Can Cleveland beat Orlando in Game 2?
The Cavaliers finally lost one.
In what has been a stunning display of domination by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, they finally lost their first playoff game, losing 107-106 to the no.3 seed Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was probably one of the most improbable of wins. If you haven’t been watching these playoffs lately, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so dominant that they were already a shoo-in for the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference Finals as early as the first round.
After sweeping the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers had more than enough time to prepare for whichever team will come out of the East to challenge them. When the Orlando Magic officially dethroned the Boston Celtics in seven games, the Cavaliers were clearly not ready for them just yet.
When a team had THAT much time away from the court like the Cleveland Cavaliers did, the last thing you want when you get back on the floor are delays that can get you out of your rhythm. When the Orlando Magic took the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena, Dwight Howard showed just how good he really is, THAT and he kept the Cavaliers off their rhythm. All that in the opening minutes of Game 1.
Thanks to Dwight Howard ferociously slamming the ball down early in the first quarter, the 24-second shot clock above the rim was knocked off and the game had to be stopped for at least eight minutes.
Those precious eight minutes probably took any semblance of a rhythm LeBron James and his Cavaliers had early in Game 1.
The Cavaliers did build a 15-point lead at halftime but since Orlando was MAGIC, that 15-point lead MAGICALLY disappeared as Orlando was able to overcome LeBron James’ 49-point night to take the early 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 2 is scheduled this Friday still in Cleveland. Expect the Cavaliers to try to win this one BAD.
Can the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic in Game 2? SPORTSBETTING.COM has the odds.
Cleveland Cavaliers -8.5
Orlando Magic +8.5
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