Magic Sets Up the Main Event

ORLANDO, Fla. —  Now that annoyances from Atlanta and New York have been dealt with, the headline bout can begin: Orlando against Chicago, seven rounds unless there’s a knockout, for the Eastern Conference championship.

The NBA championship?

“I think, and I hope, it will be a great series,” Coach Brian Hill said after the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks, 96-88, Wednesday night to win their second-round series, 4-1.

“But I think it would be disrespectful of me to the teams in the Western Conference to say it’s like an NBA finals. I think Seattle and the winner of Utah-San Antonio wouldn’t be too happy about that, and rightfully so.”

A heart-stopper? The Magic has had enough of that from Shaquille O’Neal, whose subpar game Monday might have been related to chest pains that he began feeling at halftime and which scared Orlando officials so much they didn’t tell anybody until Wednesday night.

“The other day I had some funny heartbeats,” O’Neal said, “so the only thing I could think about was falling out or something.”

A team physician examined O’Neal before he played in the second half of the 104-99 loss, then sent him to a cardiologist on Tuesday. All tests were negative, Magic spokesman Joel Glass said, and O’Neal looked healthy enough Wednesday, with 27 points and 16 rebounds in 42 minutes.

“I went to the doctor yesterday and he said it was only stress,” O’Neal said.

There will be plenty of stress on Orlando--beginning Sunday--to repeat the feat of last year, when it eliminated Chicago and an ineffective Michael Jordan in six games in the conference semifinals. Orlando went on to its first appearance in the NBA finals, losing to Houston.

But most of the tension probably will be felt by the Bulls.

“They’re a great team, won 72 games and set all kinds of records,” the Magic’s Nick Anderson said. “There’s no pressure on us. It’s just another challenge we’ve got to try to meet.”

The Hawks avoided a sweep by winning Game 4 in Atlanta and stayed close for three quarters this time before fading down the stretch. Anderson and Penny Hardaway hit three-point baskets in a 14-3 spurt that enabled the Magic to open a 96-83 lead with just over two minutes to go.

O’Neal hit 11 of 14 shots from field, but only five of 15 free throws. Hardaway finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic.

Grant Long led the Hawks with 24 points. Steve Smith was held to 16 points on six-for-19 shooting after scoring 35 in Atlanta’s only victory in the series.

NBA Notes

Cotton Fitzsimmons, who took over for the fired Paul Westphal 33 games into the season and took the Phoenix Suns to the playoffs, will return as coach next season. Phoenix went 27-22 under Fitzsimmons and finished 41-41 in the regular season--its first year without 50 wins since 1987-88. . . . Laker forward Derek Strong underwent surgery on his right foot.