gonna send the Cavs on a long fishing trip, but i don't think it will happen soon, at least maybe not their upcoming game in Cleveland. Whoever thought of putting Hedo and Lewis in the same team as Howard is a genius. You got two excellent clutch 3 point shooters and a very reliable center. Just what anybody needs to give the Cavs a run for their MVP and their league best season record. Cavs need to put better defense on the Magics' primary guns (namely Hedo and Lewis), they're the ones putting up big shots for the past 3 out of 4 games. LeBron's doing a magnificent job on the court, however he's not getting enough support from the bench. The usual Williams and West are a no show. Hope they push this series 1 or 2 games further, been really exciting watching these two teams put it all out against each other.
  20. <i>atollerud</i>
    816. Posted by atollerud Wed May 27 3:53pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    If Lebron's teammates respect him so much, and he is the best teammate around, and he sets them up beautifully, why can't any of them get going? Kobe is tied 2-2, and he is trusting his teammates much more than Lebron. People like to assume that assists mean you are a great passer and involve your teammates. Well, Kobe has had possessions where he does not even look to shoot, passing to his big men down low, running the offense, and making teams pay when they let up on him. With lebron, it just seems his guys have to rebound his misses and whatnot to get a chnace to touch the ball. As good as Lebron's 40 average is, he shoots all the time. I mean, Lebron fans criticized Wade for shooting 21 times a game this year. Lebron is shooting 30! Lebron is trying to be the golden boy, and I have a feeling that the men in that locker room are just as tired of hearing about lebron as the rest of us. Until he delivers, he is a peasant. Right now, Koe and Wade got the championship rings, and Lebron wants to be LIKE THEM, not the other way around
  21. <i>vincer1@...</i>
    815. Posted by vincer1@... Wed May 27 3:51pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Fouls have been very questionable on both sides. What bothers me most is the number of flagrant elbows being thrown by the Magic. There are numerous instances that should have been tech. fouls that were not called. Howard is especially guilty along with Turkolu. There is definitely home court advantage with regards to officiating. Howard crying foul on the final inbounds play in regulation had no merit. Varajeo had position. If anything, Howard intentionally tied himself up and dragged Varajeo to the ground. All that being said, there is no doubt the Magic are the better team in this series.
  22. warren.rayburn
    814. Posted by warren.rayburn Wed May 27 3:46pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I agree with several of you that the refs seem like they are trying to give the game to the Cavs. The NBA wants their poster boy (LeBron) in the Finals. And the NBA is so concerned about their referees that you are not even allowed to criticize them. How pathetic is that? No matter how badly they do their job, if you make a comment about them, you will be fined $25,000. That's a lot of money for merely expressing an opinion!

    The technical foul situation is retarded. The punishment for getting a technical foul used to be the free throw and the ball out of bounds and a fine. But now players have to worry about getting too many technicals and missing a game. And they have to worry about whether it is a Flagrant 1 or Flagrant 2. And the fines are pretty large. Bah! It's crap. The players will take care of the flagrant foul situations. You put my team mate on the floor and you better believe you'll get the same. But now the league has players so worried about fouling someone that it has created a situation where LeBron can just lower his shoulder and jump into people and expect to get the call. Howard is doing the same thing but he is not getting a running start. And to be fair to Howard, Varajo is hacking the crap out of him!

    A few parting shots. Mike Brown is over rated. Do they even have an offensive scheme or is it just give LeBron the ball and hope for the best? Mo Williams is over rated too. Why don't the Cav's go to Z more on offense. He's virtually useless on D and you need to get some use out of him. He can shoot from deep so he can pull Howard away from the basket on defense. Why does Hedo not post up when they have small guys (like DWest) trying to guard him? He is 7 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier!
  23. BigChris
    813. Posted by BigChris Wed May 27 3:43pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    hey Mr. Commissioner... it was so obvious what u want in the Finals! LBJ23 and KB24... tsk! tsk! tsk! why not let the more talented and more heart team, the deserving team, to be in the Finals?

    you are playing in a dangerous field Mr. Commish. You're about to lose a lot of fans if these shena@#$%ns continue. Hear that Mr. Commish? R u listening?
  24. hq2315elc
    812. Posted by hq2315elc Wed May 27 3:39pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Hey everyone I'm a Laker fan and i have to admit....Yeah Lebron can put up more points!!! But, the only reason Kobe is still better is becase he knows how to close games!! Lebron can't!!! He can't play under pressure!!! KOBE is better!!! Look LB puts up like 1 million points and his team still losses!!! You are nothing if your team cant back you up!!!! Calling Lebron and fan's watch and see how KOBE closses the game.....HAHA.........Orlando vs LAkers FInals!!
  25. BigChris
    811. Posted by BigChris Wed May 27 3:34pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    har har har! post #7, u're so funny! the officials are biased to Magic? c'mon now, dnt be a blind Cavs fan... we're almost crying for the injustices being done to the magic by the refs. do u want me to list down one by one the injustices??? lemme jst giv u some :
    1) when mo (he's funny, his name fits him, 3 stooges) threw the ball at DH12 in a game, did he get a technical? can u imagine if Howard did that.
    2) when DH12 block LBJ fr behind, where's the foul? where is the F----N foul?
    3) when DH12 got his 6th technical, he's backing off fr the refs, where's the technical?
    4) when DH12 jumped for the lob pass in that game 4 last second play, and Verajao pulled him down, where's the foul?
    5) do u want some more?

    c'mon! be a bball analyst and not a bball funnyman!
Sign in to post a comment, or sign up for a free account

Team Stat Leaders

Points
Rebounds
Assists

Scoreboard

Tuesday, May 26

YAHOO! SPORTS

ALSO ON YAHOO!

THINGS YOU CAN DO

- Site Map

Copyright © 2009 2009 STATS LLC and The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the STATS/AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of STATS LLC and The Associated Press.