The Phoenix Suns comes to TDW
The Phoenix Suns comes in for the only visit to Orlando. The two teams will play again in Phoenix on March 3. The Suns are coming off a loss to Seattle that was decided in extra periods, an exciting 152-149 game. The Suns made 18 3-pointers, but ironically, it was Ray Allen's 30-footer at the buzzer that caused the double overtime loss. This is the start of a season-high six-game road trip for the Suns, and they sure are eager to start it on a positive note.
Steve Nash, the reining MVP, is playing like one. He is leading NBA in assists and had 16 assists in that loss. Shawn Marion, although playing mainly out of position in Power Forward, is the third leading rebounder in NBA right behind Howard and Wallace. He was the leading scorer for the Suns at 37 points in that game.
The Orlando Magic is shorthanded again since they do not have the services of Hill, Nelson, Outlaw and Cato. They, however, welcome the return of Keyon Dooling. Magic gutted out a win against Sacramento Kings on Saturday, and they are riding on a 6-game winning streak at home. Once again, the Magic will rely on their defense to contain Steve Nash. Look for Francis, Stevenson and Dooling to take turns on slowing down the MVP. Marion‘s quickness may cause problems for Howard, but he should not be able to dominate the boards in the presence of Howard. Magic cannot allow Kurt Thomas or role players like Raja Bell to hurt them.
Steve Nash, the reining MVP, is playing like one. He is leading NBA in assists and had 16 assists in that loss. Shawn Marion, although playing mainly out of position in Power Forward, is the third leading rebounder in NBA right behind Howard and Wallace. He was the leading scorer for the Suns at 37 points in that game.
The Orlando Magic is shorthanded again since they do not have the services of Hill, Nelson, Outlaw and Cato. They, however, welcome the return of Keyon Dooling. Magic gutted out a win against Sacramento Kings on Saturday, and they are riding on a 6-game winning streak at home. Once again, the Magic will rely on their defense to contain Steve Nash. Look for Francis, Stevenson and Dooling to take turns on slowing down the MVP. Marion‘s quickness may cause problems for Howard, but he should not be able to dominate the boards in the presence of Howard. Magic cannot allow Kurt Thomas or role players like Raja Bell to hurt them.
posted by Matt @ 10:19 AM
6 Comments:
At 2:10 PM,
Mike from Illinois said…
The Suns bring a 26-14 record (11-4 in their last 15 games) into Orlando tonight, and are favored by 6 pts to beat the Magic. The Suns average 106.3 pts per game and have 7 players averaging in double figures. Raja Bell scored a career-high 31 the last game against Seattle. The Magic will have to play defense like they did they did the second half and OT against Sacramento, when they allowed a mere 28 pts. Keyon Dooling returns for the Magic tonight after his 5 game suspension and should see plenty of playing time, especially if Nelson remains out with his sprained foot. Can the Magic extend their home winning streak to 7 games and their overall streak to 4 games? Can they stop the Suns defensively? GO MAGIC!!
At 3:19 PM,
Matt said…
I would rather leave these original postings on the game's day to Mike from Illinois, who has been very accurate on important issues relative to the game, if we could get Mike to accept the task.
At 7:13 PM,
Mike from Illinois said…
Matt, you always give good info too regarding the game and the opponent, but that's not a problem if I could post on game day and the rest of you guys comment on the post if necessary.
At 8:11 PM,
Matt said…
Mike, it is greatly appreciated.
At 10:30 PM,
Matt said…
Another good win for the Magic. Looking at the score one may think that the game was a loosely played game by both teams. That was not the case for the Magic since they played a very stingy defense allowing just 46% shooting to the Suns. Magic in return shot at 54% and that is why their points output was their highest of the season. They have to follow these two hardly earned victories by winning the next three games which are quite winnable.
At 12:04 AM,
OVERWADED said…
I really think the last 2 games have shown the Magic's growth over the year. They were both totally different kind of games, but the effort and composure was the same on the Magic's side. We have been winning short-handed, which is great and shows character. Tonight's game against a quality team is the kind of game we would have lost earlier in the season. Hell, we would have lost against the King's in our last win earlier in the season. It's nice to kind of hit a "stride". With the upcoming games, the Magic have to potential to put together a nice streak. And when you look at the east as it stands today, anything is possible. There is one dominant team, and the rest are average, including Miami as of today. It looks like Magic fans have much to be excited about. We have won 4 in a row, and 7 in a row at home. The defense is starting to come back solid. Chemistry seems to be developing more every night. The future looks bright.
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