Denton: Magic-Lakers Postgame Analysis
By John Denton
March 7, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Facing the defending NBA champions in a nasty, physical game that sometimes resembled a basket-brawl, the Orlando Magic stood up to the Los Angeles Lakers and displayed the kind of steely resolve of a champion.
And if Sunday afternoon’s thrilling 96-94 Magic defeat of the Lakers was any indication, that slugfest might prove to just be a preliminary battle between these two NBA titans. The rematch might come in June with the championship at stake once again.
``I think we’re on the right track. We’re doing all the things that we have to do to get back to The Finals,’’ Magic star center Dwight Howard said. ``All you hear is people talk about the Lakers and Cleveland. People can talk about whoever they want to see in The Finals, but it’s going to come down to the team that wins the most in the playoffs. Hopefully that will be us.’’
Surging Orlando, 44-20 and winners of five straight, controlled the game most of the day and held on at the end to survive a furious finish from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Matt Barnes, who went nose-to-nose with Bryant once and shoved Derek Fisher another time, hit a pivotal 3-pointer with 1:10 to play. And Orlando survived some dicey free throw shooting down the stretch for its biggest victory of the season.
``This is the playoff intensity that we’re going to face in the playoffs and this was just what we needed,’’ Barnes said. ``We can’t be the hunted anymore. We’ve got to be the hunter and go after people. That’s what we tried to talk about early in the season. We have to be a family and have each other’s backs.’’
This victory, of course, just edged out the defeat of the Cleveland Cavaliers two weeks ago at Amway Arena. The recent hot stretch has allowed the Magic to put some distance between themselves and Atlanta and Boston, while also picking up ground on the Cavaliers and Lakers. Finishing with as good a regular-season record as possible could mean homecourt advantage in the Finals should the Magic and Lakers meet again this June.
Point guard Jameer Nelson, who was a shell of himself last June in the NBA Finals after trying to come back from a major shoulder, once again torched the Lakers with his aggressive drives to the hoop. He had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, carrying the Magic for long stretches with his daring, gusty play.
``No way we win that game without the plays that (Nelson) was making,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``He was phenomenal. He’s the smallest guy out there and he gets nine rebounds. Unbelievable.’’
Vince Carter resembled the dynamic playmaker the Magic traded for last June on Sunday, getting to the free throw line early and knocking down big shots late in the game. He had 25 points on five of 10 shooting and 13 from 14 from the free throw line. Carter was irked at himself for missing a free throw down the stretch that could have made it a three-point spread, but he was happy that the Magic thrived in a nasty type of game that had all the feeling of a NBA Finals showdown.
``It was a battle, but these games are fun to play,’’ Carter said. ``It was very much a playoff atmosphere out there. It was two great teams going at it. But the funny thing about it was it wasn’t even a playoff game. You could just see it on everyone’s face and everyone’s demeanor that they wanted to win this game.’’
Orlando survived despite 34 points and seven assists from Bryant. He woke up sick Sunday morning, struggled with his shot most of the day, but came alive in the fourth and almost rescued the Lakers. L.A. lost a third consecutive game for the first time since January of 2008, a span of more than two years.
Here is a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Magic’s knockdown, drag-out defeat of the Lakers:
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING >>>
By John DentonMarch 7, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Facing the defending NBA champions in a nasty, physical game that sometimes resembled a basket-brawl, the Orlando Magic stood up to the Los Angeles Lakers and displayed the kind of steely resolve of a champion.
And if Sunday afternoon’s thrilling 96-94 Magic defeat of the Lakers was any indication, that slugfest might prove to just be a preliminary battle between these two NBA titans. The rematch might come in June with the championship at stake once again.
``I think we’re on the right track. We’re doing all the things that we have to do to get back to The Finals,’’ Magic star center Dwight Howard said. ``All you hear is people talk about the Lakers and Cleveland. People can talk about whoever they want to see in The Finals, but it’s going to come down to the team that wins the most in the playoffs. Hopefully that will be us.’’
Surging Orlando, 44-20 and winners of five straight, controlled the game most of the day and held on at the end to survive a furious finish from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Matt Barnes, who went nose-to-nose with Bryant once and shoved Derek Fisher another time, hit a pivotal 3-pointer with 1:10 to play. And Orlando survived some dicey free throw shooting down the stretch for its biggest victory of the season.
``This is the playoff intensity that we’re going to face in the playoffs and this was just what we needed,’’ Barnes said. ``We can’t be the hunted anymore. We’ve got to be the hunter and go after people. That’s what we tried to talk about early in the season. We have to be a family and have each other’s backs.’’
This victory, of course, just edged out the defeat of the Cleveland Cavaliers two weeks ago at Amway Arena. The recent hot stretch has allowed the Magic to put some distance between themselves and Atlanta and Boston, while also picking up ground on the Cavaliers and Lakers. Finishing with as good a regular-season record as possible could mean homecourt advantage in the Finals should the Magic and Lakers meet again this June.
Point guard Jameer Nelson, who was a shell of himself last June in the NBA Finals after trying to come back from a major shoulder, once again torched the Lakers with his aggressive drives to the hoop. He had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, carrying the Magic for long stretches with his daring, gusty play.
``No way we win that game without the plays that (Nelson) was making,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``He was phenomenal. He’s the smallest guy out there and he gets nine rebounds. Unbelievable.’’
Vince Carter resembled the dynamic playmaker the Magic traded for last June on Sunday, getting to the free throw line early and knocking down big shots late in the game. He had 25 points on five of 10 shooting and 13 from 14 from the free throw line. Carter was irked at himself for missing a free throw down the stretch that could have made it a three-point spread, but he was happy that the Magic thrived in a nasty type of game that had all the feeling of a NBA Finals showdown.
``It was a battle, but these games are fun to play,’’ Carter said. ``It was very much a playoff atmosphere out there. It was two great teams going at it. But the funny thing about it was it wasn’t even a playoff game. You could just see it on everyone’s face and everyone’s demeanor that they wanted to win this game.’’
Orlando survived despite 34 points and seven assists from Bryant. He woke up sick Sunday morning, struggled with his shot most of the day, but came alive in the fourth and almost rescued the Lakers. L.A. lost a third consecutive game for the first time since January of 2008, a span of more than two years.
Here is a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Magic’s knockdown, drag-out defeat of the Lakers:
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING >>>
