Now that Dwight Howard and Orlando Magic have won a game against the Boston Celtics in this Eastern Conference finals series, can they get another one Wednesday at home? If Howard controls the paint, the Magic will force a Game 6.

It took the Orlando Magic three games to figure it out.

The Boston Celtics made them look bad in taking a 3-0 Eastern Conference finals series lead, but the Magic won Monday night in overtime, 96-92, to force a Game 5 Wednesday in Orlando.

Now let’s be honest here.

With no NBA team having ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, the odds are not in the Magic’s favor.

This is what is in their favor.

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If Dwight Howard can't play with fouls in Game 3 tonight, the Orlando Magic can kiss their championship aspirations goodbye.

We’re about 90 minutes before the start of Game 3  in Boston where the Orlando Magic will try avoid going down 3-0 to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

Here are three keys for the Magic to win this game and stay in the series because if they lose tonight, it’s over.

1. Get Rashard Lewis going. After averaging 17 points in Orlando’s sweep of the Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals, Lewis has scored 11 points total in the first two games of this series against the Celtics. At the same time, he can’t be standstill jump shooter. Got to mix his offensive game up.

2. Howard must keep cool. He’s been called for 42 fouls in 10 playoff games. His lowest foul total has been three and that was in Game 1 against the Hawks. Calls are going to go against him tonight, but he can’t let that frustrate him. Defense will win this game and the Magic need the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the game.

3. Contain Rondo. While the Big Three – Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce – are key components to the Celtics, point guard Rajon Rondo is the one who makes the team go. Jameer Nelson has to put pressure on him to play the defense and get Rondo in foul trouble. That is a sure-fire way to keep him from dictating the game.

The Magic are more talented than the Celtics, but Boston has had the edge in terms of point-guard play and bench play in this series and have the edge in championship experience.

Although Orlando made it to the NBA Finals last season, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Magic in five games. The Celtics beat that same Laker team in six games to win it all in 2008.

The Orlando Magic are the only team that hasn't lost a game in this year's NBA playoffs.

Well, let me rephrase that.

The Orlando Magic are looking very strong.

They’re 7-0 in the playoffs and just taking Atlanta to the cleaners. Hard to gauge their wins against Atlanta because the Hawks are so disoriented, but Orlando has something to do with that.

After winning Game 3 by 30 points on Saturday, Orlando will close out its Eastern Conference series against the Hawks on Monday in Game 4.

Dwight Howard seems to have adjusted to the fouls, but what’s great about the Magic is they’ve got five guys who can get 20 points at any time.

Hard to guard a team like that. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have their hands full with the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

I know. I know.

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Dwight Howard and the Magic the only team to sweep a first round series this season.

With only one more first round series remaining (Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference ) a conference semifinal series beginning tonight (Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference) , let’s look at see how I fared in my opening round NBA playoff predictions.

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
Series result: Cavaliers win series, 4-1
Rankin prediction: Cavaliers, 4-1
Final word: Bulls just didn’t have enough to overtake LeBron James and the top-seeded Cavs.

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats
Series result: Magic win series, 4-0
Rankin prediction: Magic, 4-2
Final word: Even with Dwight Howard a non factor offensively, Orlando was good enough to sweep the Bobcats.

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Charlotte needs its new owner, Michael Jordan, to turn back the clock and play in order to beat the Orlando Magic.

Orlando is doing it without Dwight Howard scoring a ton of points and being in foul trouble.

Boston is playing like it did early in the season.

No wonder they are each a game away from sweeping their respective first-round series in the Eastern Conference.

The Magic took a 3-0 lead Saturday by winning, 90-86 at Charlotte against the Bobcats. Howard had just 13 points and fouled out in the fourth quarter after playing just 26 minutes.

As for the Celtics, they can sweep the Heat  by winning Sunday’s Game 4 in Miami. Paul Pierce gave them a 3-0 series lead by hitting a game-winning shot at the buzzer to give Boston a 100-98 win.

Dwight Howard is a lock to win a second consecutive defensive player of the year award.

(2) Orlando Magic (59-23) vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats (44-38)

Series schedule: Game 1 – Today at Orlando 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 2 – Wednesday at Orlando 7 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 3 – Saturday at Charlotte 2 p.m. ET (TNT); Game 4 –Monday 4/26 at Charlotte TBD; Game 5 – Wednesday 4/28 *at Orlando TBD; Game 6 – Friday 4/30 *at Charlotte TBD; Game 7 – Sunday 5/2 TBD. *If necessary.

Series keys: For Orlando: Use bench (Orlando will need reserves later in the postseason). 2. Establish defensive energy (Howard sets tone with shot blocks and rebounding). 3. Handle Action Jackson (Stephen Jackson had 28 points in Charlotte’s lone win against Orlando. For Charlotte: 1. Guard the 3-pointer (Orlando lead the NBA in 3-pointers made with 841 in the regular season). 2. Foul Superman (Dwight Howard shoots a higher percentage from the field – 61.2 percent – than the line – 59.2 percent. 3. Follow the leader (Veteran coach Larry Brown has the knowledge to make this series interesting). 

Series outcome: Magic will win the series in six games, but Charlotte won’t go down easily.

Series stories:

1. Dwight Howard on Hack-a-Dwight: “It’s not a bad strategy” – Orlando Sentinel
2. Magic-Bobcats offer friendly, fiery playoff twist – USA Today
3. Can Michael really let Larry leave Charlotte? – ESPN

Dwight Howard is ready to lead the Orlando Magic back to the NBA Finals this season.

He took his time.

Dwight Howard had to look good before doing his postgame interview so the Orlando Magic center took at least 15 minutes to get ready. Brushing his hair, tying his tie, putting on cologne.

Don’t know who takes longer to get dressed. Braylon Edwards or Howard, but I waited because two years ago, Howard took time to talk to me exclusively while in Cleveland for an Magic-Cavaliers game.

For the record, Braylon always took time out to talk to me, too, when he was in Cleveland with the Browns. As for Howard, I had no problems waiting for him because he’s pretty entertaining in terms of his personality.

Plus Howard was willing to talk after the game while LeBron James wasn’t, which at the end of the day is cool. LeBron can do whatever he wants and it’s all good even though I would have liked to hear what he has to say about the Cavaliers losing three consecutive games without him.

So here’s what Howard had to say after the Magic beat the Cavaliers, 98-92, at Quicken Loans Arena. The questions I asked about Howard were in regards to him winning the NBA MVP award.

One of the answers that was ear tingling was when he said it would have been “embarrassing” if the Magic would have lost to the Cavaliers. You know, he’s right.

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“I’ve said all along we all know how the vote is going to go. LeBron will win the MVP every year until he retires.” – Stan Van Gundy.

Stan Van Gundy has been a strong advocate for Magic center Dwight Howard winning the league MVP honor this season.

He speaks his mind. Don’t we love that?

Nod your head. You do. I know I do.

Even if Stan Van Gundy’s voice can sound a tad bit on the whiny side, you’re going to get an honest answer out of the guy.

 So when talking to the media before today’s game at Cleveland against the Cavaliers, the Orlando head coach had a few words to say about Magic center Dwight Howard’s deservement of the NBA MVP award and LeBron James being a clear cut favorite to win it for a second straight season.

On being an advocate of Dwight Howard being the NBA MVP and if he’d disappointed if LeBron James won the award unanimously: “I would never diasappointed on anything that happens on a vote type of thing. As I’ve said, look, I’ve also made very clear you can’t argue (with James getting the MVP). It’s not I’m saying somebody else doesn’t deserve it. I haven’t come out and tried to say that LeBron doesn’t deserve it. I think you can make a case for him. I think you can make a hell of a case for Dwight. I think you can make a hell of a case for Kevin Durant and what he’s done for that team. I think there are six or seven guys you can make very good cases for, but no, I wouldn’t be disappointed with anyone in the vote. I know good Dwight has been and I know how important he is to us. We know his value like Cleveland knows LeBron’s value.”  

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LeBron James scored 37 points in leading the Cavaliers past the Lakers on Thursday night.

After scoring 12 consecutive points in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s 93-87 win against the Los Angeles Lakers, James sat in his locker with his feet in ice and his knee wrapped in nice.

Still trying to figure out what he’s doing with his hair these days, but when you score 37 points, dish out  nine assists and grab five rebounds against the defending NBA champions, you can wear your hair anyway you like.

Here’s what James had to say after the game.

You talk about (closing games) all the time. You really commanded it in that last couple of minutes?
“Uh, that’s what it’s about. I know you guys are like what we waiting on and why we wait until the fourth quarter so much, but we know that’s money time. That’s when most of the games are won 85 percent of the time games are won in the fourth quarter. In our case, probably 95 percent of the time so it was a big game for us. We played well and we’ve just go to keep the momentum going.”

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Kobe Bryant scored 30 points in leading the L.A. Lakers to a Game 5 victory.

After losing Game 4 Thursday night to fall down 3-1 in the NBA Finals, the Orlando Magic were leaking and the Los Angeles Lakers smelled blood.

So when the L.A. Lakers went on a torrid 16-0 run in the second quarter of Game 5 Sunday, the end result was inevitable.

The Los Angeles Lakers are NBA world champions after beating the Magic, 99-86, in Orlando.

Few expected the Magic to upset the Lakers even though they had upset top-seeded Cleveland to make to the NBA Finals. When the Magic look back at this series against the Lakers, they let Game 2 and Game 4 slip away as they lost both in overtime.

It’s hard to win a  best-of-7 series when you give two games away.

As for the Lakers, this is the 10th NBA title for their Hall of Fame coach, Phil Jackson. It’s the first time Kobe Bryant has won a title without Shaquille O’Neal.

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