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Final: Atlanta Hawks 98 - Orlando Magic 87
December 10, 2007 - Amway Arena
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By Nick Adams | OrlandoMagic.com
RECAP
The Magic drop their second straight game at Amway Arena losing tonight to the Atlanta Hawks 98-87.
The Hawks held a ten point lead at the end of the first quarter and never surrendered the lead thanks to 29 points off of 19 Magic turnovers.
Hedo Turkoglu led the Magic with 22 points and Dwight Howard posted another double-double (14 points, 18 rebounds) in the losing effort.
Josh Smith had a huge night tallying 25 points and a season-high 18 rebounds while Joe Johnson chipped in 24 points for Atlanta who improve their record to 10-10.
The Magic could not find their shooting stroke tonight as they shot just 39 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free-throw line.
Orlando (16-6) will look to end their losing streak as they head out on the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night.
FOURTH QUARTER
Let's hope the Magic can ride their momentum from the end of the third quarter into the final period as they look to keep this Amway crowd on their feet.
The teams trade free-throws and the Hawks lead is still at six. Dooling gets a pretty transition hoop and Arroyo draws an offensive foul giving the ball to the Magic trailing by four points at 70-66.
The key to the Magic run has been their increased intensity at the defensive end of the floor. They are forcing bad shots and turnovers from the Hawks leading to open looks at the offensive end.
A pair of Magic turnovers leads to five Atlanta points pushing their lead back up to nine points at 75-66 four minutes into the final period. That has been the difference in tonight's ballgame as the Magic have doubled the Hawks turnover and the Magic's 16 turnovers have led to 25 Atlanta points.
Rashard Lewis and Keyon Dooling hit two huge back-to-back three-pointers to bring the Magic within three points. The Hawks get a basket to make the score 77-72 at the halfway point in the final quarter.
The Hawks get four straight points and their lead is back up to nine points at 81-72 with just under five minutes remaining.
Maurice Evans ends Atlanta's streak with a foul line jumper and Hedo takes it to the hoop strong drawing a foul on the next possession. Turk splits the pair making the score 81-75 Atlanta with three minutes to go.
Horford gets a dunk and Hedo drives the lane for two as the Hawks still cling to an eight point advantage with less than two minutes to play.
Anthony Johnson hits a three with the shot clock at zero leading to a Magic timeout as the Amway crowd begins to file out with the Magic trailing 88-77 with 1:34 left in the game.
Hedo nails a three but I think he needed that shot about five minutes ago as the Magic still trail by eight points. The Magic will foul from here on out and the Hawks will head to the line which will make the next minute last at least half an hour.
The teams trade some free-throws but the Hawks still cling to a nine point lead at 93-84.
Lewis nails a three and the Magic foul Joe Johnson who heads to the line and makes a pair. The Magic call their 40th timeout down by nine with 30 seconds to play.
Josh Smith steals a Turkolgu pass leading to a spectacular windmill slam to rightfully close out the ballgame.
Final: Atlanta Hawks 98, Orlando Magic 87
THIRD QUARTER
Ok...let's hope the internet and the Magic show up for the second half. Not a good start as Al Horford gets an easy dunk on horrible rotation defense from the Magic. I am expecting the internet to go down at any moment now.
Dwight converts on a nice fadeaway jump hook on the Magic's first offensive possession of the half. The Magic look for Dwight again inside and he gets fouled this time. He is unable to make either and is shooting 3-of-8 for the game.
Joe Johnson continues to torch the Magic as he nets a triple giving him a game high 17 points and propelling the Hawks to a 14 point lead at 57-43.
The Magic get the Hawks into the penalty situation three minutes into the third quarter so let's hope they become more aggressive and take the ball to the hoop strong as opposed to settling for the outside jumpers.
Dwight misses yet another pair of free-throws but Bogans hits a back-to-back threes trimming the Hawk lead to 12 points bringing the Amway crowd off of their seats.
Jameer feeds Dwight for a pretty alley-oop as the Magic seem to be building some momentum but another Magic turnover leads to a breakaway dunk by the Hawks.
Dwight with another hook in the lane brings the Magic within 12 points at 65-53 with just under five minutes to go in the third.
Hedo gets a put back bucket and chants of defense come from the Amway crowd. Dwight answers the fans chant by swatting a Marvin Williams shot into the front row. Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson smartly calls a timeout as the Amway crowd begins to get into the ballgame. The Hawks still lead 65-55 with 3:56 left in the third.
The Magic finally show up as soon as the internet takes a break as Hedo and Bogans both nail threes to cut the Hawk lead to 67-63 with 1:17 left in the third.
The Hawks get a quick answer but the Magic have the crowd and themselves back into the ballgame heading into the final period.
End of Third: Atlanta Hawks 69, Orlando Magic 63
SECOND QUARTER
Well...the switch of the hoops didn't work as planned as the Magic struggled at both ends of the floor shooting 36 percent and allowing 29 first quarter points to the Hawks.
The Magic start the second much better, getting two buckets from Adonal Foyle and a three-pointer from Carlos Arroyo cutting the Hawk lead to five at 31-26.
The Magic's second unit has come out much more energized than the first unit playing with intensity at both ends and getting the Magic right back into the ballgame.
Shelden Williams gets two offensive rebounds resulting in two buckets as the Hawks get their lead back to double digits at 39-28 with 6:15 to go in the half.
The Internet...much like the Magic...decide to take about ten minutes off so I will paraphrase the remainder of the second quarter for you.
The Magic get a couple of buckets, look as though they are about to take over, but turnovers and some hustle points by the Hawks keep them ahead and in control of the game.
Halftime: Atlanta Hawks 49, Orlando Magic 41
FIRST QUARTER
Welcome Magic fans for tonight's contest at Amway Arena as the Magic prepare to square off against inter-divisional rival the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic are focused and determined to avenge Friday night's loss at Amway by coming out with a strong performance tonight.
The two teams meet at center court as the Magic start their regular starters, Nelson, Bogans, Turkoglu, Lewis, and Howard, and the Hawks counter with Anthony Johnson, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford.
Howard and Smith face off for the opening tip and Howard wins the battle giving the Magic the first possession of the game. Howard finishes with a baby hook down low for the first points of tonight's contest. The Magic will start the game at the opposite hoop they normally start. This could be a psychological tool by coach Van Gundy to try and get the Magic playing better at home.
A lot of whistles to start the game slowing the pace of the game as the Hawks take an early 5-4 lead. The Magic can't find the mark early shooting just 28 percent to start the game. Hedo finally gets a bucket for the Magic brining the Magic within one at 7-6 with seven minutes left in the opening period.
Both teams have come out sluggish, shooting well under 40 percent to start the game. That changes quickly as both teams convert on back-to-back possessions before we have our first break in the action with the Magic trailing the Hawks 12-10 with 5:36 left in the first.
Two Magic turnovers leads to two Atlanta transition buckets as the Hawks jump out to a 16-10 lead. Lewis ends the Hawks streak by stroking a three from the top of the key but Joe Johnson answers with a long range jumper of his own. Atlanta calls a timeout leading the Magic 18-13 with 3:15 to go in the first.
Josh Smith converts a three-point play increasing the Hawk lead to 21-13. The Magic desperately need a spark to get things going for them tonight. Acie Law comes off the Hawk bench and strokes his first jumper and the Atlanta lead is up to 10.
Howard gets fouled and heads to the line where he splits the pair and cuts the Hawk lead to 23-14 with a minute left in the first. Joe Johnson continues his good start by netting another jumper giving him nine first quarter points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Keyon Dooling buckets a pair of free-throws trimming the Hawk lead to nine. Hedo hits a three-pointer bringing the Amway crowd up briefly but Joe Johnson quiets the crowd by drilling a jumper at the buzzer.
End of First: Atlanta Hawks 29, Orlando Magic 19
SHOOTAROUND
The Magic entered shootaround Monday morning at Amway Arena determined and anxious to bounce back after their disappointing loss to Indiana on Friday night.
"We know we didn't play well the other night and we are anxious to get back at it," confidently stated head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Bouncing back will not be an easy task as the upstart Atlanta Hawks come into town having won six out of their last nine ballgames including three out of their last four on the road.
Coach Van Gundy and the Magic are fully aware of Atlanta's abilities as a formidable opponent.
"They are playing extremely well as a team and are a legitimate team," stated Van Gundy. "They are a tough team for us to match-up with and we will have to play very strong and solid to win tonight."
"They are a good team," added Jameer Nelson. "They have a lot of young guys who are very athletic and play well together."
Athleticism was the word most used by the Magic when describing the Hawks.
"They are an extremely athletic team and maybe the most athletic team in the Eastern Conference," commented Van Gundy. "They have size and athleticism at every position, so dealing with their speed and quickness is going to be a challenge for us.
"Atlanta is a very athletic team and we need to try and get back on defense," added Rashard Lewis.
Getting back on defense was just one of the areas of emphasis the Magic discussed and Van Gundy was particularly adamant about improving three other areas.
"The three things we haven't done well lately that we want to focus on getting back to doing well are: one...taking care of the ball, two...keeping out of foul trouble, and three...rebound the basketball."
The Magic will pay close attention to improving these areas as they intend to avoid their first losing streak of the season.
PREGAME
The Orlando Magic look to bounce back after their 115-109 loss to Indiana Friday night by facing division rival the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Arena.
Atlanta last visited Amway Arena in early October for an exhibition game in which the Hawks defeated the Magic 94-93.
The Hawks, no longer the NBA’s doormat, come into Monday night’s contest tied for second in the Southeast Division with a 9-10 record, six games behind the division leading Magic.
Atlanta is lead by shooting guard Joe Johnson (20.5 ppg, 5.4 apg), power forward Josh Smith (18.0 ppg, 3.6 bpg), Marvin Williams (15.6 ppg), and former University of Florida standout, rookie Al Horford (8.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg).
Coming into the game having won their last two games, the Hawks improvement this season can be credited to their defense.
They rank in the top ten in opponent’s points per game (94.3), they are second in the NBA in block shots (5.9 bpg), and are among the top ten teams in steals (7.8 spg).
The Magic, looking to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season, have always bounced back strong the game following a loss.
Orlando is 4-0, outscoring their opponents by an average of 14.8 points, in games following a loss this season.
The Magic aim to continue this success as they go for their 17th win.
MAGIC INJURY REPORT
Tony Battie – Out, torn rotator cuff, left shoulder – underwent successful surgery on Oct. 24; will likely miss the entire season.
TONIGHT’S OPPONENT:
Dec. 10 vs. Atlanta (Orlando, FL): Orlando is 36-33 all-time vs. Atlanta (25-10 at home, 11-23 on the road) during regular season action, including 1-3 last season…Orlando is 4-1 vs. the Hawks during the playoffs (1996 East Semis)...The Magic have split the last 10 regular season meetings with the Hawks...Orlando has won five of six and 13 of the last 15 matchups at home, but has lost the last five meetings on the road (last win @ Atlanta: Nov. 26, 2004, 117-99)…Dwight Howard attended SW Atlanta Christian Academy…Trainer Tom Smith worked with the Hawks for six seasons from 2000-05 as the assistant athletic trainer…For last season’s stats and Magic career numbers vs. Atlanta, see p. 233 of the media guide.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. HAWKS: 40 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Atlanta, 12-8-01)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 40 pts., Joe Johnson (@ Atlanta, 3-19-06)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| HAWKS | 29 | 20 | 20 | 29 | 98 |
| MAGIC | 19 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 87 |
By Nick Adams | OrlandoMagic.com
RECAP
The Magic drop their second straight game at Amway Arena losing tonight to the Atlanta Hawks 98-87.
The Hawks held a ten point lead at the end of the first quarter and never surrendered the lead thanks to 29 points off of 19 Magic turnovers.
Hedo Turkoglu led the Magic with 22 points and Dwight Howard posted another double-double (14 points, 18 rebounds) in the losing effort.
Josh Smith had a huge night tallying 25 points and a season-high 18 rebounds while Joe Johnson chipped in 24 points for Atlanta who improve their record to 10-10.
The Magic could not find their shooting stroke tonight as they shot just 39 percent from the field and 60 percent from the free-throw line.
Orlando (16-6) will look to end their losing streak as they head out on the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night.
FOURTH QUARTER
Let's hope the Magic can ride their momentum from the end of the third quarter into the final period as they look to keep this Amway crowd on their feet.
The teams trade free-throws and the Hawks lead is still at six. Dooling gets a pretty transition hoop and Arroyo draws an offensive foul giving the ball to the Magic trailing by four points at 70-66.
The key to the Magic run has been their increased intensity at the defensive end of the floor. They are forcing bad shots and turnovers from the Hawks leading to open looks at the offensive end.
A pair of Magic turnovers leads to five Atlanta points pushing their lead back up to nine points at 75-66 four minutes into the final period. That has been the difference in tonight's ballgame as the Magic have doubled the Hawks turnover and the Magic's 16 turnovers have led to 25 Atlanta points.
Rashard Lewis and Keyon Dooling hit two huge back-to-back three-pointers to bring the Magic within three points. The Hawks get a basket to make the score 77-72 at the halfway point in the final quarter.
The Hawks get four straight points and their lead is back up to nine points at 81-72 with just under five minutes remaining.
Maurice Evans ends Atlanta's streak with a foul line jumper and Hedo takes it to the hoop strong drawing a foul on the next possession. Turk splits the pair making the score 81-75 Atlanta with three minutes to go.
Horford gets a dunk and Hedo drives the lane for two as the Hawks still cling to an eight point advantage with less than two minutes to play.
Anthony Johnson hits a three with the shot clock at zero leading to a Magic timeout as the Amway crowd begins to file out with the Magic trailing 88-77 with 1:34 left in the game.
Hedo nails a three but I think he needed that shot about five minutes ago as the Magic still trail by eight points. The Magic will foul from here on out and the Hawks will head to the line which will make the next minute last at least half an hour.
The teams trade some free-throws but the Hawks still cling to a nine point lead at 93-84.
Lewis nails a three and the Magic foul Joe Johnson who heads to the line and makes a pair. The Magic call their 40th timeout down by nine with 30 seconds to play.
Josh Smith steals a Turkolgu pass leading to a spectacular windmill slam to rightfully close out the ballgame.
Final: Atlanta Hawks 98, Orlando Magic 87
THIRD QUARTER
Ok...let's hope the internet and the Magic show up for the second half. Not a good start as Al Horford gets an easy dunk on horrible rotation defense from the Magic. I am expecting the internet to go down at any moment now.
Dwight converts on a nice fadeaway jump hook on the Magic's first offensive possession of the half. The Magic look for Dwight again inside and he gets fouled this time. He is unable to make either and is shooting 3-of-8 for the game.
Joe Johnson continues to torch the Magic as he nets a triple giving him a game high 17 points and propelling the Hawks to a 14 point lead at 57-43.
The Magic get the Hawks into the penalty situation three minutes into the third quarter so let's hope they become more aggressive and take the ball to the hoop strong as opposed to settling for the outside jumpers.
Dwight misses yet another pair of free-throws but Bogans hits a back-to-back threes trimming the Hawk lead to 12 points bringing the Amway crowd off of their seats.
Jameer feeds Dwight for a pretty alley-oop as the Magic seem to be building some momentum but another Magic turnover leads to a breakaway dunk by the Hawks.
Dwight with another hook in the lane brings the Magic within 12 points at 65-53 with just under five minutes to go in the third.
Hedo gets a put back bucket and chants of defense come from the Amway crowd. Dwight answers the fans chant by swatting a Marvin Williams shot into the front row. Atlanta head coach Mike Woodson smartly calls a timeout as the Amway crowd begins to get into the ballgame. The Hawks still lead 65-55 with 3:56 left in the third.
The Magic finally show up as soon as the internet takes a break as Hedo and Bogans both nail threes to cut the Hawk lead to 67-63 with 1:17 left in the third.
The Hawks get a quick answer but the Magic have the crowd and themselves back into the ballgame heading into the final period.
End of Third: Atlanta Hawks 69, Orlando Magic 63
SECOND QUARTER
Well...the switch of the hoops didn't work as planned as the Magic struggled at both ends of the floor shooting 36 percent and allowing 29 first quarter points to the Hawks.
The Magic start the second much better, getting two buckets from Adonal Foyle and a three-pointer from Carlos Arroyo cutting the Hawk lead to five at 31-26.
The Magic's second unit has come out much more energized than the first unit playing with intensity at both ends and getting the Magic right back into the ballgame.
Shelden Williams gets two offensive rebounds resulting in two buckets as the Hawks get their lead back to double digits at 39-28 with 6:15 to go in the half.
The Internet...much like the Magic...decide to take about ten minutes off so I will paraphrase the remainder of the second quarter for you.
The Magic get a couple of buckets, look as though they are about to take over, but turnovers and some hustle points by the Hawks keep them ahead and in control of the game.
Halftime: Atlanta Hawks 49, Orlando Magic 41
FIRST QUARTER
Welcome Magic fans for tonight's contest at Amway Arena as the Magic prepare to square off against inter-divisional rival the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic are focused and determined to avenge Friday night's loss at Amway by coming out with a strong performance tonight.
The two teams meet at center court as the Magic start their regular starters, Nelson, Bogans, Turkoglu, Lewis, and Howard, and the Hawks counter with Anthony Johnson, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, and Al Horford.
Howard and Smith face off for the opening tip and Howard wins the battle giving the Magic the first possession of the game. Howard finishes with a baby hook down low for the first points of tonight's contest. The Magic will start the game at the opposite hoop they normally start. This could be a psychological tool by coach Van Gundy to try and get the Magic playing better at home.
A lot of whistles to start the game slowing the pace of the game as the Hawks take an early 5-4 lead. The Magic can't find the mark early shooting just 28 percent to start the game. Hedo finally gets a bucket for the Magic brining the Magic within one at 7-6 with seven minutes left in the opening period.
Both teams have come out sluggish, shooting well under 40 percent to start the game. That changes quickly as both teams convert on back-to-back possessions before we have our first break in the action with the Magic trailing the Hawks 12-10 with 5:36 left in the first.
Two Magic turnovers leads to two Atlanta transition buckets as the Hawks jump out to a 16-10 lead. Lewis ends the Hawks streak by stroking a three from the top of the key but Joe Johnson answers with a long range jumper of his own. Atlanta calls a timeout leading the Magic 18-13 with 3:15 to go in the first.
Josh Smith converts a three-point play increasing the Hawk lead to 21-13. The Magic desperately need a spark to get things going for them tonight. Acie Law comes off the Hawk bench and strokes his first jumper and the Atlanta lead is up to 10.
Howard gets fouled and heads to the line where he splits the pair and cuts the Hawk lead to 23-14 with a minute left in the first. Joe Johnson continues his good start by netting another jumper giving him nine first quarter points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Keyon Dooling buckets a pair of free-throws trimming the Hawk lead to nine. Hedo hits a three-pointer bringing the Amway crowd up briefly but Joe Johnson quiets the crowd by drilling a jumper at the buzzer.
End of First: Atlanta Hawks 29, Orlando Magic 19
SHOOTAROUND
The Magic entered shootaround Monday morning at Amway Arena determined and anxious to bounce back after their disappointing loss to Indiana on Friday night.
"We know we didn't play well the other night and we are anxious to get back at it," confidently stated head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Bouncing back will not be an easy task as the upstart Atlanta Hawks come into town having won six out of their last nine ballgames including three out of their last four on the road.
Coach Van Gundy and the Magic are fully aware of Atlanta's abilities as a formidable opponent.
"They are playing extremely well as a team and are a legitimate team," stated Van Gundy. "They are a tough team for us to match-up with and we will have to play very strong and solid to win tonight."
"They are a good team," added Jameer Nelson. "They have a lot of young guys who are very athletic and play well together."
Athleticism was the word most used by the Magic when describing the Hawks.
"They are an extremely athletic team and maybe the most athletic team in the Eastern Conference," commented Van Gundy. "They have size and athleticism at every position, so dealing with their speed and quickness is going to be a challenge for us.
"Atlanta is a very athletic team and we need to try and get back on defense," added Rashard Lewis.
Getting back on defense was just one of the areas of emphasis the Magic discussed and Van Gundy was particularly adamant about improving three other areas.
"The three things we haven't done well lately that we want to focus on getting back to doing well are: one...taking care of the ball, two...keeping out of foul trouble, and three...rebound the basketball."
The Magic will pay close attention to improving these areas as they intend to avoid their first losing streak of the season.
PREGAME
The Orlando Magic look to bounce back after their 115-109 loss to Indiana Friday night by facing division rival the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Arena.
Atlanta last visited Amway Arena in early October for an exhibition game in which the Hawks defeated the Magic 94-93.
The Hawks, no longer the NBA’s doormat, come into Monday night’s contest tied for second in the Southeast Division with a 9-10 record, six games behind the division leading Magic.
Atlanta is lead by shooting guard Joe Johnson (20.5 ppg, 5.4 apg), power forward Josh Smith (18.0 ppg, 3.6 bpg), Marvin Williams (15.6 ppg), and former University of Florida standout, rookie Al Horford (8.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg).
Coming into the game having won their last two games, the Hawks improvement this season can be credited to their defense.
They rank in the top ten in opponent’s points per game (94.3), they are second in the NBA in block shots (5.9 bpg), and are among the top ten teams in steals (7.8 spg).
The Magic, looking to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season, have always bounced back strong the game following a loss.
Orlando is 4-0, outscoring their opponents by an average of 14.8 points, in games following a loss this season.
The Magic aim to continue this success as they go for their 17th win.
MAGIC INJURY REPORT
Tony Battie – Out, torn rotator cuff, left shoulder – underwent successful surgery on Oct. 24; will likely miss the entire season.
TONIGHT’S OPPONENT:
Dec. 10 vs. Atlanta (Orlando, FL): Orlando is 36-33 all-time vs. Atlanta (25-10 at home, 11-23 on the road) during regular season action, including 1-3 last season…Orlando is 4-1 vs. the Hawks during the playoffs (1996 East Semis)...The Magic have split the last 10 regular season meetings with the Hawks...Orlando has won five of six and 13 of the last 15 matchups at home, but has lost the last five meetings on the road (last win @ Atlanta: Nov. 26, 2004, 117-99)…Dwight Howard attended SW Atlanta Christian Academy…Trainer Tom Smith worked with the Hawks for six seasons from 2000-05 as the assistant athletic trainer…For last season’s stats and Magic career numbers vs. Atlanta, see p. 233 of the media guide.
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. HAWKS: 40 pts., Tracy McGrady (@ Atlanta, 12-8-01)
BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 40 pts., Joe Johnson (@ Atlanta, 3-19-06)
