Hawks-Magic Preview

DAN PIERINGER
Posted Feb 09 2012 6:29PM

At times this season, trade speculation surrounding Dwight Howard has seemed to impact the Orlando Magic's performance on the court. Howard's own production, however, has rarely been called into question.

Coming off another dominant performance, Howard looks to continue his stellar play and help the Magic to their fifth win in six games as they host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

A free agent after this season, Howard has been hounded by trade rumors as Orlando risks losing him for nothing in the offseason if they can't sign or trade him before then. Despite the distraction, Howard has been as dependable as ever, ranking among the league leaders in scoring (21.0 points), rebounding (a league-leading and career-high 15.4 per game), blocks (2.2) and field-goal percentage (56.6).

Howard's dominance inside has helped the Magic (16-10) win four of five after a four-game losing streak during which he questioned some of his teammates' effort. Howard had 25 points and 24 rebounds as the Magic beat Southeast Division-leading Miami 102-89 on Wednesday. It was the 38th 20-20 performance of his career and sixth this season.

"For us, it's one game. We have to come back Friday and get the next game," Howard told the Magic's official website. "Each night is different, but we have to continue to do one thing the same and that's play hard, give the same effort every night. For our team, this was a great win ... but we have to erase this game and move on to the Hawks."

Howard had plenty of help from Orlando's perimeter shooters against the Heat. The Magic went 17 of 42 from 3-point range, with seven players connecting from beyond the arc. They're shooting 42.0 percent from long range in their wins and 31.8 percent in their losses.

Ryan Anderson, leading the NBA with 74 3-pointers made, went 5 for 11 from outside against Miami.

"If somebody starts rolling, then all the attention's going to be on them. Then we'll swing it around and we've got another shooter," Anderson said. "I think when the crowd gets into it, when we have great energy as a team and we're being really unselfish and moving the ball, it is contagious."

The Magic will try to continue their recent surge against a Hawks team that eliminated them in six games in the first round of the playoffs last season. Howard averaged 27.0 points and 15.5 rebounds while shooting 63.0 percent in the series, but the Magic's outside shooting failed them as they shot 26.2 percent on 3-pointers.

The Hawks (17-9) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 97-87 home win over Indiana on Wednesday. Josh Smith had 28 points, 12 rebounds, five steals and three blocks.

"We've got to play with urgency and desperation as a team," Smith said. "Tonight, it definitely showed. We had to get a win before we go out on the road."

Atlanta plays six of its next seven on the road, with the only home game coming Sunday against Miami.

Joe Johnson added 20 points and a season high-tying eight assists against the Pacers. The Hawks are 13-1 when their leading scorer finishes with at least 18 points and 4-8 when he is held to 17 or fewer.

Smith scores 23 as Hawks slip past Magic in OT

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Posted Feb 10 2012 11:11PM

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) There was something about playing Orlando last season that brought out the best in the Atlanta Hawks.

That trend apparently has trickled into a new year.

Using most of the same blueprint that allowed them to dominate the Magic in both the regular season and playoffs last season, the Hawks used their size and some timely free throw shooting late to grind out an 89-87 overtime victory Friday night.

Josh Smith had 23 points and 19 rebounds, and Joe Johnson scored four of his 14 points in the extra period and added five assists for the Hawks, who won their fourth straight regular-season meeting with Orlando dating to last season. Atlanta won its second straight overall since snapping a three-game losing streak.

"This team knows our offensive and our defensive schemes, and we know their schemes. We just gotta try to outplay them," Smith said. "Tonight we were able to come in and play up to our ability and play with a certain kind of physicality."

Ryan Anderson led the Magic with 21 points, and Dwight Howard had 18 points and 18 rebounds in Orlando's first meeting with the Hawks since being eliminated by them in last season's playoffs.

The Magic dropped their second in three games and lost for the first time this season to a Southeast Division opponent.

"There's really not too much I can say other than we had opportunities and we could have executed a little better," Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said. "Obviously if we made some shots, it would have been a different story. But we played hard, I thought, and played together and stuck together."

Atlanta - much the way it did in the playoffs - enjoyed matchup advantages against Orlando at every position except center, and the Hawks continually pestered the Magic both inside and on the perimeter. With both Al Horford and Jason Collins out because of injuries, the Hawks' remaining big men managed to stay out of foul trouble throughout.

The teams traded baskets to open the extra frame before two straight baskets by Johnson put the Hawks up 87-83.

Anderson hit a 3-pointer from the wing to cut it to one and Smith threw it away on Atlanta's next touch. But Hedo Turkoglu missed a jumper from the corner and forced the Magic to start fouling with less than 24 seconds left.

Marvin Williams hit 1 of 2 from the line, giving the ball back to the Magic with 15.8 seconds to play. Jason Richardson drove to the basket and was fouled but missed the second free throw. Zaza Pachulia won a scrum for the rebound and put the Hawks up 89-87 after his trip to the charity stripe.

The Magic got two looks from 3-point range on their final possession - one by Nelson and another by Richardson - but Smith finally pulled down a rebound as the horn sounded.

Was this the gutsiest win the Hawks have had this season?

"It was without a doubt," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "Coming in here a little short-handed and a little depleted, I thought our guys did a great job in just responding to the challenge. We really wanted to come in here and play with aggression ... I thought we really did a great job."

Atlanta carried a seven-point advantage into the fourth quarter and it grew as high as nine before a pair of free throws by Anderson cut it to 73-70 with less than 5 minutes left in regulation.

That momentum was almost immediately halted, though, after three consecutive Magic possessions ended in turnovers. The Hawks capitalized on each and pushed their lead to 78-70.

The Magic scored six straight points, including back-to-back layups by Nelson, to cut it to 78-76. Following a missed jumper by Smith on the other end, Orlando called a timeout with 12.2 seconds to play.

Nelson drove to the basket and floated a layup attempt over Smith and Johnson that trickled of the rim, but Howard was there to dunk the rebound.

The Hawks had 1.2 seconds to get off a shot, but Jeff Teague didn't release his jumper before the regulation buzzer.

"I don't think that our energy was very good at all, but we picked it up in the fourth," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We just didn't play very well, that's the bottom line. We didn't play very well, but we stuck in there ... We just didn't get it done in the end."

Atlanta's schedule doesn't get any easier, with Friday starting a stretch that will see it play six of its next seven games on the road. The trip includes matchups with Miami, the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago and surging New York.

Forward Marvin Williams, who had 13 points and six rebounds, said that despite missing Horford's presence in the middle, the Hawks are still developing chemistry with the pieces they have.

The Hawks started the season 7-4 with Horford and are 11-6 since he went down with a torn left pectoral in early January.

"I think we're just trying to keep our head above water," Williams said. "I think when Al went down everyone collectively tried to put forth just a little more effort. You can't really fill that void, but we're trying our best."

Notes: Howard was whistled for his eighth technical of the season for arguing a charging call in the third quarter. He is now five away from a one-game suspension. ... Richardson has made at least three 3-pointers in each of the Magic's last five games. ... Anderson, who entered Friday's game leading the NBA in 3-pointers made, said he has been invited to participate in the All-Star 3-point contest.

Notebook: Hawks 89, Magic 87

Posted Friday February 10, 2012 11:44PM

By Dick Scanlon, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: All-Star snub Josh Smith had 23 points and 19 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 89-87 in overtime.

The Magic scored the final eight points of the fourth quarter to take the game into overtime, tying it on Dwight Howard's putback dunk with 1.3 seconds left. Howard had 18 points and 18 rebounds.

It was Atlanta's fifth victory in six road games.

QUOTABLE: "We're a veteran ball club and we're figuring out ways to win on the road. I think we like the feeling of every man against us when we conme out to play."
-- Hawks forward Josh Smith.

THE STAT: Since being swept out of the 2009 playoffs by the Magic, the Hawks have won 8-for-11 against Orlando including a 4-2 playoff upset last spring.

QUOTABLE II: "Everyone in this locker room remembers what Orlando did to us in the playoffs a couple years ago. Not to take anything away from them, but you remember things like that."
-- Hawks forward Marvin Williams.

TURNING POINT: After falling behind in overtime, the Hawks had gone more than five minutes without a field goal. But Joe Johnson scored two baskets on a 6-0 run to turn the game back in their favor.

HOT: Tracy McGrady came off the Atlanta bench to hit four of his first six shots and led all non-starters with nine points.

NOT: The Magic bench shot 3-for-16.

GOOD MOVE: Jameer Nelson drew two defenders while driving for a game-tying layup in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, leaving Howard alone to follow Nelson's miss with a dunk.

BAD MOVE: Howard got his eighth technical foul after a third-quarter charge, and flirted with an ejection fivve minutes later when he slammed the ball to the floor.

IN THE ARENA: Former NBA centers Clifford Ray and Wayne "Tree" Rollins were there, joining Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing in an impromptu big-guy reunion.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Magic forward Ryan Anderson, the NBA's leading 3-point scorer, had six more offensive rebounds to solidify his ninth-place standing in that category.

NOTABLE: Zaza Pachulia, a nine-year veteran, had never played more than 38 minutes in a game. He played 42:47 Friday night, all of them defending Howard.

UP NEXT: For the Hawks, Sunday vs. Miami, Tuesday @ L.A. Lakers, Wednesday @ Phoenix. For the Magic, Saturday @ Milwaukee, Monday vs. Minnesota, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia.

• Hawks: Collins, Horford
• Magic: Liggins, Orton

• Hawks: --
• Magic: Howard

• Lead Changes: 13
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
• Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #52 Scott Twardoski
• Attendance: 18846
• Duration: 2:30