Now, that’s the Magic team that we expected to look like at the start of the NBA Finals. We were patient, we were confident and we played with a swagger again. Maybe it was just being back at home or maybe it just took us a while to get used to being in The Finals, but we played like we were supposed to play.

I told ya’ll from the start that this is a seven-game series and we’re not done until the Lakers beat us four times. We still aren’t being given much of a chance to win, but maybe this win will open some eyes of the folks out there around the country. Maybe this will let them know the Magic are for real and we ain’t no pushovers.

As for my play personally, I thought I was more patient in the post and let the defense dictate what I did with the ball. When the double came I accepted it and made the right pass. When it didn’t come, I tried to be really aggressive and go right at Gasol and Bynum.

Me, Stan and Pat Ewing watched a lot of film on Monday on our day off and it really helped me see what was going on with the defense. I give the Lakers credit because they have done a good job sitting in my lap and taking away some of my moves. They are cutting me off to the middle and sending a second man when I come back baseline. So I tried to learn from that and make myself more efficient.

That’s the word – efficient – that I’m always hearing from Stan. I think I was pretty efficient in Game 3. I cut my turnovers down to one, I missed just one shot and I made most of my free throws.

And when guys like Skip, ‘Shard and MP make shots like they did, that just opens up even more things inside for me. We shot the ball like this and play this hard in Game 4 on Thursday and I think we’ll have us another win.

We really, really believe we’re still going to do this. I liked coming home for three games in a row and we felt like we could get all three of them. It’s one game at a time of course, but we haven’t lost any confidence that we can beat the Lakers.

Thank ya’ll for being so loud last night, but we need it even more hype come Thursday. We can do this – believe that!!!!

I’m out. Holler back at ya. — DWIGHT

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