Dwight Howard helps Magic keep LeBron James and Cavs under spell

Dwight Howard dominated the overtime period to lift the Orlando Magic to a 116–114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, putting the home team on the verge of the NBA finals.

Howard’s two free throws with 21 seconds remaining capped a 10-point effort in the extra session as the center, who is nicknamed “Superman”, finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds to help the Magic leave LeBron James’s Cavs facing a stunning series defeat.

“Now it’s time to close it out,” Howard told reporters after guiding his team to a 3–1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“We have to have the killer instinct. If we want to win a championship this is what it takes.”

James, the League MVP, recorded 44 points to reach the 40-point barrier for the third time in the series, but all those games have ended in losses for the top-seeded Cavs.

James made two free throws with less than a second remaining in regulation time to send the game into the extra session but his three-point attempt to win the contest at the overtime buzzer hit the rim of the basket before bouncing away.