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.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Game review: Magic (40-20) 96, Heat (29-31) 80


Despite Dwyane Wade's unexpected return from injury and Dwight Howard's sub-par game, the Magic received balanced scoring and an excellent defense effort in holding Miami to 32 second half points in the victory.

The Magic led by no ore than 5 points and the Heat no more than 4 points in the first quarter as the Magic led after one 26-24. The Magic led 33-26 in the second quarter but saw the Heat come back to lead 40-38. The Magic then went on a 14-5 run to lead 52-45 before settling for a 52-48 halftime lead. The Heat came as close as 59-58 with 5:34 remaining but the Magic went on a 17-6 tun to end the third and led 76-64 going into the fourth. The Magic maintained a double digit lead in the fourth quarter until 2:08 remaining when the Heat came to within 88-80, but the Heat would not score again for the rest of the game.

Magic leading scorers

Rashard Lewis: 22 points (8 of 14 FGs, 2 of 7 3 PT FGs)
Vince Carter: 17 points (7 of 10 FGs, 2 of 4 3 PT FGs), 2 steals
J.J. Redick (bench): 15 points (3 of 7 FG, 2 of 4 3 PT FGs, 7 of 7 FTs)
Jameer Nelson: 12 points (3 of 8 FGs, 5 of 6 FTs) 4 assists, 1 turnover

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 45.7% (32 of 70) MIA 39% (30 of 77)
3 PT FG%: MIA 37.5% (6 of 16) ORL 29.2% (7 of 24)
FT%: ORL 83.3% (25 of 30) MIA 77.8% (14 of 18)
REB: MIA 38 (11 offensive) ORL 37 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: MIA 17/15 ORL 15/8
BENCH: ORL 34 MIA 23

Other game notes and stats:

-Dwight Howard saw his Magic team-record of 20 straight double/doubles come to an end, as he had 7 points on 1 of 7 shooting, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks as he played just 25 minutes and wound up with 5 fouls
-Marcin Gortat, in 23 minutes of playing time due to Howard's foul trouble, played well with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks
-Carter and Lewis combined to score 39 points for the Magic on 15 of 24 shooting compared to their 17 point effort on 6 of 21 shooting Friday
-Wade, in his return, led Miami with 21 points but shot just 6 of 17 with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers and scored just 4 second half points; Jermaine O'Neal added 16 points and 6 rebounds
-Former Magic PG Rafer Alston, shooting just over 34% entering the game, scored 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting, including 4 of 6 on threes
-Quentin Richardson led the Heat with 10 rebounds
-Last year's second pick of the draft, Michael Beasley, scored just 1 point in 18 minutes
-The Magic made just 1 of their first 10 three pointers, then made 6 of their final 14 attempts
-The Magic outscored the Heat 44-32 in the second half
-Matt Barnes led the Magic with 8 rebounds
-Brandon Bass was the reserve PF for the Magic instead of Ryan Anderson and scored 2 points with 3 rebounds in 16 minutes

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

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC vs. MIAMI HEAT
Sunday, Feb. 28. 7:00 p.m. ESPN
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL

It’s a matchup that determines Sunshine State bragging rights. The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat each want to represent their home state well, and on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, they each will have the opportunity to do that at Amway Arena. The Heat have won both meetings this season, the first on Nov. 25 in Orlando and the second on Dec. 17 in Miami. Dwyane Wade has always played spectacular against the Magic. The MVP of the 2010 All-Star Game and 2006 NBA Finals MVP racked up 50 points in O-Town last season. Recently, however, Wade has been out of the lineup with a mild strained left calf muscle, and he is doubtful for tonight's game. The Heat are coming off a miserable 94-71 home loss to Milwaukee Saturday.


Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Miami 29-30 3rd Southeast / 8th East 95.9 95.0 Road 15-16 Lost 3 5-5
Orlando 39-20
1st Southeast / 2nd East


101.2 95.8 Home 22-6 Lost 1 6-4
Here is the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Game review: Hornets (31-28) 100, Magic (39-20) 93


The Magic were unable to hang onto an 18 point third quarter lead as New Orleans, led by David West's 40 points, outscored the Magic 28-13 in the fourth quarter for the victory. The Magic were led by Dwight Howard with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but Howard scored just 2 points in the final quarter.

The Hornets led the entire first quarter, leading by as many as 6 points before settling for a 26-21 lead after one. They Hornets had a 30-23 lead early in the second quarter before the Magic went on a 13-2 run to lead 36-32, and went on a 9-2 run to end the half to lead 56-46 at the half. The Magic continued their strong play to start the second half, as they had their largest lead of the game at 71-53 before things fell apart for the Magic. The Hornets went on a 16-4 run to cut their deficit to 75-69, and trailed the Magic 80-72 going into the fourth quarter. The Hornets took back the lead at 81-80 as the Magic went nearly the first four minutes of the quarter without scoring. J.J. Redick's three pointer put the Magic back up temporarily 83-81, and they led 84-81 before the Hornets went on a 19-6 run to put the game away, as the Magic's last lead was 86-85 with 4:27 left. The Magic attempted five straight three pointers after that, and missed them all. The Magic shot a miserable 4 of 18 in the fourth, including 2 of 13 on threes. Howard attempted just three fourth quarter shots, making one. The Hornets shot 10 of 19 in the fourth quarter, and made 5 of their last 6 shot attempts.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 26 points (11 of 18 FGs), 10 rebounds, 3 blocks
Jameer Nelson: 19 points (9 of 14 FGs), 11 assists, 5 turnovers
J.J. Redick (bench): 11 points (4 of 8 FGs)
Matt Barnes: 10 points (4 of 7 FGs), 6 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 49.4% (38 of 77) NO 48.1% (39 of 81)
3 PT FG%: NO 37.5% (3 of 8) ORL 25.9% (7 of 27)
FT%: NO 76% (19 of 25) ORL 62.5% (10 of 16)
REB: NO 43 (12 offensive) ORL 38 (11 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/18 NO 13/12
BENCH: NO 26 ORL 21

Other game notes and stats:

-West grabbed 10 rebounds to go along with his 40 points and shot 16 of 24
-Darren Collison added 16 points and 7 assists for the Hornets; Marcus Thornton came off the bench to score 18 points
-Aaron Gray played well off the bench for the Hornets, scoring 6 points along with 7 rebounds and defending well against Dwight Howard; James Posey grabbed 9 rebounds off the bench
-Rashard Lewis (9 points) and Vince Carter (8 points) combined to shoot 6 of 21 from the field, including 3 of 12 on threes and 2 of 5 on free throws, with 5 turnovers
-Howard played nearly 43 minutes
-Jason Williams added 4 assists off the bench
-After scoring 35 second quarter points, the Magic scored just 37 points in the whole second half and were outscored 54-37 in the second half
-West and Collison scored 56 of the Hornets' starters' 74 points; the other three starters scored a combined 18 points
-Other than West, the other four Hornets' starters shot a combined 12 of 38
-The Magic made just 2 of 15 three pointers in the second half before Carter's meaningless three in the final seconds

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

Friday, February 26, 2010

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC at NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
Friday, Feb. 26. 9:30 p.m. ESPN
New Orleans Arena
New Orleans, LA


If Friday’s contest against the New Orleans Hornets (30-28, 19-9 home) is anything like the meeting they had at Amway Arena two weeks ago, make sure your refrigerator is filled with all the necessary snacks required for a heart-thumping, unruly and turbulent extravaganza. In their last game, the Magic and Hornets competed in an all-time classic. Behind Vince Carter’s historic 48-point performance, Orlando rallied from behind to defeat New Orleans. The Hornets, as a result, will have revenge on their agenda this time around. The Hornets have been rejuvenated by the extraordinary play from rookie sensation Darren Collison. The point guard out of UCLA recorded his first career triple-double against Indiana last Friday and followed with a 26-point, nine-assist effort against Houston last Sunday. With Paul’s return on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what the Hornets do with him and Collison in the lineup. The Magic, meanwhile, hope to re-establish their dominance on the road. Orlando is 17-13 away from Amway Arena this season.



Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 39-19 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.3 95.7 Road 17-13 Won 2 7-3
New Orleans 30-28 3rd Southwest / 9th West 99.8 101.3 Home 19-9 Lost 2 4-6

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 5 point favorites.


Thursday, February 25, 2010

Game review: Magic (39-19) 110, Rockets (29-29) 92


Dwight Howard set a Magic franchise record with his 19th straight double/double (30 points, 16 rebounds) and also set a franchise record as he made 11 field goals without a miss, as three other Magic players scored in double figures. The Magic led by as many as 27 points in the third quarter before Houston made a run but could get no closer than 9 points.

The Rockets jumped out to an early 9-4 lead, as Howard committed 2 fouls in the first 22 seconds and sat out the rest of the first quarter, but the Magic quickly took control and led 21-14 before settling for a 23-18 lead heading into the second quarter. The Rockets got to within 23-22, but later in the quarter the Magic went on a 27-8 run to lead 60-37 before they led comfortably at the half 60-40. The Magic extended their lead to 69-42 with under nine minutes remaining before the Rockets went on a 32-16 run to cut the Magic lead to 85-74 after three quarters. The Magic maintained a double digit lead through much of the final quarter, but the Rockets climbed within 9 points on 2 occasions, the last time at 97-88 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. The Magic quickly put the game away after that with a 13-4 run to close the game.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 30 points (11 of 11 FGs, 8 of 12 FTs), 16 rebounds, 1 block
Jameer Nelson: 17 points (7 of 15 FGs, 3 of 5 3 PT FGs), 9 assists, 1 turnover
Vince Carter: 16 points (6 of 9 FGs), 7 assists, 5 rebounds
Rashard Lewis: 13 points (6 of 15 FGs), 4 steals

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 49.4% (43 of 87) HOU 42.9% (33 of 77)
3 PT FG%: HOU 50% (12 of 24) ORL 29% (9 of 31)
FT%: HOU 73.7% (14 of 19) ORL 68.2% (15 of 22)
REB: ORL 46 (12 offensive) HOU 37 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 27/9 HOU 22/15
BENCH: HOU 33 ORL 27

Other game notes and stats:

-Four Rockets scored in double figures, led by Aaron Brooks with 24 points with 8 assists; Shane Battier added 14 points with 9 rebounds; newcomer Kevin Martin added 19 points; Chase Budinger scored 13 points with 6 assists off the bench
-Former Magic swingman Trevor Ariza did not play for the Rockets because of an injured hip
-Marcin Gortat led the Magic bench with 7 points and 7 rebounds; three other Magic reserves scored 6 points
-J.J. Redick (3 of 12), Mickael Pietrus (2 of 8), and Jason Williams (1 of 4) combined to shoot 6 of 24 off the Magic bench, but Redick added 4 assists
-The Magic starting frontcourt outscored the Rockets' starting frontcourt (Battier, Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes) 50-16 and outrenounded them 24-16
-The Magic shot 34 of 56 on two pointers and outscored the Rockets 68-42 from two point range, while the Rockets shot 21 of 53 on twos
-The Rockets' starting backcourt (Brooks, Martin) combined to shoot 14 of 36 from the field
-The Magic allowed just 18 fourth quarter points after allowing 34 points in the third quarter

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

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC at HOUSTON ROCKETS
Wednesday, Feb. 24. 8:30 p.m.
Toyota Center
Houston, TX

Fresh off a thrilling win over the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic (38-19, 16-13 road) look to build on their momentum when they visit the Houston Rockets (28-27, 15-12 home) at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. In their only meeting with the Rockets this season, the Magic rolled to a 102-87 home victory. Eight-time All-Star Vince Carter led a balanced Orlando scoring attack in that affair, posting a team-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Houston had no answer for Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard, who notched 13 points, 20 rebounds and four blocked shots. While things have been going extremely well for Orlando, which has won 12 of its past 16 games, Houston has struggled to find consistency. The Rockets have won just four of their last 13 contests and are coming off two straight losses to the Hornets and Pacers. Houston, which participated in a three-team trade right before the deadline, is still looking to get newcomers like Kevin Martin and Jared Jeffries properly implemented into its rotation.


Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 38-19 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.1 95.8 Road 16-13 Won 1 7-3
Houston 28-27 4th Southwest / 10th West 101.0 100.9 Home 15-12 Lost 2 4-6

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The week ahead for the Magic


The Orlando Magic begin the week with a record of 38-19 (22-6 home, 16-13 road, 7-3 last 10 games), in first place in the SE, 2 games ahead of second place Atlanta. The Magic are the second seed in the East, 5 games behind first seed Cleveland and 1 1/2 games ahead of third seed Boston.

The Magic schedule for this week:

Wednesday Feb. 24: at Houston (28-27, 15-12 home) 4-6 last 10 games
Friday Feb. 26th: at New Orleans (30-26, 19-9 home) 5-5 last 10 games
Sunday Feb. 28th: Miami (29-28, 15-16 road) 5-5 last 10 games

Another challenging week for the Magic, with two road games against winning teams and a home game against a team they have yet to beat this season in two tries. The Magic are coming off an exciting win over Cleveland, and will be trying to continue their momentum from that win. Dwight Howard also was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for last week.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Dwight Howard named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

From the Orlando Magic press release:

For the third time this season and 10th of his career, the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Feb. 15-21. Howard paced the league in rebounds (16.3 rpg) and blocks (5.3 bpg), and was fifth in scoring (28.0 ppg), leading Orlando to a 2-1 week. On Feb. 21, Howard tied a franchise record for most consecutive double-doubles (18), tallying 22 points and 16 rebounds in a win over Cleveland. On Feb. 17, Howard scored 33 points in a win over Detroit, moving him ahead of Shaquille O’Neal (8,019) for third on the Magic’s all-time scoring list. This is Howard’s third Player of the Week award this season.

Here is a recap of the week for Howard:

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Feb. 17 vs. Detroit:
Recorded 33 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists in a 116-91 win over the Pistons.
Feb. 19 vs. Dallas: Scored 29 points and added 16 rebounds and five blocks in a 95-85 loss to the Mavericks.
Feb. 21 vs. Cleveland: Tallied 22 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and two assists in a 101-95 win over the Cavaliers.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Game review: Magic (38-19) 101, Cavaliers (43-14) 95


In an exciting game where the lead changed hands several times in the second half, the Magic prevailed for their first win over Cleveland this season as they outscored the Cavaliers 21-10 to end the game. The Cavaliers now have lost 3 games in a row for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Dwight Howard scored 22 points along with 16 rebounds to lead the Magic. The "Big Three" of Cleveland, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, and Antawn Jamison, combined for 72 points.

The Magic led the entire first half with a lead of 25-18 after the first quarter, and had their largest lead of the Game at 46-35 with 3:37 remaining in the second quarter before the Cavaliers cut their deficit to 49-43 at halftime. The Cavaliers completed a 14-0 run in the third quarter for a 54-49 lead, and had their largest lead of the game at 62-55 with just over 7 minutes remaining. The Magic came back to lead 72-71 with just over a minute remaining before the Cavaliers took the lead back 75-74 heading into the fourth quarter. The Magic scored the first 5 points of the fourth quarter to take a 79-75 lead, but then watched as the Cavaliers scored 8 in a row to go ahead 83-79. The Cavaliers had a 85-80 lead with 6:56 remaining before the Magic took control with a 16-3 run to take the lead for good, as the closest the Cavs got after that was 96-93 with 1:16 remaining before the solid finish by the Magic, as the Cavaliers missed 13 of their final 17 shots, while the Magic made their final 7 shots from the field.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 22 points (7 of 15 FGs), 8 of 13 FTs), 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, 0 turnovers
Jameer Nelson: 18 points (8 of 13 FGs, 2 of 3 3 PT FGs), 5 assists, 5 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 15 points (5 of 12 FGs, 2of 6 3 PT FGs), 2 steals
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 13 points (5 of 6 FGs, 2 of 3 3 PT FGs)
Vince Carter: 11 points (4 of 9 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 50.7% (37 of 73) CLE 46.3% (38 of 82)
3 PT FG%: ORL 40% (8 of 20) CLE 18.8% (3 of 16)
FT%: ORL 70.4% (19 of 27) CLE 64% (16 of 25)
REB: CLE 43 (9 offensive) ORL 34 (6 offensive)
AST/TO: CLE 15/14 ORL 13/11
BENCH: CLE 30 ORL 28

Other game notes and stats:

-The Cavaliers' LeBron James finished 33 points (12 of 25 FGs), 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, but did not make a field goal in the fourth quarter until 16 seconds were left and the outcome was already decided
-Shaquille O'Neal added 20 points (9 of 10 FGs) with 5 rebounds for the Cavs, with newcomer Antawn Jamison scoring 19 points (9 of 14 FGs), with 8 rebounds
-In total, James, O'Neal, and Jamison scored 72 of the Cavaliers' 95 points on 30 of 49 FGs; no one else had more than 6 points for the Cavs
-The remaining 7 Cavalier players combined for 23 points on 8 of 33 FGs
-Howard scored just 1 point and took just 1 shot attempt in the fourth quarter for the Magic, but Carter and Nelson each scored 8 points in the fourth
-Howard did not have a single turnover in 43 1/2 minutes
-The Magic did not miss any of their 7 shot attempts in the final 6 1/2 minutes
-The Cavaliers' starting guards (Anthony Parker, Mo Williams), combined for just 8 points on 2 of 13 shooting, while the reserve guards (West, Gibson) combined for 7 points on 2 of 10 shooting
-In total, the 4 Cavaliers' guards scored 15 points on 4 of 23 shooting
-Brandon Bass was the first power forward off the bench for the Magic, scoring 6 points in 11 minutes as Ryan Anderson did not see action
-Pietrus and J.J. Redick combined for 22 points off the Magic bench on 7 for 11 FGs, including 4 of 7 on three pointers
-Jamison fouled out for the Cavaliers, while O'Neal was charged with 5 fouls and Howard with 4 fouls

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

Game day preview


ORLANDO MAGIC vs. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Sunday, Feb. 21. 1:00 p.m. ABC
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL

The Orlando Magic (37-19, 21-6 home) will seek some much-desired retribution when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers (43-13, 19-9 road) on national TV Sunday at 1 PM on ABC. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses Friday.

In the Magic’s loss to the Cavs on Feb. 11, Dwight Howard racked up 19 points and 11 rebounds and Rashard Lewis scored 19. James, meanwhile, led everyone with 32 points and 13 assists. Howard, however, is not concerned. "Cleveland beat us twice this year and they are having a really good season,'' he said. "But sometimes it not at all about what you do in the season; it's about the playoffs.”


Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Cleveland 43-13 1st Central / 1st East 101.7 94.9 Road 19-9 Lost 2 8-2
Orlando 37-19 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.1 95.8 Home 21-6 Lost 1 7-3

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 2 point favorites.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Game review: Mavericks (34-21) 95, Magic (37-19) 85


The Magic were unable to overcome horrible three point shooting and the worst game of the season from the bench as they were unable to hold an 11 point third quarter lead in losing to the Mavericks. Dwight Howard (29 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks) led the Magic.

Dallas led 19-14 midway through the first quarter before the Magic ended the quarter strong on a 19-4 run to lead 33-23 after one. The Magic led by as much 37-25 in the second quarter before the Mavericks cut the Magic lead to 47-42 at the half. The Mavericks came as close as one point on two occasions in the third quarter before the Magic extended their lead to 69-58. The Mavericks scored the last 7 points of the quarter and the first 12 points of the fourth quarter for a 19-0 run to take the lead 77-69. The Magic would not lead again, as the closest they would come was 81-78 with just under 5 minutes left. The Magic made just 3 of their final 12 shots as the Mavericks pulled away.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 29 points (11 of 19 FGs, 7 of 10 FTs, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks)
Vince Carter: 16 points (7 of 15 FGs, 2 of 5 3 PT FGs), 5 assists
Jameer Nelson: 16 points (8 of 15 FGs, 6 assists)
Rashard Lewis: 12 points (4 of 10 FGs, 2 of 7 3 PT FGs), 2 steals

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: DAL 45.2% (38 of 84) ORL 41.4% (36 of 87)
3 PT FG%: DAL 33.3% (5 of 15) ORL 16.0% (4 of 25)
FT%: DAL 77.8% (14 of 18) ORL 75% (9 of 12)
REB: ORL 47 (12 offensive) DAL 45 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: DAL 23/11 ORL 18/13
BENCH: DAL 27 ORL 6

Other game notes and stats:

-Five Mavericks scored in double figures, led by Dirk Nowitzki with 23 points; newcomers Caron Butler (16 points, 7 rebounds) and Brendan Haywood (15 points, 9 rebounds) played well, while Jason Kidd added 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 steals
-Jason Terry scored 16 points off the Mavericks' bench
-Marcin Gortat led the Magic bench with 4 points on 2 of 3 shooting
-The other four Magic reserves (Williams, Redick, Pietrus, and Anderson), combined to score 2 points on 1 of 16 shooting, including 0 for 10 on threes
-Pietrus (1 for 6), Anderson (0 for 5), and Redick (0 for 4) combined to shoot 1 for 15, including 0 for 9 on threes
-The Magic made 2 of their first 4 three pointers, then made just 2 of their final 21 three pointers
-The Mavericks' bench combined to score 27 points on 10 of 18 shooting
-Only Carter (2 of 5) and Lewis (2 of 7) made a three for the Magic
-The Magic shot 13 of 20 (65%) in the first quarter, and 23 of 67 from the second quarter on

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

Friday, February 19, 2010

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC vs. DALLAS MAVERICKS
Friday, Feb. 19. 8:00 p.m. ESPN
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL


When Caron Butler buried a game-winning jumper in Orlando two weeks ago, the Magic probably figured they wouldn’t have to see him again any time soon. The Dallas Mavericks (33-21, 17-12 road), the Magic’s opponent on Friday, cancelled that idea however when they acquired Butler from the Washington Wizards during the All-Star break. Some hoops analysts suggest that the addition of Butler along with Brendan Haywood catapults the Mavericks into the elite class of the Western Conference. They now feature a lineup that includes Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Butler and Haywood. Not bad at all. Orlando (37-18, 21-5 home) will certainly need to deliver its A game, and it all starts with Dwight Howard. The MVP candidate has been extraordinary as of late – recording 16 straight double-doubles. This matchup will also be an intriguing test to see how the Magic respond against one of the West’s best. The last time they competed against a first-rate Western Conference squad, the Magic played very well. Despite falling short against the L.A. Lakers in the finale of a West Coast road trip recently, Orlando showed it can keep up with the upper echelon teams. The Magic will also be looking for some revenge. They lost to the Mavericks at home last season.


Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Dallas 33-21 1st Southwest / 4th West 101.1 99.5 Road 17-12 Won 1 4-6
Orlando 37-18 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.4 95.8 Home 21-5 Won 1 8-2

Here is the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 6 point favorites.


Thursday, February 18, 2010

Magic stand pat as trade deadline passes

As expected, the Orlando Magic have decided to stick with their current team for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.

GM Otis Smith had said a few days ago that the Magic wouldn't make a trade unless it was something that knocked his socks off. Obviously, no such scenario occurred.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Game review: Magic (37-18) 116, Pistons (19-34) 91


Dwight Howard scored a season-high 33 points along with 17 rebounds and 7 blocks as the Magic broke open a tight game at the half and outscored Detroit 60-36 in the second half for a rare blowout victory over their nemesis, despite Richard "Rip" Hamilton's game-high 36 points. Vince Carter (20 points) and Jameer Nelson (9 assists) also played well in the Magic win.

Detroit jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead early, but the Magic came back to lead the Pistons 30-25 going into the second quarter. The Magic extended their lead to 50-39 with 4:10 remaining in the half, but the Pistons went on a 13-1 run to go ahead 52-51 late in the quarter before the Magic took a 56-55 lead going into halftime. The Magic extended their lead to 80-68 with 2:48 remaining, but the Pistons cut the Magic lead to 83-77 entering the fourth quarter. Detroit briefly came within 83-79 early in the fourth, but the Magic quickly pulled away outscoring the Pistons 33-12 the rest of the way.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 33 points (11 of 16 FGs, 11 of 13 FGs), 17 rebounds, 7 blocks, 1 turnover
Vince Carter: 20 points (8 of 12 FGs, 3 of 5 3 PT FGs), 4 assists
Jameer Nelson: 14 points (6 of 10 FGs), 9 assists, 1 turnover
Rashard Lewis: 13 points (5 of 13 FGs), 5 rebounds, 3 steals
Ryan Anderson (bench): 11 points (4 of 7 FGs, 2 of 4 3 PT FGs), 6 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 51.2% (42 of 82) DET 42.5% (34 of 80)
3 PT FG%: ORL 34.5% (10 of 29) DET 33.3% (3 of 9)
FT%: ORL 84.6% (22 of 26) DET 74.1% (20 of 27)
REB: ORL 40 (9 offensive) DET 39 (11 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 26/11 DET 21/16
BENCH: ORL 32 DET 13

Other game notes and stats:

-Hamilton scored his 36 points on 12 of 18 shooting; three other Pistons scored in double figures with Tayshaun Prince scoring 13 points with 8 rebounds and Rodney Stuckey scoring 11 points with 7 assists
-The Pistons' Ben Gordon was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter and scored just 6 points
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Pistons' starting frontline 50-31 and outrebounded them 25-17
-Nelson and Carter combined to score 34 points on 14 of 22 shooting along with 13 assists
-The Pistons' bench combined to shoot 6 of 21 from the field
-The Magic connected on 7 of 17 three pointers in the second half
-Jason Williams added 4 points with 5 assists in 16 minutes off the bench

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

Here are the details on the big three team trade that sent Antawn Jamison from Washington to Cleveland from cbssports.com.

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC vs. DETROIT PISTONS
Wednesday, Feb. 17. 7:00 p.m.
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL

With the All-Star break now behind them, the Orlando Magic (36-18, 20-5 home) will tip off the second half of their push for the postseason on Wednesday when they host the rival Detroit Pistons (19-33, 6-18 road) for the final time this season at 7 p.m. ET. After dropping their first matchup in Detroit this season, the Magic have rattled off two straight victories against the Pistons. In their last meeting on Jan. 31, superstar center Dwight Howard erupted for 16 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots to help Orlando earn a 91-86 road win and secure Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy's place in the All-Star Game. The Magic will need another superb performance out of Howard if they hope to notch a victory against an opponent that always brings a high level of intensity and finds a way to give them trouble. "That is how they play," Van Gundy said about Detroit. "They play very, very hard." While Orlando is looking to build upon on the first half of its season, the Pistons are attempting to put their pre-All-Star performance behind them. Perennial playoff-contender Detroit finds itself with the fourth-worst record in the Eastern Conference.


Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Detroit 19-33 4th Central / 12th East 92.0 96.4 Road 6-18 Won 1 4-6
Orlando 36-18 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.2 95.9 Home 20-5 Lost 1 7-3

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 12 point favorites.

Also, check out this interview by John Denton of the Magic's official web site with Magic GM Otis Smith.



Monday, February 15, 2010

Van Gundy coaches East to win in All-Star Game


The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 141-139 in Sunday's All-Star Game in Dallas, which saw a record crowd of over 108,000. Miami's Dwyane Wade was MVP.

The Magic's Dwight Howard scored 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting, and even sank a three point field goal in two attempts. D12 also grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.

Here is the complete recap and box score from Yahoo! Sports.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Magic at the All-Star Break


The Orlando Magic are currently in first place in the SE Division, with a record of 36-18, 20-5 at home and 16-13 on the road. Only two other NBA teams have a better record than the Magic (Cleveland, LA Lakers). They have a conference record of 25-11, and a divisional record of 6-4. The Magic are 1 1/2 games ahead of second place Atlanta. The Magic hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing number one seed Cleveland (43-11) by 7 games, but are 1 1/2 games ahead of the third seed Hawks (33-18) and 2 games ahead of fourth seed Boston (32-18). The three teams have 18 losses, but the Magic hold the tiebreaker over both teams.

The Magic are averaging 101.2 points per game (13th) and allowing an average of 95.9 (7th).

Here is the Magic schedule for the upcoming week:

Wednesday, Feb. 17th: Detroit (18-33, 6-18 road, 3-7 last 10 games)
Friday, Feb. 19th: Dallas (32-20, 17-11 road, 4-6 last 10 games)
Sunday, Feb. 21st: Cleveland (43-11, 19-8 road, 13 game winning streak)

Even though all three games are home games, it's definitely not an easy week for the Magic, but hopefully the All-Star Break will have allowed time for rest and for nagging injuries to heal.

The Pistons, no matter how bad they are struggling, always give the Magic a tough contest. Dallas completed a big 7 player trade with Washington that netted them Magic killer Caron Butler, former Magic guard DeShawn Stevenson, and center Brendan Haywood. Cleveland is the best team in the NBA record-wise, and rumors have them attempting to trade for Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire before the trade deadline later this week.

Despite all the Magic's ups and downs since the start of the new year, they still have the third best record in the NBA. Their chances of catching the Cavaliers are extremely slim in their remaining 28 games, but as long as the Magic can stay healthy and continue their recent improved team chemistry the last 13 games, the Magic will be a dangerous team in the playoffs.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Game review: Cavaliers (43-11) 115, Magic (36-18) 106


Led by LeBron James' 32 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds, Cleveland went on an 18-2 run during a 6 minute stretch late in the fourth quarter to break open what had been a close game. James had plenty of help from his supporting cast, as forwards J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao combined to score 36 points. Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis each scored 19 points to lead the Magic; but, Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter each struggled offensively.

The Magic started off well, leading 12-7. The Cavaliers then went on a 19-2 run to go ahead 26-14, and led 37-23 after a quarter. The Magic gradually ate away at the Cavs' lead in the second quarter, coming as close as 64-63 late in the quarter before the Cavaliers scored the last bucket of the half to make it 66-63 Cleveland at halftime. The Magic started the third quarter very well, outscoring the Cavaliers 16-6 for their largest lead of the game at 79-72. The Cavaliers then went on a 15-4 run to lead 87-83 going into the fourth. Trailing 90-83, the Magic went on a 15-4 run to reclaim the lead at 96-94 with 7:11 remaining. The Magic went ice cold for the next 6 minutes, missing 8 shots in row as the Cavaliers surged on a 18-2 run to put the game away as they led 112-98 with 1:11 remaining.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 19 points (6 of 9 FGs, 7 of 10 FTs), 11 rebounds, 2 blocks
Rashard Lewis: 19 points (6 of 14 FGs, 3 of 9 3 PT FGs)
Vince Carter: 14 points (5 of 16 FGs, 0 for 2 3 PT FGs)
Jameer Nelson: 13 points (4 of 14 FGs, 1 of 5 3 PT FGs), 5 assists, 4 turnovers
Jason Williams (bench): 10 points (4 of 4 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: CLE 52.4% (44 of 84) ORL 48.0% (36 of 75)
3 PT FG%: CLE 45% (9 of 20) ORL 38.5% (10 of 26)
FT%: ORL 77.4% (24 of 31) CLE 72% (18 of 25)
REB: CLE 40 (11 offensive) ORL 36 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: CLE 28/7 ORL 18/13
BENCH: CLE 35 ORL 32

Other game notes and stats:

-In addition to James, 4 other Cavaliers scored in double figures; J.J. Hickson added 20 points on 9 of 14 shooting and Anderson Varejao added 16 points on 8 of 11 shooting as the two combined to shoot 17 of 25
-Former Magic center Shaquille O'Neal scored 10 points with 6 rebounds
-Delonte West returned for the Cavaliers after missing several weeks with a broken finger and scored 8 points with 6 assists
-Guard Anthony Parker had 3 steals to lead the Cavaliers
-James, Daniel Gibson, and West combined for 24 assists and just 3 turnovers
-Nelson and Carter combined to shoot 9 of 30 for the Magic, including 1 of 7 on three pointers along with 7 turnovers
-The Magic starting frontcourt was outscored by the Cavaliers' starting frontcourt 62-47
-Jason Williams and J.J. Redick combined to score 18 points off the Magic bench on 7 of 7 shooting
-Howard and O'Neal each finished with 5 personal fouls, with Howard playing 31 minutes and O'Neal 19 minutes
-Howard did not attempt a shot in the final 7 1/2 minutes of the game
-The Cavaliers solidified their hold on the number one seed in the East, as they now lead the Magic by 7 games

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

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Thursday, Feb. 11. 8:00 p.m. TNT
Quicken Loans Arena
Cleveland, OH

It’s the matchup Orlando Magic fans have been waiting for. It’s a contest that may go a long way in determining who has the upper hand in the Eastern Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers (42-11, 23-3 home) and Magic (36-17, 16-12 road), each seeded No. 1 and 2 respectively in the East at the beginning of the week, will clash in a pivotal meeting on Thursday, the final night before the All-Star break, at 8 p.m. ET in the Forest City. This will be the second meeting between these two clubs this season. The Cavaliers won in O-Town in November. Last season, Cleveland and Orlando battled in a memorable playoff series, featuring extraordinary comebacks by the Magic, a game-winning buzzer-beater by LeBron James and a monster performance by Dwight Howard to seal Orlando’s trip to the NBA Finals. Unlike 2008-09, however, each team’s roster is vastly different. The Cavs possess one of the game’s all-time greatest centers in Shaquille O’Neal and the Magic have eight-time All-Star Vince Carter to go along with a deeper bench. Although they will be exhausted playing for the fifth time in seven days, the Magic understand how important this game is and one can expect them to come out with a vengeance in front of a national audience. This is a can’t-miss showdown for Magic fans.

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 36-17 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.1 95.6 Road 16-12 Won 3 8-2
Cleveland 42-11 1st Central / 1st East 101.4 94.0 Home 23-3 Won 12 10-0

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Cavaliers are 6 point favorites.

Game review: Magic (36-17 ) 107, Bulls (25-26) 87


Chicago, playing their 4th game in 5 nights, and without center Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) and without point guard Derrick Rose after Rose had to leave the game 2 1/2 minutes into it with a bruised hip, was no match for the Magic as the Magic never trailed and led by as many as 29 points in the third quarter and never let the Bulls get closer than 19 points in the second half. Seven Magic players scored in double figures, and no one scored more than 18 points.

The Magic led 9-3 before Rose drove for a layup and was fouled hard by Dwight Howard at the 9:36 mark. Rose left the game after completing the three point play. The Magic dominated from that point on, as they made 11 of their first 13 shots and led 41-17 after one. The Magic led by as much as 67-41 before settling for a 67-45 halftime lead. The Magic had their largest lead of the game at 89-60 late in the third quarter and led 89-64 going into the fourth, and cruised to the victory.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 18 points (7 of 10 FGs), 14 rebounds, 5 turnovers
Vince Carter: 15 points (6 of 10 FGs, 3 of 3 3 PT FG), 5 rebounds
Matt Barnes: 14 points (4 of 6 FGs, 2 of 3 3 PT FG), 5 rebounds
Rashard Lewis: 11 points (4 of 11 FGs, 1 of 7 3 PT FG), 3 steals
Jameer Nelson: 11 points (4 of 7 FGs) 6 assists
Jason Williams (bench): 10 points (4 of 8 FGs, 2 of 5 3 PT FG)
J.J. Redick (bench): 10 points (2 of 5 FGs, 5 of 5 FTs), 5 rebounds, 4 assists

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 46.8% (37 of 79) CHI 36.8% (32 of 87)
3 PT FG%: ORL 37.5% (12 of 32) CHI 21.1% (4 of 19)
FT%: ORL 84% (21 of 25) CHI 82.6% (19 of 23)
REB: ORL 51 (8 offensive) CHI 41 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 22/17 CHI 18/13
BENCH: CHI 49 ORL 38

Other game notes and stats:

-Four Bulls' players scored in double figures, led by Luol Deng with 23 points, 7 rebounds; Tyrus Thomas came off the bench to score 16 points
-The Magic starting frontcourt outscored the Bulls' starting frontcourt 43-25 and outrebounded them 20-14
-All five Magic starters just played between 24 and 28 minutes
-Magic backup center Marcin Gortat added 12 rebounds and 3 blocks in 23 minutes
-Of Magic reserve's Mickael Pietrus 9 shot attempts, 8 were three pointers; he made 3, and finished with 9 points
-Only Anthony Johnson did not see any action for the Magic
-The Bulls' guards Kirk Hinrich, Devin Brown, and Jannero Pargo combined to shoot 8 of 29 from the field
-The Magic gained a game against both Atlanta and Boston in the conference standings

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

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Game night preview


ORLANDO MAGIC at CHICAGO BULLS
Wednesday, Feb. 10. 8:00 p.m.
United Center
Chicago, IL






Team
Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 35-17 1st Southeast / 2nd East 101.0 95.7 Road 15-12 Won 2 8-2
Chicago 25-25 2nd Central / 6th East
95.4 97.7 Home 15-8 Won 2 7-3















Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 4 point favorites.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Game review: Magic (35-17) 123, Hornets (27-25) 117


Led by Vince Carter's 48 points, his best game in a Magic uniform, the Magic were able to overcome a 15 point halftime deficit and an 11 point fourth quarter deficit to New Orleans.

The Magic got off to a quick 12-5 lead to open the game, but the Hornets came back to take a 32-28 lead after one. The Magic continued to struggle defensively in the second quarter, as they gave up 38 points to the Hornets as they scored 70 first half points to lead 70-55 at the half. The Hornets scored the first basket of the second half for their largest lead of the game at 72-55 before the Magic started their comeback. The Magic went on a 28-12 run to come within 84-83 before the Hornets extended their lead to 94-87 going into the fourth. The Hornets extended their lead back to double digits at 104-93 with 8:09 remaining before the Magic went on a 18-3 run to lead 111-107 with 3 minutes remaining. The Hornets got as close as 120-117 with 25.8 seconds remaining before Rashard Lewis free throws sealed the win for the Magic.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 48 points (19 of 27 FGs, 6 of 10 3 PT FGs, 4 of 4 FTs), 7 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 25 points (8 of 13 FGs, 9 of 13 FTs), 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 5 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 18 points (5 of 9 FGs, 3 of 5 3 PT FGs), 2 steals

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 54.2% (45 of 83) NO 51.7% (46 of 89)
3 PT FG%: NO 50% (9 of 18) ORL 46.2% (12 of 26)
FT%: NO 84.2% (16 of 19) ORL 75% (21 of 28)
REB: ORL 41 (6 offensive) NO 33 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: NO 21/12 ORL 21/12
BENCH: NO 26 ORL 23

Other game notes and stats:

-Carter scored 34 of his 48 points in the second half; he shot 14 of 17 from the field in the second half
-Three Hornets combined for 83 points... Peja Stojakovic 29 points, 9 rebounds; Darren Collison 27 points, 9 assists; and David West 27 points; the three combined to shoot 33 of 59 from the field and 8 of 14 on threes
-Jameer Nelson scored 4 points on 2 of 8 shooting with 10 assists, 2 turnovers, but did not play in the fourth quarter
-Jason Williams led the Magic bench with 9 points on 3 of 7 shooting along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists
-Brandon Bass had 4 points in 10 minutes of action in the first half, while Ryan Anderson did not see any action
-James Posey and Darius Songaila each scored 10 points off the Hornets' bench
-The Magic outscored the Hornets 68-47 in the second half

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

Monday, February 08, 2010

Game night preview


New Orleans Hornets at Magic
8:00 EST

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
New Orleans 27-24 4th Southwest / 10th West 99.8 101.1 Road 11-16 Won 1 5-5
Orlando 34-17 1st Southeast / 2nd East 100.5 95.3 Home 19-5 Won 1 8-2

Here is the complete game preview from Yahoo! Sports

The Magic are 9 1/2 point favorites.

Game review: Magic (34-17) 96, Celtics (32-17) 89


The Magic, after playing miserable basketball in the second quarter and trailing by 11 at the half, turned the game around in stunning fashion in the third quarter as they outscored Boston 36-11 to lead by 76-62 entering the fourth quarter. The Magic never let the Celtics get any closer than 5 points late in the fourth quarter. All five Magic starters scored in double figures.

The Magic stayed close with the Celtics in the first quarter as they trailed by just 24-23 entering the second quarter. The Magic tied the game at 34 with 7:21 remaining in the second before they missed 10 of their final 11 shots of the half and the Celtics went on a 17-6 run to lead at half 51-40. Dwight Howard scored just 2 first half points as he sat out most of the first half with foul trouble. The Celtics led 57-46 with 9:03 remaining in the third before the Magic took the game over as the Magic outscored the Celtics 30-5 to end the quarter and had a comfortable 14 point lead heading into the fourth. The Magic's largest lead of the final quarter was 17 points, and the Magic still led 89-74 with 7:11 remaining before the Celtics made a comeback attempt outscoring the Magic 15-5 to pull within 5 points with 46 seconds remaining, but got no closer as the Magic clinched the season series against Boston 3-1.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 20 points (7 of 13 FGs, 3 of 4 3 PT FG)
Dwight Howard: 16 points (4 of 9 FGs, 8 of 12 FTs), 13 rebounds, 2 blocks
Jameer Nelson: 15 points (5 of 10 FGs. 4 of 4 FTs), 4 assists, 5 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 14 points (5 of 13 FGs, 2 of 3 3 PT FGs), 2 steals
Matt Barnes: 11 points (4 of 6 FGs, 3 of 4 3 PT FGs), 5 rebounds

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 46.3% (31 of 67) BOS 42.2% (35 of 83)
3 PT FG%: ORL 50% (11 of 22) BOS 31.2% (5 of 16)
FT%: ORL 79.3% (23 of 29) BOS 73.7% (14 of 19)
REB: BOS 40 (12 offensive) ORL 38 (6 offensive)
AST/TO: BOS 24/12 ORL 17/15
BENCH: BOS 30 ORL 20

Other game notes and stats:

-Four players scored in double figures for the Celtics, led by Rajon Rondo with 17 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals
-The "Big Three" of the Celtics, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, combined for 40 points on 14 of 38 shooting, including 2 of 11 on three pointers
-Rasheed Wallace, who has made a career of torching the Magic, scored just 2 points on 1 of 6 shooting
-From the 7:15 mark of the third quarter to the 11:12 mark of the fourth quarter, the Magic outscored Boston 28-2
-During that span, the Magic shot 9 of 12 from the field, including 5 of 6 on threes, and 5 of 5 on free throws; the Celtics shot 0 for 12 with 5 turnovers
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Celtics' starting frontline 41-28 and outrebounded them 20-16
-Magic reserve center Marcin Gortat played all of his 16 minutes in the first half, scoring 2 points with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks
-Mickael Pietrus, on his 28th birthday, led the Magic bench in scoring with 8 points on 2 of 5 shooting, including 2 of 4 3 PT FG
-Barnes, Lewis, and Carter combined to shoot 8 of 11 on three pointers
-The Magic regain sole possession of the second seed in the East

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

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Game Day Preview


ORLANDO MAGIC at BOSTON CELTICS
Sunday, Feb. 7. 2:30 p.m. ABC
TD Garden
Boston, MA


While sports fanatics start serving up hot wings, nachos and other delightful appetizers to their Super Bowl party guests, the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics will continue their riveting rivalry at TD Garden. Unquestionably the most popular and television-watched sports day of the year, this afternoon contest will be seen in the national spotlight. As a result, it will be the perfect time for the Magic to demonstrate that they are the supreme reigning Eastern Conference champions. Recently, Orlando (33-17, 14-12 road) overcame a 16-point deficit to stun Boston(32-16, 15-8 home) at Amway Arena on Jan. 28. Rashard Lewis connected on a game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining to catapult the Magic to a thrilling triumph. Dwight Howard enjoyed a spectacular night, racking up 19 points and 10 rebounds against a clan of big, strong combatants (Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace). Inside the Celtics locker room, moreover, revenge will likely be preached and commanded. In addition to losing to the Magic in the playoffs last season, Boston has struggled against its adversaries. Sliding down in the standings, the C’s realize how important a victory on Sunday will be to regain their swagger. The Magic, on the other hand, recently cruising and elevating their position in the conference, want to hammer down on one of their main competitors. It’s no secret that confidence is essential come the postseason, and if they continue their dominance against the Celtics, the Magic will certainly be undaunted if a trip to The Finals comes down to these two powers. The Celtics' Paul Pierce hopes to return Sunday after missing two games with a foot injury.

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Orlando 33-17 1st Southeast / 3rd East 100.6 95.4 Road 14-12 Lost 1 7-3
Boston 32-16 1st Atlantic / 2nd East 99.2 93.7 Home 15-8 Won 3 5-5

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Game review: Wizards (17-32) 92, Magic (33-17) 91


Washington, in absolutely stunning fashion, was able to overcome a 21 point first quarter deficit to take a 9 point lead early in the fourth quarter. The Magic came back to take a 91-90 lead with 4.6 seconds remaining thanks to Rashard Lewis's three pointer, but Caron Butler's jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining gave the Wizards the improbable win as Lewis's last-second three point attempt was not attempted in time and missed anyhow on the final play. Butler and Randy Foye were the only Wizards' players to score in double figures.

The game started out as if it was going to be a blowout of epic proportions for the Magic, as they jumped out to leads of 10-0, 15-2, and 28-7 before settling for a seemingly comfortable 32-13 lead after one. The Magic still had a 50-31 lead with under a minute remaining in the half, but the Wizards scored the final 4 points to make the score 50-35 Magic at the half. The Magic then proceeded to play probably their worst quarter of the season in the third quarter, as the Wizards outscored them 39-17 in the quarter to take a 74-67 lead after three as the Magic shot a woeful 4 of 19 in the third, while the Wizards shot 11 of 16, and 14 of 14 on FTs. The Wizards scored the first two points of the fourth quarter before the Magic finally woke up and scored 11 points in a row to take a 78-76 lead with 8:20 remaining. The game went back-and-forth from that point on, as neither team had more than a 2 point lead which set up the tense final minute.

The Magic's failure to give Howard the ball after the first quarter played a huge part in them losing the game. Howard was 5 of 9 in the first quarter for 10 points, but just 3 of 6 the rest of the game, including 2 of 5 in the second half.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 21 points (5 of 17 FGs, 10 of 10 FTs)
Dwight Howard: 20 points (8 of 14 FGs, 4 of 6 FTs), 18 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 4 turnovers
Rashard Lewis: 12 points (5 of 10 FGs, 2 of 5 3 PT FGs), 5 rebounds, 2 steals
Jameer Nelson: 12 points (4 of 13 FGs, 2 of 4 3 PT FGs), 5 assists, 2 steals

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: WAS 43.0% (34 of 79) ORL 38.6% (32 of 83)
3 PT FG%: ORL 31.8% (7 of 22) WAS 28.6% (4 of 14)
FT%: WAS 90.9% (20 of 22) ORL 80% (20 of 25)
REB: WAS 52 (9 offensive) ORL 41 (8 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 16/11 WAS 12/20
BENCH: ORL 20 WAS 16

Other game notes and stats:

-The Wizards' Butler (31 points) and Foye (22 points) combined for 53 of the Wizards' 92 points on 17 of 36 FGs and 17 of 18 FTs
-The remaining nine Wizards combined for 17 FGs and 39 points
-Wizards' C Brendan Haywood led them with 10 rebounds; Butler added 9 rebounds, while Foye added 7 assists
-The starting Magic frontcourt outscored the Wizards' starting frontcourt 38-23, but the Wizards' starting backcourt outscored the Magic starting backcourt 53-33
-The Wizards outscored the Magic 61-35 in the second and third quarters
-The Magic shot 14 of 23 in the first quarter, and 18 of 60 (30%) thereafter
-The Wizards made just 7 of their first 26 shots, and 27 of 53 from that point forward
-J.J. Redick led the Magic bench with 9 points on 4 of 8 shooting
-Mickael Pietrus, Ryan Anderson, and Marcin Gortat combined to score 4 points (all by Pietrus) on 1 of 11 shooting
-The Magic are now just 1/2 game ahead of Atlanta in the SE

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

Game night preview



ORLANDO MAGIC vs. WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Friday, Feb. 5. 7:00 p.m.
Amway Arena
Orlando, FL


Prior to the start of the season, there were high expectations for the talented, yet previously injury-riddled, Wizards. After missing nearly all of the 2008-09 campaign, Gilbert Arenas was healthy and ready to join fellow All-Stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler for an entire season. They even acquired Mike Miller and Randy Foye from Minnesota on a draft night blockbuster trade. The last time Washington featured a healthy lineup, centered on Arenas, Butler and Jamison, it was considered a championship contender. But unfortunately for the Wizards and their fans, legal issues with Arenas and on-the-court chemistry problems have left the team is disarray. Despite Jamison, a two-time All-Star, producing some eye-popping numbers (over 20 points and eight rebounds), Washington has not found its rhythm and talks of trades and shake-ups has dominated basketball discussions in and around the Capital. Nevertheless, the Magic will need to come prepared. The last time Orlando (33-16, 19-4 home) played Washington (16-32, 7-16 road) it lost, 104-97, on Jan. 8 at the Verizon Center. Dwight Howard, however, generated a monster performance with 23 points and 12 rebounds and reserves J.J. Redick and Mickael Pietrus each scored 14.
It will be vital for Rashard Lewis to limit Jamison from having one of his customary nights. Generally, if opponents shut the former UNC Tar Heel and college teammate of Vince Carter down, they have success against the Wizards.

Team Record Standings PF PA Road/Home Streak L10
Washington 16-32 5th Southeast / 14th East 97.7 102.1 Road 7-16 Lost 2 4-6
Orlando 33-16 1st Southeast / 2nd East 100.8 95.5 Home 19-4 Won 4 7-3

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Vince Carter talks about his slump

Here are excerpts from a recent post on the Magic BasketBlog from the Orlando Sentinel by writer Josh Robbins:

Vince Carter had a January to forget.

He averaged 8.7 points per game and shot just 28.4 percent from the field as he endured one of the worst slumps of his decorated NBA career, which is now in its 12th season.

Carter was asked about his recent struggles by reporters on Tuesday, but he politely tried to deflect those questions.

“Do you see this as a slump personally or something you just shoot yourself through?” he was asked.

“I don’t really get into that,” Carter responded. “As a team, we’re playing well. I don’t care about that [talk about slumps]. I’ll be fine.”

Carter later said he just needs to “keep playing” and that he’ll shoot himself through the slump.

“It’s what I’ve learned over 11 years,” he said. “If you’re in a slump, keep playing. The days get better.”

Carter acknowledged that his left shoulder, which he sprained on Jan. 8 and forced him to miss three games, still isn’t all the way healed.

“Like I said,” he added, “I’ll never use it as an excuse. I’m out there. I have to perform. It’s good enough to play, but there’s some painful times sometimes.”

Here is the complete article from the Magic BasketBlog.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Game review: Magic (32-16) 99, Bucks (21-25) 82


The Magic, led by double/doubles from Dwight Howard and Vince Carter and 6 players in double figures, overcame a slow start and extended their winning streak to 4 games with a 99-82 win over Milwaukee. The Magic have now won 7 of their last 8 games.

The Magic started really slow, as the Bucks tore out to leads of 16-4 and 20-8 early in the first quarter, but the Magic quickly woke up and took the game over. The Bucks still led 26-23 after one, and had their last lead of the game at 27-26. The Magic held the Bucks to just 9 points the rest of the quarter and led 50-36 at the half, as the Magic outscored the Bucks 27-10 in the second quarter. The Bucks made a brief run to start the third quarter, scoring the first 6 points to cut the Magic lead to 50-42. The Magic then outscored the Bucks 25-13 to lead by 20 points and took a 75-57 into the fourth quarter. The Magic had their largest lead of 81-59 at the 10 minute mark of the fourth as the Bucks could get no closer than 13 points the rest of the game as the Magic cruised to the final score.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 22 points (7 of 10 FGs), 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 6 turnovers
Vince Carter: 17 points (7 of 15 FGs, 2 of 3 3 PT FGs), 10 rebounds, 7 assists
J.J. Redick (bench): 15 points (4 of 5 FGs, 3 of 4 3 PT FGs), 4 assists
Rashard Lewis: 13 points (5 of 16 FGs, 2 of 4 3 PT FGs)
Matt Barnes: 11 points (2 of 5 FGs), 7 rebounds
Jason Williams: 11 points (4 of 8 FGs, 2 of 3 3 PT FGs), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: ORL 46.5% (33 of 71) MIL 36.3% (33 of 91)
3 PT FG%: ORL 56.2% (9 of 16) MIL 31.8% (7 of 22)
FT: ORL 70.6% (24 of 34) MIL 47.4% (9 of 19)
REB: ORL 49 (6 offensive) MIL 44 (14 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 21/14 MIL 17/9
BENCH: MIL 47 ORL 25

Other game notes and stats:

-Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus both sat out for the Magic to rest their respective injuries
-Only 3 Bucks' players scored in double figures, led by Charlie Bell and reserve Luke Ridnour with 13 points each
-The 5 Bucks' starters combined to score just 35 points on 14 of 46 shooting, as the Magic starters outscored them 74-35
-The Magic starting frontline outscored the Bucks' starting frontline 46-20
-The Magic outscored the Bucks 52-31 in the second and third quarters
-Carter scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half on 6 of 11 shooting, and finished with his first double/double in a Magic uniform
-The Magic outscored the Bucks just 75-73 from the field, but the Magic held a big 24-9 advantage at the FT line

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

Monday, February 01, 2010

The week ahead for the Magic along with an injury update


The Orlando Magic begin the week with a record of 32-16 (18-4 home, 14-12 away), in first place in the SE one game ahead of Atlanta. The Magic occupy the second seed in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of Atlanta and Boston and 5 1/2 games behind number one seed Cleveland.

The Magic are averaging 100.9 points per game (12th) and allowing 95.8 points per game (6th). Last season after 48 games, the Magic were 37-11.

The Magic have three games this week:

Tuesday Feb. 2nd: Milwaukee (21-25, 6-18 road, 6-4 last 10 games)
Friday Feb. 5th: Washington (16-31, 7-15 road, 4-6 last 10 games)
Sunday Feb. 7th: at Boston (30-16, 4-6 last 10 games)

The Magic are coming off a successful 3-1 week, and have won 6 of their last 7 games (not 7 of their last 8 as I erroneously wrote in a previous post). On paper, the Magic should win at least 2 of their games this week, with a good chance of going 3-0 with a strong showing in Boston.

Here is the latest news regarding the injuries suffered by Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietus Sunday night in the Magic win against Detroit, from an article written by Magic beat writer Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Here is an excerpt:

Magic General Manager Otis Smith said Monday that point guard Jameer Nelson and small forward Mickael Pietrus are listed day-to-day, but he doesn't expect either player to miss playing time.