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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -Rashard Lewis walked out of the Orlando Magic practice complex in street clothes Wednesday, a glossy team picture under his arm.
He had no idea what he was going to do for the next few days or weeks. He and the rest of the Magic honestly thought they'd still be playing basketball, even if few others seemed to.
"It just feels like today's an off day and we'll go back at it tomorrow," Lewis said. "I didn't have plans to be going home, so I don't know where I'm going."
Lewis didn't even want to watch the rest of the playoffs. Maybe the NBA Finals, he said, but it was just too soon to tune in now.
"I'll hear about it," Lewis said.
Despite their disappointment, the Magic have plenty to celebrate. The team won 52 games and its first division title in 12 years. They advanced to the second round for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal was here, and landed a player on the All-NBA first team for just the third time in franchise history.
But for the second consecutive season, the Magic were run out of the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons. They weren't swept this time, but the players said this 4-1 series exit hurt more.
"We believe in ourselves a lot more than we did last year," Jameer Nelson said.
Coach Stan Van Gundy thought that was a good sign.
"We've gotten to the point where guys feel a lot pain and are disappointed losing," Van Gundy said. "I know it was only five games, but it was a pretty hotly contested series. I think that's probably the most significant stride of the season, is that guys feel bad about it."
Though Orlando won only one game in the Pistons series, they had a decent chance in every one but the first. A shot made here, a turnover erased there, and they could still be in it.
"We were right there," Nelson said. "A couple games slipped."
Dwight Howard, who at 22 made first team All-NBA, didn't know what to do with himself either. Rest. Get ready for USA Basketball this summer. Play video games and try to forget about NBA basketball.
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