Detroit Watches As Orlando Eliminates Themselves

For the most part, the Orlando Magic did not look like they really wanted to win Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons last night. Sure, they held a 9 point lead heading into the fourth quarter and had battled back after falling behind several times, but they always countered those positives with bonehead plays. Take these two statistics for example:

21 turnovers. 16-28(57.1%) free throw shooting.

Alone, those are pretty horrendous numbers. When you compare them against Detroit's they look even worse.

3 turnovers. 28-32(87.5%) free throw shooting.

The worst part is that Detroit didn't shoot the ball extremely well, 36.1% field goal percentage(Orlando shot 48.4%), and they were significantly less accurate behind the three point line than Orlando, 21.4% versus 36.4%. Many times the Pistons didn't even have to play tough defense against Orlando because the Magic were content to move the ball across halfcourt then fire it out of bounds. And it seemed only fitting that Hedo Turkoglu, one of the most careless ballhandlers of the night, would get blocked in posterizing fashion as he drove the lane for a dunk in the waning seconds. Yeah, that's a great way to end the season. You're only going to see that replayed about a billion times.

In the end, Coach Van Gundy was right when he told the team at halftime that they were beating themselves. They couldn't make the easiest shot on the court(they're free!), and refused to protect the ball. Honestly, Detroit probably could have missed the entire game, and Orlando still would have found a way to hand them the game and ultimately the series.

The Orlando Magic Just Can't Catch A Break

As if the weird clock management by the officials in Game 2 against the Detroit Pistons wasn't bad enough, the Orlando Magic's plane had to make an emergency landing due to mechanical problems.

The Orlando Magic lost Monday night to the Detroit Pistons 100-93 in the NBA playoffs but they had a bigger scare after that.

As they flew back to Orlando late Monday, the Magic's corporate jet -- a Boeing 737-300 that holds 42 passengers -- had mechanical problems and an engine oil indicator light came on.

"We encountered a mechanical problem after departing from Detroit, and as a precautionary measure we landed in Cincinnati where we spent the night," said Joel Glass, vice president of communications for the Magic. "Everyone is safe and we look forward to returning home this morning."

While everything is seemingly fine with their plane, everything is not fine with respect to their play against the Pistons.

Game 1, in which the Magic were blown out by 18 points, featured Orlando shooting a woeful 13% from 3-point range. They also committed 13 turnovers, and shot just 50% from the free throw line.

In their second game of the series, the Magic improved their 3-point and free throw shooting, making 42% and 78% respectively. However, they still committed 19 turnovers.

So far, Orlando has turned the ball over 32 times, while Detroit has committed just 14 turnovers.

If they're unable to hold on to the ball against a talented team like the Pistons, then they won't have to worry about jet problems since it will be grounded for a few months anyway.

It's Only Fitting That LeBron Advance To The NBA Finals After Beating The Pistons

LeBron James, heir to the entire NBA, has a chance to pull off an amazing feat tonight. With a Cavs win they will advance to the franchise's first appearance ever in the NBA Finals. It's only fitting that LeBron should pull it off against the Pistons.

Think back, 16 years ago, when another young player was being embraced as an NBA superstar. The Detroit Pistons also stood in his way, and he was able to lead his team past them for his first appearance in the NBA Finals. Of course I'm speaking of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan took over many of those games against Detroit, so much so that the Pistons instituted a "Jordan Rules" defense. After what LeBron did to Detroit in Game 5, I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar tonight. Jordan eventually made the Pistons pay for their focus on him by passing off to teammates, and I'm sure that LeBron will also do whatever is necessary for his team to win.

After falling down 0-2, and hearing a lot of talk about how playoff tested Detroit was going to be unbeatable, LeBron has his team poised for the biggest win in their history. It also could prove to be the point in time that fans everywhere can look back at and see where LeBron rightfully became "King James".