Lewis comes up short in the biggest game of his life

ORLANDO -- Rashard Lewis had been the Orlando Magic's best player over the first three games of The Finals. After struggling in Game 1, he averaged 27.5 points on 57 percent shooting in Games 2 and 3.

But on Thursday, with the Magic's season on the line, Hulk Hogan was more of a presence at Amway Arena than Lewis was.

Missed free throws (the Magic shot 22-for-37 from the line) and turnovers (19) were the critical issues for Orlando in their 99-91 overtime loss in Game 4. But it can't be denied that Lewis, Orlando's $118-million man, had his worst game of the postseason when it mattered most.

Lewis, who was averaging 19.6 points in the postseason on 46 percent shooting, had six points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field in Game 4. That's his second-lowest scoring total in 49 career postseason games.

Lewis' struggles started with the Lakers' defense. L.A. made a point to stay at home on Lewis when the Magic ran their high screen-and-roll, preferring to let someone else try to beat them from the perimeter. And with a defender always on him, Lewis was forced to pass the ball.

"I thought [the Lakers] did a pretty good job [on Lewis]," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I didn't do a very good job of finding ways to get him the ball in spots where he could make shots. I think it was more that than him having just a bad night."

Lewis also cited the play of his teammates as a reason he never got into the game offensively.

"They stayed home a lot," he said, "but at the same time, other guys were playing great. [Hedo] Turkoglu was playing well, and I didn't want to interrupt the rhythm on the offensive end of the floor."

A lot of things went right for the Magic on this night. They were terrific defensively in the first half and in the fourth quarter. They made Kobe Bryant (11-for-31) take tough shots all night, while Turkoglu had his most efficient game of the series. And once again, Orlando showed resilience by fighting back after the Lakers seemingly took control of the game early in the fourth quarter.

But the Magic have yet to play a complete game in this series. They were terrible in Game 1, struggled (on offense) in Game 2 and struggled (on defense) in Game 3. In Game 4, they couldn't protect the ball or execute down the stretch.

Lewis missed multiple big shots in the game's closing moments. With the Magic down one with four minutes left, Jameer Nelson's drive-and-kick set him up for a wide open three on the right wing. Lewis shot clanked off the back of the rim.

With less than 45 seconds to go and the Magic up 87-82, Lewis had the dagger in his hands. Turkoglu hit him on the right wing again, but this time Bryant ran him off the line. He took a dribble to the elbow, pump-faked Trevor Ariza and had a wide-open 17-footer that would have put the game away.

But the shot was short, and not only did it keep the Magic from going up seven, it also quickly turned into an L.A. fast break that made it a one-possession game with plenty of time left.

If you gave Van Gundy the choice, he'd probably prefer to have Lewis taking a wide-open jumper than Dwight Howard shooting free throws.

After Howard's two bricks at the line and a Derek Fisher three, the Magic were reeling as they headed to overtime.

Their first bucket of the extra period was Lewis' first since midway through the second quarter. And it was a tough catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the corner with one second left on the shot clock.

Seeing that shot made you wonder if Lewis was thinking too much when he had more time to shoot.

For the Magic, this series has been about missed opportunities. They would have won Game 2 had Courtney Lee's last-second layup not rolled off the rim. And this one was right for the taking as well.

The 15 missed free throws, especially Howard's at the end of regulation, will be what many remember from this game. But as has been the case since he signed his lucrative contract two years ago, the pressure has been on Lewis to earn his pay.

After the game, a contemplative Lewis took his time getting dressed before addressing the media.

"You can always say 'what if' after the game is over," he said. "But we didn't do it, and we lost the game."

NBA.com's John Schuhmann is covering the Orlando Magic through the NBA Finals. If you have a question or comment for him, send him an e-mail. You can also follow him on twitter.