Text size: increase text sizedecrease text size
From Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic win first playoff series in 12 years

View game photos of the Magic's 102-92 defeat of the Toronto Raptors.

Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer
April 29, 2008

Dwight Howard can jump over about anything structural or man-made, wearing a cape or not. He now has made his biggest recorded leap.

Over a hump.

Orlando Magic fans know it well, a hump that had grown to Mount Everest-sized proportions since 1996 -- the last time the Magic won a playoff series.

Howard and the Magic finally cleared it Monday night at Amway Arena, beating the Toronto Raptors 102-92 in Game 5 to become the franchise's first team to advance in 12 long years.

After losing seven postseason series since 1995-96, the Magic ousted the Raptors to win the series 4-1, riding Howard's 21 points and 21 rebounds.

"I'm just so happy we put in a lot of work in the offseason to get where we're standing today," Howard said. "Coach has been on us about finishing and we did it. . . . To finally get over the hump and get out of the first round, it means a lot."

The Magic await the winner of the series between the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers. Their second-round matchup could start as early as Saturday.

The surprising Pistons-76ers series is tied at 2-2. If the Pistons prevail, they would have home-court advantage against the Magic in a rematch of last season's postseason sweep by Detroit. Should the Sixers pull off the upset, the Magic would begin the series in Orlando.

This season they finished 2-2 against the Pistons and 3-1 against the 76ers.

The Magic closed out the Raptors with more grit than glamour, coming up with a similar fourth-quarter surge they used to win a pivotal Game 4 in Toronto.

They have been described as the Phoenix Suns of the East, combining the force of Howard with the finesse of 3-point shooters. But their misfiring from 3-point land (9-of-32) against the Raptors meant they had to dig down -- defend, rebound, scratch, claw. Show their tough-guy DNA.

"We'd have taken it any way we could get it -- even if we had to make 30 3s; look, we struggled in this series with our greatest weapon -- but we won Game 4 and Game 5 fighting like crazy," Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said.

"Fightin', fightin', fightin'. We developed some toughness."

Howard posted his third 20-point, 20-rebound game of the series. Jameer Nelson scored 19 points and Rashard Lewis added 18, as all five Magic starters scored in double figures.

With a raucous sellout crowd mostly dressed in the blue or white T-shirt freebies given away by the Magic, they weathered a pressurized final period.

The Magic held an eight-point lead at 84-76 with under eight minutes to play, but the Raptors made 17,519 fans extremely nervous. They whittled the lead to 84-82 before the Magic's 3-pointers finally began hitting the nets.

Keith Bogans, who was benched last postseason, drilled a 3-pointer to make it 87-82 to end a 6-0 Raptors run. Howard then added a bucket for an 89-82 lead, but then picked up his fifth foul with 3:54 remaining.

Nelson, inspired by critics gushing over Toronto's point guards, then nailed a dagger of a 3-pointer to set off a wild celebration as it gave the Magic a 10-point lead at 92-82 with 2:57 to play. And the countdown began.

The Magic had not won a series since 1996 when the club, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, beat the Atlanta Hawks in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The No. 3-seeded Magic beat the No. 6 Raptors in the first two games in Orlando, fell in Game 3 in Toronto before winning Game 4 at Air Canada Centre.

"It really hasn't hit me yet that we're past the first round," Howard said. "It is just an incredible feeling. I can't explain it because we've done something that hasn't been done in a while."

Clearing the hump.


Brian Schmitz can be reached at bschmitz@orlandosentinel.com.

Related topic galleries: Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Atlanta Hawks, Amway Arena

Get breaking news | Most popular stories | Dining and Travel deals all via e-mail!

Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel

Guide to Islanders hockey

Islanders fan guide

Team history, directions, nearby eats and other fun & useful info for Islanders fans.

Latest scores

Buy tickets

My Long Island

Jets photos
Your sports photos

Yanks. Mets. Jets. Giants. Knicks. High schools. Upload your photos now.