Orlando Pinstriped Post - Magic at Nets: Orlando gets one last chance to play spoilerAn Orlando Magic blog with news, rumors, analysis, and commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/21281/orlando-fave.jpg2015-04-15T22:37:42-04:00http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/rss/stream/81858142015-04-15T22:37:42-04:002015-04-15T22:37:42-04:00Magic's season ends in defeat
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<img alt="Joe Johnson" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sjbzu7Hqj4HNlGMeim8IlkVz3a4=/0x0:4141x2761/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46135700/usa-today-8520904.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joe Johnson | Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Magic mustered only 13 points in the fourth quarter, ending their season with their fourth consecutive loss.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> were poised to end their disappointing 2014/15 season on a high note Wednesday by ending the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a> playoff hopes, but the Nets dominated the fourth quarter to earn a 101-88 victory. The Magic were <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/4/14/8408383/2015-nba-draft-lottery-odds-orlando-magic-fifth-overall">already assured</a> of the NBA's fifth-worst record, and were thus simply playing for pride. The season closes with Orlando at 25-57, a scant two-win improvement over the previous season.</p>
<p><span>Nik Vučević</span> bounced back from a poor showing Monday to stuff the stat sheet against <span>Brook Lopez</span> and the rest of the Nets' bigs to the tune of 26 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. <span>Victor Oladipo</span> chipped in 19 points of his own, albeit on 20 shooting possessions with four turnovers. </p>
<p>Once again, Nets reserve swingman <span>Bojan Bogdanović</span> tormented Orlando: he led all players with 28 points, including four three-pointers. Lopez, <span>Joe Johnson</span>, and <span>Thaddeus Young</span>--the Nets' starting frontcourt--scored 46, and <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/4/15/8424613/tobias-harris-injury-evan-fournier-orlando-magic-brooklyn-nets">without</a> the injured <span>Tobias Harris</span> and <span>Evan Fournier</span>, the Magic simply couldn't match the Nets' firepower.</p>
<p>The Magic held a three-point lead at the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter, but a <span>Mason Plumlee</span> slam sparked a 21-6 Brooklyn run which sealed the game. To salt the wound, Bogdanović drilled his fourth trey of the night to provide the final margin with less than two minutes to play.</p>
<p>The game ended a lost season on a sour note, but kudos are due to <span>Andrew Nicholson</span>, who battled his way to an efficient 18 points with nine rebounds in just 28 minutes. A forgotten man for much of his third campaign, Nicholson has come on strong in the final weeks of the season. If nothing else, watching him return to the solid form he showed as a rookie must hearten the Magic.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/4/15/8425325/orlando-magic-brooklyn-nets-final-score-2015-bojan-bogdanovic-nikola-vucevicEvan Dunlap2015-04-15T19:44:02-04:002015-04-15T19:44:02-04:00Harris, Fournier to miss Magic's season finale
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<img alt="Tobias Harris" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9iTJOOni41XRIRHH7ZteGqEsprc=/0x395:2219x1874/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46134856/usa-today-8508134.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Tobias Harris | Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The two key Orlando players' seasons are over.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic's</a> 2014/15 season ends Wednesday, but at least two of their players' seasons are over early.</p>
<p>The Magic <a href="https://twitter.com/orlandomagic/status/588468090666516480" target="blank">say</a> neither starting forward <span>Tobias Harris</span> nor sixth man <span>Evan Fournier</span> will play in Wednesday's finale against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a> owing to Achilles' and hip soreness, respectively. <a href="https://twitter.com/joshuabrobbins/status/588472761384902657" target="blank">According</a> to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, <span>Andrew Nicholson</span> will assume Harris' spot in the starting five. <span>Aaron Gordon</span> is set to make his second straight start at small forward.</p>
<p>Harris finishes the season with per-game averages of 17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 46.6 percent shooting. The free agent to-be may have played his final game in an Orlando uniform.</p>
<p>In his first season with the Magic, Fournier made 58 appearances, including 32 starts. He posted a career-best 12 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from three-point distance.</p>
<p>The Magic take on the Nets Wednesday at 8:00 PM Eastern.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/4/15/8424613/tobias-harris-injury-evan-fournier-orlando-magic-brooklyn-netsEvan Dunlap2015-04-15T18:00:03-04:002015-04-15T18:00:03-04:00Magic at Nets GameThread
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<img alt="Deron Williams" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S_kUU5QKoznA7a4Vq1tfvyYaflM=/0x701:2399x2300/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46131662/GettyImages-465916704.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Deron Williams | Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Will Orlando end its season strong?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> look to end the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>' fleeting playoff hopes--and, more importantly, get a rare victory of their own--Wednesday as they end their season at Barclays Center.</p>
<p>Tipoff between Orlando and Brooklyn is set for 8:00 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/BRO__zps95c401c1.jpg" width="120" height="80" alt="Brooklyn Nets main logo"></center></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center>25-56 (12-28 road)<br>Lost 3</center></td> <th align="center" width="20"></th> <td width="240"><center>37-44 (18-22 home)<br>Lost 2</center></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>April 15th, 2015</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Barclays Center</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>8:00 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>Elfrid Payton</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>Deron Williams</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Victor Oladipo</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Markel Brown</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Aaron Gordon</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Joe Johnson</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Tobias Harris</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240"><span>Thaddeus Young</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>Brook Lopez</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">95.91 (18th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240">94.98 (24th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">99.6 (27th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240">101.8 (T-18th)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">105.2 (25th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240">105.1 (24th)</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/2014/11/8/7179701/brooklyn-nets-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule">Nov. 9th</a></strong>: Nets 104, Magic 96</td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"> <strong><a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/1/2/7480065/brooklyn-nets-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule">Jan. 2nd</a></strong>: Nets 100, Magic 98</td></tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"></th></tr> </tbody></table>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/4/15/8421833/magic-at-nets-game-time-tv-schedule-and-moreEvan Dunlap2015-04-15T14:10:24-04:002015-04-15T14:10:24-04:00Magic make their last stand
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<img alt="Thaddeus Young" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ovE-nAWKoXFIXWsNfT-SQ8xRVGI=/51x117:1952x1384/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46131432/usa-today-8511655.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Thaddeus Young | Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Magic put their 26th season in the books Wednesday against the Nets, who still have something left to play for.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a> put the finishing touches on their 2014/15 season Wednesday when they visit the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>, who have their playoff hopes on the line: a Nets loss eliminates them from postseason contention, but a victory keeps them alive, pending results from other games on the season's final night.</p>
<p>Tipoff between Orlando and Brooklyn is set for 8:00 PM Eastern. 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 got bullied in South Beach on Monday night, dropping to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> by a 100-93 final. <span>Tobias Harris</span> did his level best to spark his club, scoring 26 with 12 rebounds, but Orlando otherwise struggled to score: Harris' teammates in the starting five shot a combined 17-of-53 (32.1 percent) from the floor. Miami center <span>Hassan Whiteside</span> thoroughly outplayed <span>Nik Vučević</span>, going for 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks to Vučević's three, four, and zero, respectively.</p>
<p><strong>Brooklyn's last time out</strong>: The Nets were outscored in every quarter--at home, even--in their 113-86 drubbing at the hands of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> on Monday. Five Bulls scored in double-figures, with <span>Nikola Mirotic</span> pouring in 26 off the bench to lead the way. On the losing side, <span>Bojan Bogdanovic</span> led the Nets with an efficient 17 points off the bench. Brooklyn shot a woeful 36.8 percent from the floor. </p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/1/2/7480065/brooklyn-nets-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule">The last meeting</a></strong>: The Nets squeaked past the Magic, 100-98, on January 2nd in a game they should have put away much sooner: the visitors held a 24-point lead with 8:16 to play, only to watch as Orlando ripped off 16 straight points to make a game of it. The Magic would get to within four points off back-to-back triples from <span>Channing Frye</span> and <span>Evan Fournier</span>, but with so little time remaining, they had to play the foul game, and Brooklyn iced it at the line. <span>Victor Oladipo</span> paced the Magic with 17 points, while <span>Elfrid Payton</span> came just one rebound shy of a triple-double.</p>
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https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2015/4/15/8421627/brooklyn-nets-orlando-magic-2015-nba-schedule-april-15Evan Dunlap