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.

Monday, November 30, 2009

The week ahead for the Magic, and the Magic's free throw shooting woes

The Magic begin this week with a 14-4 record, 8-2 on the road and 6-2 at home, in first place in the SE 1 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta, and have the best record in the East, 1/2 game ahead of Boston and 1 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta and Cleveland. Only two other NBA teams have a better winning percentage than the Magic, and they are both from the Western Conference: Phoenix (14-3) and the LA Lakers (13-3). It should be noted that the Lakers have played 12 home games already and just 4 away games.

The Magic play only 2 games in the next 8 days:

Wednesday, Dec. 2: vs New York (3-14, 2-6 road)
Saturday, Dec. 5: at Golden State (5-10, 3-3 home)

It's been a very busy first month of the season, as only three other teams have played as many games as the Magic. The Magic will welcome the five days without a game this week.

The Magic's free throw problems have really worsened the last 4 games. In those 4 games, the Magic have shot 64 out of 109 on free throws, a dismal 58.7%. Even when you take out Dwight Howard's FT percentage those 4 games, the rest of the team has struggled also. Howard shot 23 of 45 on free throws in that span, while the rest of the Magic shot 41 of 64, just a 64.1% clip at the line.

For the season, the Magic are shooting 67.5% on free throws, but if you subtract Howard's free throw shooting, the Magic are shooting a more respectable 74.8% on free throws. During the last 4 games, the Magic, not counting Howard, are shooting 10 percentage points worse than their season free throw percentage.

The fact the Magic won 3 of those 4 games is encouraging, and a testament to how well they are doing other things, despite such a mediocre performance from the free throw line; but the Magic, including Dwight, have got to get better from the free throw line if they hope to advance to another NBA Finals.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Game review: Magic (14-4) 114, Knicks (3-14) 102

Three players scored over 20 points for the Magic, led by Rashard Lewis's season high 26 points, as the Magic were able to break open a close game at halftime. This was the final game of a 4 games in 5 nights stretch by the Magic, and they finished 3-1 in that stretch.

Neither team had more than a 5 point lead in the first quarter which ended with a 31-29 Magic lead. The Knicks led by as many as 6 points in the second quarter, but the Magic came back to take a 54-52 halftime lead. The Magic extended their lead to as much as 11 points in the third quarter and led 82-73 at the end of three. The Knicks made a final run to cut the Magic lead to 92-86 with just over 6 minutes remaining, but the Magic got the lead back up to 14 with just over 3 minutes remaining to seal the win.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 26 points (8 of 15 FGs), 8 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 24 points (8 of 9 FGs), 16 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Vince Carter: 23 points (9 of 20 FGs)
Ryan Anderson (bench): 12 points (5 of 12 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 50.6% (42 of 83) NYK 50.6% (42 of 83)
3 PT FG%: NYK 39.1% (9 of 23) ORL 34.2% (13 of 38)
FT%: NYK 69.2% (9 of 13) ORL 54.8% (17 of 31)
REB: ORL 47 (11 offensive) NYK 37 (3 offensive)
AST/TO: NYK 21/9 ORL 16/9
BENCH: NYK 35 ORL 29

Other game notes and stats:

-Five Knicks scored in double figures, led by Nate Robinson's 24 points off the bench and 20 points, 12 rebounds from David Lee
-The Magic's Jason Williams handed out 8 assists with only 1 turnover
-Knicks' starting guard Larry Hughes shot just 1 of 9 from the field
-Howard and Carter combined to make just 12 of 24 FTs
-The Magic frontline (Pietrus, Lewis, Howard) combined to shoot 19 of 29
-The Magic now lead the SE by 1 1/2 games over Atlanta, and lead Boston by 1/2 game for the best record in the East

Here is the complete box score from espn.com

Game review: Magic (13-4) 100, Bucks (8-7) 98

In similar fashion to Thursday night's game against Atlanta, the Magic had a poor first half, but then regrouped in the second half, led by Dwight Howard. Unlike the Hawks, though, Milwaukee came back in the fourth but the Magic were able to hold on.

The Magic led 13-9 in the first quarter before the Bucks went on a 17-8 run and led after one 26-21. The Bucks, thanks to rebounding and hot three point shooting, increased their lead to 53-36 with under three minutes left in the second quarter before a closing Magic run cut the Bucks' lead to 56-47 at the half. The Bucks got their lead back up to 68-53 with under 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter before the Magic went on a 20-3 run to close the quarter and led going into the fourth quarter 73-72. The Magic increased their lead to 91-81 with 5 and a half minutes remaining, but the Bucks went on a 14-4 run to tie the game at 95. It was tied at 98 when Rashard Lewis's jumper gave the Magic a 100-98 lead with 44.7 seconds remaining. The Bucks missed a three pointer and a jumper on their ensuing possession, and the Magic were able to run the clock out thanks to key offensive rebounding by Howard.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 25 points (10 of 15 FGs), 20 rebounds, 4 blocks, 6 turnovers
Vince Carter: 25 points (10 of 23 FGs), 6 rebounds
Rashard Lewis: 14 points (6 of 9 FGs), 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
Jason Williams: 12 points (4 of 7 FGs), 10 assists, 0 turnovers

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 50.6% (39 of 77) MIL 41.1% (37 of 90)
3 PT FG%: MIL 57.9% (11 of 19) ORL 36.4% (8 of 22)
FT%: MIL 76.5% (13 of 17) ORL 56% (14 of 25)
REB: ORL 50 (13 offensive) MIL 44 (15 offensive)
AST/TO: MIL 19/6 ORL 18/17
BENCH: MIL 46 ORL 24

Other game notes and stats:

-The Bucks had four players in double figures, led by Ersan Ilyasova with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Luke Ridnour off the bench with 20 points and 6 assists
-The Bucks were without three regulars due to injury; Andrew Bogut, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Michael Redd
-In addition to Howard's 25/20 game, Jason Williams had a brilliant 10/0 AST/TO ratio
-J.J. Redick led the Magic reserves with 9 points
-Brandon Bass, seeing his first action in several games, scored 8 points along with 4 rebounds in 9 minutes off the bench for the Magic
-During a 7 1/2 minute span of the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, the Magic outscored the Bucks 22-4
-During that span, the Magic hit on 10 of 11 FGs while the Bucks went 2 of 13
-The Bucks hit 7 of 8 three pointers in the first half
-Mickael Pietrus went scoreless in 26 minutes, shooting 0 for 5
-The Magic now lead the SE by 1/2 game over Atlanta

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Game night preview

ORLANDO MAGIC at MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Saturday, Nov. 28. 9:00 p.m.
Bradley Center
Milwaukee, WI

The Magic (12-4) continue their three-game road trip on Saturday when they face the Milwaukee Bucks (8-6) at 9 p.m. ET. The Bucks have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2009-10 NBA season thus far, jumping out to an 8-3 start. Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Jennings has been a huge factor in Milwaukee’s turnaround. His numbers of 22.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game are closer to those of an MVP candidate than that of a rookie. While limiting his production will be a major focus of Orlando’s defensive game plan, offensively the Magic look to challenge the Bucks’ weak interior. With Andrew Bogut out for the contest (strained/bruised left leg), Orlando will look to All-Star center Dwight Howard to take advantage of Milwaukee’s big man rotation of Dan Gadzuric and Kurt Thomas.


Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.


The Magic are 6 1/2 point favorites.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Game review: Magic (12-4) 93, Hawks (11-4) 76

Atlanta was in control of the game 57-44 and dominating statistically with under 10 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter and looked like they would cruise to an easy victory over a listless, uninspired Magic team coming off an emotional loss the night before. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the Magic surged as the tide of the game turned dramatically in the Magic's favor. The Magic went on to outscore the Hawks 49-19 the rest of the way as their tough defense challenged every Hawks' shot and limited the Hawks to making just 8 of their final 40 shots.

The Magic led by as many as 4 points early in the first quarter before the Hawks went on a 13-2 run and had their largest lead of the quarter at 7 points before settling for a 25-23 lead over the Magic after one. The Magic had their last lead of the first half at 36-35 before the Hawks went on a 16-3 tear to lead going into the half 51-39. The Hawks had their largest lead of the game at 53-39 early in the third quarter and had the 57-44 lead before Dwight Howard and Anthony Johnson off the Magic bench led the dramatic Magic turnaround.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 22 points (9 of 14 FGs), 17 rebounds, 4 blocks, 5 turnovers
Vince Carter: 21 points (7 of 18 FGs), 9 rebounds
Anthony Johnson (bench): 17 points (6 of 10 FGs), 3 assists, 0 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 14 points (6 of 16 FGs), 5 rebounds

Overall game statistics

FG%: ORL 43.8% (35 of 80) ATL 38.8% (33 of 85)
3 PT FG%: ATL 36.8% (7 of 19) ORL 32.3% (10 of 31)
FT%: ORL 65% (13 of 20) ATL 42.9% (3 of 7)
REB: ORL 53 (13 offensive) ATL 41 (11 offensive)
AST/TO: ATL 18/13 ORL 15/13
BENCH: ORL 31 ATL 22

Other game notes and stats:

-Four Hawks scored in double figures, led by Joe Johnson's 22 points; Josh Smith added a double/double of 13 points, 13 rebounds
-The Magic starting frontcourt (Carter, Lewis, Howard) outscored the Hawks' starting frontcourt (Williams, Smith, Horford) 57-22 and outrebounded them 31-23
-The Hawks' starting backcourt (Bibby, Johnson) outscored the Magic starting backcourt (Williams, Pietrus) 32-5
-Williams and Pietrus shot a combined 2 for 10, including 1 for 8 on threes
-Anthony Johnson scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter
-The Magic outscored the Hawks in the second half 54-25
-The Magic outrebounded the Hawks in the second half 34-16
-During a 12 1/2 minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters, the Hawks made just 3 of 25 shots
-Matt Barnes, despite not scoring, grabbed 11 rebounds and added 3 assists and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench
-Only 3 Hawks shot free throws as they attempted just 7 overall
-Hawks were whistled for 20 fouls, the Magic 12 fouls
-The Magic now lead the Hawks by 1/2 game in the SE

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at ATLANTA HAWKS
Thursday, Nov. 26. 8:00 p.m.
Philips Arena
Atlanta, GA




The Magic’s (11-4) endurance will be challenged on Thanksgiving, when they travel to Atlanta (11-3) to battle the Hawks at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. The second game of Orlando’s back-to-back is in the middle of a grueling stretch that has the Magic playing in four cities in five nights. “It’s going to be a real tough holiday weekend for us,” Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick said. “We have four games in five nights and it’s four cities in five nights. So it will be a challenge for us.” The Hawks have won seven of their past eight games and are currently 1/2 game ahead of the Magic atop the Southeast division. In order for Orlando to claim division supremacy, they’ll need to find a way to slow down Atlanta guards Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford, who are currently averaging a combined 39.3 points per game. While initially displeased with his team’s defensive start to the season, Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy is beginning to see improvement. “I think we’re really battling hard defensively,” Van Gundy said. “I think that has really improved over the last two games. We went into Boston, they were No. 1 in the league in field goal percentage and we held them in the low 30s. We come in (Sunday) and this team is averaging 107 a game and (we) give them 28 in the first quarter, and then still end up holding them below 100. That to me is what I like. I see us fighting harder and making a better effort defensively. “


Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.


The Hawks are 3 point favorites.

Game review: Heat (9-5) 99, Magic (11-4) 98

The Magic looked like they were well on their way to victory as they held a 86-75 lead with just under 8 minutes remaining in the game. From that point on, the game changed dramatically, as missed free throws, poor defense, and poor rebounding doomed the Magic. Miami went on a stunning 16-0 run, led by Dwyane Wade, to take a 91-86 lead with 5 minutes remaining. The Magic came back with a 12-4 run of their own to take the lead 98-95, capped by a dramatic three pointer by Vince Carter with 14 seconds remaining. A Udonis Haslem tip-in cut the Magic lead to 98-97 with 10 seconds remaining. Jason Williams, who had a brilliant offensive game, missed two crucial free throws with 9.5 seconds remaining to set up the game-winning slam dunk by the Heat's Michael Beasley off a missed Wade jumper with 1.6 seconds remaining. The Magic, without any timeouts, could only watch as Matt Barnes threw the ball away on a desperation pass downcourt as the Heat came away with the stunning victory.

The Magic started slowly, as the Heat led by as much as 8 points in the first quarter and held a 26-24 lead after one. The Heat led by as much as 38-29 in the second before the Magic went on a 13-1 run to take the lead by three, and settled for a 44-43 halftime lead. The Magic extended their lead by as much as 8 points in the third quarter and held a 71-66 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Magic leading scorers

Jason Williams: 25 points (9 of 12 FGs), 8 assists, 1 turnover
Vince Carter: 22 points (8 of 19 FGs), 6 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 12 points (3 of 5 FGs), 16 rebounds, 3 steals
Ryan Anderson (bench): 12 points (4 of 7 FGs)
Mickael Pietrus: 10 points (3 of 11 FGs), 2 steals

Overall game statistics:

FG%: ORL 41.6% (32 of 77) MIA 38.8% (33 of 85)
3 PT FG%: ORL 45.2% (14 of 31) MIA 30% (6 of 20)
FT%: MIA 84.4% (27 of 32) ORL 60.6% (20 of 33)
REB: MIA 50 (15 offensive) ORL 42 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/15 MIA 12/8
BENCH: MIA 27 ORL 20

Other game notes and stats:

-Wade, after scoring just 8 points the first 3 quarters, erupted for 16 points in the fourth quarter, which included making 9 of 9 from the free throw line, and led the Heat with 24 points, despite shooting just 6 of 22 and missing his final 5 shots
-Four other Heat players scored in double figures, including James Jones with 16 points and Beasley with 15 points
-The Magic made only 3 of their final 13 shots, committed 6 fourth quarter turnovers, and shot just 6 of 12 on free throws in that fatal final quarter
-Pietrus and Rashard Lewis combined to shoot just 6 of 26 for 19 points
-The Heat starting frontcourt (Jones, Beasley, and Jermaine O'Neal) combined for 44 points and 32 rebounds; the Magic starting frontcourt (Pietrus, Lewis, and Howard) combined for 31 points and 24 rebounds
-The Magic allowed 33 fourth quarter points after allowing just 40 combined points in the second and third quarter
-The Heat's Joel Anthony blocked 3 shots in just 12 minutes off the bench
-Williams played 39 1/2 minutes, including the entire second half
-Brandon Bass was the only active Magic player not to play
-The Magic saw their 5 game winning streak snapped and now trail Atlanta by a half game entering Thursday night's showdown with the Hawks

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:
ORLANDO MAGIC vs MIAMI HEAT
Wednesday, Nov. 25. 7:30 p.m.

Amway Arena
Orlando, FL



The Orlando Magic (11-3) will attempt to notch their sixth straight victory on Wednesday when they host the Miami Heat (8-5) at 7:30 p.m. ET. Orlando has won 12 of its last 13 regular season meetings with Miami and will look to continue that trend in front of a national audience. After jumping out to a terrific start to the season, Miami has dropped three of its last four contests and is struggling to find a way to limit its opponents on the defensive end. The Magic, on the other hand, have been on a tear. After notching three straight home victories, Orlando earned road triumphs over two Eastern Conference contenders, Boston and Toronto. In both road wins, the Magic’s biggest offseason addition made an immense impact. Eight-time All-Star Vince Carter posted a game-high 26 points in Orlando’s victory over Boston and then followed it up with a game-high 24 in the Magic’s win over the Raptors. “Both games on the road we put the ball in his hands late and I think he’s making pretty solid plays,” Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy explained of Carter’s recent performances. “He’ll be the guy that will probably have the ball in those situations, not necessarily to take the shot all the time, but to make the plays.”


Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.


The Magic are 9 1/2 point favorites.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The week ahead for the Magic


The Orlando Magic enter this week tied for the best record in the NBA with two other teams (Atlanta, Phoenix) at 11-3. The Magic are 6-1 at home, and 5-2 on the road. Here is their schedule for the upcoming week:

-Wednesday 11/24: vs Miami (8-5, 2-2 road) The Heat have cooled after a 6-1 start, losing 4 of their last 6 games. Can the Magic stop Dwyane Wade?

-Thursday 11/25: at Atlanta (11-3, 7-0 home) The Hawks are one of the surprises of the NBA so far, with a solid starting five and a good bench. This will be a stern test for the Magic in the second game of a back-to-back, as the Hawks are unbeaten at home, and look to be the Magic's toughest competition in the SE.

-Saturday 11/27: at Milwaukee (8-4, 6-1 home) The Bucks are another surprise team in the league, led by rookie guard Brandon Jennings who has a season-high of 55 points, and are coached by former Magic point guard Scott Skiles

-Sunday 11-28: at New York (3-10, 1-7 home) The Knicks are struggling again this season, but Boston needed a Kevin Garnett jumper at the buzzer to beat the Knicks Sunday, so the Magic can't take New York for granted, especially on the second game of a back-to-back.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Game review: Magic (11-3) 104, Raptors (6-8) 96

Vince Carter returned to where he started his pro career and led all scorers with 24 points and four other Magic players scored in double figures as the Magic overcame a double digit second quarter deficit to Toronto extending their winning streak to five games.

Both teams traded the lead early before the Raptors took a 28-22 lead after one quarter. The Raptors had their largest lead of the game at 35-24 early in the second quarter before the Magic went on a 21-7 run to take a three point lead before settling for a 50-49 halftime advantage. The Magic led by as much as seven points in the third quarter before the Raptors scored 11 out of 13 points to take back the lead, but the Magic tied the game at 76 entering the fourth. The Magic opened up a 13 point lead with under six minutes remaining in the game, but the Raptors made one more run to cut the Magic lead to six but could get no closer.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 24 points (9 of 24 FGs), 8 rebounds
J.J. Redick (bench): 19 points (6 of 10 FGs), 5 assists
Dwight Howard: 17 points (4 of 13 FGs), 12 rebounds
Jason Williams: 16 points (5 of 9 FGs), 5 rebounds, 2 steals
Rashard Lewis: 11 points (4 of 12 FGs)

Overall game statistics:

FG%: TOR: 44.2% (34 of 77) ORL 41.0% (34 of 83)
3 PT FG%: TOR 37.5% (6 of 16) ORL 28.1% (9 of 32)
FT%: TOR 78.6% (22 of 28) ORL 77.1% (27 of 35)
REB: ORL 46 (14 offensive) TOR 43 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/7 TOR 19/9
BENCH: TOR 34 ORL 31

Other game notes and stats:

-Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 22 points
-Former Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, but shot just 3 of 11
-Three other Raptors scored in double figures, including Amir Johns0n's 14 points off the bench
-Jarret Jack led the Raptors with 11 assists off the bench
-For the second straight game, Brandon Bass was the only active Magic player to not play, while Matt Barnes played just 3 minutes
-Lewis and Carter combined to shoot 0 for 11 on three pointers for the Magic
-The Magic are now tied with Atlanta for the SE division lead, and the best record in the East, at 11-3

Here is the complete recap and box score from nba.com

Game day preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at TORONTO RAPTORS
Sunday, Nov. 22. 12:30 p.m.
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, Ontario


The Magic close out their four-game week on Sunday when they visit the Toronto Raptors at 12:30 p.m. ET. In their first meeting this season, the Magic torched the Raptors with their deadly outside shooting. Orlando connected on 17 of its 32 shots from downtown as it notched a 125-116 victory in Toronto. The Magic’s backcourt tandem of J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson played a huge role in the squad’s success. Nelson erupted for 30 points, while Redick tallied 27 points, six rebounds and five assists. Dwight Howard dominated in the paint, notching 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports

The Magic are 3 point favorites

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Game night review: Magic (10-3) 83, Celtics (9-4) 78

In a defensive struggle, the Magic were able to overcome 41% FG shooting, 58% FT shooting, and 21 turnovers to outlast Boston, as the Magic were able to withstand a big Celtics' comeback after the Magic led by 16 after one quarter.

The Celtics had their last lead of the game at 6-5 before the Magic went on a tear the rest of the first quarter, shooting 65% and holding the Celtics to 21% shooting as the Magic led 29-13 after one. The Celtics erased most of their deficit in the second quarter, coming as close as 41-40 before the Magic went into the half with a 43-40 lead. The Magic were able to extend their lead in the third quarter back up to 10 points before ending the third with a 66-59 lead. The Celtics eventually tied the game at 78 with under 3 minutes remaining in the game before the Magic held the Celtics scoreless the rest of the way with stifling defense and pulled out an important road win 83-78.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 26 points (10 of 29 FGs), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 16 points (5 of 11 FGs), 10 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus: 14 points (5 of 6 FGs)
Dwight Howard: 9 points (2 of 4 FGs), 15 rebounds, 3 blocks

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 41.4% (29 of 70) BOS 34.5% (30 of 87)
3 PT FG%: ORL 45.5% (10 of 22) BOS 10.5% (2 of 19)
FT%: BOS 88.9% (16 of 18) ORL 57.7% (15 of 26)
REB: BOS 43 (14 offensive) ORL 42 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: BOS 20/12 ORL 19/21
BENCH: BOS 18 ORL 11

Other game notes and stats:

-The "Big Three" (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett) of the Celtics combined for 49 points on 17 of 42 shooting, with Pierce scoring 21 points
-Rasheed Wallace off the Celtics' bench had 13 rebounds to lead them; Garnett added 11 rebounds for a double/double
-Wallace, Eddie House, and Rajon Rondo combined to shoot 8 of 34 from the field, including 1 of 12 from three point range
-Allen and Rondo each had 6 assists to lead the Celtics
-The Celtics outscored the Magic 72-53 on two pointers and free throws, but the Magic outscored the Celtics 30-6 on three pointers
-Ryan Anderson led the Magic bench with 5 points
-Jason Williams had 6 assists, along with 4 steals
-The Magic made 7 of their first 8 shots, and 9 of their first 12 shots
-The Celtics shot just 5 of 24 in the first quarter
-The Celtics missed their last 5 shots after tying the game at 78
-Brandon Bass was the only active Magic player not to play
-The Magic remain a game behind Atlanta (11-2) in the SE

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Friday, November 20, 2009

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at BOSTON CELTICS
Friday, Nov. 20. 8:00 p.m.
TD Banknorth Garden
Boston, MA

The Orlando Magic will travel to Boston on Friday for a re-match of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when they take on the Celtics at 8 p.m. ET on Sun Sports and ESPN. The national spotlight will be on Orlando as it attempts to prove that it can take down Boston even with its addition of Rasheed Wallace and a healthy Kevin Garnett. “We’re looking forward to playing those guys again,” Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard explained. “We know it’s going to be a dogfight. We’ve always had dogfights with Boston. It’s not going to be any different. It’s going to be a good matchup, but I think we can win that game.” While the Magic will be looking to prove themselves once again, the Celtics, on the other hand, will be looking for payback. The Magic became the first team to defeat Boston after it led 3-2 in a playoff series and just the fourth all-time to win a Game 7 on its home floor when they stormed TD Banknorth Garden and claimed a 101-82 Eastern Conference Semifinals series-clinching victory last postseason.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Celtics are 6 point favorites.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Game review: Magic (8-3) 108, Thunder (6-6) 94

The Magic, with Jason Williams starting at the point in place of the injured Jameer Nelson, played arguably their best basketball of the season in the first three quarters on their way to a 30 point lead over Oklahoma City, before the Thunder outscored the Magic by 16 points in the final quarter to make the final score more respectable.

The Thunder had their only leads of the game at 2-0 and 4-2 before the Magic took over. The Magic led after one quarter 28-17 and extended their lead to as many as 20 points in the second quarter before settling for a 61-43 halftime lead. The Magic scored 10 of the first 11 points in the third quarter to put the game away, and had their largest lead of the game at 88-58 after three. The Thunder then outscored the Magic 36-20 in the fourth quarter to account for the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 18 points (6 of 13 FGs), 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
Rashard Lewis: 17 points (7 of 16 FGs), 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals
Mickael Pietrus: 14 points (4 of 8 FGs)
Ryan Anderson (bench): 12 points (4 of 11 FGs)
Dwight Howard: 11 points (5 of 7 FGs), 10 rebounds
Marcin Gortat (bench): 10 points (3 of 5 FGs), 2 blocks

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 48.1% (39 of 81) OKC 41.0% (34 of 83)
3 PT FG%: ORL 41.9% (13 of 31) OKC 38.1% (8 of 21)
FT%: OKC 78.3% (18 of 23) ORL 65.4% (17 of 26)
REB: ORL 47 (9 offensive) OKC 42 (5 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 25/13 OKC 18/14
BENCH: OKC 57 ORL 44

Other game notes and stats:

-Rookie James Harden came off the Thunder bench to lead them in scoring with a career-high 24 points, including 6 of 7 on threes
-The Thunder's leading scorer Kevin Durant was held to just 12 points on 4 of 12 shooting
-The Thunder's starting five combined for just 37 points on 14 of 45 shooting
-Williams, starting for the Magic at PG, scored 4 points in 28 minutes with 5 assists and 1 turnover
-Backup PG Anthony Johnson scored 9 points along with 4 assists
-Howard played less than 18 minutes due to foul trouble
-Both Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass did not see action until the fourth quarter
-Pietrus and Lewis were the only Magic players to play more than 30 minutes
-The Magic remain a game behind Atlanta (10-2) in the SE

Here is the official box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Nelson to have knee surgery

From the Magic press release:
BREAKING NEWS
Jameer Nelson To Undergo Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday morning to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Nelson was injured in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game vs. Charlotte and underwent an MRI Tuesday morning.

It is estimated that Nelson will be out four-to-six weeks following the procedure.

Nelson had started all 11 games for the Magic, averaging 13.7 ppg. and a team-high 5.5 apg.

The Magic (8-3) return to action Wednesday night by hosting Oklahoma City at Amway Arena (tip-off 7 p.m.)
For more information visit orlandomagic.com.

Game review: Magic (8-3) 97, Bobcats (3-7) 91

The Magic welcomed back Rashard Lewis from his 10 day suspension, and also Ryan Anderson after missing several games with a sprained ankle, while Charlotte welcomed newcomer Stephen Jackson and inserted him in the starting lineup after obtaining him in a trade with Golden State earlier in the day. Charlotte hung tough the whole game and came as close as three points in the final two minutes.

In a first quarter that saw several lead changes, the Magic led 25-21 after one. The Magic had their largest lead of the quarter at 31-23 before the Bobcats went on a 25-13 run to go ahead by 4 points before they settled for a 52-50 halftime lead over the Magic, thanks to 59% shooting. The Magic held the Bobcats to 16 third quarter points and led 76-68 after three, then had their largest lead of the game with 10 1/2 minutes remaining at 80-68 in the fourth, but the Bobcats pulled to within 90-87 and had a chance to get within a point with under a minute and a half remaining, but turned the ball over and the Magic were able to finally put the game away.

Magic leading scorers

Jameer Nelson: 16 points (5 of 10 FGs), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
Vince Carter: 15 points (5 of 12 FGs)
Dwight Howard: 14 points (4 of 5 FGs), 11 rebounds
Ryan Anderson (bench): 12 points (5 of 9 FGs)
Mickael Pietrus: 10 points (3 of 7 FGs), 6 rebounds
Rashard Lewis: 10 points (4 of 15 FGs)
Brandon Bass (bench): 10 points (4 of 8 FGs), 6 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: CHA 50.7% (36 of 71) ORL 42.9% (33 of 77)
3 PT FG%: ORL 34.4% (11 of 32) CHA 28.6% (4 of 14)
FT%: ORL 64.5% (20 of 31) CHA 57.7% (15 of 26)
REB: ORL 41 (13 offensive) CHA 34 (4 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/13 CHA 17/17
BENCH: CHA 38 ORL 32

Other game notes and stats:

-The Bobcats' Ronald "Flip" Murray tied a career high with 31 points off the bench on 13 of 21 shooting; Boris Diaw added 21 points
-Jackson scored 13 points in his Bobcat debut with 9 rebounds
-Murray and Diaw combined to shoot 23 of 34; the rest of the Bobcats shot a combined 13 of 37
-Pietrus started at SF along with Lewis at PF
-The Magic made just 3 of their first 16 shots
-Marcin Gortat was unavailable due to the flu
-J.J. Redick played just 6 minutes
-Lewis missed his first 8 shots from the field, and was 0 for 6 on threes
-Howard made 6 of 14 FTs
-The Magic remain a game out of first in the SE after Atlanta's OT win over Portland

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Monday, November 16, 2009

Game night preview









ORLANDO MAGIC

vs.


CHARLOTTE BOBCATS


Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports

Note: The Bobcats today traded Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic to Golden State for Stephen Jackson and Acie Law.

The Magic are 12 point favorites.


Magic injury update

Here are excerpts from an article Sunday by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:

Jameer Nelson missed his second consecutive day of practice Sunday because he was feeling sick. Van Gundy said Nelson was tested for all kinds of flu and that the test showed the point guard has a bad cold or an upper-respiratory infection. Van Gundy said he thinks Nelson "has a good chance to play" versus the Bobcats.

Marcin Gortat might not be so fortunate. The backup center missed practice Sunday because he felt under the weather, and Van Gundy said he doesn't expect Gortat to be available to play Monday.

Van Gundy said he doesn't know whether J.J. Redick will play because the shooting guard tweaked his right ankle Saturday.

Layups

● PF Brandon Bass, who missed Friday's game and Saturday's practice because he had flu-like symptoms, practiced on Sunday.

● PF Ryan Anderson, who sprained his right ankle on Nov. 6, expects to make his return Monday. "I feel like I'm in good shape," Anderson said. "I feel like I can just come back and start getting in my normal rhythm of playing."

● Lewis said he's been told by Van Gundy that he'll play at small forward on occasion. "I'm fine with that," Lewis said. "The only difference is on the defensive end, chasing guys off screens and guarding the pick-and-roll."

● The Magic spent just 15 minutes Sunday scrimmaging five-on-five because of their reduced manpower, Van Gundy said. "We've been struggling to get stuff accomplished in the last couple of days," the coach said. "You do what you can."

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Game review: Magic (7-3) 88, Nets (0-9) 72

Injury-riddled New Jersey, led by former Magic PG Rafer Alston's triple-double, gave the Magic a pretty good game for a half, and trailed by just six points with under ten minutes remaining in the game before the Magic went on a 10-0 run to seal the victory. The Magic were missing Brandon Bass (flu), in addition to Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson. The Nets were missing six different players, including Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, and former Magic players Courtney Lee, Tony Battie, and Keyon Dooling.

The Magic started slowly, as the Nets had the lead for virtually all of the first quarter and led after one 27-23. The Nets extended their lead to 36-26 in the second quarter before the Magic came back to take the lead before settling for a 42-42 halftime tie. The Nets never had the lead in the second half, as the Magic led 62-56 after three quarters and had their largest lead of the game at 88-70 before the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 26 points (10 of 14 FGs), 12 rebounds, 5 blocks
Mickael Pietrus: 16 points (6 of 14 FGs),
Vince Carter: 14 points (5 of 12 FGs), 5 rebounds
Matt Barnes: 13 points (4 of 9 FGs), 13 rebounds, 5 assists
Jameer Nelson: 10 points (4 of 11 FGs), 5 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: ORL 44.6% (33 of 74) NJ 32.9% (28 of 85)
3 PT FG%: ORL 29.6% (8 of 27) NJ 29.4% (5 of 17)
FT%: NJ 84.6% (11 of 13) ORL 56% (14 of 25)
REB: ORL 48 (8 offensive) NJ 44 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 16/16 NJ 12/14
BENCH: NJ 23 ORL 9

Other game notes and stats:

-Alston wound up with 17 points (7 of 20 FGs), 10 assists, and ten rebounds for his first career triple-double
-Three other Nets' players finished in double figures
-Jason Williams scored all 9 of the Magic's bench points
-J.J. Redick did not score in 33 minutes, but had 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal
-6 of 8 Magic players played at least 32 minutes
-The Magic held the Nets to 45 total points the final three quarters
-Brook Lopez and Terrence Williams of the Nets combined to shoot 4 of 29 from the field
-Magic were just 3 of 17 on threes in the first half, but improved to 5 of 10 in the second half
-The Magic are now tied for second place in the SE with Miami at 6-3, one game behind 7-2 Atlanta

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Friday, November 13, 2009

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC vs NEW JERSEY NETS
Friday, Nov. 13. 7:00 p.m.
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

In their final matchup of the week, the Orlando Magic will host the New Jersey Nets (0-7) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. The Magic have dominated the Nets at home in recent history, winning five of the last six meetings in Orlando. In their only matchup of this season, the Magic rolled to a 95-85 victory in New Jersey on October 30. Dwight Howard posted his first 20-20 game of the season, notching 20 points and 22 rebounds. Vince Carter was on pace for a 40-plus point contest, but was forced to leave the game with a sprained ankle in the second quarter after erupting for 16 early points. Still, Orlando won’t let past success get in the way of the task at hand. “You know they are going to be coming for us just like everybody else,” Magic forward Matt Barnes explained. “We really have to set the tempo early and just try to take it to them for 48 minutes.” New Jersey is also dealing with its share of injuries. Chris Douglas-Roberts (illness) Devin Harris (groin), Yi Jianlian (knee) and Courtney Lee (groin) have all missed games due to injury. However, the Magic still recognize that the Nets still possess plenty of young talent. “I know they have a few players hurt, but they have a lot of good young players,” Barnes said. “Teams like that have no fears.”

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports

The Magic are whopping 15 1/2 point favorites.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Game review: Cavaliers (5-3) 102, Magic (6-3) 93

The final score was not an indication about how one-sided this game was, as Cleveland had a 20 point lead with under six minutes remaining in the game before a meaningless Magic run in the final five minutes. LeBron James and Mo Williams combined for 64 points.

The Magic had their only lead of the game at 9-7, as the Cavaliers shot 65% in the first quarter to lead 35-28. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 57-42 in the second quarter before settling for a 66-51 halftime lead. The Cavaliers continued to extend their lead in the second half, leading 88-68 after three quarters and had their largest lead of 92-70 early in the fourth quarter.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 29 points (11 of 23 FGs), 5 rebounds
Jameer Nelson: 19 points (8 of 15 FGs), 5 assists
Dwight Howard: 11 points (3 of 3 FGs), 7 rebounds
J.J. Redick (bench): 10 points (3 of 7 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: CLE 48.1% (37 of 77) ORL 45.1% (37 of 82)
3 PT FG%: CLE 71.4% (10 of 14) ORL 22.2% (4 of 18)
FT%: CLE 78.3% (18 of 23) ORL 60% (15 of 25)
REB: CLE 42 (6 offensive) ORL 37 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: CLE 12/14 ORL 9/10
BENCH: ORL 18 CLE 10

Other game notes and stats:

-LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 36 points, along with 8 rebounds; Mo Williams scored 28 points with 6 assists
-Williams scored 22 of his 28 points in the first half, and made all 9 shots
-Shaquille O'Neal added 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks
-Magic shot just 15 of 42 in the second half
-Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass, the Magic's starting forwards, each scored 8 points with 4 rebounds
-Howard picked up 3 fouls in the first quarter, attempted just 3 shots in 31 minutes, and was 5 of 12 on free throws
-James and Williams combined to shoot 25 of 43
-The Cavaliers' bench combined to shoot 2 of 15
-The Magic bench combined to shoot 7 of 21
-Marcin Gortat led the Magic with 8 rebounds, and started the second half along with Howard
-Magic are now in third place in the SE, behind Miami (6-1) and Atlanta (6-2)

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

ORLANDO MAGIC vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Wednesday, Nov. 11. 8:00 p.m.
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL


CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The Magic (6-2) won’t have much time to prepare for their most anticipated contest of the season: an Eastern Conference Finals re-match with the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. The Magic swept the Cavaliers at home (3-0) during the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals and will look to continue that trend in front of ESPN’s national audience. Orlando’s first nationally televised contest of the regular season is sure to draw a lot of media attention and its players are looking forward to the challenge. “You know everyone loves Cleveland, so you know it’s going to be a good measuring stick,” Magic forward Matt Barnes explained. “This team had success against them last year and we look to carry that on this year.” In order to carry on that success, the Magic will need to limit All-Star forward LeBron James. The perennial MVP candidate is averaging 26.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. “It’s virtually impossible,” Barnes said of defending James. “You just want to make players like him, Kobe (Bryant) and Paul Pierce earn their points. They are so offensively gifted that no one is going to shut them down. You just want to make them work for it, grind on them, beat them up a little bit and hopefully they take more shots than they make.” While there will be a lot of talk about James and the conference finals re-match, there will be an equal amount of media focus on the matchup between Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard and Cleveland center Shaquille O’Neal. Howard is on pace for another All-Star-caliber season, averaging 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game. On the other hand, O’Neal is posting 11.1 points and 7.4 boards per contest, which are much more pedestrian numbers than his career averages of 24.6 and 11.2. Still the main question will be, does O’Neal make enough of a difference to push the Cavaliers past the Magic?

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

No line on the game yet due to the injury situation with the Magic.

Game review: Magic (6-2) 93, Bobcats (3-3) 81

The Magic welcomed back Vince Carter in a bench role, as he saw his first action in a week from a sprained ankle, and he tied with Dwight Howard for the team lead in scoring with 15 points as the Magic bounced back from their debacle Sunday night against Oklahoma City.

The Bobcats' only lead of the game came at 2-0. The Magic, who shot nearly 70% in the first quarter, led 35-23 after one, and extended their lead to 57-35 in the second quarter before settling for a 57-41 halftime lead. The Bobcats made their run in the third quarter, cutting the Magic lead to 77-71 after three. The Bobcats could come no closer in the final quarter, as the Magic extended their lead to 91-77 with under 4 1/2 minutes remaining before the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter (bench): 15 points (5 of 16 FG)
Dwight Howard: 15 points (7 of 13 FGs), 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers
Brandon Bass: 14 points (7 of 9 FGs)
Mickael Pietrus: 12 points (5 of 11 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 46.9% (38 of 81) CHA 44.2% (34 of 77)
3 PT FG%: ORL 36% (9 of 25) CHA 11.8% (2 of 17)
FT%: CHA 78.6% (11 of 14) ORL 57.1% (8 of 14)
REB: CHA 39 (9 offensive) ORL 37 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 21/14 CHA 18/17
BENCH: ORL 38 CHA 21

Other game notes and statistics

-The Bobcats had 5 players in double figures, led by Raymond Felton with 18 points; Boris Diaw added 14 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and Gerald Wallace13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals
-The Magic shot 22 of 58 from the second quarter on
-The Bobcats' starting center, Tyson Chandler, had 5 fouls in just 11 minutes
-Bass scored 12 of his 14 points in the first quarter, and made his first 6 shots
-The Magic starting guard combo of Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick combined for 17 points
-The Magic remain 1/2 game out of first place behind 6-1 Miami in the SE division

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Tuesday, Nov. 10. 7:00 p.m.

Time Warner Cable Arena
Charlotte, NC


After a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, the Orlando Magic (5-2) will attempt to bounce back on Tuesday when they visit the Charlotte Bobcats (3-3) at 7 p.m. ET. The Magic went 4-0 last season against the Bobcats and have won eight of the last nine meetings overall. But in order to ensure that things get back on track against Charlotte, Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has made it clear he wants to see an improved defensive effort from his squad. “(Right now) we’re totally predicated on shooting,” Van Gundy explained after Sunday’s defeat. “We do not have any kind of defensive mindset.” Orlando has allowed five of its seven opponents to crack the 100-point plateau and is allowing the opposition to shoot 47.5 percent from the floor, which puts them at 24th overall in the NBA. While it’s easy to come down on the players’ defensive effort, the Magic have already had to deal with a number of extenuating circumstances. The Magic have played games without Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter (ankle injury), Ryan Anderson (ankle injury), Mickael Pietrus (illness), Anthony Johnson (personal reasons) and Adonal Foyle (knee injury), and as a result have had four different starting lineups in just seven contests. But still, this team isn’t making any excuses. “There’s no question (injuries are) a factor, but we can’t use that as an excuse,” All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson explained. “We have to play with who we have and keep hustling. We will get better; it is still early in the season.”

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 3 1/2 point favorites.

Four Magic players named to 2010 All-Star Ballot

From the Magic press release today:



FOUR MAGIC PLAYERS HIGHLIGHT NBA ALL-STAR BALLOT

PRESENTED BY T-MOBILE
--First Time in Balloting History Fans Can Text Their All-Star Votes--
-- Fans Can Vote on NBA.com, via Wireless Ballots and in NBA Arenas--
The Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson were all named to the 2010 NBA All-Star Ballot that was unveiled today during a

Dwight Howard, a three-time NBA All-Star, was the 2009 leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile.

special tip-off event in Dallas, the Official Host City of NBA All-Star 2010. Howard, a three-time NBA All-Star, was the 2009 leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Balloting program presented by T-Mobile with 3,150,181 votes, becoming the first player in balloting history to crack the 3 million-vote ceiling. Howard is joined by Carter, an eight-time NBA All-Star, Lewis, a two-time NBA All-Star and Nelson, who was an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2009.
NBA All-Star Balloting presented by
T-Mobile will begin this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. ET. The 2010 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before and expected crowd of more than 80,000 - the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game, on Sunday Feb. 14, 2010.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Game review: Thunder (3-3) 102, Magic (5-2) 74

The Magic, missing Rashard Lewis (suspension), Vince Carter (ankle), and Ryan Anderson (ankle), were no match for Oklahoma City Sunday night, as the Magic were dominated in virtually every statistical category, in one of their worst losses of the Stan Van Gundy era.

The Magic actually had a decent start, as they led 25-23 after one quarter. They had their largest lead of the game at 33-27 with just under nine minutes remaining in the half before things deteriorated rapidly. The Thunder outscored the Magic 26-11 the rest of the half to lead going into halftime 53-44. The Thunder scored 22 of the first 30 points in the third quarter to put the game away, and led 79-57 after three quarters. The Thunder lead swelled to 33 points in the fourth quarter before the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 20 points (5 of 10 FGs), 7 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 15 points (4 of 9 FGs), 3 steals
Jameer Nelson: 10 points (4 of 10 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: OKC 57.1% (40 of 70) ORL 36.8% (25 of 68)
3 PT FG%: OKC 56.2% (9 of 16) ORL 18.8% (3 of 16)
FT%: OKC 86.7% (13 of 15) ORL 61.8% (21 of 34)
REB: OKC 45 (4 offensive) ORL 30 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: OKC 27/17 ORL 14/15
BENCH: ORL 23 OKC 21

Other game notes and stats:

-Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 28 points; Russell Westbrook added 17 points along with 10 assists
-Thabo Sefolosha also had a double/double with 13 points, 10 rebounds
-The Magic were outscored from the field 89-53
-The Magic's two centers, Howard and Marcin Gortat combined to shoot 9 of 18 from the field; the rest of the Magic shot 16 of 50
-Pietrus made both his three point attempts; the rest of the Magic shot 1 of 14 from long range
-Four of the Thunder starters shot at least 58% from the field
-J.J. Redick shot just 2 of 11 from the field, missing all 6 of his three point attempts for the Magic

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Sunday, Nov. 8. 7:00 p.m.

Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK



Orlando’s four-game week comes to an end on Sunday as they head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder (2-3) at 7 p.m. ET. After finishing the 2008-09 campaign with the fourth-worst record in the NBA, the Thunder look like a rejuvenated franchise this season. Their young nucleus, consisting of 2007 second-overall draft pick Kevin Durant, forward Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, has put up impressive numbers to start the NBA’s 2009-10 campaign. Durant has exploded for 24.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Green is averaging 16.6 and 6.6. Russell Westbrook has distributed the ball effectively to both of Oklahoma’s fantastic forwards, notching 7.8 assists to go along with his 18.4 ppg. The key once again for Orlando will be establishing Dwight Howard down low. The Thunder currently lack an effective big man and will rely on Nenad Krstic to stop the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 6 point favorites.


Saturday, November 07, 2009

Magic injury update

Here are excerpts from Brian Schmitz's BasketBlog on orlandosentinel.com today:

Ryan Anderson wore a boot on his right foot today and said an MRI this morning showed his injury isn't especially serious -- no tear or break.

"I guess it's the best possible situation for what happened," Anderson said.

But it will keep Anderson out of some games. Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy also said Vince Carter was doubtful for Sunday's game. That means between the suspension (SF Rashard Lewis) and injuries (PF Anderson, SG Vince Carter, C Adonal Foyle) the Magic will have nine available players tomorrow night in Oklahoma City.

"It's sore and it's swollen," Anderson said. "It's pretty painful but I guess as the swelling goes down my pain will go to a central area. Hopefully it's not too bad, but I guess I sprained it in a pretty good spot."

Anderson said he wasn't told how long he would be out, that would depend on how fast his body healed. He also wasn't entirely sure how he sprained it early in the third quarter of Orlando's 110-103 win over the Detroit Pistons, but said he passed the ball and cut, then must have stepped on someone's foot.

Van Gundy said he would be shocked if Anderson recovered within a week.

Game Review: Magic (5-1) 110, Pistons (2-4) 103

The Magic rode a terrific first quarter and terrific free throw shooting to the victory despite being outscored by ten points by the Pistons in the final three quarters. The Magic had six players in double figures. Vince Carter sat out to rest his ankle, while Ryan Anderson rolled his ankle early in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.

The Magic hit their first six shots of the game and their first five three pointers as they jumped out to a 18-3 lead and led after one quarter 40-23. The Magic extended their lead to 58-39 late in the second quarter before settling for a 58-43 halftime advantage. The Magic again extended their lead to 19 points at 68-49 in the third before the Pistons cut the margin to 82-68 after three. The Pistons were finally able to get within single digits with 5 and a half minutes remaining, and got as close as 96-90 with 2:39 remaining but could get no closer as the Magic were able to extend their lead to 11 with just over a minute remaining before the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 22 points (7 of 8 FGs), 12 rebounds, 2 blocks
Matt Barnes: 18 points (4 of 12 FGs), 9 rebounds
Jameer Nelson: 18 points (8 of 15 FGs), 8 assists
J.J. Redick: 16 points (3 of 7 FGs)
Brandon Bass (bench): 13 points (5 of 9 FGs), 6 rebounds
Ryan Anderson: 11 points (4 of 7 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: DET 51.4% (38 of 74) ORL 47.4% (36 of 76)
3 PT FG%: DET 36.4% (4 of 11) ORL 28.6% (8 of 28)
FT%: ORL 85.7% (30 of 35) DET 62.2% (23 of 37)
REB: ORL 37 (9 offensive) DET 34 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/11 DET 13/11
BENCH: ORL 25 DET 25

Other game notes and stats:

-Charlie Villanueva scored 22 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter for the Pistons, and Rodney Stuckey added 20 points; Ben Gordon scored 19 points but shot just 5 of 17
-Howard became the Magic's all-time leader in blocked shots with 825, surpassing Shaquille O'Neal's mark
-The Magic shot 14 of 18 in the first quarter, but just 22 of 58 the rest of the game
-The Magic missed 20 of their final 23 three point attempts
-After shooting just 9 FTs in the first half, the Pistons attempted 28 FTs in the second half
-The Magic and Pistons both scored 80 points from the field, but the Magic had a decisive 30-23 edge at the FT line

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com