Orlando Magic, Nba Playoffs | featured news

After four taut quarters and one edgy overtime period, the Lakers finally put away a suddenly feisty Magic team and took a 2-0 lead in the N.B.A. finals.

Orlando Magic guard Rafer Alston(notes) had the answer for his poor shooting effort in Game 1 of the NBA Finals: It was coach Stan Van Gundy's fault, according to the New York Daily News.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers produced a dazzling display at both ends of the floor to crush the Orlando Magic 100-75 in the opening game of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

There will be no Kobe-LeBron showdown in the NBA finals -- and that could make things tougher for the Lakers.

His team facing elimination, LeBron James scored 37 points to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

As LeBron James pulled up for the final shot, Orlando's crowd gasped, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy gulped and time stood still. Spinning through the air, James' 3-pointer looked good. Not this time, MVP. This was a Magic night. Dwight Howard scored 10 points in overtime and Orlando, raining down 3-pointers like a Florida thunderstorm, withstood 44 points and the last-second fling by James for a 116-114...

Cavaliers guard Mo Williams is guaranteeing his team will win the Eastern Conference finals, despite trailing the Magic 2 games to 1 with Game 4 in Orlando.

From an unforgettable shot to a cheap one. Three games in, the Eastern Conference finals have grown a little nasty. Dwight Howard scored 24 points -- 14 on free throws -- and Rafer Alston added 18 as the Orlando Magic, sick of seeing replays of LeBron James' dramatic buzzer-beater to win Game 2, downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-89 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Michael Jordan no longer has the most famous buzzer-beater in Cleveland sports history. The Shot has been topped. LeBron James made one better. James dropped a 3-pointer from the top of the key over Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu as the final horn sounded Friday night to give the Cavaliers, their season a heartbeat from major trouble, a 96-95 victory over the Magic that evened the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece.

The Magic rallied from way down and withstood 49 from LeBron to hand the Cavs their first playoff loss in Game 1 of the East finals.