Rashard Lewis makes a basket at the buzzer to give his Orlando Magic a 102-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Orlando had lost 9 straight to Detroit prior to this contest.
Photo by Fernando Medina, NBAE/Getty Images
Having signed a $118 million contract with the Magic this summer, Rashard Lewis knows all about bank. His knowledge extended to the court tonight as his bank-shot at the buzzer lifted the Magic to a 102-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Here's the boxscore.
It was a drama-filled game that gave paying customers their money's worth. The Pistons jumped out to an early lead and ended the first quarter with a four-point advantage. Orlando wrestled control away from Detroit in the second quarter, and the teams traded baskets for much of the rest of the game. It was hotly contested throughout.
A mental gaffe at the end of the game nearly cost us. Trailing by 3 points with 9 seconds to go, the Pistons called timeout. On their ensuing possession, Magic-Killer Chauncey Billups nailed a 30-foot three-pointer with three seconds remaining. WDBO's Dante Marchitelli reported from the Magic bench on the ensuing timeout that the Magic were ordered to foul Billups as soon as he received the inbounds pass. The team inexplicably forgot, and it nearly cost them the game. Luckily, Lewis saved the day.
But he didn't do it alone. The Magic were buoyed by Hedo Turkoglu, who put up a LeBron James-like line of 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists; Keith Bogans, who contributed 8 points and 8 boards off the bench; Brian Cook (?!) who added 7 points in 14 minutes; and Dwight Howard, who had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. It appears as though Bogans and Cook have grown comfortable with their reserve roles.
Tonight's win is obviously very important for us. Not only did we snap a nine-game losing streak against the Pistons, but we also proved we can play with top competition. The victory may count just once in the standings, but it gives us a ton of confidence heading into Memphis on Wednesday and into Detroit on Friday. A 3-0 week would go a long way to putting distance between us and second-place Washington in the Southeast Division standings, and to proving doubters who have written us off.
Two straight wins over quality opponents at home. The second half of the season has gotten off to a great start. Let's see if we can maintain it this week and into the next.