Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 92 (OT)
by Evan Dunlap on May 25, 2010 1:06 AM EDT
in 2009/2010 Recaps
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PrintAn adjusted pick-and-roll attack, largely effective defense, and an impressive effort led the Orlando Magic to a 96-92 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, preventing the Celtics from picking up a series sweep. Dwight Howard controlled the game on both ends of the floor from start to finish, scoring 32 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots to help Orlando weather every Boston run. His pick-and-roll partner, Jameer Nelson, had by far his finest performance of the series. His 23 points, 5 boards, and 9 assists--he had just 7 of those in the first 3 games combined--more than offset his 6 turnovers and helped him become a difference-maker. He hit two three-pointers to score the first 6 points of the overtime period, helping the Magic get an early edge on Boston in the extra frame. The Magic got the win despite a horrendous showing from Vince Carter, who missed 8 of his 9 shots, turned the ball over 3 times, and sat out for defensive purposes late in a close game with his team's season on the line. Paul Pierce played a nearly flawless game for Boston with 32 points and 11 boards, yet his 6 missed three-pointers worked against his team. Ray Allen scored 22 and hit 5 treys, including 2 in overtime after some rather embarrassing defensive breakdowns by the Magic, who pulled Nelson and went with a three-guard lineup in order to switch every perimeter screen. The series returns to Orlando's Amway Arena this Wednesday for Game 5, in which the Magic's season will either end or become a bit more interesting.
| Team | Pace | Efficiency | eFG% | FT Rate | OReb% | TO Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | 93 | 103.6 | 51.4% | 27.0 | 22.9 | 20.5 |
| Celtics | 91 | 100.7 | 45.4% | 30.3 | 23.8 | 17.5 |
| Green denotes a stat better than the team's regular-season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's regular-season average. | ||||||
Orlando got off to a fast start for the first time this series, and held a 32-26 edge at the end of the first period. In the first three games, Boston held a combined +22 edge in first-quarter scoring, and Orlando had to fight its way back (in Games 1 and 2) or roll over (Game 3). Tonight, it needed not play the catch-up game. Nelson accounted for 15 of the Magic's first-quarter points tonight via a score or an assist, so it's fair to say that he indeed drove a lot of their early success.
Boston, though, played some good ball of its own, and was poised to take this game despite some uncharacteristically stagnant offense. After Kevin Garnett earned a technical foul early in the third quarter for tangling with Howard, the Celtics responded with scores on their next 3 possessions--including a transition slam by Allen with Howard in hot pursuit--to draw within a point. And over an 11-minute span of the third and fourth quarters, they really locked down on defense, holding Orlando to 10 points--all by J.J. Redick--over 17 possessions and forcing 7 turnovers, going from a 64-62 deficit to a 76-74 lead. On both ends, it was a case of solid effort making up for at-times poor execution.
The Magic's offense, which has struggled mightily in this series, finally got on track tonight thanks to a worthwhile adjustment from coach Stan Van Gundy. As his brother Jeff, an ESPN analyst, pointed out during the telecast, Orlando sent staggered screens Nelson's way, which added another dimension to its offense. An initial screen from power forward Rashard Lewis on the wing would start the play, and then Howard would come over to set another screen for Nelson between the wing and the baseline. The small forward, either Carter, Mickael Pietrus, or Matt Barnes, would slide along the baseline from the strong side to the weak side to take away a help defender. Nelson could drive to the basket for a layup or dump the ball to Howard on the roll. Another option, one which worked well tonight, was to keep the dribble alive and pull the ball back out to the initial weak side. If Boston's defense blinked for even a second, Howard was open for a delayed lob. It's a gorgeous set that worked well against Boston's elite defense. Rest assured that Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and defensive assistant Tom Thibodeau, will watch plenty of film of those plays to figure ways to adjust, while Van Gundy can add another wrinkle or two.
Another change Van Gundy made? Playing Brandon Bass. Dissatisfied with the combination of Howard and Marcin Gortat at the power positions, which he's used in this series, he gave the energetic Bass some meaningful minutes for the first time this postseason. In 11 minutes, Bass scored 3 points on 1-of-2 shooting, grabbed 2 rebounds, and blocked a shot which the official scorekeeper did not tally. As usual, there's no faulting Bass' energy. Tonight, he impressed me with some solid work on defense, especially with a hard contest of a Kevin Garnett fadeaway jumper which Garnett drained anyway. I expect Bass to pick up a few more minutes in Game 5, and for my email box to fill up with more questions as to why Bass hardly plays.
Tonight was a picture-perfect example of how Howard has to approach the Celtics on offense. Though he still posted up 11 times, he also got involved by rolling to the basket and crashing the offensive glass; in other words, by moving. Expect to see more of that in Game 5.
His defense was key as well. He ended 4 of Boston's first 5 overtime possessions with either a block or a defensive rebound, keeping his opponent off the scoreboard and giving his team a chance to gain its footing. At the other end, he scored 4 points on 2 putbacks. Nelson's three-pointers got Orlando off to a good start in the period, but Howard's sticktoitiveness closed the door on Boston.
Ultimately, this game more resembled what analysts and media members envisioned when prognosticating this series: a close, back-and-forth, defensive struggle. Really, this game was also the closest Orlando's come to looking like the team that swept the first two rounds by clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. The Magic still face impossible odds when it comes to winning the series--teams trailing 3-0 in best-of-seven playoff series are 0-96 in NBA history--but the point here is they played hard, smart, and with a lot of pride tonight with their season hanging in the balance. Down 3-0 and trailing by a point headed into the fourth quarter, on the road, plenty of teams might have just packed it in. But this Magic team made the plays it needed to. Even if the Magic had wound up losing in overtime tonight, at least they would have done so swinging, so to speak. It's a start. A late one, but a start nevertheless.
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I'm just glad they showed some fight.
And hey, Dwight and Jameer playing (mostly) smart leads to success. But… I thought Dwight doesn’t have an offensive game and Jameer is a terrible PG? Golly gosh, my whole world has come crashing around me.
As Ben said, it’s a late start, but at least it’s a start. C’mon guys, just need to win twice in Orlando and once more in Boston. You did that last year.
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
All you losers who voted yes to end the season can suck it.
Suck it hard.
by Vindibudd on May 25, 2010 1:35 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
+1
I was surprised many so called “fans” voted yes. I think if you consider yourself a loyal fan, you have to be support your team regardless. I still think the Magic weren’t smooth on this game. But I like the intensity that they showed last night.
I hate Pau Gasol!
by jax502 on May 25, 2010 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think it was just a few bad apples
And a whole smattering of Boston fans who voted ‘Yes.’ We shouldn’t have had that poll up in the first place imho.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
i'm suprised it hasn't occured to anyone that the poll was bombed by celtics fans.
or lakers fans or hawks fans or bobcats fans or even cavs fans. it’s not that uncommon on the internet folks. why was it put there in the first place is my question.
by Alan J Ganssle on May 25, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY Cosign that post. Honestly I don’t think that that particular survey,worded as it was, should’ve appeared on this site…IMO! anyhoo, GREAT WIN last night! and it showed me a thing or two. #1. Reddick NEEDS MORE of VC’s (Scary Ass) minutes, and let me say this," I love VC as a person, but as a Bballer, he seems TOTALLY DISCOMBOBULATEDLOl …Plain and simple “Dude is not getting it done!” #2. Can someone please order up a PLACEBO cocktail for SWEET LEW! LOL, or at least scour the countryside searching for a Zenmaster to get inside the brothers head(I can’t tell if he has just hit a 3 or just got dunked on by Nate Robinson,that didn’t happen, just an example) is it just me or dude hasn’t been the same since they took away his OTC supplement(wink,wink)..LOl, I digress! #3. I think that OUR TEAM is now ready to PLAY and WIN this series and NBA Title…who do you guys think?
My thoughts.
Doris asks how Magic will win again? More Jameer PnRs, and SvG discovered double picks to give Jameer now, and Jameer seems more open to being aggressive consistently too. Ben did an awesome job recapping and describing how SVG adjusted with the PnRs for offense, more PnRs and using stagger screens. ESPN game recap has a statistic box of the Jameer-Dwight PnR too.
Don’t use VC as much. He plays hard but he has no passing game and too many little errors or missed opportunities; getting FTs or good pass outs. Using those minutes, play JJ, Barnes and MP more. I loved SVGs timeouts and rotations with them. They made defensive mistakes but they battled hard and that’s what it takes to win, defense is the effort put forth and it was there, mainly by DWIGHT.
Going back to why Jameer should handle it more, Jameer may be a score first PG, but the dude is still a PG, he recognizes good passes, he’ll look for them, and he has a Awesome 1-2 punch with Dwight. Seriously, count how many points Dwight got from Jameers passes and you’ll be amazed how much better it is to run thru Jameer than VC. Then you have the 9 assists to VCs 2 and to top it, Jameer still managed a positive A:TO ratio as Orlando’s main ballhandler, which against the most physical Defense is just amazing and all the more proof to run thru Jameer than VC or JJ or whoever. I liked how JJ and Lewis stepped up, played hard, and looked to keep good ball movement. Dwight, besides Jameers passes, played tremendous D (a Must), also got a lot of putback points from misses (secured OT win), and he played his post offense as smartly as he did in Game 2. He still has some good pass outs he’s missing but there is nothing else to realistically complain about. Barnes also showed up big in quarter 1 for Orlando, a critical quarter. He’s not the best defender sometimes but he plays all out and he did a lot of little things he could do too keep Orl in there.
Next game, I would like to see the offense play the same, actually run even more PnRs for Jameer instead. Limit VCs touches to about the same as today, bc he is still a great 1on1 scorer and I know he can produce very well in a more limited role than he had from the earlier games of the series.
Also, It might take some coaxing from SVG and Dwight, but they can help make sure Jameer turns the corner and attacks always by encouraging him. Again, It’s the best move, there are even open looks to Rashard from the 1/4 that Jameer can easily make when looking at the tape. He can’t get discouraged by defenses or turnovers bc he is the best option for Orlando and that means carte blank in mistakes as long as it’s consistent aggressive play. Youre looking at an efficient 23 points from Jameer and the first real game with passing and offense from Orlando headlined by Jameers 9 assists. Been lookin for this adjustment since gm 1 for the reasons above.
The Magic must be thinking about one thing right now tho.
Make it 3-2.
If they do that, it will start to curb some serious momentum towards the Magic, but they must battle on D like tonight, and they must play a similar offensive game thru Jameer bc he can best utilize Dwight, Rashard and the others on the team.
Make it 3-2 now, with the expectation of winning the series in the end. LETS GO MAGIC!!!
by derekk on May 25, 2010 1:44 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
We need to find a way of slowing Pierce down
And Jameer must penetrate like he did in game 4. If we do these two things we should look good.
Yep. To stop PP it should be still be Barnes and MP, they’ll get better at it.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 6:28 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I can't believe Vince was as bad as he was tonight.
He’s actually been decent so far in this series. I feel like if our captains can play like they did tonight and we can get some better efficiency from Vince and Pietrus we can really make this series interesting.
Also, I’m with Ben in that I don’t think Bass is a very good fit for our offense or defensive mentality. However, I really love that Stan gave him minutes for his hustle. The heart will lead to execution if it isn’t coming easy. Our players have to learn that, and Bass contributed to that energy tonight.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
Yea, Bass played hard. I think Gortat didn’t have a good game so I wouldn’t mind seeing Bass again. He did have a block too like Ben said. Ultimately, I trust either one to play hard and battle harder for more boards.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 2:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You have to play heart guys
Because their energy is contagious. I always thought that the key to a running, energetic offense is a hustling PG (like Kidd was/still is).
Bass bought the energy with him and made everybody realize “hey, we need to keep at it”. Sure, the Magic started extremely intense in the first place, so that was so great to see on their behalf.
I think You and Ben are Wrong,
Bass came in with energy and defense. something Vince and Lewis didn’t do. Like I said before, with Bass at the PF position, we match up better than what svg been going with. We matched up better tonight, and we WON. with Bass at PF, more opportunities can open for Lewis. -That’s if svg would play Howard, Bass and Lewis on the same floor together.
Also, look at the small things he did, like going for boards. Sure, he didn’t get alot, but at least he was THERE. Bass is an important match up piece and help to Howard in order for us to win this series. As much as I love Gortat, he is too slow. Bass for his size MOVES!
Lewis cannot defend Paul Pierce
End of story. Get over it, Bass doesn’t fit.
But we definitely can use him against Celtics when Pierce or Lewis (or both) sits.
That probably accounts for… ooooooops…. Mmmmm 6 +11 minutes?!??!?!!?
Gosh I didn’t realize PP and Lewis were playing so much…
Crap, I really liked what Bass did yesterday.
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Lewis would sure do a better job than Carter.
and he has a better chance scoring than having Garnett hounding him all game. YOU get over it.
Boston would run a layup line because Pierce would blow by Lewis.
If Dwight came to help, we are either going to give up a wide open layup from their Center, or a wide open three from the corner.
I don't know if he would really "blow" by Lewis
Lewis has very long hands and could get Pierce off his game if Rashard would be active enough.
Or, he'd blow by Lewis with his quick first step, then run into Lewis' arms, fall down, and earn a foul call.
Lewis doesn’t have a prayer of sticking with Pierce.
That's true as well
SVG should know better than all of us.
Well then guys! Looks liek we can all pack it up and go home! MagicMark and his infinite gurth of knowledge has this whoel series figured out!! Godo thing we have him on the sidelines assisting Stan in the coaches huddle!
Oh wait, what? He’s just some random guy posting on a blog like the rest of us?? Huh! Who woulda thunk it!
What kind of post is this?
Post something instead of junk. There might be three people on the entire planet that think Rashard Lewis is capable of defending Paul Pierce. Hopefully, Stan is not one of them. Read what BQR wrote a couple posts up. What he describes is exactly what would happen if the two players were matched up together.
What a game!
I guess all those “yes” voters are disappointed, though.
Carter was friggin’ horrible. I found myself yelling at the TV to put him on the bench, put him on the bench before he makes another terrible play.
Vince is a showman more than a competitive basketball player though.
As such, I hope he will be more energized and ready to bring it at home with the crowd behind him.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
Yeah agai, it's mental
But tonight he looked like he “can’t” anymore… physically. Probably had to do with chasing Ray Allen a bit in the beginning of the game as well… you get tired and your legs don’t listen to you anymore.
Like I said in the beginning of the season, Vince should work EXCLUSIVELY on strength this offseason. Squatting, sprinting, getting muscle back. I can’t say enough how important that is.
His legs seem really old...
He runs like my uncle with a prostate problem… :(
Something to do with his knees maybe…
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't think it's anything "bone-wise"
It’s all muscular. When I first saw him in a Magic uniform, and not the accustomed Nets uniform I saw him into for so many years, he looked very “thin” and skinny-fat. Less muscle, more “fat”. Definitely less muscle. That’s the big idea.
Less muscle means very bad things: less explosiveness, less durability, more shock into the joints (because the muscles are weaker and less able to amortizate the shocks, so the shocks are felt into the joints more) and so on.
This is imperative and it can be done with great nutrition and smart work. He doesn’t have the work ethic to do it though.
The only real reason I was happy about the ATL sweep was that VC had time to rest.
He was good vs Boston in game 1 with great energy but yesterday he looked so flat. When you can’t even pass the ball well IMO it always comes from the legs. I thought Rashard would use the rest too cause he was great vs ATL but I guess his health might be an issue. I hope he’ll be even better in game 5.
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
This is all very interesting and looks like VC can indeed gain some years back if he does as you say.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 6:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You bet it would, but as "I know him", he doesn't really care about it that much
I’d love to see him explosive again. I’ve also happen to know Wayne Clark (or Above and Beyond or Beyond 70) that participated at City Slam a few years back. He’s Vince’s age but he still has like a ~50 inch vert… he’s definitely looking better than Vince but he works at it (not as much or smart as I’d like, at least from what he’s told me, but still).
In the NBA they’re all “sensitive” about strength training because if the guy gets injured, the trainer is fired so the trainer “keeps it easy” and they do general preparation stuff of high reps and low intensity, which is bullocks for power and explosiveness.
Doesnt this win feel way better than if we would just play dead
like the fair weather guys wanted. The finals havent been etched in stone as yet as long as we dont lose a game hope for a Magic finals this year will always exist.
Me Against The World And I'm Winning
32-1
Man, that will feel good to be another Boston first. First team to win a series against Boston after being down 2-0.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
It would go deeper than that.
The history on teams down 0-3 is like 0-96 or something like that.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
I agree, and thanks, I was wondering what that exact record was
I just chose the Boston thing because last year, we hit 32-1 by winning in Boston in game 7 after being down 3-2 in a series. I generally dislike Boston, but I have to admit anything that has to do with the Celtics seems just a little bit bigger because of that franchise’s history.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Yep. In all of sports, a team down 0-3 has won a series four times
The Toronto Maple Leafs did it in 1942, the New York Islanders did it in 1975, the Boston Red Sox did it in 2004, and the Philadelphia Flyers did it in 2010.
Honor is no substitute for victory.
LOVED this....
All you losers who voted yes to end the season can suck it.
Suck it hard.
by Vindibudd on May 25, 2010 1:35 AM EDT
This was my sentiments exactly.
We dont have to kill each other, as Magic fans, over the vote. Some fans are realistic or pessimistic, but that doesn't mean they're "fairweather." Fairweather is for Lakers, not a Magic franchise fighting for the 1st title.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 2:10 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
But you never vote for you team to lose
unless it is to get a lottery position….
Exactly
And even then you should feel a little guilty for wishing your team to lose for the lottery.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
it was nice not to lose to the Celtics for once..
but let’s face it, unless this win is backed by three straight, it’s all gonna come to naught.
No, if the Magic had lost it would have been four-naught
it won’t be four naught, hopefully it will be four three.
"There are two ways to argue with a woman, and neither of them work."; Carlos Boozer
I'll tell ya about the Magic It'll free your soul but it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock n roll
The only way to stop LeBron is Smith and Wesson, but even that's a double team.
by NC Magic Fan on May 25, 2010 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Good Win, but it does nothing to stir confidence
Not to sound like a pessimist after our first win in the series but this game still showed that Orlando cannot win this series. As well as Howard and Nelson played you still gotta look at:
-Vince Carter completely disappearing in a do or die elimination game (lol@him being open under the basket and start to run back)
- Having a 7 point lead evaporate in the final 2 mins.
-Nelson’s 2 three pointers, while monster weren’t exactly wise shots in transition (I know he aint call glass) so that’s one of those things that can go either way. Live by the 3 this time
- They still didn’t push the ball in transition, they definitely could have broken the game out rather than walking it up. Most of their work in that space.
-Boston while defended well, missed a lot of open easy shots in the final 4 mins and in overtime. How many times can we bet those shots get missed?
Your confident if you’re Boston. You missed open shots, Orlando’s main 4th qtr shooters were quiet, and the small PG was forced into tough shots. You still got this as far as you are concerned at this point
As I said good win, and its nice to have one more game to close out the O-Rena, but this was a stay of execution.
But the good thing is our think our hustle guys fueled the team and kept us in. Barnes and more important Bass. I told you his hustle brings energy on the court. Should have played him earlier in the series smh…
"To my Hustlers, heres some motivation: He who has begun is half done, why you waiting?"-NaS
Certified Kristin Kreuk obsessive.
Boston was simply gassed in the OT
…because of how hard the Magic played them the whole game. The Celtics shot 2 of 10 in the OT, and a lot of those shots were short, especially by Pierce, which would indicate how tired the Celtics were; that’s why they missed so many shots late. Meanwhile, the Magic shot 4 of 7 in the OT, and survived 4 OT turnovers. Heck, if it wasn’t for Ray Allen’s three pointers, the Magic would have won by even more in the OT.
Orlando Magic... 2010 Eastern Conference Finalist
Chicago Blackhawks... 2010 NHL Western Conference Champions... Go Hawks... bring the Stanley Cup home!
by Mike from Illinois on May 25, 2010 4:18 AM EDT up reply actions
That's why we have to play with extreme intensity
AND RUN RUN RUN on the fast break. I know the fast break is not Orlando’s friend, but think about it… quickness is the weapon against the Celtics.
I’m going to say again – Dwight CAN run on the fast break. Perkins could not keep with Dwight if Dwight would put it into his head that “I’m going to run on every fast break”. You basically end up with your center in a very empty Celtics paint. That’s pretty much either a foul or a dunk by Howard.
The problem is – how much he can do it before he gets tired and starts affecting his defense and overall game.
+1
When you look at moth teams starters when it comes to quickness:
Dwight > Perk
Lewis > Garnett
Barnes = Pierce
Carter < Allen BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WERE REDDICK COMES IN!!!
Meer = Rondo
Why the hell are we not running more???? On paper it amost seems like 50% of possessions half the Celtics team would be late to defend…
As to Howard getting tired quickly – the Celtic bigs will tire with him, so he will probably keep his advantage. Also we can use Gortat in 2-3 minute spurts to rest Howard a little bit more
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Game shouldn’t have gone to OT. Magic controlled the tempo (most of the time) which was key. Great lesson to learn from here on out in this series, Celtics will not give up. No lead is safe with those guys.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
Well if you ever think the Celtics will give up
Then you really should seek treatment. (not talking about you, just as a general guideline)
There's reason for hope.
I love that we ran more lob plays to use the Celtics’ slow, bulky front line against them.
I love that Nelson penetrated the ball deep into the Celtic defense and occasionally forced them to collapse.
I love that we showed some heart.
The Magic have no margin for error, but…whatever. We are where we are. Let’s win another one on Wednesday.
by gift of the magi on May 25, 2010 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
I personally liked the fact that SVG actually put himself to work this game
He made adjustments, made substitutions, trusted players and so on. That was great to see.
But obviously the man of the game was Jameer and his penetration, that really opened up all the Magic offense and also got Rashard some open looks.
I guess this is the first time he realised that Magic are not the better team...
…playing their regular system. Adjusting seemed only natural after a 0-3 start. SVG is not exactly a “lie down and die” type of guy ;)
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I hope he isn't, but before game 4 (and even now)
I still question his open-mindness. I don’t know if he’s not stubborn enough to just fail using the “right system”.
Agree…hence why they are the most championship caliber team in the playoffs right now (yes unlike LA, who tends to roll over when the going gets tough)…
…what I wanted to stress is that if the Magic are serious about winning the series, they gotta realize that it will not stop for 3 games now. These guys will just keep getting up. If the Magic blow them out in Game 5…expect the worse in Game 6. If the Magic cut it close in Game 5…expect the worse in Game 6. Mentally the Magic have to be prepared.
Look last night, they had a 7 point lead with time running out and poof like that it was gone.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
"Good Win, but it does nothing to stir confidence."
Really?
If that’s the case, what kind of win would it take to “stir confidence?”
Because in my book, there isn’t much better than an overtime victory, on the road, while being down 0-3.
by OVERWADED on May 25, 2010 5:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
How bout holding onto that 7 point lead with 2 mins to go?
We were very fortunate to win that game as Boston was gassed, what are the chances of that happening again?
As I said I give credit to some of the guys but Shard was still ass-checks and Vince has all but done (see him dragging on D?). if it gets the ball rolling so to speak great, but right now there’s more belief Boston will make the adjustments rather than Orlando.
Im happy Orlando manned up, but I know its still a steep hill to climb. But that have to play with urgency here on out.
"To my Hustlers, heres some motivation: He who has begun is half done, why you waiting?"-NaS
Certified Kristin Kreuk obsessive.
by Wasabi Steak on May 25, 2010 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree, it’s nice to see my team get a win before the season is over but last night didn’t give me a shot of confidence.
One Freaken Second
by magic fanatic on May 25, 2010 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions
the magic have confidence that they can compete and win with the right effort and excecution
doesn’t matter what confidence the fans have
Never trust a fart
by AB's triple double on May 25, 2010 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It will stir overwhelming confidence if the Magic win again. You can feel it in the media already, with the 3-0 comeback stats and Boston losing one this month already. Magic won with VC playing horrid, MP shooting bad, and Lewis only tallying 13. There’s so many things Orlando can improve, and many are not hard; VC has had good games, MP shoots better than that, etc.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 1:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Interestingly enough, the Magic won a game when Lewis scored over ... what? 6 points? If Rashard scores over 6 points again, we win
Just kiddin’ but you get my point. If Lewis scores “decent” (say 12 points) then the Celtics HAVE to pay more attention to him.
But again, stopping Pierce, Jameer penetrating and playing a bit more on the fast break are all keys.
OH MY FREAKING GOD YEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
I'm a girl.
by TheGiantSquid on May 25, 2010 3:33 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
that sounded strange.
But its definitely a yess!
Sounded hot...
…….
"To my Hustlers, heres some motivation: He who has begun is half done, why you waiting?"-NaS
Certified Kristin Kreuk obsessive.
by Wasabi Steak on May 25, 2010 5:03 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You laughed..you laughed
hears crickets
"To my Hustlers, heres some motivation: He who has begun is half done, why you waiting?"-NaS
Certified Kristin Kreuk obsessive.
by Wasabi Steak on May 25, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
* *groan* *
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
how does something you READ sound strange
I'm a girl.
by TheGiantSquid on May 25, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
hey Squid (or anyone)
this might cheer you up (not NBA related)
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
the site won't open
what is it
I'm a girl.
by TheGiantSquid on May 25, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
"My email box will fill up with more questions as to why Bass hardly plays."
As it should.
I personally believe you host the best Orlando Magic blog on the web. I should know this. You were commenting on a blog I was apart of before this one ever existed; and that’s fine. I love your blog. It’s great. But your knowledge can come across arrogant at times.
Stan finally adjusted tonight, and Bass played a big role. And that adjustment cannot be downplayed.
Early today, you said:
“Bass is on the bench because he’s not a good fit for this team, and Gortat’s there because he backs up the team’s best player. It really is that simple. The only benefit to playing Bass would be so people would see he’s a terrible fit for this team, and I wouldn’t have to keep answering questions about why he doesn’t play.”
One game doesn’t say much, but in my opinion is you are wrong, and time will prove it.
by OVERWADED on May 25, 2010 4:46 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yep… Bass played a big role…
The Magic's total second-round margin of victory: 101 points.
The Hawks' highest second-round game score: 98 points.
…in the team’s near-collapse. 3 points and 2 rebounds in 12 minutes, lousy defense, -9 differential. Not saying there weren’t adjustments, and not saying that Gortat at PF was working, but the part of the adjustment where Bass was out there was not the successful part of the adjustment.
The Magic's total second-round margin of victory: 101 points.
The Hawks' highest second-round game score: 98 points.
for all we know
it coulda been -20 during the same time if not for bass.
Again, a single-game -9 differential means nothing.
Barnes had a 8 differential and played fairly well. +/ statistics are meaningful only over long stretches of games, and even then you must account for changes in the rest of the lineup, player development, etc.
I recognize that all of us have positions that we hold dearly, but it might be helpful for us to keep an open mind. And we should be genuinely happy when any of our players — whether it’s Gortat, Bass, or Anderson — perform well (rather than disappointed that one’s anonymous viewpoints on an internet posting board have been impugned).
by gift of the magi on May 25, 2010 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, but in this case...
…the +/- statistics are supported by Bass’ poor stats, and by the impression that Bass was playing poorly on defense (generally out of position, etc.) I’d be glad if he was performing well, but he just wasn’t by any reasonable standard.
The Magic's total second-round margin of victory: 101 points.
The Hawks' highest second-round game score: 98 points.
That's Bull!
In the 1 Q
when he was on the floor no Celtic PF scored from the field (KG sunk 2 FT’s)
In the 3 Q
He sunk a tough fade away jumper over KG with time running out on the 24. He contested KG jumper formidably to force a miss. He blocked PP on the drive together with Peaches.
For me, that’s pretty effective…
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
3 plays. Good job, earn that money, Brandon.
I can’t comprehend what illusions people conjure up when they watch basketball sometimes.
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
While I'm watching a game, I couldn't care less how much a player makes
I’m only worried about what they are contributing with their time on the floor (limited or not) at that moment. Bass seem to have a positive effect on the game; although, the stats prove otherwise. Sometimes, energy cannot be effectively quantified, but Bass brought it.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
WTF were you watching
Bass played better than Carter and Gortat. He deflected a few passes and even blocked a shot even though it was not counted. The plus minus has to do with more so the other four players than Bass himself. Ben Q Rock himself has never been a fan of Bass and stated that he played solid defense which any unbiased viewer of the game should agree with.
Me Against The World And I'm Winning
Carter was a +1
Anybody in their right mind that says Vince helped out even minimally is stone crazy. That goes to show that +/- sometimes never accurately reflect the impact that someone has on the floor. Stats doesnt always show this either. Bass played well. He isnt worthy of being a starter but he did play well enough to earn a few minutes.
Me Against The World And I'm Winning
Yes, but Carter played with the starters.
He had a positive +/- because he was on the court at the same time as Dwight and Jameer (et al.), but clearly his stats show that he played poorly in that game. With Bass, it’s a case of the stats and the +/- both showing a poor game.
And I wasn’t that impressed with his defense — yeah, he swatted a couple balls out of bounds, but you know who does that a lot? People who are out of position and find themselves caught in the passing lanes.
I mean, it’s no big deal — we’ll see what happens next game. I have the distinct suspicion we’ll be seeing Bass out there again. And honestly, it’s only 12 minutes or so. It’s disappointing, but it’s not like it’s likely to make the difference either way.
The Magic's total second-round margin of victory: 101 points.
The Hawks' highest second-round game score: 98 points.
It takes a lot of smarts to play PF here, it switches a lot and there’s a ton of PnR coverage. I know Bass deserves more PT, but I don’t think he can do it consistently right now in a playoff series, there’s too many little mistakes he will make; KG still scored in his face in the 3rd Q. I think it was more of a “Im gonna play a guy who will hustle” and “This will show Gortat what I think of his recent play”. I wouldn’t be surprises to see Bass bc he hustled, and there’s some interesting options to do offensively but I would worry about his D and prolly expect Gortat to swing back to backup PF again.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 6:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Gortat WILL improve for game 5 no doubt.
He posted a small message on his polish webpage that he is ashamed of his effort so far and can’t really explain it, and that he will do everything he can to help the team and redeem himself.
Strong words from a boxer’s son :)
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 26, 2010 6:02 AM EDT up reply actions
People always say stuff
It’s another thing to actually go out and do it. But I hope he’ll redeem.
I just don't get why they don't go with Anderson.
He’s been effective for the first two rounds, shooting percentage aside. And I’d rather have Anderson standing on the outside not shooting than Gortat standing on the inside not shooting and getting in the way of people.
The Magic's total second-round margin of victory: 101 points.
The Hawks' highest second-round game score: 98 points.
I wouldn't put Bass' 11 minutes in a vaccum
If Bass were to play consistent minutes it would limit the offense. The Magic run a delicate offense. It’s why Ryan Anderson was brought along with Carter. It’s why Gortat is getting paid unreal money for a backup. Bass gave the Celtics a different look tonight but playing him consistently would take other players out of their game. One different type of player on the floor changes everybody’s role.
One Freaken Second
by magic fanatic on May 25, 2010 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions
wut
Lewis did most of his damage before Bass came in the game. How does Bass backing him up have anything to do with anything?
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
Yep.. But he won't say he's wrong
But he is. As I said before, this “1 in 4 out” offense is not gonna cut it in the playoffs. Matchups will win the game. -Look at how they kept switching Pierce from Carter onto Nelson. Rondo then calls out Isolation, then Pierce has a bevy of options to choose from. Shoot the 3, shoot the Mid-range Jumper or drive and get the foul or and-1.
Rondo will not and cannot hit the 3, so why not just run back to defend Pierce? Poor, Poor Defense. -And instead of telling them to switch, what does svg do? He puts in 3 guards that are too small for the Garnett/Perkins picks that Ray Allen takes advantage of.
Very poor coaching and we still won.
Just goes to show that we DO have a squad, however, we have bad coaching.
SVG made some good adjustments...
…but that switch with Nelson guarding Pierce is one thing we need to fix.
by gift of the magi on May 25, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I know it doesn't mean much but this is exactly what game 3 agressiveness should have been.
It was a great game last night. Once again Magic were flat in the third but their great start and the fact that they continued to fight hard got them the W. It’s good that Bass worked out but it’s certain that this was a Nelson/Howard win. I wanted to kill VC during the game and I hope he’ll make me change my mind in game 5. Magic need to shoot around 47% against this team. The ball and player mouvement was by way far the best in the series and that was a huge difference. What I didn’t like is that even in this effort they let some “small” plays go the other way. There were at least three occasions where they could have steal the ball and gave up some silly offensive rebounds (Gortat, you can do better than this). Doc saying that the Cs played bad is BS. Magic played better than them and they sure look like they can do even more than this. I just hope everyone will show up in game 5 (even the crowd) so that we can win without having our ulcer going wild.
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
I would just like to add that every time Big Ugly Davis makes a play, I feel that something dies somewhere.
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
Any of you guys play Mass Effect 2?
Big Baby IS a charging Krogan!!!
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/5789/masseffect2007062700520sk2.jpg
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 26, 2010 6:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Haha nice.
He almost always has one of 3 moronic looking faces. His big, dumb looking grin, his whiney, face scrunching look, and his completely absent of any intelligence with his mouth open look.
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
Did you guys see the video of the shotclock freeze !!
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
Yeah, I was screaming at the TV (and scaring my girlfriend) when that happened
Fortunately, nothing came of it.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
A superstar brings it EVERY night
He had 7 points and 7 rebounds in game 3 if I remember right.
Michael Jordan might of brought it every night. But there hasn’t been a superstar that brings it every night since he retired. LeBron didn’t do it last series. The Big 3 haven’t done it this series, and KB8 who everyone seems to want to beat off to the fact he’s this superstar that brings it every night doesn’t bring it every night either. So I’ll have to disagree with your statement Rap. Feel free to disagree right back and tell me KB8 brings it every night.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
I thought the same thing
Even Jordan had off nights, they are human after all
One Freaken Second
by magic fanatic on May 25, 2010 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, Kobe is just so though mentally
He brings the effort every night that’s for sure. But heck, we’re humans, we have our bad days, our brilliant days and so on and so forth.
When you think about it, it’s just a game.
yep
Magic just got off to a horrible start to the first two games…then got in a rut in the first six minutes of Game 3 and the panic attack went from there. It was a just a game fueled by a lot of frustration.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
And that Superstar effort from Lebron got him to......
the golf course.
by jackhammerslam on May 25, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
The Game Clock Freeze
I’m so glad that I’m not the only one that saw that happen. I was SCREAMING at the TV, asking the refs why NOONE saw the shot clock freeze for 3 seconds!!!! I’m soooo glad to be out of Boston for at least one more game.
I am really hyped about this.....
I was SUPER pissed when the Magic just gave up that Game 3. I was hurt actually….but I knew the one thing not to do was to doubt them…I voted NO yesterday because I wanted them to come back home and get the AMWAY rocking again! I wanted to put my Dwight Howard jersey back on and hang out downtown and cheer for my team. They gave me that chance. I am not Ben Q Rock (the greatest Magic blogger in history) so I cant break a game down. I just dont think Boston has it any more…they didn’t have the killer instinct. When you got your foot on an opponent’s neck…its simple, you pull a “Bruce Lee” and snap that M#@@*#! They didn’t. They looked old and tired. They had monster games from Pierce and Allen and we still pulled it out.
SVG now has tape on what was really successful and he is going to dissect it like a surgeon! ’Meer knows he can be succesful drivign to the basketball, Dwight was tied up on the phone cord in the phone booth the first three games but he is out now and playing like Superman! I am not overconfident by any means but….we got to believe. This is still our year…..
"He is fast, but what I like about him is he looks like one of those track guys that actually knows how to run the ball and has good vision and patience. He is not just running at top speed. He knows when to use his speed, and he has some power and toughness, too.'' Barry Sanders about CJ2K
Dwight Howard >The Justice League of America
by Bonafidebrother on May 25, 2010 8:51 AM EDT reply actions
I still don’t get why there were so many downers yesterday on this site mailing shit in. I’m glad the Magic don’t have that same attitude. Even if it is hard, impossible, challenging, [enter appropriate word here] to come back from being down 3-0…who wanted to see the Magic get swept? That’s an awful way to go down.
Fact is they now have confidence to win in Game 5. That’s all that matters right now. I was living in Boston when the Red Sox came back, it went from a 19-8 straight beatdown by the Yankees in Game 3, to a 6-4 extra inning win by the Red Sox in Game 4…sound or look familiar? By the time Game 5 rolled around, people in the city started believing and this feeling spread. The Magic are still a championship team that got off to a really bad start in a series they can win. Those are the facts. So anyone who wanted the season to end last night needs to have a little more faith and quit being so down.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
I don’t think the situation is comparable, just because baseball and basketball are on completely different ends of the spectrum. Also, Boston didn’t come out flat in that game. They straight up got their ass kicked. They wouldn’t have scored eight runs if they were going through the motions.
As far as I’m concerned, losing is losing. Being glad we didn’t get swept is a typical attitude for a Magic fan, one that I have had for a long time. This season was different though, we were supposed to win it all this year. Losing in 4 games is the same as losing in 7. The result is the same. The season is over regardless.
One Freaken Second
by magic fanatic on May 25, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
After last night, you're not even the tiniest excited and optimistic that the Magic will make history this series?
Forget avoiding the sweep; like you said, it isn’t even relevant. But think about the awesomeness of winning Game 7 in Orlando so we can get the chance to take care of business in the Finals again this year.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
that would be sweet. and really something that only a underdog team and city can do.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
One win in a four game series after three straight losses is not going to get me excited
If we win tomorrow, great. If we win Friday, than…I don’t know. That would be unreal. I don’t think you can describe how that would feel.
But I’m not going to get my hopes up for something that isn’t going to happen. It’d be like buying a lottery ticket and feeling confident you’ll win 20 mil. It’s delusional.
I know ya’ll think I’m being “fair-weathered” but I’m just being realistic.
One Freaken Second
by magic fanatic on May 25, 2010 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
All I have to say is stop watching the games then if you're sure Magic will ultimately lose
Each game is a world onto themselves and anything can happen, and I’m fairly confident in the Magic’s ability to win any given game at any given time. By the way, when you buy that lottery ticket, give it to me so I can hope to win 20 mil. I may win it or I may not, but that anticipation for something great is a worthy ride.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
+1
Come on fanactic, you gotta believe man! All you need to believe at the moment is Game 5 and then we’ll talk Game 6. I’ll split the lottery ticket with 80sguy btw.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
I’m sorry if you think I’m pushing my train of thought on everyone, I’m just trying to show the other side. I’m not a fairweather fan, if I was I wouldn’t have stuck around for most of the last decade. But I’m also not the cheerleader type. I can’t just forget Saturday night never happened. It did, and IF we lose tomorrow or Friday we will all point to Game 2 as the unofficial end to this series. We’ll remember how the Magic were devastated and couldn’t answer the call in game 3. Last night’s game will be a cliffnote. I’ll stop beating a dead horse now.
One Freaken Second
by magic fanatic on May 25, 2010 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, this season...
…the Magic have won 4 games over the Celtics, and the Celtics have won 4 games over the Magic.
So, assuming each game is a 50-50 chance, the Magic have a 1 in 8 chance of winning the series. (That’s not taking into account home court advantage or anything.)
The odds aren’t good, but they also aren’t ridiculous.
The Magic's total second-round margin of victory: 101 points.
The Hawks' highest second-round game score: 98 points.
And you call yourself “MAGIC fanatic”???? and you think this isn’t "fairweather fan “behavior? Dude! get another handle, a couple suggestions are:” MAGIC sometimesFANATIC" or “MagicHater”, or “Central Fla Hater”, just to name a few….Lol-Peace, & GO MAGIC!!!!!!
Nelson(?)
For 3 1/2 quarters Nelson pushed the ball down court and then when back to Mr. Dribble. Almost lost the game for us. There were other options but he had to take those 3 pointers and thank goodness he made them. He started getting the ball across the half court line with 18 sec to shoot. He was waiting on Boston to get their defense set up. I believe if he had keep pushing the ball we would not have need 5 more minutes to get the win. Ah hell just be thankful that we won. I wonder when Van Gundy is going to put Carter in the game?
Vince had two or three turnovers in the 4th quarter.
Whenever we gave him the ball it almost always ended badly.
I think he got tired
Jameer looked a little winded out there (as well as all of the Boston team).
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the severity was getting to him.
Vince needs to really understand that the team needs him to perform like the Star he “used to” and “still can” be. He really was getting down on himself and his team mates need to help pick him up. Yeah, hi did lousy, but we won and it’s a new day.
I was actually talking about Jameer, but I agree somewhat about Vince
I agree that if Vince is going to be successful, the other Magic players will have to help pick him up. I’m just not sure Vince is capable of a great game in the playoffs at this point. I’m starting to fall into the train of thought that Vince chokes under pressure. If/when the Magic wins this series, it is going to be the other guys picking up their games.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
That's because he's not quick enough
In the regular season the defensive intensity is not that great, so he can deal with that. But in the playoffs, particularly at this point, they are all scrambling like maniacs on defense. He can’t currently deal with that at the quickness level.
Leave it to a hater extraordinaire to tear down a player's mostly wonderful game...
By highlighting a few minutes where he wasn’t playing perfectly.
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
SVG made a good point
when he said they are not taking this series won game at a time. If you don’t believe you can win the series still there is no point in competing at all. As a fan I have the right to take it one game at a time. At this point I just don’t want to lose in the last game at the O-rena. Hopefully that building can go out on a strong note. If I get my wish then we’ll take it from there.
One Freaken Second
This win makes me sick more than anything. Sick that we mailed in game 3. Sick that it took us this long to put our hearts into playing. Sick that we wasted out talent for 3 games only to pull it out in desperation mode when the seires is all but lost. Just sick.
I’m happy we won, I just wish it were a win that will mean something more than avoiding a sweep. And I guess for saying that I’m not a “real fan” as some of you surmise but that’s fine, I just expect more than this team has provided up until this point.
is Loading ████████████ 99%
by hawkster77 on May 25, 2010 9:48 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Hakeem?
``After we lost, I was like, `Man, I feel so bad.’ But I just kept telling myself to not stop and to not quit, don’t give up and keep fighting,’’ Howard said. ``I talked to a couple of people and one of those was Hakeem Olajuwon. Me and him had a great talk and he just inspired me to keep playing. I didn’t want to give up because I just felt like there was a lot of people pulling for us to keep going.’’
Man if he could train with Hakeem… I can’t say how happy I’d be.
THIS Xs I,000,000!!!!
I have LONG said that I would LOVE for the Magic to hire Hakeem for Dwight but I always thought he was too loyal to Houston to do it. I also pray that a team WILL hire Ewing as a head coach so we could at least pursue “The Dream”.
Also, I think Hakeem and Dwight are much more alike personality-wise. He would DEFINITELY be able to improve Dwight!
Sigh . . . Now I need new AVATAR!
I agree in that I hope Ewing gets the opportunity to coach elsewhere
One reason being that I think he deserves the opportunity, but also, I think Dwight needs a different voice in his ear now. Ewing has been great (as well as Clifford Ray earlier in Dwight’s career) and probably has more to teach, but for Dwight to progress further as a superstar, he needs to learn more offensive post moves, and it is easier to take suggestions from a fresh voice. I think his defense is about as elite as it can get.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
You don't think svg has a say in Howard's game?
I can recall during the season, DH told a reporter that he was working extensively with Pat.. That he was working on his mid-range jumper. -But then svg DID say that I need him to do what works in my system -or something along those lines.. I think around all star break. -That means NO MID-RANGE JUMP SHOT in a svg offense.
I said it before last off season, but I would love to have Ewing as the Magic head coach. Bring in the Dream (not that R&B singer) as an assistant.. WHOOOO!!
Give us your source
or proof that Stan said what you think he said. Otherwise it is baseless crap meant to stir the pot.
I would like Ewing to be a head coach someday, but definitely not for the Magic
SVG has a system with proven success. I’m all for a new voice in Dwight’s ear (like Hakeem) that will help maximize Dwight within that system. I’m not that big of a proponent for Dwight even attempting mid-range shots unless he can prove he can hit free throws on a consistent basis (which I’m not sure he can).
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
No but really, the post game is not THAT hard
You just have to put in time to learn it. I can’t believe that in all my “life” as a Orlando Magic follower (1 year) I have never seen any up and under, shake, pump fake (!!!!!!) combination from Dwight at all.
Yes, I’ve seen a FEW isolated moves, but never a combination of movements. Even if he’d go with isolated moves (say a couple of pump fakes) he’d be great.
It must be harder than we think (I don't really know)
I think it must be an instinctual thing like how to read the way the defender is leaning on you once you make your initial move and be able to immediately process what would be the best option to proceed. Is it best to shoot now or perform a countermove? If it is the latter, then which countermove to make? How many countermoves are needed before going up for an effective shot? Rinse, repeat.
It seems with Dwight, he might have 2-3 countermoves in his bag of tricks, but he decides on his course of action no matter what his defender is doing. Sometimes it works and sometimes it leads to turnovers or bad shots.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
Still, when you're as long and as strong as Dwight
It shouldn’t be that hard. Check out Zach Randolph.
Honestly, Hakeem and Ewing can both be assistants. There’s even consultant roles like Frank was for the Magic earlier in the season. It’s if the Magic will make good overtures at Hakeem, pay handsomely even if it’s a consultant role. Hakeem + Ewing + Dwight …. Your imagination is the limit of how improved Dwight can be :P
by derekk on May 26, 2010 12:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Would Hakeem be interested?
Some ex-players like Ewing want to be coaches but others don’t. I wonder what Hakeem thinks and what’s he doing now.
Recrec rec. Hakeem!!!!! The Dream!!!!
by derekk on May 25, 2010 6:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Good analysis Ben, but you missed a spot!
In the first half the Magic finally ran!!!!
On a few ocassions the Celtics were lost in transition defense. I am not quite sure why SVG didn’t push his team to continue this trend in the second half. Halfway through the third Q they stopped running the break completely.
As much I am pissed off with Jason Williams after his terrible play in game 3 he really did push the ball pretty well in his 10 minutes of play.
I would love to see SVG steer the Magic towards an up-tempo pace from the start of game 5. The Celtics seem a little tired already.
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:03 AM EDT reply actions
I absolutely agree with that
We might not be the best transition offense squad, but we’re better offensively in transition than the Celtics are defensively on the fast break.
We stopped pushing the ball late in the game.
I wonder why…
Stan's brother agrees with you
Run, run, run, he says
Agreed.
Even if the transition game isn’t our strength, it’s a major weakness for the Celtics. We have to exploit it.
by gift of the magi on May 25, 2010 10:16 AM EDT reply actions
I just saw on espn that Rashard has had a viral infection and received an IV before the game.
Never trust a fart
by AB's triple double on May 25, 2010 10:37 AM EDT reply actions
He was coughing all game, and had a red nose. He's been playing sick since game 1, apparently.
Magic Fan since the 1992-1993 Season.
Caracas, Venezuela.
by North of the South on May 25, 2010 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
red nose like rudolf?
Never trust a fart
by AB's triple double on May 25, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
lol, you couldn't resist, could you
it’s weird to hear that someone sick has a “red nose”
IV my ass!!!
Every time I see another Mr. Softy get a public excuse for a crap game I just have two words for him: Flu Game.
Remember MJ every time you yap about feeling sick and such sissy! Although all this goes to King Crab a bit more than to Shard.
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on May 25, 2010 10:46 AM EDT reply actions
Michael Jordan was possibly the most driven athlete of all time.
Rashard doesn’t have that intensity (obviously).
Outside of Kobe, who does?
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I voted for yes on the poll
and I’m glad they proved me wrong. But after watching sports for over 20 years and not seeing any of my teams win anything, I have become a bit jaded and realistic. After last night’s game, I don’t know if I feel better after the win because I felt they could have played this way all along. But it was a great game and I give them credit for not giving up on an elimination game.
Also, this made me laugh:
I expect Bass to pick up a few more minutes in Game 5, and for my email box to fill up with more questions as to why Bass hardly plays.
Thanks Vince.
I voted yes, but I don’t think it registers it from my iphone. Anyone else have this problem? It’s for every single poll too.
by derekk on May 25, 2010 7:02 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Wojnarowski column in Yahoo is annoying.
Yeah, the Magic deserve all the scorn for how they played in game 3, but in games 1 and 2 they tried (kinda)… and the Celtics didn’t give the game away last night. Boston didn’t play awful. Pierce had 32, Allen 25, KG was his usual against Lewis, Rondo was hurt but you can’t blame that on the Magic. I don’t think Boston ever gave up.
Magic Fan since the 1992-1993 Season.
Caracas, Venezuela.
by North of the South on May 25, 2010 12:08 PM EDT reply actions
woj is always annoying
he never writes anything positive about orlando
Someone said he's a Lakers fan
and he’s ripped Lebron, too.
The Celtics shot 42% (28% on threes), had 15 turnovers, Rondo played his most ineffective game this series, Perkins and Rasheed were non-factors. Their defense after the 1st quarter was pretty good, though.
Some people in Celticsblog say Howard should be suspended cause he is elbowing people in the head.
They say Howard is a dirty player cause he is hitting everyone. Well, it’s not like the Celts are playing soft with him.
Magic Fan since the 1992-1993 Season.
Caracas, Venezuela.
by North of the South on May 25, 2010 12:10 PM EDT reply actions
That was satisfying seeing the Celtics' bigs get unhinged while Dwight calmly looked on
It was about time.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
by funny80sguy on May 25, 2010 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I love seeing Dwight beating some people up especialy when they drive to the rim.
Just don’t get too dirty and don’t do it while the other team and the arena have fallen asleep. That said, I share entirely your satisfaction of watching those elbows fly around Celtic heads.
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
It's funny how Boston is supposed to be such a hard-nosed team, but they flop and whine more than a little bit.
You can’t have it both ways. If you’re gonna beat people up, you have to be able to take it too.
man, Pierce might even be a bigger floper than Varejao and that is tough to do
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
My favorite part of the game was when Barnes tried to placate Garnett
It seemed to tick Garnett off more and more the longer Matt shooed him off. I was cracking up. It did lead to a spirited short Celtic run though, but it was worth it alone for entertainment value.
Even though the Hippopotamus lacks a stinger for a tail, a truly wise man would rather be sat on by a bee. ~ Banacek
hahahah yes!
Magic Fan since the 1992-1993 Season.
Caracas, Venezuela.
by North of the South on May 25, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think we play well when we get that emotional...
We need to watch that.
I hope the maigc players read this.....
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-magicceltics052510
This dude is killing lewis and carter and if they got any pride they will hopefully read this and show some heart.
I don't read Yahoo or Fox sportswriters.
They spew the same tired bullshit all year long. Their article never changes. I bet you that guy would have mortgaged his entire house/life savings that Boston was going to sweep Orlando last night. Hope the guys were sorry to disappoint him.
That same guy was writing off Boston as being disjointed and ancient a month ago probably.
Just like the rest of us uninformed peons.
I love LeBron. No really, I love Jameer.
i would wager something around 99% of all sportswriters
didnt even give boston a chance to compete in the cleveland series, let alone win it
Here's a suggestion for a poll: will the Magic win the series?
That poll question should be better received and less controversial than the last previous one.
I wonder how many dare to believe.
I do
I’ve felt for a long time like this was our year. I can’t think of a better time. I still feel like our team in some ways is too good (like Vince trying to create difficulty on his shots). How strange it would be if two Boston teams blew a 3-0 lead in these playoffs, but then again how many times does as supremely talented a team as the Magic end up somehow trailing 3-0, and on top of that have the grit to decide they do think its still worth trying hard enough to win? I feel like this could be the perfect storm for an NBA team to FINALLY come back from 0-3 deficit. I’m still 100% mentally prepared for us to lose the series, but to anyone who hasn’t considered the prospect, I dare you to consider what it might feel like if we still found a way to come all the way back from this to win this and perhaps even the finals. Think about it, when do the Magic honestly play their best? This team sometimes seems to coast a bit because they’re so freakishly naturally talented that their true potential has to be urged out of them. Save the loss in the finals, I remember this team generally being pretty clutch especially in the playoffs and coming back from deficits in series’ and in games.
I may be a bit disappointed if and when the final loss actually does come, but until then I know we have the ability to come back from this, so I’m gonna keep believing.
by BlueSkyOneCloud on May 26, 2010 3:08 AM EDT up reply actions
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/shaun_powell/05/25/magic.chance/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1
by BlueSkyOneCloud on May 26, 2010 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Powell is basically saying that things had gone Boston's way until Game 4
but starting with that game, the pendulum should swing back Orlando’s way.
He’s also implying that the series should go at least 6 games. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.
as long they keep winnin' you can keep believin'
Most teams down 0-3 would have quit but you gotta give credit to the players. They didn’t and it probably helped that those threes were made in the first quarter. That gave them the confidence to keep playing. And they needed every single one of those 31 points.
The Celtics won three in a row against the Magic but couldn’t win four straight (always a difficult feat, especially against a good team). Now the Magic will have to do what Boston couldn’t do: win four in a row.
I don’t think the Celtics have suffered back-to-back losses in these playoffs so far. So it’s obviously gonna be tough. One down, three to go.
What I would like to see in game 5 in the arena is the same atmosphere that the warriors had in that game 6 vs Dallas.
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
The Warriors???
Isn’t there a game in Magic/Amway history that we could look back to instead of that awful franchise?
Say what you want. I’ll still consider that crowd (who talked about franchise here?) as one of the best I’ve seen in a NBA game.
And if you’ve been looking at the posts around here, people do complain about the Amway crowd.
Time to get that finger bling-bling
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
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