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Charlotte Bobcats 96, Orlando Magic 89
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 15, 2010 2:34 AM EDT
in 2009/2010 Recaps
5 comments
In a potential first-round playoff preview, the opportunistic Charlotte Bobcats exploited the Orlando Magic's lack of rest and depth and ended Orlando's 8-game winning streak Sunday night by a final of 96-89. Stephen Jackson tallied a game-high 28 points and dished 6 assists for Charlotte, whose offense rolled along despite the absence of All-Star small forward Gerald Wallace. Orlando's Dwight Howard shot 12-of-14 for 27 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, while Vince Carter tallied 23 points and 6 assists, and spot-starter Mickael Pietrus drained 5 three-pointers en route to a 20-point outing. But those 3 players proved to be Orlando's only reliable scorers, and the Bobcats handily outrebounded the Magic, 46-34, to win rather impressively.
5 comments | 0 recs |
Post-Game Media Availability: Not a Well-Played Game
by erivera7 on Mar 14, 2010 10:52 PM EDT
in News
6 comments
Coming into tonight’s game, the Orlando Magic were on an eight-game winning streak and looking to tie a franchise-record for most consecutive regular season wins with nine. But catching the Charlotte Bobcats, a team without All-Star forward Gerald Wallace, on a back-to-back proved to be too much for the Magic. After the game, head coach Stan Van Gundy bemoaned Orlando's poor play. For the Magic, it was just one of those nights.
I was able to speak with Van Gundy amongst the media, as well as Mickael Pietrus, and Dwight Howard. Here’s what they had to say:
Stan Van Gundy:
Could you talk about Mickael Pietrus’ performance tonight?
I thought M.P. played well, yeah. I thought M.P. … on the offensive end, I thought M.P., Vince [Carter], and Dwight [Howard] all played well but it was pretty much a three-man show. Nobody else could really get anything going and so it’s just not enough.
6 comments | 0 recs |
Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: vs. Charlotte Bobcats
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 14, 2010 5:44 PM EDT
in 2009/2010 Previews
623 comments
The Orlando Magic can clinch a playoff spot and tie a team record with their 9th straight win if they defeat the Charlotte Bobcats tonight in what could be a playoff preview of sorts. I say "of sorts" because All-Star small forward Gerald Wallace will sit out with a sprained left ankle, and he'd most assuredly play a big role in a potential first-round matchup. Additionally, the recently signed Larry Hughes is recovering from a hand injury suffered earlier this season with the Knicks and will not be available for at least a week. So essentially the Bobcats are spotting the Magic two rotation players today. But will that advantage lead to a franchise record-tying win?
UPDATE: Orlando's Matt Barnes is day-to-day with a sprained left big toe and won't play tonight. Mickael Pietrus will start in his place. Barnes had yet to miss a game this year.
623 comments | 0 recs |
Pre-Game Media Availability with Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy
by erivera7 on Mar 14, 2010 5:03 PM EDT
in News
0 comments
Before the Orlando Magic face off against the Charlotte Bobcats in tonight's game, I was able to speak briefly with head coach Stan Van Gundy amongst the media.
Here's what he had to say:
With the rotation in tonight's game, will you allocate some of the minutes at the small forward position to Vince Carter?
Yeah, Vince and J.J. [Redick] have played ... we went down the stretch last night with those two guys in so that's not a problem. We can move Rashard [Lewis] over there, too.
What's the key to game-planning against a Larry Brown-coached defense?
Well, I don't know about ... they're a good defensive team and I think when you play good defensive teams, you're generally going to have to make more passes, get to your second and third options, and things like that. I think the one thing that they do is that they will trap you coming across half-court at various times and you have to be alert for that but other than that, it's just a good, solid defense. Not a lot of tricks to what they do other than the traps. It's just they get down [the court], they work hard, they got tough guys that put pressure on the ball, they got size inside to protect the basket. I mean, it's a solid defense.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Jameer Nelson Sparks the Orlando Magic's Second-Half Success
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 14, 2010 12:00 PM EDT
in Analysis
10 comments
The Orlando Magic have won eight straight games, their longest streak since the 2005/06 season and the longest active streak in the NBA. And no team has played better ball than the Magic over the last month, with Orlando drilling its opponents by an average of 14.5 points over that stretch. Each player deserves a share of the credit, as does the coaching staff. But to me, one player in particular has keyed the Magic's improvement since the break: point guard Jameer Nelson.
Here's a look at how his numbers have improved, UPDATE with his stats from last season added for comparison:
| Jameer Nelson pre- and post-All-Star break splits, 2009/10 NBA Season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pts | Ast | TO | PPR | TS% | ||
| Pre | 11.6 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 52.3% | |
| Post | 15.1 | 7.1 | 2.2 | 8.7 | 59.3% | |
| 2008/09 Season | 16.7 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 61.2% | |
The break helped Nelson recharge his batteries, so to speak, and it's paying off with better percentages from the floor. More impressively, he's turned into an assist machine relative to his usual abilities. Prior to this season, Nelson split ballhandling duties with Hedo Turkoglu in Stan Van Gundy's offense, which robbed him of some assist opportunities. For most of his pre-Van Gundy career, he was regarded as a point guard with a shoot-first mentality and without great floor vision; the 1.5 Pure Point Rating he posted in his first full year as a starter did little to inspire confidence in his ability to run an offense. With Turkoglu in Toronto and Vince Carter not assuming that same playmaking role, Nelson's doing a little more than he used to, and proving to be one of the best pick-and-roll players in the game: data from Synergy Sports show Nelson produces 1.04 points per possession in all pick-and-roll situations, which puts him in the league's 86th percentile.
10 comments | 0 recs |
Where a Winning Streak Happens
by erivera7 on Mar 14, 2010 8:00 AM EDT
in Diversions
4 comments
Via Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel:
"Early in the season we all knew it was going to be a roller coaster ride for us," [Dwight] Howard said. "Win a couple games, lose here and there. We understand that. Now we're learning to play with each other to get better going into the playoffs. I think we can get a lot better"
"We're playing pretty good basketball. Hopefully we can continue to keep it up but at the same time stay humble knowing that if we don't play the way we played these last eight games we could slip and lose somewhere."
If the Orlando Magic defeat the Charlotte Bobcats in tonight's game, they will tie a franchise record with nine straight wins, most recently achieved in 2001.
4 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic 109, Washington Wizards 95
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 13, 2010 10:50 PM EST
in 2009/2010 Recaps
24 comments
Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic's second unit helped the Magic overcome an early 15-point deficit against the lowly Washington Wizards to win their 8th straight game, 109-95, in runaway fashion. Howard scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while backup shooting guard J.J. Redick scored 10 of his 18 points in the second quarter to ignite Orlando's once-stagnant offense. With Howard in the middle, Redick and Jason Williams in the backcourt, and Brandon Bass and Mickael Pietrus up front, Orlando scored on 13 of its first 14 possessions of the second quarter, turning a 33-20 deficit into a 50-45 lead before coming up empty on another possession. The Wizards' roster is mostly bereft of talent after two significant trading deadline deals, and they could only rely on three players to deliver offensively tonight, which was their third game in as many nights. Andray Blatche continued his post-All-Star break brilliance with a game-high 32 points, while 10-day contract signee Shaun Livingston scored 18 with 8 assists in his best all-around performance since attempting to recover from the gruesome knee injury that nearly ended his career 3 years ago. Al Thornton rounded out Washington's cast of double-figure scorers with 15 points, and that trio accounted for almost all of Washington's offense before it threw in the towel.
24 comments | 0 recs |
Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: at Washington Wizards
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 13, 2010 5:00 PM EST
in 2009/2010 Previews
423 comments
The Orlando Magic will look to extend their winning streak to 8 games tonight when they visit Verizon Center to take on the cellar-dwelling Washington Wizards, who've lost 6 straight. Washington has the distinction of being the only Eastern Conference team not to fall to Orlando yet this season, having won each of the first two matchups after surmounting double-digit deficits. But those wins came before the Wizards cleaned house by shipping out Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and others at the trading deadline. Further, tonight marks Washington's third game in as many nights due to its having to play a make-up game on Thursday. It would seem that the Magic indeed have all the advantages.
423 comments | 0 recs |
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