THE GOOD---- Coach Stan Van Gundy wisely went to the Carter-Nelson set with the Magic trailing 85-80 and just 6:55 left to play. And the two former all-stars delivered in a big way, scoring the Magic's next 16 straight points.
That 16-3 spurt gave the Magic a lead they would not relinquish. The set worked because it allowed Orlando to take advantage of smallish Cleveland guards Delonte West and Mo Williams. And it seemed to push Carter into aggressive mode.
He got the line for two free throws and then dunked over Anderson Varejao with 5:30 to play and followed that spectacular play up with another tough jumper and a finger-roll in the lane.
Said Carter: ``We have so many weapons on this team and you want to just play in the flow of the game. But when the team hits a bump in the road or it's late in the game, I'm not afraid to step up. I'm comfortable in that role.''
---- Lewis has a knack for playing well against Cleveland, and Sunday was no different. And once again, he was in the right spot to hit a dagger of a 3-pointer to secure the win for Orlando. He took a nifty feed from Carter and buried a 3-pointer with 20 seconds to play to put the Magic up by seven points. It was from the same spot in the right corner where Lewis hit a huge, go-ahead shot against the Cavs in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals last spring.
Lewis never saw the ball go through the net as he was knocked into the crowd by Williams just after he released it.
``I just remember being in the front row of the crowd and I heard the crowd roar,'' said Lewis, who had 15 points and two 3-pointers. ``I actually thought they called a foul so I kind of stayed down a second. But the crowd was so loud.''
---- Howard scored almost at will against O'Neal early in the game, putting up 13 points in the first half on a variety of hook shots with both hands. But more importantly, Howard stayed out of foul trouble after picking up two fouls in a quarter and a half.
He banged inside with O'Neal early in possessions to keep the veteran center from getting low position and he avoided hammering James on his many drives to the hoop.
``He's such a physical big guy. I weigh 270 pounds and who knows how much Shaq weighs,'' Howard joked. ``I was trying to push him out early and still wrestle with him as much as I could. You have to make Shaq really work, but it's still hard guarding a guy down there who you are giving up height and so much weight to.''
THE BAD
---- James exceeded his average of 10.2 free throws a game on Sunday, getting to the line 12 times against the Magic. But apparently that wasn't enough for the reigning MVP of the league.
James scored just three points in the fourth quarter while missing four of five shots and one of two free throws. And afterwards, he seemed to be putting some of the blame at the feet of the referees who apparently didn't send him to the free throw line enough.
``One thing that hurts me is my size and strength,'' said James, who actually has the phrase ``CHOSEN 1'' tattooed across his shoulder blades. ``I feel like I go to the hole just as much as anybody in this league and sometimes I don't get the benefit of the calls. There were a few times I got grabbed or got pushed or smacked and there was no call.
``Dwight is a great defender and the Defensive Player of the Year, but when you go to the hole in the second half without a foul called against him, we may need to double-check that,'' James continued.
---- Much like Friday's six-minute drought when the Magic gave up 19 straight points to Dallas to squander a big lead, the Magic were flat just after halftime on Sunday and it nearly cost them dearly. Jamison, who began the game on the bench but opened the second half in the starting lineup, hit four straight baskets to begin the third period. And when James followed with a layup, the 10-0 spurt took the Cavs from six down to four up.
During that stretch, Orlando missed six consecutive shots and turned the ball over once.
``The only negative all day was the way we played to start the second half,'' Van Gundy said.
THE UGLY
---- Cleveland guard Mo Williams infuriated Magic fans last spring when he guaranteed a Cavs victory in the Eastern Conference Finals. He proceeded to tank that series, shooting just 37 percent from the floor.
He was really good against the Magic in the Cavs' 102-92 win in Orlando in November, scoring 28 points and hitting four of five 3-point shots.
But he looked much like the player who struggled in the heat of a big game on Sunday, missing eight of his nine shots and struggling to corral Carter or Nelson in the fourth quarter. To be fair, Williams was playing in just his third game since returning from a shoulder injury.
---- Van Gundy praised the Cavs for having the NBA's best record so far and they are five games ahead of the Magic in the standings even after this three-game losing streak. But Van Gundy agreed that there's a perception out there that it's Orlando chasing Cleveland rather than it actually being the other way around. After all, Orlando beat Cleveland in the playoffs and got to The Finals.
``Most people know that we beat them, but I think some people consider it a fluke,'' Van Gundy said. ``I don't even know what that word (fluke) means. It wasn't a one-game thing. When you beat a team in a playoff series, I don't think there are any flukes out there.''
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John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes'' segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.'' mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
