Howard, Magic Overcome LeBron’s 33 Points To Win 101-95

There’s been a lot less bark in the Orlando Magic’s bite this year, and that’s too bad. What made the Magic so interesting last year was the way they thrived when they felt disrespected. They weren’t expected to beat the Celtics in the playoffs last year after going down 3-2 in that series, but they did by winning a seventh game in Boston. They weren’t expected to beat the Cavaliers in the playoffs last year, but they did so fairly easily. The “why not us” mentality became a war cry and got them so many new fans.

That swagger’s mostly been non-existent this year. Maybe it disappeared because of the weight of great expectations. Maybe there were just too many new pieces to integrate. Either way, Orlando was not only playing more unevenly, but they were also playing with far less confidence.

For more, check out our Magic blog, Orlando Pinstriped Post, and our Cavs blog, Fear the Sword.

Carter then sparked a 9-0 run with two free throws and a dunk, and Nelson drained a three for an 89-85 lead with 3:56 to play.