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Magic Eliminate Cavaliers, Advance to Finals

By WKBW Sports

Magic Eliminate Cavaliers, Advance to Finals

July 8, 2010 Updated Jul 8, 2010 at 3:44 PM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Overlooked and begging for respect all
season, the Orlando Magic can no longer be ignored. After 14
frustrating years, they've returned to the NBA finals.
Dwight Howard dominated inside for 40 points, Rashard Lewis
added 18 and the Magic, a team that can make 3-pointers drop from
thin air, hit 12 in a 103-90 victory over LeBron James and the
Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on
Saturday night.
The Magic will be making their first finals appearance since
1995, one year before Shaquille O'Neal bolted as a free agent for
Los Angeles, leaving this Florida franchise in ruins.
It's been a long, slow climb back, but Orlando has been rebuilt
and will meet the Lakers on Thursday night at the Staples Center in
Game 1.
Disney World vs. Disneyland.
Oh, and memo to Nike executives: It's time to break out the
Howard puppet. LeBron's can go in summer storage.
For now, the only matchup between James and Lakers superstar
Kobe Bryant will have to be limited to those cute TV commercials.
The Magic made them irrelevant.
With the city's most famous athlete, Tigers Woods, sitting
courtside, Orlando made believers of all those who wondered if they
were better than the Cavaliers, a team that won 66 games in the
regular season, or the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The Magic made both disappear in the postseason.
James scored 25 in his worst game of the series, but the
24-year-old was magnificent for most of it, adding to a legacy
still in its infancy. But the league MVP had to do most of it
alone, as Mo Williams lost his shooting touch and Cleveland's bench
was badly outplayed by Orlando's reserves.
Delonte West added 22 and Williams 17 for Cleveland, which went
0-5 in Orlando.
During the closing minutes, James was mocked by Orlando's crowd
singing "M-V-P" as Howard shot free throws.
And after Superman muscled underneath for a thunderous dunk with
2:21 left, the crowd moved into finals mode chanting, "Beat
L.A.!"

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