June 16th from Orlando:

It's over.

Our Magical season ended with a 99-86 Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers celebrated on our home floor and we were left wondering how different things might have been had we played better.

I spend the past couple of days with my friends and really had a good time. This is a tough loss to swallow, so I was glad to be around some good friends. Today, the reality of this offseason will really set in as we prepare to meet the media for exit interviews. After that, I plan to spend the next couple of days to gather some things and head back to my house in the Bay Area.

I thought we started Game 5 with a lot of intensity. And I felt we came in with a genuine belief that we could win. It looked that way after the first quarter. It was a different story in the second quarter. The Lakers jumped to a 16-0, and I thought somewhere along the way, we began to doubt ourselves. The Lakers knew we were going to give it everything we had to try and extend the series. Meanwhile, they have no pressure on them because if we would have won, they would have had two more chances to win in LA. So, they played really loose. For us, we started out great but lost our competitiveness.

Eventually, it became inevitable that we were going to lose Game 5 - and the series. So as the clock wound down, I sat on the bench and thanked the guys for a great season. There is a good core of guys who will be back this year (Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Jameer Nelson and Courtney Lee). For some of the other guys, who might not be back next year, I think this loss is going to be tougher on them because they may look at this as a lost opportunity.

We got beat pretty bad in Games 1 and 5. But during the other games, we were a few points away from really taking control of this series. For a lot of us, this is going to be a painful offseason. To see a team fight all the way through all the obstacles during the regular season as well as the playoffs, we finally seemed mortal in the end. We overcame injuries, suspensions, buzzer-beating shots and playoff deficits. But in the end, we seemed fragile and human.

But give the Lakers all the credit. They came out and beat us. Every punch we threw at them, they threw it right back. And they continue to throw even more punches. I think this is what everyone was talking about in terms of needing experience. Perhaps we needed this experience so that if we ever come back to the Finals, we know we never want to feel this way again.

The only regret I have is that I wish we could have played better. It's never easy to lose a series, but I would have felt better if we played our best basketball and lost at the buzzer. But no matter the situation, it's still frustrating to lose a series - let alone the NBA Finals. There is no solace in coming in second place. It's not a consolation prize.

Make no mistake, we do have a lot to be proud of. We made a commitment and changed the culture of basketball in Orlando. We are now a team to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference and we have given the guys the experience they need to make it to the next level.

There is no doubt in my mind this team can compete next season. Whether or not I will be back is up to the front office. But I don't want to think about that right now. For me, I just want to thank everyone who has been following me on my playoff blog this postseason. It was definitely a thrilling feeling for me to be a part of this special group of guys. Throughout all the ups and downs - from the time I was traded to Memphis to the time I came back - this was just an amazing journey. It's one thing to watch the NBA Finals on TV, but to truly understand what it takes to be here is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. This experience will forever change who I am. For that, I say thank you so much.

Please check back on my website for updates and where I may wind up this summer. You can also log on to the Orlando Sentinel's website, where I will continue to post blogs throughout the summer.

Thanks for the ride, everyone!

- Adonal

June 14th from Orlando:

Today is the day. It's literally win or go home. It seemed like an eternity since our last game and now, we will finally have a chance to leave everything on the floor.

First thing's first; what we need to do is let Game 4 go. If we haven't already done that, I'd be concern going into today. I spent the last couple of days talking about how frustrating it was to lose Game 4, but I only talk about it because I want to let it go by the time Game 5 arrives. We need to understand what pressure really is and to embrace it. We also have to learn how to embrace adversity. And being around the guys, I think we're now ready to move forward and go out and play. It's not as simple as it sounds, but what would the alternative be?

No team has ever come back from a 3-1 hole to win the NBA championship. But we can't worry about being down 3-1 and that the Lakers are just one win away from the title. History is constantly made everyday. So we hope by the time this series is over, history will be written once again. But it starts with today.

If we carry this burden on our backs and have that 3-1 deficit on our minds, we're not going to win. We have to remember what got us here and just embrace the moment. Let's have fun and play the game all the way through. Everything else will take care of itself.

- Adonal

June 13th from Orlando:

Today, we plan to practice and do the best we can do try and prepare for Game 5 on Sunday. We have an extra day to go over some things, so we plan to do as much as we can to mentally regroup.

When you're playing during the regular season, and you're coming off a tough loss, you usually don't get a chance to think about what went wrong because there's always a game waiting within the next 24 hours. But in this case, we have to take some time and really think about what happened.

With the exception of Game 1, this has been an extremely competitive series that could have gone one way or another. In essence, if we just played the way we know we could play, we'd be up 3-1. But we only played one game that way and now we're down 3-1. But because of everything we've been through all season (having to come back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Philadelphia, overcoming a 3-2 deficit to knock off Boston and putting away Cleveland), I really do believe we can do this. I give the Lakers a tremendous amount of credit for their poise. They are a great team and they know what it takes to win championships. But we also have a championship-caliber team. There are no ifs, ands or butts about it. Unfortunately being a championship-caliber team isn't good enough; we still have to go out and play the game.

As bad as that outcome was in Game 4, we have to really understand the depths of what happened and use it to take care of business on Sunday. We need to get our minds right and believe that we can come back in this series. And we can't give it all we have for just one quarter or three quarters. We have to do it all four quarters, possession by possession. And we can't do it for one game, we have to do it these last three possible games in the series. No matter what happens in this series, our season will be over. So we might as well try and go out like champions.

We competed for most of these games. But we can't take any breaks. We understand that every team has letdowns. But when you let down and you allow the other team to come back during the game, you have to be able to do something to withstand that. If we jump out to another lead in Game 5, it's likely the Lakers will make another run. It's up to us to try and keep it from getting out of hand.

That's all from me for now. I'll be back Sunday morning before Game 5.

- Adonal

June 12th from Orlando:

Oy vey.

Last night was probably one of the most difficult losses we've taken this entire postseason. We had a great opportunity to tie this series 2-2, but there were so many mistakes that were made down the stretch. We played brilliant in the first half, but we squandered a 12-point lead in less than five minutes into the second half.

Our mistakes weren't from a lack of effort, though. We were aggressive and we were tenacious. In the third quarter, the Lakers came back with a vengeance. On top of that, we did some things that were just critical. We missed 15 free throws, we committed 19 turnovers and there some philosophical questions on what to do when you have a lead down the stretch. So there were a lot of things that happened during the game that made it very, very difficult to win that game.

As frustrating as these mistakes have been, it's not shocking to me that they are happening this late in the postseason. The postseason, let alone the Finals, magnifies every decision and adequacy. In the regular season, teams lose games all the time due to mistakes, regardless which team you're playing. But when you're in the biggest stage of the NBA and you're one of the two best teams in the league, you're going to continue to make mistakes. The only difference is everyone is now looking at you and there will be immediate consequences to the mistakes you make. As we've learned, the NBA Finals brings out the absolute best - and worst - in you.

We now have a couple of days before we play again on Sunday. Sometimes in the regular season, there's no time to think about how you did in a game because there's always another game within the next 24 hours. In this case, we have Friday and Saturday to really let this loss fester. I can tell you that when a team comes from a loss like this, they always want to play right away and get it all out of their system. Since that can't happen for us, we're going to use these two days and really absorbed what happened. That way, we can remember this feeling and tell ourselves that we don't ever want to feel this way again.

The road to the championship is steeper than ever. And we must now win three games in a row if we want to hoist that trophy. No team has ever bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to win it all. But that's why they play the games. It will all start on Sunday. We're going to focus on Game 5 and then go from there.

Today is filled with team meetings, so I will be sure to reach out to you before the start of Game 5.

- Adonal

June 11th from Orlando:

For the first time in franchise history, the Orlando Magic won an NBA Finals game.

These fans have been amazing all year. They've been waiting 14 years for the Finals to come back to Orlando and they weren't disappointed on Tuesday. They've been extraordinary during the entire postseason. There was one particular couple who have been season ticket holders since the establishment of this franchise in 1988. When they were leaving the game, they looked my way and I just happened to make eye contact with them. They looked at me and said "Thank you. Thank you for this." I thought that was a powerful moment. It was so simple, yet so heartfelt. I put my hand in my heart and I just said, "You're welcome." It reminded me of how honored I am to be a part of this team. That moment spoke great volumes. It just indicates the hunger that is here in Orlando. These fans are hungry for a championship, and I hope we can fulfill their dreams.

It was definitely a good win, but we didn't take too much time to celebrate. Coach Van Gundy made a good point in saying that we have done a tremendous amount of things over the past year. And that there will be a time when we can look back and cherish those accomplishments. But that moment will be during the summer and it can't be right now. The team and the fans are all happy about our win, but we can't be happy about winning one game when we're trying to win three more.

Our focus is now on tonight's game. And it's going to be an extremely difficult game. We know that the Lakers won't lay back and give us an easy time. Other than Game 1, ever game has been competitive. Now that we have one win out of the way, we know what the standard is to be successful. We shot 62 percent from the field and the Lakers were still within striking distance in the end. That gives us an idea what the rest of the series is going to be like.

It's time to put back on our hard hats and get back to work. And it starts with winning this game tonight. We know it will be more difficult; the Lakers aren't going to miss as many foul shots and we know Kobe won't be as up-and-down as he was on Tuesday. There were also some things we weren't able to stick with in Game 3. We didn't do a good job getting the ball out of Kobe's hands.

We weren't helping down the court, we weren't very consistent in any aspect outside of our shooting and we didn't rebound well. We have to get back on defense, there are those silly turnovers we have to limit and we can't bite when Kobe pump fakes. There were certain plays that killed us in Game 3. The Lakers have been beating us in the post. Their guys are very long and they'

On Wednesday, we spent the day watching film and took things easy. Later in the day, I got to do something I'm very comfortable doing. I joined Magic GM Otis Smith and teammates Jeremy Richardson, Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick to help open a new reading and learning center. It's a great facility. It features a library for books, a game room and technology room filled with computers and other cool stuff. NBA Commissioner David Stern was also there. I was also interviewed by CNN earlier in the day about community outreach. It always feels great to give back and help people who are less fortunate. Just looking at the kids' faces and seeing how happy they are just puts a smile to my face. It's the simplest thing you can do for someone. And it's always a truly special thing to be a part of.

The focus is now on tonight. We plan to do a walkthrough and then stay loose before the game starts. So, as always, I hope I can come back with more good news. Wish us luck.

- Adonal

June 9th from Orlando:

We are now back home. We flew out right after Game 2 and arrived Monday morning at around 11 am. We were given the day off so we can catch up on sleep; I got a massage and had dinner with a friend before calling it a night early on.

We played a much better game against the Lakers in Game 2. But we weren't able to come away with the win. We really had a good chance to take a split in LA. But it was a tough loss and now we have to go back to Amway Arena and take care of business.

I've always said that this is an intriguing team. What I've liked about this team all season is that they never get too down when times are tough. There's no denying that we are in an 0-2 hole. That's apparent to everyone. But around this team, there is no sense of panic. On Sunday, Game 2 could have gone either way. But the Lakers did what they needed to do - they needed to win their home games. And now we have to do the same thing in our house. Do we have to win on the road to win the NBA title? Absolutely. But for right now, we have to win our games at home, starting with Game 3 today.

As I said before, I don't see any sense of panic with this team. The Lakers succeeded in winning their home games and it is a healthy realization of where we are. It is just a sobering assessment of what we need to do in order to be successful.

If we want to win Game 3, we have to put ourselves in a situation where we win in the end. We did that in Game 2, but now it's time to kick it up a notch. We have to be sharper and we have to play with more desperation. There's no sense of running away from the fact that if we don't win, we'll be in a deep 0-3 hole. And we don't want that to happen. We need to win this game.

With the 2-3-2 format in these Finals, we now have the next three games at home. We'll have to win all three at home and then take care of business back in LA. We'll have our work cut out for us, but that's why there are two teams left in the playoffs.

It will also be the first time in more than a week we'll be playing in front of our fans. They've been waiting for this since 1995 so I expect them to come and bring some serious energy to Anway. They'll be loud, they'll be beating those drums and they should create a tough environment for the Lakers and help us get over the next threshold. They've been wonderful all season and I look forward to see them in the stands.

Today, we have an 11 am walkthrough and we're going to stay loose until gametime. I'll be back again after Game 3. Wish us luck.

- Adonal

June 6th from Los Angeles:

Wow. Talk about your rude awakenings.

We are coming off an abysmal 100-75 loss to the LA Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. After taking an entire day to absorb the loss, I'm now back to talk about it. First off, I want to thank LA Times writers Andrew and Brian Kamenetzy for mentioning this playoff blog on their own coverage blog. (For the record, you are not a "total moron"). These are just a couple of the hundreds of writers we're now seeing during this series.

On Friday, we watched film (we watched as much as we could stomach), we graded our performance and talked about where we are in this series. We went to Staples Center for a light workout, we talked to the media and we were done. There will probably be a harder practice today.

The NBA Finals are such an extraordinary production. When you consider the entire regular season, there are about five beat writers following you. Now, we're practicing on the court and we're looking about 500 writers from around the world waiting to talk to us after practice, before and after the games. Behind the scenes, there are newly-created media rooms to accommodate these reporters and there are people all over the place with headsets, telling players, celebrities and others where to go. It's unbelievable and it truly demonstrates the larger scale of the NBA Finals.

To be honest, we were probably taken a back by it a bit. None of us have been here before and it's hard to really try and prepare for something like the NBA Finals outside of the game. Some players have told me about it, but you really have to experience it yourself to know what you're really getting yourself into. One good thing about this team is that they learn from game to game. We lost Game 1 of the first round, we've lost by buzzer beaters - and this is all in one season. Of course, everyone says that the Lakers are the team with more experience; they were just here a year ago. But as I've been saying everyday, experience is leanred every game. And I think we've proven we can learn from our mistakes and come out better than before.

And what did we learn from Game 1? Well, that we definitely need to compete at a much higher level. We're going to have to work extremely hard to beat a team as good as the Lakers. And we didn't bring any of that hard work to Game 1. We didn't bring any energy, we didn't rebound, we weren't physical, we just didn't do anything.

During Friday's media session, I told the press that it was a good thing we were blown out. There was no doubt we didn't bring our A game. So getting our asses handed to us is better because there is no ambiguity that we played well. In this case, we didn't play well at all. And that spanking we just got really demonstrated that. There is no silver lining. It is now our job to come out and compete at a higher level. This team can definitely do it. So I'm excited to see what's going to happen.

It was really good to see Jameer come back. He made an immediate impact when he got in and the important thing was, he came away not getting injured. Certainly, part of the media session was the talk of Jameer and if he helped or hurt the team. We talked about chemistry and how it not only threw off Anthony Johnson, who didn't play in Game 1, but it also threw off Rafer Alson. Rafer admitted that his rhythm was a bit off. But we're professionals. We also didn't rebound or compete at the level we normally can play. And to put our loss on Jameer is not putting the responsibility on each one of us. The guys aren't using that as an excuse. We didn't compete as a team and that wasn't anything Jameer could control. Coach Van Gundy is never afraid of being wrong about something. And he admitted he may have Jameer play a bit too long. He's taken responsibility of his mistakes all year and we move on.

We will make some changes like we always do. Kobe obviously burned us with 40 points. We have to take the ball out of his hands. Because when he's got it, there's no stopping him. So we have to make someone else beat us. We also have to play the post differently.

Obviously, it's only one game. So we're not talking about any adjustments - especially when we didn't even play a good game. If we had given a good effort and left everything on the floor and still lost, we'd be talking about what we could do differently. But we can't even do that because first we need to play well.

Today, we're going to have a morning film session, followed by a midday practice, mandatory media and then have an early dinner with some of my friends from the Bay Area. I plan to turn in early and be fresh and ready for Sunday. We have to bring every competitive spirit we have and get ready to fight. I'm confident we're going to be better prepared this time.

- Adonal

Bonus: View what Adonal had to say on the Lakers defending Dwight Howard.
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June 4th from Los Angeles:

The day has finally arrived. Tonight is Game 1 of the NBA Finals and to say that I am excited is a great understatement. Living in the Bay Area, I am also excited to see a lot of my friends, who will make the trip to SoCal to see me. Of course, I've received a lot of ticket requests, which is typical for any of the players on the last two teams standing. There are so many emotions going on right now, so forgive me if I begin to ramble on.

Having spent the past few days on the practice floor, I began to really soak up the moment. Last weekend, Oscar Robertson presented us with the Eastern Conference championship trophy and I gave Dwight Howard a big hug, congratulated him and told him how proud I was of him. It was really hard not to appreciate that moment.

Looking back at my career, having played my first 10 years at Golden State and now being where I am, I can say that being on playoff teams the last three years, this has been the most fun I've ever had in my career. I haven't played nearly as often as I have in the past, but for the first time in my life, I've finally understood what it means to be a teammate in every sense of the word. Like I said, I haven't played a whole lot this past season, but one thing I've learned is that I can still be a teammate without actually playing. I can still use my skills to make a difference. Whether it's talking to the players, coaching them, letting them know what I'm seeing from my angle, I'm very happy that I'm now comfortable in this role. Do I still want to play? Absolutely. Do I think I still have what it takes to contribute? No doubt in my mind. But I'm still having a phenomenal time. It's been fun understanding this other role. It's a new learning experience for me - and I like it.

These past few days, we've also been talking about how this series is a special moment in time for us. No matter how this series turns out, our season will end. This is now a unique moment where we have an opportunity to do some great things. We have to take advantage of that. It's easy to say 'If we don't win, we'll get 'em next year.' But the truth is, you never know when you're going to come back to the NBA Finals. And you don't even know who will be coming back to this team next season. We really have to go after it like our life depends on it. So we're going to try and go out like champions.

As a supporter of President Obama during his campaign, I was very surprised to see what he had to say about this series. He picked the Lakers to win in six games. He certainly has the track record; he picked North Carolina to win the NCAA championship and he was right on. But I don't think he could have been more wrong about this one. Make no mistake, President Obama is an intelligent man with mass appeal. He is the leader of the free world. But from one basketball player to another, I'm a bit bewildered by his pick. Everyone knows you should never go against 'Magic'. 'Magic' wins everything. And as a team, we are very formidable. We are the underdogs, just as Mr. Obama was in his election. We can put up a fight and we are very cool under pressure - something Mr. Obama is also familiar with.

All kidding aside, I have every reason to believe this is going to be a great series. That's what makes sports fun - you hear people debate over which team is better and why they think this team or that team will win the NBA Finals. But after all the talking, at the end of the day, we still have to go out and play the games.

Certainly, we know how amazing the Lakers can be, but we have the same type of caliber to win an NBA championship. I like the fact that we have a lot of elements to work with. The Lakers have a lot of elements as well and we just have to adjust to them. It's going to be an intriguing chess match. Rashard Lewis going up against Pau Gasol will be interesting, I'm interested in seeing how Andrew Bynum will play Dwight, I like the way Lamar Odom has been playing, and, of course, there's Kobe. I think our talent matches well with their talent. The question now is what decisions are going to be made. After we play the first game, we can go from there and see what happens. I'm just glad I'm not the coach.

One thing I caught from the Lakers' series with Denver is that the Lakers were very dominant under the glass. And Denver is a really, really good rebounding team - possibly the best in the league. So that caught our attention. So if we want to compete in this series, we have to absolutely box out and get physical under the glass. It has to be a physical series if we want to win it.

We can now finally stop talking and start playing. Wish us luck and I hope I can come back with some good things to talk about.

- Adonal

June 3rd from Los Angeles:

We're here. We arrivedÊin Los Angeles on Tuesday a little bit before 6 pm (West coast time) and we're set to continue our preparations for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Before leaving for LA on Tuesday, I gave it a good hard workout. I feel good and I will be ready to go if the team needs me.

Because there are just two teams left, the national attention is now turned to us and the Lakers - for better or worse. We knew things were going to get crazy and it would get even crazier once we got to LA. But coach Van Gundy has been doing a great job in keeping us focused and that we can't spend a lot of time just enjoying all this stuff. We still have a job to do. So I'm sure the guys are going to stay focused on what's important, which is come to LA and put ourselves in a situation where we can go back to Orlando in good shape.

Everyone wants to know if Jameer Nelson is going to come back and play. I say it is a good possibility. Everyone now knows he's been trying really hard to get back on the court. When a player comes back after a long layoff due to injury, the difficult thing is not so much the injury to the player - but the overall flow of the team. In Jameer's case, I don't think that's going to be an issue. He just wants so bad to be a part of this team. And if you ask me, I'd play him since I've been beating him up pretty good in practice. I've been setting a lot of hard screens, moving screens and every other illegal screen I can think of, and he's coming out of it just fine.

I'm excited about the possibility of Jameer coming back. Having a weapon like that on the bench is not bad at all. My feeling is he is more than likely going to suit up in this series. But it's up to coach Van Gundy to decide if he should suit up. If he does, it would be excited to have him back in the huddles.

Today, we plan to practice and relax the rest of the day. You don't want to overdo anything on the eve of Game 1. So I anticipate everyone to be very loose before Thursday.

- Adonal

June 1st from Orlando:

What a great way to end the month. We closed out our series with the Cleveland Cavaliers in convincing fashion and we are now on our way to the NBA Finals. After spending the day recovering from our celebration, I can finally talk about the game.

Make no mistake, Cleveland is a phenomenal team and LeBron James is a special player. And with a player like him, we knew the momentum could change at the blink of an eye. But the guys realized just what was at stake. If we didn't win Game 6, we would have been staring at a Game 7 in Cleveland. Even though we've played well on the road all season, we haven't started well in Cleveland. Too many things would have been out of our control. So the focus was simple - take control of Game 6 and do it right away.

Coach Van Gundy made some good points in the locker room. He told us we couldn't just stand around and wait to get calls from the officials. He told us we needed to realize just what was at stake and take it upon ourselves to win the game. And if we just play the game the way it should be, we'll win.

There's no doubt LeBron is just in a class of his own. But outside of him, I thought we were a better team than the Cavaliers. We won two-out-of-three against Cleveland in the regular season, I thought we came into this series with great focus and we ran the type of offense I thought we could run.

This was just a great series all around. We made the open shots, grabbed the defensive rebounds and ran. Dwight was just phenomenal inside the glass. He got us some second chance points when I thought the momentum was about to shift. He definitely was the difference in Game 6 - and this series.

I can't be happier for the city of Orlando. They've only tasted the NBA Finals once. It has been an amazing ride so far. But now, it's back to work. We till have four more games to win. And we have to approach this series with the Lakers the same way. We have worked hard to get to this point, and I think we have what it takes to win four more games. But it won't be easy.

We have until Thursday to prepare for this series. I'll be back before then. Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive over the years. We will do all we can to bring Orlando a championship.

- Adonal

May 30th from Orlando:

Tonight, we have another chance to try and close out our series with Cleveland. For the better part of this series, we've been playing from behind and have been able to come back to win. Game 5 was a little different because the Cavaliers just played extremely well - they were on all cylinders. And it's a hard thing to do when you have to play from behind. We didn't give them the game, but we just didn't play to the level we are capable of playing.

To Cleveland's credit, they did what they were supposed to do. They came home and defended their homecourt. Now, we have to do the same thing tonight. It will be the first time in these playoffs we have a chance to clinch a series in front of our fans. And I think our fans are going to come out fired up and ready to back us up. They've been great in responding whenever we needed that extra push. So, I'm looking forward to seeing a loud a crazy crowd at Amway Arena.

Some say the pressure is on us for needing to close this series out. Others say it's on the Cavs because they will go home if they lose. For me, I think the pressure is on both teams. Sure, we have two chances to advance, but all things considered, we have to win at home. If we need to play a Game 7 back in Cleveland, we will. But you don't want to go back there with their crowd on their side. No matter where you are, closing out a series is one of the hardest things to do. And we'd rather do it at home. So, we need to approach this game like everything is on the line. And we must work as hard as possible and give it all that we have if we want to continue our season.

- Adonal

May 28th from Cleveland:

Tonight, we have a chance to do something special. With a win tonight, we'll be going to the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history. But the task won't be easy. We're back at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where we're going to face a hungry Cavaliers team - and a hostile crowd. I'll get to that in a second, but let's sum up Game 4.

On Tuesday, I thought we played absolutely great in the second half. I thought it was some of our best basketball. But our first half was horrendous. We came out flat, we weren't getting under the glass, we weren't boxing out and we weren't playing defense.

All of that changed from the middle of the third quarter up to the end. And it was partially because of coach Van Gundy's pep talk (which required covering the camera) at halftime. He challenged us to play hard and kick things up a notch. We knew the importance of what was at stake. So fortunately, we were able to get it together.

Tonight, there are only so many words to describe the atmosphere: deafening, chaotic, mayhem. The Cavs will absolutely be out for blood, their fans are going to be out of their minds. And if previous games gave any indication of how loud it can be, I think it will be ridiculous.

Clinching a series has always been difficult. The team down knows if they lose, their season is over and they go home. Sometimes, the first two or three games in a series are easy because win or lose, you know you have a cooling off period. But as you move forward, and when you have your backs against wall, the team that is down will come out and try to do everything they can to stay alive. They're going to come out desperate, hungry and everything in between. For us, we can't go in there knowing that we're up 3-1. We have to go in like we're down and understanding what the consequences are if we actually lose this series.

This has been absolutely one of the most physically demanding series ever. Everyone looked at us as the team without any experience. But we've gained experience from the Boston series and we've gained experience from the Philly series. I think when people try to talk about who doesn't have experience, what they're saying is we haven't gone through enough adversity. But we've talked about losing Rafer for one game, losing Dwight for one game and not having Jameer for the entire playoffs and we're still finding ways to get it done.

We've played from behind, we've overcome large deficits, we've lost big leads, we've shot the ball horribly and we find ways to win. For me, I think we have been learning along the way. Once it's game time, we play basketball, and if we play the way we can, we'll win. Next year, they're going to talk about us as a team WITH experience. But if we don't go as far as we did this year, it won't mean anything. So I try not to get caught up with all this experience talk.

We'll do our best to come away with a victory tonight. We'll be ready and I know the Cavs will be ready. So I anticipate a very physical game tonight.

- Adonal

May 26th from Orlando:

Game 4 is today and it's another chance for us to really take command of this series. We were fortunate to come away with a win in Game 3 despite us not shooting the ball very well and Dwight getting into early foul trouble.

Game 4 is going to be tricky because it has the possibility of swinging a series one way or another. We can either take a big 3-1 lead, or the Cavaliers can tie things up 2-2 and take back homecourt. When teams are coming off a playoff win to take a lead in a series, they tend to breathe and exhale a little bit. Sometimes, the result of that is complacency the following game. So for us, we really have to put the pedal to the metal and play like we're not leading the series. We definitely have our work cut out for us. We just need to lace 'em up, roll up our sleeves and get the job done.

I think if we approach Game 4 the same way we approached Game 3 - coming off a tough loss and playing with a sense of urgency - we'll be OK. We just have to push and push and push. This will definitely be a difficult task. Both teams are fighting for their collective lives. It will be tough, but it's going to be a good fight.

Wish us luck!

- Adonal

May 25th from Orlando:

Today, we had a team meeting and talked about how the series has been going so far. I also worked out for about four hours before ending with a nice massage. I'm also watching the Western Conference Finals between the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets as I'm putting together this blog.

It felt great to get the 'W' yesterday. I knew that coming back home, we'd have the motional edge, but in reality, all that emotion tends to go out the window after the first quarter. The fans to a really good job to help out the home team, but great teams have to have a stronger resolve. The home team can't just assume they can ride on the emotion of their fans. We now know we can beat the Cavs at home, and the Cavs know what it's going to take to beat us at home.

I think coach Van Gundy has done a really good job of talking to the guys and really showing them how far they've come in these playoffs. He puts together a 'State of the Union' type speech for the guys, where he talks about where things stand and uses prior experiences to make light of where we are at this moment and how everything can change in a dime. When Glen 'Big Baby' Davis hit that shot to beat us in Game 4 of the east semis, everyone said we were done. But we had a strong resolve and said we weren't done. We just lost a game and it just meant we'd have to win another one in Boston to win the series - and we did.

Look back at these playoffs, I also realize we've played extremely well in the face of adversity. We were able to win a series-clinching game when Dwight was suspended and we were able to win another playoff game when Rafer was suspended. So we know we can play, no matter who's on the floor. We've definitely had some ups and downs, but we are now an experienced team. And it's not from last year's experience; it's from the first round, it's from the second round and it's from this series.

We now have experience that will last our entire careers. And we now know what it takes to make it to the next level. We just have to go out there, play the way we know how and win.

- Adonal

May 24th from Orlando:

Today, we're back home and getting ready to host Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. With the series now tied 1-1, I think we've got something interesting brewing here. We spent the morning looking at film and had a walk-through. Now, we're just trying to stay loose before the game starts.

It feels good to be home, knowing we now have home court advantage. But homecourt isn't important unless you defend it. This late in the playoffs, teams are used to the crowd noise, but we have some great fans in Orlando and they're going to be loud and fired up going into tonight. For us, we have to come out full of energy and play our game.

We have to show up and we have to compete if we want to win. We're not going to win just because we're home. It certainly helps, but if we spot the Cavaliers another 23 points, we're not going to win. If we never gave them that big lead in Game 2, that game would have never come down to a last-second shot.

Nobody thought this was going to be an easy series. You have the best team in the Eastern Conference that's been decimating their first two opponents in the playoffs by double-digits. But we also knew that we had a slight advantage at the start of the series having played while Cleveland had such a long layoff. And in basketball, all that conditioning you go through can go away in simply two or three days. Now that the Cavs have been playing again, I'm sure they have their legs again.

This series will continue to be tough. If you want to make it to the NBA Finals, you have to play hard every minute of the series and you have to go into each game like the series is tied 0-0. You'll need to win a few games on the road and you'll have to learn how to overcome adversity.

I can't wait to see our fans tonight. It's going to be loud and it's going to be exciting. We'll see what happens.

- Adonal

May 23rd from Orlando:

Wow.

For the second-straight game, it came down to a final shot by the Cavaliers. This time, it went their way. LeBron's shot from three-point range was just a great shot. You have to give him credit.

We returned home around 4:30 am this morning and got a day off. I spent the day getting in some cardio and played a little racquetball before calling it a day.

Today, all the talk on the radio was about how great LeBron's shot was; and how Hedo Turkoglu's shot prior would have been the great shot at the end. I'm one of the few who believe the game is never decided at the end. Everyone can second-guess if we did anything wrong to allow that shot to go in, but I tend not to think of basketball in that sense. My problem throughout this series has been the fact that we've been spotting Cleveland a double-digit lead in the first half. I don't care who you are, it's always difficult when you're spotting a team 20-something points. It's great that we were able to fight our way back and put ourselves in a situation to win in the end, but you never want to be in that situation to begin with.

This is the third time in these playoffs we lost by a last-second shot. Andre Iguodala hit a game-winner in Game 1 of the first round and Big Baby Davis hit one in Game 4 of the conference semis. You don't get used to those things. At the same time, each shot happened in three different situations. With Big Baby, noone was guarding him. We weren't able to switch and we gave him a path. With Igoudala, he was contested. Same with LeBron. Turk played really good defense and was right on top of him. So I don't have a problem with how we guarded LeBron. You have to give the guy credit for a shot like that. That was a tough shot with one second left. And all you can say to him is 'Wow. That's a great shot. Congratulations!'

People will say maybe we should have double-teamed LeBron or just allow him to go to the basket to try and tie the game. But how many people actually said that before it happens? It's always great to do a little Monday morning quarterback. But the way I saw it, we lost the game in the first half when we spotted them 23 points.

For those who are concerned that the series may have shifted Cleveland's way, let me put this into perspective. This was simply a game that Cleveland had to win. Otherwise, they'd be looking at an 0-2 deficit coming into our house. Whether we lost by one point or 20 points in Game 2, we're still looking at a 1-1 series - and we now have homecourt advantage. And if we're playing the best team in the Eastern Conference to the point where they have to attempt a buzzer-beater to win, I think we're in good shape. We did what we were supposed to do - we took one game in Cleveland and now they have to win at least one game in Orlando if they want homecourt back. So we should be very confident. All we have to do now is play a full 48 minutes and not allow them to jump to a big lead.

- Adonal

May 22nd from Cleveland:

Hi all,

Game 2 is tonight and we're going to try and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 was a huge victory for us. After all, the Cavs lost just two games at home in the regular season, they hadn't lost at home in these playoffs and they've beaten everyone at least by 10 points or more. Homecourt advantage now belongs to us, but we can't be satisfied with taking just one game in Cleveland.

One thing is certain this deep in the playoffs - there is no such thing as a homecourt advantage. I don't think the fans are not going to do too much more to get LeBron to play more magnificent than he's already been playing. He will continue to play well. For us, we can't rest and think that since we got one in Cleveland, we can go home and put this series in the bag. Cleveland is a very good road team and they are just as capable of winning in Orlando. So we really need to win this game today. This series is going to be determined one game at a time and it doesn't matter if it's at home or away. We have to continue to play well and put ourselves in a situation where we can win in the end.

I expect the Cavaliers to come out tonight really wanting it. But we want it just as bad. It no longer matters which team wants it more. Now, it's about who can manage the nerves, and who can sacrifice their bodies. You see LeBron going on the floor and grabbing the loose balls. Those are the things it will take to win the game. And every possession is going to matter. The team that wants it the most is the team that's going to leave everything on the floor. Whoever does that will be successful.

The past couple of days, we've been watching film and doing walk-throughs. This late in the postseason, you no longer want to have hard practices because of the risk of injury. So you don't want to spend a lot of time on the practice floor because you'll be on the floor during the games anyway. It's now up to us to try and really take control of this series. It won't be easy, but we're up to the task.

- Adonal

May 21st from Cleveland:

Hello once again,

We're coming off our thrilling win against the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. I think fans will take a few of things away from Game 1 - Dwight's dunk the broke the shot clock, Rashard's three-pointer to take the lead, LeBron's amazing performance and Mo Williams' buzzer-beating shot to potentially win the game.

If you watched the game on Wednesday, you know we had to really claw our way back to make things interesting at the end. The game started with Dwight's dunk. After that, we weren't really playing the way we normally play. We weren't aggressive defensively and we weren't putting a body in front of LeBron. When coach Van Gundy told us at halftime that we were just being witnesses, he wasn't necessarily referring to LeBron's performance (even though he was truly amazing to watch). Coach was talking more about the fact that we were just allowing him to drive to the basket and not really stepping in and challenging him.

Basically, we weren't playing at a high level. We were playing tentative and even nervous at the start. Cleveland came out like gangbusters. I kept telling them that those guys have been off for more than a week and if we just start playing the way we normally can play, they would eventually get tired. What coach was trying to say was if we're going to get beat, let's get beat doing what we can do. Eventually, the guys bought into that and started playing well in the second half. So this was a big win, but we weren't playing hard at the beginning. And that's something can't be happy about.

It was also tough to get going in the first half because of how well Cleveland was playing. When we run, we can be a very dangerous team. But we couldn't run unless we committed to playing defense. Once we played defense, started getting some chances at the other side of the floor. Hedo was special in terms of distributing of the ball. Mickael coming off the bench and committing his body to Lebron - to the point where he was getting abused and beaten - really helped us. He was willing to put a body in front of him and he was marvelous at doing it.

Rashard shot the ball incredibly well. He didn't miss too many shots in the second half. A lot of people had to step up for things to go right. And fortunately, they all did.

It's now time to get ready for Game 2 on Friday. We spent the day watching film and doing walk-throughs.

Even though we got the win, we still didn't play well for 48 minutes. And in Cleveland's defense, they still had a chance to win the game in the end. Outside of giving the Cavs their first playoff loss, we didn't do anything that was marvelous.

It is a huge win? Absolutely. Beyond that, it doesn't mean anything because they had a chance to win it. For Game 2, we really want to try to go back to playing our game and not wait until the second half to do it. It's going to be hard, but I know the guys can do it.

- Adonal

May 20th from Cleveland:

Hi All,

We're now getting ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have had more than a week off since their last game. We were able to get in some good practices before the start of the series and I think we're ready to go.

The Cavs are 8-0 in these playoffs and won each game by 10 points or more. They are just running on all cylinders and playing extremely well. There's a reason why LeBron James is this year's MVP and there's no question the offense flows through him. You can argue that the stretch between games may result in Cleveland coming out rusty. But I really doubt that will be a factor in Game 1.

I think this is going to be a terrific series. We'll need to go inside Quicken Loans Arena and really put up a fight if we want to make it to the NBA Finals. If they deliver the first blow, we have to deliver one back. Obviously, people will look at this series as LeBron vs. Dwight Howard; both were No. 1 overall draft picks and both are the nucleus of their respective teams. But I'm going to be curious to see how the other guys can respond to Cleveland's other weapons. Can we have more big games from Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee? The first thing we'll really need to do is put heavy pressure on the Cavs and not give them many fastbreak opportunities. You don't want to give an offense like Cleveland's some easy points. Second, with the genius of LeBron on the open floor, we need to cut down our turnovers.

Outside of LeBron, the Cavs are a very good rebounding team. We'll need to box out their bigs (Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao). That's not going to be an easy task. Dwight must continue to be dominant inside the paint and we'll need to be able to find him. And when necessary, we'll have to run.

Again, I think this is going to be a great series. Cleveland is expected to make it to the NBA Finals. But if we continue to play well, we should be a tough team to beat as well. We'll see what happens.

- Adonal

May 19th from Orlando:

Hi everyone,

Forgive me for not checking back in sooner. After our Game 7 victory on Sunday, our team really wanted to savor the moment and celebrate what we had achieved. This franchise has only experienced a Game 7 twice in its history. And to knock off the defending world champions in a Game 7 - on their home floor for that matter - is a huge deal.

We were really running on all cylinders on Sunday. We did everything we needed to do in order to get the OEW. Dwight Howard played extremely well under the glass, Hedo Turkoglu was hitting his 3s and we sustained any run the Celtics made. When we needed to, we went to the bench. And I thought Mickael Pietrus became the OEX' factor for us. He came in and had an amazing game. J.J. Redick played in credible defense. He gave Ray Allen a hard time all series.

Throughout the game, we had a comfortable lead. But if you've been paying attention to this series, you know that anything could happen - and we were thinking the same thing. During the game, all we kept saying to each other was OEIt's not over. It's not over.' We had to keep the pedal to the metal. When you get into a situation where you have a comfortable lead, you tend to ease up and deflate a bit. But I thought the guys did a really good job of learning from what happened in Game 5 (when we lost a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter). They didn't let up and they didn't panic when the Celtics made a run. This was something we had discussed before Game 7 and I thought the guys responded really well.

The Celtics played the entire postseason through injuries. They didn't have Kevin Garnett and they didn't have Leon Powe. But they've gone this far for a reason. Knocking off the defending champions on their homecourt was not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. They played us tough and we hung in there. It was a terrific series all together and I thought both teams played remarkably well. There were some thrilling games, there were some lopsided games. But all in all, this was a highly-competitive series.

We really wanted to enjoy the moment and appreciate where we are now. For me, this is the first time in my career that I am on a team that's going to the conference finals. I'm honored to be a part of this team and I'm sure my teammates feel the same way. We now have an opportunity to go out and really do something special.

- Adonal

May 15th from Orlando:

Hi again,

We did it. We forced a Game 7 and it's off to Boston on Saturday.

Before the game, everyone on the team stayed loose. We were cracking jokes and we were trying not to make the situation bigger than it really was. The objective was simple: we needed to win or our season was going to be done. We know we can beat Boston, but knowing you can beat a team and actually going out and beating them are two different things. As you can see in all of our games, we don't have a real problem with scoring and getting good shots. What we do have a problem with is finishing games. And in Game 6, I thought we did a masterful job of playing the game the way we could and doing it for a full 48 minutes. I thought that was truly remarkable.

Again, this type of win shows just what kind of team we can be. Our defense was wonderful, we relied on guys coming off the bench, and all in all we did a hell of a job.

We started off the game lousy. I thought we were a little tight and not at the level we should have been. In the second half, we played with courage and fortitude. It was absolutely amazing. We left everything out on the floor. I was very proud of the guys today.

Game 7 is going to be insane. If Game 5 in Boston was any indication of what the atmosphere is going to be like, Game 7 is going to be totally out of this world. I have complete confidence that we're going to go in and play very hard. We're going to approach the game with reckless abandonment and we just have to play. We can't worry about what the Celtics are going to do, we can't worry about Cleveland waiting in the wings. We can't worry about anything. We just need to stay in the moment and play the game for all its worth and give it everything we have.

When we leave the game on Sunday, we need to be completely spent. We need to be so tired, it shouldn't matter whether we win or lose (of course we want to win), but be tired because we left absolutely everything on the floor. We want to look at each other in the eyes at the end of Game 7 and say 'You know what? We played our butts off.' If we don't go out there and play to our potential, it's going to be a long summer. But if we go out there and play the game the way we know we can, I think we have a very good chance of winning this game - and the series.

We're taking Friday off so the guys will have some time to heal. We have a 10 am practice on Saturday and after that, we fly out to Boston. We'll continue to work on some things, get a gameplan set and be ready for Sunday.

So with us luck. I will be back to either talk about Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals - or my long summer vacation.

- Adonal

May 14th from Boston:

Hello again,

Well, here we are. Game 6 is tonight and we have no choice but to literally win or go home. Game 5 was a very heartbreaking loss to take. We played well for 44 minutes. We had a comfortable 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, but in the closing minutes, we started to panic and began taking some ill-advised shots. This was definitely a very tough loss to take. Not only because we now have our backs against the wall, but we had another chance to put a team away and weren't able to do so.

Even though this was a frustrating loss, I think we will be able to bounce back and even the series. The important thing is to come back, play our game and try to force a Game 7. If we get another comfortable lead, we need to try and figure out how to keep Boston from coming back. They have all the confidence in the world and believe they can come back from any lead. So we just have to put the pedal to the metal.

Nobody on this team wants their season to end. So I think we're going to come out with a lot of energy, a lot of intensity and a lot of that desperation I've been talking about all season. Now isn't the time to call out other players or coaches on what hasn't been working. Now is the time to get back to knowing how well we can play and apply that into 48 minutes of basketball.

Our fans have been so great during these playoffs, so I anticipate them to come out and do all that they can to create a hostile environment at Amway Arena. For me, I hope I can come back with good news and talk about Game 7.

So wish us luck, Magic fans. It's going to be a tough one.

- Adonal

May 11th from Boston:

Hi again,

Hello everyone,

We're back in Boston and we're coming off a tough one-point loss in Game 4. We knew one of these games was going to come down to the last shot. Think about it. The first three games of this series resulted in lopsided wins. It would only be a matter of time before we had a close one. After all, it's the playoffs. And unfortunately, we didn't come out with the upper hand.

Game 4 featured stretches where both teams didn't play well. They couldn't score, we couldn't score. And you can say that about any game, really. But when you have the opportunity to put a team away, and you lose by one point, that's tough. Yes, we felt we let this game get away, but it doesn't change anything else. It's just a new series – best of three with Boston having homecourt.

I still believe that we have the type of team that can win this series. We're really, really good. But it also doesn't matter how good a team can be if that team doesn't play to its potential. If we can't come out playing the way we know how to play, we won't be successful.

If we come out focused, running, clogging the paint, containing Rajon Rondo, closing out shooters, getting down on defense, and controlling the boards, we're the better team. If we don't do that, we'll just be an OK team.

We've now taken that sour taste from Game 4 out of our mouths. Today's is a new day. Will Game 5 be easy? Absolutely not. If we thought Game 4 was going to be difficult, Game 5 will be double, triple – or even quadruple – difficult. We have to go and get a big lead and not give it up. That's not going to be easy, but we've proven that we can win in Boston and we just have to take care of business again. Win or lose, we're going back to Orlando for Game 6 and when we do, we just have to defend our homecourt.

The mission is still the same, we think we can win and we think we can be there at the end. But we have to get passed Boston. And it all starts at Game 5.

- Adonal

May 9th from Orlando:

Hi again,

It really feels good to be home. We took care of business in Game 3 and came away with a 117-96 victory over the Celtics.

This was a great win for us. We did what we needed to do in Boston by splitting the first two games to get home-court advantage. Obviously, we would have given homecourt back if we didn't win.

Coach Van Gundy had a few things on the board in the locker room. And one of the questions was "What's going to happen when you get hit? Are you going to fight back? Are you going to stop playing? Are you going to keep pushing though? Are you going to be the team that can control its own destiny? Are you going to just go out there and play your game? And I thought we were able to do that. We came out, we were physical, we played really good defense, we shot the ball extremely well. We were able to identify Rashard Lewis down on the block, which I thought was very important for us. Dwight Howard was an unbelievable presence on the defensive end, getting five blocks and he was dominant under the glass. That's the kind of stuff we want. And everyone else stepped up. As a result, we had a really wonderful night.

This series is getting more and more physical and emotionally charged. And it has to be because at this point, everyone is playing to stay alive in the playoffs. It's win or go home. It's really that simple. For us, we had to defend homecourt. We knew the Celtics were going to come out and push us hard. The question is never "Are the Celtics gonna go on a run?" but rather "What are we gonna do WHEN they go on a run?" And we responded well and I think that bears well for us going forward.

We had a really good game from Anthony Johnson, who started in place of Rafer Alson (he was suspended one game for hitting Eddie House). One of the amazing things about this team is that when someone goes down, whether it's Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson or Rafer Alson, this team seems to find ways to win with what we have. And I think that's a mark of a really good team. To understand the situation that you have a missing part and to pick up the slack, that's what good teams do. We've done that repeatedly throughout the 82-game season and now throughout the playoffs.

Game 4 could be a very pivotal game in this series. We can take a commanding lead or the Celtics can take homecourt back. Because we have an opportunity to go up 3-1, I expect Boston to come out a little desperate. We've proven that we win in Boston and they need to prove that they can win in Orlando. And the Celtics are going to take this game as a life-or-death situation. They're going to continue to try and push us around. In Game 3, Boston didn't make a lot of their shots. And there's a good chance they could make those same shots in Game 4. We have to be ready for that.

Altogether, we have to be ready for a close game, So far, the wins from both sides have been lopsided. But we have to prepare ourselves in case we come out without that kind of urgency we had in Game 3. I don't think Game 4 is going to be an easy game at all. It's going to be very physical, it's going to be emotional and it's going to be gut wrenching. This is a game that we can win - but if we don't show up the way we did in Game 3, we will not win.

- Adonal

May 7th from Orlando:

Hello everyone,

We're back in Orlando after suffering a really bad loss to the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. We arrived back in Orlando around 5 a.m. this morning.

We did not play well at all in Game 2. And the Celtics came out and showed that they wanted that game more than we did. Even though we won Game 1, we were on our heels in the second half. And in Game 2, we were on our heels the whole way. And that's unfortunate. The Celtics deserved to win Game 2. They did everything they were supposed to do to secure the win at their house. For us, we just didn't match Boston's intensity and we just didn't play well.

We didn't do the things that made us one of the best defensive-minded teams in the NBA. This might be a good thing, though. Because we got our tails kicked, this might allow us to re-establish our focus as we prepare for Game 3 Friday at home.

What's important is that we were able to at least split the first two games in Boston. This means we now have home-court advantage. That was something we really needed to do. Whether we lost Game 2 by one or by 25, it doesn't matter. We still won Game 1 and the Celtics now have to win at least once in Orlando to win this series. I think one thing that's frustrating about our Game 2 loss is that we really had an opportunity to put some serious pressure on the Celtics in the fourth quarter and give us a chance to win the game. As a team, we can live with the fact that it's OK to lose despite going out there and really put together a good effort on the court. But I don't like it very much when I feel like we beat ourselves. It's fine when another team beats you. It's not fun at all when you beat yourselves. But at least this is something we can control. As I continue to say, if we keep playing the way we know how, everything else will take care of itself.

If we go into Friday with the sense of urgency that we have to protect our homecourt, the series should work back into our favor. If we are successful at home, we really have a chance to do something special and put ourselves in a good footing to win this series.

The great thing about the playoffs is there is always going to be that sense of urgency like 'There's no tomorrow.' Every opportunity is an opportunity to put you closer to an NBA title - or closer to going home. It all depends on what you do with those opportunities. We can't take any game for granted. We have to play every game like it's our last. This is a very good team and we have a chance to do something really special.

I'm confident we're going to come into Game 3 focused and a lot better than the way we played in Game 2. We took one in the chin on Wednesday, but I think we will be able to respond on Friday and Sunday. But we have to create an environment where it's going to be extremely uncomfortable for the opponent. Whether it's the players or the fans, everyone has to help make Celtics feel uncomfortable playing in our arena. And if we play well, everything will work out.

Today, we spent time viewing film and I took in some workouts. We'll be ready to go Friday night in Game 3. I'm excited to see our fans again. It's been a while.

- Adonal

May 4th from Boston:

Hello everyone,

Despite nearly blowing a huge lead, we came away with a Game 1 victory over the Celtics. This win was HUGE.

Coming into any series, getting that first victory is always difficult - let alone in Game 1 against the defending world champions in their house. So when you can pick up a Game 1 win on the road - no matter how well you play - it's best to just take it and move forward.

We played really well for about 38 minutes. When we came out, we were on all cylinders the entire first half, and for about two minutes in the second half. Toward the end, we kind of lost our way. We started to get a little lackadaisical and we weren't playing as aggressive as we were in the first half. We were able to give Boston a lot of confidence and they were able to come back.

The champs did a very good job of putting a lot of pressure on us, but we were able to maintain composure toward the end of the game. We made our foul shots and we made some key shots. I think we'll take this game and learn a lot from it going into practice.

We were up by as much as 25 points, but we still got the win and that's the most important thing. In a series like this, it doesn't really matter how you win - as long as you win. I would have a far different attitude if I had to talk about why we blew a 25-point win and lost the game. Could we have played better? Of course. But in light of how we played, we still got the win. And that feels pretty good.

Surely, the Celtics are going to make some adjustments going into Game 2. They will probably come out playing the way they did during the second half of Game 1 - they're going to crowd Dwight in the post, they're going to send help in the lane and they're going to put more pressure on the ball coming down the floor. For us, we'll have to keep spreading the floor and be able to get the ball to Dwight inside. We also have to put our shooters around him so they can shoot some threes if they decide to double-team inside.

We now have homecourt advantage and the Celtics must now win at least one of the games in Orlando if they want to win the series. I don't know if that adds more pressure to the Celtics. But it's more important for us to come out and play our game. Again, they're the defending champions. They've been in this situation in other series. They're coming off a seven-game series against the Bulls, who also beat them in Game 1. So a Game 1 loss isn't unusual for them. We can't relax and be happy with one win in Boston. We have to come out in Game 2 and play like our lives depend on it. We have to come in and feel like we can really go home with a 2-0 lead. We have to have that kind of desperation because we really haven't done anything yet. I think if we can do that, we'll play well and pick up the victory. THEN, that may add some pressure on the Celtics.

All we need to do is come out, play at a high level, do the right things, keep our energy up and play for 48 minutes.

- Adonal

May 3rd from Boston:

Hello everyone,

I'm deeply sorry for not being able to check in on a regular basis. As you know, we just finished a tough series against Philadelphia, and now it's off to Boston. I will try and do a better job keeping you informed on what's going on within the team and the series throughout the rest of the series.

The Philly series was just as tough as I thought it would be. We knew that the 76ers really wanted to play us in the first round. And we had to be really careful with them because they could play with us. They came in with a lot of confidence and really felt we were a team they could beat. What we wanted to do each game was be really physical, get a good lead, and put them away. In game 1, we didn't do that. We blew an 18-point lead and lost home-court advantage. That win gave them the feeling that they could come back from any deficit.

In the early stages of the series, Philly came out and played some of the best basketball I've seen them play all season. On our end, I didn't feel we were at our best. We had some guys play well, but collectively, I didn't feel like we played at the same level we played during the regular season. When we're good, we can really move the ball. Early on in the series, we were holding on to the ball. I didn't feel we were playing at a high level until the final game of the series.

We won our series with Philadelphia for a lot of reasons. But I thought the biggest reason was because we needed to be a team that could help Dwight Howard. He's helped us throughout the entire season, we wanted to be able to help him too. He had a monster series, but I felt we won because we played well as a team.

Now, it's off to Boston. We split our four-game series against the Celtics. Kevin Garnett didn't play in one of those games and it doesn't look like he'll play at all in this series. But there might be a Willis Reed moment. Who knows? Right now, we know that this late in the playoffs, the competition is going to be a lot harder. And the Celtics are back in the second round for a reason. We're aware of Kevin not playing. But there won't be any easy games from here on out.

Boston has been competitive all season - with our without Kevin Garnett. He is obviously a tremendous part of that team, but that doesn't mean anything in the playoffs. Surely, losing a player like KG hurts them, but we have to worry about the team that will be on the floor. And that team has been playing really well. So you can't assume they will be vulnerable.

The Celtics just came out of an emotional seven-game series with Chicago. When that happens, the automatic assumption is that they are very tired. But I believe that coming off a series like that can make a team feel like they are unstoppable and that they feel like they can beat anyone - because they've been through hell and back. The Celtics are going to come out inspired and they're going to look to land the first punch. What we need to do is win at least one game at Boston. We think the pressure is on them because they need to defend homecourt. But we also have some pressure on our side. Two years ago, we were knocked out of the first round. Last season, we were ousted in the second round. Now, we want to try to make it to the East finals. And for that to happen, we have to give it everything we have.

- Adonal

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