4/13/08:

Hi everyone,

Today is a big day. It's literally win or go home. We're back in Detroit to play in Game 5. And if we don't win, our summer vacation will start.

We had a good practice on Monday and we're going to have a shootaround before the game tonight. As you've seen these past four games, you need to be 110 precent prepared when facing the Pistons. Because they don't make a lot of mistakes. There are a lot of things that they do very well. They may not be flashy, but they're solid for sure. And you kind of see that from a distance. And that's an incredible thing to see in the playoffs - how they are able to stay calm under pressure. They stay physical, they want to be physical with you and they understand what it takes to be successful at this level. And as a result, they were able to beat us at our house even without Chauncey Billups. We're definitely going to come out and play hard. Our backs are against the wall and we're going to give it our best shot.

With this being my second straight year in the playoffs, after not tasting that experience my first 10 years in the league, there's one important thing I learned during the past month. I think the one important thing I learned is that you don't want to take anything for granted while you have this opportunity to pursue an NBA championship. Making the playoffs gives you a chance to do some really good things. At the same time, there are only so many things we can control as players. If we're destined to win a championship, it will happen. But all we can control is the here and the now. You always have to think present tense when it comes to the playoffs.

Last year, Dallas was built to win a championship - nothing less. They were thinking too far ahead and wound up losing in the first round. Things can change in a dime during the playoffs. The minute you start thinking too far ahead and thinking you're ordained to win a championship, that's when you get in trouble. That's what happened to Dallas last year. My team played more loose, had fun, enjoyed the ride and just went for it.

You never know what is going to be a precipitating factor that can either change for the better or for the worse. So, it's always important to always stay in the present and really soak up the experience. Go out there and play the game and answer the call of every situation. If you win the game, great. You can move on. If you win the series, great. You can move on. But never think too far ahead. There's only one time when you should be thinking about an NBA championship - and that's during the NBA Finals.

With that said, I've really enjoyed this opportunity to continue playing this late in the season. And I hope that it will continue.

- Adonal

5/11/08:

Hey everyone,

We're coming off a very disappointing one-point loss to Detroit and we're now facing a 3-1 deficit in our Eastern Conference semifinal series. We had to defend our court. And we obviously didn't do that.

I thought in the early stages of the game, we started with a good run and we had a good lead. But we had some crucial turnovers that we couldn't afford to have. We also hit a point where none of our shots were going in. And we just couldn't take care of the ball. In a series as pivotal as this one - and in a game that's as crucial as Game 4 - we simply couldn't have the turnovers that we had. It just seemed like every turnover we had just led to an uncontested basket by the Pistons. And we definitely can't have that.

Now, our backs are against the wall. And now, it's a question of keeping our heads and believing that we can win the next game. And there can't be any ifs, ands or butts about it. We have to go out and win the next game and we have to be at one mind about it.

I thought Coach Van Gundy was very good in telling us what the reality is: We have to come back on Monday, we have to get in a good practice and we have to go out there in Game 4 and simply play to win. If we don't, our season is over. There can't be any room to panic. This is our last opportunity to go out and give it our best in order to win at any cost. That's our mindset. And I think the guys are starting to understand that. None of us want our season to end. And we don't go out there and do our job, it's going to be over.

The game aside, I hope you all had a terrific Mother's Day. We had today off, so I had brunch with some of my friends and call my mom and sisters to with them all a Happy Mother's Day. I also called my stepmom to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. I was able to get a good workout in and enjoy the day.

- Adonal

5/08/08:

Hey guys,

We're coming off a nice 111-86 win over Detroit in Game 3 and it felt really good to be back home.

It also feels good to get a victory in the series (especially since we weren't able to even get a win against them in the playoffs last year). But as Coach Van Gundy said, we can enjoy this one. But it's back to work the next day. Because we still haven't done anything. We can enjoy it because it was good that we responded the way we did. But now, the next challenge is getting another one. And it's going to be difficult.

Looking at what has transpired so far after three games, this series is a complete replica of our first-round series with Toronto. The only difference is we're on the other side of the coin. In the first game, the home team was jacked up and slaughtered the visitor. The second game, the adrenaline has subsided, the visitor has a chance to win, but the home team won again. And in the third game, the home team is glad to be playing in front of their home crowd and they take the victory. It happened in the first three games in Round 1 and it's happening right now. But as I've often said, a series doesn't really start until someone loses at home. We were able to win one in Toronto, we immediately took control of the series and we eventually won. With that said, we still have to win Game 4 on Saturday.

I saw a lot encouraging things in Game 3. We had the fans behind us, we had our backs against the wall and we responded. I expect Game 4 to be a lot tighter. Everyone will be a bit more settled down and we have to be ready for a physical game. It's not going to be easy, so we'll have to slug it out and go for a win.

On Thursday, we had a film session and went over Game 3. So, I was able to get a little extra cardio workout in. We did a little shooting and weightlifting, but we're going to get back to work today.

There's no doubt that Chauncey Billups is the quarterback of Detroit's offense. He had to leave in the first quarter after straining his hamstring. Chauncey may either play in Game 4 or rest until the series returns to Detroit. Either way, we're preparing the same way.

When it comes to the playoffs, it's definitely like chess. It's not about having just one strategy. It's having 10 strategies (and an 11th one in case something comes up). It's about adjusting on the fly, changing in mid-stream and making sure you give yourself every opportunity to be successful. It's about trying as many combinations as possible. With that in mind, I'm sure Detroit will continue to come out prepared regardless of how much Chauncey plays.

Game 4 is on Saturday at 5 p.m., local time, on ESPN. As always, I hope you will tune in. But regardless what you do, have a wonderful weekend.

- Adonal

5/06/08:

Hey everyone,

I would have written sooner, but a funny thing happened on our way back to Orlando after Game 2. Once we took off from Detroit, we were informed that the plane was experiencing engine problems. So, we had to land in Cincinnati and spend the night there before finally waking up this morning and leave for Orlando.

It was a surreal way for me to see Cincinnati for the first time. It was intriguing and scary at the same time. It was in the middle of the night when we landed there. And members of the fire department were there as a precaution. But the personnel on the flight were very considerate and amazing. They were able to help us get through it. And our management were really quick on their feet. They were able to get us hotel rooms nearby the airport. It's all part of the day in the life of an NBA player.

As far as Game 2 goes, we certainly wanted to come out match the Pistons' energy and really compete. And as I said about Game 1, we weren't shooting our shots. We were hesitant. In this game, I thought the guys were able to just let themselves go. Their 3s were falling. Dwight had a great game inside and the other guys were playing well at the perimeter. But I thought our downfall was having 19 turnovers. When you're playing on the road, it's hard enough to get shots and be competitive in a hostile environment. And to have 19 turnovers was just atrocious. But as bad as that was, we still had a chance to win going into the fourth quarter. And I think that obviously speaks well about the abilities of this team. Having said that, only the end result matters. And right now, we're down 0-2.

The most talked-about part of the game was Chauncey Billups' three-pointer to close out the third quarter. Billups officially made a shot with 0.5 seconds left in the third after the clock froze at 4.8 seconds. The play basically started with 5.1 seconds. Chauncey dribbled in the backcourt and it appeared to take 5.2 seconds using replays the officials actually weren't allowed to use. As a result, the officials had to estimate how much time was left. They determined the estimate was 4.6 seconds. I've always said that if we can play well enough to not be in those types of situations, we won't have to worry about controversy. It's over and done with and we have to move on. But the only thing I'm curious about is how the officials determined the estimate at 4.6 seconds. I don't know the rules and our job isn't to second-guess the officials. But I'm just curious how they came up with that conclusion. Clearly, that's going to be something that will be looked at. Because it seemed to me that a lot of time whet by when Chauncey dribbled the ball down the court. It is an unfortunate play. But as I said, I didn't think that was the play that beat us. We still have a lot of things to look at, like our turnovers.

One thing we can feel good about was that we played a lot better in the second half. We were able to find our shots and we were able to find our game. And that's definitely something we can look forward to when we get back on the floor for Game 3. In the reality of a seven-game series, Detroit had to win their first two games at home. And now we have to win our games at home. If we do that, we'll have an even series going back to Detroit and it will be a question of whether or not we'll be able to steal one at their house. But before we can even look at trying to win two in a row, we have to put our focus into just winning Game 3. That's the most important thing we should be thinking about.

You can tell by watching this series that some tension is building up between us and Detroit. It started in Game 1 with the pushing and shoving. Then, there were some verbal exchanged through the media between players. When you're competing for the ultimate prize, of course there's going to be some tensions and some difficulties. But we understand that. And we've certainly told to each other that verbal exchanges aren't the most important thing in this series - or in any series for that matter. Just play the game. And obviously, the team that gets to four wins first will have the last laugh. They will have the bragging rights all summer. Any kind of trash talking, to me, is always a waste of time. Just spend your energy trying to take care of the things you can control and not worry so much about what other people say. Because in truth, it doesn't mean anything.

Game 3 is on Wednesday at 8 p.m. local time on TNT. I'll certainly be looking forward to being back on our home floor in front of our amazing fans. For those who won't be able to be at the game, I hope you will tune in. Talk to you all soon.

- Adonal

05-05-08:

Hey everyone,

We're coming off a tough Game 1 loss and are hoping to knot this thing up by the end of the day.

Before this series started, we've been resting and waiting to see who our opponent was going to be. With that said, I thought we should have come out with a lot more energy and force than we did. I did think that we started the game very well. We came out, we competed. We didn't quite get a lot done, but we stayed in the game. In the second half, however, we were outrebounded, we allowed Detroit a lot of second-shot opportunities and they were just crushing us under the glass. I just didn't think we sustained our effort in terms of keeping them off the glass. And I thought that hurt us. Because that resulted in a lot of second-chance opportunities.

I also didn't feel like we were playing our game. When, they went to a zone, we didn't adjust. We passed on open shots, we didn't look for Dwight in the paint (and he was open several times inside) and we didn't do a very good job being patient in terms of picking Detroit's defense apart. That's something we've been very good at doing all year. And we didn't do that in Game 1. So overall, we just didn't play a very good game. With that said, we have a lot of ground to cover. We didn't do some of the basic things we agreed to do, in terms of how to cover certain players.

As a team, we understand that we didn't play well. If we had come out and played our best game and still lost, then there would be some worry. But we didn't execute our game plan. And coach put it simple: None of us were very good in Game 1. In a sense, the second game should be easier because there's no place to go but up.

We've been having some really good practices. We had a chance to play against each other and hit each other a little bit, and you can tell that the guys were starting to feel more loose. They started to relax a bit. And right now, I think the guys are feeling really energized. I think we're going to look to be a little relaxed in Game 2, in terms of moving the ball and just take the shots when they are available. So, I'm very encouraged with what we can do in this series.

We do have a lot of work to do. But the good thing is, this is just the first game. Detroit delivered the first punch, but we're not knocked out. We took a step back a little bit, but we'll come back and keep fighting. So, the second game should be interesting.

They have to win their games at home and we have to go home and win in front of our crowd. So at this point, nothing is lost. I just wished we had played an executed a lot better in the first game.

Game 2 is tonight on TNT, 4 p.m. local time. I hope you'll get a chance to watch us. Because this series isn't over yet ö not by a long shot.

- Adonal

5/02/08:

Hey guys,

The stage has been set and our second-round opponent has been determined. And now, we are on our way to Detroit to play against the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Had the 76ers won the game last night, I would have been scheduled to be on KNBR (680 AM San Francisco) to help promote my Athletics and Academics Camp this summer. But as soon as Detroit won, we packed our backs and flew out. So my apologies to my Bay Area fans. But if you are interested in my camps, you can log on to www.athleticsandacademics.com for more information.

As I said before, Detroit is a great team. They've been to the NBA Finals twice over the last four years and they know what it takes to win a championship. They're also the team that knocked us out of the playoffs last season.

It's going to be a very interesting matchup. We split our four-game season series (2-2) during the regular season. Hedo Turkoglu has played great whenever we played Detroit. And Richard Hamilton has done the same whenever he plays against us. Who knows what will happen in the playoffs.

We're going to start the series on the road, which means we're going to spend an extended amount of time in Detroit over the next week. During road trips in the regular season, we're only going to be in that city for one night. In the playoffs, in the middle of a series, we have a chance to stay in another city for much longer than usual. And it allows you to enjoy yourself while you're there. You don't try to worry about too many things. You can go to a nice place and have dinner, try to see some things and not make such a big deal out of it. Just let the chips fall where they may. You don't want to go out partying and you don't want to drink too much alcohol. It's a matter of being on that fine line between having a good time, get out of the hotel for a little bit and maintaining that focus on why you're there in the first place.

Last year, when I was at Golden State, when we had our first-round series in Dallas, we stayed at a really nice hotel that had a good restaurant downstairs. That was my retreat while I was there. I ate there almost everyday and it was a lot of fun. I also had a lot of movies packed with me. There are a lot of ways to distract yourself. And those are the types of ways a player can escape whenever he doesn't want to think too much about the series. I plan to do some of that whenever I need to take a step back and not think too much about the series. But I'll definitely ready.

I'll be back soon to evaluate the matchups between ourselves and the Pistons. Our first game is on Saturday on TNT. Check your local listings for times in your area.

Be back soon. Have a great weekend, all of you.

- Adonal

4/30/08:

Hey guys,

Today is the second and final day off before we return to work on Thursday. I really had a fun, relaxing day on Tuesday and I plan to do more of the same today. I spent some time working on my Master's degree, I ordered some take out and I spent a lot of time in front of the TV, watching basketball.

While watching the game, I got some cardio work done on my bike. I watched New Orleans eliminate Dallas and I also watched Detroit beat Philadelphia. I really took some time to watch that Pistons-76ers game because I wanted to get familiar with both teams. We're going to have to be ready to play once that series is over. So, I started taking notes while watching the game.

Today, I'll probably mix things up. Get a little weightlifting done and find some time to call my professor and discuss my Master's proposal. From there, I'll get more cardio in and then get ready to have dinner with some friends. I'm going to enjoy that very much, especially when it's hard to find time to hang out with friends while we're in the middle of a playoff run. But I'll be ready to get back to work on Thursday.

During our time off, I hadn't seen any of my teammates around. But that figures since we've been together ever since the fall anyway. A lot of the guys have family in town. And while we're on the road, we usually stay together, have dinner, etc. In this case, it was a great way for some of my teammates to spend time with family and loved ones. Sometimes, there's so much that a player wants to do. That when you do have a few days off, you want to take advantage of it and do as much as you possibly can. For me, it's always been about catching up and getting some extra work in.

Just being able to step back and work on anything on my own pace is a nice reward for finishing out a series early. People often think that a lot of time off could have a negative effect on the team. But for our guys, we've had so many players logging in a lot of minutes during the series that I think a break would be very refreshing. For me, I saw this as a great opportunity to get some cardio done and really get ready for the next series. That way, once called upon, I'll be ready to perform.

I'm sorry there isn't much else to report. But the playoffs are going to get even more interesting. And I'll do what I can to keep you all posted. Take care.

- Adonal

4/29/08:

Hey everyone,

We've beaten the Toronto Raptors 102-92 in Game 5 and we became the first team this season to advance to the second round.

We really just needed to stay in the game and be able to finish this series. Knowing how important it is to put away a team in a series-clinching game, I thought we did a really good job staying in the fight and not give Toronto any life. It wasn't, by any means, an easy game to win. But we kept fighting. And the way we finished them off was just unbelievable. It was a very wonderful way to advance to the next round.

This is really a special feeling right now because I think it's a testament to how hard we all have worked and how well this team has played. We have a lot of really good players on this team. Dwight Howard, in particular, has had an unbelievable postseason. He has been playing at a level that is just ridiculous. Hedo Turkoglu was just voted as the league's Most Improved Player, Rashard Lewis has been playing great and Jameer Nelson has really stepped up to the plate and has played some really amazing basketball. So we have a lot of guys who deserve a lot of credit for advancing to the second round. They did a really good job of getting the team off to a quick start and then finish off the series. So, I'm truly proud of this team.

We've been rewarded with a couple of days off. Coach Van Gundy says he doesn't want to see us for the next two days. So we're going to do the best we can to stay out of his hair. After that, we're going to come back and work hard and prepare for whoever will be our next opponent. In the meantime, I think what coach really wanted us to do is to appreciate the kind of effort we were able to put in all year. From going to China for exhibition games, working hard in the preseason and getting ready for the regular season. And then to jump out to a hot start and never really holding back, I think it's just really special to see this team come together and do that. And it's good that we have a couple of days off to reflect on that before going back to work. This is just a truly special thing for the city of Orlando and certainly for the players, coaches and scouts.

In the second round, we're scheduled to play the winner of the Detroit Pistons-Philadelphia 76ers series. We went 3-1 against the Sixers in the regular season, while we went 2-2 against Detroit. But at this point, it doesn't matter who we face because each team presents a different challenge. Philly is young and have beaten us at least once, so they know what it's going to take to win. Detroit is always a contender, they've been to the NBA Finals before and they know what it's like to win big games. So whoever wins that series will really bring it to the second round. Teams should never really talk about who they prefer to face in the next round because they have to be careful what they wish for. A team they may think is an easier opponent can come in and pull the rug from under you. So whoever that second-round opponent is, we're going to play them like our lives depended on it. We'll play them the way we played this last series. And hopefully, we'll be the team that advances to the Eastern Conference finals.

For the next couple of days, I plan to really take my mind off the game. Other than getting some cardio in, I plan to read up on some articles, a lot of sport psychology papers and work on my Master's degree. It's going to be a really good distraction. I'm hoping to be able to catch a live performance somewhere too. Just some fun stuff to take the mind away from the game. But make no mistake, I'll be ready to get back to work and have my mind set for the second round.

- Adonal

4/28/08:

Hey guys,

Today is a huge day. Not only are we back at home, but we have a chance to close out our series against Toronto. It's going to feel good to return to Amway Arena and play in front of our fans.

After losing Game 3, we realized that it was important for us to come back in Game 4 and be ready for Toronto's surge. The Raptors played really well in Game 3. And having their backs against the wall, with their fans behind them, it just felt like we were in a big red seas. And the crowd noise was deafening. It really was an incredible atmosphere.

On the court, they were booming their 3-point shots and they just put on a terrific show. So in Game 4, we just had to withstand that same surge and play our brand of basketball.

We knew we had to clog the paint and close out their shooters and not give them any opportunities. We tried to limit their options, which is something we didn't do in Game 3.

We went back to basics in Game 4. We know what we can give them and we know what we can force. We just needed to take care of the ball - and we did.

Today is a really dangerous game. Because now, it's do or die for Toronto. When the time comes for a team to close out a series, the opponent tends to come with such reckless abandonment and with nothing to lose. So, we really have to be ready for that kind of desperation. We have to withstand Toronto's big runs, especially if they come early.

I would say that right now, our team has a measured readiness. We want to win and we want to close out the series. But we don't want to take the Raptors for granted. On Sunday, we did a walkthrough and watched some tape and went through a lot of different plays. The guys are all aware that they need to close this one out. But we also want to stay relaxed.

In order to close it out, we have to rebound, we have to get back on defense, we have to start the fast break, we have to stop penetration and we have to contest the shot.

If we can continue doing what we've been doing, we're going to be fine.

Game 5 is tonight at 7:30 p.m., local time. I will be back soon with (hopefully) some good news.

- Adonal

4/25/08:

Hello friends,

In Game 3, we received a big wake-up call. With a big crowd behind them, the Raptors came out and beat us 108-94. At one point, we were down by as much as 23 points. There was a chance that Toronto was going to come out firing now that they were back at home. But in reality, we felt it was important to win that game. If they come back, then this is going to be a series. Toronto played great. They had the crowd behind them and it was an amazing atmosphere for them to play under. The Raptors shot the ball incredibly well. Their threes were falling and ours weren't. They were able to get some hustle points, some fast-break points. T.J. Ford had a great game after going 2-for-17 in the first two games. Overall, they outrebounded us 42-34 and they didn't seem to miss a three. They were hot - and we were not. We knew that coming back home, they were going to deliver a great performance. And that's exactly what they did.

You can say that this was probably something we had to experience. We won Game 1 because were really jacked up to start the series and we were playing at home. Game 2 was tougher, but we were able to pull it off in part because we had our fans behind us. So, with Toronto being back home, we knew they were going to give it everything they had. One lesson that we're reminded of is that any team in the NBA can beat you on any given night. Regardless of what happened the first two or three games in the series, anything can turn at the point of a needle. They're all moments. And at any moment, things can change and things can happen. And in Game 3, the momentum went their way and they won the game.

Today is a day to take things easy and regroup as a team before the start of Game 4 on Saturday. Playing the Raptors in the first round is extra special for me because I have a lot of family in the Toronto area. But that can always be a double-edge sword because even though I'm excited to see them, you also don't want to break from your routine when you're playing on the road. We have a pretty amazing road record. And I think part of that was because when you're on the road, you're bored, you're constantly traveling and all you really do is eat, sleep and play basketball. I think those early road trips helped us bond closer and early because we know that all that we had was each other. When family comes into play, you can only take them in moderation because you don't want to change what you normally do while you're on the road. Especially come playoff time.

I had dinner with my family the first day we arrived, and they came to watch Game 3. And they'll come watch Game 4, too. But other than that, there won't be much more time spent with them. I won't be able to go out with them and do anything out of the ordinary. It's not going to be like that. For the most part, I'll be having dinners with them and they'll probably come have drinks with me at the hotel after the games and hang out.

Game 4 will be on Saturday at 3 p.m., local time. It's going to be nationally televised on TNT, so I hope you will all tune in and watch. I'll be back soon. Have a great weekend.

- Adonal

04-24-08:

Greetings from Toronto,

After an exciting Game 2, we arrived in Canada Wednesday afternoon and took things easy. The weather is absolutely beautiful in Toronto. Before we left Orlando, we got word that it's was going to be 40 degrees over here. But when we landed, we saw nothing but sunshine. It's just beautiful.

Travel was tough because after Game 2, I didn't get to bed until about 6 a.m. the next morning. That was such an emotionally-wrenching game. I think I probably aged about 10 years from that game alone. Then, we had to get ready to pack and figure out what to bring to a city where we're going to be there for about three or four days. So it was a very exhausting night. Now, we're in a different city - in a different country.

As I said before, Toronto is a very good team. What is amazing about them is that they can go small if they need to. And that's what they did in Game 2. They basically had five 3-point shooters on the floor at one point. They wanted to spread some things out and take advantage of what they thought was an opportunity. They wanted to shoot the ball from long range. And if they missed, it would be a long bounce off the rim, keeping our big guys away from a defensive rebound. What it did, though, was bring out the best in our go-to guy. Arguably, this is the best I've seen a big man dominate a game on both ends of the floor at a very good time. In just two games, no one can deny that Dwight Howard has been the most phenomenal athlete at both ends of the floor. He has transformed the game in his image. And I think that is undeniable. We also have some really good shooters. But Dwight has just been unbelievable.

Rashard Lewis has been playing really well. Hedo Turkoglu has been good, too. He didn't particularly shoot the ball well in Game 2, but he was able to take over with some drive-through baskets. So, we have a lot of skilled players. There's no denying that Toronto came out to play. We had a lead early on and the Raptors never gave up. Jason Kapono has been tremendous for them, the way he's been shooting the ball. If he's open, and if he shoots it, he's gonna make it. That's been interesting to watch. These last two games have further shown us that we have to earn this series victory. Toronto isn't going to give us anything.

In the playoffs, you want to come off the bench and have an immediate impact once you hit the floor. What I've been trying to do is just maintain everything that's been going on in the game so far and just stick with the game plan, which is denying my opponent from going to the baseline. To Chris Bosh's credit, he tried to shoot the ball deeper and tried to beat our double teams. So, I think I've been playing OK so far. When you go into a game like that, you just want to try and minimize your mistakes and just play hard. It's a pretty difficult situation to begin with. But I think I've been doing well. You can always do better. But you just want to do as best as you can and hope that your team wins. And guess what? My team won.

I never know how many minutes I'm going to play, but I do know that I'll get in the game. So, it's been important for me to pay attention to my assignments and spend more time studying what Toronto is going to do. Because I know that there's a really good possibility that I'm going to get in the game. And when that happens, I have to be ready to defend different people and become familiar with them. After the first two games, I've gotten a better idea of what the Raptors players want to do. So, I think it becomes more about trying to be more relaxed and not be overly focused. Because you don't want to be at your peak hours before a game. You'll be vulnerable to making mistakes if you're too amped up before the game.

Right now, we have a 2-0 game lead over Toronto. But we still haven't accomplished anything. Toronto came into our house and they played close in both games. We haven't done anything spectacular. If Toronto wins these next two games at their place, then it becomes a best-of-three series. One of us has to win a road game to advance to the next round. So for us, more than anything else, we have to win Game 3. This should be seen among our players as a must-win game. Because there's no guarantee we'll have the same momentum throughout the series. If we lose Game 3, your opponent now has confidence and the potential to come back and beat you. Look at what happened in 2004 between the Red Sox and Yankees. The Yankees were up 3-0 in the American League Championship Series. Everyone thought it was over. And then BOOM - the Red Sox never lost again.

With that said, Toronto is going to be amped up to be back at home - the way we were in Game 1. We have to withstand that and be effective in trying to stay close and give ourselves a chance to win the game. The only guarantee I can make in this series is - the first team to win four games will advance.

You can bet that the crowd in Toronto will play a huge part of these next two games. I don't think anyone in the NBA can deny that when they go into an arena, the fans have the ability to get under your skin and stress you out to the max. You may be able to block them out for a little while. But eventually, a hostile crowd will get to you. You just have to keep trying to do the best job you know how to do. Fans are going to be loud. So we just have to focus on the task at hand and try to execute. It won' t be as comfortable as it was when we were at home. But if you do the best you can, that's all you can do. I've always said that fans play a huge part of the game. If you make a mistake, they'll never let you forget about it. But the most important thing about fans is that the home team will always feed on it. They know the fans are on their side and they just thrive on it. They become even more geared up and ready to play because they have their fans behind them.

So, when you consider Toronto re-energized now that their back home, along with a hostile crowd, these next two games are going to be very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing how our team handles it.

Game 3 is today at 7:30 EST. I'll be back before Game 4. Hope you'll tune in.

- Adonal

04-22-08:

Hey guys,

Today is another big day. Game 2 is tonight at 7:30 and we're really excited to get back on the floor to face Toronto.

At this point in the season, our practices are more focused on tweaking things. There are a couple of extra hours spend on practice days. But they're not as physical as they were during the regular season. They're more mental because we are continuing to learn almost everything the other team is doing, like watching film, etc.

We continue to work on things that will make us better. For the guys who are logging in a lot of minutes, they're not going to spend too much time on the practice floor. They'll probably shoot a few shots, work on a couple of things and that will be it. I expect us to continue working on things during practice. But I expect them to continue being light because at this point of the season, you don't want anyone on the team getting hurt. You just don't want to mess around with that.

We should be feeling good going into Game 2. We know it's not going to be easy. At the same time, we know what we can do. And we have to go out there, play hard and take care of business. If Toronto isn't going to give us anything, we have to go out there and earn it. With that in mind, we have to go out there and keep doing what we do. We won the first game, but we haven't accomplished anything. They can still win Game 2 and take home-court advantage from us. So this is a game we have to win, and that should be the expectation from all of us.

On days when we're not playing, I have a chance to watch other playoff games around the league. I know it's important to focus on our own series. But it's also interesting to see what's going on in the other games. And so far, there have been a handful of exciting series around the league. Having experienced the postseason last year for the first time, I've come to realize just how much the playoffs are such a different animal than the regular season. There are so many emotions during the playoffs, it just leaves a knot in your stomach. And certainly, the level of play is more intense. Nobody plays relaxed. Everybody is nervous. But we just have to play through it. We'll be ok if we can do that.

With that in mind, it's time to get ready for Game 2. I'll be checking in from Toronto before Game 3. Hopefully, I will have some good news to report. Talk to you soon.

- Adonal

04-21-08:

Hey guys,

Game 1 is officially in the books and we jumped out to a great start. We beat the Toronto Raptors 114-100 and we're happy to have an early series lead.

The night before the game, my teammates and I all went out to dinner. And we all talked about how hard we worked all season to be in this position. We all felt good coming out from dinner and we were just on fire to start the game. We made nine 3-pointers in the first half, which is a tie for the most 3s in a playoff quarter. The guys were just giving it everything they had and we took early control in the game.

We were up 43-23 at the end of the first quarter. But as the Raptors proved, there's no such thing as a safe lead - especially in playoff basketball. It really doesn't matter how much you're up by. You can be up by 50 and it still may not mean anything. I think in the regular season, when a team is down by a big margin, teams can tend to quit and just get ready for the next game. But in the playoffs, team's are going to keep coming at you until the final horn. And that's exactly what Toronto did. By halftime, we were only up by 13.

I think that's the one thing we all learned after Game 1 - as well as we played and as well as we shot the ball, there was still a point when they still had a chance to take control of the game. But I was very impressed by the way we were able to hold Toronto off and keep the lead all the way to the end.

We're going to look for Toronto to make some adjustments before Game 2. Dwight Howard was just dominant in the paint. He had five blocked shots and had 22 rebounds - on top of his 25 points. So, the Raptors have to find a way to stop him. And if they go after Dwight, we have so many good shooters on the floor who can help out and make shots. But going by what happened in Game 1, it's going to be hard. We had everything going - inside and outside. I don't know what kind of adjustment they're going to make.

Of course, I don't think we're going to have a near-flawless game every night. But as of right now, I don't think we'll have to make too many adjustments. If we go after them the way we did in the first game, we're going to win.

I'll be back before Game 2, which is Tuesday at Amway Arena at 7:30 p.m., local time.

- Adonal

04-18-08:

Hey guys,

The playoffs are here and we have drawn the Toronto Raptors in the first round. Though we won two out of the three games we played against them in the regular-season, I know it won't be an easy series.

Having completed my first season with the Orlando Magic, I can honestly say that the experience was every bit what I expected it to be. As a matter of fact, this team has exceeded my expectations. We've worked very hard and we've accomplished amazing feats. By the end of the regular season, we won 52 games. That alone is pretty incredible.

I would have liked to have played more minutes and be able to keep my skills fresh. But the simple fact that I was able to play in every single game, and knowing what I was able to do able to do and bring to the locker room, I knew I was very much a part of the team this season.

It's just amazing how far I've come. I think in my first season as an NBA player, our team won 17 games. Now to have won 52 games is extraordinary.

Last season, when I was with at Golden State, we clinched the playoffs in the last game of the season. This season with the Magic, we clinched the No. 3 seed relatively early with a handful of regular-season games to spare. Though we concentrated on just staying healthy come playoff time, we were also using those final regular-season games to polish up our game and make sure we'd enter the postseason with a head of steam. A lot of guys were able to get a lot of playing time down the stretch and be able to get on a rhythm and really sharpen their game. We didn't want to have a letdown because if you get complacent, you don't learn anything. Though those regular-season games were meaningless, we looked at those games as a challenge and say 'You know what? This is a good time to really work on our game and be ready for the playoffs.' And I think we did a good job doing that. It will really help us down the road.

We have a pretty special team. We knew very early on that we could play with anyone. No team in the Eastern Conference has won a series against us. That is a very, very huge accomplishment. And we have a very impressive road record. We have some truly amazing players who came alive this year. Hedo Tukoglu took his game to another level (he could have easily been an All-Star). Rashard Lewis had a solid season and what else can I really say about the type of year Dwight Howard had. Jameer Nelson has also been playing really great ball. And there's also Maurice Evans. So we have a lot of players on this team who's been able to make a significant contribution. So, I'm very proud of what we've been able to do. I thought we accomplished a lot of great things. And now, the playoffs are the next level. We're poised, we're excited and we're probably nervous all at the same time. But it's probably good to feel a little bit about everything.

I also had some time to watch my old teammates at Golden State down the stretch. They had an amazing season, winning 47 games. But unfortunately, they weren't able to get back into the playoffs. They were in the thick of things right down to the very end. That's what exciting basketball is all about. If you look at the Western Conference, the top eight teams are separated by just a handful of games. And a very good team had to be left out. At the same time, you look at the East and easily separate the top teams and bottom teams. Sometimes, that's how the league operates. It wasn't too long ago that the East had all the dominant players.

For the Warriors, it was very much like last season where they had an opportunity to make the playoffs in the last week of the season. But they weren't able to do it this year. But I was very impressed with what they did this year and I'm very proud of my former teammates for what they've done. I'm certainly glad that I'm going back to the playoffs, but I'm also a little bit saddened that the people in the Bay Area didn't get another chance to get another taste of the postseason. They've waited 12 years for that experience. And having their thirst quenched last season, I really wanted those fans to have another ride this year. It's unfortunate they won't have that shot. But maybe they can turn all their hopes and start cheering for me and my new teammates in Orlando. It's not too bad a substitute, right?

I know the Warriors will come back even stronger next year. They just need to re-sign all the guys they need to re-sign and really come back to being that team that the Bay Area can be proud of. I just know it will only be a matter of time until they return to the top of the mountain.

As I said before, our series with Toronto is going to be a tough one. They present an interesting matchup because we really can't get into zone and hope that they miss their shots. We have to be able to help prevent them from penetrating in the paint and still close out their shooters. And Toronto has amazing shooters and athletic young guys at the wings. For us, we have a dominant big man in Dwight, a wonderful shooter in Hedo and a great creator at point guard in Jameer. It makes for a very difficult matchup. But I think it's one that we're very excited about and one that I think we'll be able to do some good things with.

We know what Chris Bosh can do. He's an All-Star. He can do just about anything on the floor. He can pass, he can shoot, he can drive, he's long and he runs like a gazelle. He can also rebound and block shots. So he can do it all. But what actually worries me are the role players. For example, Rasho Nesterovic has been playing out of his mind in the last 10 games of the season. He's been putting together an offensive clinic, he's been shooting the ball incredibly well. He's been rolling to the basket and getting points inside. Kris Humphries is going to be on the boards. He going to pound you and he's gonna try to give his team an edge by trying to get them extra possessions. He's just a tough, physical presence. And other big guys like Andrea Bargnani are all shooters. So, the frontcourt will definitely be a challenge for us.

There is an intriguing matchup at the point guard position between Jameer Nelson and T.J. Ford. I've always believed that Jameer is one of the quickest point guards in the league. But so is T.J. They're both very talented. I think Jameer is able to create a 3-point shot and T.J. is more of a penetrator. I'm interested in seeing them go at it because they're both really fast and they can do just about anything, in terms of their speed. So all I can say about that matchup is 'Put on your track shoes. Because there's going to be a whole lot of running.' Our first game is Sunday at 12:30 p.m., local time. I'm sure our fans are going to be amped up and ready for this one. And so will our team. I'll be back to check in before Game 2. Wish us luck.

- Adonal

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