Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic, Game 4 (Magic lead 2-1)
Is there any doubt remaining that the Orlando Magic not only are worthy foes for the Cleveland Cavaliers but might actually be a superior squad?
I’m not sure how there’s any way to dispute that, since the Magic have won 10 of their past 14 games against the Cavs (all three in Orlando this season) and could be on the verge of a sweep in this series except for that amazing LeBron James buzzer-beater in Game 2.
Still, Cavs guard Mo Williams has guaranteed not only a victory tonight but also a series victory. And oddsmakers at WagerWeb.com do have the Cavs as 2-point favorites. But maybe Williams should keep quiet. After all, he is shooting just 32.1 percent from the field in this series and just 25 percent from 3-point land. In the regular season, Williams shot 46.7 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from 3.
Williams will play tonight despite suffering that ghastly injury to his eye thanks to an Anthony Johnson elbow. Both Williams and James called it a dirty play, but the NBA disagreed, having rescinded the flagrant foul against Johnson.
LeBron is averaging 41.7 points per game, but that’s nearly 43 percent of the Cavs’ total. That’s not enough balance to beat a Magic team that already is a matchup nightmare for Cleveland.
The Cavs’ bench has been horrific, getting outscored 71-27 in the first three games.
“Other guys have to step up. It’s key,” Williams said. “It’s not shots, we’re getting shots. We have to give LeBron a few possessions where he doesn’t have to do anything.”
The Cavs have only held the Magic under 45 percent from the field once (in Game 3). In the regular season, Cleveland held opponents to a league-low 43 percent.
Remember, however, that Orlando had a chance to put Boston in a 3-1 hole in the last round but lost Game 4 at home. The Magic do need to keep Dwight Howard out of foul trouble, as he played just 28 minutes in Game 3 because of fouls. He still made the Cavs pay for their strategy to send him to the line, however, hitting 14-for-19 from the stripe.
“We can’t focus on what the series is now,” Howard said. “We have to come out and treat it like it’s a Game 7 and it’s do-or-die. We can’t look at it like 2-1 or that we might have them on the ropes.”
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