Wow, talk about an unexpected blowout.

Let me start this out by saying that it was unfortunate that Chauncey Billups went down for Detroit in the 1st quarter. I’m all for having both teams at 100%, and having the truly better team win the series that way. Let’s not forget, though - Brian Cook, who became an important role player off the bench for the Magic before he got injured, is not available until the next round…but hopes the join the team by the middle of this series. The Magic’s bench has been looking pretty weak this series…though, of course, Chauncey’s importance to his team is far greater than Cook’s.

Although Chauncey’s injury was unfortunate, it was clear before he went into the locker room that this game was in control by the Magic from the beginning. They limited turnovers, established Dwight in the post, attacked the rim, made three’s, and defended well throughout the game. Dwight was getting his throughout the game, and taking to the Pistons when he got the chance.

The game started out strong by Jameer: he did exactly what was needed, and built upon what he did last game. He set the tone for his team, and helped them build an early lead. Rashard knocked down 3’s throughout the game, and the whole Magic team shot the 3 ball well, making 11 of 28 three pointers.

Rodney Stuckey had his best playoff game yet - with 18 points, playing in place of Billups. He took advantage of a big size difference between Jameer and himself, and got to line to sink 9 of 9 free throws. Rip Hamilton attempted to lead the team, along with Tayshaun Prince, while Rasheed had an off game and Maxiell struggled against Howard. At one point, the Pistons, led by Hamilton, Prince, and Stuckey, valiantly attempted to make a run at the Magic without their leader on the court with them. However, it was all in vain, as the Magic built onto their lead with 3 pointers and Dwight Howard’s dominance. The bench…well, to be more specific…Keyon Dooling really helped out the Magic during that stretch as well, by knocking down shots and playing some pretty good defense on Hamilton and Stuckey.

Hedo, Rashard, and Jameer combined their abilities to be play makers for the Magic and run the team, and they did a pretty damn good job, too: 15 assists, 3 turnovers; with 1 turnover from each player. The team as a whole took care of the ball well, ending up with only 11 turnovers…compared to 19 in the previous game. That’s a huge turnaround, and if they continue this throughout the series, then the Magic’s outlook for this series looks waaay better than it did after the first two games.

I hope Chauncey Billups is okay, and feels better after this game, because this wouldn’t be a good series without him. I wish him all the best in recovering for next game…or at least by the end of the series.

Also, I feel the need to add that the Hedo to Dwight alley-oop was sick. Pretty much summed up the game in one play: great passing by the Magic players, and great play down low by Dwight.

Amid the 3rd quarter “clock error” in Game 2 was the big picture as to why the Magic lost game 2: 19 turnovers to 16 assists, bad shots, and only 23 shots at the free throw line. Compare that to Detroit’s 23 assists to 8 turnovers, good shot selection, and 28 shots at the free throw line, in which they converted 86% of them, and you’ve got another loss for the Magic at Detroit.

So what went wrong exactly? Well, to start, Orlando kept on throwing the ball away. The Pistons had some good pressure defense, and the refs were allowing contact. Therefore, bad passes, incomplete plays, and Dwight getting more turnovers than trips to the free throw line. The Pistons played aggressive defense against Hedo, and his usual 4th quarter heroics were non-existent in Game 2. The Magic did catch fire from three-point land in the 4th quarter, but they eventually cooled off and their drives to the basket produced little.

For Game 3, the Magic need to start, first and foremost, with taking care of the ball. a 16 to 19 assist-to-turnover ratio is just ugly. Stay away from turnovers. Make smart passes - don’t just throw the ball away. If Dwight’s getting double- or triple-teamed, he needs to know when to pass the ball out to the perimeter, or a cutting player (such as Maurice Evans, the recipient of many assists from Howard in the regular season and First Round of the Playoffs).

In the Playoffs, Dwight has consistently done a few things: rebound, block shots, make easy shots down low, defend well, turn the ball over, and been inconsistent at the free throw line. Against Toronto, this was fine. His teammates, along with what he was doing right, could make up for what he was doing wrong. Against Detroit, however, it’s a different story. Dwight needs to limit his turnovers, as he did in Game 1. He also needs to pull of what he did in Game 2 - and make at least 70% of free throws. What his teammates need to do is feed him the ball. We saw what happened in Game 2 when he actually got the ball in the post - when he didn’t turn it over, he established a good post presence to keep the game close.

Dwight’s teammates, on the other hand, need to do something they’ve been doing the whole season: make open shots, make good, smart plays, and stay aggressive. This includes Rashard Lewis, who needs to get aggressive when going to the basket. Instead of lightly throwing the ball up…so that it could fall off the rim, he needs to just go up and dunk it in, or muscle his opponents to get the ball to fall in. Hedo as well: in Game 2, there were frequent attempts at which he was just throwing the ball up when he got close to the rim. Normally, he makes those, but when those aren’t falling, what he needs to do is go straight into the defense, and attempt to get a foul. Zero free-throws is unacceptable for a team’s primary ball-handler and play-maker.

Jameer, as opposed to his other teammates, had a great game in Game 2 - he made shots, attacked the basket, limited turnovers. He simply needs to continue doing what he was doing for the Magic, and build onto his good game.

For Detroit to win at Orlando, they need to continue doing what they’re doing…and not let up at all. We’ve seen their Achilles heel - their “cockiness”, which shows when playing down to an opponent. They need to remember the Sixers series, and not forget that these are Playoff teams - just because you’re favored by the media, and just because you had the second best record in the league, it doesn’t mean these teams will just roll over and die. They’ll put up a good fight. Orlando knows what it takes to win, and they have good leaders in Hedo, Dwight, and Jameer. They know what their capable of, and that’s something Detroit shouldn’t forget.

Game 3 should be a good indicator in whether or not Orlando has a chance to come back in this series. These next 2 games are must-wins for them.