The Cleveland Cavaliers (8-1) find themselves in unfamiliar territory, down 0-1 to the Orlando Magic (9-5) in the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland lost 106-107 at home as the Magic exposed Cleveland's depth, shredded its defense and snatched home-court advantage. Tonight, May 22, the Cavs must win before heading into Orlando. NBA oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Cavaliers as -9 point home favs over the Magic with the over/under set at 188.5 points. Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Prediction in now at Sportsbook.com
The Magic were down by 15 points at the half and after a flurry of 3-pointers and a pounding offensive show by Dwight Howard the Magic gave the Cavs their third loss on home court this season. Orlando shot 59 percent after halftime, went 7-of-13 on 3s and outscored the Cavs 59-43. They are now 9-3 SU in their last 12 games against Cleveland. Their top producers on the night were Dwight Howard with 30pts 13 rebounds, while Rashard Lewis added 22pts and Hedo Turkoglu chipped in with 15pts 14 assists. Mickael Pietrus was great off the bench after making 5 of 10 from the field and 2 of 5 at the arch to finish with 13pts. As a team they made 43 of 78 (55.1%) from the field, 9 of 20 (45%) from the arch and 12 of 14 (85.7%) from the line. Orlando now wants to nail down Game 2. The Magic won the series opener at Boston, but didn't bring the same energy the next game and were beaten by 18. "We can't take this win for granted," Lewis said. "We have to come out more hungry and humble to try and get another one."
The Cavs had to rely on LeBron James, too much, to getter done. His 49pts was not enough as he made 20 of 30 from the field, 3 of 6 at the arch and 6 of 10 at the line. Their other top scorers were Mo Williams with 17pts, while Delonte West added 11pts, Anderson Varejao had 14pts and big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas finished with 10pts 10 rebounds. The big difference was they got no help from their bench; they got a measly 5pts from Joe Smith. LeBron was bothered by leg cramps in the fourth quarter that became so severe he was forced to call timeout for treatment. He blamed part of his fatigue on the long layoff since the Cavs swept Atlanta, saying it was impossible to replicate the game-day adrenaline rush during practice. James said he was physically fine and mentally refreshed. With their superstar's shot dropping, the Cavaliers reverted to a bad habit they had seemingly abandoned. During stretches of the second half, James' teammates stood around on offense and watched him. There was little motion, ball movement or strategy. The Cavs weren't much better on defense as Howard pounded them inside and Lewis, who went 5-for-5 in the fourth, killed them from the perimeter. "Rashard was the X-factor," said James, who may find himself guarding Lewis in Game 2. "He was huge. He hit every shot in the fourth quarter and every big shot: transition 3s, pull-up 2s, he nailed them."
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Magic are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. NBA Central.
- Magic are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5.
- Magic are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5.
- Magic are 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Cleveland.
- Magic are 11-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
- Road team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
- Underdog is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic
When: Fri, May 22, 2009 8:30 PM ET
Line: Sportsbook.com
Pick: Hurricanes +160
Point-Spreads.com 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic
The Bottom Line: I like the toughness and grit of the Magic; they have great depth and a better bench. Go Magic! Be sure to get your 2009 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Prediction in now at Sportsbook.com and receive a 10% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit.
