History on This Day: Magic beat Cavaliers to advance to NBA Finals
On this day in 2009, Dwight Howard scored 40 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The performance by Howard, which was a then-career-high, helped send the Magic to the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history. He finished that season as the league leader in rebounding and blocked shots as he was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Orlando that season finished with a 59-23 record, which was good for third in the Eastern Conference. They defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round before taking down the Boston Celtics in seven games during the second round.
Of course, the Magic would face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, but would eventually lose in five games. Orlando is 1-8 during its two appearances in the NBA Finals after getting swept by the Houston Rockets in 1995.
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