LeBron James dominated in an early season rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic with 36 points, as the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to win 102-93 yesterday at the Amway Arena.  Lately the 5-3 Cavs have started to find their rhythm after starting the season slower than anticipated. “I think we just played with a sense of urgency,” said James. “We’re in attack mode. The whole game we put pressure on their defense.”

Shaquille O’Neal as always was a huge presence down low with 10 points. Even though his numbers weren’t necessarily through the roof, he contained Orlando’s premier center Dwight Howard to just 11 points and 7 rebounds. It’s not unusual for Howard to walk off the floor with a 20/20 stat line, so for Shaq to cut that in half and get him in foul trouble was key to Cleveland’s success.

LeBron and the Cavaliers can smile about their victory in Orlando following their dismal performance in the playoffs last season. James knows as a veteran that a lot of work lies ahead for his squad, saying “It’s just one game. We will see them later on this season.” The teams will meet again on Thursday, February 11th at the Quicken Loans Arena.

Longtime comedian Robin Williams will be kicking off his 2009 “Weapons of Self Destruction Tour” starting September 30th at the Indiana University Auditorium in Bloomington, IN.  From there he will be touring several U.S. major cities including Chicago, Louisville, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Hollywood, Orlando, Detroit, Washington, and Atlantic City. Since the 1970’s Williams has been performing stand-up and has not slowed down one bit.  His most memorable tours include “An Evening with Robin Williams” in 1982, “Robin Williams: At The Met” in 1986, and “Robin Williams LIVE on Broadway” in 2002.

Williams is certainly looked to as a legend in the comedy world. He has not only achieved success live on stage for many years, but has also been featured on the big screen for quite some time.  His debut film was “Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses” in 1977.  Since then he has appeared in over 65 major motion pictures.  His latest movie was “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” with Benn Stiller and Owen Wilson, which hit theaters in May of this year.  He is currently working on movies that should be released by 2010 titled “Old Dogs” with John Travolta ”and Wedding Band” 

Don’t miss your opportunity to see one of the best comedians ever! Tickets to Robin Williams “Weapons of Self Destruction Tour” are available now!

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis has recently tested positive for an elevated testosterone level and will be required to serve a ten game suspension.  Lewis is the sixth player to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs since the NBA began testing ten years ago.  The reported drug found in his system was DHEA, which is considered a definite precursor to steroids.  Lewis did not think he was taking any type of illegal substance, and clarified that what he took was all purchased over the counter.  The suspension will cost him $1.6 million of his $18 million earnings this season. 

Lewis has already decided to speak out on the subject.  “First and foremost I take full responsibility for the situation and accept the corresponding penalty,” said Lewis. “I apologize to Magic fans, my teammates and this organization for not doing the research that should come with good judgment.”  Lewis will definitely be back in action when the Magic take on the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden Friday, November 20th.

Tickets for the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics are available here at Aceticket.com!

Despite immense amounts of media hype, video game simulations, and commercials featuring everything from sports drinks to muppets; the NBA is not getting a Kobe/Lebron finals match-up. The Lakers/Magic finals series could be far more entertaining, as Orlando is a more well-rounded squad than the Lebron-centric Cavs. On the way to the championship series, the Magic eliminated the last two Eastern Conference Champions (including the defending NBA Champion Celtics), and beat a very capable 76ers team.

The Los Angeles Lakers were taken to the brink by a Tracy McGrady-less rockets, and traded licks with a very tough Denver Nuggets squad. While neither of the two teams have played as many as last year’s 7-game-series-heavy Celtics, both have been through multiple drawn out matchups with tough opponents. Expect Laker forward “Candy Man” Lamar Odom and his Magic counterpart Hedo Turkgolu to vie for most 3-pointers, as an undercard to the Kobe/Howard athletics.

The series starts on Thursday night, so get your 2009 NBA Finals tickets now!

In a battle for the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings with the playoffs just weeks away, the Orlando Magic found a way in the final minutes to stay ahead of the Boston Celtics.  Dwight Howard had 24 points, 21 rebounds, and blocked the potential go ahead lay up by Paul Pierce with 3.8 seconds left.  Rashard Lewis finished with 21 points, and Hedo Turkoglu contributed with 13 points and four assists.
With the win the Magic were able to claim their second straight Southeast Division title.

Pierce led Boston in scoring with 26 points and Ray Allen followed with 16 in their efforts.  The Celtics may have a tough road ahead for the post-season if they have to travel to Orlando and Cleveland on their quest to get back to the championship.  “Our guys don’t care about home court.  They want to get healthy,” said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. “And when we get healthy, we’re willing to lace up against anybody.”

The Celtics will travel to Atlanta for their next game against the Hawks this Friday at 7:30 pm.  They will need to put together a win streak for their final 9 games to regain home court advantage.

Boston Celtics tickets are now available!

Dwight Howard had 28 points, 12 rebounds, and was just 3 assists shy of a triple double to help the Orlando Magic blow out the Milwaukee Bucks 106-80 Wednesday night.  Hedo Turkoglu netted 14 points with 10 rebounds as the Magic went on to earn their eighth win in 10 games.

The Bucks are fighting desperately for the last spot in the playoffs with a 31-39 record.  Their next game will be against the Portland Trailblazers at home before they hit the road for four games.

The win for Orlando marked their second consecutive season with 50+ wins.  “Other people can downplay winning a division title or winning 50 games,” said head coach Stan Van Gundy.  “I’m appreciative of our guys’ effort and what it takes to get to 50 wins.  To do it two years in a row is a measure of your organization getting better and getting some consistency.  Look for the Magic to host the New York Knicks for their next game on Saturday, March 21st.

Orlando Magic tickets are available now!

The Portland Trailblazers have had a tough start to their season. Of the seven games they have played so far, six of them were against teams that won at least 52 games least year; three of which the Trailblazers won. Portland ended the Orlando Magic’s four-game winning streak, and highlighted the Magic’s recent troubles with scoring off the bench. Outside of their top six men, no one on the Magic is averaging more than four points a game. Despite 35 points from Hedo Turkoglu and 29 from Dwight Howard, the team only managed to get double digit points from two other players. The Trailblazers (still without last year’s #1 pick Greg Oden) benefited from 40 points off their bench, versus the Magic’s twelve. Portland finished strong and held on to secure their first road win of the season.

Portland Trailblazers Tickets and Orlando Magic Tickets are available now!