Orlando Pinstriped Post - Magic at Raptors: Orlando makes final trip north of the borderAn Orlando Magic blog with news, rumors, analysis, and commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/21281/orlando-fave.jpg2014-12-15T21:51:30-05:00http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/rss/stream/71580382014-12-15T21:51:30-05:002014-12-15T21:51:30-05:00Raps thrash Magic behind Lowry, Williams
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<img alt="Victor Oladipo and Kyle Lowry" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sjaxPkLvWnSdHUmkX00hAJ0x4sE=/265x0:1907x1095/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44345646/usa-today-8273686.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Victor Oladipo and Kyle Lowry | Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors were too much in the second half for the Magic. </p> <p>Following their dramatic win over the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> on Saturday night, the <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orlando Magic</a> took a trip over the boarder to take on the Eastern conference leading <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Toronto Raptors</a>. The Magic, after a solid first half, struggled mightily in the second half, falling to the Raptors for the third time this season, 95-82.</p>
<p>For much of the first quarter, the Magic struggled on both ends. Toronto was able to get into their sets and get good shots on most of their early possessions, while forcing the Magic into lower percentage shots. Even with their slow start, the Magic were able to keep the Raptors close, thanks to a spark off the bench from the likes of <span>Ben Gordon</span> and Elfrid Payton. Swingman Maurice Harkless, who's been stuck on the bench for much of the season, also got in early on instead of <span>Willie Green</span>, who had been seeing most of the backup small forward minutes. Three players -- <span>Tobias Harris</span> and <span>Nikola Vucevic</span> for the Magic, and <span>Terrence Ross</span> for Toronto -- scored six points in the quarter to lead their respective teams.</p>
<p>After some struggles early, the Magic offense continued to hit on all cylinders in the second quarter. Despite only being credited with nine assists on 23 made shots, the Magic's offense was on fire. They shot a white hot 23-of-39 from the field, including making seven of their final 10 attempts. After Evan Fournier took an elbow to the jaw from <span>Tyler Hansbrough</span>, the Magic blasted the Raptors, going on an 18-to-2 run to close out the half. The late run was fueled by Harris and Ben Gordon, who combined for 14 of the 18 points. Harris led all scorers with 14 at the half, with Louis Williams leading the Raptors with 10 off the bench.</p>
<p>Out of halftime, the Magic struggled mightily. The offense had no flow, and, despite playing some very, very solid defense, were unable to string together stops consistently against a hot shooting Raptors team. Poor ball movement, coupled with shots just simply not falling, was the Magic's downfall, as the Raptors outscored them 27-13 in the quarter to retake control of the game, carrying a six point lead into the final 12 minutes. Harris and Gordon continued to lead the Magic, and all scorers, with each pouring in 16 in the first 36 minutes. Toronto's All-Star point guard <span>Kyle Lowry</span> got things going, jumping up with 14 points to lead the Eastern conference's top team.</p>
<p>Things continued to go downhill, and quickly, for the Magic early in the fourth quarter. The offense had absolutely no flow, and they couldn't put back-to-back stops together for almost the entire period. The Magic struggled with turnovers for the second straight quarter, making sloppy plays and coughing it up to the swarming Raptors defense seven times. Toronto held the Magic to just 30 points in the second half on a frigid 13-of-35 from the field, coupled with 12 turnovers, leading to 16 Raptor points.</p>
<p>Toronto was led by Williams, who finished with a game high 18 off the bench. Lowry, who got things going in the second half, finished with 17 points and eight assists. Big men <span>Amir Johnson</span> and <span>Patrick Patterson</span> rounded out Raptors in double figures, finishing with 11 and 10 respectively.</p>
<p>Orlando was led by Harris, who finished with 18. Ben Gordon didn't play in the fourth quarter, but was still able to muster 16 points off the bench on the night. Nikola Vucevic came a rebound shy of his 15th double-double, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds, with <span>Victor Oladipo</span> adding in 12. Fournier, stitches and all, finished with 11 to round out Magic men in double figures.</p>
https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/12/15/7399021/Toronto-Raptors-vs-Orlando-Magic-95-82Zach Oliver2014-12-15T17:30:02-05:002014-12-15T17:30:02-05:00Magic at Raptors GameThread
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<img alt="Kyle Lowry" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TF8IxSE3WbVlY6fYCud5KucUs74=/0x1026:2628x2778/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44340108/459766628.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kyle Lowry | Stephen Dunn/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Orlando nearly pulled an incredible upset in its last visit to Toronto. Will the second time be a charm?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> take on a championship contender Monday when they visit the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a>. </p>
<p>Tipoff between Orlando and Toronto is set for 7:30 PM on Fox Sports Florida and ESPN 580 AM in the Orlando market.</p>
<p>Please post your pre- and in-game comments in this GameThread.</p>
<p><strong>Do not <u>ask for</u>, <u>mention</u>, or <u>link to</u> any sites or services that provide video streams for this game</strong>. Doing so will result in a disciplinary action.</p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5"><tbody> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3">2014/2015 NBA Season</th> </tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/incurock31/3QC/Logos%20non-gifs/ORL__zps606f5ea5.jpg" width="120" height="80" alt="Orlando Magic main logo"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v73/incurock31/3QC/Logos%20non-gifs/TOR__zpse9823ae8.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Toronto Raptors main logo"></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center>10-16 (7-10 road)<br>Won 1</center></td> <th align="center" width="20"></th> <td width="240"><center>18-6 (11-3 home)<br>Won 2</center></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>December 15th, 2014</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Air Canada Centre</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>7:30 PM</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Fox Sports Florida / 580 AM</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Possible Starters</strong></th> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Victor Oladipo</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>Kyle Lowry</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Evan Fournier</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Terrence Ross</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Tobias Harris</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Landry Fields</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Channing Frye</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Amir Johnson</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Nik Vučević</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><span>Jonas Valančiūnas</span></td> </tr> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Advanced Stats, via NBA.com/stats</strong></th> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">93.87 (21st)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">95.61 (18th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">99.2 (25th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">111.0 (2nd)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">104.0 (17th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">103.4 (14th)</td> </tr> <tr> <th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Season Series</strong></th> </tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"> <strong><a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/11/1/7142489/toronto-raptors-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule">Nov. 1st</a></strong>: Raptors 108, Magic 95</td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"> <strong><a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/11/11/7193169/toronto-raptors-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule">Nov. 11th</a></strong>: Raptors 104, Magic 100</td></tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"></th></tr> </tbody></table>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/12/15/7394071/magic-at-raptors-game-time-tv-schedule-and-moreEvan Dunlap2014-12-15T10:36:18-05:002014-12-15T10:36:18-05:00Magic at Raptors: Orlando visits East's best
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<img alt="Patrick Patterson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DHV6Ge0TfJZ6ZFBZekClMBGrKbs=/0x135:1204x938/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44339944/usa-today-8272995.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Patrick Patterson | Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Just past the quarter mark of the NBA season, Toronto has established itself as a championship contender.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> take to the road Monday for the first of two away game against Atlantic Division foes. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a>, their first opponent on this brief trip, own the East's best record at 18-6.</p>
<p>Tipoff between Orlando and Toronto is set for 7:30 PM. Fox Sports Florida and ESPN 580 AM will offer live coverage in the Orlando market.</p>
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<p><strong>Orlando's last time out</strong>: The Magic snapped a two-game losing streak in dramatic fashion Saturday as <span>Tobias Harris</span> drained a long two-pointer as time expired, lifting his club to a 100-99 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a>. Harris finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists in a strong all-around performance. <span>Nikola Vucevic</span> returned to Orlando's lineup after a six-game absence and picked up where he left off, tallying 18 points and 11 boards. </p>
<p><strong>Toronto's last time out</strong>: The Raptors eked past the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a> in overtime Sunday, 95-90, behind a 22-point outing from third-year swingman <span>Terrence Ross</span>. The former Washington standout shot 8-of-14 from the floor in 33 minutes, in part helping to offset the 34-point performance Knicks forward <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> posted. <span>Kyle Lowry</span>, a likely All-Star, went for 21 points, 11 assists, and six steals.</p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/11/11/7193169/toronto-raptors-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule">The last meeting</a></strong>: The Magic held an 83-72 lead after three periods on November 11th, but Toronto's second unit helped spark a fourth-quarter comeback to give the Raptors a 104-100 victory. <span>Patrick Patterson</span> and <span>Lou Williams</span> combined for 26 points on the night, and scored 17 of them in the final frame, matching the Magic's total output and completing the comeback. The loss <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/11/12/7203101/channing-frye-is-sick-of-f-losing">frustrated</a> Magic big man <span>Channing Frye</span>, who drilled five triples in a losing effort. </p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2014/12/15/7393901/toronto-raptors-orlando-magic-2014-nba-schedule-december-15Evan Dunlap