Orlando even, but will they recover mentally?
People who don?t watch sports will never get it. There are those moments in sports that transcend meaning; it goes to a different level, otherworldly. LeBron James gave the city of Cleveland something it hasn?t had much of, hope. By now you have seen James? shot a couple of hundred times and it is as marvelous and unbelievable as was live the first time. No nickname has really stuck with LeBron, be in King James and a few others, but on the number he?s picked for himself (23), the ?Chosen One? might well be the best of all.
His Game 2 winning shot will take on greater meaning if Cleveland can find a way to at least win the Eastern Conference, which is far less a sure thing than it was Wednesday night before the series opener.
I?ve been scratching my head wondering why everyone in Orlando is blaming themselves for James making shot. Coach Stan Van Gundy took the blame, but never said exactly why. Mickael Pietrus joined in the blame-game and was equally unclear what he did wrong, since he wasn?t assigned to guard James in the first place. If anybody is to be blamed it?s Hedu Turkoglu, not for not guarding LeBron tighter, since he and teammates has already taken away dunk opportunity, but for not taking more time off the clock with what SEEMED like game winning shot with a second to go.
Sometimes you can do everything right and the ball just goes in the cylinder.
The Orlando bench and players were visibly shaken, but this isn?t their first jolt in the playoffs. Coach Van Gundy only needs to remind his squad; they absorbed haymakers from Andre Iguodala and Ray Allen and still came out on top in two prior series. The Magic have proven the Cavaliers are not superior to them by any stretch and Turkoglu was defiant after heart-breaking loss.
"They make a last-second shot and seeing them celebrating, it means we are in their heads," he said. "I guarantee it's going to be a ballgame difference when we go back to Orlando in front of our home-court fans." The Magic return home 12-2 ATS after playing three consecutive road games.
The last seven minutes of Game 2, likely set the table for this contest and rest assured neither Mickey nor Minny Mouse will want any part of this action in downtown Orlando. In the closing minutes, it looked like RAW from the WWE, with bodies flying everywhere, accept this wasn?t scripted. With the intensity rising minute by minute, the Magic are 16-5 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog and they will be laying in wait.
Cleveland is on 11-2-1 ATS run, however are just 2-10 ATS vs. teams having won 70 percent or more of their games. The Cavaliers are finding out what TNT analyst Doug Collins said to be true about Orlando, ?Leads of 15 points for or against Orlando don?t mean much, with how they shoot the three.? Cleveland?s defense has been exposed when they can?t pack it in, with the Magic having quickness edges at different spots in open space.
When the series began, it did not appear Orlando would be a favorite, but after two impressive contests, Sportsbook.com has them as 1.5-point choice with total of 189.5. Based on the past, this could work in Cleveland?s favor, since they are 22-9 ATS as road underdogs of less than five points. Conversely, the Magic have been not be magical in this spot, sporting 5-15 ATS record when favored by less than five points at Amway Arena.
This swing game will start at 8:35 Eastern on TNT, with Orlando 12-1 ATS in last 13 meeting with Cavs, including 5-1 against the spread on home floor.
People who don?t watch sports will never get it. There are those moments in sports that transcend meaning; it goes to a different level, otherworldly. LeBron James gave the city of Cleveland something it hasn?t had much of, hope. By now you have seen James? shot a couple of hundred times and it is as marvelous and unbelievable as was live the first time. No nickname has really stuck with LeBron, be in King James and a few others, but on the number he?s picked for himself (23), the ?Chosen One? might well be the best of all.
His Game 2 winning shot will take on greater meaning if Cleveland can find a way to at least win the Eastern Conference, which is far less a sure thing than it was Wednesday night before the series opener.
I?ve been scratching my head wondering why everyone in Orlando is blaming themselves for James making shot. Coach Stan Van Gundy took the blame, but never said exactly why. Mickael Pietrus joined in the blame-game and was equally unclear what he did wrong, since he wasn?t assigned to guard James in the first place. If anybody is to be blamed it?s Hedu Turkoglu, not for not guarding LeBron tighter, since he and teammates has already taken away dunk opportunity, but for not taking more time off the clock with what SEEMED like game winning shot with a second to go.
Sometimes you can do everything right and the ball just goes in the cylinder.
The Orlando bench and players were visibly shaken, but this isn?t their first jolt in the playoffs. Coach Van Gundy only needs to remind his squad; they absorbed haymakers from Andre Iguodala and Ray Allen and still came out on top in two prior series. The Magic have proven the Cavaliers are not superior to them by any stretch and Turkoglu was defiant after heart-breaking loss.
"They make a last-second shot and seeing them celebrating, it means we are in their heads," he said. "I guarantee it's going to be a ballgame difference when we go back to Orlando in front of our home-court fans." The Magic return home 12-2 ATS after playing three consecutive road games.
The last seven minutes of Game 2, likely set the table for this contest and rest assured neither Mickey nor Minny Mouse will want any part of this action in downtown Orlando. In the closing minutes, it looked like RAW from the WWE, with bodies flying everywhere, accept this wasn?t scripted. With the intensity rising minute by minute, the Magic are 16-5 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog and they will be laying in wait.
Cleveland is on 11-2-1 ATS run, however are just 2-10 ATS vs. teams having won 70 percent or more of their games. The Cavaliers are finding out what TNT analyst Doug Collins said to be true about Orlando, ?Leads of 15 points for or against Orlando don?t mean much, with how they shoot the three.? Cleveland?s defense has been exposed when they can?t pack it in, with the Magic having quickness edges at different spots in open space.
When the series began, it did not appear Orlando would be a favorite, but after two impressive contests, Sportsbook.com has them as 1.5-point choice with total of 189.5. Based on the past, this could work in Cleveland?s favor, since they are 22-9 ATS as road underdogs of less than five points. Conversely, the Magic have been not be magical in this spot, sporting 5-15 ATS record when favored by less than five points at Amway Arena.
This swing game will start at 8:35 Eastern on TNT, with Orlando 12-1 ATS in last 13 meeting with Cavs, including 5-1 against the spread on home floor.
