The Orlando Magic steamrolled through the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 on Monday night and have cemented themselves as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Why the sudden dominance? Well, it’s not so sudden, actually:
5. Peaking at the right time » Orlando’s 8-0 postseason record is impressive. But it doesn’t come as a shock. Since March 1, the Magic are an NBA-best 27-3. Orlando has the look of a team on a mission.
4. Dunkin’ Dwight » Look, Atlanta is not an elite team — very flawed and with no answer for Dwight Howard. But what Superman did to them with limited work is downright startling. Howard made 27-of-32 field goals — many of them easy putbacks or monster dunks — against a Hawks team that was overmatched inside.
3. Ball movement » The Hawks had to bring help to cover Howard. That’s bad news against a team with Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and Jameer Nelson on the roster. No team has been better than Orlando in the playoffs at finding the open man.
2. Whoa, Nellie » The Magic received good minutes last postseason from Rafer Alston, but the return of a healthy Nelson has kicked Orlando into overdrive. Nelson (20.5 ppg, 5.25 apg in the playoffs) is playing at an elite level and the Magic are following.
1. Luck of the draw » The NBA playoffs are all about matchups, not momentum. While Boston and Cleveland are kicking the snot out of each other, Orlando drew Atlanta — a team that posed little threat and couldn’t cover Howard. The result? The Magic get a week off before the Eastern Conference finals.
