Sun Sports and FS Florida broadcaster David Steele is in the midst of his 21st season of Orlando Magic basketball, and his 12th as the play-by-play announcer for the team’s television broadcasts. He was named television play-by-play voice for the Orlando Magic in March of 1998 after handling radio play-by-play duties for the team’s first nine seasons. Steele shares his unique take on what's happening with the Orlando Magic and more with his newest blog.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, November 23, 2009, 12:05 PM
Magic's Road Success
What is it about the Magic that makes them such a good road team?
That question was bandied about this past weekend among the Fox Sports/Magic TV crew members in Boston and Toronto.
With wins over both teams, Orlando is 5-2 on the road this season, and an impressive 59-30 on the road in two-plus seasons under Stan Van Gundy.
We all agree, Van Gundy is a terrific coach. His teams are well prepared and he gets an honest effort out of his players most of the time. But beyond that, the Magic do have a few characteristics that serve them well on the road.
First of all, they are a good three point shooting team. With dead-eye marksmen like Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick and company, no lead is a safe lead for an opposing team.
Secondly, the Magic are sound defensively. Good defensive teams can keep a game close even on a poor shooting night. And, with Dwight Howard patrolling the paint, opposing teams get few easy baskets.
Finally, the Magic have what all great teams must have, a closer. In recent years it has been Hedo Turkoglu and/or Jameer Nelson. This year, Nelson when healthy, and 8 time all-star Vince Carter have the ability to make offensive plays on their own in late, close game situations. Show me a team without a closer, I’ll show you a team that struggles to win close games, especially on the road.
So, it was another successful road trip, with just one exception. Toronto is a very nice city, but it is no place for a college football fan on a Saturday in November.
A search for a sports bar on Saturday night found Whit Watson, producer Tye Eastham and I in a place called “Hoops,” where we hoped to catch some college football from the good ole US of A, or at least, in a place with a name like “Hoops,” some live NBA action.
Alas, the three wayward Americans were denied. 75 TV’s in the place, and guess what was showing on 74 of them. You got it. Hockey.
Lucky for us, the other TV was on a college football game. Unlucky for us, it was Calgary vs. Saint Mary’s. Big game, no doubt, but not exactly the SEC.
Hopefully next year we catch the Raptors up there on a mid-week. I might even go back to “Hoops” to watch a little hockey.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, November 19, 2009, 9:13 PM
Tainted Triple-Doubles
Rashard Lewis just missed getting his first career triple-double Wednesday night in a game against Oklahoma City.
I’m glad he did.
Nothing against Rashard. In fact, I’m a big fan. Love the way he plays the game. Nice, no nonsense all-around player who deserves every individual accolade that comes his way.
When the third quarter ended Wednesday night coach Stan Van Gundy had a decision to make. Lewis had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Some of his teammates were lobbying the coach to put Rashard into the game to get one more assist, and complete the difficult to achieve triple-double. Problem was the Magic led by 30 points, and Coach Van Gundy, who no doubt thinks the world of Lewis, does not think much of individual statistical achievements, like triple-doubles.
As the scene unfolded Wednesday night, I couldn’t help but think back to a night in Orlando in March of 1996.
The Detroit Pistons were the opponent, and another popular Magic player at that time, Anthony Bowie, had a chance for a triple-double. Bowie grabbed his 10th rebound with just a few seconds left in a blowout game.
Knowing he needed just one more assist to get his first triple-double, and much to the chagrin of coach Brian Hill, Bowie quickly called time-out.
The Magic coach was embarrassed by the move. The Detroit coach, Doug Collins, was irate. Collins instructed his players to stand under the basket and observe the unfolding drama.
The Magic in-bounded the ball to Bowie. Bowie passed to an unguarded David Vaughn. Vaughn layed the ball in, and Bowie had the most tainted triple-double in NBA history. I’ll never forget he incident, and always felt bad for Bowie, a truly good guy, and his teammates who just got caught up in the moment.
Wednesday night in Orlando, Stan Van Gundy resisted the temptation to put Lewis back into game just to record a triple-double.
Good move. Much better for these thing to occur naturally.
Hopefully, Rashard will get another chance to achieve the difficult feat.
If not, at least he won’t be the answer to a Magic trivia quiz 13 years from now.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, November 17, 2009, 3:11 PM
Playing Lewis and Anderson Together
I suppose it must’ve happened at some point, but for the life of me I can’t recall Rashard Lewis playing even one minute of small forward for the Orlando Magic last season.
Primarily a small forward for nine years in Seattle, Lewis has been a fixture at the power forward, or so-called “stretch 4” position for the Magic the last two years.
The results for Orlando have been nothing short of sensational, with Rashard using his three point shooting ability as a mismatch against most opponents.
But, if what we saw in his season debut Monday night against Charlotte is any indication, things may be changing.
For a 7:11 stretch in the second half, Lewis was on the floor with newly acquired Ryan Anderson. Rashard played small forward, Anderson was the 4.
The results were positive and worth noting. The Magic outscored the Bobcats 14-12 during this period, with Lewis and Anderson doing almost all of the offensive damage.
Rashard, looking very comfortable posting up smaller Bobcats, scored eight points during the run, while Anderson added four more. The Magic offense ran smoothly as it was obvious that the two can indeed co-exist on the court.
Three weeks into the season Stan Van Gundy is just now getting a full compliment of players, and there is sure to be some experimenting and tweaking of player rotations.
But one intriguing option is playing Lewis and Anderson together.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 12:29 PM
Magic Miss Anderson
Who knew a 21 year-old second year player could hold the key to Magic’s early season success?
It is clear that Ryan Anderson, viewed by some as a throw-in in the Magic’s Vince Carter trade with New Jersey, was one player the Magic could not afford to lose while Rashard Lewis served an early season 10-game suspension.
While Anderson may not possess the veteran toughness and leadership qualities you get with Lewis, a two-time All-Star, he does allow the Magic to play the way they like to play.
It is a team built around the inside strength of Dwight Howard with a plethora of 3-point shooters on the perimeter.
Filling in for Lewis, Anderson was hitting 44 percent of his threes, and the Magic averaged 109 points per game through their first six games of the season.
Since Ryan’s ankle sprain against Detroit, Magic offensive production is way down. In the last three games, Orlando is averaging just 87 points per game while shooting just 27 percent threes.
Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes have filled in at the four position, and while they are both fine players, neither can provide the outside threat of Lewis or Anderson. Bass is not a 3-point shooter at all, and Barnes has gone 0-for-10 from beyond the arc in the last three games.
Stan Van Gundy has been consistently upset about his team’s lack of intensity and overall defensive play in the early season, and rightfully so. But not to be overlooked in the last three games for the Magic is the lack of a 3-point scorer at the four position.
Get Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson back on the court, and you’ll see the Magic offense start to click again.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:10 PM
Bouncing Back
Funny thing about the NBA.
One night your team can look like the ’95 Bulls, one night later more like the ’72 Sixers.
I’ve probably been asked a dozen times over the last two days, how can the Magic play so poorly against the Pistons on Tuesday night, and come back less than 24 hours later and play like the Eastern conference champions against the Phoenix Suns?
Of course, if I had the answer I probably wouldn’t be schlepping around the country as an NBA broadcaster. Well, maybe I would. But that’s beside the point.
The point is, some nights you’ve got it, some nights you don’t. Simple as that.
It was obvious early on in Detroit on Tuesday night that the Magic were going to have to grind it out against the short-handed Pistons.
Maybe they looked at Detroit’s active roster, which did not include Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince, and human nature got the best of them. Maybe the moment the pa announcer bellowed, “starting at forward, # 33, Jonas Jarebko!” Magic players figured they’d been accidentally scheduled for a D-League game.
Whatever the case, the Pistons took the fight to Orlando, and handed the Magic their first loss of the season.
One night later, undefeated Phoenix came to the Amway Arena with 2-time MVP Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire and Grant Hill in the starting lineup, and the difference was like night and day.
After scoring 14 points (and struggling to do so) one night earlier against the Pistons, the Magic scored 29 points in the first quarter against the Suns.
Jameer Nelson, who had been singled out by head coach Stan Van Gundy for his poor play against Detroit, outplayed the six-time all-star, Nash. Forward Ryan Anderson, who missed 10 three point shots in Detroit, was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc against the Suns.
Dwight Howard, who fouled out in 16 minutes the night before, scored 25 points in 23 minutes. The Magic rolled to a 22-point victory in handing Phoenix its first loss of the season.
Coach Van Gundy called it "a very good bounce back game after a game we were all very unhappy with."
I have a feeling even the coach has difficulty understanding the unpredictable ups and downs of an NBA season too.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, November 2, 2009, 10:29 AM
Too Much Talent?
There was a preseason game against Indiana.
Orlando won by 20, but it could’ve been 50. Seven players reached double figures as Stan Van Gundy rotated the troops in and out of the game in waves, and Rashard Lewis, a two-time All-Star, sat on the sidelines.
After the game I asked Otis Smith, general manager and chief architect of the ’09-’10 Magic, is it possible to have too much talent? Too many guys to find minutes for? Too many guys to keep happy?
Otis just shrugged and shook his head.
And although I could barely hear his soft spoken voice above the murmuring crowd, I understood his reply. No. There are always injuries. Then you wish you had more guys.
Three games into the season, we see what Otis was talking about.
Sunday afternoon in Toronto the Magic took the court without three starters against a talented Raptor team. All-Stars Lewis (suspension) and Vince Carter (injury), and starting guard/forward Mickael Pietrus (illness) did not suit up.
The Raptors shot 51 percent from the field, made 10 3-pointers, and still could not handle the short-handed Magic.
The three replacement starters, Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes combined for 59 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists. That’s some serious depth. That’s what Otis was talking about back in mid-October.
Too much talent?
No way.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, October 29, 2009, 1:17 PM
Ernest Steele
The Magic will play the Nets in New Jersey on Friday night.
I will not be there.
Through 20 years of broadcasting Magic basketball on either radio or TV, I have missed a handful of games primarily on two occasions.
To attend the funeral of my wife’s mother in 1997, and in 2004 when I slipped on a sheet of black ice at the Cincinnati airport and broke my leg (not one of my better moments, and a story for another day).
Friday night is different. For the first time in my time with the Magic, I will miss a game because I want to miss a game. My 84 year old father, Ernest Steele, will be inducted into the University of Kentucky’s Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. I will be there to witness it.
It’s a big deal for a man who was raised by two hard working parents with five brothers and sisters in a four room house on Bacon Creek, Kentucky. Who served in the military during World War II and used the GI bill to become the first in his family to attend college.
It’s a big deal for his children and their children who know how hard he worked to become president of a life insurance company. A steely, focused determination, coupled with a gentle, kind spirit, touching so many through the years.
Some things are more important than a basketball game. This is one of them.
Go Magic. See you Sunday in Toronto.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, October 26, 2009, 10:04 AM
8 Things We Learned This Preseason
1- We’re #1! ... in the preseason. For whatever it’s worth, the Magic finished the preseason unbeaten for the first time in its 21 year history. These games usually don’t have much meaning, but I will say this about the Magic and their undefeated exhibition campaign….it shows this is a focused group. We know there’s plenty of talent, but the Magic seem to be on a mission from day one.
2- Jameer is back ... the captain is still the heart and soul of the ballclub, and now we know, physically he is back to where he was before suffering a shoulder injury last February. If he can stay healthy, Nelson is going to establish himself as one of the league’s premiere point guards this season.
3- Vince still has plenty in the tank … Anyone who thought the Magic were getting a Carter-in-decline, think again. Vince seems rejuvenated in his return to central Florida.
4- Ryan Anderson is no throw-in … The Magic did not like having to part with talented guard Courtney Lee in the Vince Carter deal. But, it looks like they’ve got a keeper in 21-year old forward Ryan Anderson. He knows how to play, and can spread the floor with his three-point shooting range.
5- Dwight is still Dwight … Can this really be Dwight’s 6th year in the NBA? He’s a seasoned vet now (will turn an ancient 24 yrs of age in December), and will make a serious run at league MVP again.
6- The Magic are deeper than ever … Even in the heady days of Shaq and Penny in the mid-90’s, the Magic were never as deep a team as they are now. Newcomers, Carter, Anderson, Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes, and Jason Williams give Orlando 12 players who would be in a 7 to 8 man rotation on almost every NBA roster.
7- Stan never lets up … Opposing teams shoot 40.6% from the field against the Magic in the preseason, and the Magic head coach is still pushing his team to play better defense. Orlando was one of the league’s best defensive teams last year, that will not change this year. Van Gundy won’t let it happen.
8- Championship a possibility ... A championship parade in June is just as likely to occur on Orange Avenue as anywhere in the country. Going into a season you can’t ask for any more than that.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, June 15, 2009, 2:30 PM
Greatest Magic Team
As the NBA regular season was winding down, probably in late March/early April, I began getting the question from fans and fellow media types, “Which is the greatest Orlando Magic team of all-time, the ’95 club, or the 2009 team?” Having witnessed more Magic games than any other person, this is the kind of question I often get, along with, “do you travel with the team?” (No, I take a Greyhound Bus), and “what’s your favorite NBA city?” (Seattle. Oh yeah, they no longer have a team. How bout Chicago. Except in January or February)
But back to this “best Magic team ever” question. At the time, my inclination was to give the nod to the ’95 squad, primarily because they had Shaq and Penny, two of the best players in the game at that time, and they reached the NBA Finals. This year’s team had yet to have the opportunity to prove itself in the post-season. Now that the ’09 campaign is in the books, and both teams advanced to the NBA Finals, I am prepared to proclaim (in my humble opinion) the 2009 Orlando Magic to be the best team in franchise history. Here are the reasons why.
1)
Superior defense- The ’95 Magic were an incredible offensive machine. Averaged a league high 110.9 ppg in the regular season. But defensively they were no better than a middle of the road NBA team. (19th in scoring defense, 12th in fg% defense, 24th in three point fg% defense). The ’09 Magic were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA throughout the season and post-season, while still ranking as a top ten offensive club.
2)
Three point shooting- Yes, the ’95 Magic were an outstanding three point shooting team. Dennis Scott, still ranks as one of the best long-range shooters in NBA history. Nick Anderson shot better than 41% from beyond the arc for the year. But the ’95 Magic ranked only 7th in the league that year in made three pointers, and 9th in three-point percentage. This year’s Magic ranked 2nd in made threes and 7th in three-point percentage. And in the post season they set an NBA playoff record by making a mind blowing 201 three-point shots. Also, consider this. In 1995, and for the following two seasons, the league moved the three point line in to a uniform 22’ from the basket, or 21 inches closer from the top of the key and on the wings than it is now. How many more threes would Lewis, Turkoglu, Nelson and company have made with the shorter distance?
3)
Hedo cancels out Penny (to a certain extent)- My late March inclination to favor the ’95 team over the ’09 team centered around the fact that Penny Hardaway was a guy the ’09 club had no comparison for. A 6’8” point guard who could pass and score, and post-up smaller players at his position. But, the way 6’10” Hedo Turkoglu managed the Magic half court offense at critical times in the post-season makes me reconsider the supposed Hardaway advantage. Turk may not be a top 5 player in the league that Penny was in ’95, but he has many of the same skills that Hardaway possessed, and thus narrows the gap between the two teams.
4)
Dwight >Shaq- The two great centers have much in common. Strong, quick, athletic. Shaq, at 23 years of age in 1995 was, like 23-year-old Dwight Howard in 2009, a raw offensive force. Let’s compare their post-season numbers. Shaq in 21 games in 1995, Dwight in 23 playoff games in 2009.
| Player | Pts | Reb | Asst | FG% | FT% | BS | TO |
| Shaq ('95) | 25.7 | 11.9 | 3.3 | 57.7 | 57.1 | 1.9 | 3.5 |
| Howard ('09) | 20.3 | 15.3 | 1.9 | 60.1 | 63.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
Dwight holds the statistical advantage in 5 of 7 key categories. Throw in the fact Howard is the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, an honor that has yet to be bestowed on Shaq, the debate clearly swings in Dwight’s favor.
5)
The winning edge- The ’95 team was the first Magic team to reach the NBA Finals, but the ’09 squad scored the first Finals victory in franchise history. After getting swept by Houston in 1995, many (myself included) made the mistake of assuming there would be numerous more championship opportunities in the near future. One year later Shaq bolted for the west coast. Several years after that Penny’s body broke down physically, and it took Orlando 14 years to return to the NBA’s biggest stage. Regardless of the future of this current Magic incarnation, it has already earned the distinction as the greatest team in the franchise’s 20-year history.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Saturday, June 13, 2009, 11:45 AM
Defending Dwight
All right, I’ve heard enough. One of the most difficult things about following the team you work for through the NBA Finals is listening to and reading commentary from so-called experts. Fortunately, one way or the other, the series will be over soon. If it went on much longer my head might explode. Here’s the most recent drivel that has my blood pressure rising higher than Dwight Howard on a Turkoglu lob. It goes something like this, “Dwight Howard has no offensive moves.”
Or, earlier this week from hall of fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, “Dwight Howard is predictable on offense.” If he’s so predictable, and so lacking in offensive skills, then why do the Lakers find it necessary to send two, sometimes three defenders at him virtually every time he goes into his offensive move? A strategy that results in leaving some of the NBA’s most dangerous outside shooters open on the perimeter?
I mean, no, Dwight is certainly not the most polished offensive center in league history, but he has developed a nice rolling hook from either block into the center of the lane, and he uses that move to set up a baseline spin from either side. Would he be even more dangerous with a 10-15 foot face up jumper? No question. And I suspect as hard as he works, that will come in time.
But, let’s be realistic here. We are already talking about one of the best centers in the history of the NBA! Consider this. Dwight Howard, at age 23, playing in his first NBA Finals, has put up numbers comparable to the other great centers that have competed deep into the playoffs over the last 25 years. Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal and Patrick Ewing. Here are their playoff numbers when their teams played in the Finals or the Conference finals:
| Player | Pts | Reb | Asst | BS | FG% | FT% |
| Ewing '94 (Finals) | 21.9 | 11.7 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 43.7 | 75.5 |
| O'Neal '95 (Finals) | 25.7 | 11.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 57.7 | 57.1 |
| Robinson '95 (WC Finals) | 25.3 | 12.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 44.6 | 81.2 |
| Olajuwon '95 (Finals) | 33.0 | 10.3 | 4.4 | 2.8 | 53.0 | 68.1 |
| Howard '09 (Finals) | 20.7 | 15.6 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 60.2 | 64.0 |
Ewing was 32 years old when he led the Knicks to the Finals in ’94, Robinson was at his peak at age 30 in ’95 when his Spurs lost to Houston in the Western Conference Finals, and Olajuwon was a 32-year-old veteran when he carried the Rockets to the ’95 title. O’Neal in ’95, like Howard in ’06, was 23 years old when he led the Magic to their first Finals appearance. Howard’s offensive numbers stack up favorably with them all, and we’re not even talking about defense, where arguably, Dwight may already rank at the top of the list.
So please, enough of this talk putting down Dwight Howard. We are watching the development of a great young player. Even if he makes no improvement for the rest of his career (which we know is highly unlikely), he still will rank as one of the NBA’s all-time best big men.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, June 12, 2009, 3:30 AM
Game 4 Analysis
Déjà vu, part 1
Shades of 1995. Long time Magic fans have seen this before. Missed free throws late in the 4th quarter that would’ve locked up victory for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. A three-point dagger (Houston’s Kenny Smith in game 1 of the’95 Finals, LA’s Derek Fisher in Thursday night’s game 4), followed by an overtime loss. The Magic were not able to overcome their game 1 misfortune in 1995. Still have a chance to bounce back in game 5 Sunday night in this year’s NBA Finals.
Unfortunate misses
Dwight Howard had been so good at the free throw line in the clutch in this year’s playoffs. Going into Thursday’s game 4, Dwight was 71.2% from the line in 4th quarters, 9 for 12 in close games late, and 5 for 6 with the game on the line. That’s why it was so surprising to see the two misses with :11.1 remaining and the Magic up by three points. Superman is human, after all.
Modern day Russell
Aside from the missed (8) free throws, Howard was spectacular in game 4. He scored 16 hard earned points, grabbed 21 rebounds and blocked an NBA Finals record 9 Laker shots. As my broadcast partner, Matty Guokas pointed out on our live post-game show on Sun Sports/Fox Sports West, it was a performance reminiscent of Hall of Famer, Bill Russell. Strong words of praise from a guy who played against one of the game’s all-time great defenders in the late 60’s.
Difference between winning and losing
Four games into the NBA Finals and we’ve already seen 2 overtime games. That hasn’t happened since 1984 when the Lakers and the Boston Celtics played a pair of overtime games in a best of 7 series won by Boston, 4 games to 3. This Magic/Lakers series is so close, Orlando could easily be on the upside of a 3 games to 1 lead instead of facing elimination in game 5. A missed lay-up at the buzzer in game 2, and missed free throws in game 4, the difference between victory and defeat.
Déjà vu, part 2
The Magic’s Hedo Turkoglu must have had a bad flashback to 2004 when he saw Derek Fisher’s three point shot go in with :04.6 to go in regulation to tie the game. In 2004, Fisher’s miraculous three point shot with four-tenths of second to play for Los Angeles beat the San Antonio Spurs in game 5 of a second round series. Turkoglu was on that San Antonio team. He’s been victimized twice now by the veteran’s late game playoff heroics.
A daunting task
Here are the cold, hard facts facing the Magic. Only 8 teams in NBA history have come from being down 3 games to 1 to win a best of 7 series. It has never happened in the Finals. Three teams have done it in the conference finals. The ’68 Celtics against Philadelphia, the ’79 Washington Bullets against San Antonio, and the ’81 Celtics against Philadelphia. In game 5, the Magic, who have been so resilient all season long, have an opportunity to begin a journey that no NBA team has ever traveled. It is only possible with that first victory on Sunday night.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 3:30 AM
Game 3 Analysis
WHEW!
The 6,000 pound gorilla (1,000 pounds for each consecutive Finals loss) is off their backs. The Orlando Magic pulled out a thrilling 108-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in game 3 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night to lock up the first Finals victory in franchise history. The Lakers did their job winning at home in games 1 and 2, Orlando kept itself in the series with a home court win in game 3. That’s 5 home playoff wins in a row for the Magic. Great crowd, by the way. Consistently much louder than the folks in SoCal.
Hot night outside, and in
It took a record setting night for the Magic to hold off the Lakers. 75% shooting in the first half and 62.5% shooting for the game were both NBA Finals playoff records. Should be no surprise though to Magic fans. Orlando has already set the NBA record for made threes in a game (23 @ Sacramento), and needs just 3 more threes in the playoffs to set an NBA post-season record for total three pointers made. (Houston-’95 hit 189 threes, the Magic now have 186)
“Skip” gets it going
Rafer Alston set the tempo for game 3 for the Magic. He pushed the ball up the floor quickly from the opening tip til the end. Orlando had just 10 fast break points (that’s still 8 more than in games 1 and 2 combined), but on many possessions the Magic scored early in the shot clock because of Alston’s aggressive offensive play. And, on about a half dozen occasions, Rafer electrified the Amway Arena crowd with a patented “Skip to My Lou” maneuver. Whirling, spinning and twisting his way through the Laker defense. Playground aficionados around the world had to be delighted.
A Laker perspective
I watched the game with long-time Laker tv commentator Stu Lantz. (Lantz, Matty Guokas and I host a post-game show on Sun Sports in Florida, Fox Sports West in So Cal. Shameless plug: catch it if you can Thursday night) It was interesting to hear Stu’s observations regarding Kobe Bryant. When Bryant took over the game in the first quarter, scoring 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting, Stu pointed out that it is unusual for Kobe to take over a game like that so early. He normally likes to get his teammates involved in the first quarter, and then turn it on individually later in the game. My thought: maybe he was hoping to deflate the Magic early with his amazing offensive heroics in hopes that a discouraged Orlando team would wilt under the pressure of such a phenomenal scoring barrage. The Magic did not succumb, they did trail 31-27 at the end of the first quarter, but shot a sizzling 69% from the field and kept up that hot shooting throughout the night.
Big night for Dwight
Outstanding night for Dwight Howard. 21 points, 14 rebounds. 2 assists, 2 blocks, and perhaps the most important stat for Dwight, just 1 turnover in 43 minutes. And how many times did Howard make an easy pass out of a double team that set up the next pass to an open shooter? The Magic shared the ball beautifully in game 3. Howard’s intelligent post play was a key. Kept it simple. Didn’t try to do too much. Defensively, his play was, as usual, terrific. His pick and roll defense late in the 4th quarter on Kobe was as good you’ll see a big man play.
Welcome back MP
Mickael Pietrus, who played so well against Boston and Cleveland, was back at the top of his game for the Magic Tuesday night. 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting, and he made three huge fourth quarter plays. 1- a steal and driving layup to put the Magic up by 8 with just under 7 minutes remaining. 2-A put-back dunk off a missed Turkoglu shot with just over 2 minutes to go, and 3- what turned out to be a game clinching steal on Kobe Bryant with :28.7 to play. His subsequent free throws gave Orlando a 106-102 lead.
Yes, they could
Could Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu follow up incredible performances in game 2 with more great play in game 3? The answer is yes. These two fabulous forwards continue to make big play after big play in this post-season. Turk finished with 18 points and again a team high 7 assists. Lewis dropped in 21, including a cold-blooded, contested long range two with the shot clock at one to give the Magic a 104-101 lead with 1:06 remaining. These two guys are big time players.
Now, it’s a series
Lakers still hold the advantage, and surely still feel good about their chances to win a 15th franchise NBA title. But the Magic have been counted out before, in each and every round of the post-season, and when this team gets it rolling, it is very difficult to slow ‘em down.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, June 8, 2009, 2:30 AM
Game 2 Analysis
Missed opportunity
Too many turnovers and too many missed shots. That’s what cost the Magic a victory in game 2 of the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, a 101-96 overtime loss to Los Angeles. 20 turnovers, resulting in 28 Laker points, and just 41.8% fg shooting doomed the Magic Sunday night at the Staples Center. Amazing really, with those numbers, that they were even in the game. But, there they were, a missed Courtney Lee layup at the buzzer from tying the series at one game apiece. Brilliantly drawn up, perfectly executed, just a tough break for the rookie as his potential game winning shot trickled off the lip of the rim. To his credit, after the game, Lee stood in the lockeroom, head held high, patiently and professionally answering every reporter’s question about the blown shot.
Clamps on Kobe
It took a total team effort, but the Magic did a very good job defensively on Kobe Bryant in game 2. Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick and Hedo Turkoglu all took turns in trying to slow down the offensive tornado that is Kobe, and they got lots of help. When Kobe put the ball on the floor, double teams were coming. He still managed 29 points on 22 field goal attempts, and got great support from Pau Gasol (24 points) and Lamar Odom (19 points off the bench).
Strong inside
In game 1, the Lakers scored 56 points in the paint. In game 2, just 28. The Magic did a terrific job of contesting shots, particularly Dwight Howard. The league’s defensive player of the year was active and strong on the interior, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking 4 shots. Interesting stat: When Dwight has blocked 3 shots or more in the post-season, the Magic are 7-3. The three losses: At Philadelphia, on a last second shot by Thaddeus Young. To Boston, on a last second jumper by Glen Davis, and Sunday night in overtime to the Lakers.
Offensively, another story
On the offensive end, another frustrating night for Dwight. When he makes his move, the Lakers are coming hard with double teams. Sometimes they come with a big, sometimes with a small, contstantly changing it up. The result, just 17 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the field, and 7 turnovers for Howard. In the finals, Dwight is shooting just 37% from the field against the Lakers. On the encouraging side, Howard made all five of his pressure packed free throw attempts in the 4th quarter and overtime period. Look for improved offensive play from Dwight in game three as he begins to figure out the Laker defense.
Lewis and Turk
Magic forwards were incredible in game 2. Rashard Lewis scored 16 straight points in the 2nd quarter alone and finished the night with a Magic career high 34. Turkoglu got 14 of his 22 in the 3rd quarter when the Magic overcame a 5 point halftime deficit.
Lewis added 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Turkoglu ran the Magic offense for the final nine minutes of the 4th quarter, while also guarding Kobe Bryant down the stretch of a close game.
Help!
As good as Lewis and Turkoglu were in game 2, they need more help if the Magic are going to challenge the Lakers in this series. With Howard drawing double teams every time he starts an offensive move, scoring opportunities for others are there. Rashard and Hedo cannot be the only ones taking advantage. Lee, Alston, Pietrus, Redick and Nelson were a combined 6 for 26 from the field in game 2. The Laker defense is good, but it hasn’t caused the Magic to miss so many wide open shots.
It can still be done
Although they face difficult odds, down 0-2 in the best of seven series, the Magic should not be counted out. They came away from the overtime loss in game 2 to the Lakers knowing they can beat LA. There’s a saying in the NBA that a series doesn’t really begin until a visiting team wins a game. The Lakers held serve at home, now the Magic must do the same. And, for added encouragement, they need only to look back three June’s ago to south Florida. The Miami Heat, losers in games one and two at Dallas by 10 and 14 points, not only won games 3, 4 and 5 at home, but closed out the finals by beating the Mavericks in Dallas in game 6. There’s a lot of basketball still to be played between LA and Orlando as Kobe and gang head east.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Saturday, June 6, 2009, 11:30 AM
Three Simple Keys for Game 2
1-Dwight=Kobe
When great players play the game at their highest level of focus and intensity it rubs off on the rest of the team. We saw Kobe Bryant take his game up to that level in game one of the finals. As Stan Van Gundy says, when Bryant plays that well, he’s not only unstoppable, the game is also made easier for his teammates. Likewise for the Magic’s Dwight Howard. We’ve seen it in the playoffs. When he plays with extraordinary effort, his athleticism is a frightening force of nature, and his teammates are carried right along.
Maybe he can’t do what Kobe can do with the basketball, but in his own way, Dwight is capable of impacting game 2 just as forcefully as Bryant did in game 1.
2-Pass and cut
It’s pretty simple really. All season long when the Magic are passing the ball and getting good off the ball player movement they are a terrific offensive team. In game one, Magic sharing of the ball and player movement stopped in the first half, after Kobe began to exert his will on the game. In addition, too often the Magic drove the ball into the lane, but failed to make that one extra pass that would’ve gotten them a better shot. With the length of the Laker players on the interior, that will be key in game 2.
3-Hit the open shot
This is a given. I would be shocked if Orlando misses as many open shots in game 2 as they did in game 1.
Lakers in 1
Sports talk radio in LA is no different from anywhere else. A lot of trash talk about how the home team is gonna do this or that to the visitors. I caught just enough of an afternoon show on Friday to hear a guy say on the air that they might as well give Kobe the Finals MVP trophy right now. Yeah, while they’re at it, since “Land of the Lost” is such a box office smash this opening weekend, why not just go ahead and hand the oscar to Will Ferrell? You gotta love sports talk radio.
Finally..
Neat scene outside the Magic locker-room on Friday afternoon. Dwight Howard and Celtic great, Bill Russell meeting in the hallway, heading to an interview room to shoot a piece for ABC-TV. Magic players Tyronn Lue, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat politely asking the two big men, one a rising star of the future, the other a hall of famer, for a photograph. Howard and Russell oblige. It’s always interesting to watch professionals in awe of their peers.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, June 5, 2009, 4 AM
Game 1 Analysis
Watched game 1 of the Finals from the second row at the Staples Center, working for Sun Sports live post-game show. Here are a few observations of the Lakers 100-75 victory.
Kobe..incredible!
We have been witness to some amazing performances in the NBA playoffs, haven’t we? Three game winning shots in the Philadelphia series. Dwight Howard’s 23 point, 22 rebound effort that turned the Boston series around in game 6. LeBron James’s remarkable 4th quarter takeover of game 5. Howard’s 40 point explosion in game 6 against the Cavaliers. But, Kobe Bryant may have topped them all Thursday night in game 1 of the NBA finals at the Staples Center. With his team trailing by 5 early in the second quarter, Bryant took over the game like only the great ones can, scoring 30 points over the course of about 18 minutes. And when he wasn’t putting the ball in the basket, he was setting up his teammates with pinpoint passes off of determined drives. Bryant finished the night with 40 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. His finest night in an NBA Finals game.
Didn’t see this one coming
Who would’ve thought game one would be a 25 point blowout? After all, the Magic had lost just once all season long by more than 20 points (a 32 point shellacking in New Orleans way back in mid-February). The team that has been remarkably resilient, but just didn’t have it on Thursday night. Fortunately for Orlando, it only counts for one loss. Perhaps that resilient factor will kick in Sunday night for game 2.
Just one field goal?
Dwight Howard hit a left-handed hook 1:58 seconds into the first quarter. Who would’ve believed that would be his last field goal of the game? After all, during the regular season the Magic’s all-star center had just one game with no field goals (a November affair at Charlotte), and no games with just one made field goal. The Lakers defended him well, with size and double teams. To counter, look for the Magic to try and get Dwight the ball on the move more in game two.
Laker length..a challenge
After the game, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu both acknowledged: Los Angeles’ long and athletic forwards game them problems in game 1. Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Pau Gasol all made life difficult for the Magic’s talented forward duo. Lewis and Turkoglu were at their best when attacking the basket, something they did well early in the game. Not so much in the second half.
What happened to the dribble penetration?
For the first 16 minutes of the game, the Magic, particularly Turkoglu, Rafer Alston and Jameer Nelson were able to go just about anywhere they wanted to go on the floor with the dribble. When Kobe took the game over in the 2nd quarter, that dribble penetration and accompanying ball movement all but disappeared. The Magic are always at their best offensively when attacking the basket and moving the ball, two things that are difficult to do when you’re always taking the ball out of the net after a made Laker field goal.
Point guard controversy?
Speaking of Nelson and Alston, they pretty much split the point guard minutes in half Thursday night. While it was great to see the Magic captain back on the floor for the first time since early February, the point guard combo thing did not work out as well as Orlando would’ve liked. At times Jameer looked remarkably sharp. At times he looked rusty. Not surprising for a guy who was coming off major shoulder surgery and had not played in a game for 16 weeks. For his part, Alston seemed out of sorts. Despite their uneven play in game one, both men want desperately one thing. To win. Look for both to bounce back with better performances in game two.
The Lake Show
It is really something. The celebrity parade at the Staples Center for the NBA finals. Great place to people watch. Not that great of an NBA crowd. They just don’t make that much noise. Maybe they’re mesmerized by the likes of DiCaprio, and Kanye West, and Denzel, and Jack, and all the rest. Maybe they’re a bit spoiled with success. Maybe the Magic just didn’t give them enough reason to really get loud in a 100-75 blowout game. Hopefully we’ll find out if it’s the latter on Sunday night.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 10:30 AM
Ariza, Pietrus and Alston
Magic fans will be watching one Laker in particular with great interest in the NBA finals. Trevor Ariza is having an outstanding post-season with LA, and Magic some fans might be wondering what might have been.
Back in 2006, it looked like Ariza’s bright future was in Orlando. In February of ‘06, GM Otis Smith engineered a brilliant deal with the Knicks, bringing the young and athletic Ariza from New York in exchange for Steve Francis. Remember that? Otis pulled the greatest swap since the Louisiana Purchase, getting out from under an enormous contract obligation to Francis, a tempermental player, clearly on the decline.
Ariza played 89 games in Orlando, averaging 7.2 ppg while shooting 51% from the field. He scored most of his points on drives to the basket or offensive put-backs. Outside shooting was not his strength. Stan Van Gundy, in his first year as Magic head coach, was looking for players that would better compliment Dwight Howard. That’s primarily why, in November of 2007, Otis somewhat reluctantly traded Ariza to the Lakers for Maurice Evans and Brian Cook.
Now, follow closely the progression of what has transpired since February of ’06.
Otis Smith gets Trevor Ariza in exchange for Steve Francis. Stevie-franchise’s huge salary is removed from the Magic books, and Ariza looks like a promising young player.
Then, Ariza is sent to the Lakers in November of ‘07 for Cook and Evans, who both help the Magic win games in Stan Van Gundy’s first year as head coach. Evans, in particular is a key player in ’07-’08, starting 47 games for a 52 win Orlando team. However, in the summer of ’08, Otis Smith decides to let Evans go. He becomes a free agent and Smith uses those dollars to sign another free agent, Mikael Pietrus.
Now, fast-forward to February of ’09. Jameer Nelson is out for the year with a shoulder injury, and Smith goes to work again. He uses Cook as a key part of a deal that brings Rafer
Alston from Houston to replace Nelson. So, here’s the progression: Steve Francis turns into Trevor Ariza, who turns into Mo Evans and Brian Cook, who become Mikael Pietrus and Rafer Alston. Whew! And you thought the defensive three second rule was confusing?
The bottom line is this. Yes, Ariza is a talented young player with a bright future. He’s even shooting threes well these days. Ariza was 0 for 12 from beyond the arc in 89 games with the Magic, but in these playoffs has made and impressive 50% of his threes (30 for 60). But, where would the Magic be without Mickael Pietrus and Rafer Alston? Certainly not in the NBA finals.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Sunday, May 31, 2009, 3:15 AM
Game 6 Analysis
Witness This
There was one great performance in the decisive Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday night. It was turned in by the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard. A career playoff high 40 points, 14 rebounds and four assists doesn’t even tell the whole story of this incredible performance. Dwight was double-teamed most of the night and was simply uncanny with his decision-making. When to shoot. When to pass. Who to pass to. When to sweep into the lane. When to spin baseline. And that was just on the offensive end. Defensively, he was equally as dominating. Challenging shots when appropriate. Backing off when need be to avoid committing a foul. This was the performance of a lifetime for the 23-year-old sensation. And the thing is, you know there’s a lot more still to come.
With a little from his friends
Rashard Lewis: 18 points in Game 6, an 18 ppg average in the series on 49% shooting and 48% from beyond the arc. Hedo Turkoglu: not a great shooting night in game 6, but outstanding overall play, and averaged better than 17 ppg in the series. Rafer Alston: in the playoffs Rafer is averaging 14.6 ppg when the Magic win, and only 9.6 ppg when they lose. Saturday night was a solid night for the Magic point guard. 13 points and just 1 turnover in 38 minutes. Mickael Pietrus and Courtney Lee: Both outstanding throughout the series. To steal a phrase from Celtic great Tommy Heinsohn, “I love Courtney Lee!” The rookie makes few mistakes and defends like his next paycheck depends on it. Pietrus averaged 13.8 ppg, shot 51% from the field and 47 % threes in the series while often defending LeBron James on the other end of the floor. Anthony Johnson. The stats don’t tell the story for him in Game 6, but the Magic were +10 while he was on the floor for almost the entire 2nd quarter.
Rebounding machine
As the saying goes: he may not be in a class by himself, but it doesn’t take long to take roll. Dwight Howard is averaging 15.4 rebounds per game in 32 career playoff games. Among players in NBA post-season history with a minimum 30 games played, only Bill Russell (24.9) and Wilt Chamberlain (24.5) have more rebounds per game than Howard.
Very good, but not great on this night
LeBron James looked almost human in game 6. Perhaps just plain tuckered out from carrying his team in games 1-5, the league’s MVP was just 8 for 20 from the field, 2 for 8 on threes, and 7 for 11 from the foul line for a solid, but not spectacular 25 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and handed out 7 assists. A frustrating end to a phenomenal series for James, who averaged 38.5 points per game against the Magic.
Let ‘em play!
And the referees did. Game 6 was easily just a physical as any of the previous five contests in the series, but there were fewer fouls called and free throws attempted than in any game except game one. Thank you, Mr.’s Javie, Salvatore and Stafford.
Couldn’t figure it out
The series ended just like it began in game one. Cleveland could never solve the Magic’s offensive attack. Howard in the post. Wing pick and rolls. High pick and rolls. The Cavs were one of the NBA’s best defensive teams all season long. Gave up just 91 points per game in the regular season. The Magic averaged 103.7 against the Cavaliers in the series.
Hit me with your best shot
Cleveland, down by 18 at the half, hit the Magic with all they had in the third quarter. It started with an 8-0 to cut the Orlando lead to just 11 in the first minute of the period. Quick time out by Stan Van Gundy to remind the team that they had the best player on the floor and it might be a good idea to use him. Dwight Howard responded out of the time out with a pretty assist out of a double to Courtney Lee, (are you sure he’s a rookie?) and a minute later the lead was back out to 16. Cleveland kept coming. The Cavs made several more determined runs, but never got to within single digits.
Post-game fun
Great stuff, that Eastern Conference trophy presentation after the game. When the Magic won the East in ’95, I was doing radio play-by-play for the team, and was not able to take in the festivities from a fan’s perspective. Watching the team celebrate at center court Saturday night was a treat. The crowd was electric. Players and coaches soaked it all in with genuine delight. Enormous ovation for Stan Van Gundy (rightfully so!) Noticeably absent from the celebration was the architect of the team’s roster, gm Otis Smith. Typical of his low-key style, Otis elected to stand in the shadows and watch as his players and coaches took the spotlight.
Behind the scenes, a moment to remember
As the post-game celebration rocked on in the Magic locker-room after the game, outside in the hallway a quiet exchange between two great men. Magic owner, Rich DeVos, the classiest of all NBA chiefs, and Jimmy Hewitt, the Orlando city leader who, along with Pat Williams brought the NBA to central Florida in the late 80’s, shared a brief, but sincere hug, each thanking the other for a job well done.
And in the words of Mr. DeVos, circa 1995, “why not us, why not now?”
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, May 29, 2009, 1:15 AM
Game 5 Analysis
Give it to the King and get out of the way
Nothing fancy for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic. They have the best player in the game, and they gave him the basketball. Another incredible night for LeBron James. 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. His first triple double of this post-season. His eighth triple double this season. Cleveland is a perfect 8-0 this year when LeBron racks up a triple double.
Cav shooters on target
Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson were a combined 9 for 13 from 3-point range. Coming into game 5 they were just 8 for 33 (24%) from beyond the arc. Again, credit LeBron James. On his drives to the basket, he continually drew Magic defenders, and if he didn’t score or get fouled himself, he kicked the ball to open shooters. The shots went in.
First quarter belongs to the home team
Cleveland outscored the Magic 35-18 in the first quarter Thursday night. In three games played in Ohio, the Cavs have won the first quarter by an average score of 33-18. Playing at home, Orlando outscored the Cavs 24-17 in the first quarter of game 3, and trailed by only four after one in Game 4.
Dwight all fouled up, again
A reporter asked Dwight Howard in the post-game interview room if he felt like he was able to play as physical as he wants to play in this series. Dwight’s brief response, “No.”
That one word answer spoke volumes. Howard has fouled out 3 times in 5 games against Cleveland, and has been called for more fouls than any player in the post-season. It’s not like he getting his money’s worth either. Clearly, Dwight is frustrated. The officials are in his head, and he’s going to have to work real hard to get them outa there before Saturday’s Game 6.
No Magic touch
Orlando was shooting 43% from beyond the arc going into game 5. They made a paltry 32% (8 for 25) in Thursday night’s loss. Missing 13 free throws didn’t help the cause either.
Turkoglu-terrific
When Hedo Turkoglu scores 20+ points this year, the Magic usually win (27-5 going into game 5). Not the case Thursday night. Turk led the Magic with 29 points on 10 for 18 shooting, and played a fine floor game, An off shooting night by Rashard Lewis (just 4 for 13 from the field, with only 1 three), and Rafer Alston (1 for 10 shooting) helped seal the Magic’s fate.
Pressure is on whom?
The notion that Orlando has all the pressure on Saturday night in game 6 is a fallacy. Sure, the Magic don’t want to have to go back to Cleveland for a game 7, but they have won there once, almost twice already this post-season. A Cavalier loss sends the best team in the regular season home for the summer. Actually, I don’t expect either team to be affected by so-called, “pressure.” The Magic have proven to be capable of playing well under the direst of circumstances, and the Cavaliers, well they have Lebron James.
2003 all over again?
I’ve already heard this one in the national media. Orlando was up 3-1 against Detroit in 2003, and lost the series 4-3. One of 8 times in NBA history a team has been up 3-1 but failed to win a 7 game series. Let’s get this out there. There is no correlation between what happened in 2003 and this series with Cleveland. The ’03 Magic starting lineup consisted of Jacque Vaughn, Gordan Giricek, Drew Gooden, Andrew DeClercq and Tracy McGrady. McGrady was a premier player in the league at that time, but still, that lineup was not exactly murderer’s row. Detroit had Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace in his prime, and emerging rookies Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur. Detroit won the final three games of the series by 31, 15 and 15 points. They were without a doubt the better team. The ’09 Orlando Magic are a far more talented and mentally tough team than that group that took the Pistons to 7 games in 2003.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 2:30 AM
Game 4 Analysis
Howard’s growing legacy
The Orlando Magic’s 116-114 overtime win Tuesday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals will help advance Dwight Howard’s reputation as one of basketball greatest players. Ten of Dwight’s team high 27 points came in the overtime period. In addition he sank two critical free throws with :21 to play (nothing but net) to give the Magic a four point lead. It had the feel of a great player who simply would not allow his team to lose.
Stan Van Gundy-”Master of Tactic”
The Magic coach continues to make all the right moves for Orlando. Player substitutions (offense/defense), play-calling, motivation, Stan has had it all this post-season. The Magic had the look of a frustrated, out of sorts team at the end of regulation Tuesday night. Two calls had not gone their way down the stretch. Victory seemed to be slipping away. Van Gundy not only rallied his team, but he also re-focused the offensive attack, pounding the ball inside to Dwight Howard. The Magic had relied on the three point shot too heavily late in the 4th quarter, but in overtime, the ball was in Dwight’s hands, and did he ever deliver.
Lewis comes through…again
Early on it looked like it might be a tough night for Rashard Lewis. Didn’t seem to have his legs under him on jump shots. Didn’t accomplish very much in the first half. Plus, Cleveland was determined to limit his scoring opportunities. Cavalier defenders stayed with him all night long. But with the help of a tremendous Dwight Howard screen, Lewis knocked down a three point shot with 4.1 seconds remaining to give the Magic a two point lead. As it turned out, the shot was not a game winner like the one he hit in game 1 (James tied the game with 2 free throws a moment later), but the Magic don’t get to overtime without it.
The King may be the greatest..but it’s still a team sport
LeBron James posted his 3rd 40+ point game in this series with Orlando, but his supporting cast once again came up short. Meanwhile, the Magic were led by Dwight Howard’s 27 points, but had four other players with 15 points or better.
No coronation for the king on this night
James had a chance to duplicate his game 2 heroics with another last second three point attempt to win the game in overtime. This time, his shot was off the mark. A couple of important differences between this play and the end of regulation in game 2. This time, Cleveland had no time-outs left to set up a final play. In addition, the Magic double- teamed Lebron up the floor, forcing him to take a wide turn to set up his final desperation heave.
The unsung hero
The Magic were reeling at the end of the 2nd quarter. Outscored 23-7 over the final 4:49 of the 2nd period, Orlando trailed by eight at the half. A strong start to the 3rd quarter by the Cavs might’ve been enough to put the game away. But, to the rescue for the Magic comes Rafer Alston. The man brought in at mid-season to replace all-star Jameer Nelson scored 10 points in the first 3:32 of the quarter to swing momentum back in favor of the home team. Alston dropped in 16 of his career playoff high 26 points in the period. Again, it seems like for Orlando, someone is always there to pick up the slack when help is needed.
Hug of the night
Immediately after the thrilling conclusion of game, Alston was making his way over to the courtside broadcast area for a live network interview when he was momentarily delayed by one of his teammates. It was Jameer Nelson, who had tracked Rafer across the floor, offering a congratulatory hug. You know Nelson would give almost anything to be on the court, helping his team on this remarkable march through the playoffs. But there are other ways to be a leader, and Jameer demonstrated one of them by reaching out to the man who has stepped into the spotlight that could have been shining on him.
Magic bench rises again
Once again Orlando’s bench did the job scoring 26 points in game 4. And what can you say about Mikael Pietrus. He scored 17 points including 5 threes, and has now hit double figures in six consecutive games going back to game 6 against Boston. Plus, he’s Orlando’s primary defender against LeBron James. This is why gm Otis Smith signed Pietrus to a hefty free agent contract last summer. That signing is certainly paying big dividends now.
You think the Cavs were in desperation mode Tuesday??
Wait til Thursday night’s game 5 in Cleveland. With 66 wins, this team was one of the NBA’s most successful regular season clubs ever. Now, they are on the verge of elimination in the conference finals. It’s always difficult to close out any series, but against this team, and the incredibly talented LeBron James, it will be doubly problematic.
The Magic have been here before
This is not the first time Orlando has had a chance to close out a series on the road. They did it in game 6 at Philadelphia. They did it in that remarkable game 7 in Boston. They have been a great road team all year long. If they can pull it off against Cleveland Thursday night at the “Q” it will put them in the NBA finals for just the second time in franchise history.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, May 25, 2009, 2:45 AM
Game 3 Analysis
Orlando’s Magic over Cleveland continues
Was Sunday night’s 99-89 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals a surprise to anyone who follows the NBA closely? Shouldn’t have been. The Orlando Magic have won 10 of the last 14 games (regular and post-season) against the Cavaliers dating back to March of ‘06. In the last three meetings in Orlando, the Magic are 4-0 and have outscored Cleveland 104.5 to 88.5.
Better start..strong finish
After getting off to horrible starts in Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland, the Magic jumped on the Cavs early in Game 3. Orlando hit six of its first seven shots from the field in building a 10-point first-quarter lead. In the fourth quarter, after a LeBron James free throw cut the Magic lead to four, Orlando outscored the Cavs 9-3 over the last 2:34.
Alston set the tone
Rafer Alston played a huge role in the Magic’s fine start. He got the tempo up early and hit his first 5 shots from the field. Defensively he was great too. Did a nice job on Cleveland all-star Mo Williams, and had three steals. This was one of Rafer’s best game with the Magic. You have to wonder where this team would be without him. The mid-season pick-up by gm Otis Smith after Jameer Nelson’s shoulder injury looks better and better as this post-season progresses.
Tough night for Turk..but he keeps pluggin’
Hedo Turkoglu hit just 1 of 11 shots from the field. You would think that would spell trouble for the Magic, Hedo is such a key player and all. But consider this: The Magic are 5-2 this year when Turk shoots under 20% from the field. He went 3-16 vs. Chicago. 1-13 vs. Indiana. 1-14 vs. Miami. 3-18 vs. Boston, and now 1-11 vs. Cleveland. The Magic won them all. Sunday night, despite the poor shooting, Turkoglu finished the game just three assists shy of a triple double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
If you like to watch large men in shorts shoot free throws..
…you had to love this game. The Magic shot 51 free throws. Cleveland shot 35. Not exactly most basketball fans idea of good time. Lebron James shot a career playoff high 24 free throws (his previous high was 19), and Dwight Howard shot a career playoff high 19 free throws (his previous high was 17).
Dwight Howard..Orlando’s Mr. Clutch
Speaking of free throws. The Magic’s Dwight Howard, shooting 61% from the line in the playoffs before Sunday night’s game, hit 8 of 10 in the final 5:28 of the 4th quarter. Lebron James was 7 of 12 from the line in the 4th, twice missing both free throws with a chance to cut the Orlando lead to four.
Impressive numbers..for half a game
Dwight Howard finished the night with 24 points and nine rebounds. Solid game for most mortals, but for Superman, the first time this post-season he has not posted a double-double. Due to foul trouble, he only played 27 minutes and fouled out with :36 remaining. That 6th foul appeared to be a game clinching clean block of a Lebron James attempted three, but instead enabled the Cavs to cut a 9 point lead down to 6. Clearly, a frustrating night with regard to the officials for Superman. He also picked up his 5th technical foul of the post-season. Gonna have to hold his tongue now. Two more “T’s” and he’ll get hit with a one game suspension.
Gortat to the rescue
With Howard in foul trouble, another solid performance by Marcin Gortat. The Polish Hammer played 24 minutes and had 4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots against Lebron James. Amazing but true. When Dwight gets into foul trouble, you don’t really worry too much about a serious team drop off . Gortat is that good.
One miracle shot from 3-0
Lebron James’ spectacular game winning three at the buzzer in game two is the only thing that separates the Magic from a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. But, the Magic know the league’s best team will come with everything they’ve got in Tuesday night’s game 4. Buckle up. It’s sure to be a wild ride.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Saturday, May 23, 2009, 1:35 AM
Game 2 Analysis
Instant Classic
Game 2 between the Magic and the Cavaliers is why we watch. Lebron James, the league’s MVP, hits a game winning three at the buzzer to tie the series at one game apiece. When you take into consideration what was at stake, the possibility of going down 0-2 and heading to Orlando for games 3 and 4 of the series, it might’ve been the biggest shot of James’ meteoric career.
Turk was Mr. Clutch too
Hedo Turkoglu’s off balance 16 footer that put the Magic up 95-93 with :01 was an incredible shot too. Turk, who won game 4 of the Philadelphia series with a game winning three at the buzzer, appeared to have done it again, only to be outdone by King James. By the way, Turkoglu’s defense on the last play was text book. He denied the lob pass, and forced the play away from the basket. Sometimes great players just make great plays. If the Magic are in the same position again in this series, hopefully they’ll put more pressure on the inbounds passer.
Déjà vu all over again
Turkoglu has been there before against Lebron James. In November of ’07 the Magic had a 3 point lead in Cleveland with 0.05 left in the game. The Cavs inbounded the ball to James, side out of bounds. He caught the inbound pass and lunged into Hedo, drawing a three shot foul. Made all three. Sent the game to overtime, and the Cavaliers won by a point. Considering that history, which Hedo had to have recalled, he challenged Lebron’s spectacular game-winning shot about as closely as a defender could.
If you like drama..you gotta love the Magic
Orlando has played 15 games in this post-season. Five games have been won on last second shots. Turkoglu’s aforementioned three against Philly, and Friday night Lebron James joined Andre Iguodale, Thaddeus Young, and Glen Davis as last second Magic playoff killers.
Lewis and Lee’ve em
Rashard Lewis and Courtney Lee 4th quarter pick and roll got the Magic the lead. After the Cavs went up by nine early in the quarter, Lewis and Lee went to work. Their pick and roll on the left wing netted 9 straight points, capped off by a Lee driving basket which put Orlando in the lead for the first time at 86-84.
Cavs unsung hero
Cleveland all-star point guard Mo Williams struggled shooting the ball in game one, and for three and half quarters of game two. But in the final 6 minutes Friday night, Williams hit three key baskets for the Cavs. He also assisted James on the inbounds pass for the game winning shot. A perfectly timed toss.
Cavs get physical
Cleveland played Dwight Howard much more physically in game two than in game one. Many more double teams. Much more contact. No easy baskets. Dwight has seen every kind of defense throughout the season. The Cavs will likely throw just about everything possible at him for the rest of the series.
Gortat gets teed up
When Marcin Gortat was called for a blocking foul early in the 4th quarter, he voiced his displeasure a bit too much and was called for a technical foul. It was the first tech of Gortat’s career. That flare up aside, Dwight Howard’s back up continues to play well in the post-season. The Polish Hammer had 4 points, 3 rebounds and a blocked shot in 10 minutes Friday night, and is shooting 73% from the field in the playoffs.
Welcome to the series, J.J. and Sasha
Two guys that didn’t play at all in game one, contributed nicely to their respective teams in game two. J.J. Redick scored seven points in 10 minutes off the bench for Orlando, and Sasha Pavlovic scored nine in 22 minutes for the Cavs.
Gentlemen, start your engines…sooner, please!
The Magic fell behind early in game one and trailed by 15 at the half. They followed a similar path Friday night in game two, trailing by as many as 23 points in the first half before battling back into the game. With the home crowd providing an emotional lift, it would serve the Magic well to get off to a better start in Sunday night’s game 3.
Amazing!
Four NBA playoff games, East and West, all decided by three points or less. Truly amazing!
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, May 21, 2009, 1:15 AM
Game 1 Analysis
Welcome to the playoffs, Cleveland!
After eight consecutive double digit wins against the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers finally found themselves in a close game in game one of the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic. Orlando’s 107-106 win was the Magic’s 5th post-season game decided by three points or less.
Lewis and Turkoglu…finish strong
Rashard Lewis didn’t make a field goal til 5:22 to play in the 2nd quarter. Hedo Turkoglu’s first basket came about thirty seconds later. But in the critical 4th quarter, the Magic’s fabulous forward tandem came up big, scoring Orlando’s final 17 points.
Rashard Lewis..Magic Money Man
All too often in his Magic career when “Lewis” and “money” have been mentioned in the same sentence, there has been a reference to Rashard’s sizeable salary. In this post-season, Lewis has been a money man on the floor. Time and time again, Rashard has made big plays for the Magic. None bigger than his game winning three pointer with 14.7 seconds to play on Wednesday night. Forget the dollars and cents, Lewis continues to make perfect sense for this Orlando team. An ideal compliment to Dwight Howard.
LeBron vs. Rafer?
Cleveland coach Mike Brown pulled a surprise in game one, putting Lebron James on Magic point guard, Rafer Alston. It looked like a winning ploy in the first half with Alston not much of a factor and the Cavs dominating the game. But in the second half, Alston was much more aggressive on offense. James had to work harder on the defensive end, and by the end of the game, King James appeared to be wearing down. Still, we were all witness to an incredible individual performance by Lebron James who scored a playoff career high 49 points.
It’s all about the match-ups
J.J. Redick played a key role for the Magic in the second round series against Boston, starting at the 2-guard position opposite the Celtics Ray Allen. Redick didn’t get off the bench in game one Wednesday night against Cleveland with rookie Courtney Lee getting the call. Is there any team sport in which individual matchups are as important as in the NBA?
The alley-oop is back!
Largely absent from the Boston series due to excellent post-defense by the Celtics, the Turkoglu to Howard alley-oop lob resurfaced in game one against the Cavs. Three times, Turk and Dwight caught Cleveland defenders napping with the lob above the rim. Against the Celtics Orlando had a big matchup advantage with Rashard Lewis. In this series, Dwight Howard is going to be very difficult for any one Cavalier to stop, as his 30 point/13 rebounds Wednesday night attest to.
Kudos to the bench
Mickael Pietrus, Anthony Johnson, Marcin Gortat and Tony Battie all delivered solid performances off the Orlando bench, outscoring the Cavalier bench 25-5. Pietrus, in particular deserves praise. He continues to play with composure on both ends of the floor. Sounds ridiculous when a guy gets 49 points, but Mikael’s defense on Lebron James was quite good. James is just amazing. And Anthony Johnson, what a valuable guy to have off the bench. The man with the most post-season experience on the team knocked down an early 4th quarter three to give the Magic their first lead of the night.
One miracle shot shy of victory
Cleveland’s Mo Williams hit a 65 foot hoist at the end of the 2nd quarter to give the Cavs a 15 point lead. His off balance 20 footer off a jump ball at the buzzer that would’ve won the game for Cleveland was just off the mark.
Home team loses game one? Again?
For the third consecutive playoff series the Magic have been involved in this year, the home team has lost game one. Orlando lost game one at home to Philadelphia in the first round, and won game one at Boston in round two. Now, a win in Cleveland to take home court advantage away from the Cavaliers. This series has a long way to go, but coming from 15 down at the half to hand Cleveland just their 3rd home court loss of the season is an impressive start to the Eastern Conference finals for the Magic.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, May 18, 2009, 1:15 AM
Game 7 Analysis
Conventional NBA wisdom says..
..the best team wins a best of 7 series. The Orlando Magic were clearly the best team on the floor in the decisive 101-82 win in game seven Sunday night in Boston. The Magic overcame Celtic experience and tradition to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in franchise history and the first time since 1996.
Now that’s a post-game celebration
As the final seconds ticked away in game 7, and with Orlando clearly on the verge of knocking out the defending champs, I was eager to see how Magic players would react after the final horn. This was, after all, a huge victory. But, after the horn, there was no big emotional display. No public celebration on the champs home floor. Just a few hugs and hand-shakes. Like they expected to win. Like there is still more business to take care of. Nice. Very nice.
Records that are made to be broken
The Boston Celtics were 32-0 in franchise history when leading a best of 7 series 3 games to 2. That was before Sunday night’s Magic win. Boston was 17-3 in game 7’s at home in its storied history…before Sunday night.
Tough week for the Boston sports fan
One of America’s great sports cities has experienced more than its share of success in the last couple of years, but over the last few days, not so much. Celtics lose to the Magic in 7, Bruins lose in 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes, and Big Papi is benched.
Dwight Howard’s block party
The NBA’s defensive player of the year played a huge role, as always, in the Magic’s success. Dwight Howard scored 12 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked 5 shots. Howard averages 16 rebounds per game in 26 post-season contests, and over the past two seasons and post-seasons, Orlando is an incredible 25-3 when he has 5 or more blocked shots in a game.
Mr. 4th quarter
He was the Magic’s Mr. clutch in the regular season, beat Philadelphia with a game winning jumper in game 4 in the first round, and Sunday night led the Magic in scoring with 25 points, including 10 in the 4th quarter. Hedo Turkoglu also hit timely baskets throughout the night, including a 3rd quarter jumper to quiet the crowd after Boston had cut the Magic lead to three. Oh yeah, Turk also handed out a post-season career high 12 assists.
Lewis shines again
In game 7, he was still the guy they could not guard. Rashard Lewis capped a terrific series with 19 points. Sweet Lew averaged a team high 20.4 ppg in the series against Boston.
The unsung hero
It has been an up and down year for Mikael Pietrus, with injuries taking their toll, but did he ever come up big in this series. Pietrus averaged 12 points and shot 51% from the field against the Celtics, including a 17 point game four. Mikael hit big momentum stopper shots throughout the night. A three at the end of the first quarter. A three after back to back Ray Allen baskets in the 2nd quarter, and a three early in the 4th to quell a Celtic rally. Pietrus had his offensive game under control, and played solid defense too.
The unsung hero..part 2
Going into game 7, J.J. Redick had hit 3 of his last 25 shots from the field. His defense and overall playmaking skills had kept him on the floor and in the starting lineup. Sunday night Redick made his mark offensively. In the 3rd quarter J.J. had a brilliant run that started with a key three after an Allen jumper had cut the Magic lead to 4. That was followed by two assists, one to Turkoglu, the other to Howard. Then, a driving layup that put the Magic up by 10. It has taken him a while, but in his third post-season season, J.J. is certainly ready for prime time.
Stan’s plan works to perfection
Remember Eddie House? The guy that torched the Magic for a career high 31 points in Boston’s game 2 blowout win? After that, Stan Van Gundy made the decision to use Courtney Lee as his House stopper, and Lee did his job. In the last four games of the series with Lee connected to him like white on rice, House scored a grand total of 16 points. His only basket in game 7 came with Lee on the bench.
Enough with the Garnett factor already!
The Magic and Celtics were both missing a key player in this series. The Celtics without Kevin Garnett. The Magic without Jameer Nelson. Seems to me there is a perception out there that the Celtics, minus Garnett, were at a greater disadvantage than the Magic, minus Nelson. But consider this: Orlando with Nelson won 76.6% of their games. Without him, 63.0%. That’s a difference of 13.6%.
Boston with Garnett won 77.2% of the time. Without him, 67.6%. for a difference of 9.6%.
Now I know there are many variables that come into play when you try to compare numbers like this. Opponents strength of schedule, difficulty of schedule, other player injuries to name a few. And I know you can make numbers say almost anything, but, using these percentages, if the Magic had Nelson for 82 games they would’ve won 65.2 games. Boston, with Garnett for 82 games would’ve won 65.5 games. A strong argument for Jameer’s value to the Orlando Magic.
An All-Timer
Game seven in Boston to knock out the defending champions ranks as one of the top three wins in Magic history. Winning game one in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1995 opened the flood gates for what would be a run to the NBA finals. Winning game 7 against Indiana in the ’95 Eastern Conference finals propelled Orlando into its only NBA finals appearance. Now Sunday night’s victory takes its place alongside those other two. Is there more to come in this post-season? With a great individual player like Dwight Howard, and a talented team surrounding him that believes in itself, anything is possible.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, May 15, 2009, 1:45 AM
Game 6 Analysis
Reports of their death were greatly exaggerated
Mark Twain said it. The Orlando Magic lived it Thursday night. The Magic survived to fight another night with their gutsy 83-75 win in Game 6 against the Boston Celtics. It’s only fitting. The Magic and Celtics have played six times in this series. There have been four down to the final minute finishes and each team has one double-digit win.
Defense wins it
In the first half Boston lead 46-45 and shot 48 percent from the field. In the second half the Magic held the Celtics to just 29 points on 34 percent shooting. Magic team defense was outstanding down the stretch holding Boston to just two points in the final 4:48.
Dwight sees 20/20
The monster game for Dwight Howard was to be expected. His comments after Game 5 put him in the spotlight, and not in a positive way. Dwight is an honorable, fiercely competitive young guy who wants to help his team win in the worst way. 23 points and 22 rebounds were his way of responding to the challenge. It was Howard’s 5th career postseason 20-point, 20-rebound game. The Magic are 5-0 in those games, which have all been played at Amway Arena.
Dwight…in good company
With 22 rebounds in Game 6, Dwight Howard now has 400 career postseason boards in 25 games. That’s an average of 16 rebounds per game. Only Bill Russell (24.9) and Wilt Chamberlain (24.5) averaged more rebounds per game than Howard in NBA playoff history.
Slip slidin’ away? Not this time
When Boston’s Paul Pierce, last year’s Finals MVP, hit three fourth-quarter jumpers in a row, Boston erased a five-point Orlando lead. After losing leads late in Games 4 and 5, Magic fans everywhere had to be thinking, “here we go again.” But after two Dwight Howard missed free throws, Rafer Alston got a big steal and three-point basket and the Magic took the lead for good. Alston also hit one of his driving floaters in the lane after the Celtics cut the lead to one with about 3:00 remaining.
Sweet Lew strikes again
Another solid game for Rashard Lewis. Twenty points and six rebounds in Game 6, including six big fourth-quarter points. Lewis has consistently been a player the Celtics cannot defend. In 10 games against Boston, regular season and playoffs, Rashard is averaging 21 points on 48 percent shooting.
That’s our Turk!
How many times in the last two seasons have Magic fans seen Hedo Turkoglu struggle offensively for almost an entire game, only to make big shots down the stretch. It happened again Thursday night. Turk was 2-for-12 from the field and just moments earlier had missed the entire basket on a three-point attempt when he raised up from behind the arc and knocked down a huge triple. The shot gave the Magic a six point cushion with a minute and a half left in the game. Amazing. Hedo never loses confidence in himself and perhaps even more incredible, Stan Van Gundy never loses confidence in Hedo.
A kiss is better than a slap
From the “things you don’t often see” department…Alston’s finest performance in this series was punctuated by a kiss on the back of the head to referee Marc Davis. A slap to back of Eddie House’s head in Game two earned Rafer a one-game suspension. Thursday night we saw the kinder, gentler side of Alston.
Game 7
Sunday night in Boston the Celtics will play in their fourth Game 7 in the past two postseasons. Orlando will be playing in its third Game 7 in franchise history. The Celtics will have a boisterous home crowd and the NBA’s greatest tradition behind them, but don’t count out the Magic. They have won twice in Boston this season including once in this series, and they do not fear the defending champs. Buckle up. It should fun.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 12:47 AM
Look at Game 5 in Boston
Medical alert in Central Florida:
An ulcer outbreak hits the Magic Kingdom. Another heartbreaking postseason loss for the Orlando Magic. An 11-point lead halfway through the fourth quarter turns into a 92-88 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series. Building big leads has not been particularly difficult for the Magic throughout the playoffs, holding them has been another matter.
Another unlikely hero for the Celtics
Glen Davis, who hit the game winner in Game 4, had another big night in Game 5, leading the Celtics in scoring with 22 points. Boston is 4-1 in the playoffs when “Big Baby” scores 20+, but the Celtics don’t win Game five without the fourth quarter play of Stephon Marbury. The 32 year old veteran scored 12 points in just over six minutes to keep the Celtics in the game before they made their big late game run.
Alston wins battle..loses war
Magic point guard Rafer Alston, who had struggled in this series in prior games, outplayed his Boston counterpart, Rajon Rondo. Alston scored 16 points, had six assists and five rebounds with just one turnover, while Rondo had eight, nine, five and three turnovers for the Celtics. You would’ve thought that if Alston could get the upper hand against Rondo, the Magic would win the game, but the terrific fourth quarter play of Marbury made up for Rondo’s rough night.
You knew it was good before it left his hand
Boston’s Ray Allen had struggled shooting the basketball throughout the series, but when the veteran sharp-shooter came off a screen to catch and shoot a three late in the game, you just knew it was going to go in. The shot gave the Celtics their first lead since early in the first quarter. Allen was 4-for-28 from beyond the arc in the series before the big three.
No field goals..no breaks
The Magic’s last field goal in the game was on a drive by Hedo Turkoglu with 5:39 remaining to put Orlando up by 10. Not only did the Magic miss their last eight shots from the field, they also couldn’t come up with a big defensive rebound after two Celtic misses in the final :37. It looked like the Magic were going to get the ball with :36.9 to play trailing by one. They played terrific defense and forced a Rondo air ball at the end of the shot clock. Officials originally called a :24 violation, but after a brief conference, ruled the shot grazed the rim, thus giving the Celtics another possession. Tough break for the Magic, as TV replays showed Rondo’s shot hit net, not iron.
Celtics get defensive against Superman
Boston once again was able to contain Dwight Howard without using a lot of double teams. Dwight had just 12 points on five of 10 shooting and got to the free throw line just three times, two of them in the closing seconds of the game after an intentional foul.
The NBA’s regular season leader in free throw attempts per game with almost 11, is averaging about half that many in this series.
Bucking the odds
Conventional wisdom says the Magic have little hope to pull out the series with Boston. The Game 5 winner in a 2-2 series historically goes on to win a best of seven 84 percent of the time. If you thought the so-called experts were negative about Orlando’s chances against the defending NBA champs before Game 5, brace yourself. It’s going to get ugly for the next couple of days. By tip-off time for Game 6 Thursday night there will be few Magic believers, but if those 12 guys in the home team huddle are among them, we’ll be looking forward to a Game 7 on Saturday night.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, May 11, 2009, 10:16 AM
Thoughts on Game 4 Against the Celtics
This one really hurts
Game 4 between the Magic and the Celtics Sunday night at Amway Arena was no doubt a fan pleaser for 99 percent of the country, but in the Magic Kingdom it was nothing but a heart break. Orlando has lost four games in this postseason, three of the four losses have come on last second shots. Games 2 and 4 against Philadelphia, and now Game 4 against the Celtics. Glen “Big Baby” Davis joins Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young as postseason Magic Killers.
White Knuckler
Game 4 was the first down to the wire game in this series. Games 1-3 provided a grand total of only four lead changes. Sunday night’s thriller featured four lead changes in the final 3:30.
Couldn’t have played it any better
It was a gallant gesture by Stan Van Gundy to take the blame for the Magic’s defense on the last play of the game, but really, how could Orlando have played it better? You take the ball out of the hands of Paul Pierce, deny a pass to big shot maker Ray Allen, and contest the Glen Davis’ 18-foot jumper at the buzzer. Sometimes the other guy just makes a great play.
Blame it on the rain(ing) of errant threes
A key reason for the loss was Orlando’s wayward three-point shooting. The Magic have relied heavily on the three-point shot throughout the last two seasons, mostly with favorable results. On this night the long ball let them down. 22 misses on 27 attempts were just too many to overcome. Boston’s defense on Dwight Howard in the post was outstanding, but the Celtics gave the Magic a lot of good three-point looks. Unforturnately for Orlando, the shots weren’t falling. When your starting backcourt goes 1-for-11 from beyond the arc you are probably in trouble.
Twice Burned
Rashard Lewis must’ve been talking to himself after the game. It was Lewis who contested both Big Baby jumpers in the final :32. At 6’10”, Rashard had his long right arm raised in the face of Davis on both big shots, only to turn and helplessly watch the ball float through the net. Davis hit a playoff career high 64 percent (9-for-14) from the field.
Young but fearless
With both teams playing lock-down defense for the final 4:00 of the tight fourth quarter, only two players managed to make a field goal. One was the Celtics' Davis, the other was the Magic’s Courtney Lee, whose second of two back-to-back jumpers gave Orlando the lead for the first time in the quarter. Davis, a second round pick from LSU, and Lee, a late first round pick last June out of Western Kentucky are invaluable assets to their teams.
Late game straight shooter
Dwight Howard has been a clutch free throw shooter in these playoffs. In Game 3 vs. Philadelphia, he hit two to give the Magic the lead with :31 to play, then hit two more to tie the game at 94. Sunday night in Game 4 vs. Boston, Howard stepped to the line in another pressure packed situation and knocked down two free throws with :50 to go to put the Magic up 92-91. Unfortunately, and ironically for the Magic, Orlando lost both games on subsequent game winning shots by the opponent.
What home-court advantage
The bad news for Orlando- they’ve lost home-court advantage. The good news- the home team in this series doesn’t seem to have an advantage. Both the Magic and the Celtics have won games on the other team’s home floor. In order to win this series, the Magic will have to do it again.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, May 8, 2009, 11:59 PM
Look at Game 3 Against the Celtics
That blowout loss in Game 2 doesn’t hurt so bad anymore, does it? The Celtics 18-point win on Wednesday night was let down for the Magic after a five-point win in Game 1. But the 117-96 win in Game 3 renders the game two blowout defeat inconsequential. Orlando keeps home court advantage.
Is this tough enough for you? I hope critics who have referred to the Magic as a “soft” team paid attention to this game. It was a physical contest from the opening tip and the Magic didn’t back down. After a flagrant foul by Kendrick Perkins followed by a hard foul by Stephon Marbury early in the fourth quarter, the Magic went on a 31-16 run.
Superman sets the tone. The Magic’s caped crusader came out with a vengeance in this game. Blocking shots, changing many others, clogging the lane. No question that when the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year is this active, the Magic are difficult to beat. Orlando is 24-3 over the past two years (regular season and postseason) when Superman blocks five or more shots in a game.
Lewis in the post…was terrific. I don’t know what the percentage of Magic offensive success is in the playoffs with Rashard catching the ball in the low post, but it has to be extremely high.
Hedo Turkoglu..jack of all trades. Hedo’s ability to handle the basketball in the half-court was critical without Alston. This was Turk’s best overall game of the postseason, Game 4 against Philly included. The Magic were +28 with him on the floor.
Who is that masked man? Let’s see. Courtney Lee gets his face smashed in by the “people’s elbow” 10 days ago. Misses game six against Philadelphia. Has surgery to repair a fractured sinus on May 1. Sits out Games 1 and 2 against Boston. Takes part in a couple of individual workouts and shootarounds, then suits up for Game 3 against the Celtics. One minute after checking into the game the rookie stole the ball and raced down the floor for a layup. Lee played the rest of the first half, unaffected by a new protective mask. The fabulous rookie showed how important he is to the team on both ends of the floor. Lee is one tough customer.
Old Man River, he just keeps rollin’.. Anthony Johnson filled in beautifully for the suspended Rafer Alston. He used good screens to get into the lane, and repeatedly tossed in floaters over the Celtic front line. AJ also did a nice job defensively on Rajon Rondo, for the most part staying in front of him. Don’t forget, this is a guy that scored 40 points in a playoff game with Indiana three years ago.
Tyronn Lue..how bout you! The Magic’s third point guard played for the first time in the postseason, checking into the game for the final minute of the second quarter. After an Eddie House three cut the Magic’s lead to 10, Lue knocked down a 20 footer to beat the halftime buzzer. It was Lue’s first postseason points since June 13, 2001 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Lue’s Lakers beat Philadelphia in five games.
Put out that House fire, please! The Celtics Eddie House is in a zone that few players ever occupy. The long range bomber hit 6-of-7 shots from the field, including 3-of-4 threes. Over the last two games the Hot House is 17-of-21 from the field and 7-for-8 from behind the arc.
Look out..their backs are against the wall! The Celtics are 4-0 in the postseason following a loss.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, May 7, 2009, 1:05 AM
Thoughts on Game 2 in Boston
-Had a feeling about this one when the Magic turned the ball over on their first possession.
-Boston was sharper, quicker, more alert and more aggressive than the Magic. My guess: a combination of Magic satisfaction with a win in Game 1, and great focus and sense of urgency on the part of the Celtics.
-When Rajon Rondo is this good, Boston is very difficult to beat. The 22 year point guard recorded a triple-double late in the third quarter on a play that typified the game.
Good ball movement by the Celtics, finished off by a Rondo tomahawk jam.
-Rondo now has as many triple doubles in a postseason (3) as any player in Celtic history. He shares the record with a fellow by the name of Bird.
-Kendrick Perkins did an outstanding job defensively against Dwight Howard, pushing Dwight off of his preferred spots on the floor. It’ll be up to Dwight to work extra hard in Game 3 to regain the upper hand.
-House on fire. Eddie House could’ve worn a blind-fold and shot better than 50 percent from the field. With eyes open he got 31 points on 11-of-14 shots from the field, matching his career high set back in 2005 in a regular season game with the Phoenix Suns.
-Boston finished the game with 34 assists on 41 field goals. During the regular season they were 12-0 with 30 or more assists.
-Nice shooting night for J.J. Redick. 15 points, including 4-of-6 threes in 25 minutes. J.J. also fouled out of the game. His first disqualification in 148 career NBA games.
-Brian Scalabrine hit two threes, his second one from just this side of the Central Square subway station. Scalabrine is 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the series.
-All in all, a disappointing effort by the Magic in Game 2, however they come home for Game 3 with the series tied at one game apiece. A sellout crowd and the embarrassment of getting badly out-played by the Celtics in Game 2 should bring out the best in the Magic on Friday night.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 10:24 AM
Look at Game 1 in Boston
-One thing for sure, the Magic will not be over confident in Game 2 after Monday’s 95-90 victory over the Celtics in Game 1. A 28-point early third-quarter lead turned into a down to the wire cliffhanger in the closing minutes.
-The Magic were the more aggressive team in the first half. In the second half, roles were reversed. Point guard Rajon Rondo provided the impetus for the second-half Celtic rally. Orlando’s Rafer Alston must be prepared to handle Rondo’s on the ball quickness from the opening tip in Game 2. You can be certain, it is coming.
-Rondo deserves credit for disrupting the Magic’s offense in the second half, but Alston also made life miserable for Rondo in Game 1. The Celtic point guard turned the ball over seven times, just the sixth time in his career he has had seven or more turnovers.
-The Magic might have avoided the late game drama if not for an unfortunate play with about three minutes remaining. Alston made a great play against Rondo, diving to the floor to snatch the ball away, only to have Rondo regain possession, and from a sitting position, throw a 40-foot pass to a wide open Brian Scalabrine for three. Scalabrine’s shot cut the lead to six. The play was a possible five-point swing.
-Alston hit a very big shot late in the game. After the Celtics cut the lead to four, Rafer tossed in one of his patented floaters to give Orlando a 91-85 lead with 1:45 to go.
-I can’t recall an eight second back court violation called against the Magic this season. Committing that mistake with less than a minute to play in a four-point game against the defending NBA champions is baffling.
-Dwight Howard showed why he is the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. After the turnover on the eight second count, he closed the door on a driving Paul Pierce without committing a foul. A Pierce score would’ve cut the lead to two.
-Nice to have J.J. Redick in there to hit big fourth quarter free throws. He is cold blooded at the line regardless of time and score.
J.J.’s defense on Ray Allen was also more than acceptable. Having said that, J.J. should brace himself for an Allen onslaught in Game 2. He will not go 2-for-12 from the field again.
-Redick and Mickael Pietrus picked up the slack for starting two guard Courtney Lee very nicely. With the Magic struggling to score, Pietrus hit a fourth-quarter three, and scored on an offensive rebound with about four minutes remaining. Still, the Magic miss Lee’s solid and consistent play on both ends of the floor, and his overall toughness. Quite a compliment for a rookie.
-Rashard Lewis will be a key for the Magic in this series. Boston has difficulty guarding him on the perimeter and in the low post. The Celtics outstanding ball pressure made it difficult to get the ball to Lewis in the second half, but I expect to see a lot of Lewis on the left block for the rest of the series.
-Magic team defense was outstanding in Game 1. If Orlando can turn Glen Davis (12 points) and Brian Scalabrine (10 points) into primary offensive weapons for the Celtics, well, they’ll lets just say they’ll take their chances. Pierce, Allen and Rondo, Boston’s top three scorers were a combined 11-for-32 from the field.
-Winning Game 1 was big for the Magic, but look for Boston to bring incredible effort in Game 2. The Celtics also lost Game 1 to Chicago in their first round series, but came back to win Game 2 and 3.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, May 1, 2009, 2:11 PM
Thoughts on Game 6
The way this series played out couldn’t have been better for the Magic. Winning Game 6 in Philadelphia, convincingly, and without Dwight Howard and Courtney Lee is a big confidence boost. The swagger is back.
The Magic had 31 assists in the game, a season and playoff high. Don’t think Dwight Howard didn’t notice. Watching the game from his downtown Philadelphia hotel room with family and friends, Dwight was bursting with pride for the way his teammates played. Dwight’s a smart guy, and a great teammate. I’m sure he took notice of how well the basketball moved. He can score in the low post at almost any time, but after watching from afar the dismantling of the Sixers in Game 6, I wouldn’t be surprised if he mixes things up a little big more from here on out.
Dwight was giddy on the plane ride home. He took the mic on the plane pa system for his customary comedy routine, but also took a few moments to sincerely thank and congratulate his teammates for a job well done. This young man is a class act. He’s also very funny. His impressions of teammates are spot on, his timing is exceptional, and his material is better than a lot of guys you see on Comedy Central.
Dwight told J.J. Redick before the game he was going to have a big night. He was right. J.J. had previously played a grand total of 43 playoff minutes before Thursday night. In his first playoff start he gave the Magic 31 solid minutes which included five three-point field goals for a career playoff-high 15 points. A confident J.J. Redick could be a mighty weapon for Orlando in coming games.
Rashard Lewis in the post. How many times did we see that in Game 6? And did Philly ever stop it? Lewis, doing his best Bernard King, scored or made the right pass on just about every play. Five different Magic players hit threes in the game. Lewis, the NBA’s regular season three point-leader, had none. He was too busy tuning up Philly defenders in the post.
Rafer Alston saved his best for last in this series. Alston recorded his first career playoff double-double in 39 postseason games with 21 points and 10 assists. Oh, and only one turnover.
Who would you rather have, The Polish Hammer or the Haitian Hacker?
Stan Van Gundy is out of the first round, again. Four playoff appearances. No first round exits. Took a Miami team with rookie Dwyane Wade to the second round in ’04. Took the Heat with Wade and Shaq to the Eastern Conference Finals in ’05. The Magic made the second round last spring, and now this club moves on. Stan the Man can coach.
It could’ve been a comment made out of frustation, or it could’ve been misunderstood, but I have to address Andre Miller’s assertion that the Magic are better without Dwight Howard. Do you really think Orlando could win 59 regular season games and contend for a title without Superman? Andre’s a terrific point guard, but I wouldn’t expect to him sitting next to Ernie, Charles and Kenny any time soon.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, April 27, 2009, 11:47 AM
Thoughts on Game 4
- Really? The Magic have a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of a playoff game and can’t put the 76er’s away, again? Really? Philly hits eight threes in Game 4 and continues to out shoot the Magic from beyond the arc? Really? The Sixers are shooting 42.1 percent threes in the playoffs, better than Cleveland, San Antonio, Portland and Orlando who all ranked in the top 7 during the regular season. Really? You gotta give this Philadelphia team a lot of credit. They are a tough-minded and resilient bunch, and have given the Magic all they can handle.
- Good for Hedo Turkoglu. The object of great criticism for Games 1 through 3 reverted to Mr. Fourth Quarter in Game 4. The game-winning shot was sweet redemption for a good guy and terrific player who had been struggling. Kudos to Stan Van Gundy for not losing faith in him.
- Scoring balance is good for the Magic. Twice in the series Orlando’s five starters have been in double figures scoring. Guess which two games? The Magic lost the two games that Dwight Howard scored 30+ points.
- Dwight is wearing down the Sixer bigs. Think about it. Would you want to do battle with this Magic Monster possession after possession, game after game? D12 is a physical, fierce competitor, and he never lets up. I went back and looked at that dunk again in Game 3 over Theo Ratliff. Nasty.
- Rashard Lewis’ seven points in the first five minutes of the third quarter in Game 4 were critical. The Magic took control of the game in the third by hitting their first seven shots of the quarter. Lewis and Rafer Alston combined for 19 the Magic’s 28 points in the period.
- Everyone league-wide is talking about Chicago’s Derrick Rose, the NBA’s rookie of the year, and certainly he’s a great young player. But, can the Magic’s fine rookie Courtney Lee get a little love? Let’s compare Rose and Lee through four postseason games:
| PLAYER | Pts. | Reb | Asst | FG% | 3FG% | Steals | MPG |
| Derrick Rose | 19.5 | 6 | 7.2 | 50.8 | 0-2 | 1 | 41.5 |
| Courtney Lee | 15.8 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 48.1 | 4-14 | 8 | 40.0 |
No other rookie in the playoffs comes anywhere near Rose and Lee in terms of performance. Not Rudy Fernandez and former No. 1 pick Greg Oden of Portland. Not Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers of Miami. And by the way, he’s the Magic’s best perimeter defender. And he’s arguably the team’s best finisher at the basket. The Magic have something special in Lee, the 22nd pick in last June’s draft out of Western Kentucky University.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Saturday, April 25, 2009, 12:11 PM
Close Look at Game 3
-For the second time in three games, the Orlando Magic have suffered a heart-breaking loss to the Philadephia 76ers in the best-of-seven first-round series. If Andre Iguodala’s game winning fadeaway jumper in game one felt like a slap to the face, Thaddeus Young’s lefty bank shot over Dwight Howard was more like a punch to the stomach in Game 2.
-A key stretch in the game. After a three-point shot by Rashard Lewis tied it up at 86 with 6:00 to play the Magic had the Sixers on their heels. The next five Magic possessions went like this: Alston missed 3. Howard called for traveling. Lewis misses a layup, and a follow-up attempt. Lewis turnover. Lee missed 3. The Magic subsequently had many more opportunities to the win the game, but could’ve put Philly away during this 3:20 stretch.
- First quarters are killing the Magic. Philly has shot better than 50 percent in each of the three first quarters, for a combined 55 percent. If the Magic defend better early, they might not be in a position to lose another game on Sixer last-second heroics.
-Regular season games are usually some sort of indicator of how you can expect teams to perform in the postseason. The Magic and the Sixers show little resemblance to the two teams that slogged their way through the grueling 82-game NBA regular season. Good for the Sixers. Not so much for the Magic.
-Philly’s regular season FG percentage- 46.2…postseason- 50.0
-Orlando’s regular season FG percentage defense- 43.3…postseason- 50
-Philly’s regular season 3pt FG percentage - 31.8...postseason- 42.1
-Orlando’s regular season 3pt FG percentage -34.2…postseason- 42.1
-Orlando’s regular season 3pt FG percentage defense - 38.1…postseason- 31.1
-Philly’s regular season 3pt FG percentage defense -36.7…postseason- 31.1
-In addition, the Sixers have shot better than 50 percent from the field in two of the three playoff games. In the regular season they bettered 50 percent field goals in 29 percentof their games.
-Interesting, though I’m not sure how significant stat..Orlando’s top two +/- players in the series are Courtney Lee and Mikael Pietrus at +5. Biggest minus player is Hedo Turkoglu at -3. Philly’s top +/- player is Theo Ratliff at +6. Their biggest minus player is, get this, Andre Miller at -5.3. Again, take it for what it’s worth. Miller has been terrific.
-Look for the Magic to bounce up off the canvas in Sunday’s Game 4. This team has accomplished too much, and has too much heart and pride to throw in the towel. Philly has played outstanding basketball thus far in the series, but have yet to take Orlando’s best shot.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA. For more blogs by David Steele click here.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, April 23, 2009, 1:15 PM
Thoughts on Game 2
-Derrick Rose is, without question, the NBA’s best rookie, but after Rose, is there a finer first year player than the Magic’s Courtney Lee? In his second playoff game he scores 24 points and is called on to defend the hottest player on the opposing team, Sixer point guard, Andre Miller.
-Lee made two huge fourth quarter shots. A two-pointer off the dribble, after the Sixers had cut the lead to five early in the quarter, and a three-pointer one minute later to give the Magic a 10 point cushion. He is so solid you hate to see him come off the floor. In fact, after two playoff games, Lee leads the team in minutes played. Philly’s strategy thus far has been to focus more defensively on Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. It will be interesting to see if the Sixers give Lee more attention in game 3.
-Back up point guard Anthony Johnson played a key role for the Magic in the 4th quarter.
After the Sixers had cut the Magic lead to five with 2:56 to play, AJ hit a runner in the lane to push the lead back out to seven. Philly would get no closer.
- Johnson has more playoff experience than anyone in the series. In 2002 he played an important role coming off the bench for the eastern conference champion New Jersey Nets, and three years ago, with Indiana, he scored 40 points in a playoff game. Johnson played the entire fourth quarter against Philly in game 2.
- The Magic are due a bust-out game from Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. After two playoff games, the Magic’s talented forward tandem is shooting 32% from the field, and 23% from beyond the arc. Philly’s defense has been good, but not that good.
- Even though they are struggling offensively, Lewis and Turkoglu both made key plays for the Magic in game two. Turkoglu’s three after a missed free throw rebound late in the third quarter was a huge four point play, and Lewis, who had eight rebounds, grabbed his most important one with :29 to play on a key put back to give the Magic an eight point lead.
-Dwight Howard was clearly frustrated with the officiating in game two. Still, his ability to get Philly’s big men in foul trouble and control the paint on the defensive end is vital in this series. And, after Dwight fouled out of the game with 3:11 to play, Marcin Gortat finished out strong with a couple of key rebounds.
-Andre Miller is having an outstanding series for the Sixers. In game one the Magic double team him on isolation plays and he gets seven assists and still manages to score 15 points on 50% shooting. In game two the Magic play Miller straight up and he scores 30.
-Thaddeus Young is scary good for a young guy. Only 20 years old, the second year forward, like the Magic’s Courtney Lee, handles himself like a season vet on the court. Young’s matchup with Rashard Lewis is an interesting and important side-story in this series.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, April 20, 2009, 5:34 PM
Thoughts on Game 1
-You knew the Magic were in deep trouble when Donyell Marshall banked in a running one handed backboard-rattler with 2:11 remaining to put the Sixers up 95-93. Iguodala attempted only 18 two-point field goals during the regular season. Seventy-five percent of his shots came from behind the arc.
-Donyell Marshall finished the regular season hitting 3-of-14 three-point shots. He makes three of four from beyond the arc in game one, including two huge fourth-quarter shots. One answered a Rashard Lewis three after the Magic had taken a five-point lead with about 4:30 to play, the other tied the game at 98 with 34 seconds to go.
-Ask the Lakers about Marshall. He hit three threes in LA on March 27th, including a key fourth-quarter bucket. By the way, Philly won that game on a long, last second jumper by Andre Iguodala. Sound familiar?
-Iguodala was more than a handful for the Magic. Obviously, the Sixers believe they have an advantage at the 3-spot, with Marshall matched up against Hedo Turkoglu. Iguodala was in attack mode from the opening tip til the final buzzer. For whatever reason, Turk was back on his heels. The Magic must find a way to slow Iggy down, or we’re in for more of the same for the rest of the series.
-The Magic backcourt acquitted itself well in Game 1. After a shaky start, rookie Courtney Lee was solid at the 2 position, although he must defend Louis Williams better, and Rafer Alston, despite a poor shooting night, held his own with Andre Miller.
-Philly’s defensive strategy against Dwight Howard was a success. A determined Howard got his 31 points, but the Sixers held the Magic’s best 3-pointer shooters (Lewis, Turkoglu and Lee) to a combined 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. The Magic are now 6-4 this season when Dwight scores 30 points or more.
-Anthony Johnson will continue to be a key figure in this series. His end of first quarter throw-down was a highlight of Game 1. Johnson is fearless in pressure situations. Reminds me of what Brian Shaw provided the Magic off the bench behind Penny Hardaway back in the mid-90’s.
-If Philly makes better than 50 percent of their threes in the series, the Magic are in trouble. It only happened 10 times in the regular season, and the Sixers won 8 of those 10 games.
-Don’t start that again. The Magic began the regular season with two consecutive losses, but recovered to record the second best record in franchise history. Here’s hoping the second season losing streak ends at one.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, April 16, 2009, 11:22 AM
A Promising Postseason
Nice finish to the regular season for the Magic. Nothing like a 25-point win over Charlotte to remove the foul taste of the season’s only three-game losing streak.
If this was a meaningless game, don’t tell that to Rafer Alston or Stan Van Gundy.
Alston and the Bobcats' Gerald Wallace had to be separated during a third-quarter scuffle, and the Magic’s passionate head coach picked up a technical foul for lashing out at an official with his team up 22 points and about three minutes to go in the game.
Now, Van Gundy and his excellent staff have three days to finalize preparations for the first round playoff series against the 76ers. A few thoughts about Orlando’s outlook for the postseason. This team is far better prepared for the playoffs than last year’s club, which was also third-seeded in the East. Here are a few reasons why:
-Dwight Howard has made a big jump from last season. Not just talking about statistics, which are mostly up from last year. Dwight’s maturity as a player, his improvement as a team defender, and as a decision maker on offense, make the Magic a more dangerous team than a year ago. His ability to make free throws, especially in close late game situations, will be key.
-Tony Battie and Marcin Gortat provide solid front line support for Howard. Last spring, Battie was watching the games in a suit, and Gortat had played 40 minutes of regular season basketball. Tony provides a veteran big-man presence backing up either Howard or Rashard Lewis. Gortat’s game has traveled light years from a season ago. If Dwight gets into foul trouble, the Polish Hammer will be ready to step in.
-Courtney Lee brings a defensive toughness to the two-guard position. Yes, Lee will be playing in his first postseason, but the 23-year-old rookie has had the look of an NBA veteran since moving into the starting lineup in mid-February. He also is a capable 3-point shooter, helping spread the floor for Dwight Howard.
-The Magic bench is stronger than a year ago. The aforementioned Battie and Gortat provide quality depth to the frontcourt, and Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick and Anthony Johnson all are playoff minute worthy contributors as well. Johnson’s playoff experience, he has played in 80 postseason games, will be especially helpful. This is a guy who, three years ago, scored 40 points in a playoff game for Indiana against the New Jersey Nets.
Last year’s Magic team beat Toronto 4-1 in the first round of a best-of-seven series before falling to Detroit in round two. An improved Dwight Howard, and a stronger supporting cast should pave the way for an even deeper run into the postseason this spring.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 11:50 AM
Good News: No Pistons
You know it’s been a tough road trip when one of the highlights is an out-of-town score.
Not much to get excited about in New Jersey and Milwaukee for three days, as the Magic, tired, a little beat up, and certainly ready for the postseason, struggled through two losses.
But the news was good in the fourth quarter of the Milwaukee game when Vice President of Communications Joel Glass passed along a score from Detroit: Bulls 91, Pistons 88.
The Magic would not be playing the Pistons in round one of the playoffs.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I fear Detroit. I have no doubt that Orlando would beat the Pistons in a best-of-seven series. This is not the same Piston team that has been the bane of Magic nation the past two postseasons. They still match up well with Orlando, and no doubt would have given the Magic some anxious moments, but I am confident in the eventual outcome. It is just going to be nice to watch the team compete against somebody else. Travel to a different city. Eat at different restaurants. Walk around on different streets. The northern suburbs of Detroit are lovely in April, except for the occasional 30 degree day with blustery winds and snow flurries, but I’m glad the Cleveland Cavaliers will be taking in the beauty of that region instead of us.
Meanwhile, we’ll be heading to either Chicago or Philadelphia, where yes, on the court the Bulls and Sixers present their own particular problems, and either is capable of ruining what has been a marvelous Magic season. But at least off the court and during those hours before and between games 3 and 4, there will be change. And as we are told, change is good.
A few things we learned in New Jersey and Milwaukee:
-Vince Carter still has plenty of game. Give him credit for playing out the season with gusto, despite his team’s overall disappointment.
-Adonal Foyle still has a few gallons in the tank. His performance in Milwaukee was inspired and inspiring. One rebound shy of his first double/double since December of 2005.
-There is no such thing as spring up north. It may arrive sometime in the future, but not yet. Magic fans in central Florida, you are spoiled. Of course, they get us back in July when we’re collecting sweat in buckets.
-We got a chance to see where we might be without Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu. It isn’t pretty. Funny how the game changes when your three best players are out of the lineup. Here’s to a healthy postseason.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, April 9, 2009, 1:08 PM
Postseason Prospects and TV Fiasco
While the Magic are certainly not playing their best basketball of the season, it would be foolish to think their recent play is an indicator of things to come in the postseason.
Good NBA teams routinely struggle through the final weeks of the regular season for any number of reasons. They get physically worn down. They lose focus. They play teams, and or players, that may have more incentive to do well.
The two most successful teams in Orlando franchise history suffered through their own late season swoons. The 60-win club of 1995-96 was 55-18 with nine games to play, Then went 5-4 in their last nine, with losses to a 25 win Milwaukee team, and a 33 win Boston team, at home.
The 1994-95 Magic team was rolling along at 53-18 at the end of March, only to go 4-7 the rest of the way. Five of the six losses were at the hands of teams with losing records.
I remember many NBA pundits writing off the Magic’s postseason hopes because of the poor finish. Shaq, Penny, Nick Anderson, Horace Grant and Dennis Scott pulled it together and advanced all the way to the NBA Finals.
This current Magic team is not playing particularly well, but they are still managing to win most of their games, recent losses to Toronto and at Houston notwithstanding. Ugly wins against New York, and Milwaukee and Atlanta and Memphis don’t win any style points, but they shouldn’t cast a shadow on what has been a great regular season, nor cast doubt about the team’s postseason prospects.
Having said that, the only thing uglier than Wednesday’s game against Memphis, was a comical first half episode on our Fox Sports Florida telecast.
You may have noticed that occasionally in television, equipment fails. During a promo read Wednesday night, my mic dropped out.
No problem. Just put on the spare headset and move on.
Problem. The spare headset doesn’t work either.
No problem. Just hand the promo copy over to Matty Guokas. He reads the promo on the air. Meanwhile a TV tech swat team swoops in from all directions to correct the problem. Homeland security could learn from our technical support crew.
Now you know it’s going to get very interesting. Matty has finished reading the promo and hands me his headset. Now I’m doing the game, but Matty doesn’t have a microphone. There are people to our left and to our right and under our feet. Pulling cables, unplugging cords, desperately trying to resolve the issue. Fans sitting around us are watching this fiasco play out. Heck, it’s more interesting than the game!
Finally, after about a minute, I get the signal that my headset is fixed, hand Matty his, put mine back on, and away we go. Just another night in live TV.
After the game, our stage manager, Linley said it was the most fun she’s had at a game all season. I don’t know about that, but it did turn out to be one of the most adventurous.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, April 6, 2009, 9:21 AM
Best of the Bunch
As the NBA’s regular season winds down, four teams stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic all appear to be on their way to 60 win seasons. When the playoff dust settles in late June, one of the four will likely be left standing as NBA champs. Which one will it be?
Matty Guokas and I got into this discussion a little bit on the air near the end of Saturday’s game in Atlanta, and Matty makes the argument, a strong one at that, that Orlando is the best of the bunch.
When it comes to matching up with the other two Eastern Conference powers, Cleveland and Boston, the Magic compare favorably.
All four teams have tremendous talent, but no team except Orlando has a player that patrols the defensive end and protects the basket like Dwight Howard.
Dwight’s most obvious defensive contribution is that he leads the league in blocked shots and rebounding. What is less noticeable is his ability to defend pick and rolls, a staple of every NBA offense, and his knack for destroying an offensive play by seemingly occupying multiple positions on the court at one time. In addition, Howard’s supporting cast of Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and company rivals any of the other championship contenders.
There are some numbers to back up this argument for Orlando’s superiority. In head-to-head matchups between the four top contenders, the Magic are 6-3, the Lakers are 4-2, Boston is 4-5 and Cleveland is 2-6. Orlando swept Los Angeles while the Celtics and the Cavs went 0-2 against the best team from the West.
I don’t expect anybody outside of central Florida to proclaim the Magic as favorites to win it all this year, but it might not be too long until we hear a familiar cry from the mid-90’s emanating out of Orlando, “why not us, why not now?”
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, April 2, 2009, 10:32 AM
Magic Can't Dodge This Bullet
Little Bill Daggett to Will Munny-“I don’t deserve this. To die like this.”
William “Bill” Munny- “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.”
A classic scene from “Unforgiven,” one of my favorite Clint Eastwood movies. Gene Hackman’s character, Little Bill Daggett didn’t deserve to get a bullet between the eyes, but Clint Eastwood’s Munny put one there anyway. Deserve had nothin’ to do with it.
Well, Wednesday night, the Magic, who have been dodging bullets for the last week or so, couldn’t avoid getting hit between the eyes by the Toronto Raptors. They’d survived sub-par performances against New York (twice), and Miami, but not on this night. Stan Van Gundy said as much after the game. The Magic got what they deserved, and in the process, hopefully received a wake up call.
Remarkably, the Magic had a chance to beat Toronto, but a wide open three by Rashard Lewis that would’ve tied the score with about :20 left rattled in and out. Rashard said he was too wide open. It was hard to believe that the NBA’s most prolific three-point shooter could have such a good look in such a key situation. (Credit a Dwight Howard screen that took out two Raptors) And that left side three is a hot spot for Lewis. He has made a higher percentage of threes from that area this year, 47.7 percent, than from
any other spot beyond the arc. My guess is Rashard makes that shot in that situation 8 times out 10. Just not this time.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 12:43 PM
Odd Night in Miami
From the “things you don’t see every day” department:
1- An NBA game that begins at 7:30 p.m., and ends at 10:40 p.m. And is not an overtime game. The Miami Heat’s halftime ceremony to retire Alonzo Mourning’s #33 jersey was well done and very moving, but at 43 minutes, took longer than the Magic’s plane ride home after the game.
2- An NBA team with 16 halftime turnovers, leading by three points. Perhaps inspired by the General Motors bailout earlier in the day, Magic offered a generous lifeline to the Heat, with more turnovers than field goals in the first half of the game. Still, the Magic led 46-43. Orlando finished the game with 21 turnovers, and a five-point victory.
It certainly was an odd night at American Airlines Arena. The Mourning celebration at halftime made the start of the second half feel like game two of a twi-night doubleheader, but in the end, it was a memorable evening.
Rashard Lewis hit a contested three out of the left corner to put the Magic ahead for good with 1:32 to go. After that, J.J. Redick hit four clutch free throws. Hedo Turkoglu scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and assisted on a key Dwight Howard bucket with a perfect entry pass late in the game.
Dwight was Dwight throughout, but his best moment for Magic fans may have come in a postgame intereview with Sun Sports' Whit Watson. Dwight expressed his admiration for Mourning. Diplomatically offered that he enjoyed watching the halftime ceremony. Said he wanted to see if Zo would be touched to the point of tears. He was. Then Dwight closed with a comment that was sure to raise the hair on the neck of every Magic fan still tuned end 3 hours and 10 minutes after tip-off. Dwight said he hopes one day to see his No. 12 raised to the rafters in Orlando after a long career with the Magic. We won’t even mind a 43 minute halftime ceremony to get that done.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Saturday, March 28, 2009, 1:27 PM
College Ball and Courtney Lee
With college basketball reaching its climax in the next week or so, the NBA sent out a list of players currently on NBA rosters who competed in an NCAA championship game.
It’s an impressive list of names. 54 players on 25 different NBA teams. The Miami Heat have the most players on the list, 5, Mario Chalmers (Kansas), Udonis Haslem (Kentucky), Jamal Magliore (Kentucky), Luther Head (Illinois) and Daequan Cook (Ohio State).
What I found most interesting was the short list of five teams not mentioned in the report. The five with no one on the roster who played in an NCAA title game, includes three of the best four teams in the NBA, the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. I’m not sure what the significance is, but obviously there are a lot of terrific basketball players out there who did not play on the very best college teams. In addition, the Magic’s Dwight Howard and the Cavs' LeBron James didn’t play collegiate basketball at all, and you have to figure if they had, their college teams would likely have been in the NCAA finals.
Last year at this time, the Magic’s Courtney Lee was leading his Western Kentucky Hilltoppers into the sweet 16. Lee was the 22nd pick in last year’s NBA draft and has proven to be quite a find.
Magic TV producer, Tye Eastham, came up with an interesting nugget on Courtney during Saturday’s night’s telecast of the Milwaukee game. We had a graphic comparing Lee’s three-point shooting percentage to the rookie year’s of Dennis Scott and Mike Miller, two renowned long-range bombers. 3-D shot 37.4 percent in his rookie season of 1990-’91. Miller shot 40.7% in his rookie of the year campaign in 200-’01. Courtney Lee beats them both, hitting 42% of his threes.
There are extenuating circumstances in the comparison. As Matty Guokas pointed out on the air, Scott and Miller began their rookie seasons getting lots of minutes, and both took more threes than Lee. Also, Courtney has the advantage of playing with the best big man in the NBA, Dwight Howard, which probably gives him better looks than 3-D and Miller were able to get.
Still, Courtney Lee, with his outside shooting ability, his speed and quickness that enable him to also get to the basket, and his defensive intelligence, appears destined to have an outstanding NBA career.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, March 26, 2009, 11:32 AM
Great Atmosphere Against Boston
Great atmosphere in Orlando for the game against the Celtics Wednesday night. On the drive in to the arena, there was a special feeling, with ticket seekers and sellers roaming the streets around Amway Arena, fans arriving early, many clamoring to get into their seats well before the opening tip. There was a playoff buzz before, during and after the game, and there’s nothing quite like a playoff buzz. April is almost here. The Magic are in the hunt. It’s a great time to be an NBA fan in central Florida.
In addition to the game being televised on Sun Sports, they tell me there was another TV network in the building. Stan Van Gundy’s brother, Jeff was one of their commentators. I couldn’t recall ever seeing Jeff commentating on a game which Stan was coaching, and sure enough, last night’s game was a first in that regard. I asked Jeff about it before the game, he said he was very nervous. When you think about it, that’s understandable. Viewers would be listening closely to his every word. Would there be bias? Would he be hard on his brother? Too soft? I’m sure Jeff handled it well. He’s a terrific analyst.
The game itself was everything fans and media types could’ve hoped for, capped off by a down to the wire finish which had the sellout crowd on their feet, holding their breath as Paul Pierce’s potential game winning shot went awry. The Magic made only three field goals in the 4th quarter, but they were all threes, two by Rashard Lewis and one by Mickael Pietrus. Lewis, by the way, has played four terrific games against the Celtics, averaging over 22 points per game, and shooting 50 percent from the field.
The Celtics Kevin Garnett was the NBA’s defensive player of the year last season. I think we saw this year’s defensive poy wearing a Magic uniform Wednesday night. Dwight Howard’s dominance was remarkable. And his game closing stop on a Paul Pierce drive put an exclamation mark on a Russell-like performance that has become almost routine. Great stuff.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 1:34 PM
Blogging From the Big Apple
Prior to Monday night’s game in New York, I had a chance to chat with Jameer Nelson. The all-star point guard is handling his season ending shoulder injury well. Told me he’s rehabbing every day, but will take things slow. Jameer is confident that he’ll be healthy and ready for the start of the ’09-’10 season. I was also interested in getting his thoughts on the play of Rafer Alston, the man brought in to replace him for the remainder of this season. In short, Jameer is impressed with Alston’s play, but not surprised. Says Rafer is more of a pass-first point guard rather than a guy, like himself, who is aggressively looking to score. As a result, Jameer says his teammates adapted quickly to Alston and really enjoy playing with him. Nelson is enthusiastic in crediting gm Otis Smith for pulling of the three-team trade that brought Rafer to Orlando in mid-February. He says Otis has a great feel for bringing in the right players for this Magic team, voice rising, eyes sparkling when he discusses the topic. It is clear that Jameer doesn’t think his boss gets enough credit for what he’s put together in Orlando. That may change in a few weeks. Otis Smith should get serious consideration for the NBA’s general manager of the year. I can’t think of a more deserving honoree.
Also before Monday’s game, I bumped into an old college classmate from the University of Georgia, Bill Eichenberger, long-time sports editor for several major US newspapers. I hadn’t seen Bill in probably 30 years, but think I would’ve recognized him. Still tall and lean. A little less hair, and a bit grayer than I recall, but hey, I can relate to that. We caught up on old times, talked about fellow journalism school classmates, like Tony Barnhart who’s done extremely well as a writer/broadcaster in Atlanta, and Stan Pamfilis and Cliff Yeargin, two close friends of mine in broadcasting who Bill remembered. Like many talented individuals in the newspaper business, Bill has had to make a career adjustment. After a decade as sports editor at Newsday in New York, he is now working for Sporting News, which as he explained to me, is basically an on-line publication. He gave me his card, invited me to take a look at the website, and I did. I was impressed. Here’s the link in case you want to check it out.
www.sportingnewstoday.com
Another tale of Richie Adubato. On the bus to the airport after the Knicks game, Richie tells of a sleepless night the night before. Music, apparently from an adjoining room, keeping him awake into the wee morning hours. Finally, at 3:30 am, exhausted from tossing and turning, Richie turns on his light, prepares to call the front desk, and realizes his clock radio is on. After several minutes of trying to figure out how to turn the darn thing off, he simply unplugs it. Mystery solved. Another day in the life of our loveable radio network analyst.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Sunday, March 22, 2009, 3:53 PM
60 Wins
It is now right out there in the open. Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy has challenged his team to win 60 games this season. That magic number was written on the board in the Magic lockeroom before Saturday’s game with the Knicks. Hedo Turkoglu talked about it with Paul Kennedy on FSN Florida after the game, and it’s obvious that the team has accepted the call.
60. It is a nice round number. But what does it really mean? Well, first of all, since the Magic came into the NBA in 1989, 12 teams have won 60 or more games in a regular season. Only seven have done it more than once. (If the Magic pull it off this year, it’ll be the second 60 win season in franchise history) In addition, 13 of those 31 teams that won 60+ games went on to play in the NBA Finals. This season, there could very well be four NBA teams with 60 or more regular season wins, Cleveland, the LA Lakers, Boston and Orlando. That happened just one other time in the last 20 years, when Chicago, Utah, the Lakers and Seattle pulled it off in ‘97’98.
Here’s a list of the 60 win teams since 1989-’90: (Italics indicates an appearance in the NBA finals)
’89-’90-
Lakers- 63
’90-’91- Portland- 63,
Chicago- 61
’91-’92-
Chicago- 67
’92-’93-
Phoenix- 62, New York- 60
’93-’94- Seattle- 63
’94-’95- San Antonio- 62, Utah- 60
’95-’96-
Chicago- 72,
Seattle- 64. Orlando- 60
’96-’97-
Chicago- 69,
Utah- 64, Miami- 61
’97-’98-
Chicago- 62,
Utah- 62, Lakers- 61, Seattle- 61
’98-’99- Lockout season
’99-’00-
Lakers- 67
’00-’01- None
’01-’02- Sacramento- 61
’02-’03- Dallas- 60,
San Antonio- 60
’03-’04- Indiana- 61
’04-’05- Phoenix- 62
’05-’06- Detroit- 64. San Antonio- 63. Dallas- 60
’06-’07- Dallas- 67, Phoenix- 61
’07-’08-
Boston- 66
Interesting side note: Since the Lakers won 67 games in ’99-’00 and went on to win the NBA title, only 2-of-11 60-win teams have advanced to the NBA Finals, San Antonio, ’03 champs, and last year's Celtics title team. So, while 60 wins would be nice, and certainly an impressive achievement, it does not guarantee postseason success.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, March 19, 2009, 11:41 AM
Dwight Domination
Another day in the NBA, another evening of domination for Dwight Howard.
Wednesday night in Milwaukee he hit the Bucks hard in the first quarter, and set the tone for the Magic in a 26 point blowout win. That’s what Dwight often does. Comes out early in the game and puts the other team on their heels with his physical, aggressive play. Some of it has to do with his pregame preparation. Not to say he doesn’t have his moments of frivolity. He’ll spend a few moments chatting with fans and signing an autograph or two, and there’s the now traditional half-court hook shots that draw the attention of everyone in the building. (He actually made one about a month ago) And on Wednesday there was a light-hearted one-on-one game with a 10 year old ball boy who had about as much success in stopping Dwight as the Bucks an hour later. But for 15 or 20 minutes before every game Howard focuses intently on all of his offensive moves around the basket.
After Wednesday’s game, Bucks long-time tv play-by-play man, Jim Plaschke was raving about Dwight’s offensive game. Hard to believe, but there is still a perception out there that Dwight Howard is simply a dunking machine. Jim knows otherwise, and couldn’t stop talking about D12’s offensive game. The bad news for the Bucks is, they’ll face the Magic and Howard two more times in the regular season.
Which brings up another point. There are five teams battling for the eighth and final playoff spot in the east: Milwaukee, Chicago, Charlotte, New York and New Jersey. Of the Magic’s final 14 games, half of them are against those teams. Three against New York, two against Milwaukee and one against New Jersey and Charlotte. Versus those five teams, the Magic are 11-1, with the only loss coming against the Chicago Bulls, the only one of the five not on the Magic’s hit list.
Last year the Magic earned their 50th victory on April 13th. This year, March 18th. At this point, 60 wins looks very doable and has become a focal point for the ballclub with four weeks remaining in the regular season.
Posted by David Steele, Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 9:34 AM
Cavs Get Fortunate Call
After Tuesday’s game in Cleveland, LeBron James told our FSN Florida viewers that they’d just witnessed a great game between two very good teams.
What James didn’t says was how fortunate he was to get to the free throw line with just 8.7 seconds remaining on a controversial foul call against Magic rookie Courtney Lee. LeBron would knock down the two free throws and dash Magic hopes for a huge road win against the NBA’s No. 1 team.
Ironically, in November of 2007, LeBron was fouled in exactly the same spot on the floor by Hedo Turkoglu. He hit three free throws to send that game into overtime. The Magic came back to win the OT game in 2007. They would not be so lucky on Tuesday night. Still, as King James said, we witnessed a terrific game. LeBron was at his best. He drove to the basket. He dunked in transition, and he made four threes, one of them just a foot or so away from the Magic bench, a shot that put the Cavs ahead for good late in the fourth quarter. He was so close to the bench I thought someone over there might pull a Woody Hayes and try to block the shot. James, however, was not to be denied. He finished with 43 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Despite the loss, this game should not dampen the Magic’s hopes for a long and prosperous postseason. Orlando has proven they can play with the Cavs, Lakers and Celtics, going 4-3 against those elite teams. Mark your calendar for March 25th and April 3rd. The Magic host Boston and Cleveland on those two evenings. Must see basketball for any serious NBA fan.
If Tuesday’s game had not been so entertaining, the highlight of the day might have been the bus ride from the hotel to the arena. The distance: less than a mile. Three blocks. Travel time: 25 minutes, as literally thousands of St. Patrick’s Day revelers clogged city streets and sidewalks and brought traffic to a near stand-still in the downtown area. Cleveland is well known for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Who knew it was such a stronghold of Irish tradition. If there’s a recession don’t tell the bar owners on Prospect Avenue. They were rolling in green Tuesday.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, March 16, 2009, 11:23 AM
Magic Don't Let Go
An impressive team trait of the Magic: If they get an early lead, and they frequently do, they almost always get a victory. 42 times this season the Magic have led after the first quarter. They have won 39 of those games.
Sunday against the Jazz, the Magic jumped out to a big early lead and were never seriously challenged by Jerry Sloan’s club. The veteran coach with more than 1,000 wins wasn’t around to witness much of the game. Sloan earned a double technical from referee Monte McCutcheon, and was ejected quicker than a fighter pilot in a nose-dive. Two minutes and 12 seconds into the game, Sloan decided either, “I need to do something to try and jump start my team,” or, “I’ve been around long enough to know this is going to be a long day over here, and I don’t really have the stomach to sit and watch it.” Either way, it was probably just as well that Sloan got the early heave-ho. It was Utah’s third consecutive loss, and another good win against a quality team for the Magic.
Dwight Howard set the tone early. For the third time this season, the sensational Howard recorded a double-double in the first quarter. He was so good that it seemed he was playing the game at one level, and everyone else played at a level below. The great ones do that. Dwight is a phenomenal talent, and I mentioned on the air that I’m afraid we tend to take him for granted. Big mistake. We are watching something very special here, and with his work ethic, he is only going to get better.
Interesting and enlightening comment by Rafer Alston during his halftime interview with Paul Kennedy. Paul mentioned to Alston that an injury to Jazz point guard, Deron Williams might change the dynamics of the game in the second half. Without missing a beat Rafer said the Magic would have to be ready for Utah’s backup point guards. He said Brevin Knight can really control the game, and Ronnie Price was more of a scoring threat. Just a few weeks of being around Alston and it’s already pretty obvious that he is a student of the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, March 12, 2009, 11:11 AM
We Need More Batties
The Magic’s playoff clinching victory against Chicago wasn’t exactly the most stirring game of the season. The most drama of the night came in the fourth quarter when fan internet voting determined the Subway sub of the game. (Tony Battie nosed out Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick, worthy candidates, both)
The game did provide a new winning formula for the ballclub. A) Hedo Turkoglu, injured, doesn’t play. B) Rashard Lewis goes 0-of-9 from the field. C) Early foul trouble for Dwight Howard, who plays just nine minutes in the first half. If you can figure this one out there may be a spot for you in President Obama’s Treasury department.
Of one thing I am certain: Tony Battie is a consummate professional. Didn’t play at all in Monday’s loss at Detroit. Comes out two night’s later and drops in 18 points and 8 rebounds against the Bulls. To cap it off, I have this mental image of Tony, in the fourth quarter of Monday’s tense battle in Detroit, talking with young Marcin Gortat during a time out. Trying to help the novice big man in his battle against the formidable Piston front line. That’s a real pro. Help your team however you can if not on the floor. Be ready to perform when the coach calls your number. The NBA, and all of professional sports could use more Tony Batties.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, March 9, 2009, 8:48 AM
Busy Weekend
It was quite the eventful weekend of basketball and travel. I worked a college game on Saturday, sandwiched between two Magic games on Friday and Sunday, culminating with a white-knuckling flight from Boston to Detroit on Sunday night.
Friday against the Nets was an “eight is enough” game for the Magic. Mess around for three-plus quarters, then turn it on for the final eight minutes and pull out a victory. Really good teams can do it. It’s not the ideal way to go, but the Magic have played a few like that lately (see at Philly and vs. Phoenix). Hard to tell Stan Van Gundy was the winning coach during his postgame presser. These kinds of games keep fans on the edge of their seats, but tend to drive coaches crazy.
Saturday I traveled to Athens, Georgia to do an SEC game for Raycom Sports. One of those things that looked good on paper back in November, but had me second guessing at 4:15 am Saturday as I headed to the airport to catch the first flight out to Atlanta.
The game, Georgia against South Carolina was ordinary. South Carolina won easily and it was fun to bathe in the college atmosphere for a few hours. Pep bands and cheerleaders and crazy 19 year old sophomores with painted faces. South Carolina’s coach is Darrin Horn, who coached the Magic’s Courtney Lee at Western Kentucky. I spent a few minutes with coach Horn after the game. Nice fellow, Hollywood good looks, very good coach, and extremely proud of his ex-player. The coach said he figured Lee could play in the NBA, but didn’t expect him to be this good, this soon. When I told him that coach Van Gundy gets on him pretty good sometimes, but that Courtney handles it well, he wasn’t surprised. Said Lee is a tough kid. Apparently, from what Courtney tells me, Horn’s demanding methods prepared him well for an exacting coach like Van Gundy.
After the UGA-South Carolina game, it was back to the Atlanta airport for an evening flight to Boston and a 1 am arrival at the Magic team hotel Sunday morning. (2 am thanks to Ben Franklin, inventor of daylight savings time) This was a game I had been looking forward to for weeks, since the Celts handed the Magic a 10-point loss in Orlando. It wasn’t a classic affair, more like making sausage than fine art, but a quality win for the Magic nonetheless. Tough defense, timely free throws, and a playoff atmosphere in the fourth quarter when a short-handed Boston team, without Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, made a gutsy run. Celtics still lead the season series, 2-1. Don’t miss game four on March 25th.
Can’t close without a mention of the team’s roller coaster ride from Boston to Detroit Sunday evening. You get one of these once a decade. Back in the mid-90’s an unbuckled Shaquille O’Neal, stretched out and sleeping on a sofa in the players area of the team plane, was victim of a severe jolt at 30,000 feet. The big dip sent the Big Fella soaring up in the air off the sofa with a crash landing onto the floor of the plane, an event that sent everyone scrambling to get buckled in. Sunday night, the Magic’s Superman and teammates were strapped in tight, and that was a good thing. For about 45 minutes, but what seemed like 45 hours, it was the airplane scene from “Almost Famous.” No final testament, true confessions were blurted out, but I’ve never seen Richie Adubato speechless. When we finally touched down, many applauded, a rare event for seasoned travelers. At the hotel, Matty Guokas and I rode up the elevator with Mickael Pietrus. Mickael has had some frightening flights to the basket this season, but said he’s never been so scared in the air. A wild ending to a busy weekend.
Posted by David Steele, Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 12:23 PM
Hall of Fame Matchup
After the Magic/Suns game Tuesday night, I couldn’t help but think how fortunate basketball fans in Central Florida have been. For nine of our 20 year history in the NBA, we’ve had the privilege of watching either Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard dominate games and entertain fans, and what a show they put on this week at Amway Arena.
The pre-game build-up had the feel of a WWF steel cage match. Shaq throwing verbal jabs at Dwight about not being the real Superman. Dwight responding that unlike other legendary big men, Shaq has never offered to help the young All-Star develop his game.
The only thing missing was Vince McMahon. On the court, the two titans were all business. Shaq had his share of rim-rattling dunks. After one of them in the first half, he glanced over at Matty and me and gave us a raised eyebrow look, as if to say, “didn’t think I could still do that, did ya?” Dwight, who usually flashes that million dollar smile regularly during the course of a game, never cracked even the slightest grin that I could see. And when he put a dazzling spin move on the Big Fella, and the Big Cactus briefly turned into the Big Flopper, it was one of the great moments I’ve witnessed in that 20 year old building. The final numbers say it was pretty much a draw between the two. The real winners were the fans in attendance who can some day tell about the night they watched two Hall of Fame centers go at it, one at the end of a marvelous career, the other just a 23-year old spectacularly talented kid. Thanks to both. It sure was a fun night.
Other thoughts about the game:
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Dwight was hit with his 12th technical foul. If he gets to 16, it’ll mean an automatic one game suspension. At the current pace, he’ll get number 16 in the final days of the season. Gonna have to try and control his emotions a little bit better. Those last few games could be pivotal in determining playoff seeding.
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Lewis and Turkoglu were just terrific. The two forwards combined for 23 of the Magic’s 33 fourth quarter points, and the game turned dramatically in Orlando’s favor after Rashard checked back into the game with 8:43 remaining and Phoenix up by one.
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Rafer Alston is really making a difference. He held his own against two-time MVP Steve Nash, and has helped Turkoglu get his groove back. After Jameer Nelson’s injury, Turk was forced to take on too much play-making responsibility. With Alston aboard, Hedo is comfortable in the offense again, averaging over 20 points and shooting better than 50% from the field since Rafer’s arrival.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, March 2, 2009, 9:31 AM
Lee Breaks Out
A busy week for the Magic came to a gratifying conclusion Saturday night in Philadelphia with an improbably come from behind win against the Sixers.
Less than 24 hours after getting beaten up by the Pistons, the Magic staged one of the more remarkable comebacks in recent memory. Trailing by 10 points after three quarters, the night of the living dead suddenly turned into Saturday night fever as the Magic caught fire against the home team. This was a crazy night for Courtney Lee. For three quarters the rookie looked shaken. He appeared to lack confidence after a week of getting torched by the likes of Dwyane Wade, Ben Gordon, Nate Robinson, Rip Hamilton, and on this night by Philly’s Willie Green, thus repeatedly catching the ire of coach Van Gundy. How did Lee respond? After hitting just 2 of 11 shots through three quarters, Lee scored 13 fourth-quarter points, including two huge threes and some sticky defense on Green who was held scoreless in the final frame. The rook showed real maturity in what will be remembered as his first true signature NBA performance.
By the way, just as Lee’s final stat line (6 of 18 field goals) is misleading in regards to his importance in getting the victory, so too is Dwight Howard’s. 12 points and eight rebounds is hardly what we’ve come to expect from the three time All-Star, but for a nine minute stretch in the fourth quarter, D12 showed why he is the premiere center in the NBA. Before fouling out with 17 seconds left, Howard was a human howitzer on the defensive end, blocking two shots and changing almost every other field goal attempt during a decisive 29-16 run. He grabbed six rebounds and had one rim-rattling put back. He’d transformed from Clark Kent to Superman without benefit of a phone booth. Dwight did what superstars are supposed to do. He refused to let his team lose.
All in all, not a bad week for the Magic. Sunday night, a win at home against Miami. Tuesday, a loss at Chicago followed by a nice bounce-back game in New York.
Get whacked around by the Pistons on Friday night and find yourselves on the ropes Saturday in Philly, only to pull out your third win in seven nights. Now, a little break in the schedule and here comes Shaq and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. You gotta love the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, February 26, 2009, 9:57 AM
Look Back at the Road Trip
The Chicago/New York road trip represented the 10th back to back for the Magic this season. Seems as if when faced with a short turnaround the ballclub responds well. Remember the tail end of the West Coast road trip in January, after beating the Lakers in LA, the Magic handed Denver a loss in the mile high city just a few hours later. This time the Magic were not so fortunate on the front end of the back to back in Chicago on Tuesday night, but bounced back nicely Wednesday in New York against the Knicks.
Despite a 3 a.m. arrival in the Big Apple, Dwight Howard and the gang put together a nice effort and held off the up-tempo Knicks 114-109. Orlando is a respectable 7-3 on the second night of back-to-backs. It helps when you’ve got a great player like Howard who can dominate a game like he did in the first quarter against New York. His four blocked shots early set the tempo for the Magic. The rest of the night Knick players who drove the lane were looking over their shoulder, anticipating a surprise attack from Superman.
It was far from a perfect outing for the Magic, but a victory on the road against a dangerous club like New York counts as a quality win.
I was a little surprised that the celebrity turnout at Madison Square Garden was a bit slim, with Dwight Howard one of the premiere teams in the NBA in town. Spike Lee and Woody Allen were there, but they almost always show up. A few 5’11, 100 pound models I’d never heard of, and one of the stars from the Sopranos topped the celebrity list. Will Farrell attended the Knicks game against Indiana on Monday night, apparently inspiring Nate Robinson to score 41 points. Robinson is a big fan of the comedian. While I’d like to have seen Farrell in person, Nate was inspired enough without him to score 30 points against the Magic.
It was Matty’s birthday. I won’t give away my partner’s age, but suffice it to say he’s eligible for the $4.99 grand slam breakfast at Denny’s. Producer Tye Eastham had a fun graphic on Sun Sports during the game, listing other celebrities with a February 25th birthday. Basketball’s Billy Packer and Kurt Rambis were on the list, along with the late, great Beatle, George Harrison. Wrestler Ric Flair, Zeppo Marks and central Florida’s very own Carrot Top share Matty’s birthday too. I mentioned that Matty’s celebrity birthday list is much better than mine. Alfred Hitchcock. That’s it. A lot of younger folks probably don’t even know who Alfred Hitchcock is.
On the plane ride home, talk among the traveling party had already turned to Friday night’s game at home against the Pistons. Detroit had lost their eighth straight, and word was spreading from one end of the plane to the other that Rasheed Wallace had been suspended for Friday’s game in Orlando. The Pistons have been such a thorn in the side of the Magic for the past several years that even a short-handed, slumping Detroit team is plenty cause for concern. I’m sure Magic killers, Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell will do their best to rise to the occasion in the absence of Wallace. Should be an interesting night.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, February 23, 2009, 2:12 PM
Best of Both Worlds
Sometimes as an NBA fan you can have your cake and eat it too. A sellout crowd at Amway Arena Sunday evening was treated to a record setting performance by one of the greatest players of our time, a player for the opposing team, and still witnessed a victory for the home team.
Miami superstar Dwayne Wade played the game at a level rarely witnessed in Orlando, using a creative assortment of driving pull-up jumpers, free throws, three point shots and slam dunks to drop 50 points on the Magic. In over 800 games played in the building now known as Amway Arena, Wade became just the third player to score 50 or better. Here’s the breakdown:
62-Tracy McGrady vs. Washington (March 10, 2004)
53-Shaquille O’Neal vs. Minnesota (April 20, 1994)
52-Tracy McGrady vs. Chicago (February 21, 2003)
50-Tracy McGrady vs. Washington (March 8, 2002)
50-Dwayne Wade vs. Orlando (February 22, 2009)
Wade’s 50 was also the 4th highest total against the Magic by an opposing player. Michael Jordan scored 64 against the Magic in Chicago back in 1993, Allen Iverson had a 60 point game versus Orlando in Philadelphia in 2005, and the Heat’s Glen Rice dropped in 56 against the Magic in Miami in April of 1995.
To make Wade’s performance even more enjoyable to watch for Magic fans was the fact that the home team was never really challenged in the game. Dwight Howard was, well, he was Dwight Howard. Turkoglu and Lewis hit threes like they were lay-ups, and new starting point guard Rafer Alston looked like he’s played with this team all season long rather than just two games.
Alston will wear #1 for the Magic. We had a graphic on our FS Florida telecast during the game listing the previous Orlando players who have worn the #1 jersey. The list is short, but interesting. Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady are easy to recall. Mo Evans and Trevor Ariza wore #1 in recent years. Doug Christie wore the jersey for 21 forgettable games in ’04-’05. But the most obscure Magic player to ever don #1 is Kiwane Garris. As I mentioned on the air, I have no recollection of Garris ever playing for the Magic, but his presence during the ’99-’00 season is undeniable. The former University of Illinois guard suited up three times in January of 2000. Even played 21 minutes in a game against San Antonio. I did some checking, and found that Garris is still playing professionally in Europe. He averages 13.8 points per game for Premiata Montegranaro and is a teammate of another rather obscure Magic alum, Brandon Hunter. Garris now wears jersey #6. And as Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, February 19, 2009, 6:33 PM
A few thoughts on the Rafer Alston trade…
Magic GM Otis Smith deserves a lot of credit for pulling this deal off at the trade deadline’s 11th hour. Jameer Nelson’s injury occurred just 6 games ago, so Otis had little time to assess the situation and come up with a possible solution to the Magic’s new-found problems. In Alston the Magic acquired a starting point guard while giving up two players they weren’t using, Adonal Foyle and Mike Wilks, and a late first round pick.
Head coach Stan Van Gundy knows his new player very well. Stan coached Alston during the ’03-’04 season in Miami. That Heat team, with rookie sensation Dwayne Wade, won 42 games in the regular season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Alston was a key reserve, averaging 23 minutes per game in post-season play.
Alston has lots of playoff experience. He has played in 33 post-season games, starting 11 times for the Rockets over the last two years.
Alston brings toughness to the Magic. He grew up in Queens, NY and is widely regarded as the best street ball player of all time. His nick-name, “Skip to my Lou,” supplants Marcin “The Polish Hammer” Gortat as best nick-name on the team.
Alston is a good fit for this Magic team. Offensively, he should be a good pick and roll player with Dwight Howard, and is good three-point shooter. Defensively, he can put good pressure on the ball, and will get you a lot of steals.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, February 19, 2009, 2:33 PM
Thriller is sign of things to come
It was one of those nights, as my mother used to say, “we should’ve stood in bed.”
New Orleans jumped on the Magic in the opening minutes of the game, and the fat lady was warming up her vocal chords by the end of the first quarter. Hornets point guard, Chris Paul, the NBA’s premiere player at that position, was sensational, finishing the night with 36 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. After the game, several Hornet team officials remarked that was the best they had seen Paul play in a long time. No doubt, Orlando’s Christmas day beat-down of Paul and his teammates provided great motivation in this re-match. Paul was on the floor with his team up by 27 points midway in the 4th quarter just to make sure the message was sent. Stan Van Gundy and his staff have more to be concerned about than margin of defeat and petty pay-backs. The Magic is 6-6 in its last 12 games and is still searching for an offensive identity since Jameer Nelson’s shoulder injury.
Humorous pre-game scene. In our first segment on FS Florida, Paul Kennedy, Matty Guokas and I, did the show on the court, in the middle of an 85 piece high school marching band. In the past we’ve been endangered by high kicking dancers, high jumping tumblers, t-shirt tossing interns and maniacal mascots, but this is about as close as I’ve ever come to getting whacked up the side of the head by a tuba.
Funniest line of the night. Radio commentator, Richie Adubato, as the bus pulled up to the hotel in Charlotte, NC at 2 am, and after a typical NBA 24 hour whirlwind of travel from the eastern time zone, to the central time zone, and back to the eastern time zone, “Everywhere we go, we lose an hour.” Classic Richieism.
Posted by David Steele, Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 5:23 PM
Thriller is sign of things to come
Get ready for a lot of terrific basketball for the final 30 games of the regular season. Tuesday night’s thriller in Orlando between the Magic and the Bobcats was just a preview of things to come. With every team in the eastern conference except for Washington competing for either a playoff spot or post-season position, the action should compelling. Consider Tuesday night’s game. Forget that Charlotte was 10 games under .500, they were just 2 loss column games out of eighth place in the east, with hopes for a late season sprint to a playoff spot. In addition, the Bobcats are a much better team than their record indicates. Shrewd roster moves by the front office, bringing in play-off toughened veterans like Raja Bell and Boris Diaw have made this a dangerous club. It took a Chamberlain-esque performance by Dwight Howard for Orlando to eke out an overtime victory on Tuesday night.
More on Howard- 45 points, 19 rebounds and 8 blocked shots..numbers never before witnessed in the post-Chamberlain era of the NBA, except for play-station. The closest single game comparison, February 16, 1993, when Shaquille O’Neal had 46 points, 21 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in Detroit. (Detroit won the game in overtime, Joe Dumars had 39)
Redick’s big shot- This could be a real turning point for J.J. For the first time in his NBA career, Redick hit a significant, end of game pressure shot for the Magic. Without his three-pointer with 8 seconds remaining in regulation, the Magic lose to the Bobcats. Let’s see if this helps J.J. play a bit more relaxed on the offensive end.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, February 12, 2009, 1:23 PM
Stunning Loss and All-Star Notes
Raise your hand if you saw that coming. Didn’t think so. The Denver Nuggets won convincingly against the Magic in Orlando Wednesday night, and on the second night of a back to back, played some of the best defense we’ve seen all season. Three-point shooters-covered. Howard in the post-smothered. Driving lanes to the basket-cluttered. The Magic didn’t help themselves by playing a little game of kick-ball on the side. 24 turnovers and 30 percent field goal shooting will get you beat on a Sunday afternoon at the “Y” against Larry, Darryl and Darryl.” In the NBA, forget it.
(Side note: The Magic have shot under 40 percent from the field just five times this season, four times at home. The record: 1-3)
(Side note II: The Magic have turned the ball over 24 times or more, just three times in the Stan Van Gundy era. The record: 1-2)
Matty calls it right again. A professor Guokas NBA axiom: ”almost all games come down to a two-possession game at some point in the second half.” Wednesday night the Magic trailed by 20 early in the third quarter, the biggest deficit they’ve faced all season, but a Lewis three cut the lead to six late in the fourth quarter. Rashard and Mickael Pietrus both missed open threes on a subsequent possession that would’ve cut the Denver lead to three.
Amazing, when you consider how the Nuggets had dominated the game, and how poorly the Magic had played.
All-Star weekend notes:
-The Magic’s 38-13 record is the second best all-star break record in franchise history. (The ’94-’95 team was 37-10 at the break)
-Dwight Howard will be a busy young man this weekend, coaching in Friday night’s rookie/sophomore game, defending his slam dunk title on Saturday, and starting for the Eastern Conference All-Star team Sunday evening. The 23-year old’s star is rising, and Magic fans should be proud to have Dwight representing their team.
-Rashard Lewis should do well in Saturday night’s three point shootout with his quick release and consistent stroke, but two-time defending champion, Jason Kapono will be tough to beat. Rashard and Roger Mason, Jr. of the Spurs are my sleeper picks to upset Kapono.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, February 9, 2009, 12:23 PM
Magic Notch Much Needed Win
The Magic got a much needed win against the New Jersey Nets Sunday night at Amway Arena (great crowd, result of a 37-12 team and Stuff’s birthday bash). Very good defensive effort by the team. Dwight Howard challenged just about every shot around the basket. That always bodes well for the Magic. Hedo Turkoglu continues to be the primary playmaker in the absence of Jameer Nelson. He may not be quite as steady at the helm as “Sully” Sullinberger, but Turk can distribute the basketball, averaging over 8 assists per game since Jameer’s injury. Cut out a risky pass here and there, maybe one turnover per game, and Hedo becomes Magic Johnson Lite. Rashard Lewis continues his mini-shooting slump (4-12 from the field), but Orlando still managed to score 101 points in a 17-point victory.
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Fans disappointed- A few fans sitting near our broadcast location expressed disappointment before the game when discovering that Nets' star Vince Carter would not play. I always feel for fans who pay good money to come to the games and, due to simple bad luck, miss out on seeing a marquee player. Reminds of taking my family to a Seattle Mariners game in 1993 at the old Kingdome. We were all excited to watch Ken Griffey, Jr. play, only to find he’d injured his back while moving furniture that afternoon. No Griffey. Only game he missed that season. Can’t remember who won the game, but I do recall how cold and sterile the Kingdome was, and the annoying lady behind us who asked my son to please keep his head still so she could see the game.
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Injuries piling up- Got home after the game, flipped on League Pass and caught the tail end of the Minnesota/Hornets game, just in time to see Timberwolves star center, Al Jefferson go down with a knee injury. Don’t know what’s going on with injuries but Jefferson joins a long list of prominent NBA players on the sidelines, including All-Stars Jameer Nelson, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh, as well as other big names like Elton Brand, Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and Gerald Wallace. Looks like the All-Star break is coming just in the knick of time for many weary NBA warriors.
Posted by David Steele, Saturday, February 7, 2009, 3:25 PM
Magic Must Step It Up
During his comments after his team’s loss and Indiana Friday night, Stan Van Gundy made reference to the fact that the Magic have now gone 4-4 since returning from their enormously successful January West Coast road trip. When he made the remark, Matty Guokas and I, sitting near mid-court at Conseco Fieldhouse listening to Stan’s rant during our postgame show on Sun Sports, nearly spun off our flimsy wooden stools in double-take mode. Neither one of us realized we’d been announcing games for a .500 team over the last three weeks. Funny how fortunes can surreptitiously turn in the NBA. The loss of Jameer Nelson nothwithstanding, SVG was absolutely correct in his assessment of the team. There has been slippage, notably on the defensive end.
Consider this: Over the last eight games the Magic have given up 98.8 points per game as opposed to 94.6 for the season, a difference of almost four points per game. Opposing teams have shot 45.6 percent from the field, compared to 43.1 percent for the year, a difference of 2.5 percent, and the Magic have forced just 10.1 turnovers per game, compared to 13.2 for the season, a drop-off of over three per game. Steals and blocked shots are also down considerably, all indicators of diminished defensive play.
Every team goes through ups and downs over the course of the grueling 82 game season. Even the defending champion Celtics lost seven of nine games earlier this year. Stan Van Gundy has every right to be upset with his team right now. Especially with Nelson out, solid defense must be a team staple. I’m guessing the Magic will get their focus back in very short order. These players have invested too much and have goals too high to allow the recent defensive lapses to continue.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, February 5, 2009, 4:39 PM
Steele's Quick Hits
Before Wednesday night's game with the Los Angeles Clippers, a member of the visiting team’s traveling party was already in a dour mood. He was lamenting the fact that during the team’s four day stay in the Sunshine State, Florida was colder than a well digger’s hind end. “Just our luck,” he said. “One trip to Florida and we bring the coldest weather in a decade with us.” Such is life for the LA Clippers. On paper they look like game changers. On the court, they play like total strangers. Baron Davis, a two time all-star. Zach Randolph, a consistent double-double. Marcus Camby, a premiere rebounder and shot-blocker. Sounds good, but they fit together like a preppy at a Marilyn Manson concert, and on this night, the Clippers were up against a Magic team that was very much on the same page.
Anthony Johnson- Can’t say enough about the 12-year vet. In the first game after Jameer Nelson’s shoulder injury, AJ goes for 25 points, two off his career high. Obviously, he’s not gonna shoot the ball like this every night, but the guy plays with confidence and professionalism, and he knows how to play to his strengths.
Courtney Lee- He starts 13 games in a row, plays well, the team is successful, and he’s told now, with Jameer’s injury, he’ll be coming off the bench. How does Lee handle it?
With a season high 21 points on 9 of 10 shooting. This rookie is pretty special.
Hedo Turkoglu- Johnson may be the new starting point guard, but clearly Hedo will be stepping up his role of playmaker with Jameer on the sidelines. Turk led the team with 6 assists Wednesday night, and still managed to score 20 points in 31 minutes. Matty pointed out during the telecast that opposing teams will likely be scheming to try and get the ball out of Hedo’s hands, and I think he’s right. But, Turk is a clever player, and I’m sure Stan Van Gundy will be ready to take advantage if opposing teams put too much focus on Hedo.
Beware the Pacers!- The Magic face the Pacers in Indianapolis Friday night, in what appears to be a favorable match-up for Orlando. Pacers won-loss record is not very good (11 games under .500 Thursday morning), and the Magic have beaten them three times already this year. But, Indiana is a good offensive club that plays an up-tempo game. And consider this. In 20 NBA seasons, the Magic have never swept the Pacers in the regular season. This Orlando team has already accomplished two other first time sweeps (Spurs and Lakers), adding another would be an impressive achievement.
Posted by David Steele, Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 1:39 PM
Nelson's Injury
“Every other day of the week is fine, yeah. But whenever Monday comes you can find me cryin’ all of the time.” The late, great Mama Cass Elliot was not an Orlando Magic fan. In fact, the Magic didn’t even exist in 1967 when the Mama’s and the Papa’s hit song “Monday, Monday” won a grammy. But Magic fans can relate to the lyrics. On a cool, rainy Monday night in Orlando, inside the Amway Arena, during a frenzied early third quarter sequence, Magic point guard Jameer Nelson lunged and tumbled after a loose ball in a game against the Dallas Mavericks and dislocated his right shoulder. The Magic lost Nelson, and they lost the game, but they shouldn’t lose hope.
There’s still plenty of fire-power available to notch some w’s while Jameer is on the mend. More Hedo, more Rashard, more D12, rookie Courtney Lee continues to step up, and veteran point guard, Anthony Johnson is no stranger to starting lineups (he has 242 career NBA starts, 52 last season). I predict the 34-year old veteran’s play will improve with increased minutes. In the five games AJ started earlier this season with Nelson sidelined, he averaged 7.4 points and 5.6 assists per game, and the Magic won 4 of the 5.
It will be difficult to move up in the eastern conference standings without their all-star point guard, but I’m confident the Magic will more than hold their own.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, February 2, 2009, 12:11AM
The Magic's Super Bowl Sunday
The Magic’s Super Bowl Sunday dismantling of the Toronto Raptors was another impressive display of superiority on the road for Orlando. The team with the best road record in the NBA (18-6), was at it’s finest in the third quarter. During this 12 minute period the Magic displayed the characteristics that make them one of the league’s elite clubs. Consider this: in that third quarter the Magic outscored the Raptors 34-18. They held Toronto shooters to 38%, while hitting half their shots from the field. Inside, Dwight Howard flexed his considerable muscles for 9 points and three rebounds, and set up three point shooters for a sizzling 7 for 10. Like I said, Magic basketball at its best.
The game was a delight to broadcast. The fun began before the opening tip when lead official, Steve Javie, one of the NBA’s best, came courtside to check out the game equipment. Matty Guokas has known Javie since Steve was kid. They’re both Philly natives. Steve’s dad was an NFL official, worked four Super Bowls. Matty’s father was the pa announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles. Javie has fond memories of listening to Matt, Sr. enthusiastically call out, “first and ten, Eagles!” Matty teases Steve about his dad being the first NFL ref to wear glasses while at work. Nice conservation. I was honored to listen in.
When the game began, it was obvious the Magic had brought their A-game. Jameer Nelson was sensational in the first quarter. I think making the all-star team has boosted his confidence even further. He’s gonna be a handful for opposing point guards the rest of the way. Odd note: Jameer has recorded 10 or more assists in a game 10 times in his NBA career. Nine of those 10 games have been on the road.
Matty and I play a little game among ourselves before most every game, called over/under. No money exchanges hands, although we jokingly preface any prediction with, “dollar!” For this game, the featured pick: 7 hockey references by our sideline reporter, Paul Kennedy, a big fan of all things hockey (I take the over). I forgot that without a pre-game show, PK would have fewer opportunities to bring up the frozen sport. End result, a Guokas victory. Gotta redeem myself Monday night.
Finally, the fastest exit from a visiting arena is recent Magic history! Less than an hour after the final horn, buses pulled out of the Air Canada Centre, headed home to sunny central Florida. We are notorious for sluggish departures. (Thank goodness that trait is not mirrored on the court!) Thank you Super Bowl.
Posted by David Steele, Thursday, January 29, 2009, 2:30PM
PREMONITION PRIOR TO THE PACERS
Sometimes you have a feeling before a game begins as to how that game will play out. You’re certainly not always right, but when your broadcast partner has the same feeling, you’re usually on to something. Such was the case on Tuesday evening at Amway Arena.
Just minutes before we went on the air, Matt Guokas and I were having a casual conversation about the game. Matty made reference to the possibility of a blow out, and I expressed a similar feeling. The signs were all there. Magic had lost two straight. They had several days of practice to work out some kinks. The Indiana Pacers had won two in a row, possibly due a set-back and have not performed well on the road. Our intuition proved correct. The Magic jumped on the Indiana Pacers early and won by a decisive 24-point margin.
What we didn’t see coming was a season best performance from Mickael Pietrus. I mean, the guy hadn’t played since fracturing his right wrist in a nasty fall at Detroit a month ago. He wasn’t expected to return til this weekend, but there he was, coming off the bench in the first half, driving the ball recklessly to the basket, knocking down threes and defending like it was a postseason game seven. A season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds makes you wonder why a guy wouldn’t break his wrist more often. Let’s hope he saved some for LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Thursday.
Which brings up another interesting topic, Pietrus and Courtney Lee, and the Magic’s starting lineup. Lee has played well in this 10 starts with Pietrus out due to injury, but now that Mickael is back, a nice little dilemma faces Stan Van Gundy. Pietrus has come off the bench often in his five-plus years in the NBA, and Lee is a hungry rookie, eager to contribute wherever possible. I don’t think either will have a problem regardless of who starts, and the good news is, either way, the Magic bench gets stronger.
A couple of other observations from Tuesday night..
Speaking of Lee, nice game against the home-town team. With his mom and other family members looking on, Courtney didn’t play against the Pacers in his home town of Indianapolis in November. That had to be a disappointment. He was very sharp Tuesday night, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. You can bet he’s already got February 6th circled on his calendar, when the Magic play the Pacers in Indianapolis again.
Not a good idea to tug on Superman’s cape. Pacer, Jeff Foster, in an effort to deny Dwight Howard an uncontested dunk, fouled the All-Star center intentionally in the first half of the game. Dwight almost took defenders arm, with ball, to the rim after contact, aggravating a previous Foster shoulder injury. The Pacer center wasn’t the same the rest of the night.
Rashard Lewis makes a final bid for the All-Star team. Rashard and Jameer Nelson both have strong cases for inclusion on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. (Rosters will be filled out on Thursday) Tuesday night, Rashard scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, with four 3-pointers. Having scored 20-plus points 25 times this year, his consistency is incredible. Nelson has shown great leadership on this 34-10 club in a breakout season.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
Posted by David Steele, Monday, January 26, 2009, 11:15AM
TOUGH NIGHT IN MIAMI
A frustrating night in south Florida for the Magic. Should’ve known it would be a long night when Heat rookie Mario Chalmers, shooting 31 percent from the field for their previous 11 games, knocked down his first six shots in the first quarter. Chalmers’ back-up Chris Quinn gets 10 points off the bench, and Mark Blount, better hidden than Bin Laden since mid-December, emerges for the first time in 18 games to score seven points, including a key 3-pointer in the closing minutes of a tight game.
A few more observations from Miami:
Pre-game interview with Dwight Howard was, as always an entertaining adventure. Before the camera rolls, Dwight is trying to figure out how, while both sitting, we are the same size. I explain from the torso up, no difference. However, his legs are almost a foot longer than mine, for a difference of about 14 million dollars.
Tough night on the court for Dwight. Got in foul trouble again, fouling out for the second straight game, and picked up two tech’s, that’s eight for the year. He had a legitimate gripe on a couple of calls, particularly his fifth on an apparent clean block of a Udonis Haslem drive, but must stay in the game both mentally and physically.
SVG’s post-game remarks about Jameer Nelson needing to get off to better starts was dead on. Often lately, Jameer has struggled early only to pick up his play in the second half. He bailed the team out in that manner against the Lakers last week, came up short against Boston Thursday and again last night in Miami.
Paul Kennedy’s halftime interview with Magic dancer, Megan was a highlight of the evening. After plugging next Tuesday’s game against Indiana, Paul closed the interview asking Megan to say hello to David and Matty, to which she responded, “Who?” Classic.
Long night comes to an aggravating ending on the bus from the arena to the airport, as a 20 minute ride seems like two hours. A buzzer, apparently on a seven second timer, and which sounds like my washer-dryer, gets under everyone’s skin sitting near the front of the bus. The driver seems to be oblivious, as Dennis Neumann wonders aloud if this is what it’s like at Guantanamo. So ends another night on the road with the Magic.
David Steele's blog is solely the opinion of David Steele and does not reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA.
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