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The Cavaliers made some defensive adjustment that seemed to actually work. They were right in the game despite VERY poor shooting from everyone including Lebron James. The Cavaliers were able to limit Lewis and Turkoglu and reverted to fouling Howard, who beat the odds, shot 14-19 from the free throw line, well above his normal percentage. Hedo Turkoglu shot just 1-11 from the field but he made 11 of 12 free throws to finish with 13 points in addition to playing an excellent floor game (10 rebounds and seven assists).

Cleveland held Orlando to .429 field goal shooting in this game and that would normally be a winning number–except for the fact that the Cavs shot even worse than that (.372) and committed 15 turnovers, several of which were “unforced errors”.

“Despite some of the numbers we gave ourselves a chance,” coach Mike Brown said. “Our defense gave us a chance.”

Lebron James scored 41 points, nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds. But he shot 11-28 from the field and missed five fourth quarter free throws.

If the Cavaliers want to win this series, players other than Lebron need to start making shots. Mo Williams scored 15 points but shot just 5-16 from the field. Williams is shooting a miserable .321 from the field versus Orlando. Delonte West scored 12 points on 5-11 field goal shooting and he is shooting just .419 from the field in this series. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had just nine points on 3-10 shooting, he attempted 3-three-points shots and missed all. Now he is 2-11 from behind the arc (this need to stop). No other Cav scored more than four points!

“History says the team that wins Game 3 in a tied series ends up winning the whole thing most of the time. But that statistic wasn’t needed Sunday night. The naked eye is enough to tell the direction the Eastern Conference Finals appear to be going. The Orlando Magic just seem to make the Cavaliers look like the underdog, their top-seed status and history-making regular season simply notwithstanding. The Magic outplayed the Cavs again in Game 3, winning, 99-89, to take a 2-1 series edge. The Cavs now need three wins in the next four games to reach The Finals. The Magic seem better equipped. … Unlike during the regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs when his teammates constantly rose to his aid, it is not happening against the Magic. Mo Williams, Delonte West and on Sunday Zydrunas Ilgauskas just aren’t delivering. With much less margin for error, the recipe isn’t working.” Brian Windhorst of the Plain Dealer said.

The Magic have shot down every Cavalier other than James.

For the Cavs to win tomorrow, they need to cut down on the sloppy play and cutdown the turnovers. Mo, Z, Delonte need to start hitting shots and need to get some production from the bench. If the Cavs can steal tomorrow’s game, then this will turn into a three game mini series, two games are played in Cleveland.

The Cleveland Cavaliers stormed out of the gate yet again as they often do at the Q last night looking to even the series and get the momentum back on their side, and they started early taking a 30-16 lead after only 1 quarter.

The crowd was jumping and it seemed the game 1 let down was well in the past and the Cavaliers that had simply steam-rolled thus far through the playoffs were back on track.

The Cavs had figured out how to contain Dwight Howard, they were putting him at the free throw line (4-8) rather than watching him tear the shot clock down with a thunderous dunk. LeBron James was taking it straight to the rim, as if he was not to be denied.

Sasha Pavlovic, after suggestion by LeBron James to coach Brown, was playing key minutes and delivering both defensively and offensively by putting down 9 points, which had already out numbered the entire Cavs game 1 bench production(5). At one point in the second quarter the roof of the Q was about to come off as the Cavaliers amassed a 43-20 lead.

Then slowly the Magic begin to hit one three, two threes and here they come and they had cut the lead down to only 12 by halftime. Then here it came, that  punch in the gut, that no pro sports championships since 1964 feeling began to arise.

The Magic’s 16  point comeback in game 1 left an eerie buzz in the air,and it was an almost scare of is the same thing going to happen. It only grew worse as the 3rd quarter progressed. The Magic won the 2nd consecutive 3rd quarter 26-21 (30-19 game 1) and by the start of the fourth the once 23 point Cavs lead was down to 7. I began to wonder myself what is happening here? Where are you Mo Williams (6-19 game 1, 7-21 game 2), this is the stage where you prove them wrong for waiting until after injuries to make you an All-Star.

The once ecstatic Q was becoming deadly silent, the fans were wishing the seconds off the clock as the Magic creeped closer and closer. Then with 48 seconds left in the game Hedo Turkoglu nailed a 3 pointer that tied the game at 93.

LeBron James answered with a strong drive to the basket with everyone thinking an And1 just occured but no James had been called for traveling. Then Hedo “MJT” Turkoglu hits a 12 foot jumper with 1.0 second left to put the Magic up 95-93.

It seemed that the Magic had done it, came to Cleveland (43-2)  and taken a dominant 2-0 lead heading back to their homecourt, when the basketball gods shined down on LeBron James.

With merely enough time for a catch and shoot, Mo Williams waited as LeBron made an inside cut to create a little space from Turkoglu, tossed him the ball at the top of the key, LeBron caught,turned, faded and IT’S GOOD!!!! LeBron James hit the 3 pointer as time expired to tie the series and possibly ressurected the Cavs momentum if not their season all together.

James finished the game with 35, William despite poor shooting had 19 including 8 in the 4th quarter. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West both added 12.