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Notes from a trip to the NBA Playoffs.

Immediately after Saturday's heartbreaking 90-89 loss to the Pistons, Jameer Nelson boldly predicted that the Magic would extend the series with a Game 5 win in Detroit. In case you're just tuning in, the Magic fell short last night, allowing Detroit to clinch the series with a 91-86 win.

After the game, slumped in a chair in front of his locker with his feet soaking in ice and wearing only a towel, a dejected Nelson reflected on his "guarantee" and the attention it attracted. "I didn't guarantee a win," he said. "I didn't say, 'we're going to ...' I said 'we have to go win, we're going to come get this win.' And the media took it out of proportion or whatever they want to do. The media always wants a story. I mean, I really don't care what people write, you know?"

If you take his words literally, Nelson is fibbing: he did predict a win. It wasn't manufactured by the media. He didn't use the word "guarantee," but his exact words were, "We're going to go there and win this game." There's no ambiguity there.

But that's not really his point. Like Stan Van Gundy said before the game, his prediction was more about believing and expecting his team could win than than disrespecting the Pistons (none of whom, incidentally, actually took offense).

Nelson continued: "We had to come win the game. And if we didn't win, we go home. Why would we think otherwise? That we're going to lose? When you step on a basketball court, you step on a basketball court to win. It [wasn't] a situation where I'm saying I'm overlooking them or anything like that. That's how the media perceived it to be ... as I was overlooking this team and not worried about them. Of course I was worried about them.

"We had to come out and win."

It's difficult to convey context in a sound bite, but after listening and watching Nelson address the media before and after three of the five games in this series, it's obvious the man is more competitive and confident than arrogant. His prediction didn't come true, but that's not to say his team didn't gain the respect of every person in Detroit's locker room. As Flip Saunders said during his post-game press conference, "They're a team that's going to be here a long time."

Not surprisingly, Nelson agreed. "Oh, we're going to be here for a while, that's not a doubt in my mind." Perhaps recognizing the irony of making brash predictions to the press, Nelson chuckled as he added,"Write that however you want it ... We're going to be here for a while, we're not going anywhere. I'm looking forward to that. I've got five years left on my contract, and I'm looking forward to being here."