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Eastern Conference Vastly Improved This Season

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

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By John Denton

Nov. 28, 2015

ORLANDO – In the weeks before the start of training camp, Orlando Magic coach Scott Skiles studied the rosters of various teams and he came to the conclusion that the Eastern Conference would be dramatically better this season.

That analysis has proven to be dead on as the previously downtrodden East went into this week with more .500-or-better teams and a winning record head-to-head against the West. That dramatic improvement in the East led Skiles to another conclusion as it relates to the Magic and their hopes that this season will be a special one with plenty of meaningful games in the spring.

``I said it even before our training camp that below .500 wouldn’t cut this year in the Eastern Conference,’’ said Skiles, referring to East’s No. 8 seed getting to the playoffs each of the past three seasons with a losing record. ``It seems to be shaping up that way, which is good because you should have to have a winning record to be a postseason.

``But it makes it more difficult now (in the East) and you better have a winning record if you want to get into the playoffs,’’ Skiles added. ``So many teams are fluttering within a game or two of .500 and we’re coming up pretty quickly on the quarter poll and things are shaping up kind of the way that they are going to shape up. All of these games are going to be critical and you never know about tiebreakers and those things.’’

On the heels of the Magic (8-8) beating New York (8-9) and Milwaukee (6-10), another of those Eastern Conference showdowns comes Sunday at the Amway Center against the vastly improved Boston Celtics (9-7). The Celtics come to Orlando riding high after rallying to beat Philadelphia on Wednesday and throttling Washington 111-78 on Friday – putting them a game ahead of the Magic in the jumbled East standings.

``We have to win these kinds of games, especially against Boston,’’ said guard Evan Fournier, Orlando’s leading scorer this season at 17.7 points per game. ``That’s going to be a team that we fight against if we want to get into the playoffs. This game (on Sunday) is going to be huge for us.’’

When the Magic throttled Milwaukee 114-90 – their most lopsided victory since April 9, 2012 – it ensured them of having a winning November (8-6). Incredibly, it is their first winning month since March of 2012 – long before anyone on the current roster was a member of the Magic.

Orlando has been 5-5, 6-6 and 8-8 this season and this will be its third chance to secure a winning record – something the franchise hasn’t had this late in the season since 2012.

``It definitely shows progress, but we’re definitely not satisfied,’’ said Magic point guard Elfrid Payton, who had his finest game of the season on Friday by making 10 of 12 shots and contributing 22 points and 10 assists. ``We’re just going to continue to work.’’

Magic guards Victor Oladipo, Payton and Fournier will have their work cut out for them against a Boston team that relies heavily on the quickness and toughness of their guards. Isaiah Thomas (21.2 points and 1.56 steals), Avery Bradley (15.4 points and 1.71 steals) and Jae Crowder (11.2 points and 2.25 steals) have helped the Celtics lead the NBA in steals per game (11.3 spg.).

Orlando and Boston are similar in how they have overcome their lack of a star player with balanced scoring and gritty defense.

Boston has four players averaging double figures in scoring and two more putting in at least 9.2 points per game. The Celtics are third in the NBA in defensive rating (95.4 points per 100 possessions) compared to the Magic ranking ninth (99.8 points per 100 possessions). Orlando is holding opponents to 42.4 percent shooting (fifth in the NBA), while Boston is allowing 42.9 percent shooting (seventh in the NBA).

The Magic have five players averaging in double figures, including guard Victor Oladipo (13.9 ppg), who has thrived in his new role coming off the bench. He had 24 points on Wednesday against New York and he contributed another 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds on Friday. Oladipo knows that potentially beating Boston – a team that he’s 3-5 against in his NBA career – would be especially meaningful for the Magic.

``It’s not only big for (placing in the standings), but they’ve had our number,’’ Oladipo said. ``Shoot, they are a playoff team and that’s where we want to be. Every game is a big game. And they’re the next opponent, so it’s a big game for us.’’