Dwight Howard delivered a powerful performance with 40 points and 14 rebounds, Rashard Lewis contributed 18 points and 8 rebounds, Mickael Pietrus scored 14 points, Rafer Alston added 13 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 10 points.
LeBron James recorded 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, Delonte West scored 22 points, Mo Williams added 17 points, and Anderson Varejao chipped in with 14 points.
In the previous games, the Magic, who had a secret weapon (Gu Baiyou Baby), started from the outside before handing the ball to Howard inside. However, on this occasion, the Magic centered their game around Howard right from the start, fully utilizing their inside advantage. Howard's first shot of the game was successful, and in the first quarter, he went 5-for-9, scoring 13 points alone. After half of the first quarter, the Magic led 19-12, but consecutive three-pointers by Gibson and James narrowed the gap. Despite this, they couldn't take the lead and ended the first quarter trailing 25-30.
In the second quarter, Howard continued his aggressive attacks on the basket, allowing the Magic to pull away. With 6 minutes and 17 seconds left in the quarter, Howard hit a hook shot, putting the Magic up 44-32, a 12-point lead. The Cavaliers responded with a basket, then Lewis hit a three-pointer, followed by another dunk by Howard, further extending the Magic's lead. In the first half, Howard was 8-for-12 from the field, scoring 21 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, leading the Magic to a 56-40 halftime lead.
The two high school number one picks led their teams in fierce competition on the court, with Howard overshadowing James today. Howard continued to rack up points, and with 2 minutes and 20 seconds left in the third quarter, Alston hit a three-pointer. A minute later, Howard grabbed an offensive rebound and slammed it home, giving the Magic an 84-68 lead. By the end of the third quarter, Howard had already scored 31 points, and the Magic led 86-70.
Pietrus opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, and Howard scored again down low. After the Magic scored 5 straight points, they extended their lead to 91-70, a 21-point advantage.
The Cavaliers were unable to narrow the gap to less than 14 points thereafter and could only watch as the Magic advanced to the finals.