Orlando Magic 107, Portland Trail Blazers 104
by Evan Dunlap on Jan 12, 2012 1:36 AM EST
in 2011/2012 Recaps
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PrintThe Orlando Magic improved to 2-0 on their road trip Wednesday with a narrow 107-104 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, handing Portland its first home defeat of the season. Three-point shooting propeled Orlando to an early 23-point advantage, but it had to fend off a furious Blazers rally in the fourth period to escape with the win. J.J. Redick scored 17 points in 27 minutes off the Magic's bench to lead them in scoring, while Jameer Nelson broke out of his slump in a major way, putting in 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
The Magic withstood a quietly strong game from LaMarcus Aldridge, who shot 10-of-17 from the floor for 23 points and played better-than-advertised post defense. Jamal Crawford came off the Blazers' bench and torched the Magic, as he usually does, with 24 ponts in 30 minutes.
Through the first half, Orlando shot well and moved the ball brilliantly, rarely letting its offense stagnate. Even if the Magic hadn't shot 11-of-18 on threes in the half, one still would have been satisfied with the way they set those looks up. And they crushed the Blazers on the boards, 24-13, helping compensate for their unsightly nine turnovers.
| Team | Pace | Efficiency | eFG% | FT Rate | OReb% | TO Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | 91.0 | 117.6 | 70.0% | 12.9 | 19.4 | 20.9 |
| Blazers | 91.0 | 114.3 | 53.5% | 14.0 | 16.3 | 8.8 |
| Green denotes a stat better than the team's 2010/11 average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's 2010/11 average. | ||||||
But the Magic didn't maintain that momentum for all the second half, though they did enter the fourth period with a 17-point advantage. Perhaps because the three-ball had been so kind to them, the Magic looked to involve Dwight Howard more and more in their offense. That means someone makes a post-entry pass and stands there, while three other players also stand in place. Howard then takes a bunch of dribbles and puts up a hook of some kind, maybe even drawing a foul.
The Magic's failure to apply pressure to Portland help fuel the hosts' comeback. Though Orlando shot 7-of-15 in the fourth quarter for a respectable 46.7 percent, it was a stark drop-off from the 61.8 percent figure it maintained through three quarters. Some of that is simple regression to the mean, and some of that is Portland's defense, but a lot of it is the Magic abandoning the ball and player movement that helped put them up big in the first place.
Crawford, Aldridge, and Gerald Wallace each scored nine points in the fourth for the Blazers, providing the firepower needed to get back to within striking distance of the Magic. But it was their work on the defensive end that swung the momentum in their favor and forced Orlando to cling to its lead.
Nate McMillan elected to press the Magic as they brought the ball up, sending Wallace and Nicolas Batum, both listed at 6-foot-8, to trap Nelson. That move forced the Magic to call a timeout, after which they turned the ball over. They tried it once more and got Nelson to cough the ball up along his own baseline, leading to an easy jam for Wesley Matthews.
This is a game the Magic could have put away early. They jumped out to an 8-0 lead with three layups and a dunk within the game's opening 100 seconds, forcing McMillan to call an early timeout. At no point during the first 36 minutes did Portland look like a team with the energy to make a comeback; the Trail Blazers were on a second night of a back-to-back set and looked the part.
But as the Magic's offense unraveled, Portland stirred to life on both ends of the floor. Had it not missed so many bunnies during the game's opening minutes--Wallace had at least three uncontested layups that ought to have dropped--it might have managed to complete the comeback.
When seven players score in double figures and the team makes 16 threes, the Magic ought to win easily no matter the opponent. In that regard, one can view Wednesday's game as a letdown. Then again, Orlando knocked off the West's second-best team in its own building. There's something to be said for that.
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The man put up 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting
I’d call that breaking out of a shooting slump.
Please leave a message, I'm busy hiding my cat from TGS.
You should have been there
The Portland fans were groaning in despair every time Jameer shot the ball. He was the player of the game in their view.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
Blind squirrel. I was talking about his mental slump.
Did you watch the fourth quarter?
The ball was literally ripped from his hands
"I'm a little dysfunctional
You're the problem, Please don't awakin me
And I'm that way cause back in the day
Most have forsaken me"
Well Evan was talking about shooting and you make some comment about he must have been watching a different game.
Sorry for not being a mind reader and knowing that you’re talking about something that was unrelated to what the writer was talking about.
Please leave a message, I'm busy hiding my cat from TGS.
He's talking about great 3 point shooting, then leads into Redick scoring 17 to lead the bench in scoring, then goes into Nelson breaking out of his slump going 7 for 9 with 16 points.
It’s so obvious that is what he’s talking about, you can’t make it much clearer than he did.
Please leave a message, I'm busy hiding my cat from TGS.
Wtf are you talking about,
Three-point shooting propeled Orlando to an early 23-point advantage, but it had to fend off a furious Blazers rally in the fourth period to escape with the win. J.J. Redick scored 17 points in 27 minutes off the Magic’s bench to lead them in scoring, while Jameer Nelson broke out of his slump in a major way, putting in 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
It’s exactly what he said. You either just hate Nelson (which is fine, if you don’t like him you don’t like him) and are just trying to bend what is being said to back any argument you have against him, or you just aren’t very good at comprehending what is being said.
Please leave a message, I'm busy hiding my cat from TGS.
I'll take it
Beating Portland is no easy feat. I wouldn’t have been completely shocked if we’d have lost. Makes up for the horrible loss to Toronto. One swallow does not make a summer. We need consistency (Jameer, Turk). A nice win though…
The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.
The Magic beat Toronto
Do you mean Detroit!
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
Make that a question mark to make it seem less angry
As in “Do you mean Detroit?”
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
Yes, a shitty team from that area...Sorry, I'll check my facts better next time...Thanks!
The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.
by mike in munich on Jan 12, 2012 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
Man that was a rough game to witness, but at least the Magic won in the end
It was funny hearing the blazers fans boo every time Hedo touched the ball, especially when he hit a crucial shot in the game or an assist. A nice game for the Magic.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
does anybody think the magic could get eric bleadsoe relatively cheap if so i think he would be a good piece and i dont think he has played for the clippers unless he’s hurt which makes it a different story but i think he could help make the second unit better by getting in the lane and creating for the shooters anybody have any thoughts?
Bledsoe might be a decent piece for the future
But Duhon is actually doing a really decent job as a backup this year though.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
i dont know the second unit offense seems to get stagnant allot because no one can really penetrate and theirs not a reliable post scorer bledsoe could break down the deffense and help keep the offense moving i think blesoe would bring instant energy from the bench imo
by turbo champion on Jan 12, 2012 2:09 AM EST up reply actions
bledsoes stats as a rookie are better than duhans this year i know stats dont tell the whole story but i think he could greatly improve the second unit and i dont think it would take that much to get him he hasn’t even played this year
by turbo champion on Jan 12, 2012 2:14 AM EST up reply actions
My comment is coming from the point of view of the present (and To be honest I don't know much about Bledsoe)
I cannot think of any players on the Magic roster that would net Bledsoe that would benefit the entire team now. Again, I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, but what players on the Magic’s roster would you think realistically could get Bledsoe (a recent very high draft pick). I’m thinking the price would be JJ, and I think that price would be too high. As it stands currently, I think Duhon is doing a good enough job that keeping JJ is preferrable for the team overall.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
i was thinking maybe earl clark and pick now i like earl clark but i just dont see how he ever gets minutes with the magic plus i think the clips could use another athletic big clark was also a high draft pick
by turbo champion on Jan 12, 2012 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
Duhon is still playing bad
He makes an occasional good play, and makes a three from two yards beyond the arc? (did anyone see that?) But he still can’t handle the pressure, jumps before he passes sometimes, and certainly gets burned on D constantly. He’s definitely still a liability.
by MasterofMagic on Jan 12, 2012 9:27 AM EST up reply actions
Duhon is currently ranked 6th in the NBA in 3 point percentage this season
Obviously, it’s a small sample size, but it’s the highest percentage of anyone on the team.
Duhon: .538 (6th)
Turkoglu: .479 (12th)
Anderson: .413 (31st)
Reddick: .371 (50th)
Richardson: .342 (68th)
(Ranks are for qualified players only)
Don’t get me wrong, Duhon is not great, but he is vastly improved from last year and has generally provided the types of performances you’d expect from a backup PG. Of course, is 38% from 2pt range could certainly go up.
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
This always comes up...
…what exactly do you expect from a backup PG? This is a league where there are more teams than competent point guards. If Duhon was competent — indeed, WHEN Duhon was competent — he would be (and was) a starter.
As far as I’m concerned, if the backup PG can average an assist every 6 minutes or so, hit a really open three, and not ruin us on defense, that’s a backup PG for you. Duhon is that guy.
(And speaking as a LA resident who watches his share of Clippers games, that’s also just about the kind of guy Bledsoe is. If anything, Bledsoe’s inability to shoot the three and penchant for turnovers make him worse than Duhon… sure, he’s young, but that’s nowhere to start a career.)
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
RE: Bledsoe
I would need to see him play more before I can pass any judgement, but somehow I doubt he can be worse than Duhon.
Duhon distributes, takes care of the ball, and can shoot the 3 to an acceptable standard.
Bledsoe does none of those things. His 3.6 assists in 22.4 minutes a game last year were comparable to Duhon’s 2.9 in 19 mpg this year (though the Clippers’ offense is more assist-driven.) But his 2.4 turnovers per game were almost double Duhon’s. And he’s a 27% career three-point shooter (who shot 1.5 of them a game last year anyway, for some reason.) He’s a terrible player who has no idea how to run the NBA point.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
That is not what I have been hearing about the guy.
I mean, not in regards to his statistic – that I trust you that it is true – but to his overall potential. If I’m not mistaken, Clippers consider him as an valuable piece for the future.
i think duhon is a defensive liability against any pg with speed, he doesnt get steals which bledsoe does and i also was thinking that maybe the magic could trade clark for him which would mean the magic would have duhan and bledsoe. I just think bledsoe could provide more of a spark of the bench and has some ability to create his own shot, a spark steals and shot creation are all things i think the magic could use in a backup pg imo i also dont think he got the wide open 3’s duhan gets in the magic offense so i think his percent would go up jmo
by turbo champion on Jan 12, 2012 8:53 PM EST up reply actions
FYI, every PGi s a defensive liability against PGs with speed.
The rules just don’t let you bump them. And, no one can stay in front of them. So, you really need a PG who knows and play in a team defensive scheme—where rotations and help comes from the right spot.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Jan 13, 2012 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
Give me a list of backup point guards who are GOOD, though.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
A player can be “bad” and still quite solid for a backup PG — Duhon this season being an example. It’s not like there are a bunch of backup PGs out there outplaying Duhon — they’re all just about equally bad, except the ones who are worse. Unless we were to trade for a starting PG and play him as a backup for some reason, you’re not getting appreciably better than Duhon.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
I got you the first time.
And it is not like I disagree with you, but watching Duhon run our offense is just too painful.
Magic are +39 over their opponents when Duhon is in the game.
Not saying he deserves the credit for that, but it’s not like the team falls apart when he comes in either.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
by 3.3seconds on Jan 12, 2012 8:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, you should probably give that credit to Hedo.
Because he is the one who runs our offense when Jameer is out. Duhon is playing much better than last year, though, so let’s just leave it at that :-)
Then after watching Dragic start for the Magic for a while . . .
I suspect you would long for the days of Nelson.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
i agree i dont know if the magic have the pieces to get a better player at pg than nelson this season without trading dwight
by turbo champion on Jan 12, 2012 2:10 AM EST up reply actions
Give me Matty B and get rid of Sci Fi.
On second thought, both need to go to the D-League.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
by slickw143 on Jan 12, 2012 9:38 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Portland never had the lead in this game
The Magic’s largest lead was 81-58 at the 5:56 point of the third quarter.
The great first quarter the Magic played really helped. The Magic shot 14 of 20 (70%) from the field, and 6 of 8 (75%) from three point range on their way to a 36-22 lead after one.
Portland did not shoot over 50% in any of the first three quarters, but shot 14 of 23 (60.9%) in the fourth quarter, including 4 of 11 (36.4%) on threes while outscoring the Magic 36-22 in the final quarter.
The Magic won despite one of Dwight Howard’s worst career games from the free throw line at 3 of 12. In only five other games in his career has Howard shot worse than 25% at the line.
Rarely have the Blazers seen an opponent make so many three pointers in a game. The 16 threes that the Magic made was only the third time since the ‘85-’86 season that a Portland opponent has made 16 or more threes in a game.
It’s nothing new for the Magic to make so many threes in a game, though. This was the 13th time in the Stan Van Gundy era that the Magic have made at least 16 three pointers in a game. Prior to Van Gundy’s arrival, the Magic made as many as 16 threes in a game only once.
Three players had six or more rebounds, and four players had four or more assists for the Magic.
Great to see the Magic beating a quality team to show that they are able to beat a legitimate contender.
Chicago Blackhawks... 2010 Stanley Cup Champions, and future 2012 Champs
Chicago Bears... the end of the ten year Jerry Angelo Era after one NFC Title
Orlando Magic... 1995 and 2009 Eastern Conference Champions
by Mike from Illinois on Jan 12, 2012 2:59 AM EST reply actions
This game made a great case for Howard not being the "1st Option" on offense.
Or at the very least, SVG needs to recognize that the players on the perimeter need to do something other than standing around when Howard has the ball in the post.
I’d love to see the remaining players play some screens or cuts more often. Not even “set plays” are needed, just doing something as simple as continously rotating where they are behind the 3pt line and cutting now and again. Staying on the move would have several good effects.
Even if Howard doesn’t pass out, the perimeter guys are moving, thus stay slightly more engaged than they would while just standing still and watching Howard — keeps offense from stagnating. There’s also a better chance a guy can either get open behind the 3pt line or on a cut to the basket — better ball movement. Also, it leaves the opposing defenses in choas mode rather than letting them just cover a statue on the 3-pt line — keeps defenses on their heels.
by The BBQ Chicken Madness on Jan 12, 2012 10:30 AM EST up reply actions 5 recs
Definitely
Chicago Blackhawks... 2010 Stanley Cup Champions, and future 2012 Champs
Chicago Bears... the end of the ten year Jerry Angelo Era after one NFC Title
Orlando Magic... 1995 and 2009 Eastern Conference Champions
by Mike from Illinois on Jan 12, 2012 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
Only thing about that is stamina.
Do our perimeter players have enough endurance (besides JJ) to really play like that for an extended period of time? On Dwight post-ups, we essentially give our other players a break so they can burn energy on D. Maybe if we had a younger, more athletic team, this would be a really great idea, but I don’t buy it with the crew Fire Otis put together.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
What an awesome game!
This is the 3rd time I’ve seen our Magic play in the Rose Garden and each time I’ve left with a huge smile on my face! First time was when Turk threw a game winning alley-oop to Grant Hill, and the second time was Turk’s three point bank shot at the buzzer. Tonight the Rose Garden was electric, especially when the Blazers made their second half comeback. But, I had to have been one out of a handful of Magic fans screaming when Turk hit that step back three! Mister 4th quarter strikes again!
THE OREGON DUCKS ARE ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
by 808duck on Jan 12, 2012 3:23 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Glad you had a great game experience!
The game I went to wasn’t quite as great, unfortunately (the Bulls game from last Friday).
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
Nice! I'm hoping for the same as I've got bench seats to the Warriors tonight
This is my 3rd year in the row right behind the Magic bench.
2 years ago Magic won handily.
Last year, lost a big lead (and the game) while watching the record be set for most 3-pointers by both teams combined.
This year, I just want a win.
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
Ouch I remember last year's game.
That was brutal. Hope our boys hang onto the win this time around!
THE OREGON DUCKS ARE ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
Enjoy the game
Hope the Magic can make it three in a row.
Chicago Blackhawks... 2010 Stanley Cup Champions, and future 2012 Champs
Chicago Bears... the end of the ten year Jerry Angelo Era after one NFC Title
Orlando Magic... 1995 and 2009 Eastern Conference Champions
by Mike from Illinois on Jan 12, 2012 4:27 PM EST up reply actions
Lucky Duck
"Generally, when I draw the play, it's just who's going where. Maybe I have not made it clear enough that we would like the ball to go in the basket."
by AB's triple double on Jan 12, 2012 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
In the Rose Garden, I guess I am!
THE OREGON DUCKS ARE ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
I called that shot at half court...lol
by the.pianolady on Jan 12, 2012 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
Nice call!
THE OREGON DUCKS ARE ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
Nelson impressed me with his shooting, but not much else.
Those 4th quarter decisions were Fukushima-esque (in basketball terms).
This is slightly off to a tangent, but if Dwight were ever to be traded I’d make them include Jameer in the deal. I know Hedo’s got the worse contract but IMO he’s worth much more than Jameer in a Dwight-less locker room.
Anyway good win, great to see a balanced scoring performance, a bit too close in the end but the Blazers never had the lead so I think our worries may have been a bit exaggerated.
Jameer actually made decent decisions throughout (as well as shot well)
He definitely got crushed by the traps from much longer players. I’m amazed it SVG still had Hedo in bounding instead if receiving after the first time.
Still, I agree about Jameer mostly. He’s a great locker room guy (much more so than Hedo), but his lack of size would be even more of a problem without Dwight, I think (unless your center was a 3point threat).
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
Lets be real, without Dwight this whole team is F'ed
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Jan 12, 2012 2:15 PM EST up reply actions
Jameer or Hedo
I think with how Turk played last night, if a Dwight Howard trade were to happen, would you want to include Hedo or Jameer in the trade?!
Jameer
I know he’s the team captain, so that’ll have a big impact – but from a basketball perspective how many Jameer Nelson-like players are there in the league? Quite a bit… Kemba Walker, DJ Augustin, JJ Barea, Nate Robinson…
There aren’t a lot of Hedo Turkoglu’s in the league.
I think it should be Jameer as well
Jameer’s confidence has been shaken by this whole “Dwight wants to play w/ DWill” thing. Hedo’s confidence to me stays on a more consistent level than Jameer. Jameer can be flat out aggressive when he wants to be (plays against the Feltons or Bibbys of the league) but what I want to see Jameer do is be more aggressive against the top PGs of the league.
So...
…players like Jameer Nelson, one of the smartest PGs in the league, are two guys with no basketball IQ, a rookie, and DJ Augustin?
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
What's wrong with Howard's FTs???
Is he being coached by Nick Anderson or something? He shot almost 70% as a rookie. This season he is shooting 42%
it's a slightly different routine, now it's just one dribble then shoot. Not working though, he had two 4th quarter ones that weren't even straight
And I might say he’s regressed on the jump shots, I don’t think he’s shot any since the Houston match
He shot 1 recently, can't remember if it was against Sac or the Bulls, but I do know it was ugly and not even close to going in.
Please leave a message, I'm busy hiding my cat from TGS.
He tried once last night, and it didn't even hit the rim.
I believe Ryan Anderson got the offensive rebound, but the shot clock expired before he could put it back up.
THE OREGON DUCKS ARE ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!
That might have been the one I was thinking about then, cause I remember it was ugly as anything.
Please leave a message, I'm busy hiding my cat from TGS.
The vast majority have been wide left this year
He actually seems to have really improved on the distance this year (for him) but the trajectory is totally off now. So, at least he’s swapped the more difficult problem to correct for the easier one. Unfortunately, this problem is far more likely to bounce in on accident.
Here’s hoping he can literally get it straightened out soon.
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
I like what I seen from JRich at times during the game w/ running around screens to get open or get into the lane. I know it quickly tire him out but w/ how JJ is playing, we can afford to have him sit out for a breather and come right back w/ the same routine.
Nice to see so much negativity after a quality win.
People hate on ESPN for wanting to talk trade so much, yet we do the same thing after we beat a playoff team on the road in an exciting game. Whatever.
Anyways, it was really nice to see our guys hit the open shots that are there for them in the offense. Things will be a lot better if that happens consistently. Ryan had another strong game (Where is REP96 when we need him to chime in?!). JJ broke out of his mini-slump, Jameer was great until the last few minutes of the game, but of course that’s all some will want to talk about. Hedo continues to have a solid bounce-back year. Even if the production isn’t quite there, he’s playing a lot more solidly and consistently than the past two years. J-Rich has had 3 straight solid games, and Doohon only had 1 TO.
Let’s see them keep it up tonight against GSW, who’s always tough in their gym.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
by slickw143 on Jan 12, 2012 9:52 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
I'm actually willing to slightly dismiss the big comeback from Portland.
Orlando just got careless and turned the ball over and made this game look closer in the end than it really was. I give Portland a ton of credit because they showed a lot of energy and willingness to come back in the game.
Dwight’s free throw shooting is really really concerning me now. It’s abysmal. If he shoots his average on the line last night, this game is never in question. I’m not even asking for him to shoot better which people always do. I’m saying just 60% of those free throws, or even 50% and we comfortably win.
The intensity has to go up, up! Not down...UP! -Stan Van Gundy
Since his rookie year Dwight has been astonishingly consistent at the line
Other than his rookie year, Dwight’s averages have been between .586 and .596 EVERY YEAR.
Do you know how difficult it would be to keep within a 1% range over that many free throws and seasons?
Clearly, his new routine and shot is a work in progress, but if he can regress towards his consistent average then he should have some high percentage games in him. Let’s hope that starts tonight.
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
Meer's size vs. backcourt traps
Something that concerns me and maybe I am looking too much into this but Jameer’s size vs the traps from bigger guards is looking like a blue print for teams that want to slow down the Magic’s offense beside the Hack a Dwight. A couple of times he was trapped and he just seemed like he was gonna do one of his patent “jump in the air and throw it away” moves. IDK, maybe I am reaching w/ this one.
You're reaching.
Nelson has been in the league for years — if he was vulnerable to traps, people would know that by now. I guess the Blazers thought he might be, but then again, who just shot 41-70 vs. the Blazers?
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
Nelson needs to give the ball up when he sees the trap coming
especially when its 2 6’8 players doing the trapping
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Jan 12, 2012 2:20 PM EST up reply actions
Which he did admirably that game.
Portland’s willingness to double players for no good reason led to a couple frustrating turnovers, but it also led to a bunch of open threes and unimpeded drives to the basket.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
Whoa...a lot of negativity in this thread after our best win of the season.
This sort of thing happens, even to the best of teams. Miami, largely considered the title favorites, blew a 2nd half 17 point lead to Golden State the other night and LOST the game. The fact is, we found a way to win the game. Now on to the next one.
by MightyMouth on Jan 12, 2012 12:56 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Its how we nearly lost the gamethat was frustrating. Silly turnovers and stagnant offense in the 4th
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Jan 12, 2012 2:21 PM EST up reply actions
Offense wasn't that bad in the 4th
22 pts on 47% shooting if I’m not mistaken. It was careless mistakes before we even got into our offense that almost killed us.
Thoughts on the offense
Dwight needs to touch the ball almost every time down.
Yes, I know, the offense was at its best last night (and every night) when Dwight isn’t scoring. But if you don’t think that is because of Dwight, you must be blind.
Most of our threes last night came form Dwight. If not direct assists, he made the intial pass before ball reversals/swings led to an open trey. He has gotten so much better passing out of the post – at one point I remember him taking two dribbles from the left post and making a no look pass to someone (Jameer I believe) on the right wing for an open three. This was not a pass he could have made a couple years back.
The point is, feed Dwight. If they foul him, and he misses FTs, so be it. Is there anything wrong with the other team being in the penalty 5 minutes into a quarter? At that point you run PnRs for JJ, Turk, and JRich and all ow them to get some FTs. All in all, good things happen when Dwight gets post touches.
Please note, I am speaking about post touches, not post shots.
by TragicMatt on Jan 12, 2012 2:29 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. I also noticed Dwight's patience in the post as well
He doesn’t force his shots anymore and takes what the defense gives him. Dwight should definitely always at least touch the ball every trip because the defenses react to anything he does.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
That's the exact opposite of what I saw last night.
I’ll give Dwight credit for passing the ball out — that was good. But I’m not sure he took a single good shot in the first half.
I may be exaggerating, but I know I saw several instances where he tried to flip in a contested 5-7 foot jumper rather than keep the play going, with predictable results. It’s like he was saying, “hm, everyone else has been getting shots, but not me… I guess this is my turn.” Not even so much like he wanted to take the shots… he just felt obligated to be represented, even if it was with a clumsy effort.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
I wasnt always impressed with him, especially the jump shots
however, you cant deny that the offense does much better when he gets touches. His presence cant be praised enough
Oh, definitely.
But when the opposing team is willing to collapse off EVERYONE to get at him, he needs to pass the ball, it’s as simple as that. He doesn’t need to demonstrate he’s a threat to score until the defense stops treating him like a threat — and he certainly doesn’t need to seem like a threat to score by taking the kind of shots the defense wants him to take.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
Last night was an instance where Dwight decided it was time for him to get his regardless of what Portland was doing on D
He saw that he only had 10 points entering the 4th and he tried to get his numbers at that point. In turn all our other guys stopped moving and watched Dwight. This is where our offense gets itself into trouble.
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Jan 12, 2012 4:43 PM EST up reply actions
He had 4 assists last night, and many more hockey-assists.
How was he not passing the ball when the D collapsed?
He was.
But then he was also making ill-advised contested shots outside his range, when he could have just kept passing. It’s like, if he makes the smart move 80% of the time and it’s great, it doesn’t change that he tried to force something else 20% of the time.
I know the threat of Howard in the lane draws defenders off the perimeter guys, and that’s great. But if the “threat” of Howard in the lane is that he’s occasionally going to launch a wobbly-looking hook shot over someone, that actually makes the opposing defenders less likely to leave their men and come inside.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
by 3.3seconds on Jan 12, 2012 8:11 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Another letdown from last night is if we keep that 15 point lead in the 4th we could rest our starters and be more rested for GS tonight. Instead we had to push to finish out the game which may hurt us tonight
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
Just wanted to say I totally called Jameer's game last night :P
But in all seriousness great game by the Magic. I really liked the ball movement and when we pass it as well as we did, we have to be feared by everyone. JJ and Glen both had great games. The “new” Glen is really helping us and he’s the one we traded for. I was happy with how our defense played tonight and not letting Portland get to the FT line. That’s killed us the past couple games. Really liked the effort and our balanced scoring. Great game and hopefully we can keep it up against Golden State tonight
"If Dwight spent more time practicing and less time b!tching, then maybe he’d be playing a little better." -My Mom
I just don't understand how Blazers manage to stay this competative year after year after year.
Imagine if they still had healthy Roy, and/or if Oden wasn’t such a flop? Jesus Christ! they would be good!
If we were to deal with so much unfortune year after year after year, we wouldn’t even exist by now, or worse, we would be like Clippers or Raptors; though, I guess, we had a fair share of that ourselves, first with Hill, and now with Otis. Sigh.
As for the game itself, it was a good game minus last quarter. We looked real good behind the arc, and to me personally, it is really encouraging to see so many players involved in our offense. We’ll see how long we can keep it up this way, but yeah, for the time being, we definitely look much more competitive with Dwight not being our leading scorer.
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