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Orlando Magic 104 VS Cleveland Cavaliers 90: RECAP
March 17, 2008
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 LeBron James had no fourth quarter magic, as Orlando's frontcourt -- led by Dwight Howard's 23 points and 13 rebounds -- overwhelmed Cleveland in a 104-90 victory at Amway Arena.
Rashard Lewis scored all 21 of his points in the second half and grabbed six rebounds and Hedo Turkoglu donated 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Magic, who won their fifth straight overall and their ninth in 10 home games.
Rashard Lewis scored all 21 of his points in the second half and grabbed six rebounds and Hedo Turkoglu donated 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Magic, who won their fifth straight overall and their ninth in 10 home games.
Orlando made 9-of-15 from long distance after the break with Lewis and Turkoglu combining to make 6-of-8 attempts.
"For me that's probably the most satisfying win of the year, because we usually get it done when we're one of the top two of three shooting teams in the league. We usually get it done with our offense, and to shoot 31 percent in the first half and 39 percent for the game and a get a double-figure victory over a great basketball team (is satisfying)," said Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy.
James did score 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists but he disappeared during Orlando's three-point onslaught. Delonte West added 16 points and six rebounds and Alexsandar Pavlovic collected 14 points for the Cavaliers, losers in four straight away from home and three of four overall.
"They are a very good team," said James of the Magic's solid season. "When you have an inside-outside threat like they have, they are going to be very successful in this league."
The Magic struggled on the offensive end during the opening 24 minutes, yet solid defense kept Cleveland's lead at just 45-40 at the half. Lewis didn't score and Turkoglu only put two points on the board in the first half.
The game-changing run spoke volumes about the Magic's long-distance marksmanship in the final two periods. Anderson Varejao's tip-in gave the Cavaliers a 68-61 lead with 2:14 on the clock in the third, but Maurice Evans drained a three and Turkoglu followed Joe Smith's jumper with another three.
James' running layup pushed Cleveland's edge to 72-67, but Orlando took the lead thanks to Lewis' trey and Jameer Nelson's three-point play with 20 seconds left in the stanza.
Howard scored four of the fourth quarter's first eight points and Keith Bogans' trey gave the Magic an 82-74 lead with 9:49 on the clock. Cleveland never got closer than 86-81 on a James' free throw with 7:32 remaining.
Nelson's three-pointer with 2:30 on the clock pushed the edge to 96-84 and left no doubt to the game's outcome.
Game Notes
Nelson scored six points and dished out seven assists to just three turnovers...Evans added 10 points in the victory...The Magic shot just 39.5 percent from the floor and 14 of their 34 made field goals came from long distance...The Cavaliers made 43.8 percent of their shots, but connected on only 6-of-19 from beyond the arc...The game featured seven ties and 10 lead changes...Orlando has won two of the three meetings this season. Cleveland hosts Orlando on April 5...Attendance 17,519.
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