Sun Sports and FS Florida broadcaster David Steele is in the midst of his 22nd season of Orlando Magic basketball, and his 13th as the play-by-play announcer for the team's television broadcasts. He was named television play-by-play voice for the Orlando Magic in March of 1998 after handling radio play-by-play duties for the team's first nine seasons. Steele shares his unique take on what's happening with the Orlando Magic and more with his newest blog.
Posted by David Steele, Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, 11:30 PM
Magic-Hornets Notebook
The Orlando Magic dropped a 99-93 game to the New Orleans Hornets Friday night at the Amway Center, and afterwards, head coach Stan Van Gundy lamented the fact that it has been a long time since the Magic have defeated a winning team. True. You have to go back to January 8th, when Orlando beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-107 to find a win over a +.500 team, and the Mavericks played that game without all-star Dirk Nowitzki. It was actually December 30th, at the Amway Center, when the Magic last defeated a winning team at full strength, beating the New York Knicks 112-103.
On Friday night against the Hornets, it was Orlando’s inability to execute their offense late in the game, and a number of outstanding individual performances by New Orleans that spelled doom for the home team.
The game was tied at 91-91 with just over six minutes to play, and from that point on, the Magic scored just two field goals on their last 15 possessions, turning the ball over 4 times along the way.
Meanwhile, the Hornets Willie Green, who entered the game averaging 7.5 points per game, was putting the finishing touches on a superb night. Green scored 7 of his season high 24 points in the decisive 4th quarter, including a big fall away jumper at the end of the shot clock which gave the Hornets a 4-point lead with under two minutes to go.
Green knocked down three 3-point shots in the game, joining a long and growing list of opposing players (recently, the Clippers Baron Davis, Memphis’ Mike Conley, Chicago’s Luol Deng, Houston’s Chase Budinger) poor 3-point shooters who have made multiple threes against the Magic.
Another opportunity to defeat a winning team awaits the Magic on Sunday afternoon, when the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers visit the Amway Center. Kobe Bryant and crew will come to central Florida as one of the hottest teams in the NBA, having won the first 4 games of a 7 game road trip leading up to the all-star break. All four wins have come against good teams, at Memphis, at New Orleans, at Boston, and Friday night at New York. The Magic will need a supreme effort to stop the Lakers streak, and finally secure a victory against a quality team.
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