The league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (43–14) fell to the Orlando Magic (38–19) 101–95 on Sunday in a re-match of last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Sunday’s loss at the Amway Arena in Orlando yielded Cleveland’s first three-game losing streak in two seasons after the Denver Nuggets broke the team’s 13-game winning streak—tying a franchise record—in OT last Thursday. The Cavs then lost to Charlotte on Friday.
It was a high-energy, physical game as the Cavs’ LeBron James (33 points, 9 rebounds) and Shaquille O’Neal (20 points, 5 rebounds) faced off against the Magic’s key players in Dwight Howard (22 points, 16 rebounds) and Jameer Nelson (18 points, 4 rebounds).
A battle had been brewing between Shaq and Howard leading up to the game over who was the one deserving of the “Superman” title.
Shaq wasted no time setting the tone for the game, with a monster one-hand dunk over Howard in the first minute. Toe to toe, the broad-shouldered Howard looked like a featherweight next to the 325-pound Shaq.
But the home-crowd charged Magic dominated Cleveland in the first and second quarters, leading by as much as 10 points and closing the half 49–43. O’Neal and Howard tied for 13 points and O’Neal was a perfect 6–6 from the field.
“I was attacking the basket and just trying to use my quickness against their big man, and it worked,” Howard told ABC at the half.
Orlando’s defense came out weak in the second half, allowing LeBron and the newly acquired Antawn Jamison to ramp up their scoring and pull the Cavs ahead by as much as five points. LeBron was his usual self, with several coast-to-coast plays and near unthinkable drives.
But Orlando pulled it together half way through the third quarter to recapture the lead and it was neck-and-neck from then on with several lead changes.
LeBron—who leads the league in fourth quarter scoring—went dry until a foul shot at the midpoint of the fourth, while Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter lit up the scoreboard.
The two guards hit several clutch shots near the end of game that ignited the sell-out crowd and shifted the momentum fully to Orlando.
Carter scored 11 points for the night and is showing signs of recovering from his deplorable January performance—the worst month of his career.
Sunday’s loss at the Amway Arena in Orlando yielded Cleveland’s first three-game losing streak in two seasons after the Denver Nuggets broke the team’s 13-game winning streak—tying a franchise record—in OT last Thursday. The Cavs then lost to Charlotte on Friday.
It was a high-energy, physical game as the Cavs’ LeBron James (33 points, 9 rebounds) and Shaquille O’Neal (20 points, 5 rebounds) faced off against the Magic’s key players in Dwight Howard (22 points, 16 rebounds) and Jameer Nelson (18 points, 4 rebounds).
A battle had been brewing between Shaq and Howard leading up to the game over who was the one deserving of the “Superman” title.
Shaq wasted no time setting the tone for the game, with a monster one-hand dunk over Howard in the first minute. Toe to toe, the broad-shouldered Howard looked like a featherweight next to the 325-pound Shaq.
But the home-crowd charged Magic dominated Cleveland in the first and second quarters, leading by as much as 10 points and closing the half 49–43. O’Neal and Howard tied for 13 points and O’Neal was a perfect 6–6 from the field.
“I was attacking the basket and just trying to use my quickness against their big man, and it worked,” Howard told ABC at the half.
Orlando’s defense came out weak in the second half, allowing LeBron and the newly acquired Antawn Jamison to ramp up their scoring and pull the Cavs ahead by as much as five points. LeBron was his usual self, with several coast-to-coast plays and near unthinkable drives.
But Orlando pulled it together half way through the third quarter to recapture the lead and it was neck-and-neck from then on with several lead changes.
LeBron—who leads the league in fourth quarter scoring—went dry until a foul shot at the midpoint of the fourth, while Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter lit up the scoreboard.
The two guards hit several clutch shots near the end of game that ignited the sell-out crowd and shifted the momentum fully to Orlando.
Carter scored 11 points for the night and is showing signs of recovering from his deplorable January performance—the worst month of his career.
