Detroit Pistons 85, Orlando Magic 80
by Evan Dunlap on Nov 3, 2009 11:04 PM EST
in 2009/2010 Recaps
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PrintThe Orlando Magic had yet another night to forget against the Detroit Pistons, as they suffered their first loss since Game 5 of last season's NBA Finals, 85-80, thanks to sloppy and uninspired play. The Pistons' combination of 3 diminuitive scoring guards--Ben Gordon, Rodney Stuckey, and reserve Will Bynum--combined for 65 of Detroit's 85 points on 20-of-45 shooting. More importantly for Detroit, they nullified Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat, the Magic's only centers, by driving aggressively at them and drawing fouls. The Magic's offense was out-of-sync all night, looking as bad as it ever has under Stan Van Gundy. Vince Carter returned after a 1.5-game absence due to a sprained ankle and led the Magic with 15 points, but shot just 6-of-16 from the field and, worse yet, was unable to get on the floor in crunch time as his ankle acted up on him. With no go-to scorer available, the Magic withered with the game in the balance, and Detroit escaped with a well-deserved win.
| Team | Pace | Efficiency | eFG% | FT Rate | OReb% | TO Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | 87 | 91.5 | 39.9% | 15.2 | 22.2 | 17.2 |
| Pistons | 97.7 | 37.5% | 43.1 | 22.0 | 11.5 |
Allow me to paraphrase one of my earlier Magic/Pistons recaps--I'm not sure which one it was, since all the Magic's losses to Detroit blend together in my mind--but if they aren't going to defeat Detroit when it's missing its two best players in Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, when are they going to defeat them? What's it going to take for the Magic to get over the hump against the Pistons, in general? This futility against Detroit, over the course of several seasons, has moved past the "comic" stage and into the "tragic" one.
In any case, the Magic were a disjointed, out-of-sync lot this evening. Despite their tip-to-horn poor play, they led by 3 at the half and looked to be a few made baskets away from permanently wresting control of the game from the Pistons. But "flat" doesn't adequately describe the Magic's second-half offense, which scored 39 points on 11-of-36 shooting, with 10 turnovers.
The biggest issue for Orlando, at least offensively, was its utter refusal to drive the ball to the basket. The Magic's reputation as a one-dimensional, three-point-shooting gimmick team is a bit exaggerated, thanks to the media, but tonight they played right into that stereotype. 35 of their 79 shots came from beyond the arc, while they only converted 10. Ryan Anderson was the most egregious offender, taking 11 of his 14 shots from long-range... and making just 1. Meanwhile, the Magic managed a mere 16 free-throw attempts (to the Pistons' 38). Carter and Jameer Nelson, the Magic's best perimeter scorers, took 13 threes and 0 foul shots. Just a lazy, complacent showing from the Magic, two days after they blitzed the Toronto Raptors for 17 makes in 29 attempts from downtown.
I really can't say enough about how Detroit earned this win. I've received several complaints about the officiating on Twitter, and maybe it looks bad in the box score, as the Magic committed 30 fouls to the Pistons' 17. However, none of the calls that went against the Magic were particularly puzzling, and I don't believe a few more whistles going Orlando's way would have swung the game in its favor. Tonight, the Pistons outclassed the Magic. There's not much more to it than that. And if coach John Kuester's game plan was to use his small lineup to attack the Magic's defense, get their bigs in foul trouble, and subsequently earn foul shots, bravo to him and to his team. Detroit doesn't have a credible offensive presence inside--this is a team that starts Ben Wallace at center, with noted garbageman Chris Wilcox off the bench--but counters that with aggressive guard play. It worked tonight, against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best defensive backups in the league. Saddled with foul trouble, Howard and Gortat combined for 12 points, 12 boards, and 12 fouls this evening. The Magic might as well have just cloned Roy Hibbert twice and played those versions at center, given those stats.
As for the Magic's game plan? Didn't see much of one. Howard's foul trouble prevented them from establishing him inside, which led to an offense that stood around and looked to create one-on-one. I understand Carter's ankle isn't at full strength, but he should have at least entertained the idea of taking the ball to the cup a few times. Instead, pull-up J after pull-up J, which elicited no shortage of pithy comments from Raptors and Nets fans, who long criticized him for settling for jumpers too often.
He's hardly the only player guilty of that crime tonight, though. Stuckey and Bynum soundly outplayed Nelson, at both ends, which is worrisome. As the only star on the floor in crunch time--Rashard Lewis is suspended, Howard's disqualified, and Carter's nursing a nagging injury--and as a team co-captain, he needed to demonstrate more poise down the stretch. Poor shot selection and consecutive turnovers effectively ended the Magic's comeback bid. The loss isn't squarely on his shoulders, as nobody really played well for the Magic. But he did not acquit himself with his 7-point, 6-assist, 5-turnover outing.
I know it's only one game, out of many, so I don't want to go into "the sky is falling!" mode. But the Magic should beat any team that's missing its top 2 players, especially when it holds a 30-0 advantage on points scored from three-point range. If the Magic don't shape up offensively in a hurry, they could find themselves in a bit of a rut. Unfortunately, they don't have much time to regroup after tonight's poor performance; they return to Orlando tonight for a game against the high-octane Phoenix Suns tomorrow.
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Man, SERIOUSLY!?
This ruins my night. Seriously. I’m so done losing to the same freaking (I really want to cuss here) team year in, year out. UGH!
Yeah this bites.
And if they were going to lose, I wish Carter hadn’t had played. Save him for the back to back.
Yeah, Vince shouldn't have played.
I applaud his effort but he was hurting himself more than helping himself.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
We'll win Friday, no worries.
We’ll have VC in better form, MP back and we should be fine. The officiating can’t be as bad AGAIN come Friday.
"Blue and white...ignite...BOOOM! - Dwight Howard
but then again, they'll have Rip and Prince back
oh well, still not worried.
"Blue and white...ignite...BOOOM! - Dwight Howard
I would rather lose all our games to DET this season and make the POs without having to play them
cuz Bball is all about match-ups…and dammit, we dont matchup well against them.
"Blue and white...ignite...BOOOM! - Dwight Howard
It happens.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Whats crazy
is that this Detroit team is much different than the one’s that have beat us in the past. Kwame Brown, Charlie V, Chris Wilcox is much different than Rasheed, McDyess, and Maxiell. I think Stuckey was the only one to play us last year.
"It's all part of the plan." Jeff Moorad and The Joker in the Dark Knight.
"Dwight Howard couldn't score 40 points in a game if he was going against Yi Jianlian's chair." Bill Simmons chat 5/20
"I don't feel this team can beat us four times," Mo Williams 5/21
Kwame Brown was around, as well.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
This game was so painful, it almost felt fixed
I say almost because I don’t think a fix actually occurred. And the refs weren’t the only parties to blame. It seemed like the ref and Magic team conspired to give an utterly pathetic Pistons team a chance to win. Many of the refs’ calls against Howard and Gortat were mystifying; I’ve never seen a team since the Cavs in the ECF flop so much and get away from it. The Magic, for their part, gave the Pistons every opportunity to win by handing the Pistons the ball and throwing up continuous threes even though they were off (Carter because he was half-injured).
This was, of course, just one game. But there are lessons to be learned from this embarrassment.
by gift of the magi on Nov 3, 2009 11:59 PM EST reply actions
Agreed. I was complaining about the calls all game long.
I still think Javie took the over
It's not a dunk unless your hand makes contact with the rim. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you, "Superman..."
by ben_gleicher on Nov 4, 2009 12:09 AM EST up reply actions
man
i know im really really biased but how can one watch that game and not feel the majority of the calls go detroit’s way…so painful
the magic played like crap, but still had a good chance to win withouth every single call going against them….so painful
i take your signatures and use them as away messages
by ihavebadknees on Nov 4, 2009 12:31 AM EST up reply actions
Don't blame the refs, blame the players.
Orlando had all the chances in the world to defeat Detroit, but didn’t. That’s on the team.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I agree 100% with the recap
The Magic’s offensive strategy this game left a lot to be desired.
The Pistons were rewarded for their aggressiveness on offense, while the Magic did themselves absolutely no favors by continuing to shoot three pointer after three pointer.
I’m a lot more concerned about how badly the Magic played rather than the officiating and some questionable calls against the Magic.
Thankfully, it’s early in the season, and it’s a long season; every team in the NBA will have at least a couple of stinkers like the Magic Tuesday night. The Magic will learn from this loss and they will be alright.
"Orlando Magic... 2009 Eastern Conference Champions"
by Mike from Illinois on Nov 4, 2009 12:18 AM EST reply actions
Thank you. Rationale thought.
The Pistons earned the win because they were aggressive. The Magic were not. Case closed.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Yea, like I posted in the game thread, the Magic will be title good by playoffs start i think, but right now the offense has looked horrible. The defense against backcourt Detroit players was horrible and will need to be improved, but if there was just some ball movement and driving and probing by the Magic PGs (Jameer) the Magic wouldn’t have such a disparity between FT rate and 3pointers especially when they are shooting bad. Plus the horrendous assist/turnover ratio.
by derekk on Nov 4, 2009 1:10 AM EST via mobile reply actions
The offense had one bad game.
“Has” infers a trend, which hasn’t occurred. Yet.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I’m afraid to go to sleep now for fears of nightmares of this game, I can’t go through this twice in one night, on the bright side every possible thing that could have gone wrong did and we were still in it to the end. If Ryan makes 2 more 3’s he still has a garbage game and we win:(
I know what Bo dont know.
by D-RAK on Nov 4, 2009 1:53 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I know, if Ryan just shoots 33% the Magic have a much better chance, and probably win.
He was getting open looks too. Chalk this up to an unlucky night for him, but as a team the Magic should have known they need to get FTs if the shots aren’t falling.
Don’t have too many nightmares though. Sometimes a team needs their ass kicked once (and I hope just once) to get them fired up for the reason of the season.
by thermodynamic on Nov 4, 2009 2:44 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, Anderson was getting open looks but they weren't falling.
Happens to every player.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Anderson seemed hesistant
after his first few misses too. His shot didn’t look as fluid.
"It's all part of the plan." Jeff Moorad and The Joker in the Dark Knight.
"Dwight Howard couldn't score 40 points in a game if he was going against Yi Jianlian's chair." Bill Simmons chat 5/20
"I don't feel this team can beat us four times," Mo Williams 5/21
It happens.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
we cant rely on our pg's and where is gortat when we need him?
lets hope jameer nelson isnt like jj redick last season who is having an on and off game because for me personally the magic needs to have consistency in the pg spot not to mention the defense on the 1 and 2. we shouldnt rely on peaches guarding both that spot.
lets hope that we magic fans dont want to wish that otis would probably trade nelson for his inconsistency and lack of def because there are a lot of teams out there that are stacked in the pg spot who can shoot threes and can defend the ball well
what we do in life echoes in eternity
Who did you have in mind?
Should we go to the PG tree and pick another? How many all-stars are there at the PG position?
PS Nelson led the league in % at his position in shooting threes last year, or was pretty damn close. I think you are letting your emotions do your thinking.
by mike in munich on Nov 4, 2009 4:56 AM EST up reply actions
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc270/hheather0622/funny_icons.jpg?t=1192809973 (3 kB)
i213.photobucket.com
I know what Bo dont know.
by D-RAK on Nov 4, 2009 8:28 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Wow, no offense but give me a break.
We can’t rely on our point guards? That’s new. I guess Jameer’s clutch play in the past means nothing. Or the fact he was an All-Star last year and played like one just THREE DAYS AGO against the Toronto Raptors is a moot point. Nelson is far from inconsistent and he’s far from being a poor defender (on the contrary, he’s an above-average defender). Jameer CAN shoot threes and defend the ball well. Stop. Overreacting.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
It's only one game... BUT...
There were MANY reasons why we should NEVER have lost to Detroit today, most were well covered here… But a FUNDAMENTAL one has to do with that overstated phrase; “We have only ONE goal, to win a championship”. It’s not about losing one loasy game; the Magic will lose a lot more before this season is out. No, it’s about something else. Now, IF this is really ingrained into each and every one of the Magic players, this Team will NEVER lose to such a undermanned bunch, why they only had TWO guards left from their regular roster!!! That, and a sub, who drilled us for 20 points! Three gurads beat our 10 top, potentially All-Star caliber Team… Again; “who’s your Daddy now?”. It’s sickening… because the Magic HAD to know that THiS was no ordinary game; THIS was an opportunity to send a message to the League… that the Magic are for Real and that they better take us seriously… or else! Right now, NOBODY takes us seriously… wonder if the Magic will show such lack of interest against the Celtics… or the Lakers….Mmmm. We have a LONG season ahead, but for ONE night… it seemed like the Magic had regressed back to 2006. I don’t mind losing; but I sincerely pray I NEVER get to see the type of careless, leaderless MENTAL desintegration I witnessed tonight… and WHEN is Howard ever going to GROW UP into a MATURE adult, or at least, a mature, PROFESSIONAL? I did not see ANY burning desire for a Championship in his eyes… You don’t win one unless you back up what you say with ACTION! C’MON, Magic!!!
Dude, relax.
It’s a freakin’ loss in the month of November. Every team in the NBA, even the elite, have off-days. The Lakers had one against the Mavericks a few days ago and the Magic had one against the Pistons.
It happens.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
It's a bit ridiculous.
The Magic lost after winning 11 games in a row (including the pre-season). It’s not the end of the world.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Look, I know it sucks Orlando lost (to Detroit, no less) but I think everyone needs to relax.
I said it before that the Magic were going to lose to teams they had no business losing to. It happens.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
It was a lazy performance.
They seemed out of rhythm all game and kept hoisting up the quick jumper without running any offensive sets. Their defense was disjointed and dumb. I remember seeing Detroit run the same play over and over and the Magic never learning from their mistakes. A post player would set a baseline screen. Their guard would run around the screen and either create space for himself or pass to the second option down on the baseline. The Magic kept collapsing on the shooter, leaving Detroit with a great scoring opportunity.
I didn’t think the officiating was that terrible. I think it always go the way of the team putting on the better performance. The Magic acted as if they were at shoot around. I can only imagine SVG did not sleep last night.
I’m not impressed with Bass playing center or Barnes playing PF. Hell, I get nervous watching Barnes with the ball. JJ, however, may have earned a spot on the permanent rotation. His numbers last night won’t show it, but I was impressed with his smart play (remember how he caught his defender in the air on a pump fake behind the arc?).
by downbeatitude on Nov 4, 2009 6:33 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Excellent observations.
You pretty much nailed the scope of the game, last night.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
A much needed wake up call
We’ll see how they react tonight – should be very interesting!!
I understand that the officials don't take bad shots
and that the Magic’s lack of scoring isn’t the officials’ fault. But they do affect the game through foul calls, and I can specifically recall at least three Piston shots that drew a whistle AFTER the ball clanked off the rim. On the one hand, you can say that the official was going to let the foul slide if the ball went in… or you can say that the official was going to make sure the shooter got SOMETHING, either points or foul shots. That, I find irritating. If it’s a foul, call it. If you need to know whether the ball will go or not before calling it, it’s not a foul.
There has to be a psychological component to the Magic's performance against Detroit.
I’ve never believed that players from any team can fear the colors of another team’s jersey… but the domination that the Pistons have over the Magic defies logic.
Magic Fan since the 1992-1993 Season.
by North of the South on Nov 4, 2009 9:35 AM EST reply actions
Its my fault the Magic lost
I was having one of those days where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And at the end of the day, all I wanted was to sit down to enjoy the last game I’d get to see on NBA TV before the free broadcasts stopped… and well, you know the rest.
My bad, guys.
Heh...
If that’s the reason for the loss, I suppose I can share the blame as well.
by downbeatitude on Nov 4, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
What the Hell???? We're not going 82-0???? SCREW THIS TEAM!!!!!
Never trust a fart
by AB's triple double on Nov 4, 2009 10:46 AM EST reply actions
this one falls on the Refs.
Except it doesn’t.
I think I counted 4 straight possessions in the last 2:40 where the Magic turned it over or jacked up an ill-advised 3.
This team looked like they thought they would steamroll Detroit without Prince and Rip(and as My Wife pointed out, no Sheed or Billups)
I really do not know what to say.
Keep pumpin, ain't worried bout nuttin
Busters thought we was frontin, so reload and keep dumpin
Keep Sleeping on Orlando...
Is it mental?
Keep pumpin, ain't worried bout nuttin
Busters thought we was frontin, so reload and keep dumpin
Keep Sleeping on Orlando...
Matchups. That's what the NBA is all about.
Maybe it’s mental, I don’t know.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
every team has bad nights
last game of a road trip, the guys were probably just ready to be home. there was a distinct lack of effort tonight. it didn’t seem like we actually wanted to win the game. it is a shame that this game came against the pistons because if it were anyone else we would have just chalked it up to having a bad game. becuase it was against detroit it seems like there is some curse. the curse was an unwillingness to be aggressive and attack the basket (are you really afraid of kwame brown and 100 year old ben wallace’s shot block capabilities?) 35 three pointers is entirely too many. what we needed last night was the word of the day today: FOCUS.
Ugly game
And not just cuz the Magic lost. Lots of missed shots, too many free throws, bad turnovers, inconsistent calls. It reminded me of an old Knick game from the the 90s.
Whats up with Dwight’s shoulder? I’ve sprained my shoulder and that hurts but it never really goes away. It was a bit of dirty play by Stuckey but the refs let him get his payback with that elbow/blocked shot.
"It's all part of the plan." Jeff Moorad and The Joker in the Dark Knight.
"Dwight Howard couldn't score 40 points in a game if he was going against Yi Jianlian's chair." Bill Simmons chat 5/20
"I don't feel this team can beat us four times," Mo Williams 5/21
Howard's shoulder is just sore, it's nothing serious.
Rest takes care of that.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I wonder what defensive adjustments we’ll see the next time a team tries the “speedy PG to the rim” offensive strategy.
No way we loose if Pietrus played. He’s long enough and faster than last night’s defensive options to impede that kind of driving scoring, at least on help defense if nothing else.
Looking forward to more games with the team back at full strength. I’d even be okay taking our lumps vs. PHX if the extra rest gets VC more time to heal.
And if D12’s shoulder is still an issue, let him take off at least the Charlotte game next Tues before he runs into Shaq on Wed.
Yeah, I think Pietrus would have played an important role in slowing down Gordon and Stuckey.
I think, in terms of defensive adjustments, the main thing is keeping Howard out of foul trouble. Not really an adjustment, but it’s important so that Dwight’s presence mitigates the driving ability of the Detroit guards. Likewise, the Pistons ran a ton of PNR’s so trapping could be an option (rotating would be important).
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
eddy riveras always right
i find it funny that looking through these comments, eddy rivera destroyed the other persons argument every time. the fact is its on game and no conclusions should really be drawn from it. As for blaming the refs, the only bad calls I saw were a couple of the loose ball fouls against Gortat which I thought were no calls. The magic shouldnt have been shooting more free throws. if you dont attack the basket you dont draw fouls. its as simple as that. and gortats swat of bynum was certainly a fould that wasnt called, so it all evened out. magic were outplayed in this game. but its the fourth game of the season. theres no need to get worked up at this point. listen to what eddy rivera has to say, hes a smart dude
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