The Whole Delivery

Going to the Finals for the 21st time .

They have some pride for themselves and the game of basketball again.

Dejected Magic fans: All Photos from the Associated Press

Photo from NBA.com Sheed with the preview The Los Angeles Lakers were outshot, out-rebounded, out-defended, out-assisted and surrendered more free throws. Yet, in the end the battle-tested crew who fell to the Boston Celtics in last year's Finals are now just one game away from championship redemption after their 99-91 Game 4 overtime win in Orlando. Despite holding a 12 point halftime Orlando's youth and inexperience showed as they were Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu missed crucial free throws, the Magic committed careless takeaways, Stan Van Gundy made fatal personnel moves and were outexecuted by the more seasoned Lakers. LA outscored Orlando 17-4 after trailing 87-82 with 6:06 remaining in the fourth quarter. Derek Fisher delivered a jaw-cracking triple to send the game to OT with 4.6 seconds left in regulation, and busted another three-point dagger with 31.4 seconds to go in OT. LA took a commanding 3-1 lead and in the first NBA Finals to have two overtime games since Ma...

Photo from NBA.com Derek Fisher, along Trevor Ariza made the big shots as the Magic imploded in their face. Photo from David Phillip

Photo from NBA.com Sheed with the preview Orlando rediscovered the magic that helped them win the Eastern Conference Finals shooting a NBA Finals record blistering 62.5 percent from the floor and Rafer Alston taking it back to his Rucker Park “Skip to My Lou” carnation awaking from an atrocious shooting slump, dropping 20 points. Yet despite Orlando's sweltering shooting performance and uncharacteristically poor late game play from Kobe Bryant they still narrowly emerged with a 108-104 victory. Orlando looks to make it a true series and put some major pressure on the Los Angeles, while LA tries to put a chokehold on the series with a Game 4 win. Los Angeles Lakers The block is hot The Orlando Magic have proven to be completely incapable of defending Pau Gasol. The Spaniard sensation scored 23 points on 9-11 from the floor in Game 3 and for the Finals is shooting 62 percent and dropping 21 points a night. Gasol has a height, length and strength advantage over Rashard Lewis and has f...

Photo from NBA.com The Orlando Magic blew a golden opportunity to win Game 2 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and come home to the Sunshine State with the series knotted at 1. Instead, Orlando's carelessness with the pill and poor free throw shooting led to sabotaged their chance of getting the victory, committing 20 turnovers and missing 5 consecutive free throws down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Orlando now faces a desperate must win tonight or face a perilous 3-0 deficit. Impossible odds no team in NBA history has surmounted. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers know the significance of taking a commanding 3-0 lead and essentially making the finals a snack wrap. Will Orlando make it a series or will LA seal their championship fate tonight? Orlando Magic Howard must be tower of power Dwight Howard was dominant against the Cleveland Cavaliers inferior frontline, averaging 25.8 points and 13 rebounds on 65 percent shooting. However, the Magic's First Team All-NBA center has bee...

40-35 Lakers at the half. Rashard Lewis has saved the Magic from getting embarrassed again.

The almost week long buildup has ended. The time for chit chat and trash talk is over (thought it will resume during the game). The 2009 NBA Finals for the 2008-09 season is here, as the Los Angeles Lakers look to win their 15th championship in franchise history against an Orlando Magic team looking to bring home their organizations first title. You are all familiar with the big storylines headed into this series (The Kobe winning one without you know who around, the Stan van Gundy continue to not be the "Panic" man, and can Mark Jackson not say one forced, cheezy as hell music analogy to go along with his otherwise top notch analysis). While the Pruple and Gold have turned it on at the right times in this playoffs, the Magic have gotten stronger in each round of their progression to the ultimate stage. Just like last year with the Boston Celtics, the Lakers were swept in their regular season series with the Magic. Unlike the Celtics last year, however, the Lakers have the pi...

Photo from AP Photo/John Raoux Magic in five games. Yes, you read correctly, Magic in five games. And this is even just as intriguing of a question: Who does Shaq cheer for more: Kobe or Stan van Gundy? And LeBron? He left the area without even answering questions. LeBron's photo from NBA.com and Getty Images

Photo from NBA.com Once again, Mr.Durley-Petty aka "I even got Oliver Miller on lockdown at the spot" man with the preview : Cleveland was able to narrowly survive elimination thanks to an imperial, preposterously disgusting fourth quarter performance by LeBron James. However, have they really turned the corner to win in Orlando and force a decisive Game 7 at the Quicken Loans Center or was it just a desperate fleeting mirage? Does Orlando have the killer instinct to bury the Cavs or will they gag under the pressure? Here are the keys it tonight's game. Cleveland Cavaliers MoWill you must be ill Mo Williams finally awoke form his hibernation and delivered the type of performance that typified his all-star season, dropping 24 points connecting on 6-9 treyballs. The Cavs, and especially Born will need a similar production from MoWill in Game 6 in Orlando with more consistency throughout the game. MoWill may have erupted for 24 points, but he 14 came in the first quarter. Cl...

From NBA.com The Sheed man Orlando has shocked the masses and withstood everything the Cavaliers have thrown at them. They've surmounted 20 point leads, second half deficits, sluggish starts and a ridiculously gross personal onslaught from LeBron James. What more can Cleveland do to win a game and get back in the series? Here are the keys to tonight's contest. Cleveland Cavs Can a brotha get some help? LeBron James like Kanye West's anthem for the NBA playoffs has been simply “amazing.” Bron has been the embodiment of a one man band, registering one of the most resplendent series in playoff history. For the East Finals James is averaging 42.3 points, 7.3 boards, 7.3 dimes, 1.5 thefts and 1.25 blocks. What more can the man physically do? The problem is Bron is actually doing to much on the offensive end. In this series Bron is accounting for 41.7 percent of Cleveland's scoring. That's a 13 percent increase from the regular season when Bron's 28.4 points a night m...

I'll let the Hoop Doctores tell the story (bold letters emphasized by me): Gina Marie was diagnosed with autism just before the age of 2. She could not even speak until she was 3 years old and now at age 7 she is singing National Anthems at professional sports games and concerts across the country. Her parents sent her to a school for kids with special needs as she had trouble forming words when attempting to speak. But her teachers at the school used music to help her with her language skills. I bet they had no idea what gift Gina had in store for them. Indeed so. Update :Thanks to one of my "peoples" at the Kos, skywalker9 , I should tell you this: The Magic are a perfect 4-0 when Gina sings. And I, by mistake, messed up the Hoop Doctores link. My major bad.

Photo from NBA.com So, I wonder if Orlando will actually get off to a fast start tonight? We'll see, enjoy? (And "Anway" as your arena's sponsor name. Poor.)

Photo from David Maxwell of the EPA Just like in game one, a strong start by Cleveland, up 30-16. So strong, that even the forgotten Sasha Pavlovic closed out the quarter with a three. And just like game two in their last series, the Magic seemed content to just go to Orlando with a 1-1 split. We'll see what outfolds. Comment if you feel like doing so.