The Memphis Grizzlies dominated the Orlando Magic, 108-82, on Sunday night for Orlando's sixth straight home loss.
Vaughn on Memphis' short-range offensive efficiency
The Grizzlies shot 17-of-21 from the restricted area in the first half, helping them open up a 60-35 lead. When asked why his team struggled to defend the Grizzlies on the interior, Magic coach Jacque Vaughn offered this answer:
"I think there's a reason they have, I think, the fifth best record in the NBA. They're a good, good team and they were able to use penetration. You go into a game and you would think 'maintain a paint presence' would be a priority for us, but they started making shots. They shoot 24 threes, which is a lot for them, and make 11. I think the combination of us responding to them making some shots early helped them get buckets at the basket."
Harkless explains his tech
Rookie forward Maurice Harkless picked up a technical foul, his first of the year, after the third-quarter buzzer sounded. It appeared he punched the ball down to the ground and it went back up toward the official.
"I didn't mean to hit the ball like that," Harkless said. "I was hoping that it would just bounce back up. It was just frustration. The season has been very frustrating to me. I try not to show it. Sometimes it comes out, unfortunately. Got a tech for it."
The NBA fines its players on an escalating basis for each technical foul they receive. Harkless' tech will cost the St. John's product $2000, per the NBA's guidelines. Vaughn said that the fines will be incentive for Harkless to avoid picking up more technicals in the future.
Harris talks about his game
The honeymoon is over for Tobias Harris - the sophomore fell back down to earth after the Magic lost to the Memphis Grizzlies at home. In his first four games in pinstripes, he had averaged 20 points on 69.6 percent shooting before going 3-of-14 for seven points on Sunday. He missed all five of his three-point attempts.
"It was an off night for me personally." Harris said. "It's the NBA; you're going to have nights like that. It's all about how you regroup and come back the next game."
"I had some pretty good looks, I thought." Harris said. "It could have gone both ways, tonight they weren't falling. But I just have to get back into the gym tomorrow and keep working."
The Grizzlies rank second in defensive efficiency. But even without power forward Zach Randolph, who missed Sunday's game with an ankle sprain, Memphis was still able to key in defensively on the Magic, and particularly on Harris.
"They might have been keying in a little but as a player, that's where you have to adapt to what the other team is doing and you have to find a way out there," Harris said.
Vaughn holds youngsters accountable on defense
"I think that's one of the most important things that you come out of this game is that no matter what time of the game it is, whether it's the fourth quarter and you're in, whether it's the first quarter and you're in." Vaughn said of his younger players' focus on defense. "There has to be a standard that you have to yourself. There's a commitment to your teammates. You owe your teammates to play as hard as you can every time you step on the floor because it's not guaranteed that you'll get another opportunity."