Dunk of The Week: Antawn Jamison Dunks On Kendrick Perkins

Via You Got Dunked On.

More: Dunk of The Week

2010 NBA Playoffs: Celtics vs Heat - Game 3 - Paul Pierce Game Winning Shot (Video)

Check out the video of Paul Pierce's game winning jump shot vs the Heat last night in Game 3 of the Celtics/Heat playoff series.

2009 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers Win 2009 NBA Finals (Trophy Presentation)

Ok, so by now you've probably read all you need to read about the NBA Finals, but it wouldn't be right if I didn't congratulate the Lakers for their championship. To be honest, I watched Game 1 and most of or parts of Games 2, 3, and 4; but didn't even bother watching Game 5 and while some of the games were close, this NBA Finals pretty much sucked. Unless you're a fan of the Lakers or Kobe, then there's really no reason for any of us to care about the 2009 NBA Finals anymore. Let's hope that the Celtics stay healthy next year, Lebron gets to play with Shaq, Dwight Howard gets some better low post moves, and someone actually challenges the Lakers out West. At least now I can focus on the NBA Draft.

Gone Fishin' 2009: Orlando Magic

Coach Stan Van Gundy, Rafer Alston, Dwight Howard, and the Michael Jordan of Turkey are Gone Fishin'.

More: Gone Fishin'

2009 NBA Finals: Kobe Bryant Named 2009 NBA Finals MVP (Trophy Presentation)

2009 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs Orlando Magic - Series Preview

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs (3) Orlando Magic

Offense Eff.: Los Angeles (3) 109.8, Orlando (8) 107.2
Defense Eff.: Los Angeles (5) 101.9, Orlando (1) 98.9
Pace: Los Angeles (6) 96.9, Orlando (12) 94.6

I'm having a hard time analyzing this series, which I think probably means it will be close and go 6 or 7 games, but here are some things that I could see as keys to this series:

Lakers Defense: The one thing I do know is that it will be interesting to see how the Lakers guard the Magic when it comes to Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. I personally think they should start Lamar Odom and let him play defense on Rashard Lewis and move Gasol over to the center position to match up with Dwight Howard. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers leave Bynum on Howard and take their chances with Gasol on Lewis. It probably depends how effective Gasol would be on Howard, because if he can't stop Howard then the Lakers will be giving up dunks and putbacks which are high percentage shots. It may makes more sense to lock down Howard and make the Magic hit more shots that are a lower percentage, however, since the Magic actually prefer to shoot from the outside that might not be the best idea.

Orlando's Defense: The Magic were the best defense team in the NBA during the regular season and they have two pretty decent options to throw at Kobe Bryant. Both Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee are going to get their chances to slow down Kobe and I wouldn't even be surprised to see Turkoglu get some time on him too for better or worse. I expect Orlando's D to be solid and Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, and the Lakers bench players could struggle to score.

Dwight Howard: Maybe I'm crazy, but I actually have liked what I've seen from Dwight enough in these playoffs to think he might just be able to dominate in this series against the Lakers. He's flat out better than Andrew Bynum, but still Bynum's length might have a chance to bother Howard some. If Howard goes against Gasol, I think he'll destroy him pretty much. The Lakers might even have to end up double-teaming Howard and then this series will come down to whether Lewis, Turkoglu, Alston, Pietrus, and company are hitting their shots. If Howard struggles, then the Magic could be in for a long series.

Kobe Bryant: Will Kobe try to completely take over the series or will he get his teammates involved? When it's just Kobe against the world, the role players seem to go cold and get out of the flow of the game. The role players need Kobe to be successful on offense more than he needs them. It will be interesting to see how the Magic try and defend Kobe. I personally think they will play him straight up for the most part and try to force him to shoot from the outside the same way they did with Lebron.

Pau Gasol: If Gasol has Rashard Lewis guarding him then he needs to take him in the post and abuse him. If he's playing center, then he'll be matched up against Howard and won't have as much of an advantage, but he's going to have to play aggressively in this series for the Lakers to win.

Lamar Odom: Odom is the ultimate x-factor in this series. On defense, he will most likely be matched up with Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu and his defense against both will be critical. If he can take either one of them out of the game offensively, then there's no way I see the Magic winning. On offense and on the boards, when he plays well the Lakers are tough to beat, so if Odom can average a double-double or close to it in the series then I think the Lakers will be champs.

Jameer Nelson: It sounds like he's going to play in the NBA Finals and while I don't think he will be able to come back and play at the level he was during the regular season; it certainly isn't going to hurt to have a player of his caliber as a weapon off the bench, especially when he can probably destroy Derek Fisher even with a shoulder that's not 100%. However, if anyone is tough enough to go out there and play like he never missed a beat I wouldn't be the one to be betting against Jameer Nelson.

Prediction: In the end, I like the Lakers in 7, but I would not be shocked to see the Magic pull this thing out, especially if Jameer Nelson gives them anything close to what he was doing earlier in the season.

More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

Gone Fishin' 2009: Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, & Cleveland Cavaliers

Here's the lastest teams to be Gone Fishin', plus a couple others that I missed who have been Gone Fishin' for a while now:

Yao Ming, Ron Artest, and the Houston Rockets are Gone Fishin' with what looks like Kenny Smith in a space helmet and some others who I can't identify. Any help?

Allen Iverson, Kwame Brown, and the Detroit Pistons are Gone Fishin' with the ex-mayor of Detroit, Ted Nugent, and Chris Webber's floating head.

Chauncey Billups, Birdman, Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets are Gone Fishin' with Jay Cutler and Allen Iverson.

Lebron, Anderson Varejao, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are Gone Fishin' with Usher, Lil Penny, and a burning Lebron puppet.





More: Gone Fishin'

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 6 - Orlando Magic 103 Cleveland Cavaliers 90 (Highlights)

Game 6: Orlando Magic 103 Cleveland Cavaliers 90

Analysis: Congratulations to the Orlando Magic who seemingly surprised everyone by making the NBA Finals this year. No need to talk about what went on in this game, since it was pretty much the same as the rest of the series. You know...Cavs can't stop Dwight Howard, or Rashard Lewis, and Mickael Pietrus scores double-figures off the bench. That kind of thing. I do want to go back to a few things I said earlier this year about Orlando back before Jameer Nelson got hurt.

Something to consider with everyone drooling all over the Cavs is that they have a modest 12-8 road record right now. That's probably not going to get it done come playoff time, especially if they aren't able to secure the #1 seed and home court advantage. Even the Celtics are just 13-7 on the road this season after their recent stretch of poor play. However, the Orlando Magic currently have a 17-5 road record, which is tops in the NBA. Just another reason to think that the Magic are legit contenders in the East, even more so if they finish with the best record.

While everyone is talking about the Celtics, Cavs, and Lakers; the Orlando Magic are quietly putting together a monster season. They are currently third in the Eastern Conference with 28-8 record, including a solid 15-3 home record. While I am not the biggest Dwight Howard fan, because I simply don't think he has enough low post scoring moves to dominate in the playoffs against high quality defenses, Howard does have enough pieces around him for the Magic to give the Celtics and Cavs problems once the playoffs come. We all know what Rashard Lewis(19.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 41.0% 3FG) and Hedo Turkoglu(16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists) bring to the Magic every night, but the difference in this years team is the play of Jameer Nelson. As a team, the Magic are currently ranked 9th in the NBA in offensive efficiency and a solid 3rd in defensive efficiency just a little behind the Celtics and Cavs. So while many people are asking if Boston will be able to beat Cleveland this year in the playoffs, I think it's fair to wonder if maybe Boston or Cleveland gets knocked off by the Magic in the second round of the playoffs. It's even possible that they could end up in the NBA Finals and they certainly would be deserving of that with the way they have played so far this season.

Basically, once the Celtics lost KG, I should have pushed harder to say that the Magic could beat the Cavs. In fact, we all should have seen this coming. I was bringing it up back in January, but once Jameer Nelson got hurt and then Rafer Alston became the new PG, I kind of downgraded their chances and I shouldn't have. There was nobody on the Cavs who could guard Dwight Howard even though he does lack any great post moves, he is still too athletic and quick. Also, most people see the fact that Rashard Lewis is the power forward for Orlando as a weakness, but in fact it was a matchup nightmare for these teams who have traditional PF's. If the Lakers don't put Lamar Odom on Lewis they will be having some bad dreams of their own.

Key Players of The Game

Dwight Howard: Gotta give the man credit, he came up big in this game with 40 points and 14 rebounds. He outplayed Lebron and led his team to the NBA Finals. I even saw his game developing downlow throughout the playoffs, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he performs in the Finals.

Rashard Lewis: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block; while shooting 6 of 13 from the floor. He finished the series averaging 18.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, while shooting 49.3% from the floor and 48.4% from downtown.

Mickael Pietrus: This guy has been invaluable to the Magic throughout the playoffs. He had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals off the bench in this one. He finished the series averaging 13.9 points a game, while shooting 50.9% from the floor for the second straight series. He also shot 47.2% from downtown nailing 17 threes.

Lebron James: Lebron needed to drop at least 40 points in each of the last three games for the Cavs to win this series. In Game 6, he had just 25 points on 8 of 20 shooting. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't enough to get things done even with Mo Williams and Delonte West combining for 39 points.



More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers Top 10 Plays (Video)

Check out this video of the top 10 plays for the Lakers in the playoffs so far....not bad but no Odom dunk on Birdman?

Dunk of The Week: Lamar Odom Dunks On Chris Andersen

Lamar Odom shits on The Birdman to win Dunk of The Week honors. Brought to you by You Got Dunked On.

More: Dunk of The Week

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 6 - Los Angeles Lakers 119 Denver Nuggets 92 (Highlights)

Game 6: Los Angeles Lakers 119 Denver Nuggets 92

Analysis: The Lakers played a perfect game on offense in this one shooting 57.3% from the floor. Denver looked like a team that ran out of gas the past couple games. I definitely didn't see the same intensity I saw from them earlier in this series and in the earlier rounds. The Lakers always seem to make things look so easy, so it doesn't look like they are playing with intensity when they probably are. With the Lakers playing so well on offense, there was no way the Nuggets were going to win this game, but Chauncey Billups struggled on offense for the second game in a row and the Nuggets are simply just not the same team when he doesn't have things going for him. The Lakers should be the favorites heading into the NBA Finals no matter which team they face. My guess is that Orlando would give them more trouble than Cleveland, but I would expect the Lakers would defeat either one.

Key Players of The Game

Kobe Bryant: Maybe his best game of this series. He finished with 35 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. He shot 12 of 20 from the floor and 9 of 9 from the line. He set the tone for this game, that's for sure.

Lamar Odom: Another strong effort from Odom has got me thinking his back is finally healed. 20 points and 8 rebounds off the bench for Lamar, while shooting 7 of 12 from the floor.

Pau Gasol: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block is definitely an impressive performance for a big man like Gasol. He has such a well-rounded game and a high basketball IQ, but I do wish he would score a little more, since he is so efficient in the post.

Chauncey Billups: He struggled again shooting just 2 of 7 from the floor with 10 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 5 turnovers. Definitely not the kind of game the Nuggets need from Chauncey when their backs are against the wall.

J.R. Smith: He did everything he could to try and help the Nuggets win this game and he finished with 24 points off the bench on 10 of 17 shooting.

More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 5 - Cleveland Cavaliers 112 Orlando Magic 102 (Highlights)

Game 5: Cleveland Cavaliers 112 Orlando Magic 102

Analysis: There were several things that hurt the Orlando Magic in this game. The first was that they didn't play well defensively and let Cleveland shoot 50% from the field. Since the defense was poor, they allowed Mo Williams to have his best game of the series and go off for 24 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Mo will have to play like this again the next 2 games for the Cavs to win. The third thing is that they missed 13 free throws. If they had made at least 6 or 7 more of those then this is a completely different game. The last thing is that since their defense was poor they couldn't afford for anyone to have an off night offensively, but Rafer Alston shot just 1 of 10 from the field. So the combination of poor defense, a hot Mo Williams, missed free throws, and Rafer Alston having an off night is what eventually did the Magic in. Yeah, Lebron was great, but the Magic still could have won this game even with him going off for a triple-double. For the Cavs to win Game 6, they are going to have to hope the Magic come out flat, because even with their Game 5 victory they haven't proved they can stop the Magic on offense and I don't see the Cavs playing as well offensively on the road. They even coughed up another big lead in this one, so the Magic are probably still pretty confident, but they need to make sure they come out strong in Game 6.

Key Players of The Game

Lebron James: Great game from Lebron who finished with 37 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, a steal, and a block. He'll need two more games like this for the Cavs to win. The scary thing is that he's probably very capable of pulling off two more games like this one.

Mo Williams: Mo finally decided to show up and he was probably the biggest X-factor reason the Cavs won this game. Mo scored 24 points of 7 of 14 shooting and canned 6 threes.

Daniel Gibson: The Cavs have been getting nothing off the bench and his 11 points off the bench were huge.

Hedo Turkoglu: Turkoglu finished with 29 points on 10 of 18 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. The Cavs still haven't proven they can slow him down. Turkoglu is averaging 18.6 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.2 rebounds a game in the series. He might be one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

Dwight Howard: Another solid game from Howard, who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 23.0 points and 12.8 rebounds in the series, while shooting 64.5% from the floor.

Rafer Alston: After playing way over his head the previous two games, Alston came crashing back down to earth with a 1 for 10 shooting performance, including 1 of 7 from three. I think he'll be better in Game 6 with the Magic returning home.

More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 5 - Los Angeles Lakers 103 Denver Nuggets 94 (Highlights)

Game 5: Los Angeles Lakers 103 Denver Nuggets 94

Analysis: The Lakers were able to win this game because they finally decided to man up and play more physical. The Lakers won both games that they held the Nuggets under 100 points and the other game they won when the Nuggets scored 103 was Game 1, which they probably should have lost. I don't think the Lakers will be able to hold the Nuggets under 100 at home again, so I think this series goes 7. Then I would imagine we would get a very competitive game. The Lakers would be motivated of course and the Nuggets would not go down easily. As for this game, the Nuggets lost pretty much because they had a stretch in the 4th quarter where they missed something like 11 straight shots. Also, Lamar Odom finally decided to show up for the Lakers and like I said before when he has a double-double the Lakers are almost unbeatable. Game 6 should be interesting and I would not be surprised to see the Lakers lose by double digits, but if they can close out Denver in 6 on the road then I think we are looking at out NBA Champs for sure.

Key Players of The Game

Lamar Odom: 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks and one monster dunk on the Birdman. Yup, he pretty much did it all in this one.

Kobe Bryant: Bryant took less shots in this game and got his teammates involved more. 22 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. He did also have 7 turnovers though.

Pau Gasol: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks which may or may not have been fouls.

Carmelo Anthony: Another 30+ scoring night for 'Melo, who finished with 31 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. 'Melo is averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists; while shooting 41.6% from the floor in this series.

Chauncey Billups: I expect Billups to come out a lot more aggressive in Game 6 after taking just 7 shots in this game. I'm not sure why he didn't get more involved in the offense, because other than 'Melo, nobody was really on fire. He finished with just 12 points and added 5 assists and 2 steals.

More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 4 - Orlando Magic 116 Cleveland Cavaliers 114 (OT) (Highlights)

Game 4: Orlando Magic 116 Cleveland Cavaliers 114 (OT)

Analysis: So we are now just one last second Lebron shot from the Cavs being swept in this series. As crazy as that sounds, it really is true. Are the Cavs done? No, they still have a chance to win this series, but it's hard to argue that Orlando is not the better team at this point. The Cavs were even lucky to be in this game. Anytime the opposing team hits 17 threes, the game is usually a blow out, but the Cavs were able to keep this one close somehow. They even shot more free throws than the Magic did, which is why Orlando probably needed so many threes to win. The problem for the Cavs right now is still their defense. They can't stop the Magic and I haven't see one decent adjustment by coach Mike Brown in this series. It looks like for the Cavs to win this series they are either going to have to catch ridiculous fire on the offense end from Lebron plus at least 2 other players or they are going to need help from the refs. My bet is that is doesn't happen, but we shall see.

Key Players of The Game

Rafer Alston: Anytime Rafer Alston shoots 10 of 17 from the floor, including 6 of 12 from three for 26 points, you have to think your team has a great chance to win. I've ragged on Alston before but he has more than adequately filled in for Jameer Nelson in these playoffs and it looks like he's finally figured out what he needs to do to help the Magic win. Who thought the trade for Rafer Alston would be one of the key moves of this NBA season?

Dwight Howard: He still has no low post moves, but I have to give him some props because he has been hitting his free throws down the stretch and coming up big for the Magic. Luckily for him, the Cavs can't guard him either so he can power his way to the basket, so I'm also going to give him props for realizing his advantage. 27 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal are some big time numbers and should not be overlooked. He may have flaws, but he is doing everything he can to help the Magic win this series.

Rashard Lewis: He's received a ton of criticism over his career for being soft or not a big time player, but he hit another big shot in this one and I think he's been excellent throughout the playoffs. He finished with 17 points on 5 of 9 shooting.

Mickael Pietrus: 5 threes off the bench and 17 points to outscore the Cavs bench all by himself.

Lebron James: Lebron did everything he could to try and lead the Cavs to victory, but he fell short once again. He's still not shooting a high percentage from the foor hitting 13 of 29 shots in this one and the Magic will take that because they want him to work for his points. He finished with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, but also 8 turnovers.

Mo Williams/Delonte West: West was good but Mo still wasn't. West finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, while shooting 7 of 15 from the floor. Mo finished with 18 points, but still shot only 5 of 15 from the floor. The Cavs could have won with this performance if their defense had been better.



More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 4 - Denver Nuggets 120 Los Angeles Lakers 101 (Highlights)

Game 4: Denver Nuggets 120 Los Angeles Lakers 101

Analysis: Denver was definitely the more aggressive team in this game. Despite what Phil Jackson may believe about the refs, his team looked pretty nonchalant in this one and Denver was able to outrebound them 58 to 40 and also went to the free throw line 14 more times than the Lakers. J.R. Smith finally exploded off the bench for the Nuggets and when he plays well the Nuggets are almost unbeatable. The big guys for Denver were also really active and finished with 42 rebounds between the three of them. With the series headed back to LA, I think Game 5 is a must win for the Lakers. I don't think they can win in Denver again.

Key Players of The Game

J.R. Smith: Smith had 26 points off the bench on 9 of 17 shooting, including 4 of 9 from downtown. He also added 4 assists and 2 steals. It will be interesting to see which J.R. shows up for Game 5. By the way, isn't J.R. Smith like the Vernon Maxwell of the NBA right now? Only with a better shooting percentage.

Kenyon Martin/Nene/Chris Andersen: This trio of big men for the Nuggets was excellent in Game 4. They combined for 33 points, 42 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 blocks. One of the reasons why I liked the Nuggets chances so much in this series was because of these three big men and they have been solid so far.

Chauncey Billups: Billups had a quiet 24 points in this game and knocked down all 9 of his free throw attempts.

Kobe Bryant: Kobe got his 34 points but shot only 10 of 26 from the floor and Denver will take that any chance they can get.

Pau Gasol: Pau did his part with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, but the rest of the key Lakers other than Kobe and Bynum were pretty much missing from this game.



More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 3 - Orlando Magic 99 Cleveland Cavaliers 89 (Highlights)

Game 3: Orlando Magic 99 Cleveland Cavaliers 89

Analysis: Right now we are one Lebron James miracle shot from Orlando being up 3-0 in this series. Orlando has pretty much been the better team in every game of this series, but because of Lebron's shot, the Cavs still have a chance to even this thing up in Game 4. So as badly as things have been for the Cavs, they are definitely still in this thing even if it seems like they aren't. Unfortunately for Cleveland, it doesn't look like they can stop the Magic on offense, so that means they are going to have to step things up offensively. The poor play of Mo Williams has been the main reason why the Cavs are down in this series and it's the exact thing I tried to warn everyone about for a while now. In the playoffs, Williams is averaging 15.4 points and shooting just 40.0% from the floor. That's not consistent enough for the Cavs to win this deep in the playoffs. In this series, he's been even worse shooting just 32.1% from the floor. If the Cavs want to win Game 4, either Lebron needs to go off for 50 plus points or Mo Williams need to start shooting the ball better. Like I said before, MJ never won without Pippen, and Mo Williams is no Scottie Pippen.

Key Player of The Game

Dwight Howard: Howard stepped up his free throw shooting big time in this by hitting 14 of 19 free throws most of which came down the stretch. Dwight finished with 24 points and 9 rebounds.

Lebron James: Lebron did his best to keep Cleveland in this one, but 11 of 28 from the floor is something Orlando will take every game despite the fact he scored 41 points.

Mo Williams: Like I said above, he's the main reason the Cavs are down in this series, because they need his scoring. He shot just 5 of 16 in this game and also turned the ball over 5 times.

Mickael Pietrus: This guy has been great in this series off the bench. He's averaging 13.0 points on 54.2% shooting in 3 games so far and he had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in this one.



More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 3 - Los Angeles Lakers 103 Denver Nuggets 97 (Highlights)

Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers 103 Denver Nuggets 97

Analysis: The Lakers were able to win this game with defense and free throw shooting. They held the Nuggets to just 39.3% shooting at home mostly because the Nuggets shot 5 of 27 from three point range. That's pretty horrible and 'Melo, Billups, & J.R. Smith were the main culprits as they combined to shoot 5 of 24 from three. The Lakers also went to the free throw line 45 times in this game compared to 31 times for the Nuggets. However, they needed those extra 14 free throw attempts because they only hit 5 more free throws than the Nuggets. Another tough loss for the Nuggets, but the really didn't play all that well on offense and they still had a chance to win the game, so that is one encouraging aspect for them. I think they will play better in Game 4 and even up the series.

Key Players of The Game

Kobe Bryant: Kobe showed up big time with 41 points on 12 of 24 shooting and 15 of 17 from the line. That's exactly the performance the Lakers needed from Kobe to come out victorious in Denver.

Pau Gasol: I said he needed to score 20 plus points in Denver for the Lakers to win on the road and he got his 20 points exactly, so I guess that was an accurate statement. He shot 7 of 12 from the floor and also grabbed 11 boards.

Trevor Ariza: Not only did Ariza come up with another big steal, but he also poured in 16 points on 5 of 8 shooting. I'm kind of surprised that Ariza has been playing so well offensively in this series. Right now he is averaging 14.0 points a game on 56.5% shooting in the 3 games so far in this series.

Carmelo Anthony/Chauncey Billups: These two combined to shoot just 9 of 28 from the field and that's probably the biggest reason why the Nuggets lost. They did manage to shoot 18 of 21 from the line and score a combined 39 points, but for Denver to win they need to shoot a better percentage from the floor.



More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

Dunk of The Week: Trevor Ariza Dunks On Dahntay Jones

With apologies to Nene, Courtney Lee, & Rajon Rondo; Trevor Ariza's nasty dunk over Dahntay Jones is my pick for Dunk of The Week. Brought to you by You Got Dunked On.

More: Dunk of The Week

2009 NBA Playoffs: Lebron James Hits Game Winning Shot vs Orlando Magic (Video)

Lebron's Game 2 game winner could have saved the Cavs season.

<

More: NBA & NBA Playoffs

2009 NBA Playoffs: Game 2 - Cleveland Cavaliers 96 Orlando Magic 95 (Highlights)

Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers 96 Orlando Magic 95

Analysis: Lebron summed this up pretty good when he said it was a great shot, but the Cavs still need to clean some things up. That's pretty accurate to me because for the second game in a row the Cavs blew a big lead at home vs the Magic. This time it was a 23 point lead and they can't expect to be able to get up big on the Magic on the road. The Cavs are very lucky to not be down 2 games to nothing right now. Orlando needs to get off to better starts now that they are at home too, but they have to be feeling like they can beat the Cavs no matter what the situation, because Cleveland has no answer for Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Dwight Howard, and even Courtney Lee and Mickael Pietrus to some extent. Cleveland also is getting nothing from their bench. Pavlovic gave them a little bit in Game 2, but will that carry over on the road? I doubt it. I expect Lebron to go bonkers in either Game 3 or Game 4 with a 40 plus night and the Cavs should be able to win a game in Orlando, if he doesn't go off then I don't see how Cleveland can win in Orlando right now.

Key Players of The Game

Lebron James: He basically just saved the Cavs season with his game winning three. Make no mistake about it though, the Cavs are still in trouble, Lebron just gave them another chance to prove they can still win this series. He finished with 35 points on 12 of 23 shooting.

Hedo Turkoglu: This guy keeps hitting big shots and if it wasn't for Lebron's heroics then he would have been the story of this game. He finished with 21 points on 9 of 17 shooting.

Rashard Lewis: He also hit some big shots down the stretch and finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals; while shooting 6 of 15 from the floor.

Mo Williams/Delonte West: Mo Williams scored 19 points, but it took him 21 shots to do it and he only hit 7 of those. One of these two is going to have to step it up if the Cavs are going to win this series. This was the main issue I saw with the Cavs in the earlier rounds and so far it's been proven that neither one can play a consistent second fiddle to Lebron. They combined for 31 points, but shot only 11 of 28 from the floor. They also had a combined 10 rebounds and 6 assists.


More: NBA & NBA Playoffs