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.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Magic Turn up D in second half in win over Clippers

The Magic (19-14, 12-6 home), after trailing by 7 pts at the half, really came alive in the second half, held LAC to 38 pts, and got contributions from several players to beat LAC (14-17, 2-11 road) 91-86.

JNelson had his best game of the year with 29 pts (11 of 16 shooting), 4 asts, and just 1 TO. DHoward added 14 pts, 14 rebs, 5 asts; TAriza off the bench with 14 pts, 5 rebs, and HTurkoglu 13 pts. DMilicic had 8 pts 4 rebs; and BOutlaw 4 pts 5 rebs. The Magic were without the services again of GHill and KDooling, resting their injuries. Former Magic Corey Maggette led LAC with 20 pts off the bench. Elton Brand 15 pts 7 rebs, Tim Thomas 13 pts, and Chris Kaman and Cuttino Mobley 12 apiece. Sam Cassell sat out the game with a sore heel.

The Magic (35 of 74, 47.3%) outscored LAC (35 of 69, 50.7%) from the floor 73-71. The Magic shot 3 of 10 from 3 pt range, while LAC shot 1 of 7 from long range. The Magic (18 of 24) were better from the FT line (LAC 15 of 22). The Magic outrebounded LAC 38-28, while the AST/TO ratios were fairly even (ORL 19-18, LAC 17-18). The Magic bench outscored the Clippers Bench 28-24.

The Magic had some trouble closing out LAC in the final 30 seconds, but held off the Clippers attempt to tie the game and finally iced the game with 2 Nelson FTs. Two days of rest for the Magic, and then CHA comes to ORL FRI night.

posted by Mike from Illinois @ 12:59 AM  

11 Comments:

  • At 3:28 AM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    My traditional random bullets...

    Did Jameer read out blog? Tonight we saw the Jameer we’ve all come to know and love. He attacked, he took his opener jumpers, he took a couple 3 pointers, he only had 4 assists, but that isn’t bad with only 1 turnover.

    It was nice to see Redick get some meaningful minutes, even though he didn’t shoot the ball. He didn’t hurt the team when he was out there. Some could argue having him make the inbound pass in the last seconds, but Turk was obviously grabbed twice and a foul should have been called. Still, it wasn’t the wisest call from B Hill. Regardless, I don’t see why consistent bench time can’t become a regular thing for him.

    If Brian Hill is going to play a guy like Dooling as much as he does, he needs to start playing Outlaw more. Pat Garrity should never play a single minute again. I’m glad he’s hurt again. I hope he stays out for as long as possible. Outlaw should be playing energy backup minutes with guys like Battie and Dooling.

    What is up with Arroyo? He really isn’t doing a single thing out there well right now. I honestly think he’s getting worse. At least tonight he did have 4 assists. I swore he had more than 1 TO. Another thing I’ve noticed with him is that he has favorites. He really doesn’t look to pass to certain guys. I not sure where his game has gone, but if it continues going in the direction it is they really need to consider getting Diener some minutes.

    On the flip side, Darko had another productive game. Of course he only played his normal 20 minutes. Of which things didn’t begin to happen until Darko and Ariza hit the floor in the 3rd, from that point on, we looked like a different team.

    This game really was Magic basketball. For the 3rd and 4th quarter we pretty much saw the Magic team we want to see. They don’t always do it pretty, but we play really well grind it out basketball; and if you think about it, that’s playoff style basketball.

    A few days ago I mentioned how we might be seeing a lineup of Dwight, Darko, Hedo, Ariza, and Nelson. Of course I didn’t think it would happen tonight, but with Hill and Dooling out it did. That unit played really well together, besides a rough finish at the tale end.

    As I expected, we’d need a few games to get back into a rhythm from everyone coming back from injuries. But this is a different team without Jameer and Hedo on the floor. Ever since their return we’ve looked different. Of course there have still been some rough patches, but every game we’ve gotten a little better with them back. I think we were victims of playing to many games early, a brutal west coast road trip, which lead to injuries. I expect to see the Magic of November out there this January if everyone stays healthy; and no, Grant Hill is not included on that list.

    Final note: I’m actually happy the leather ball is back. I really don’t think they should have ever changed it, especially in the manner they did. The leather ball is obviously heavier. The change back might hurt some of the slashers a tad, but I think the leather ball benefits shooters. I myself have always found it easier to shoot with a leather ball next to any other. And from tonight’s game alone, Jameer and Darko hesitated a lot less on their jumpers.

     

  • At 3:57 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Some comments and observations from attending my first Magic game of the season:

    - Great seats at SEC 219, center court, 7 rows up.
    - It must have been the weather or something, but it was a very late-arriving crowd. At the start of the game, the arena was only about 2/3 full. It filled up nicely by late in the second quarter. I would guess that the actual attendance was about 16,000 or so.
    - What a game for Jameer... driving to the hoop, hitting open jumpers, running the team well... he wasn't kidding when he said he prefers the old leather basketball.
    - Ariza is really fun to watch in person with his explosiveness around the basket and all-around hustle.
    - Dwight really got the crowd going with that awesome dunk off the Turkoglu pass in the 4th quarter.
    - I really don't have too much to complain about BHill's player rotation for the game. Only thing I would question is why have a rookie (Redick) inbounding the ball in such a crucial situation at the end of the game. True, Hedo got held and that's why he couldn't get the pass from Redick, and the refs didn't call it, but I'd rather see a more experienced player inbound the ball in a similar situation next time.
    - Elton Brand was really getting frustrated in the second half. A couple of times going downcourt on defense, he really complained to the refs that he was getting fouled. Great defense by the Magic on him and Kaman in the second half.
    - The "foul or not to foul" situation came up again late in the game with the Magic up by 3 and the Clippers with the ball with 4 seconds left. BHill chose to let LAC attempt the 3 pt shot, and was fortunate that Thomas's attempt was way off; but with only 4 seconds on the clock, I can't say that I blame him this time for not fouling.
    - Six games in a row that I have attended now that the Magic have won. I'll be there again FRI against the Bobcats, hoping to make it 7 in a row!

     

  • At 4:05 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    "Overwaded", I posted my comments before I had a chance to read yours; we agreed on several things about the game.

     

  • At 7:43 AM, Blogger Matt said…

    This game was won by a determined defense from the Magic that I originally thought was not going to be sufficient for winning the game, but when Cassel sat out the complexion of the game changed. Cassel and Mobley are LAC's best shooters, and in addition to Cassel being out, Mobley was not his own self.

    Carlos is confused out there, and needs to be given exact direction of what is expected of him when he is on the floor. Until that is achieved he has no business of taking Travis's minutes.

    Did you notice the chemistry between Dwight and Trevor? It is turning into a delight to witness.

    Hill foolishly decided again not to foul with 3 points up, but not only that, the defense was not properly set and stretched to defend 3-point shooters, mainly Mobley and Thomas, who are capable shooters. Thomas was as open as he could be and Hill was lucky again that his behind did not get burnt.

    My apologies to Mike, again for not realizing that Magic will not lose if he is in the stands. Keep up the good work, and visit Orlando more often.

     

  • At 11:12 AM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Intro,oops i mean "overwaded",you've pointed out the one thing that i thought would make a difference with the magic,hedo and jameer returning to the line-up.Carlos isnt the starter because he cant put up the numbers that jameer can offensively,and trevors not the starter over hedo because he cant shoot three's.Hedo is our best player (which is a shame),like intro pointed out when we were talking about how the team may change next year,hedo is the one player on this team that can do a little of everything even though he isnt great at anything,jameer would be second best followed up by grant then dwight.With our two best players on the floor this team can beat anybody despite our bad coaching and depsite being without grant and keyon (who arent shooters anyway,you can live without defenders,but this team needs shooters for dwight to be effective),notice in the first half when hedo was struggling the team struggled to score points (hedo's foul trouble),jameer's output kept us in the game,and in the second half when hedo got it going we were able to take the lead,so this team depends on those two staying healthy and playing well.

     

  • At 5:18 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Matt nailed a hell of a point that I noticed, I'm sure everyone noticed, but I forgot to point out. Dwight and Ariza were amazing together. Ariza is a smart basketball player. He flashes to the open spots, and when he gets the ball anywhere within 15 feet, he knows exactly what to do with it. His 18 footer is also improving a lot. The only other guy I see flash open the way Ariza does it Bo, who doesn't play much, and doesn't have half the offensive skills Ariza has.

    I know Hedo and Ariza are both basically small forwards, but Ariza is just as much as a small forward as Grant Hill is. I expect to see him and Hedo out there a lot together, especially while Hill is out, which might not be a bad thing, as Ariza is apart of our future, as Hill's future is questionable. The good thing about Ariza is, I really don't think he minds coming off the bench. Although, if he keeps playing the way he is, he'll be playing starter minutes. He's too good to not be out there. I mean really, what can he not do besides shoot 3's? Offense, defense, rebounds, energy; you name it, he does it. I used to think of him as a Stacy Augmon type, now I'm starting to think of him as a Shawn Marion type. Teams have no idea how to handle Ariza, Howard, and Darko on the floor together.

    Mike, that was a sick dunk from Howard that helped send us in the right direction. Howard had a similar play in Washington on Friday that helped spark us right back into the game. Unfortunately, we didn't get that win, but we look to be heading in the right direction now that we have Jameer and Hedo back.

    I know we all got into a debate last year on when to foul and when not to foul. I myself, don't believe in fouling, however, I do believe in defending the 3 point line. The defense for that play was horrible. Tim Thomas, a player I can't stand, had a wide open shot; hard to believe he missed the rim.

    On the subject of final plays and coaching; Brian Hill did do something smart last night. I recall a game last year, where we passed on calling a timeout; in turn, we didn't get to advance the ball up the court. Last night, Brian Hill did call the timeout, and did advance the ball. Of course then he did screw up after that having a rookie make the inbound pass; even if Hedo was fouled, it was still a stupid move. I'm wondering if Redick is going to be benched again after last night. I hope not...

     

  • At 7:07 PM, Blogger Matt said…

    Overwaded (I need some getting used to the new name), you better believe it. Hill is a grudgey guy and he is going to penalize J.J. for what he did.

    As for foul or not foul, I thought that we settled this issue with the statistical research that Mike did. In one game that PHO played in NJ both options were examined; PHO did not foul and NJ sent it to overtime, and next time around, PHO fouled and won the game in the second overtime. Go figure, even if you do not trust statistical findings. Those coaches who do not believe in fouling are running against modern science, that relies on crunching numbers, although interpretation of the numbers are a crucial part of the findings.

     

  • At 8:11 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Sorry about the name change confusion. I promise to try and never do it again! :)

    Bringing up the stats, number crunching, attention to detail, what not; you'd think Brian Hill would be the type of coach to foul.

    A friend of mine called me today. He said he was able to talk to Turk for about 15 minutes today at the RDV. I guess even though he's able to play, his ankle is still bothering him. Gotta give it to him for playing with the discomfort… Anyway, he said he was a really nice down to earth kinda guy. Turk talked openly, about bad officiating last night, how he was cold in the first half, but they keep leaving him open, so he had to shoot it because he knows he's a good shooter. Even more interesting, he said every time he missed a shot, he could hear the crowd "sign", in turn; he put more pressure on himself, and couldn't find his shot. He said what helped him in the second half, was the defense. The Clippers played more aggressive defense, and he didn't have time to think and he just played. He says he plays better under pressure. I just found it all interesting, and figured I'd share it with you guys.

     

  • At 9:01 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    I give credit to Hedo for not getting too down on himself after missing several wide-open jumpers in the first half, and coming back and making several key plays and shots in the second half.

    "Overwaded", (I need to get used to your new name too) interesting to hear what Hedo had to say to your friend about the game against LAC. It was great that he didn't get too down on himself after his performance in the first half, and came back in the second half to nail several clutch jumpers.

    If either GHill or Keyon Dooling is back on the active list for FRI against CHA, that will probably mean Redick will go back to the end of the bench, unfortunately.

     

  • At 9:52 AM, Blogger Matt said…

    Here is Hill's response to using a rookie for inbounding the ball at a crucial juncture of the game:

    "If Turk doesn't get held or fouled and the pass is made, is it an issue?" Hill said. He added that he needed to get Redick "used to late-game situations like that. What are you gonna do? Wait till his second year in the league and have him in that situation when he's never done it before?"

    Just pathetic; doesn't even pass the smell test!

     

  • At 5:08 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense. Brian Hill goes from not playing Redick AT ALL, to putting him out there in the last minute of the game when he didn't play the entire second half to make an inbound pass? Riiiight... When he first put him out there I figured it would for free throw shooting purposes. Redick then went 1 for 2 from the line. So what did Hill do then? He leaves him out there, for defense, not smart, and then on the offensive end, not for shooting free throws, but inbounding the ball. How about this, start by giving the guy some bench time on a regular basis, and then, when he's had a chance to play more than 2 minutes, decide whether or not to leave him out there in the final minutes. Brian Hill is a dumb ass.

     

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