MAGIC: Quotes: 03/15/08 vs. Indiana

FINAL: Orlando Magic 122 - Indiana Pacers 111

March 15, 2008 - Amway Arena

	1	2	3	4	F
PACERS	18	35	27	31	111
MAGIC	28	33	30	31	122

Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy:
On the overall game:
�That�s a very difficult team to play against. Jim (O�Brien, Pacers head coach) has done a fabulous job without (Jermaine) O�Neal and (Jamaal) Tinsley. You can just look at their record, there are a lot of people like us who have had very difficult evenings against them. They get you spread out and have a high energy level, but I thought our guys responded well after the start of the fourth quarter where they quickly cut it to two. But then I thought Dwight made great adjustments playing against (Troy) Murphy. It�s very rare for a center to have to guard a 3-point shooter. Then on our defense it pulls Dwight away from the basket so when people are driving the ball, we don�t get the basket protection that we normally get so it was difficult. I thought our guys hung in there and obviously had a really good shooting night. I wouldn�t say it was a very good offensive night because we handled the ball very poorly but we were able to survive only because we shot the ball well. We were not happy with the turnovers but very happy with the win and happy to clinch a playoff spot with a month to go.�

On earning a playoff spot:
�The possibility of clinching a playoff spot has been on the board for weeks. At the beginning of the week it said by the end of the week if we take care of business we had a chance to do it. Then tonight it said secure a playoff spot with tonight next to it in red. I think most of our guys did not think other teams would go undefeated and we would lose 15 in a row but it�s still step by step and you want to take care of that. Now the next step would be to wrap up the division then wrap up the home court. We still have a lot to play for and have a very busy week. It�s going to be grueling; we haven�t had this kind of schedule since very early in the season. We are in the middle of six games in nine days and nine games in 15 days. It�s a tough schedule with a lot of good teams coming up this week and I think it�s a good challenge for us.�

On what led to the team�s 22 turnovers:
�They are pretty accurate defensively. We�ve had trouble handling them defensively before. We had 39 turnovers against them the first two games so we average 20 turnovers against them this year. I thought we were trying to force plays tonight. They do a very good job collapsing and protecting the paint. There are people open in the perimeter which is why we got as many 3�s as we did and why they gave up a lot of 3�s. All we really had to do was move the ball to open people and I think a lot of times we were trying to force the play a little bit too much.�

Orlando Magic GuardKeith Bogans:
(On getting into playoffs so early) �It feels great to get our work in early. But just getting into the playoffs is a little bit different than last year. We�ve gotten a lot better than last year. It was a struggle just to get in. Now we�re in early.�

Orlando Magic ForwardRashard Lewis:
�It was good to clinch the playoff spot, but we�re trying to build a championship team and we�re always trying to get better and improve and make a bigger run in the playoffs.�

�I think every game is big for us. For the remainder of the season, we want to try and continue to stay in the third spot. Every night you never know what�s going to happen, we could move into the second position. The farther we move up, the better it will be for us in the playoffs.�

(On Maurice Evans� third qtr.) �He kept that lead for us in the third quarter. He played big for us tonight. He had 19 points � I think he�s that guy that nobody really knows about. But he does great things for us on the defensive end as well as getting open shots.�

Orlando Magic CenterDwight Howard:
(On clinching a playoff spot) �It was great. It�s a big accomplishment for us to do it so early in the season. We can still improve and get a lot better. So we can�t take the rest of the games lightly. It�s best to get it before the four (games) coming up.�

�We feel great about clinching the playoffs. But I think the important thing is trying to get at least 50 wins, and I�ve been trying to get that since I�ve been here. Try and go ahead and catch Detroit. That would be really good.�

�Cleveland�s a very strong team; they�re playing extremely great basketball right now. So we�ve really got to show those guys that we�re contenders too. Also, a lot of people are skipping over us and going right to Cleveland. They say Detroit, Celtics and then Cleveland. And it�s like we�re a forgotten team in the East. So we�ve got to step it up when we play those guys. Washington could be a team that we see in the first round.�

�That�s how everybody feels, so nobody is looking at the Magic for any playoff or championship contender team, which is good. Every team that I�ve been on has always been looked as a team that everybody could beat. But you know, we know how to play basketball and one day, we�re going to get the respect that we deserve from everybody.�

Indiana Pacers Head Coach Jim O'Brien:
On tonight�s game:
�You know, we competed our butts off in the second half. Had two wide open threes to take the lead and they didn�t fall for us, and Orlando�s a good team. They were just able to close us out.�

On the team�s performance:
�We did not play with the energy that we played in the second, third, and fourth quarters defensively.�

On the second half comeback:
�It�s hard, but it�s doable. When teams tend to think that the game�s over when they get leads, despite what I�m sure Coach Van Gundy is telling them in the timeouts. And our guys, when we go small, have the ability to put up a lot of points very quickly. Marquise did a great job taking care of mismatches. Michael did a nice job, and for a while there, we were very difficult to guard. They had enough to beat us.�

Indiana Pacers ForwardDanny Granger:
�They made about everything they put up tonight. We still made a run at them. They are a good team and that is why they are a top team in the East.�

�It (his offensive production) is very important as I take the next step in my career to expand my offensive game and my defensive game. I hope it translates to more wins down the road.�

(on being available to Orlando Magic @ #11 slot in 2005 NBA Draft) �I actually think about it all the time. When you look at it now it wasn�t really a smart move but it turned out the best for me. They probably wouldn�t have needed Rashard Lewis.�

�They are one of the top teams. They are up there with Boston and Detroit. They have so many weapons and a lot of experienced guys. Dwight is just such an inside presence. It is really hard to handle him. They are a good team.�

Indiana Pacers GuardTravis Deiner:
�It was good (coming back to Orlando). I miss playing with those guys but I am happy to be here and playing here. I had a couple wonderful years and I wish those guys the best of luck. I hope they win when we are not playing them. I keep checking the box scores. They are good people and I wish them the best of luck.�

�Our effort was pretty good. They made a lot of tough shots. We played hard. It is a long roadtrip coming from Dallas but it is no excuse. This is the NBA. They just made more plays at the end. They are a tough three seed in the East. We are fighting for the playoffs.�

(On starting last 21 games prior to tonight) �It was nice to get an opportunity to play. I am just happy to be producing and trying to help our team win games.�

�It is a great system (Orlando Magic�s). Coach Van Gundy gives them a lot of freedom on offense. With Lewis that is a big signing and the way Turk�s playing this year, and you knew Dwight was going to have a great year. They are good. Obviously in the East they are going to have to go through Detroit. Detroit I think is the team to beat. Going to the playoffs last year and playing Detroit gives them some experience. I hope they do well.�

POSTGAME NOTES

� With Orlando�s 122-111 win over the Indiana Pacers, the Magic have clinched a spot in the play-offs. Orlando�s �magic number� to clinch the Southeast Division Title is now 7. This number is a combination of our wins and the second place team�s losses. (currently Washington)
� The win improves the Magic to 44-24 on the season, 21-12 at home, while the Pacers fall to 25-41, 12-23 on the road. The Magic now hold the series advantage 2-1 over the Pacers this season.
� The Magic set a new season-high field-goal percentage in the first half as they shot 66.7 percent from the field on 26-of-39 shooting. The previous mark of 64.1 percent (25-of-39) was set back on Nov. 21 at San Antonio.
� Forward Hedo Turkoglu finished this night leading all scorers with 27 points, while also dishing out six assists and pulling down four rebounds. This is Turkoglu�s 35th game this season where he has scored 20 points or more and is the 24th time this season that he has either led or tied the team in scoring.
� Rashard Lewis finished the night with his 27th 20+-point game for the season as he tallied 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. The forward also recorded five rebounds, three assists and one block.
� Guard Maurice Evans notched a season-high points for the Magic as he finished with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Evans� previous high of 17 points came on Mar. 5 at Washington.
� Center Dwight Howard finished with his league-leading 59th double-double of the season, 211 of his career, as he finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds (10 defensive). Howard is just one double-double shy of matching his double-double total from last season. The team record for most double-doubles in a season is 68, which was set by Shaquille O�Neal during the 1992-93 season.
� Keith Bogans rounded out the double-digit scoring for the Magic as he finished with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists coming off the bench.
� The Pacers had six players finish in double figures for the night as forward Danny Granger finished with 24 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. (Granger-24; Troy Murphy-18; Mike Dunleavy-16; Marquis Daniels-14; Kareem Rush-12; Flip Murray-11)