Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic?

[sook]

Sook's guarantee doesn't sound so crazy after all.

I toldja guys the Cavs would have their hands full with the Magic. That would be crazy if the Cavs end up the ones getting swept.

Real bad matchup for the Cavs, as usual, they have no answer for Rashard Lewis.

Thanks. And the reason I made that judgement call was b.c even though they are great defensively, they don't guard the 3 ball too well and Dwight is too quick for their players. He had like 4 easy alley oop dunks alone.

With the calls going cleveland's way today...things don't look too good for them.

[sook]

I was wrong about the Lebron thing though, I meant to say, "Clog the paint and hope he misses his jumpers." Man couldn't miss today

[JamStone]

I love how people keep saying the regular season doesn't matter.

All series thus far have turned out how we would have expected them to as far as the winners go.

Not that the regular season doesn't matter. Of course the regular season matters. But the regular season doesn't automatically determine what will happen in the playoffs. There's a difference. If the regular season dictated how the playoffs would unfold, the Cavs would have won game 1 because based on the regular season, they are about as unbeatable as a team can get playing at home. Tonight actually helps show that the regular season isn't an end all, be all gauge of what will happen in the playoffs.

[TJastal]

What the are you talking about?

You're offering completely different scenarios. The Lakers have come out in 40% of their playoff games looking like a team that feels the le should be handed to them. They felt the heat from the Rockets because they're ing LAZY on defense and don't know how to rotate properly, and they have no ability to contain quick point guards.

The Cavaliers have come out in every game not looking to win, but to absolutely lay waste to the opposition. They haven't asked questions or whined or tried to plea for the refs help. Every game (they've played one more all playoffs than the Lakers did in the last series, think about that) the moment they've stepped on the floor, they've been all business. They want to win and if you are in an opposing jersey, you are going to be crushed.

Yes, they've played some bad teams. But remember, the Hawks weren't completely awful (as in, probably as good as a crippled Rockets team), and the Cavs could have won by 25-30 every single night if they would have left their starters in. That's the kind of dominance we haven't seen since....

Since ever. No team has walked through the compe ion like these Cavs have. Even the 2000-01 Lakers had a few close games. Now, of course, the compe ion was undoubtedly better than what the Cavs have seen, but I'm willing to bet they're going to put the boot down on Orlando.

They MIGHT lose Game 1 due to being rusty, or Game 3 if the Magic get hot. Every other game in the series will be controlled by the Cavs for most of the way.

Chances are, they won't need to reach to guard Howard. Their defense is good enough that they won't have to compensate for Dwight's dominance. They'll just shut down the perimeter and let Dwight get his.

I seriously have to wonder what beating a broken down, exhausted team like the Celtics proved about Orlando's ability to run with the Cavs. They just went 7 games with the second most injured team in the playoffs, and looked atrocious at times doing it. What matchup on the floor other than Howard are the Magic going to be able to exploit? They have no one to go to for consistent scoring that the Cavs can't absolutely shut down. Anyone who gets hot, stick LeBron on him. Hedo won't even get a shot off with James in his face. Shard would (will) resort to fade-aways.

Cavs in 4. They're just too good.

[TJastal]

I'll be bumping this thread when the Cavs win in 4 or 5.

[TJastal]

which proves my point exactly. the regular season meant nothing, as they won 67 games and looked dominant.

now im sure you are speaking of the fact that the warriors went 3-0 or something against the mavs that year (although one of the games the mavs pulled their starters). that is a case where we see how true it is that basketball is a game of matchups and adjustments. however, i dont see much proof that the Cavs are running into a bad matchup against the Magic.

[KSeal]

I don't know what the I'm talking about.

Fixed.

[redzero]

Cavs in 4.

Yep. I'm calling a sweep. I've seen nothing from Orlando this postseason that makes me think they'll handle the Cavs defense. Unless they catch fire, the series ends quick... it might go 5.

It's not too late for the Cavs to sweep in 5. There's still hope.

[Bukefal]

I was wrong Too bad for the loss. But im confident, Cavs in 6 should do it then. Go Cavs!

[TJastal]

I was wrong Too bad for the loss. But im confident, Cavs in 6 should do it then. Go Cavs!

If the cavs cannot beat the magic after that giftwrapped game the officials handed them on a platter I really don't think they can win the series.

That was about as bad as I've ever seen 1 sided officiating in my entire life.

[Jace]

I actually think the Magic pull off the upset and somehow take down the greatest athlete in the history of mankind

[stretch]

whats funny is the fact that the Cavs played very mediocre basketball and missed a load of wide open shots, while the Magic couldn't miss, and the Magic still needed a last second 3 to win the game.

cavs clearly looked rusty. expect a complete domination in game 2. cavs in 5, which was my original pick.

[stretch]

I actually think the Magic pull off the upset and somehow take down the greatest athlete in the history of mankind

that honor actually belongs to Bo Jackson

[KSeal]

If the cavs cannot beat the magic after that giftwrapped game the officials handed them on a platter I really don't think they can win the series.

That was about as bad as I've ever seen 1 sided officiating in my entire life.

Did you just start watching the NBA last night? Come on now, it wasn't THAT bad, game 6 of the 2002 WCF was much worse then tonight. But you're right there were some definite one sided calls, LBJ got at least 5 pretty bad calls to go in his favor but you know what, he's the best player in the game and the best player is going to get the calls, it's just the way it is. It should just be expected at this point.

[redzero]

whats funny is the fact that the Cavs played very mediocre basketball and missed a load of wide open shots, while the Magic couldn't miss, and the Magic still needed a last second 3 to win the game.

cavs clearly looked rusty. expect a complete domination in game 2. cavs in 5, which was my original pick.

That had nothing to do with being rusty. Stop using that lame excuse. The Cavs were dominating the Magic, but the latter proved to be the better team.

[stretch]

That had nothing to do with being rusty. Stop using that lame excuse. The Cavs were dominating the Magic, but the latter proved to be the better team.

Yes, the Magic's porus defense proved to be the reason why the Cavs players were missing WIDE OPEN jumpshots.

[TJastal]

that honor actually belongs to Bo Jackson

Bo Jackson, cmon lol

[TJastal]

Did you just start watching the NBA last night? Come on now, it wasn't THAT bad, game 6 of the 2002 WCF was much worse then tonight. But you're right there were some definite one sided calls, LBJ got at least 5 pretty bad calls to go in his favor but you know what, he's the best player in the game and the best player is going to get the calls, it's just the way it is. It should just be expected at this point.

I been watching the NBA going on 30 years.

Yah, I expect James to get his share of calls.. and he very well did last night and then some.

What I didn't expect were all the ty calls that went against Howard and other magic players. It was a relentless barrage in the 1st half of horrible calls and no-calls that should have been calls. I will do ent them all later when I get more time. =)

[stretch]

Bo Jackson, cmon lol

you must be about 13 years old and not know what the you are talking about.

[KSeal]

I been watching the NBA going on 30 years.

Yah, I expect James to get his share of calls.. and he very well did last night and then some.

What I didn't expect were all the ty calls that went against Howard and other magic players. It was a relentless barrage in the 1st half of horrible calls and no-calls that should have been calls. I will do ent them all later when I get more time. =)

I totally agree it was quite one sided but I can remember many games that were far more one sided then this one (I've watched a lot of Laker games over the years ). The last foul on Howard, and the one on the LBJ spin move were as Barkley said after the game, just turrible, along with the LBJ hack of Howard that lead to that LBJ dunk on the other end, ugh...

[pauls931]

Next game will be telling. Orlando can affort to lose it, cleveland can't. The big question is, can Lebron endure carrying these guys through a potential 6 or 7 game series? I'm now convinced he needs help. Cleveland to me is looking like the phoenix suns of old. They can surprise you in the regular season, but you can adjust and beat them in the playoffs (sorry, phily and atlanta were scrub squads). Let Lebron get his 50 and shut down the role players.

[Allanon]

Nothing surprising at all. Sure the Cavs were dominant in the regular season but they didn't dominate the Magic at all.

When a team drops 40 on you in the regular season, you know you got problems playing them in the post season.

So much for "regular season doesn't matter"

[TJastal]

I totally agree it was quite one sided but I can remember many games that were far more one sided then this one (I've watched a lot of Laker games over the years ). The last foul on Howard, and the one on the LBJ spin move were as Barkley said after the game, just turrible, along with the LBJ hack of Howard that lead to that LBJ dunk on the other end, ugh...

I have watched countless laker games as well, and I cannot remember any game that was so totally one sided even for the lalkers... the magic just took one blow after another after another... and just kept coming back. It was like watching Rocky for the first time fighting against Apollo Creed, is what it felt like.

I would have to say this was the guttiest comeback win by an underdog ever. Sure, some teams have come back from bigger deficits, but did they have to withstand an endless barrage of one sided officiating at the same time? I think not.

[KSeal]

I would have to say this was the guttiest comeback win by an underdog ever. Sure, some teams have come back from bigger deficits, but did they have to withstand an endless barrage of one sided officiating at the same time? I think not.

I can agree on the comeback, you're playing in a place where really only one team has beaten them all year, they had a crushing shot against them at the half and down 15, LBJ was having the game of his life, and they still come all the way back and hit the big shots and the big stops and won. Very impressive for sure. I thought when they were only down by 4 in the forth that LBJ would come back in and the Cavs would win by 10+ easily, but to my enjoyment that didn't become reality.

[KSeal]

Yes, the Magic's porus defense proved to be the reason why the Cavs players were missing WIDE OPEN jumpshots.

So Stretch, what happened to Cavs in 4, or after the game one loss, Cavs in 5, where you at?!?!?! Care to show up and defend your biased bull ?