ORLANDO MAGIC 85, NEW JERSEY NETS 74
The Orlando Magic withstood a furious late rally from the New Jersey Nets to take home a victory in their first game of the 2007 Pepsi Pro Summer League Monday night, 85-74. Orlando guard J.J. Redick led all scorers in the contest with 30 points, tying the record for the fifth-most points scored in a game in Pepsi Pro Summer League history. Three Nets registered double-digits on the night, led by Marcus Williams’ 19 and Robert Hite’s 16.
New Jersey held a one-point lead, 59-58, heading into the fourth quarter, but the Magic opened up the final period on a 12-0 run, propelled by consecutive long-distance baskets from Redick and Kevin Kruger. New Jersey went almost five scoreless minutes to open the fourth, failing to reach the scoreboard until the 5:18 mark, when Williams connected on the back end of trip to the free-throw line. Williams almost single-handedly helped erase the eventual double-digit Nets deficit late in the game, scoring 11 points in the final period to lead New Jersey back to within five, 77-72, with 1:35 remaining in the game. Redick and Kruger, however, teamed up again to push the margin back to 10, 82-72, as Redick hit a couple from the charity stripe and Kruger nailed a triple with 1:11 left on the clock to close out the victory.
Both Orlando and New Jersey came out on fire to start the game, with the Magic hitting 9-of-16 from the field (56.3 percent) to the Nets’ 9-of-15 (60 percent) in the opening stanza. Neither team got more than a five-point cushion in the first half of play, thanks to the sharp-shooting of Redick and Hite. Redick led all scorers at the half with 18 points, 12 of which came from behind the 3-point line. Hite, on the other hand, paced New Jersey with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field while connecting on 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Marcin Gortat, Orlando’s second round draft pick in 2005, recorded an impressive line in the game as well, posting a double-double for the Magic with 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a game-high six assists and two blocked shots.
Both teams return to action tomorrow, as New Jersey tips off against Miami to open day two at the Pepsi Pro Summer League, while Orlando faces Indiana in the second game of the day. Competition rounds out with the Chicago Bulls facing the Charlotte Bobcats in the nightcap.
- Melanie Curtsinger
The Orlando Magic withstood a furious late rally from the New Jersey Nets to take home a victory in their first game of the 2007 Pepsi Pro Summer League Monday night, 85-74. Orlando guard J.J. Redick led all scorers in the contest with 30 points, tying the record for the fifth-most points scored in a game in Pepsi Pro Summer League history. Three Nets registered double-digits on the night, led by Marcus Williams’ 19 and Robert Hite’s 16.
New Jersey held a one-point lead, 59-58, heading into the fourth quarter, but the Magic opened up the final period on a 12-0 run, propelled by consecutive long-distance baskets from Redick and Kevin Kruger. New Jersey went almost five scoreless minutes to open the fourth, failing to reach the scoreboard until the 5:18 mark, when Williams connected on the back end of trip to the free-throw line. Williams almost single-handedly helped erase the eventual double-digit Nets deficit late in the game, scoring 11 points in the final period to lead New Jersey back to within five, 77-72, with 1:35 remaining in the game. Redick and Kruger, however, teamed up again to push the margin back to 10, 82-72, as Redick hit a couple from the charity stripe and Kruger nailed a triple with 1:11 left on the clock to close out the victory.
Both Orlando and New Jersey came out on fire to start the game, with the Magic hitting 9-of-16 from the field (56.3 percent) to the Nets’ 9-of-15 (60 percent) in the opening stanza. Neither team got more than a five-point cushion in the first half of play, thanks to the sharp-shooting of Redick and Hite. Redick led all scorers at the half with 18 points, 12 of which came from behind the 3-point line. Hite, on the other hand, paced New Jersey with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field while connecting on 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Marcin Gortat, Orlando’s second round draft pick in 2005, recorded an impressive line in the game as well, posting a double-double for the Magic with 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with a game-high six assists and two blocked shots.
Both teams return to action tomorrow, as New Jersey tips off against Miami to open day two at the Pepsi Pro Summer League, while Orlando faces Indiana in the second game of the day. Competition rounds out with the Chicago Bulls facing the Charlotte Bobcats in the nightcap.
- Melanie Curtsinger
