Magic Attempt To Knock Out Raptors
(Sports Network) - The third-seeded Orlando Magic attempt to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, as they host the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors tonight at Amway Arena in Game 5 of their first-round series.Orlando leads this best-of-seven series 3-1. If necessary, Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at Air Canada Centre. On Saturday, Rashard Lewis scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help the Magic claim a 106-94 victory over the Raptors at Air Canada Centre. Dwight Howard ended with 19 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots in the victory. Jameer Nelson also scored 19 -- including 12 in the fourth quarter -- as the Magic rebounded from a 108-94 loss in Game 3 by stealing a game on the Raptors' home floor. Hedo Turkoglu added 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Orlando. Chris Bosh finished with 39 points on 16-of-26 from the floor and also pulled down 15 rebounds. But Toronto, normally a proficient outside shooting squad, made just 2-of-15 three-point attempts and shot just over 43 percent from the floor overall. Toronto has lost eight straight playoff games on the road, and is 2-2 all-time in Game 5s in the postseason. The Raptors are 6-4 when facing elimination from the playoffs. The Raptors have never won a best-of-seven playoff series (0-2). Orlando has dropped two straight five Game 5s in the playoffs. The Magic have dropped four in a row when they have had the chance to eliminate their opponent from the playoffs. The last time the Magic won a first-round series was in 1996 when they swept Detroit, 3-0. Orlando advanced to the Eastern Conference finals that year and was swept by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. This is the first time the Magic and Raptors have met in the postseason. Both teams were eliminated in round one last year, as Orlando was swept by the Pistons, 4-0, and Toronto was knocked out by New Jersey, 4-2.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.





