Stars Align in Magic’s Game 1 Win
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May 20, 2009
CLEVELAND -- Only two of them are All-Stars, but make no mistake Orlando puts three game-changers on the floor every night.
All of them are capable of stepping up and each can have a lethal impact in the closing seconds of a game.
Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu can all spell doom for the opposition and in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night, they each made their presence felt in Orlando's 107-106 comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I'm looking at the stats and I'm looking at Dwight and I'm looking at Rashard and I'm looking at Hedo," Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams said with amazement about Orlando's dangerous trio. "Those three guys were terrific tonight."
While each of them played a significant role, Lewis' contribution left the most memorable impression.
With 14.7 seconds left on the clock, Eagle Eye gave a pump fake, a jab-step and then pulled up for the eventual game-winning trey to lift Orlando to an amazing Game 1 victory at The Q, an arena where only two road teams had won throughout the entire regular season.
"That's what he does every day," Magic swingman Mickael Pietrus said of his sharpshooting teammate. "So I am not surprised."
But while Pietrus is accustomed to seeing Lewis knock down daggers from beyond the arc, it caught the league's MVP off guard.
With the Magic trailing by just two, he expected Orlando to go for a two-point opportunity to tie the game.
"Rashard hit a big shot," LeBron James said following the contest. "Couldn't believe he took the shot, but that's him."
Even though Lewis will receive the most recognition for his miraculous 3-pointer, he would never have been in that position without the help of Howard and Turkoglu.
Superman provided his 13th double-double of the postseason with 30 points and 13 rebounds to keep the Magic within reach and Turkoglu elevated his game down the stretch and did an exceptional job of distributing the ball to his teammates.
In the first half, Cleveland caught the Magic's small forward off guard by blitzing him each time he touched the ball.
However after the break, the Turkish star adjusted and used his 6' 10" height advantage to peer over the Cavaliers' defense and find the open man.
On Orlando's final offensive drive of the game, Turkoglu remained unselfish.
He could have pulled up and taken a difficult shot in traffic, but instead he deferred and found Lewis for the open three.
He had complete faith that his teammate would knock it down.
"We all have confidence in each other," said Turkoglu, who dished out a postseason career-high 14 assists. "Tonight, he stepped it up and knocked it down. Next game, somebody will because we have a great team and we always believe in each other. Tonight, he was big and helped the team get a 'W.'"
Howard knew Lewis' shot would fall after he saw a twinkle in the All-Star forward's eyes.
"Rashard looked at me and gave me three winks, signaling that he was going to hit a big three," the Magic's Superman explained. "And he did it."
For Orlando, there’s plenty of confidence to go around.
Even when they faced a 16-point first-half deficit, their resolve never wavered.
That's because when their stars align, no deficit is too much for them to overcome.
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