The Orlando Magic performed well in the 2009-10 season, despite racing to the NBA Finals a season before, they were still not considered a juggernaut. One of the teams that did not show them respect were the Los Angeles Lakers, which belittled the Florida-based squad and branded the Southeast Division team as “puppies.”
Upon hearing that, it wasn’t surprising to expect the Magic to prove the Lakers wrong. With Dwight Howard at the helm, Orlando defeated LA 96-94, a triumph that pumped up the Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy High School product.
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“Alpha dogs usually have the big bark,” Howard said via NYT after that win over the Lakers. “But since we’re so-called puppies, we won’t bark as loud.”
Dwight finished that game with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Vince Carter led the way for the Magic with 25 points.
Magic were overlooked in the 2009-2010 season
It was a sweet win for Howard and the Magic, notching their fifth straight win. Further, it was a good message sent to the Lakers, who lost their third consecutive game that season. It was the franchise’s first three-game losing streak in over two years.
It was proof of the Magic’s resiliency that season despite some player setbacks. That included Rashard Lewis’s suspension in the first 10 games for testing positive for a banned substance and injuries to key players like Carter and Jameer Nelson.
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But thanks to Howard’s dominating play, Orlando was able to overcome these problems. He scored and worked hard off the boards, enough to keep the Magic afloat. In the regular season, the D12 averaged 18.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in 34.7 minutes of action.
Howard’s efforts resulted in him winning his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award that season. He was also a candidate in the MVP race but finished fourth overall.
With Howard in the lead, the Magic reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Boston Celtics proved too much for Dwight and company, sending Orlando home in six games.
Bad blood goes back to the 2009 Finals
Howard had every right to brag, especially since he and the Magic were looking for some respect. Orlando and L.A. faced off in the 2009 Finals, a duel that the Purple and Gold eventually won in five games.
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But the underlying story is that most projected a LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers to face the Lakers in that final. However, the Magic foiled all that when they eliminated the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2.
Howard admitted that critics hardly gave the Magic a chance despite their respectable record that season. They finished third in the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 win-loss record, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16) and the Boston Celtics (62-20), respectively.
“People was talking about Lakers and the Cavs, and we felt like that year that we were the best team in the NBA. We proved it up until we got to the Finals. I think as we got to the Finals, we kind of took a step back, and we had just one [game] after the Eastern Conference Finals,” the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year stated.
Although Dwight was arguably the best player on that team, he had a great supporting cast on the 2008-09 Magic team. In addition to Lewis and Nelson, he had the likes of Hedo Turkoglu, Mickael Pietrus, and Rafer Alston, who were no pushovers.
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Despite the win and proving they deserved to be taken seriously, that Magic team never made it back to the Finals. The core that once looked poised for a title run dissolved quicker than expected.
For all the bark and bite they showed that night, Orlando’s window shut just as fast — a reminder that in the NBA, respect is hard-earned and even harder to sustain.