Tempers flared on Sunday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final as the Cavs succumbed to the Magic 99-89.

The two teams are getting under each others' skin, and most of the Cavs' frustration was directed at Magic center Dwight Howard.

He got tangled up with Cavs power forward Anderson Varejao numerous times as elbows flew. Both Varejao and Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas fouled out in the fourth quarter.

"When you continue to play the same team over and over again, you start to dislike them," James said. "It just happens. You get tired of seeing the same people. It starts to get a little chippy."

MAGIC 99, CAVS 89: It was a case of too much Dwight Howard on Sunday as the Cavs fell behind, 2-1, in the Eastern Conference final.

Howard finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.

Still, Cavs coach Mike Brown isn't concerned.

"We gave ourselves a chance," he said. "It's one game. We'll get ready for Game 4. There's a lot of basketball left."

Howard was either on the bench with foul trouble, yapping at one of the Cavs players, or making free throws. He drained 14 of 19 free throws in the game, 8 of 10 in the fourth quarter.

Cavs forward LeBron James led all scorers with 41 points and added nine assists and seven rebounds.

He was 11-of-28 from the field and 18-of-24 from the foul line.

What was disturbing was that the Cavs finally found a way to slow down Magic forwards Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis and still lost.

Turkoglu didn't score his first field goal until there was less than four minutes left in the game. He ended 1-of-11 from the field but still had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Lewis finished with 15 points and Alston, quiet for most of the series, ended with 18 points.

For the Cavs, guard Mo Williams added 15 points and seven rebounds but was 5-of-16 from the field. Backcourt mate Delonte West had 12 points. Ilgauskas ended up with nine points and nine rebounds.