Written by Brandon Ribak, creator of Fantasy NBA Zone.Also check out Brandon at Bleacher Report.
This article was originally published at Bleacher Report.
Which team is Game Two more important for?
Well, if the Magic secure another victory, they head back to Orlando with two wins and a chance to sweep the Cavaliers back at home.
If the Cavaliers win, the series is tied up going into Orlando for the next two games.
I guess that answer can go either way, you decide for yourself.
Breakdown
Orlando Magic: Defense
I noticed during the first game that the Magic played terrific defense against LeBron. They made him settle for jump shots and reduced his takes to the basket.
The King shot an absurd 20 of 30 from the field (13-15 FGM being jump shots). The Magic should credit themselves for preventing him from getting to the rim and hope that LJ is not as on point from the field as he was in Game One.
If that is the case, LeBron will either continue to chuck up bricks or resort to attacking the hoop on top of Dwight Howard.
As for the other players on the Cavaliers roster, the only main threats are guards Mo Williams and Delonte West. They can both hit the open three-pointer and are pretty deadly from that range.
That means Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee have to stick on these players and restrain them from nailing their shots.
Offense
The Magic shot an outstanding 55.1 percent from the field, 45.0 percent from three point range, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Assuming Orlando continue their offensive surge, the Cavaliers will once again get crushed by the three-point ball.
Players like Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Rafer Alston, and Mickael Pietrus have been absolutely tearing it up and are going into Game Two with all the confidence to nail down the three ball once again.
Who will stop Dwight Howard?
It looked from the start of the game as if Big Z had no clue how to prevent Howard from continuously slamming the ball down with two hands.
The Cavaliers are in serious trouble if they cannot find an answer for the Defensive Players of the Year. He will certainly get his touches (he shot the ball 20 times during Game One) and will easily dominate in the paint—again.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Defense
The Cavaliers played solid defense throughout Game One. They stole the ball eight times, as opposed to Orlando's five, and blocked seven shots, as opposed to the Magic's one.
Their main goal heading into Game Two is to restrict Orlando from getting consistent shots. The Magic proved that if you give them a decent look from anywhere on the offensive end, they can convert it into easy buckets.
Cleveland can either double-team D-Howard in the paint, or put constant pressure on Orlando's forwards, like Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.
During the first quarter of Game One, the Cavs virtually shut down Turk and Shard, holding them to a combined zero of five FG from the field.
If they want to win tonight's game, they must stop both forwards from hitting their shots, not just in the first quarter, but throughout the entire game.
Offense
Going into the half, the Cavaliers led by 15 points, 63-48. They shot the ball extremely well and executed to perfection.
Cleveland turned the ball over only five times during the entire game, as opposed to Orlando's terrible 13.
Clearly, the Cavs offense was alive in Game One. They just could not hold onto the lead during the second half.
If LeBron's jump shots are off, he will switch up his style of play and forcefully attack the basket. If he has no chance of making the lay-in, he always has his three-point shooters surrounding him for the easy trey.
Prediction
As simple as it sounds, if the Magic can prevent LJ from getting to the rim and keep Mo Williams and Delonte West from getting hot from beyond the arc, the Cavaliers offensive production is virtually terminated.
With that being said, Orlando pulls out another amazing victory in Cleveland and stretch the series lead to 2-0.
Orlando 108
Cleveland 96
