The Magic Insider

On This Day: LeBron James Stuns Magic With Eastern Conference Finals Game-Winning Shot

A dagger for the Magic.

Jeremy Brener

On This Day: LeBron James Stuns Magic With Eastern Conference Finals Game-Winning Shot
On This Day: LeBron James Stuns Magic With Eastern Conference Finals Game-Winning Shot /

It's been 13 years since the Orlando Magic made it to the NBA Finals. 

In order to get to their second NBA Finals in franchise history, Orlando had to go through LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James
Elsa/Getty Images

LeBron James

Dwight Howard
Elsa/Getty Images

Dwight Howard, LeBron James

LeBron
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

LeBron James

After taking care of business on the road in a fourth-quarter comeback during Game 1, the Magic were looking to head back to Central Florida with a 2-0 lead over the 1-seed Cavaliers.

However, LeBron James had other plans.

James' game-high 49 points were not enough to will the Cavs to a Game 1 win, but with 19 points from All-Star point guard Mo Williams, a double-double from Lithuanian big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas alongside 32 from James, the Cavs were in position to win down the stretch.

On the Magic's final possession, Hedo Turkoglu sunk a midrange shot to give Orlando a 95-93 lead with just one second remaining on the clock.

Then, on this day 13 years ago, LeBron made the entire city of Orlando's hearts sink with one of the most memorable shots of his career.

Cavs
Jeff Haynes-Pool/Getty Images

LeBron James' winning shot goes in at the buzzer.

LeBron James
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

LeBron James

LeBron James

LeBron James

LeBron's game-winner evened the series at one apiece as the series shifted back to Orlando for Game 3.

The Magic went on to win three of the next four games in the series, all in Orlando, to upset the Cavs and make it to its first NBA Finals in 14 years. The Magic went on to lose to the late Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games during the 2009 NBA Finals.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News