Game review: Thunder (3-3) 102, Magic (5-2) 74

The Magic, missing Rashard Lewis (suspension), Vince Carter (ankle), and Ryan Anderson (ankle), were no match for Oklahoma City Sunday night, as the Magic were dominated in virtually every statistical category, in one of their worst losses of the Stan Van Gundy era.

The Magic actually had a decent start, as they led 25-23 after one quarter. They had their largest lead of the game at 33-27 with just under nine minutes remaining in the half before things deteriorated rapidly. The Thunder outscored the Magic 26-11 the rest of the half to lead going into halftime 53-44. The Thunder scored 22 of the first 30 points in the third quarter to put the game away, and led 79-57 after three quarters. The Thunder lead swelled to 33 points in the fourth quarter before the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 20 points (5 of 10 FGs), 7 rebounds
Mickael Pietrus (bench): 15 points (4 of 9 FGs), 3 steals
Jameer Nelson: 10 points (4 of 10 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: OKC 57.1% (40 of 70) ORL 36.8% (25 of 68)
3 PT FG%: OKC 56.2% (9 of 16) ORL 18.8% (3 of 16)
FT%: OKC 86.7% (13 of 15) ORL 61.8% (21 of 34)
REB: OKC 45 (4 offensive) ORL 30 (9 offensive)
AST/TO: OKC 27/17 ORL 14/15
BENCH: ORL 23 OKC 21

Other game notes and stats:

-Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 28 points; Russell Westbrook added 17 points along with 10 assists
-Thabo Sefolosha also had a double/double with 13 points, 10 rebounds
-The Magic were outscored from the field 89-53
-The Magic's two centers, Howard and Marcin Gortat combined to shoot 9 of 18 from the field; the rest of the Magic shot 16 of 50
-Pietrus made both his three point attempts; the rest of the Magic shot 1 of 14 from long range
-Four of the Thunder starters shot at least 58% from the field
-J.J. Redick shot just 2 of 11 from the field, missing all 6 of his three point attempts for the Magic

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER Sunday, Nov. 8. 7:00 p.m. Ford Center Oklahoma City, OK

Orlando’s four-game week comes to an end on Sunday as they head to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder (2-3) at 7 p.m. ET. After finishing the 2008-09 campaign with the fourth-worst record in the NBA, the Thunder look like a rejuvenated franchise this season. Their young nucleus, consisting of 2007 second-overall draft pick Kevin Durant, forward Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, has put up impressive numbers to start the NBA’s 2009-10 campaign. Durant has exploded for 24.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while Green is averaging 16.6 and 6.6. Russell Westbrook has distributed the ball effectively to both of Oklahoma’s fantastic forwards, notching 7.8 assists to go along with his 18.4 ppg. The key once again for Orlando will be establishing Dwight Howard down low. The Thunder currently lack an effective big man and will rely on Nenad Krstic to stop the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic are 6 point favorites.

Magic injury update

Here are excerpts from Brian Schmitz's BasketBlog on orlandosentinel.com today:

Ryan Anderson wore a boot on his right foot today and said an MRI this morning showed his injury isn't especially serious -- no tear or break.

"I guess it's the best possible situation for what happened," Anderson said.

But it will keep Anderson out of some games. Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy also said Vince Carter was doubtful for Sunday's game. That means between the suspension (SF Rashard Lewis) and injuries (PF Anderson, SG Vince Carter, C Adonal Foyle) the Magic will have nine available players tomorrow night in Oklahoma City.

"It's sore and it's swollen," Anderson said. "It's pretty painful but I guess as the swelling goes down my pain will go to a central area. Hopefully it's not too bad, but I guess I sprained it in a pretty good spot."

Anderson said he wasn't told how long he would be out, that would depend on how fast his body healed. He also wasn't entirely sure how he sprained it early in the third quarter of Orlando's 110-103 win over the Detroit Pistons, but said he passed the ball and cut, then must have stepped on someone's foot.

Van Gundy said he would be shocked if Anderson recovered within a week.

Game Review: Magic (5-1) 110, Pistons (2-4) 103

The Magic rode a terrific first quarter and terrific free throw shooting to the victory despite being outscored by ten points by the Pistons in the final three quarters. The Magic had six players in double figures. Vince Carter sat out to rest his ankle, while Ryan Anderson rolled his ankle early in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game.

The Magic hit their first six shots of the game and their first five three pointers as they jumped out to a 18-3 lead and led after one quarter 40-23. The Magic extended their lead to 58-39 late in the second quarter before settling for a 58-43 halftime advantage. The Magic again extended their lead to 19 points at 68-49 in the third before the Pistons cut the margin to 82-68 after three. The Pistons were finally able to get within single digits with 5 and a half minutes remaining, and got as close as 96-90 with 2:39 remaining but could get no closer as the Magic were able to extend their lead to 11 with just over a minute remaining before the final margin.

Magic leading scorers

Dwight Howard: 22 points (7 of 8 FGs), 12 rebounds, 2 blocks
Matt Barnes: 18 points (4 of 12 FGs), 9 rebounds
Jameer Nelson: 18 points (8 of 15 FGs), 8 assists
J.J. Redick: 16 points (3 of 7 FGs)
Brandon Bass (bench): 13 points (5 of 9 FGs), 6 rebounds
Ryan Anderson: 11 points (4 of 7 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics

FG%: DET 51.4% (38 of 74) ORL 47.4% (36 of 76)
3 PT FG%: DET 36.4% (4 of 11) ORL 28.6% (8 of 28)
FT%: ORL 85.7% (30 of 35) DET 62.2% (23 of 37)
REB: ORL 37 (9 offensive) DET 34 (7 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 19/11 DET 13/11
BENCH: ORL 25 DET 25

Other game notes and stats:

-Charlie Villanueva scored 22 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter for the Pistons, and Rodney Stuckey added 20 points; Ben Gordon scored 19 points but shot just 5 of 17
-Howard became the Magic's all-time leader in blocked shots with 825, surpassing Shaquille O'Neal's mark
-The Magic shot 14 of 18 in the first quarter, but just 22 of 58 the rest of the game
-The Magic missed 20 of their final 23 three point attempts
-After shooting just 9 FTs in the first half, the Pistons attempted 28 FTs in the second half
-The Magic and Pistons both scored 80 points from the field, but the Magic had a decisive 30-23 edge at the FT line

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC vs DETROIT PISTONS Friday, Nov. 6. 7:00 p.m. Amway Arena Orlando, FL CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The Magic (4-1) will close out their brief homestand on Friday at 7 p.m. ET when they battle the Detroit Pistons (2-3) for the second time this week. While Orlando’s defensive efforts will again focus on limiting Detroit’s backcourt, offensively it’ll attempt to deliver the ball inside to All-Star center Dwight Howard to take advantage of the Pistons in the low post. To start the season, Detroit is relying on Ben Wallace to hold down the starting spot at center. Although, he’s still an active defensive presence, he’s no longer a dominant interior defender. Howard had tremendous offensive success against Wallace during the Eastern Conference Finals last season – when Wallace was with the Cavaliers – and he’ll look to continue that trend on Friday. Orlando’s Superman has been a handful for opposing big men thus far and is on pace for another MVP-caliber season, averaging 21.7 points and 16 rebounds per game.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince will both miss the game for the Pistons, while Vince Carter will most likely sit out for the Magic to further reat his ankle.

The Magic are 13 point favorites.

Amway Center Update

From the Magic press release today:

AMWAY CENTER
"TOPPING OFF" CEREMONY

Construction on the new Amway Center in downtown Orlando met a milestone today as the placement of the final steel beam was recognized by the traditional "Topping Off" ceremony.

The 875,000 square foot Amway Center will open in the fall of 2010 and compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows, while serving as the home of the Orlando Magic.

Participants in the ceremony included Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins, Mayors Buddy Dyer and Rich Crotty, City and County Commissioners and representatives from Hunt Construction Group.

"Topping Off," coined by ironwrokers in the 1920s, celebrates hoisting the final piece of structural steel once a building has reached its maximum height. The beam was signed by fans, construction crews, Orlando Magic and City and County officials. Traditionally "Topping Off" also involves placing a small tree or branches at the top of the new building to signify a safe and efficient job well done, while honoring nature for providing natural resources for its construction. Amway Center will be Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified.

Seven short miles from Amway Center, the six, 380-footlong, 150-ton steel roof trusses were fabricated. Roof truss erection began on July 14. The entire structural steel portion of Amway Center is in excess of 3,000 tons. The cutting, shaping and assembling of the raw steel involved 200-plus local steel workers.

FOR AN UPDATED LOOK AT THE AMWAY CENTER

CLICK HERE

Game review: Magic (4-1) 122, Suns (4-1) 100

The Magic played well following an awful performance Tuesday night and beat previously unbeaten Phoenix 122-100, as the Magic broke the game open in the second half and won just about every major statistical category, with six players in double figures. The Magic welcomed the return of Mickael Pietrus off the bench after missing the previous two games, while Vince Carter sat out to rest his injured ankle.

The Magic started out quickly, jumping out to a 27-13 lead in the first quarter, but held on to a 29-25 lead after one. The Magic had their largest lead of the second quarter at 44-33, but the Suns cut into their deficit to make it a 58-52 halftime game. The Magic outscored the Suns 25-8 to begin the third quarter, but the Suns ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to cut the Magic lead to 92-78 after three. The Magic put an end to any Suns' hope of a fourth quarter comeback, as they outscored the Suns 17-5 to begin the quarter on their way to their largest lead of 119-91 before the final of 122-100.

Magic leading scorers:

Dwight Howard: 25 points (9 of 14 FGs), 6 rebounds
Ryan Anderson: 20 points (8 of 14 FGs), 10 rebounds
Jameer Nelson: 16 points (7 of 13 FGs), 10 assists
Mickael Pietrus: 15 points (4 of 10 FGs)
Matt Barnes: 13 points (5 of 9 FGs), 11 rebounds
Brandon Bass: 12 points (6 of 8 FGs)

Overall Game Statistics:

FG%: ORL 52.3% (46 of 88 FGs) PHO 45.5% (40 of 88)
3 PT FG%: ORL 52.2% (12 of 23) PHO 31.8% (7 of 22)
FT%: ORL 75% (18 of 24) PHO 65% (13 of 20)
REB: ORL 47 (14 offensive) PHO 44 (16 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 26/15 PHO 18/18
BENCH: PHO 58 ORL 39

Other game notes and stats:

-Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 25 points and 14 rebounds, but scored only six points in the second half
-Former Magic swingman Grant Hill was held scoreless in 18 minutes, after averaging 17.2 points coming into the game
-Suns' guard Steve Nash was held to 12 points and 4 assists
-Three Magic players (Barnes, Anderson, Nelson) achieved a double/double
-Every Magic starter, except for J.J. Redick, shot over 50% from the field
-Barnes and Anderson combined for 21 rebounds
-Howard finished 7 of 8 from the FT line

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC vs PHOENIX SUNS Wednesday, Nov. 4. 7:00 p.m. Amway Arena Orlando, FL CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The Magic (3-1) won’t get much rest before traveling back to Orlando to host the Phoenix Suns (4-0) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. Playing a back-to-back is never an easy task, especially when you’re trying to contain the Suns’ high-octane offense. After parting ways this offseason with center Shaquille O’Neal, who at times stagnated Phoenix’s run-and-gun style, and having a full offseason under the guise of head coach Alvin Gentry, the Suns’ offense has returned to form. Phoenix has posted a league-best 117.33 ppg. in its first three affairs with six players averaging in double figures. Along with scoring 18.7 ppg., Suns point guard Steve Nash has also dished out an average of 14 assists per contest. The Magic will not only need a staunch defensive effort from All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson to limit the two-time MVP, but they’ll also need his teammates to clog the passing lanes to prevent him from distributing the ball at will.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports

The Magic are 8 point favorites.

Game review: Pistons (2-2) 85, Magic (3-1) 80

Detroit came into the game missing two of their best players, Richard Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (back), which broke Prince's string of 496 straight games played. Vince Carter returned to the starting lineup for the Magic, while Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) remained out.

The Pistons kept their hex on the Magic, using an aggressive brand of offense while the Magic settled for mainly outside shots and three pointers, and missed the majority of those. Dwight Howard also had foul problems and shoulder problems that limited him to just 17 minutes in the Magic's first loss of the season, as the Magic failed to start 4-0 for the first time in franchise history.

The Magic started out slow, falling behind 15-6, before trailing at the end of one 19-14. The Magic came to life somewhat in the second quarter, outscoring the Pistons by eight to lead at the half 41-38. The Magic had their largest leads of the game at 47-41 and 55-49 in the third quarter, before the Pistons tied the game at 60 going into the fourth quarter. The Pistons led 71-64 three minutes into the fourth quarter before the Magic went on a 13-4 run for their final lead at 77-75 before the Pistons scored 10 straight points to put the game away before a consolation three by the Magic at the buzzer for the 85-80 final.

Magic leading scorers

Vince Carter: 15 points (6 of 16 FGs)
J.J. Redick: 14 points (4 of 12 FGs)
Matt Barnes: 11 points (5 of 9 FGs), 7 rebounds

Overall Game statistics

FG%: DET 37.5% (27 of 72) ORL 36.7% (29 of 79)
3 PT FG%: ORL 28.6% (10 of 35) DET 0% (0 of 6)
FT%: DET 81.6% (31 of 38) ORL 75% (12 of 16)
REB: DET 44 (9 offensive) ORL 42 (10 offensive)
AST/TO: ORL 18/15 DET 8/10
BENCH: ORL 29 DET 28

Other game notes and stats:

-Three Pistons scored 20 or more points: free agent signee Ben Gordon 23 points; Rodney Stuckey 20 points; and Will Bynum off the bench with 20 points
-Dwight Howard, with a double double in the first three games, did not even get a single double this game, finishing with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks before fouling out in 17 minutes
-Neither did Jameer Nelson, as he finished with 7 points, 6 assists, and 5 turnovers in 33 minutes
-Ryan Anderson finished 2 of 14 from the field and 1 for 11 from long range
-Backup center Marcin Gortat also fouled out, finishing with 4 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes
-Anderson, Nelson, and Redick shot a combined 9 of 37 from the field, while combining for 28 points; the trio had combined for 77 points Sunday against the Raptors
-Anderson, Carter, and Nelson shot a combined 5 of 24 on three pointers
-Magic outscored the Pistons 68-54 from the field, but were outscored 31-12 from the free throw line
-Magic were called for 30 fouls compared to 17 for the Pistons
-Pistons' starters Jonas Jerebko, Charlie Villanueva, and Rodney Stuckey combined to shoot 10 for 36 from the field
-Ben Wallace led the Pistons with 10 rebounds
-Jason Williams had 5 assists off the bench for the Magic

Here is the complete box score and recap from nba.com

Game night preview

From the Magic press release:

ORLANDO MAGIC at DETROIT PISTONS Tuesday, Nov. 3. 7:30 p.m. The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI

The Orlando Magic (3-0) put their perfect regular season record on the line Tuesday when they visit the Detroit Pistons (1-2) at 7:30 p.m. ET. Although they’re not far along in the young season, the Magic have already dealt with their share of adversity. Already without Rashard Lewis, the Magic also had to overcome the absences of Vince Carter (left-ankle injury) and Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) from the lineup in Sunday’s win over the Raptors. J.J. Redick, who jumped into the starting rotation, filled in admirably, posting career highs in points (27), minutes (45), rebounds (six) and assists (five). “He really stepped up for us and played great,” Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy said of Redick following Sunday’s game. “We’ve seen it before; he did it in the playoffs last year, Game 6 at Philly. With guys out he stepped in as a starter all throughout the Boston series. I’ve said it all along, he’s a guy you can trust and count on.” Should the Magic once again be without the services of Carter and Pietrus, they’ll need another solid contribution from Redick against Detroit’s formidable backcourt. Offseason acquisition Ben Gordon has been the Pistons’ most reliable offensive weapon during their first three games. The former Bulls shooting guard has fired off 24.3 points per contest, stepping in for the injured Richard Hamilton (ankle). Point guard Rodney Stuckey ranks right behind Gordon with 15.3 ppg.

Here is the complete preview from Yahoo! Sports.

Dwight Howard named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

From the Magic press release earlier today:

BREAKING NEWS
Howard Named NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard and the Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Tuesday, Oct. 27, through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Howard led the Magic to a 3-0 week, including two road wins, averaging 21.7 points, 16.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. The 6-11 center posted point-rebound double-doubles in all three of Orlando’s games, including a 20-point, 22-rebound performance on Oct. 30 at New Jersey. Behind the league’s leading rebounder, the Magic is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 1993-94.

Here is a recap of the week for Howard:

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

• Oct. 28 vs. Philadelphia: Recorded 21 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in a 120-106 win over the 76ers.
• Oct. 30 @ New Jersey: Tallied 20 points, 22 rebounds and four blocks in a 95-85 win over the Nets.
• Nov. 1 @ Toronto: Scored 24 points to go along with 11 rebounds in a 125-116 win over the Raptors.