Nuggets-Magic Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Mar 31 2012 12:47PM

When the 3-pointers are falling, the Orlando Magic are hard to beat. But when they aren't - and when Orlando doesn't take care of the basketball - coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't like his team's chances at all.

The Denver Nuggets struggled in both areas in their last game yet still found a way to win.

The Magic try to avoid a third straight loss Sunday against the visiting Nuggets, who are looking for a rare win in Orlando and their first back-to-back victories in nearly a month.

Orlando (32-20), third in the Eastern Conference, is unlikely to make up a six-game deficit to Miami in the Southeast Division race, but there is still plenty to play for in the final month with home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs on the line.

While the Magic have an advantage in the paint almost every night with Dwight Howard, the team relies heavily on its outside shooting. Led by Ryan Anderson, the league leader in 3-point attempts (353) and makes (147), Orlando leads the NBA in both categories by a wide margin.

There are no complaints when those shots are falling - the Magic are 22-2 when they make at least 39.3 percent - but the results are far different when they aren't. Orlando missed 21 of 32 from long range and let a 15-point third-quarter lead slip away Friday in a 100-98 loss to Dallas.

"Watching Orlando all year long we know that they're a team that has relinquished a lot of leads ... just the way they play," Mavs guard Jason Terry said. "They're either going inside or they're shooting 3s. You live by the 3 or you die by it."

The Magic have overcome some high turnover totals - winning five times with at least 20 - but they've lost just twice in 12 games when committing fewer than 13.

Half of Orlando's 16 turnovers on Friday came in the final 14 minutes.

"We keep doing it, doing it, doing it and doing it. It's an area where we're not getting better in," Van Gundy told the Magic's official website. " ... The turnovers, until we get that under control, we have no chance to beat good teams on a consistent basis - none."

The Magic haven't lost three in a row since a season-worst four-game skid from Jan. 26-30.

Orlando, though, is 20-3 at home versus Denver following an 85-82 victory on March 18, 2011, when Jameer Nelson hit a 3-pointer over Ty Lawson as time expired. The Nuggets (28-24) will try to improve that mark in central Florida as they continue their season-high seven-game trip.

Denver improved to 2-3 on that stretch following Friday's 99-88 victory over league-worst Charlotte. The Nuggets missed 15 of 17 from beyond the arc and had 25 turnovers leading to 28 points, but they held the Bobcats to 36.7 percent shooting.

"It wasn't pretty, but it sure was special," said coach George Karl, whose team is 14-2 against the East this season.

The Nuggets, though, have lost their last six following a victory. They last won two in a row during a four-game run Feb. 29-March 5.

Wilson Chandler, who led Denver with 20 points in last season's loss at Orlando, is day-to-day after suffering a strained groin Friday. Chandler has averaged 10.7 points on 40.3 percent shooting in seven games since returning from China.

The Magic's last home loss in this series was 82-73 on Feb. 11, 2009. Orlando had won the previous 15 times the Nuggets were in town.

Lawson's 25 leads Nuggets past Howard-less Magic

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
Posted Apr 01 2012 11:48PM

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Many in the sellout crowd inside Orlando's Amway Center must have thought it was an April Fool's Day prank when center Dwight Howard wasn't on the floor during pregame introductions prior to the Magic's matchup with the Denver Nuggets.

It was no ruse.

And with the Magic's most important and usually durable player sitting out for the first time this season with back spasms, the Nuggets took advantage of his absence in a 104-101 victory Sunday night.

Ty Lawson scored 12 of his 25 points in the second half and Arron Afflalo added 22 points to lead Denver, who won back-to-back games for the first time since a four-game win streak the first week of March. Al Harrington added 18 points off the bench.

"It's a big win. It's a momentum game for us...if we get it rolling toward the playoffs," Lawson said.

Not only did Denver shoot 56 percent from the field - a high for an Orlando opponent this season - but it had its way scoring inside racking up 44 points in the paint. The Magic had 46 points underneath, but shot just 42 percent (37 for 88) and 25 percent (8 for 25), respectively, from the field and 3-point line.

It was a particularly strong offensive effort from a team that will conclude a season-high seven-game road trip on Wednesday against New Orleans.

Lawson, who came in averaging 15 points per game, said there wasn't anything special he did. Though he said with players like Danilo Gallinari missing his seventh straight game (fractured thumb), he felt like he had to carry the scoring brunt.

"Just being more aggressive," he said. "We've got a lot of scorers who are down...So the last couple of games I've been trying to be more aggressive just to get to the basket and make things happen."

Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 27 points, followed by Ryan Anderson with 20 and Glen Davis with 18. The loss was Orlando's third straight and only the second to the Nuggets in 19 meetings at home.

After averaging 17 turnovers a game over a 10-game stretch, Orlando had only 12 on Sunday. What was missing on this night was ball movement, with the Magic posting just 15 assists as a team. Nelson had five assists, but also was responsible for four turnovers.

Denver coach George Karl said not having to contend with Howard certainly helped.

"With our schedule we probably shouldn't have won two in a row," Karl said. "I'm happy. It's a great win. We didn't finish like we wanted to finish, but it was an opportunity that was given to us and I think we took advantage of us."

Howard was a game-time decision, but wound up missing just the eighth game of his eight-year career Sunday.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy continued to contend Sunday that the injury is result of Howard being jabbed in the back in the post by Dallas' Brendan Haywood during a loss to the Mavericks on Friday.

Haywood has denied the accusation, but Magic officials have sent what they say is video proof of the plays in question to the NBA office for review.

Only four of Howard's missed games have been because of injury, with the rest due to either illness or suspension.

Davis got his first start at center in place of the Magic's six-time All-Star and did a decent job helping limit Nuggets 7-footer JaVale McGee managing just two points.

Denver also kept the Magic in the game with 17 turnovers, compared to just 12 for Orlando.

"When you look at it, we couldn't stop them at all," Van Gundy said. "We could not get a stop on any situation. It was a very frustrating night. I've been saying it all along, we need to get a lot better defensively and tonight we were certainly exposed."

Orlando trailed throughout the second half before cutting a six-point halftime deficit to 93-90 on a free-throw by Davis.

The Nuggets responded with six straight points, including a dunk off a fast break by Kenneth Faried with 1:47 to play.

Orlando called timeout and Van Gundy and Nelson could be seen in a somewhat heated exchange in the ensuing team huddle.

Nelson downplayed the incident afterward, though, saying he was simply trying to inspire his teammates.

The Magic had one more rally in them, though, using a three-point play by J.J. Redick to cut it to 99-97.

After both sides exchanged baskets, the Magic to foul and sent Andre Miller to free-throw line with 10 seconds left. He hit both, but got only 1 of 2 on his next trip following a layup by Nelson.

Jason Richardson got off a desperation heave at the buzzer, but it bounced harmlessly off the backboard.

While the loss certainly stings, the bigger blow to the Magic came in that frantic final minute when Anderson stopped on Lawson's foot and hobbled back to the locker room with a sprained ankle. Van Gundy said he has "no idea" how bad the injury is or how long he might be sidelined.

The Magic play eight of their final 13 games against playoff teams.

"There's no Plan B when you're not getting stops," Redick said. "You're never going to win games if you think you're going to outscore people."

NOTES: Van Gundy said though the Magic sent examples that show Howard getting hit in the post during the Mavericks' game, they aren't expecting much to come out of it. The league office has as many as 14 days to take action on the film it reviews. "They're response is 14 days, so I guess they're swamped," Van Gundy joked. "That's why we don't send anything in. It's a waste of time." ... Magic are now 5-11 on April Fool's Day with only one win at home. ...Nuggets are now 15-2 this season against the East.

Notebook: Nuggets 104, Magic 101

Posted Monday April 2, 2012 1:52AM

By Dick Scanlon, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: With Magic center Dwight Howard missing his first game of the season, the Denver Nuggets shot 56 percent and won in Orlando for only the second time in 20 years, 104-101.

Ty Lawson led the Nuggets with 29 points and nine assists and iced the game with an 18-foot jump shot with 23.9 seconds left. Magic forward Ryan Anderson turned his ankle at that time and left the game.

Jameer Nelson scored a game-high 27 points for the Magic and Glen Davis, starting at center in place of Howard, put up 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

THE STAT: Denver's 56 percent shooting was easily the best of the season against the Magic. In 48 preceding games, the best any Magic opponent shot was 52 percent by Golden State on Jan. 12.

QUOTABLE: "We could not get a stop in any situations. I've been saying all along that we need to get a lot, lot, lot better defensively and tonight that was certainly exposed."
-- Magic coach Stan Van Gundy

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets scored on four straight possessions early in the fourth quarter, the last two on baskets by Al Harrington, to stretch a one-point lead to seven.

HOT: Lawson and Arron Afflalo, Denver's starting guards, combined on 18-for-30 shooting, including 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.

NOT: Orlando's Jason Richardson shot 3-for-12 including a desperation heave at the final horn, taken at least a second before it was necessary. In nine games since returning from an ankle injury, Richardson is 25-for-75 overall and 8-for-38 in 3-point shooting.

QUOTABLE II: "I tried taking another dribble, kind of stumbled, felt like my leg got caught on one of their legs. Ref saw something else. It's like that sometimes."
-- Jason Richardson on his final shot

GOOD MOVE: With three-time Defensive Player of the Year Howard sidelined, the Nuggets kept attacking the rim, making 15 of their first 21 shots and 40-of-72 for the game.

QUOTABLE III: "The strategy of the game is quite different when they don't have the best center in the NBA playing on the court."
-- Nuggets coach George Karl

BAD MOVE: The Nuggets were leading by five with under a minute to go when Harrington, a 30 percent 3-point shooter, fired up a 25-footer with plenty of time left on the shot clock, missing badly.

ROOKIE WATCH: Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried had a major impact in 27 minutes, blocking two shots and grabbing nine rebounds.

NOTABLE: It was only the eighth game missed due to injury on Howard's eight-year career ... Corey Brewer started at small forward for the Nuggets in place of Wilson Chandler, who has a groin strain ... The Nuggets completed their first series sweep of the Magic since 1991-92, Orlando's third year in the league.

UP NEXT: For the Nuggets, Wednesday @ New Orleans, Friday vs. Phoenix, Saturday @ Golden State. For the Magic, Tuesday @ Detroit, Thursday vs. New York, Saturday @ Philadelphia.

• Nuggets: Fernandez, Gallinari
• Magic: Howard, Wafer

• Nuggets: --
• Magic: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #63 Derek Richardson
• Attendance: 18846
• Duration: 2:17