By Josh Cohen & Dan Savage | Around the Amway Archive
Dwight Howard tallied 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, but the Magic couldn’t get into a rhythm and didn’t have an answer for the Miami Heat’s potent offensive attack as they dropped a 96-70 decision on Friday.
"Some of the guys were shell-shocked," Howard said. "This wasn't a championship effort so we need to work harder."
While momentum was generally in the Heat’s favor in the first half, it was a third-quarter knockout that basically sealed the deal.
Miami led by just six at halftime before Dwyane Wade and LeBron James seized control with three straight 3-pointers out of the gate in the third. The Heat would outscore the Magic by 18 in that one-sided period.
"They hit us with an upper cut and we got knocked down," Howard said about the third quarter.
Wade finished with a game-high 26 points, while James poured in 15 points and seven assists.
Outside of Howard, who fouled out with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter, the rest of Orlando’s starters combined to shoot just 4-of-30 from the field.
Surprising for a team that set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a season, the Magic shot just 4-of-24 from beyond the arc.
Vince Carter injured his back and neck but did return and J.J. Redick got hit in the eye while taking a charge and needed seven stiches.
It’s a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs that takes fans from extreme highs to unparalleled lows.
Unfortunately for the Magic faithful, their amusement park experience took a nosedive on Friday as Orlando suffered a 96-70 whipping from the hands of the Heat.
The Magic couldn’t pass; they were unable to score and had no answer for the Heat’s scorching start to the second half.
It was a rude awakening for a team that dismantled its opponents by an average of 25 points per contest during the preseason and that opened up their regular season campaign with a 29-point thrashing of the Wizards.
“It was a wake up call for us,” Vince Carter said. “It was something that we needed.”
Although it was a painful experience for Orlando, in the end, its first loss could turn out to be a valuable learning tool.
“I think it’s good for us that this is happening in Game 2 and it give us something to really look at,” Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy said. “As coaches we need to look at some things too.”
"Tonight showed that we have a ways to go," J.J. Redick said. "We have a lot to improve on."
Friday’s extravaganza (or whatever you wan to call it) between the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat was unprecedented and felt like a potential Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It certainly did not feel like the first week of the regular season.
Pregame festivities consumed the streets outside the arena, cameras flashed constantly inside throughout the game and fans rejoiced this special occasion with their family and friends.
"It's been a long time since I've seen the arena like this," Udonis Haslem said.
It was definitely an event to tell your grandchildren about some day.
Although it’s unreasonable to conclude that the outcome of the game will have “monumental” influence come playoff time, it is rational to suggest that this game was not only fantastic for the revitalized Sunshine State rivalry but also grand for the league.
I recently wrote about how beneficial it is for the NBA to possess “Super Teams” in an effort to increase its celebrity value.
People, especially Americans, are obsessed with pop culture and any time you can amplify the iconic importance of a team and/or player, it can only improve the presentation of the league.
We know what Orlando’s main attack is: Feed the ball to Dwight Howard and let him go to work.
The Magic exercised this advantage frequently on Friday in the first half as Howard was consistent on his baby hooks and short jumpers – finishing with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field.
Unfortunately for the Magic, though, the rest of the team couldn’t find the range, especially from 3-point distance. Surprising for a team that set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a season last year, Orlando shot just 4-of-24 from beyond the arc.
Orlando’s other four starters, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Quentin Richardson, combined to shoot just 4-of-30 from the floor.
"It was there defense and our offense that was the story of the game," Stan Van Gundy said.
Also somewhat stunning, Miami grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and accumulated 18 second chance points.
It shouldn’t come as a shock that the wing players for the Magic struggled in their first meeting against Miami’s three stars. But certainly, if Orlando wants to prove it is the better team, those four other starters must play with more consistency.
After colliding with several Heat players while attacking the rack late in the second quarter, Vince Carter went down with a back and neck injury.
Although he returned for a few minutes early in the third, Carter was eventually pulled and given the rest of the night off.
“The game just got away and I didn’t see any sense putting him back in there with his back acting up the way it was,” Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy explained. “(Although) he would have done it.”
Things didn’t look any better for VC after the contest as he gingerly walked around the locker room prior to departing for the team's flight back to Orlando.
“It felt like the entire team landed on the back of my head,” Carter said. “It went right to my lower back.”
The Magic’s back up shooting guard J.J. Redick didn’t fare much better.
After taking an elbow from LeBron James in the second quarter, Redick had to get seven stitches; five below his eye and two above it.
What do you think was most troubling for the Magic on Friday?
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Who for the Heat do you think had more of an impact?
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