With six seconds remaining in regulation of Saturday night’s thriller at Amway Arena, Predators Coach Pat O’Hara opted for some extra time on the clock instead of attempting a field goal from Orlando’s own 12-yard line.

Nick Hill (Photo by Chris Schubert)

But after the Cleveland Gladiators marched downfield for the go-ahead touchdown on the opening drive of overtime, T.T. Toliver, Jerrian James and Bobby Sippio each dropped passes over the middle from quarterback Nick Hill, ending the night for the Preds with a 77-70 loss.

It proved to be a shocking conclusion to an otherwise spectacular Arena Football League game. Throughout the year it’s been Hill getting the brunt of the blame (whether that’s fair or not) for the current state of an underwhelming season by franchise standards.

“I have all the confidence in the world in them to make those catches,” said Hill of his teammates afterwards. “If the situation ever comes up again, I’ll be right back in there throwing it to them.”

Sippio led the team with nine catches for 147 yards and five touchdowns, while James caught eight balls for 96 yards and a touchdown and Toliver had four receptions for 48 yards and a score.

“We probably shouldn’t have even been in overtime anyway,” said Hill. “In football you can go back and count five or six plays that you could have done better to help your team not even be in the situation you were in. It’s not because of them dropping the ball there at the end.”

Defensively, it was a long night for the Predators. The Gladiators converted 4-of-5 attempts on third down and when they weren’t striking quickly for scores they were moving efficiently downfield to the tune of 29 first downs and 421 total yards.

Why the Preds opted to extend the game into overtime against the hot hand of Cleveland quarterback John Dutton, as opposed to attempting a field goal in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, was the big unknown to fans once time finally expired.

Jerrian James (Photo by Chris Schubert)

“It was too far, just too much of a risk,” said O’Hara of the decision. “If we miss that (field goal) then they can return it for a touchdown while we’re having all our big guys run down to try to make a tackle.”

Had a similar scenario not played out between Cleveland and Spokane during the fourth week of the season, then maybe O’Hara would have had no reservations about sending out Carlos Martinez, who has made 10 of 17 this season including a long of 55 yards.

The Gladiators won their first game of the season when Brent Holmes took a kickoff 56 yards the other way with 1.6 seconds to go in that contest. On Saturday, Holmes caught 12 passes for 199 yards and five touchdowns.

“It’s a team loss,” said O’Hara before leaving the field. “We shouldn’t have been in this situation with the turnovers we had early. We really hurt ourselves.”

The Preds trailed 21-0 after the first quarter as the Gladiators turned both a fumble and an interception by Hill into touchdowns. Boos showered down on the former arenafootball2 quarterback from a largely lethargic and scarce crowd as he trotted to the sideline with 3:30 to play in the opening frame.

“Those are two bad breaks that can make you get down,” said Hill of the turnovers. “But really, it’s a long game. This is arena football and you’re going to get a lot of possessions.”

To his credit, and those of the three receivers he targeted throughout the night, the jeering seemed to do him some good.

Bobby Sippio (Photo by Chris Schubert)

“You’ve just got to stay focused and stay positive out there as much as you can,” he said. “Don’t worry about the crowd or anything like that. They have the right to boo. I’m all right with that. They want to win just like the rest of us.”

– Turning The Thing Around –

Although Cleveland had taken the home crowd out of the game, the Predators awoke from a flat-line effort to turn the tables on the Gladiators.

Hill shook off the miscues and threw three of his seven touchdown passes of the game in the second quarter to help spark the rally for Orlando.

“He’s really mentally tough. He always has been,” said O’Hara. “Confidence isn’t one of his problems. He’s a gamer, so he was really able to come back from that and that’s what he’s supposed to do.”

Trailing 28-7 with 11:33 to go in the first half, Sippio scored twice and the Preds defense forced a turnover-on-downs – when Marlon Moye-Moore batted down a pass on fourth down – then made arguably the play of the night to knot the game at 28-all as they approached the break.

In the final minute of the second quarter James put a jarring hit on Ben Nelson, which dislodged the ball from the receiver. C.L. Grogan was there to scoop it up and take it back for a touchdown.

Nick Hill (Photo by Chris Schubert)

But Dutton, who passed for 411 yards and 10 touchdowns on 36-of-53 attempts, threw a long ball for a score with 12 seconds to spare in the half. Hill was then sacked on the final play of the second quarter and offensive lineman Julius Wilson was ejected for the night for taking a swing on an opposing player.

Much like the earlier part of the season, it seemed for every little thing that went right for the Preds there were a few things that went the opposite way for the men in the black.

Yet somehow the game was all tied up at 49-49 entering the fourth quarter. This even after James made a catch over the middle and fumbled the ball away on the first possession of the third quarter, helping Cleveland extend its advantage to 42-28.

Two more Sippio touchdowns followed and an interception by Johnnie Balous, who grabbed the ball out of the air from a bobbling Victor Williams, set up the tying 8-yard touchdown run by Hill.

– Finale Full Of Fireworks –

Kenny McEntyre (Photo by Chris Schubert)

The fourth quarter proved to be just as festive for arena football fans as the postgame fireworks outside the arena were.

The Preds took the lead for the first time on the night when Kenny McEntyre jumped a Dutton pass towards the sideline and took it back 23 yards, putting the home team ahead 63-56 with 7:22 to go in regulation. Dutton quickly answered though with yet another touchdown toss to again tie the game.

With nothing but time to lose the rest of the way, the Preds went to draining the clock, so much so that they barely got the snap off on 4th-and-1. When they did, Hill launched a 28-yard touchdown strike to James down the middle of the field with just 36 seconds to play.

Five plays later Cleveland was in the end zone again, leaving Orlando just six seconds to spare. An incomplete pass from Hill followed. He was then sacked on the final play of the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime.

At 5-7 on the season, the Predators are seemingly in a three-team battle for the fourth and final playoff spot in the American Conference. This week’s game against Alabama (6-6) will go a long way in deciding the postseason picture. The rest of the schedule has the Preds on the road against a non-conference opponent in Milwaukee (8-5), at home against American Conference playoff contender Oklahoma City (5-7) and back on the road against division rival Tampa Bay (9-3).

Along with the Storm, Jacksonville (8-4) and Southwest Division leader Tulsa (7-5) are the teams currently leading the American Conference.

“We can still salvage this season,” said Hill. “We’ve got four games left. If we win all four then we’re in the playoffs and once you’re in, anyone can go on a run. We’ve just got to start closing out games.”

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

“Nick played like a top-notch AFL quarterback,” said Predators Head Coach Pat O’Hara. “The kid is a competitor. We challenged him this week. He’s capable of doing this week in and week out.”

Hill went 20-for-31 for 231 yards and six touchdowns through the air while running for two more just one week after facing criticism from teammate Kenny McEntyre.

“He played a great game,” said McEntyre afterwards. Following last week’s loss the league’s all-time leader in interceptions was quoted as saying that Hill had to get a lot better.

“What I said was wrong,” explained McEntyre. “It’s never one person in a sport. Nick and I solved that problem and we played a great game.”

T.T. Toliver caught eight passes for 88 yards and three touchdowns despite facing one of the toughest scoring defenses in the Arena Football League. In fact, it was the Preds defense that shined though by forcing three turnovers that led to scores.

The Preds jump out to a 22-0 lead in the first quarter thanks in part to two turnovers by the Sharks in their first two possessions, including one that resulted in a safety. Orlando never looked back from there as they avenged an earlier 57-31 loss in Jacksonville on April 16.

The win tightens the South Division race as the Sharks drop to 7-3 and the Predators improve to 5-5 on the season. The Tampa Bay Storm move into a tie atop the standings with a 7-3 mark while the Alabama Vipers follow close behind at 5-5. Up next for the Predators is a road game at Chicago on June 26 before returning home July 3 to face Cleveland.

– More AFL News –

At halftime of Friday’s game, AFL Commissioner Jerry Kurz announced the return of three former franchises for the 2011 season. The two previous AFL champions, the Philadelphia Soul and San Jose SaberCats, are back on board along with the Kansas City Brigade. The moves bring the number of teams in the AFL to 18 in all.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

– Photos by Chris Schubert –

That puts the Preds in the basement, at 4-5 overall, of the four-team American Conference South Division heading into Friday’s rematch with the Sharks (7-2) at Amway Arena. The Storm sit a game back in the division at 6-3 with the Alabama Vipers positioned at an even 5-5.

In the first matchup between the two teams former Preds assistant Les Moss led Jacksonville to a convincing 57-31 outcome. That came sandwiched between a 73-67 loss to the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings and a 50-40 home-opening loss to the revived Iowa Barnstormers.

Yet right when it seemed nothing would go right, Orlando evened its win-loss record by reeling off three-straight wins.

In victories over Alabama (48-31) and the Dallas Vigilantes (70-59), newcomer Rayshaun Kizer accounted for five interceptions and one crucial fumble recovery. Kizer currently leads the league with nine picks in seven games. Following up that act was newly-signed Bobby Sippio, who made a splash in his debut by hauling in a 40-yard touchdown pass with three seconds to go in a 58-54 win over the Milwaukee Iron.

Since then though, the Preds have lost two of their last three. And both losses happened to take place in what has historically been considered one of the tougher venues around the league.

But with seven games to go the Predators are just 1-3 at home and 3-2 on the road. They’ll travel to Chicago (7-3) on June 26 before returning to host Cleveland (4-6) on July 3 and Alabama on July 9. After visiting Milwaukee (7-3) on July 17 and hosting Oklahoma (3-7) on July 24, the regular season ends with a clash in Tampa on July 31.

In the first meeting with the Storm, quarterback Nick Hill broke his own single-game passing record by going for 393 yards through the air. He had already passed for 381 yards in his first game with Orlando while completing a record 36 pass attempts, surpassing Jay Gruden and Joe Hamilton on those lists.

The Preds would rebound with a 57-54 win against the Tulsa Talons thanks to two timely kickoff returns for touchdowns by Josh Bush. Last week they handed the game over to Spokane in the final minute as they lost 53-52 after having the Shock down and out for much of the second half.

So, what now?

With a streak of 17-straight playoff appearances on the line, the low output on offensive (52.6 points per game is third-worst in AFL) and mounting number of injuries are clearly of concern. Being without injured wide receivers such as Sippio and Derrick Lewis could put the brakes on any postseason plans if solutions are not found sooner rather than later.

Orlando’s leading receiver T.T. Toliver will continue to lead the way as he’s already amassed 77 receptions for 949 yards and 14 touchdowns from the arm of Hill, who has completed 67-percent of his passes for a modest 2,544 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Defensively the Preds are allowing 54.8 points per game, with a league-worst three sacks to their credit.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

– More Orlando Predators –

ArenaFan

Hickok Sports

Around Osceola

Nick Hill

– Photos by Chris Schubert –

Spectators at Amway Arena were treated to a double-dose of heartache as the NBA game was shown on the jumbotron while the AFL action on the field was taking place.

The Magic were eliminated from the playoffs with a 96-84 loss in Game 6 on the road against the Boston Celtics. The Predators dropped to last place in the division with a 62-50 loss to the Tampa Bay Storm in the season’s first installment of the War on I-4.

– Orlando Magic –

The Magic trailed 30-19 after the first quarter of play Friday night and never found footing the rest of the way. After trailing by 13 points at the break, the Magic went on to get outscored 27-19 in the third quarter, setting the stage for the end of the season with a 4-2 loss in the best-of-seven series.

Dwight Howard shot 11-for-17 from the field to score 28 points in the setback. He also finished with 12 rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Vince Carter scored 17 points (6-for-15) and had seven rebounds and three assists.

On the flipside, Jameer Nelson scored 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting and finished with a team-high five turnovers, four assists and one rebound. Matt Barnes made only one free throw on the night and Rashard Lewis shot just 3-for-11 from the floor for seven points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Orlando shot 27-percent from long-range (6-for-22) as only Mickael Pietrus made more than one 3-point basket. The Magic also struggled at the line, making just 59-percent of those shots. They were outrebounded 45-35.

– Orlando Predators –

The Predators trailed 35-17 at halftime and 55-29 early in the fourth quarter Friday night before clawing their way back, but eventually falling short in the end.

The rally started when quarterback Nick Hill connected with Kissimmee native Bobby Sippio in the end zone for a 19-yard score. Following an onside kick, Hill and Sippio hooked up again, this time for a 28-yard score with 4:45 left to play. Yet another onside kick followed, as did another Sippio touchdown to help chip into the Tampa lead, this time on a short run on a play set up by a long reception to T.T. Toliver.

With just 2:16 remaining, the Preds trailed 55-50 and could get no closer once Tampa drove the length of the field and punched the ball in one more time for a touchdown. The Storm then intercepted Hill in the end zone with under a minute to play to close things out. (Watch Highlights)

The Predators (3-4) are on the road Saturday, June 5 at 8 p.m. against the Tulsa Talons before returning home on Saturday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. against the Spokane Shock. The Preds then host the Jacksonville Sharks in a division game on Friday, June 18 at 8 p.m.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Kendrick Perkins was tossed from the game after picking up two technical fouls. Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels each were ushered off the court with concussions. And lastly, Rasheed Wallace fouled out with less than five minutes to go.

The Celtics hold a 3-2 series lead, which picks back up Friday night in Boston at 8:30 p.m.

In Orlando, there’s a renewed feeling that the momentum has shifted back in favor of the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference.

“I don’t know if you can say you have momentum when you’re down 3-2 going into their place,” said Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy. “That’s hard to say. I still look at it like we’re climbing a huge mountain right here.”

At least they’ve made it look easier over the past two games than they had in the opening three games of the series. The difference for the Magic as of late has been the way they’ve dictated the pace of the game while moving the ball around the floor.

“We’ve played at a much, much higher energy level,” said Van Gundy “And clearly we’ve had a lot more guys play well.”

Along with team-leaders Jameer Nelson (24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Dwight Howard (21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks), there were two others that turned in double-digit scoring efforts on Wednesday.

All of a sudden they look a lot like the near-flawless Orlando Magic team from late in the regular season and during the first two rounds of the postseason. Have they found a way to reemerge from the ashes?

“We’ve always outworked and outhustled teams,” said Matt Barnes, who finished with nine points on three 3-pointers and seven rebounds. “When we play with energy and effort we’re a hard team to beat.”

Maybe all that was needed was for them to be reminded of that.

There was clearly a renewed enthusiasm in Game 5 that came by way of winning on the road in Game 4. And the fact that the Magic rebounded the basketball so well Wednesday night helped their cause this time around.

“The biggest thing in the game for us – bigger than anything else tonight – we were great on the boards,” said Van Gundy. “Everybody will look at the three-point shooting and all of that, but probably the biggest thing is that we dominated the glass.”

The Magic shot 52-percent (13-for-25) from long-range, 52-percent from the field (36-for-69) and outrebounded the Celtics 43-26 in the win.

Rashard Lewis, who revealed this week that he’s been fighting an illness throughout the series, finished with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and seven rebounds. J.J. Redick, the clear-cut crowd favorite, has earned quality time on the court and seemed to add even more fuel to the Magic’s burning desire to pull out another do-or-die game. He finished with 14 points on just 3-for-6 shooting from the field.

“J.J.’s just a guy I have great trust in because I know how hard he’s going to go at it, I know how hard he’s worked, and I know he’s never going to be afraid of anything,” said Van Gundy.

That attitude has clearly made its way around the locker room over the past few days.

What we were reminded of as Orlando controlled the pace of this game was that when the ball is passed around, the open shots are going down, and the boards are being crashed, that the Magic are a dangerous team to mess with.

“They stole the game in Boston and tonight they just played better than us,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers afterwards. “The team that’s been the most physical has won the games.”

Which means if the Magic can find a way to play with the same heart and intensity they have for much of the season, then they like their chances to return home for an elimination game on Sunday night.

“The pressures all on them,” said Barnes. “We know we’re going to be in a war on Friday against Boston and we’ll be ready. They’re in trouble if they let us come back here for Game 7.”

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Welcome to this week’s version of Orlando Sports Central Highlights…

– Local Product Leads AFL Predators –

Just two days after signing with the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators, former Kissimmee Osceola football and basketball standout Bobby Sippio made an immediate impact.

In the final seconds of Friday’s game, Sippio hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Nick Hill to help secure a 58-54 win over the visiting Milwaukee Iron. He finished the game with 88 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.

After starting the season 0-3, the Predators have won three-straight to move to 3-3 overall. They host rival Tampa Bay Storm (3-3) on Friday at 8 p.m. at Amway Arena. Orlando and Tampa currently trail Jacksonville (6-1) and Alabama (4-3) in the division.

After playing his college ball at Western Kentucky, Sippio (6’3″, 215 lbs) played arena football with the Storm, Chicago Rush, Dallas Desperados and Peoria Pirates of arenafootball2. He also got opportunities in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions as well as the United Football League’s California Redwoods and Florida Tuskers. In 2007 he led the AFL with 53 touchdown receptions while playing with the Rush.

– Former FCSL Player Gets Call To Majors –

Word out of the Florida Collegiate Summer League is that one of its own was recently called up to Major League Baseball last week.

Lucroy

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy became the first FCSL alum to crack the big leagues since the wood-bat league was founded in 2003. The Milwaukee Brewers brought up Lucroy from Triple-A Nashville on May 21 when Gregg Zaun was forced to the disabled list.

The rookie then got his first big-league hit that night in his first at-bat while on the road against the Minnesota Twins. He singled to left field in the eighth inning.

Lucroy, out of Eustis, was a standout for the Sanford River Rats and Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. He ranks second all-time in FCSL batting average (.325) and slugging percentage (.500).

Considered Milwaukee’s top catching prospect, and fifth-best prospect overall, Lucroy started the season at Double-A Huntsville before moving on to Nashville after hitting .452 in 10 games. He has since registered a .238 batting average with two home runs in 31 total games on the year.

The 2010 FCSL season gets underway on Thursday, June 3 at Sanford Memorial Stadium when the River Rats host Leesburg at 7 p.m. The five-team league runs through Aug. 5 when the championship game is played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

– Bishop Moore Lax Alum In D-III Title Game –

Von Kamecke

Salisbury University senior Mike Von Kamecke has one more lacrosse game to play before his college career closes out this weekend.

On Sunday at 12 p.m. in Baltimore, Md., the former Bishop Moore standout takes the field with the Salisbury Sea Gulls (21-1) for the final time as they meet up with Tufts (19-1) for the NCAA Division III title. In a 14-13 semifinal win in overtime against Stevenson, Von Kamecke finished with three goals on five shots and was credited with two assists. It’s the fourth trip to the championship game over the past five years for Salisbury.

Von Kamecke is capping off his best season to date as he’s second on the team in assists (30), third in points (70), fourth in goals (40) and leads the team in man-up goals with nine on the year.

He closed out his high school career with the second-most points ever for a Hornet (288) between 2003-2006 while leading Bishop Moore to a state runner-up finish his senior year.

– Student-Athletes Sign With Colleges –

– University High School girls basketball player Rachel Turner signed on with Southeastern University in Lakeland last week. Turner earned four letters as a Cougar, playing a big role in the programs first two district titles following the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons and its first conference title this past year. The two-year captain finished her career with over 500 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists. She plans to study special education and would like to work as a teacher and coach.

– The number of Colonial High School football players moving on to play in college increased to five last week when defensive back Renard Allen signed with Concordia University in Chicago and quarterback Jose Castro signed with Baker University in Kansas. They join running back Jermaine Broomfield, bound for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, defensive lineman Ryan Moore (Baker University) and offensive lineman Sammy Mendoza (Defiance University in Ohio) as signees from the 2009 team.

– Last week Timber Creek High School had two student-athletes sign on with college football programs as Cameron Smith is heading to St. Olaf College in Minnesota and Matt Jones will be off to Mount Union College in Ohio.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. It’s down to one game at a time for the Magic.

In a tightly contested game on Monday night it was Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson that led the way. Howard finished with 32 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots while Nelson scored 23 points, dished nine assists and grabbed five rebounds.

Five Magic players scored in double figures, including Rashard Lewis (13 points), J.J. Redick (12) and Matt Barnes (10).

Orlando improved dramatically on its poor performance in Game 3 to shoot 45-percent from the floor and 36-percent from long-range. But they turned over the ball 19 times and were outrebounded 47-43.

Orlando was soundly defeated 94-71 in Game 3, the first game of the series in Boston, on Sunday.

Nelson and Vince Carter led the team with 15 points each but combined to shoot just 10-for-26 from the field. Mickael Pietrus chipped in 12 points while Howard finished with seven points (3-for-10), seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Lewis was kept quiet again after turning in two silent games at home, going for four points (2-for-8), four rebounds, four turnovers and two blocks in the loss.

Orlando shot 37-percent from the floor, 27-percent from long-range, turned the ball over 17 times to Boston’s eight, and were outrebounded 43-36. Six Celtics scored in double figures.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

Remember those daggers he dished out in last year’s postseason run to the NBA Finals? It appeared then that the money was well spent.

With the flick of a wrist the sharp-shooting power forward can make the dollars-and-cents of such a deal seem irrelevant, no matter how ineffective or quiet a game he’s having up to that point.

Rashard Lewis (Photo by J.C. Carnahan)

Such was the case in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics at Amway Arena.

Only Lewis never had the chance to make up for his bland performance – in each of the opening two games of the series – while just three-and-a-half seconds remained on the clock Tuesday night.

“Rashard got open,” said Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy afterwards. “But because we’re inbounding in the backcourt, (Michael) Finley is back in the passing lane and we could not make the pass to him.”

Instead, Jameer Nelson’s desperation heave from 35-feet out with no time left brushed the outside of the net and put the Magic down 2-0 in the series with a 95-92 loss.

Nelson’s prayer came on the heels of two missed free throws from Vince Carter with 31 seconds to go and a few wasted seconds near the end when, following a rebound with 6.9 seconds left, J.J. Redick neglected to call for a timeout after Kevin Garnett’s jumper to beat the shot clock bounced from the rim.

Orlando now faces must-win situations on the road in Game 3 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Game 4 on Monday at 8:30 p.m.

Lewis finished another intense and physical matchup between these two titans with just five points on 2-for-6 shooting and four rebounds and four assists in Game 2. And in case you missed it, that followed a lackluster showing in Game 1 on Sunday as he went 2-for-10 from the field for six points in a 92-88 loss.

Compare those numbers to what he did in the first eight games of the 2010 playoffs and give credit where credit is due – to the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics have chosen to play Dwight Howard one-on-one there has been little room for Lewis, and his teammates for that matter, to operate on the perimeter.

Against the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks, Lewis shot a combined 54-percent from the field (47-for-87), nailed 46-percent from long range (24-for-52) and was second on the team in both rebounds (44) and assists (21) while averaging 16.4 points per game.

In the conference semifinals he’s barely been a factor, scoring 11 points in two combined games after averaging 14.1 points per game in the regular season.

“Maybe I have to do something different to get involved into the offense,” said Lewis. “Because right now they’ve pretty much taken me out of the game.“

Quite a shock to the system coming off the kind of games he had to open the postseason.

“The first two series against Charlotte and Atlanta… two good teams, but not better defensive teams than the Boston Celtics,” said Lewis. “They have big bodies on the inside. They’re long, they’re active, they play the pick-and-roll well and they’re well-coached.”

All the more reason why Van Gundy was just as frustrated following Tuesday’s game as he was with the loss two days earlier.

The coach wants more passes and better shot selections. And for his team to stop forcing the issue so much on the offensive end since it’s apparent their initial impulses with the basketball have not helped their cause.

Van Gundy also mentioned something about getting Lewis more active in the offensive game plan moving forward.

“I don’t think Rashard has played badly,” said Van Gundy. “I just think they’re staying home on him and it’s incumbent on me to find a way to get him involved.”

He followed that up by pointing to Lewis’ defensive effort thus far in the series against Garnett, who scored 10 points on 5-for-16 shooting in Game 2 and just eight points following a 4-for-14 effort in Game 1.

“Both guys scored in their last series and both of them are struggling to score right now, so it’s going both ways,” said Van Gundy.

It’ll be interesting to see which one can get their all-around games pieced back together first. Not that the Celtics need Garnett in the same way the Magic need Lewis, who is well aware of what’s at stake at this point.

“When you get to the point in the playoffs when you’re in the Eastern Conference Finals and (NBA) Finals, everything counts, you’re not playing against teams that can only get so far (in the playoffs),” said Lewis. “You’re playing against the best teams in the NBA and you’ve got to play your best to win.”

Even if that means biding your time and emerging when it matters most.

As bad as things got for the Orlando Magic in Sunday’s opener of the Eastern Conference Finals, such as trailing by 20 points and never holding a lead, the home team nearly pulled out the comeback before falling to the Boston Celtics 92-88.

The close margin is of little consolation, though.

“There’s no moral victories around here,” said point guard Jameer Nelson. “If we don’t win the game, we’re not happy. We can’t be happy about coming back and almost winning.”

This clash between two defensive-minded teams produced 18 turnovers by the Magic and 16 from Boston. But it was Orlando’s lack of energy and focus that bothered coach Stan Van Gundy most.

“We got outplayed today. That’s it,” said Van Gundy. “We’ve got to find better ways offensively to attack their defense. We’ve got to quit turning the ball over and we’ve got to make some defensive adjustments.”

That’s what championship teams do. Respond to challenges, much the same way they did Sunday even as the game seemed so far out of reach.

“We definitely have to go play harder than we did today,” said Nelson.

And it shouldn’t take much to get them motivated to do so.

What Orlando has going for them is the way they’ve responded to losses throughout the season. They lost two-straight just once in early December before suffering losing streaks of four and three games during a dismal January. The Magic then went on to follow up their remaining eight losses throughout the rest of the schedule with wins the very next time out.

No wonder Boston Coach Doc Rivers expects a much improved Magic team come Game 2.

“They’ll be better Tuesday, we know that for sure,” said Rivers.

On Sunday the Magic shot just 23-percent from long distance but grabbed 15 rebounds on the offensive end to help keep them in the game.

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at Amway Arena.

– (Contact Orlando Sports Central at JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com) –

But that’s the power of sports in an otherwise sleepy tourist town.

The Magic get back at it on Tuesday at Amway Arena for the opening game of the second round against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, with Game 2 to follow here at home on Thursday.

Games 4-5 in Atlanta go down this Saturday and Sunday. So plan your drinking engagements accordingly.

Even if you don’t choose to booze, being out and about amongst front-running playoff fans can be as entertaining as being bogged down with those media types who cheer for the home team in the press box. It’s all so amusing in its own unique way.

While newspapers debate the future MVP potential of Dwight Howard and disregard the obvious MVP-caliber credentials of Cleveland’s LeBron James, I’m just hoping the end result in the NBA postseason doesn’t come down to referees dictating the outcome of the league’s next champion.

Like many of us, I confess to not giving much of a damn about the complaining of bad calls that take place throughout sports. It’s been going on now for so long that it’ll never change.

In order to win through obstacles such as this, you’ve just got to be sure to beat both the opponent and the system at the same time. Just in case.

Dwight already knows he needs to adjust his game to appease the posse of David Stern as they call games. He’s heard it from coaches and teammates, from players-turned-commentators, from opinionated hometown fans, and he’s likely read about it every other day as well.

Howard arguing with NBA refs is like the rest of us trying to argue with a cop that just pulled us over, or with a judge on a court date. It’s nothing but downhill from there. You’ve just got to be a little smarter about it.

But to be honest, it does feel as though the basketball world is rooting against Orlando.

The locals sense it, too. Maybe that’s why every time Charlotte owner Michael Jordan was seen on the tube, through the haze of cigarette smoke spewing from carousers at the not-so-sporty pub I found myself at for Game 4, he was badgered and cursed until something else grabbed the spectators attention.

More high-fives and pint glasses to go around with music on full blast. No reason to listen to announcers provide any amount of clarity regarding some of the calls coming down on Howard. Who needs an explanation anyway? Cue more cursing at the TV.

And I must say, there was nothing more annoying then hearing “sweep, sweep, sweep, get out the brooms, it’s a sweep!” over and over again during and after that game. How cliché. Especially since it came against the first-time playoff-qualifying Bobcats, of all teams.

It was just a year ago at this time that Cleveland fans were giddy over a similar triumph. In fact they swept both Detroit and Atlanta last year. A lot of good that did the Cavaliers back then as the battle-tested Magic derailed their title dreams in the conference finals.

So now it’s on to the next one for Orlando. Finally. An entire week later. Make sure there are plenty of drinks to go around.