Written by
The Sports Network
NBA: Orlando Magic loses to woeful New Orleans Hornets
Posted on 28 January 2012.
Carl Landry scored 17 points as the New Orleans Hornets snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 93-67 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Friday night.
Marco Belinelli added 15 points and Jason Smith 14 for New Orleans, which won for only the fourth time this season against 15 losses.
Dwight Howard had 28 points and 16 rebounds but was the only player in double figures for the Magic, which appeared to be still reeling from blowing a 27-point lead in a loss to Boston a night earlier.
Celtics 94, Pacers 87: Paul Pierce played more than 44 minutes in Orlando on Thursday, then boarded a plane with his Celtics teammates and arrived in Boston after 3 a.m. Friday. If he was tired, he didn’t show it. One night after helping Boston erase the huge deficit to beat the Magic, Pierce scored 17 of his 28 points in the third quarter as the Celtics pulled away to beat Indiana.
Heat 99, Knicks 89: LeBron James scored 31 points, Dwyane Wade scored 28 in his return from a sprained right ankle, and host Miami beat 3-point-obsessed New York. Bill Walker scored 21 points for the Knicks, who took 43 shots from 3-point range, the most in the NBA this season and a total that had New York flirting with Dallas’ NBA record of 49 set in 1996. The
Knicks connected on 18 from beyond the arc.
Bulls 107, Bucks 100: Derrick Rose scored a season-high 34 points to lead host Chicago to a win. Rose outdueled Milwaukee counterpart Brandon Jennings, hitting 14 of 24 from the floor and scoring 18 of his points in the second half.
The Bucks played without center Andrew Bogut, who fractured his left ankle Wednesday against Houston. He is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.
Timberwolves 87, Spurs 79: Ricky Rubio scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and dished out 10 assists to lift host Minnesota to a victory. Kevin Love had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Nikola Pekovic added 14 points and 10 boards for the Wolves, who have beaten the Spurs two straight times in the same season for the first time since 2000. Tony Parker scored 20 points for the Spurs.
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Celtics erase 27-point deficit, beat Magic 91-83
Posted on 27 January 2012.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—The Orlando Magic trudged out of Boston this week,
toting only embarrassment following a lopsided 31-point loss to the Celtics.
For a while it appeared as though the Magic would return the favor. Instead,
the Celtics took advantage of Orlando’s fourth-quarter meltdown and erased a
27-point deficit to hand the Magic an even more humbling defeat on their home
floor, 91-83 on Thursday night.
Paul Pierce had 24 points and 10 assists, and E’Twaun Moore added 16 points
off the bench to help Boston beat Orlando for the second time this week.
Pierce and Moore had 10 points each in the fourth quarter to surge past a
Magic team that led by 11 points entering the fourth quarter before shooting 2
for 17 from the field in the final 12 minutes. They scored just eight points in
the period.
“Everybody was big,” Pierce said. “Obviously, when you got a rookie
(Moore) who hasn’t played too much to come in and do the things he did—that’s
big for us.
“This team decided to stand up and fight.”
Moore said the Celtics needed a game like this.
“It’s definitely a confidence builder for our whole team,” Moore said.
“Knowing we can play with some of the best teams out there.”
Dwight Howard led the Magic with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Jason Richardson
added 13 points, and Ryan Anderson had 12.
The Celtics have won three straight for just the second time this season. It
also was their fourth consecutive victory over the Magic, dating to last season.
Since a season-best, five-game winning streak, the Magic have lost three
times in five games, including a 31-point defeat at Boston on Monday.
“We thought it was going to be easy after the first two quarters,” Howard
said. “We can’t allow that to happen. We’ve got to change. We have to change
what we do, and guys have to know their roles and do it. That’s just the bottom
line.”
The Celtics disrupted the Magic’s offensive flow in the fourth, so much so
that it led to a pair of late, frustration technical fouls on Howard and
Anderson.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said tempers boiled up so much that it got to a
point where players were simply driving to the basket trying to make plays on
their own.
“Their pressure, again, really pushed us sideways,” Van Gundy said. “We
got frustrated with the officials and we got totally off our game.”
Asked if he thought the Celtics did better with Xs and Os late, Richardson
said there wasn’t a singular scapegoat issue.
“It was everything,” he said.
After being mostly manhandled on both ends for three quarters, Boston found
its energy in the final 12 minutes, sparked by Pierce and Moore.
The Celtics opened the fourth quarter with a 15-1 run and grabbed their
first lead since the opening period, 79-76 with 7:32 to play.
The Magic went 0-for-7 from the field, missed 5 of 6 free throws and
committed three turnovers during Boston’s spurt.
A free throw by Pierce after Anderson’s technical foul made it 84-78 with
3:47 remaining. The Magic got within 84-80 after a pair of free throws by Hedo
Turkoglu, but no closer.
“That was a character builder for our team, it really was,” Celtics coach
Doc Rivers said. “It’s all that we talked about at halftime. Not a big game
plan, we didn’t make any big changes. We just kept talking about it being a
character builder for this basketball team.
“We needed every single guy today and that was terrific.”
Early on, it seemed like the Magic’s night.
In a reversal of its dismal performance in the first half of Monday’s loss,
Orlando led 58-37 at halftime on Thursday—eclipsing its point total in the
entire first game by a basket in the opening 24 minutes.
With three starters out, including center Jermaine O’Neal, Rivers was forced
to start Kevin Garnett opposite Howard.
The move worked out early.
Howard was whistled for two quick fouls—one while setting a screen, and
the second defending Garnett about 15 feet from the basket. He was forced to the
bench less than three minutes in.
The Magic picked it up on both ends without him, and closed the quarter on a
30-11 run to build a 16-point lead.
But all that energy evaporated when it counted.
Now the Magic, a team that was seemingly ready to turn a corner will have to
look inward if they’re going to become an elite team, Van Gundy said.
“We’ve got to get to where we can just play the game,” he said. “I’ve got
to find a solution to that.”
Notes: This marked the biggest lead the Magic have blown in a loss since
2001 when it blew a 22-point lead at Dallas. … Magic owner Rich DeVos and
former guard Nick Anderson presented Howard with a plaque to commemorate him
passing Anderson as the Magic’s career leading scorer. Howard broke the mark
against Indiana earlier this week. … Rivers was given his third technical foul
of the season with 8:47 left in the first quarter. … The Celtics played
without G Rajon Rondo, who missed his fourth game because of a sore right wrist,
G Ray Allen, who was out for a second game with an injured left ankle, and C
Jermaine O’Neal, out because of a sore left knee. Rivers said Rondo is still in
pain, and there is no timetable for his return.
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Celtics Vs. Magic: Boston's Enormous Comeback Downs Orlando, 91-83
Posted on 27 January 2012.
By Andy Hutchins
– Editor
The Magic suffered a second embarrassing loss to the Celtics in four nights.
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Jan 26, 2012 – The Orlando Magic’s chances of getting revenge on the Boston Celtics for an embarrassing loss on Monday night seemed fairly good, as the Magic opened up a 27-point lead with just three minutes to go in the first half. But then everything came crumbling down, and the Celtics rallied behind Kevin Garnett and E’Twaun Moore, allowed just 25 second-half points by the Magic, and came back for a 91-83 victory.
Garnett had 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and three steals, filling the stat sheet in virtually every category, and Moore came off the bench to play 18 minutes and score 16 points for Boston, compiling a massive plus-27 number in his limited action. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 24 points.
Plus-minus has its flaws, too, such as showing Dwight Howard with a minus-25 for his play in a 16-point, 16-rebound outing. Howard was joined by every other Magic starter in double figures, but he was the only one to shoot 50 percent from the field. And Orlando, often reliant on the three-pointer, wasn’t very accurate from deep, making just five of 17 tries.
The Magic scored more points in each of their two quarters in the first half than they did in the entire second half; in fact, Orlando’s 58 points in the first half against the Celtics on Thursday were more than they scored in their full game against Boston on Monday, in an 87-56 loss that set a new franchise record for scoring futility.
For more on the Celtics, head to Celtics Blog; for more on the Magic, visit Orlando Pinstriped Post.
Read More: Kevin Garnett (F – BOS), Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics
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Avery Bradley: Be prepared to bump into Glen Davis tonight
Posted on 26 January 2012.
Glen “Big Baby” Davis will be looking to screen Avery Bradley when the Magic face the Celtics tonight (Joshua C. Cruey, Orlando Sentinel)
Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley bedeviled the Orlando Magic when the Celtics humiliated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night. Bradley applied pressure whenever Jameer Nelson brought the ball up the court and prevented the Magic from getting into their offense.
But Bradley better keep his head on a swivel tonight, because his former teammate, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, will be waiting to screen him.
“I’ve never seen a point guard dominate the game like that in a way to get us out of our offense and get some key steals,” Davis said after the Magic completed their shootaround today.
“So he’ll be seeing me today.”
Davis meant it only half-jokingly.
The Magic need to give Nelson some space to operate if Bradley attempts to apply the same kind of pressure, and screens by Davis could help get some distance between Nelson and Bradley.
“Avery is a great player,” Davis said later. “He most definitely is. His defensive game is unbelievable, the way he approaches the game defensively and the way he attacks. I’ve seen it. It’s just about him getting on the court and doing what he has to do.”
When the Magic acquired Davis in December, both General Manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy said Davis was one of the NBA’s best screeners.
Davis will have yet another opportunity to prove that tonight.
Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.
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Avery Bradley should be prepared to bump into Glen Davis tonight
Posted on 26 January 2012.
Glen “Big Baby” Davis will be looking to screen Avery Bradley when the Magic face the Celtics tonight (Joshua C. Cruey, Orlando Sentinel)
Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley bedeviled the Orlando Magic when the Celtics humiliated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night. Bradley applied pressure whenever Jameer Nelson brought the ball up the court and prevented the Magic from getting into their offense.
But Bradley better keep his head on a swivel tonight, because his former teammate, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, will be waiting to screen him.
“I’ve never seen a point guard dominate the game like that in a way to get us out of our offense and get some key steals,” Davis said after the Magic completed their shootaround today.
“So he’ll be seeing me today.”
Davis meant it only half-jokingly.
The Magic need to give Nelson some space to operate if Bradley attempts to apply the same kind of pressure, and screens by Davis could help get some distance between Nelson and Bradley.
“Avery is a great player,” Davis said later. “He most definitely is. His defensive game is unbelievable, the way he approaches the game defensively and the way he attacks. I’ve seen it. It’s just about him getting on the court and doing what he has to do.”
When the Magic acquired Davis in December, both General Manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy said Davis was one of the NBA’s best screeners.
Davis will have yet another opportunity to prove that tonight.
Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.
If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.
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Dwight Howard Says He Would Consider Playing For The Celtics
Posted on 26 January 2012.
Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard says he would consider playing for the Boston Celtics according to the Boston Herald.
“Always. Always,” Howard said to the Herald Reporter, when asked if he would answer a call from the Celtics in free-agency. “I’d always listen to a team like that.”
“They have the championship mentality,” Howard went on to say. “It means a lot. Like I said, I like the team. They play hard and they go after it, and that’s what I like.”
Howard has been subject of numerous trade rumors as he will become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Despite Orlando’s strong start to the 2011-12 season, Howard has expressed his dissatisfaction in the Magic’s ability to put together a championship caliber team.
So far this season, Howard is averaging 19.7 points, 15.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. The Magic (12-5) are second in the Southeast Division behind the Miami Heat.
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Celtics try to shut down Magic again
Posted on 26 January 2012.
Written by
The Sports Network
Magic have another chance to show they can overcome Celtics' defense
Posted on 26 January 2012.
The secret to beating the Orlando Magic is no secret at all.
If you have good interior defenders, you single-cover Dwight Howard as much as possible and ask your other defenders to crowd perimeter shooters to take away 3-point shots.
The Boston Celtics did that when they eliminated the Magic during the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. The Atlanta Hawks followed a similar script when they knocked the Magic out of last year’s first round. And the Celtics did it again Monday night, limiting the Magic to single-game franchise lows of 56 points and 24.6 percent shooting.
“We have trouble scoring against them,” Magic guardJ.J. Redicksaid. “That’s not a secret. They’re a great defense, and we’ve had so many battles with them that they’ve kind of figured us out.”
Another battle against the stingy Celtics looms Thursday at Amway Center.
Stan Van Gundy resorted to a coach’s cliché when he was asked how important this latest matchup will be. Win or lose, he said, the result will only count once in the standings.
Van Gundy is factually correct.
But, at some point, the Magic probably will have to solve the Celtics’ defensive scheme. If Orlando does not face Boston this postseason, then Orlando may face Atlanta. If Orlando does not play Atlanta, perhaps the Chicago Bulls — who are coached by former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau — will employ the same defensive game plan as the Celtics’ and the Hawks’ game plans.
Thursday, the Magic can start overcoming the obstacles.
“It’s not another game,” said the Magic’s Glen Davis. “We want to beat them. We want to beat them bad because we didn’t show them who we really are. They played a good game.”
Davis understands the challenges better than most. In both the 2009 playoffs and again in the 2010 playoffs, he was one of the big men who would guard Howard one-on-one.
Davis said a key for Orlando now — and something the team failed to do Monday — is to move the ball.
Van Gundy, Redick and Ryan Anderson also emphasized the importance of ball movement and, if necessary, running a second and third pick-and-roll each possession.
“I think the answer for us is we’ve got to somehow get their bodies off of us or try to get ‘em to put two guys on the ball,” Van Gundy said. “A lot of that is going to be screening and ball movement. And the pace of the game has to be very quick. I don’t mean necessarily it’s got to be up-and-down.”
This is largely what point guard Jameer Nelson meant when he said the Magic were “selfish” in their defeat Monday night. When Howard encountered problems down low, Orlando players too often tried to beat their defenders one-on-one. That’s a recipe for disaster for Orlando, because the team lacks players who can create their own shots off the dribble.
“Obviously, if Dwight has a mismatch down low and they’re single-covering him, we’ve got to get him the ball,” Anderson said. “But sometimes we can be really stagnant when Dwight gets the ball and kind of just stand around.”
On Monday, the Magic had problems just starting their halfcourt offense because Boston guard Avery Bradley put so much pressure on Nelson as Nelson brought the ball upcourt.
Publicly, Howard maintains that the loss in Boston merely was one bad game and that every team eventually has an awful performance.
But the Celtics have given the Magic so many problems in recent years that Howard must know Orlando has to find a way to beat Boston.
Redick all but acknowledged that when he was asked whether Thursday’s matchup is more important than a typical regular-season game.
“Yes,” he responded. “It absolutely is. We got embarrassed. We got embarrassed. So, yes, it is.”
jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.
What are your opinions.
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Magic have another chance to solve the Celtics' defense
Posted on 26 January 2012.
The secret to beating the Orlando Magic is no secret at all.
If you have good interior defenders, you single-cover Dwight Howard as much as possible and ask your other defenders to crowd perimeter shooters to take away 3-point shots.
The Boston Celtics did that when they eliminated the Magic during the 2010 Eastern Conference finals. The Atlanta Hawks followed a similar script when they knocked the Magic out of last year’s first round. And the Celtics did it again Monday night, limiting the Magic to single-game franchise lows of 56 points and 24.6 percent shooting.
“We have trouble scoring against them,” Magic guardJ.J. Redicksaid. “That’s not a secret. They’re a great defense, and we’ve had so many battles with them that they’ve kind of figured us out.”
Another battle against the stingy Celtics looms Thursday at Amway Center.
Stan Van Gundy resorted to a coach’s cliché when he was asked how important this latest matchup will be. Win or lose, he said, the result will only count once in the standings.
Van Gundy is factually correct.
But, at some point, the Magic probably will have to solve the Celtics’ defensive scheme. If Orlando does not face Boston this postseason, then Orlando may face Atlanta. If Orlando does not play Atlanta, perhaps the Chicago Bulls — who are coached by former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau — will employ the same defensive game plan as the Celtics’ and the Hawks’ game plans.
Thursday, the Magic can start overcoming the obstacles.
“It’s not another game,” said the Magic’s Glen Davis. “We want to beat them. We want to beat them bad because we didn’t show them who we really are. They played a good game.”
Davis understands the challenges better than most. In both the 2009 playoffs and again in the 2010 playoffs, he was one of the big men who would guard Howard one-on-one.
Davis said a key for Orlando now — and something the team failed to do Monday — is to move the ball.
Van Gundy, Redick and Ryan Anderson also emphasized the importance of ball movement and, if necessary, running a second and third pick-and-roll each possession.
“I think the answer for us is we’ve got to somehow get their bodies off of us or try to get ‘em to put two guys on the ball,” Van Gundy said. “A lot of that is going to be screening and ball movement. And the pace of the game has to be very quick. I don’t mean necessarily it’s got to be up-and-down.”
This is largely what point guard Jameer Nelson meant when he said the Magic were “selfish” in their defeat Monday night. When Howard encountered problems down low, Orlando players too often tried to beat their defenders one-on-one. That’s a recipe for disaster for Orlando, because the team lacks players who can create their own shots off the dribble.
“Obviously, if Dwight has a mismatch down low and they’re single-covering him, we’ve got to get him the ball,” Anderson said. “But sometimes we can be really stagnant when Dwight gets the ball and kind of just stand around.”
On Monday, the Magic had problems just starting their halfcourt offense because Boston guard Avery Bradley put so much pressure on Nelson as Nelson brought the ball upcourt.
Publicly, Howard maintains that the loss in Boston merely was one bad game and that every team eventually has an awful performance.
But the Celtics have given the Magic so many problems in recent years that Howard must know Orlando has to find a way to beat Boston.
Redick all but acknowledged that when he was asked whether Thursday’s matchup is more important than a typical regular-season game.
“Yes,” he responded. “It absolutely is. We got embarrassed. We got embarrassed. So, yes, it is.”
jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.
Thanks for reading! .
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