Cleveland Cavalier Orlando Magic Game 2 Predictions
Written May 21, 2009 by Jason Lowry
The Orlando Magic made sure the Cleveland Cavaliers postseason run was no longer perfect, as the Magic stole game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a dramatic 107-106 come from behind victory. Dwight Howard scored 30 points and had 13 rebounds, but the most impressive feat of the night came in the opening minute when he dunked a ball so hard the shot clock fell off the backboard. Rashard Lewis really played well scoring 22 points on 9-13 shooting, and hit the biggest shot of the game, when he drilled a 3-pointer with only seconds remaining. Hedo Turkoglu added 15 points, while Michael Pietrus came off the bench to score 13 huge points for the Magic. The Cavaliers LeBron James simply put on a show in game 1, scoring 49 points with 6 rebounds and 8 assists, but the rest of the team really struggled to get it going. Mo Williams was the second leading scorer for the Cavs with 17 points, but was just 6 for 19 from the field. While the other three starters were all in double figures, the Cavs bench managed to score just 5 points, all coming from the veteran Joe Smith. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night in Cleveland, and here is a look at what I think each team needs to do to win the game, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.
What the Magic have to do to win: After watching the Magic give up lead after lead against the Celtics in round 2, I was very impressed that this team could come from 15 down at half time to win this game. Howard was dominant down low and he needs to continue to be the focal point of this offense. The one thing he needs to do is avoid the offensive fouls, as this team can’t afford him to sit long amounts of time on the bench with foul trouble. The Magic shot a very impressive 55% from the field, and a big reason for that was the play of Lewis, who simply couldn’t miss late in the game. The Magic’s bench play was solid, outscoring the Cavs bench 25-5, and if they can keep that up they could very well win this series. The key is defense and doing whatever they can to make someone other than LeBron James beat them. If the Magic can come out with the same intensity as they did in game 1, and not have the let down in game 2 like they did after beating the Celtics in game 1. Bet the Magic +9 to win game 2 at Sportsbook.com.
What the Cavaliers have to do to win: This has to be a tough one to swallow for not only the team but the city of Cleveland, as there is so much hope that this team will be the team that ends the championship drought in this city. James did absolutely everything he could to help the Cavs win game 1, but as good as this guy is he needs someone else to step up and help him. Williams did score 17 points, but missed numerous wide open jump shots. Delonte West wasn’t much better and James really needs these two guys to play better if they want to win this series. The bench play was awful, scoring just 5 points, and this has to be a big concern for Cleveland the rest of the way. If someone doesn’t step up and give this team some scoring off the bench, teams are going to continue to crawl there way back in games when James sits on the bench. Finally the Cavs have to do a better job defensively, as you can’t let the opposing team shoot 55% on your home floor. I look for a much better game from the Cavs in game 2, as they know how important it is for this team to even the series up before they head to Orlando. Bet the Cavaliers -9 to win game 2 at Sportsbook.com.
My Prediction: Cavs -9. I don’t think the Magic are going to shoot lights out once again in game 2, and I got a good feeling that James is going to get some much needed help from his teammates in game 2. The Cavs were the best home team in basketball during the regular season, and the long layoff likely played a big roll in why the supporting cast for James played so poorly.
For those of you looking to do some NBA betting on the game this Friday, be sure to check out our expert NBA picks and grab the latest NBA odds at Betfirms.
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