Orlando Magic 123, New Orleans Hornets 117
by Ben Q Rock on Feb 9, 2010 12:31 AM EST
in 2009/2010 Recaps
21 comments
In a hotly contested contest that's sure to go down as one of the best in the Orlando Magic's 21-year history, Vince Carter scored 34 of his 48 points in the second half to lead Orlando, which trailed by 15 points at halftime, to a 123-117 win over the New Orleans Hornets. Carter shot 19-of-27 from the field and 6-of-10 from three-point range for his highest-scoring game since February 2000, when he lit up the Phoenix Suns Miami Heat for 51 points. Dwight Howard was instrumental in the win, scoring 25 points, grabbing 12 boards, blocking 4 shots, and setting countless screens for Carter. Carter and Howard, with help from Rashard Lewis' 18 points, were enough to counter impressive offensive performances from Peja Stojakovic (29 points on 11-of-18 shooting), David West, (27 points on 10-of-19), and speedy rookie point guard Darren Collison (27 points on 12-of-22, 9 assists). For the second consecutive day, Orlando rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half to come away with a surprising win.
21 comments | 0 recs |
Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: vs. New Orleans Hornets
by Ben Q Rock on Feb 8, 2010 6:00 PM EST
in 2009/2010 Previews
635 comments
The Orlando Magic, fresh off an impressive road win against the Boston Celtics, return home to host the New Orleans Hornets at Amway Arena tonight. I'm forced to make this preview brief, but just know that as of last month the Hornets weren't nearly as good as their record indicated, which has held true: they have the point differential of a 23-win team, yet sports 28 wins due to an exceptional record in close games. Orlando caught a bit of a break tonight as All-Star point guard Chris Paul, inarguably the best at his position in the NBA, will sit out due to left knee surgery. In his place is the remarkable rookie Darren Collison. He's averaged 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounda, and 7.7 assists as a starter, which is impressive enough. More worrisome for the Magic is that he fits the profile of small, quick guards who have played out of their minds against them.
635 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic News for February 8th: Adonal Foyle's Powerful Position in the NBA, Orlando on the Rise, Amway Center Ticket Details, and More
by erivera7 on Feb 8, 2010 1:39 PM EST
in News
8 comments
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Adonal Foyle and the NBA Players' Association get their rallying cry
Rob Mahoney of ProBasketballTalk, NBC's brand spanking new basketball blog, states that Adonal Foyle won't make an impact on the court this year but he will off it.Adonal Foyle has not played a single minute of NBA action all season, but he may very well be one of the most important players in the league. Not only is Foyle something of a Renaissance man, but he's also the first vice president of the NBA Players' Association (NBAPA). On a day-to-day, game-to-game basis, that may not mean all that much. But considering the collision course between the league and the NBAPA that is likely to delay the 2011 season with a lockout, Foyle is in a peculiarly powerful position.
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NBA Basketball Power Rankings
Marc Stein of ESPN.com chimes in on the Orlando Magic's recent stretch of games.For all the doubt about how the parts fit post-Hedo, there's no way this team was as so-so as its 9-8 January suggests. The Celts, by comparison, are just 2-7 against the East's top four after another Magic win in Boston.
- Via the Orlando Magic:
The Orlando Magic are now taking deposits, while supplies last, for season tickets and partial plan packages in the new Amway Center. Full season tickets require a $200 deposit, while partial plans require a $100 deposit. Seat locations will be selected in March based on the order of deposit. Deposits will also guarantee tickets for the 2010 Playoffs which begin in late April.
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Superbowl Sunday, McDonalds and Going back to South Africa
Dwight Howard posts on his official blog today and comments on yesterday's win against the Boston Celtics.Afterward everybody was asking me if that was a statement game for us because it was on national TV and it was the Celtics and it was in Boston and yad yada yada. But I think it was a statement to ourselves about how good we can be when we play together, talk on defense and share the ball like we did. When the ball is going in and out, that’s where we’re getting open shots and clean looks on the post. Hopefully, it was a learning game for us.
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Cavaliers hold top spot, Utah Jazz continue climb Power Rankings
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated points out J.J. Redick's strong play.Remember when J.J. Redick's NBA career was supposed to last as long as Trajon Langdon's? Redick's steadily improving play (he averaged a season-high 11.1 points in January and grabbed nearly twice as many boards than in December) is a big reason why the Magic has overcome the struggles of Vince Carter (8.7 points in January).
More after the jump.
8 comments | 0 recs |
T-Mobile Player of the Week: Dwight Howard
by erivera7 on Feb 8, 2010 11:00 AM EST
in News
5 comments
This post is sponsored by T-Mobile.
It's time for another installment in our regular T-Mobile Player of the Week feature. It was, more or less, a successful week for the Orlando Magic as the team was - most notably - able to defeat the Boston Celtics in yesterday's game to win the season series 3-1. Once again, Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic.
| Dwight Howard | Pts | Rebs | Ast | Stl | Blk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.3 | 14.0 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 3.3 | |
 |
FG% | 3FG% | FT% | ||
| 57.6 | N/A | 64.5 | |||
| eFG% | TS% | ||||
| 57.6 | 62.2 | ||||
What else is there to say about Howard that hasn't already been said? Ever since an embarrassing performance against the Portland Trail Blazers last month, Howard has played at a very high level. It's no coincidence, then, that the Magic are winning (eight of its last 10 games) and the defense is improving (2nd in Defensive Rating). Other players deserve credit for Orlando's recent success, too, but Howard's dominance on both ends of the floor is a big reason why the team is starting to round into form.
5 comments | 0 recs |
Here is Dwight Howard's Super Bowl commercial. Enjoy. (HT: malars)
Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 89: The Morning After
by Ben Q Rock on Feb 8, 2010 8:00 AM EST
in The Morning After
35 comments
- Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 89: Vince Carter leads Orlando to huge road win
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is pleased with his team's performance yesterday.
Stan Van Gundy now has coached the Orlando Magic for 215 regular-season games and another 34 playoff games, and in all that time, he says he's never seen his team play a better quarter than it did in the third period Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics.
- Fast Break: Celtics vs. Magic
Jessica Camerato of WEEI elaborates on Orlando's third-quarter dominance.
Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins, and Paul Pierce went scoreless in the third, while Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, and Rashard Lewis combined for 26.
- Postgame notes: Celtics not among the elite
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston writes that one Celtic player said after the game that he thinks Boston is better than Orlando, a sentiment which Celtics coach Doc Rivers called "a bunch of crap."
- Behind the Box Score, where Orlando more or less owned this
UPDATE (this bullet only): Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie is effusive in his praise of Orlando, although he doesn't like their throwback uniforms.
Boston looks old. Orlando looks stacked.
It's not that simple, of course, but how could you not consider the latter end of that take as Jameer Nelson showed flashes of 2008-09's All-Star turn, even if he missed a series of open shots and turned the ball over more times than he was credited with an assist? Or with Dwight Howard overcoming early foul trouble to contribute 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in only 32 minutes? How could you not see the glory when Orlando was hitting on half of its 22 three-point attempts on the road?
35 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 89
by Ben Q Rock on Feb 7, 2010 7:43 PM EST
in 2009/2010 Recaps
61 comments
After a turnover-plagued first half that finished with them facing an 11-point deficit, the Orlando Magic rallied in the third quarter and held on in the fourth to deal the Boston Celtics a convincing, 96-89, defeat. The Magic went on a 19-0 run in the third quarter to take control of the game and silence the TD Garden crowd, forcing the Celtics to take difficult shots on one end while playing their inside-out game at their best at the other. Orlando's Vince Carter led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while Dwight Howard battled foul trouble to finish with 16 points, 13 boards, and 2 blocks. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy gambled by leaving Howard in the game after he picked up his 4th foul at the midway point of the third quarter, but it paid off: Orlando scored the next 16 points of the game with Howard continuing to anchor the paint defensively. Celtics do-everything point guard Rajon Rondo had his way with the Magic yet again, with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals, but he didn't receive enough help from his teammates in the second half as Orlando tightened the screws.
61 comments | 0 recs |
Today's Orlando Magic Game: at Boston Celtics
by Ben Q Rock on Feb 7, 2010 12:30 PM EST
in 2009/2010 Previews
653 comments
This afternoon, the Orlando Magic will face the Boston Celtics for the 18th time since the 2007/08 season, when Celtics GM Danny Ainge first assembled the "Big Three" core of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. Orlando's point differential in the first 17 games of the series? +3. Yes, three whole points is all that separates these two teams in head-to-head play in the last two-plus seasons. And, really, when it comes down to it, what else do you need to know?
653 comments | 0 recs |
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