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Magic Continue to Struggle Defensively in Loss to Knicks

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John Denton

Jan. 23, 2015

NEW YORK – For an eighth straight game on Friday night, the Orlando Magic’s struggling defense allowed at least 100 points – this time against a New York Knicks team that hadn’t reached triple digits in the calendar year.

Until there is a change in the team’s mindset when it comes to being tougher defensively, this season-sinking skid currently gripping the Magic will continue, barked angry coach Jacque Vaughn.

``Our mindset of coming into the game and trying to outscore people instead of outplaying them and out-defending them … it’s evident in how we’re approaching the game,’’ Vaughn fumed following Orlando’s 113-106 loss to a Knicks team that shot 47.3 percent, drilled 10 3-pointers and scored 31 fourth-quarter points. ``The defensive end needs to be a premium. Instead of thinking about scoring the basketball as soon as you step on the floor, worry about defending the basketball. That would help.’’

Orlando (15-31) defeated the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets in impressive fashion last week by scoring 120 and 121 points – consecutive 120-point games for the franchise for the first time in almost 19 years. But lost in those feel-good vibes was the slippage that was occurring with the Magic’s defense.

The Magic lost for a fourth straight time on Friday not because all-star forward Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points, but because they were unable to get a handle on lightly regarded players such as Jason Smith (19 points and three 3-pointers), Lance Thomas (16 points on eight of 10 shooting) and Langston Gallowway (15 points, eight rebounds and two 3-pointers). Galloway and Thomas, who weren’t even on the rebuilding Knicks’ roster until two weeks ago, combined for 15 points in the fourth quarter alone to bury the Magic.

``We can’t worry about offense; we’re worrying about the wrong things right now. We’ve got to get stops,’’ said Magic guard Victor Oladipo, who missed his first six shots of the game and struggled through a dismal six of 20 shooting night for 15 points. ``We have to buy in to getting stops – everybody, the guards and the bigs. If we don’t, we can score as much as we want to, but they are going to get just as many points as we do or more.’’

The Magic, losers of 10 of the past 12 games, have given up at least 100 points in eight straight and they dropped to 11-3 on the season when they score at least 100 points.

Following a prolonged stretch of offensive woes, Orlando made a concerted effort to push the pace offensively in an attempt to use its youth and athleticism to wear down foes. While that worked briefly in strong efforts against the Blazers, Bulls, Rockets and Grizzlies, defensive gaffes of late have led to the Thunder (127 points), Pistons (128 points) and Knicks (113 points) to score at will. New York, now 8-36 following a third straight victory, came into Friday’s game having not scored 100 points since Dec. 27 of 2014 – a span of 11 consecutive games.

But on Friday, the Knicks had 51 points by halftime and 82 through three quarters. Even after Orlando rallied to take leads of 96-94 and 98-97 in the final four minutes, it was unable to hang on because of easy baskets by the Knicks.

``Every single guy on this team has to do a better job of taking pride in their defense, whether it’s one-on-one or helping each other. There just has to be a better effort on that end,’’ said Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who tied a career high with 34 points and he added 18 rebounds for his NBA-best 26th double-double of the season. ``We can’t focus on our offense and try to outscore people so much. We can’t focus on our pace so much and focus instead on our defense.’’

Tobias Harris, who was used in a reserve role for a second consecutive game, couldn’t ever get involved in the offense and had just nine points on four of 14 shooting. Harris twice missed 3-point shots late in the game when the Magic could have grabbed the lead.

Orlando wasted stellar performances from Vucevic, rookie point guard Elfrid Payton and power forward Channing Frye. Vucevic played tremendous basketball on the offensive end by making 16 of 22 shots, grabbing four offensive boards and handing out three assists. Frye hit four 3-pointers for 14 points, while Payton added nine points and 11 assists.

``There’s a responsibility when you want to play fast (offensively) that you still have to play defense,’’ Frye said. ``At first (upon playing at a faster pace) we were a better than we are defensively. We have to be on the same page. In order for us to speed the game up to use our (athleticism) we have to be precise and know exactly what we’re giving up. We have to be dedicated to what the game play is and willing to stay with it.’’

The Magic suffered another blow late in the game when Payton limped off the floor following a dunk with a sore left knee. Payton was examined by the team trainer after the game and the knee was deemed to be structurally sound.
The Magic will be back at the Amway Center on Sunday night to host the Indiana Pacers. An Orlando team that played 19 of its first 28 games on the road has had its issues at home this season, going 5-14 so far at the Amway Center.

Down one at the half, the Magic found themselves trailing 82-78 by the end of the third quarter. Orlando got very little from Harris (four points through three quarters) and Oladipo (four of 12 shooting through three) in the early going and struggled to score against a shoddy Knicks defense.

Fortunately for the Magic, Payton and Frye worked well together in the drive-and-kick game to buoy the offense. Frye had a dunk and two 3-pointers in the third quarter, while Payton headed into the final 12 minutes with 10 assists already to his credit.

Orlando led by as much as seven points in the early going, but limped to the locker room trailing 51-50 at intermission. The Magic surrendered the lead when they allowed the Knicks to go on a 12-2 run midway through the second quarter. Two of New York’s three 3-pointers in the first half came during that momentum-turning run.

Vaughn said he thought some of the Magic’s defensive problems were caused by his team allowing the offensive woes to affect the effort on the other end of the floor.

``It shouldn’t take effect on the other end of the floor,’’ Vaughn said. ``We know that sometimes it does have a carryover, but if you are in the game you should be just as focused on the defensive end of the floor as you are on the other end.

``You give up 113 points, I don’t care where you are – even if you are at your neighborhood gym – that’s going to be hard to win a game,’’ Vaughn continued. ``It’s just that simple and that plain. When we are not concerned about not scoring every single possession, then something good will happen.’’

Vucevic, who is hoping to hear his name called next week as an all-star selection for the game played Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden, was aggressive and seeking out shots early in the game. He buried eight of his first 12 shots and scored 18 points in the first half to go with his eight rebounds.

Rookie forward Aaron Gordon, who was playing in his third game since returning from a nine-week absence following foot surgery, had an impact on the game with five points, two rebounds and a steal in 13 minutes.

Gordon wasn’t used in the second quarter or much of the fourth as the Magic continue to try and limit his minutes as he works his way back into full basketball shape. Gordon, the youngest player in the NBA at 19 years old, missed nine weeks after needing surgery to repair a fractured bone in the outside of his left foot.

He made the most of his limited time on the floor early on, contributing five points, one rebound, one assist and one steal over the final 7 minutes of the first quarter. Gordon had a thunderous dunk for a three-point play and when he finished the first quarter with a spinning layup, Orlando was up 26-20.

But that lead would eventually disappear because the Magic were unable to string together many consecutive defensive stops at all. Yet another soft defensive outing left the usually positive Vaughn sounding exasperated by the end of the night.

``That’s just where we are and I just have to continue to reinforce that (need for better defense),’’ Vaughn said. ``I’ll continue to reinforce that and see how I can get that point across while trying to get wins for this ball club. It’s a value system. What do you value? We need to defend the basketball. If I’m going into the game thinking about outscoring my guy, then we’ll continue to lose.’’

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