Amway Arena celebrated the return of the NBA Finals after a 14-year absence Tuesday night.

What a night it was. The Magic held off the Lakers to win Game 3, 108-104. There is life again for a team that returned to Orlando scrambling to find its mojo to get it back in the series.

And so, the Magic play on, with a fighting chance to overtake the Lakers' 2-1 series lead.

It's easy to picture this scene five, maybe six or seven, more years down the road. This is a franchise on the rise. The Magic will be moving into a new area in the heart of downtown soon. They have a great nucleus of players in a dominant center in Dwight Howard and solid players who compliment his style with their perimeter shooting.

There's that scenario.

That's the one everybody wants.

It's good to savor the victory and think of the possibilities in the next two games. Stan Van Gundy's infatuation with Jammer Nelson seems to be over, greatly affected by the sizzling performance from Rafer Alston. He was back in "Skip to My Lou" form, scoring 20 points on eight-for-12 shooting.

This team is a keeper. But forever and ever is tenuous in the NBA.

We're talking salary-cap restrictions. We could very well be seeing the last of Hedo Turkoglu or Marcin Gortat in a Magic uniform, maybe both of them.

Turkoglu is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent after Orlando's run in the Finals.

That would mark the end of his six-year, $39-million deal with the Magic.

He'd be foolish to play out his final season and settle for $7.3 million.

He's got enough leverage to earn himself a bigger paycheck elsewhere. He can shoot, dribble, drive, score and pass. He has played every position except center in his career. He had another strong game Tuesday night, with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. That's a lot of leverage.

At 30, it's also his best shot at a lucrative, long-term contract.

He's done well in the playoffs too. He hit a game-winner against Philadelphia in the first-round of the playoffs and has played point forward for the Magic because the guards had been struggling.

Comparatively speaking, Gortat is less sexy, but he does have star power.

"The Polish Hammer" has given the Magic solid minutes this season as a backup center to Howard. He even started Game 6 against Philadelphia, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, after Howard was suspended for one game for a flagrant foul.

Foul for sure. It sure would stink to see Gortat go. He's got a nice touch, rebounds well, and takes up space in the paint.

The Magic are in position to match any offer for Gortat but would be pressed if the money squeezed their salary-cap room.

Already, New York has emerged as one of the cities that could be a good fit for him.

The Magic can match any offer but won't break the bank to re-sign him.

The Magic will savor the moment Tuesday, and well they should. Everyone can pick the confetti off their shoulders and go home happy. We live for the now.

Could this be the beginning of a sweet ride for the Magic? Or it could be derailed by simple economics?

It's best to do the math another night. This Magic team is here and now, and not going quietly to the vaunted Lakers .

--

gdiaz@orlandosentinel.com