The Final Dime: Magic 99, Cavaliers 89

LeBron James led everyone with 38 points in Sunday's Game 3 loss. Victor Baldizon NBAE/Getty Images

LeBron James led everyone with 41 points, but there weren’t any late-game heroics in store for the league’s MVP in the Magic Kingdom as the Wine and Gold dropped a physical 99-89 decision to fall behind, 1-2, in their seven-game series against the Magic.

The Cavaliers had come into Amway Arena having dropped both regular season games by an average of 20 points per contest. And the Magic looked like they might blow the Cavaliers out again – running out to a 16-6 lead. But the Cavaliers would not go away, recovering to tie the game midway through the second period.

Sunday’s game was marked by a procession to the line by both teams, although the Magic made 51 trips to the stripe – canning 39 free throws, 25 by Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. Both Cavalier big men – Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas – fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Neither Varejao nor Ilgauskas shot well from the floor – combining to go 4-for-12 from the floor. And the Cavaliers didn’t get much relief from their backcourt. The starting combination of Mo Williams and Delonte West went a combined 10-for-26 from the field. Mo and LeBron combined to go 4-for-18 from beyond the arc, where the Cavaliers shot less than 20 percent as a team.

Overall, the Wine and Gold shot just 37 percent from the field and turned the ball over 15 times. The Magic outran the Cavaliers, 14-3, on the break.

LeBron was 11-for-28 from the floor and 18-of-24 from the line, adding a game-high nine assists and seven boards to go with two steals and a block. Mo came back from taking four stitches to his eye to notch 15 points and West rounded out the Cavaliers and double-figures with a dozen points.

“We're very confident – I know I am as an individual,” reasoned James. “I make sure our team is. We will get ready for Game 4 and play the same intensity basketball that we played tonight. Hopefully a few shots can go in and a few of theirs can come out.”

Five Magic players tallied double-figures, led by Howard, who finished with 24 points and nine boards.

“You got to give them credit,” said Coach Mike Brown. “We're confident. We feel like we can win. And like I said, it is one game. There’s still a lot of basketball left.”

For the second time in the in the series, the Cavaliers find themselves with their back against the wall, and they’ll try to knot the Eastern Conference Finals back up in Tuesday night’s Game 3 in the Magic Kingdom.

2. For the second time in as many games, Mo Williams and Anthony Johnson got tangled up, but on Sunday night, Williams took four stitches for the effort. It took place with 5:44 to play in the second when a driving Johnson elbowed Williams across the face. Johnson received a Flagrant-1 on the play and Mo remained in the game to shoot the technical free throw. Afterward he went to the locker room, where he got stitched up.

Mo did not mince words when asked if the elbow was intentional. “Most definitely,” affirmed Williams. “That was the second time. If you can recall ... we dove out of bounds in Cleveland last game, (he) gave me the elbow then. This is the second time.”

3. The duo of LeBron James and Mo Williams are the second-highest scoring tandem in the NBA playoffs at 50.7 ppg. The highest scoring duo is Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups (50.8).

4. Despite their two recent losses, the Cavaliers continue to be the top defensive team in the playoffs – both in terms of points allowed (84.1 – next best is Miami at 87.3) and field goal percentage (.421 – next best, again, is Miami at .422)

5. There were a few celebrities on-hand to witness Game 3 at Amway Arena, beginning, as always, with Tiger Woods – seated courtside, donning a Stanford cap. Also in the house was Heat star, Dwyane Wade, and from the world of music, Usher and Lil Wayne.

6. In five career Eastern Conference Finals games at home, LeBron James is now averaging 32.2 on .495 shooting, 8.2 rebounds and 8.0 assists. This postseason, LeBron surpassed Tracy McGrady for fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list at 28.8 ppg. He now trails only Michael Jordan (33.4), Allen Iverson (29.7) and Jerry West (29.1).

7. In 125 minutes of floor time in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, James has scored 125 points.

8. The Cavaliers guards aren’t the only ones struggling from beyond the arc in the Eastern Conference Finals. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is 0-of-6 on three-point attempts against Orlando and just 2-of-13 in the 2009 playoffs.

9. Before Sunday’s game, LeBron James was asked why he wasn’t the man guarding Hedo Turkoglu at the end of regulation in Game 2.

“Well I’m only one guy,” smiled James. “I took Hedo in the first game and Rashard made the shot. I took Rashard in the second game and Hedo made the shot. If I could clone myself, we’d be alright.”

10. In the Cavaliers last playoff game on the road – in Game 4 against Atlanta – both Delonte West and Mo Williams donned LeBron’s new Nikes – the” Soldier 3.” On Sunday night, the entire team wore them.