Despite he didn't get a single minute in NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Adonal Foyle (207-F-75, college: Colgate) will have an opportunity to feel the NBA Finals. His Orlando Magic eliminated the regular season champion Cleveland Cavs 4-2, and before that they edged the reigning champions Boston Celtics. As it is mentioned above, Foyle was on the bench in all 6 games against the Cavs, but against Boston he appeared twice on the floor with 4 minutes in total.
After 14 frustrating years, Orlando overlooked and ignored all season sent LeBron James home and is on its way to face Kobe Bryant in the NBA finals. Dwight Howard dominated inside for 40 points, Rashard Lewis added 18 and the Magic, a team that can make 3-pointers drop from thin air, hit 12 in a 103-90 victory over James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night. Its been a long, slow climb back, but Orlando has been rebuilt and will meet the Lakers on Thursday night at the Staples Center in Game 1. James scored 25 in his worst game of the series, but the 24-year-old was magnificent for most of it, adding to a legacy still in its infancy. But the league MVP had to it alone, as Maurice Williams lost his shooting touch and Cleveland's bench was badly outplayed by Orlando's reserves. Delonte West added 22 and Williams, who guaranteed the Cavs would come back and win the series, 17 for Cleveland, which went 0-5 in Orlando.
In Game 5 LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) made a new guarantee: Game 6. With Cleveland's wondrous season on the line, James had 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, and Maurice Williams, who boldly predicted his team would come back and win this tight-as-can-be series, added 24 points in the Cavaliers' 112-102 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 on Thursday night. It's back to Florida for Game 6 on Saturday night at amped-up Amway Arena. James scored 21 points in the second half - 17 in the fourth quarter - and had a hand in 29 of Cleveland's 34 points in the final 12 minutes. Hidayet Turkoglu scored 29 for Orlando, and Dwight Howard (6'10''-F-85) had 24 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 2:22 remaining when he was called for his sixth personal foul while trying to stop James on a drive. Not even Superman was denying James. And this time, Williams, his trusty sidekick all season, showed up to help him, as did Zydrunas Ilgauskas (7'2''-C-75, agency: Interperformances) (16 points), Delonte West (6'4''-G-83, college: St.Joseph's) (13) and reserve Daniel Gibson (6'3''-G-86, college: Texas) (11), who made two huge 3-pointers in the fourth.
In the fourth game LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) pulled up for the final shot, Orlando's crowd gasped, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy gulped and time stood still. Spinning through the air, James 3-pointer looked good. Not this time, MVP. This was a Magic night. Dwight Howard (6'10''-F-85) scored 10 points in overtime and Orlando, raining down 3-pointers like a Florida thunderstorm, withstood 44 points and the last-second fling by James for a 116-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. The resilient Magic, who have overcome injuries, double-digit deficits and a spat between their star and coach, are one win from their first trip to the NBA finals since 1995. Rafer Alston (6'2''-G-76, college: Fresno St.) scored 26 points. The Magic, who won a Game 7 in Boston in the last round, can close out the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Thursday night. Howard finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds and again made his free throws 7 of 9and the Magic made a team playoff record 17 3-pointers. Rashard Lewis (6'10''-F-79) and Mickael Pietrus (6'6''-F-82, agency: Court Side) had 17 points each for Orlando. James added 12 rebounds and seven assists, but he had eight turnovers for the Cavs, whose season of seasons is slipping away.
In third match Orlando celebrated 99-89 at home. Hidayet Turkoglu almost registered triple-double in the winning squad: 13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Dwight Howard top-scored 24 points and Rafer Alston added 18 helping the Orlando Magic, sick of seeing replays of James' dramatic Game 2 buzzer-beater, to down the Cavs. James scored 41 on just 11-of-26 shooting and missed five free throws in the fourth quarter. But once again, Cleveland's superstar didn't get enough help from his teammates. Maurice Williams, who needed four stitches to close two gashes around his left eye after being elbowed in the first half, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas shot a combined 13-of-37.
In Game 2 the Cleveland Cavaliers needed a miracle and LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) delivered. James made a fadeaway 3-pointer over Orlando's Hidayet Turkoglu (6'9''-F-79) as the final horn sounded Friday night to give the Cavaliers, their season a heartbeat from major trouble, a 96-95 victory over the Orlando Magic that evened the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece. From 23 feet, matching his jersey number, James made a shot unlike any before in Cleveland history. Taking the inbounds pass from Maurice Williams (6'1''-G-82, agency: Priority Sports, college: Alabama), James only had time to turn his shoulders toward the rim and fire. As the shot dropped in, James sprinted into the arms of his teammates as 20,562 stunned fans hugged in disbelief. In the past, this was the kind of shot that happened against the Cavs. Remember Michael Jordan over Craig Ehlo? Well, James has changed everything in Cleveland. Rashard Lewis scored 23 points and Hidayet Turkoglu had 21 for the Magic. Dwight Howard (6'10''-F-85) scored 10 _ 20 below his Game 1 performance _ and added 18 rebounds. Williams had 19 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (7'2''-C-75, agency: Interperformances) had 12 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland. In Game 1 the Cleveland Cavaliers finally met their match in the playoffs. Superman's team stopped them cold. Dwight Howard (6'10''-F-85) scored 30 points, Rashard Lewis (6'10''-F-79) added 22 and the Orlando Magic rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to hand LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) and the Cavaliers their first loss of the postseason, 107-106 on Wednesday night in the Eastern Conference finals opener. Hidayet Turkoglu registered double-double: 15 points, 14 assists (also 6 rebs). James finished with 49 points, eight assists and six rebounds, but the league MVP walked off the floor with a slight limp after Cleveland's stunning loss - just its third in 46 home games. Lewis made a 3-pointer with 14.7 seconds left and the Magic, who dethroned the champion Boston Celtics in the previous round, survived two shots by Cleveland in the final seconds. Maurice Williams (6'1''-G-82, agency: Priority Sports, college: Alabama) missed a catch-and-shoot jumper off a jump ball as the horn sounded and the Cavs fell to 8-1 in the postseason.