Orlando Magic Blog

Group Blog talking about the NBA 2009 Eastern Conference Champions. Due to the amazing success of the 2009 playoff run comments are now frequently deleted to kill offensive comments, incoherence, or asininity. Comments can no longer be anonymous and require either a Blogger or OpenID account.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Iverson's 39 help 76ers edge Magic

The Magic missed an opportunity to build on their big opening-night win over the Bulls, losing to the hot-shooting 76ers 105-103 on Allen Iverson's fallaway runner with just over 2 seconds left.

Iverson and reserve Kyle Korver torched the Magic. Iverson shot 15 of 25 for 39 pts, while Korver shot 10 of 13, including 4 of 4 from 3 pt range for 28 pts. Andre Iguodala and Chris Webber added 11. Six players scored in double figures for the Magic, led by GHill (25 pts). HTurkoglu added 15, and DHoward and JNelson had 14 apiece.

Philly's hot shooting made the difference in this game, as they shot 37 of 66 (56.1%), including a sizzling 8 of 11 from 3 pt range. The Magic shot well also, 39 of 73 (53.4%), but only 2 of 9 from 3 pt range. Both teams shot 23 of 33 from the FT line (69.7%). The Magic had a huge 44-22 edge on rebounds, including 14-3 on the offensive boards. Too many turnovers for the Magic again, with 23, along with 18 assists. PHI had the better assist-to TO ratio 23-15. The Sixer bench, thanks to Korver, outscored the Magic bench 35-29. KDooling with 12 pts and Darko with 11 led the way from the bench. However, Darko played just 14 minutes because he had 5 fouls in that little amount of time.

Give the Sixers credit for hitting the big shots when they needed them. Iverson and Korver were a deadly 1-2 combo. Dwight only attempted 9 FGs in 35 minutes, and he and Jameer combined to shoot just 6 of 14 from the FT line. The Magic need to win games like these, at home especially, against beatable teams.

posted by Mike from Illinois @ 11:46 PM  

18 Comments:

  • At 12:39 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    I was surprised to see Dwight get only 9 shot attempts, after watching all his brilliant offensive moves down low against the Bulls. Magic need to give Dwight more touches.

    I thought Dwight was over his FT shooting problems from last season after going 9 of 10 against the Bulls. 4 of 9 against PHI was a disappointment.

    46 TOs in the first two games is alarming... Magic need to take better care of the ball.

    They missed Carlos Arroyo, who was scratched because of a tight hamstring.

    On to Atlanta Sunday... a game the Magic should win, but we thought that about Philly too.

     

  • At 4:41 AM, Blogger Matt said…

    This has been my earlier post, and that is exactly what happened tonight:

    "The problem with the Magic under Hill has been the lack of consistency. If Hill is wise enough to start Darko (assuming that we won't need his offensive output but rather his defense), Magic will squash any glimmer of hope by Philly, early on."

    I resented Hill's substitutions but not as much as his pathetic sheepish post-game interview, especially when he said he honestly didn't know what to expect. At some point he took out Darko immediately after he had a turnover and brought in Garrity whom Korver exploited on his way to stardom, something we have done quite frequently with average players in the league.

     

  • At 10:52 AM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    This one is on the players,lack of focus during shoot-around lead to a lackluster first quarter,this was a learning experience and i'm actually happy that philly came in and played like that,the magic need to understand that your not gonna win every night giving up 20+ turnovers,and if the starters had played better,our bench wouldnt have had to play so many minutes.

     

  • At 2:05 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Turnovers cannot be blamed all on players. Turnovers sometimes happen due to lack of a structured system. Well coached teams do not turn the ball over much.

    Hill's substitution of Darko by Garrity, right after he had a silly turnover, reminded me of the way Doc Rivers was treating Steven Hunter. He used to pull him out right away as though he was being punished. I have to admit, though, that Hunter was guilty of committing some of the dumbest mistakes ever.

    It is funny how coaches try to cover their behind while blaming it on the players, something Hill is guilty of in that pathetic post-game interview. He said we allowed a high percentage shooting and turned the ball over too many times, as it was all players' fault. Somebody should remind him that when a team does not rotate well on covering 3-point shooters, it says something about the lack of a good defensive system.

     

  • At 2:21 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Matt no doubt about it,we do have mediocre coaching we all know that,but i think we can win despite that mediocre coaching if we didnt compound the problem by turning over the ball soooooooo much,i mean at one point last night it seemed as if dwight just let corver take the ball away from him,ususally we would have to start questioning offensive design if we just looked out of whack,but last night there wasnt anything wrong with what BSH was running,evidence of that is our shooting percentage,plus that fact that we dominated every statistic except for turnovers,we have to improve our care of the ball,offensive sets looked fine,when dwight took care of the ball he got good looks or shots for someone else.

     

  • At 3:42 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    I went to last night’s game. I've been trying to forget it ever since. At least it was a fun crowd. I was right and wrong in regards to my predictions. I knew if the game was close, we'd have a chance in losing because of AI, which is exactly what happened. However, I felt the game should have never been that close to begin with. First off, it didn't see like we had the respect of the officials. I know the FTA's were even, but they were letting Philly muscle us around, and on the other end, we couldn't touch them. They were aloud to push Dwight around more than I thought they should. But my main issue related to our coach; our lineup for the first 6 or 7 minutes of the 4th quarter was a weak one, besides the fact that Grant Hill was out there. Hill let Nelson, Howard, and Turk sit far too much in the beginning of the 4th quarter. The biggest problem, and no surprise to us losing, Garrity played over half of the 4th quarter?!?!?!?! He was a liability play after play on both ends. I was so pissed. I understood that Darko had 5 fouls, but he had his way when it was out there, played a solid game, and Philly had no answer for him with paired with Dwight together. Why did he never get back on the court? He didn't even have the chance to foul out? In the end, we ended up playing small ball, pretty much accommodating to the Sixers style of play. We should have been the team forcing the issue, instead Hill was a bitch and it played right in the Sixers hands. Big surprise; a night were Garrity plays significant minutes we lose. Damn, put in Bo Outlaw, at least he'll bring some energy and defense. There are always different factors when it comes to the outcome of a game, but I blame this one on Brian Hill.

    Arroyo was definitely missed.

     

  • At 4:00 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    No question, BHill deserves some blame for the loss. His main strength as coach is supposed to be that he stresses defense... well, it sure wasn't there last night, with A.I. and Korver having their way shooting the ball.

    I'm sure Darko would have played more if it wasn't for the 5 fouls in just 14 minutes. But you're right, Introvert316, he should have been out on the floor in the 4th quarter. 11 pts and 6 rebounds in just 14 minutes is very impressive.

    Hill was kind of forced to play Garrity because of Arroyo not being able to play. The Magic needed that extra body off the bench, and unfortunately, Pat went 0-3 from 3 pt range. If he's not hitting his 3's, basically he's a liability out there.

    The team has to take better care of the ball and shoot FTs better. PHI was better prepared and made the big shots when they had to.

     

  • At 5:00 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Hill is doing to Darko exactly what Doc Rivers did to Steven Hunter and Deshawn Stevenson. He is imposing his moronic personal views and is not heeding to many who advocate starting Darko. Introvert316 has an excellent point; why wouldn't he let Darko use the last foul that he had and foul out? Without him the middle of of our defense was so open that when Iverson got through the perimeter nobody was there to stop him. The unavailability of Carlos does not warrant Garrity's playing time. The fact is that Hill could not adjust when PHI sagged in to stop Dwight. However, when Darko was there it was different. Hill's hope for playing Garrity was to get him to hit shots when open, but he missed all 3-pointers that were wide open. Here is a so-called coach who preaches defense. We didn't need more offense; we needed more defense to stop PHI. So, why not Bo instead of Garrity, as Introvert316 has suggested? I was curious; did Tony foul out? How many more games we have to loose because of Hill's Napoleonic inferiority complex?

     

  • At 5:13 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Me personally,i expect BSH to be mediocre and play garrity,so at least he's consistent,but i expect more from the guys on the floor,last night we had three seconds calls,stepping out of bounds calls,traveling calls,offensive fouls,everytime dwight put down his dribble it seemed like a steal/turnover,those are mental mistake turnovers and none of them can be blamed on the coach,we just played poorly,steve francis isnt here anymore to take the blame for turning over the ball so much,after 2 games 46 turnovers,who's gonna take the blame now?........We probably lead the league in turnovers,"C'mon guys we know your coach sucks,but you dont have to be bad right with him,take care of the DAMN ball"!!!!!!

     

  • At 5:24 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Nah,tony didnt foul out,he just played the first half (along with hedo)as if he wasnt into the game,hedo didnt show up untill the fourth quarter,but battie was non existent from the begining. The fact that darko didnt even get the chance to foul out is just crazy,and if you thought just because we didnt see pat in the first game that he wasnt going to play alot,then where have you been,i said a month ago,we better get used to seeing pat play like it or not.

     

  • At 6:11 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Big Figure, I respectfully disagree with your position of giving in to Hill's dictatorial approach because, like it or not, it is how it is. I think everybody should air their views until logical changes are brought about.

    Brutal, well said about Darko and Hill. I don't know how much you have read on this blog, previously. We have exchanged views here on the issue, frequently, and most of us agree that for the sake of Darko's development he should be entrusted with the starting position, simply because in comparison with Tony, whatever Darko lacks in consistency he compensates for with his prowess in other areas. Darko's immediate yanking last night when he had the silly turnover was plain foolish, and I bid you, not good on kid's psyche.

     

  • At 6:38 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Just because Brian Hill is an average coach is not a valid excuse for obvious mistakes. Darko was 5-6 from the field, had 6 rebounds, had 2 assists and 1 steal in only 14 minutes of play. Of course he had 5 fouls and 2 turnovers; but at least he was being aggressive. Hopefully the return of Ariza will cut into Garrity’s playing time. At least we only have one more season of this guy, hopefully.

    Bringing up calls; some of those 3 second and traveling calls were horrible. I think a lot of that just has to do with the "new NBA" that David Stern is trying to implement. I can't even explain how frustrating it is to watch. Players have been getting away with obvious travels for years, taking 3 steps, while we’re being told it’s a highlight? Now, a player can't even shake right before he puts the ball down and goes left? Just because a guy jukes, doesn't mean he's dragging his pivot foot. These plays haven't just been in the Magic games. Every game I've watched there is crap like this going on. Throw in guys getting technical fouls for raising their hands, waving their arms, or getting tossed for while checking out of a game and throwing a head band on the sideline without even saying a word; it’s just nonsense. Basketball is a game played with emotion. These guys are not robots. I understand cutting out excessive stuff, outbursts, and what not. But they're trying to set a ridiculous example right now, and even announcers are questioning it regularly. Of course we can watch replays on our DVR's, but a lot of these so called palming calls, traveling, 3 seconds are easy to argue. Then there is also the fact that guys like AI can't dribble the ball without palming it, but he never gets called for it. I feel like the NBA doesn’t have an exact direction, like they have an idea, and they are thinking things up along with way. Does that make sense?

     

  • At 6:46 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Matt,i'm not giving in,i just know what this guys limitations are,which means i'm not surprised when he's a large part of the problem thats all,it's like expecting rain,and then it rain's,it doesnt mean i like rain,it just meant i knew it was coming.I know he's gonna screw things up from time to time,so i'm not surprised when it happens,i expect for him to be mediocre because he's never proven he's anything more as a coach,so how can we expect anything more? Did he coach a good game? NO.....Did the players play a good game? NO..... but no where did i say stop airing views,because there's no giving in with me,i just said as a former player,no matter how bad the coaching is,you can play basketball without high turnovers,they did during last years run,and they had the same coach,but intro your probably right about the "new rules" contributing to the high numbers of turnovers.

     

  • At 6:54 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    BSH's tyrant type tactics,wont let him listen to our views,thats just how i truely feel,doesnt mean i'm going to stop calling for his head though,he has to much pride to listen to outsiders,seems like he'd rather fail on his own,even when the right decision is suggested by many,if we're expecting BSH to change we'll probably go crazy before it happens or he'll be fired first,whatever the case,hopefully intro's right about one more year of this guy.

     

  • At 7:05 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Big Figure, thank you for clarifying that there is no disagreement here, but rather you think it would be useless to get on Hill's case. I believe that, at least in theory, we cannot discount the power of public opinion. Let's vent before we explode and hope, that in the process, it may bring about changes for the best.

     

  • At 7:27 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    This year is gonna be a learning year,the only good thing that can come out of this year is playoff experience for jameer,dwight and darko,because come next summer,we're going to change the complexion of the team by signing a max player,which means at that time we'll have to give them a whole year of playing together to expect any real depth within the playoffs or playing for championships,so thats two season's we're going to have to wait for serious championship contention,so i guess my question is this,do we sign a max player and have to learn how to play together all over again? Or do we use the money on a max coach,and keep this team together?

     

  • At 10:20 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Brutal: We are glad that you are here and find this blog informative.

    As for the exchange on the Darko, you will find the bulk of it under two posts: "Whit Watson on Darko and more" and "Howard Believes in Magic". If you get a chance to review them, we would like to know your views.

    I do not believe in the old cliche of "history repeats itself" or any myth like "random repetition of events". I see no reason that Magic cannot flourish under a capable coach, which does not need to be the top tier of Phil Jackson and likes. I would have liked Scott Skiles or rick musleman instead of Hill, both of whom were within Magic's reach, Skiles with a bit of difficulty, of course.

     

  • At 12:04 AM, Blogger Ken said…

    I don't believe that just because Arroyo was out was the reason for Garritys minutes. I knew that first game had to be a fluke. It just kills Hill when he has to leave Garrity on the bench. We all know Hill and we all knew this was comming. Yes, turnovers were an issue, but not as big as some think, in my opinion. We had way to many against the Bulls and still smoked them. Not to sound juvenile about this, someone above even mentioned it, but the refs seemed to restrict what the Magic could do on many occasions. I know Iverson is a veteran and a fan favorite, but it's like when Jordon played, you can't get within arms-reach of him without being called for some silly little touch foul...
    The best thing Hill could have done for Darko was to leave him on the floor, and if he fouls out, so be it.. It would at least shown Darko that his coach had some faith in him.
    I lay this loss completely at the feet of BSH. His poor substitutions, play calling, and not having the team properly prepaired. The Sixers were one of those teams we should beat. BSH proved himself proficient in this last year. Sure we beat some really good teams, but at the same time, the door-mats of the NBA come into our arena and no-name scrubs have carreer nights. Just imagine what our record could have been last year if we could only have beaten the team we are suppose to win against. I think the majority of this teams ills can be cured with a decent coach who not only knows the game, but is proficient in communication. Like Brutal said above, BSH's hiring was strictly a PR move. Nothing more, nothing less.

     

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