Game 3: Bobcats Stop Host Team In Orlando
July 12, 2006

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The Bobcats improved to 3-0 in the Orlando Summer League with a 103-87 win over the host Magic, as seven players scored seven points or more and the team committed only seven turnovers.

“The one thing I really liked was our performance in the second half. Yesterday, we had a 13-point halftime lead and we let it slip away. Today, we controlled the game in the second half and maintained our lead,” Coach John-Blair Bickerstaff said. “Sean May, Adam Morrison and Kevin Burleson showed strong leadership there in the second half and the other guys followed that lead. They made sure we limited our turnovers and continued to get good shots.”

Pacing the way with 24 points for Charlotte was Morrison, who was supported by 16 points from May, 14 from Brett Blizzard, 13 from Curtis Withers, eight from D’or Fischer and seven points and a team-best 11 rebounds from Marcus Campbell. Burleson and Steve Burtt also scored seven points.

Charlotte had some difficulty early in the game from the field but still held the lead and scored six straight points to break a 9-9 tie and take a 15-9 advantage with four minutes left in the first quarter. The Bobcats held a 29-17 lead at the end of the first period, with May scoring eight points and Blizzard adding five points in three minutes in the opening period. The Bobcats shot .455 from the field in the first quarter and hit 7-8 at the foul line.

Charlotte maintained its lead throughout the second quarter and moved in front by 45-32 late in the period. Morrison tallied nine points in the second quarter, including a fallaway jumper at the buzzer for a 54-40 halftime lead, the largest of the half. Fischer – who scored the game-winning tip-in on Tuesday against Chicago – posted eight points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the first half. Curtis Withers added nine points in the opening half.

Morrison knocked down three straight baskets early in the third period to boost Charlotte’s advantage to 64-45. Orlando reduced the margin to 64-58 with 3:41 left in the third quarter after a 13-0 run before Withers stopped the run with a layup. The Bobcats built the advantage back up to 77-62 after the third quarter as Morrison scored eight points in the period and May added six points.

“I felt good out there again tonight, even though some of the shots didn’t go down in the beginning,” Morrison said. “The most important thing was being able to help our team win.”

Charlotte hit .478 from the field for the game and connected on .868 (33-38) from the free throw line.

Alan Anderson suffered a plantar fascia injury in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game and Fischer hurt his left knee in the third quarter and did not return. Ryan Hollins, the Bobcats 2006 second-round pick, missed the game with a sprained right ankle and is questionable for Thursday’s game against New Jersey.