Wow. Wow! The Orlando Magic just took a 2-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a ten-point win in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals.
I didn’t think Orlando had a prayer in the series, and told a reader I expected the Cavs to win in five. I’m still not sure Orlando will win, especially when the refs are willing to call a foul on Dwight Howard’s last-minute block of LeBron James, perhaps the cleanest block I’ve ever seen (more in a second). At this point I just really want someone to break up the Cavs-Lakers Finals, which is a pretty bad place to be as a fan. I mean, obviously I want the Nuggets to win it all, but if they can’t I just hope someone crashes the league’s party.
The Magic sure do play funny on offense with a lead, though. They kept going for the dagger three instead of a) a good two or b) trying to kill any clock. It was like a football team passing every down with a four-point lead or something. I was afraid they were going to blow it.
And really, I hate complaining about the refs, but I also hate how it feels like the underdog has to do more than just outscore the favorite. About that block: LeBron is pushing the ball up the floor and you know he’s going to pull up for three (the Cavs were down eight). Dwight Howard comes up behind him and blocks the shot. Absolutely clean. I mean almost every block has some kind of body contact, but Howard didn’t touch James at all. Of course, there’s a whistle anyway. So LeBron got three free throws with 36.1 remaining. It wasn’t enough to change the game, but it totally could have been. (Charles Barkley, thankfully, kept saying it was a terrible call, asked if anyone noticed the seeing-eye dog next to the ref, and said that someone needs to review the tapes and give technicals for obvious flopping.)
One more note on the officials: I also hate watch the players complain to the refs, but if some star really does get suspended for picking up a seventh technical and that turns around a conference finals or the NBA Finals, really, whose best interest is that in? This is the lamest running subplot of the playoffs. I really, really hope none of these series come down to that.
Comments
The officiating in the Orlando-Cleveland series has arguably been worse than in the Denver-LA series - which is saying quite a bit. It's almost like the refs can't believe what they are seeing or can't believe that Howard is that good on defense.
The refs have been horrible in the playoffs in general in a lot of ways, as they often are. But the Cavs really need to step up their game or they're gonna get bounced.