Magic's Championship Goal Now Fully Within Reach
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May 30, 2009
ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic are only one step away from obtaining their ultimate goal.
Thanks to a dominating team effort on Saturday, highlighted by Dwight Howard's phenomenal 40-point performance, the Magic are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995 after they dismantled the Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-90, in Game 6.
The now reigning Eastern Conference champions are just four wins away from bringing a title to Orlando.
"It is an unbelievable feeling," Magic All-Star forward Rashard Lewis explained after posting 18 points in the Game 6 triumph. "To get to The Finals is most definitely deserving for this team."
And there may not be a squad in the entire NBA that deserves it more.
The Magic have overcome a number of hardships during their 2008-09 campaign, beginning with the devastating shoulder injury to point guard Jameer Nelson and closing with the immensely challenging playoff path they took to The Finals.
Not only did they overcome a 2-1 series deficit against the Philadelphia 76ers, but they also became the first team in history to rally back from a 3-2 series hole against the defending champion Boston Celtics.
In the most recent round, they cut down the NBA's MVP and his Cavaliers, owner's of the league's best record. And in the process, thwarted a national media campaign for a LeBron James – Kobe Bryant Finals matchup.
"You have to take things step-by-step and we were able to do something," said point guard Rafer Alston, the mid-season acquisition that may have saved Orlando's season. "We ran through some bumpy roads along the way; a few setbacks in the playoffs, dropping games at home, buzzer-beaters, but we hung tough and prevailed. This by far is one of the best moments in basketball for me."
It's a moment that validates the Magic's place among league contenders and Howard's position as one of the NBA's premier superstars.
No longer will his boasts of an Orlando title run receive laughs in return.
"I think we started to bring back some magic in Orlando," said Howard, whose preseason claims of a Magic Finals run weren't taken seriously by nearly anyone outside of the organization." And that's one of the goals that I set out to do when I first got here."
Still while the Magic basked in the glory of reaching basketball's promised land, they remained steadfast in proclaiming that they've yet to reach their true goal.
As General Manager Otis Smith and Howard are always quick to point out, this team will not be truly satisfied until they raise an NBA championship banner in Orlando.
"We still have a lot of work to do," said the Magic's Superman, who drew chants of M-V-P, while draining free throws in the closing moments of their series with the Cavs. "It feels good to win, but we want to win a championship. That's the ultimate goal."
Their road to a ring won't get any easier.
After facing the defending champs and then the team with the league's best record, Orlando will now battle Kobe Bryant and the Los Angles Lakers beginning on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Although the Magic swept the Lakers 2-0 during their regular season series, they're fully aware that the owners of the Western Conference's best regular season record possess a solid interior game to go along with a dangerous perimeter attack.
"Just like we faced LeBron James, now we got to face Kobe Bryant," Lewis explained of Orlando's difficult task. "He has a good supporting cast around him – Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom – they are a great defensive team and they move the ball around on offense. We have our work cut out for us."
But the Magic are confident that if they stick true to their brand of basketball, they can achieve anything.
"If we go hard for 48 minutes at the end of The Finals, we should have a ring," Howard stated with pure conviction. "We should have a trophy."
It's doubtful anyone is laughing now, because that goal is fully within this team's grasp.
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