...for tonight's Game 4 between the Cavs and Magic.
1. The refs will make a questionable call, and then Doug Collins will say something like, "All you want from the referees is consistency." And the Marv Albert reply should be: "Well...the referees...have...been uniformally...(Marv pause) abysmal."
2. This is the game where the Magic get out to a big run and then Cleveland comes back and it's close down the stretch. I don't get the sense that the Magic have any real home court advantage. Maybe the refs give them a few more calls. That's it.
3. This series reminds me of the 04 Finals between Detroit and LA. LA was supposed to win easily. Detroit stole Game 1, and then they let Game 2 get away when Kobe made a long jumper at the end of regulation to tie it (LA won in OT). Everyone thought that Detroit, which was doing pretty good to get 1 win in LA, would be crushed by whizzing Game 2 down their legs and that LA would walk away with the series given the 2-3-2 format of the Finals. Then, the Pistons went back to Detroit and promptly won three straight games to take the title.
I say same same for Orlando.
As everyone has said fifteen thousand times about both series, the matchup problems aren't going away. LA was lucky to win yesterday, and Cleveland will be fortunate to get a win tonight. I don't see Orlando's height advantage being stopped, Lebron shot or no Lebron shot. If they needed one of the 15 greatest playoff shots of all time JUST to win Game 2 ON THEIR OWN COURT!, then I don't see them magically (!) blowing Orlando the rest of the way. Orlando has withstood Andre, Big Baby, etc. This wasn't the first last second shot hit against them.
4. Where is Boobie Gibson, and why has Mike Brown decided not to play him? Give him a try. I think someone has to come off the bench and shoot, and I'm not ready to trust either Delonte West or Mo "never met a shot I didn't like" Williams.
5. Gortat has been the best 7th man in the series thus far. Pietrus has been the best 6th man. Pavlovic played a pretty good game on Friday, but the Cleveland bench has been lackluster. Joe Smith hasn't really shown up. Neither has Ben "I'm Hizzigh till I Dizzigh" Wallace. And where is the corpse of Wally S? Needless to say, that Cleveland bench needs to put up some points. Orlando's will.
6. Orlando by 5.
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So how did we do?
1. Well, Doug didn't say it. Reggie Miller did during halftime. Charles finally called out the officiating for the entire playoffs. Several questionable flagrant calls, touch fouls, and just bad overall officiating. Nothing as blatant as the Mo Will thrown ball at Dwight H., but still not great.
2. Orlando never opened up a huge lead, but they were definitely in control the entire night. Just UGLY UGLY UGLY basketball brought to you by the UGLY UGLY UGLY Turkoglu. Refs and the inability to hit a shot further away than 10 feet had something to do with it.
3. Orlando came in with swagger. I didn't sense any tightness. SVG sat Reddick. Mike Brown showed himself incapable of making coaching changes. Cleveland didn't look like it had regained its stride. They look lost, and they could lose this series soon if they don't find someone to score besides King James.
4. Boobie AGAIN not in the lineup. Why Mike Brown? Is the 10 field goals and 30 missed shots between your starting guards not enough incentive to put in someone who has playoff experience (from the Cavs run in 07) and a shooter's touch?
5. The bench was the difference. Gortat and ESPECIALLY Pietrus came through with rebounds, defense, and points. Sasha P. was officially a no show. Wally S didn't even see playing time. Orlando has become a 7 man rotation (with a cameo by Tony Battie), and it has worked for them. Anthony Johnson may have gotten more time if he had not been tossed, but I like this rotation for Orlando. Cleveland has NO scoring options, which makes Brown's decision to keep a shooter like Daniel Gibson on the bench semi-unconscionable.
6. Orlando by 10. In the ballpark.
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