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Magic vs. Pistons: Jacque Vaughn explains keys to victory

Orlando's coach said containing center Greg Monroe, as well as the Pistons' point guards, will be key for the Magic against Detroit on Sunday.

Shane Battier and Greg Monroe
Shane Battier and Greg Monroe
Mike Ehrmann

About an hour before Sunday's tipoff between the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons, Magic coach Jacque Vaughn met with the media. He addressed a variety of topics, including how to get Arron Afflalo going offensively and what the keys to a win will be.

Afflalo struggled in Tuesday's loss at Detroit. The former Piston went scoreless in 38 minutes and took just four shots, though he did contribute nine rebounds and five assists.

If Vaughn was worried about a similarly underwhelming performance on Sunday, he didn't show it.

"Our approach will be the same," he said. "He's played the most minutes for us this year and he's our leading scorer. Our approach doesn't change. [If] he gets an open shot, he'll shoot it."

When asked what a key to victory against the Pistons on Sunday would be, Vaughn didn't hesitate to answer.

"Well, we've gotta keep [Greg] Monroe under control," Vaughn said. "He's been playing at a high level, played well against Miami the last game. He's been a tough matchup for us." Monroe scored 31 points against the Heat in a loss on Friday.

In three prior games against Orlando, the third-year center averaged 19.3 points, seven rebounds, and two assists on 57.1 percent shooting. On November 16th, he scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, but Orlando prevailed nonetheless.

Another key for Orlando, Vaughn said, is stopping Detroit's small guards from dribble-penetrating. "Whether it's Will Bynum in pick-and-rolls, whether it's Brandon Knight in pick-and-rolls... they had the ability to change the game in the third quarter against us [on Tuesday], so that's a big challenge for us tonight."

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